110: Chapter 69: Reverse Sect

Senior Sister Wen Yao walked over and handed him a healing Medicinal Pill.

"Junior Brother, those few sword strikes of yours just now didn't seem like Qi Refining."

Chen Xuan took the Medicinal Pill, swallowed it, and shook his head with a bitter smile.

"Senior Sister, those moves of yours just now didn't seem like the Early Stage of Foundation Establishment either."

Senior Sister Wen Yao revealed a rare trace of a smile, which quickly vanished.

"Clean up the battlefield. Although the Buddha statue is shattered, there might still be good things among the fragments."

The two of them searched in different directions.

Chen Xuan walked toward the pile of rubble and used his sword to push aside the stones.

Sure enough, something was hidden among the Buddha statue fragments.

A fingernail-sized golden crystal emitting a faint Buddhist light.

A blood-colored Jade Slip, inside of which was recorded an incomplete Cultivation Technique.

And a spark of fire sealed inside a glazed glass bottle.

Heavenly Fire.

Another wisp of Heavenly Fire intent.

Adding the two wisps he had previously obtained from Founding Emperor Xie Yuan, he now had three in his hands.

Chen Xuan put the three items into his Storage Pouch without making a sound.

Senior Sister Wen Yao found several Magical Artifacts in the corner, all of which had survived destruction under the suppression of the Buddha statue.

Their quality was quite good; one was even a Medium Grade Spiritual Artifact.

"Senior Sister, you should take these."

Senior Sister Wen Yao shook her head, only taking a Low Grade Spiritual Artifact.

"Keep the rest. You can exchange them for contribution points after returning to the sect."

Chen Xuan did not decline and put the items away.

He walked to Zhang Fan's side, squatting down to examine him.

Zhang Fan's breathing was steady, the magic power in his body was not in disarray, and his Divine Soul was undamaged.

To be able to recover after being eroded by Maitreya for three years was simply a miracle.

Perhaps it was because his good intentions had never truly dissipated.

"Senior Sister, what should we do with him?"

"Take him back to the sect and hand him over to Revered Master."

Senior Sister Wen Yao took out a restrictive ring and slipped it onto Zhang Fan's wrist.

The restrictive ring locked his magic power; even if he woke up, he wouldn't be able to cause any trouble.

The two of them propped up Zhang Fan and walked out of the Zhang Family Charity Hall.

The night was deep, and there was not a single soul on the streets.

The sea breeze blew, carrying a salty and fishy scent.

Chen Xuan looked back at the Zhang Family Charity Hall. The lanterns on the courtyard gate were still lit, but the sound of chanting inside had ceased forever.

The three of them returned to the inn, and Liu Lili was still awake.

Seeing the unconscious Zhang Fan, she froze for a moment.

"Did you do something to him?"

"Not to him, but to the thing he was worshiping."

Chen Xuan briefly explained what had happened, omitting the details of the Heavenly Fire intent and the golden crystal.

It wasn't that he didn't trust Liu Lili, but rather, the fewer people who knew about certain things, the better.

After listening, Liu Lili fell silent for a long time.

"So Zhang Fan was controlled by Maitreya?"

"Essentially."

"Can he still recover?"

Chen Xuan looked at Senior Sister Wen Yao.

Senior Sister Wen Yao pondered for a moment.

"With the Maitreya mark removed, his Divine Soul should gradually recover."

"But having been eroded for three years, a drastic change in temperament is inevitable."

Liu Lili sighed.

"Although he was annoying before, he didn't deserve to die."

Chen Xuan did not respond.

Zhang Fan didn't deserve to die, but what about those Loose Cultivators who were bewitched by Maitreya?

What about the Mortals who died in the demon disaster of the Xia Dynasty?

What about the Cultivators who were attacked by Maitreya's divine descent in Wanjian Immortal City?

They didn't deserve to die either.

Yet they died.

But Zhang Fan lived, because he was the eldest grandson of the direct line of the Southern Sky Zhang Clan.

Such was the way of the world.

Chen Xuan had seen through this long ago, so he felt no anger, only a cold indifference.

Returning to the Liuyang Sword Sect happened three days later.

The flying boat landed at the Qingming Peak ferry crossing, and the three of them propped up Zhang Fan as they walked toward the Conquest Hall.

The Disciples they met along the way were all dumbfounded.

The Golden Core Disciple, Yun Qi, was covered in wounds, with dried blood on his clothes.

Senior Sister Wen Yao's hair was disheveled, and there were several scratches on her twin sword scabbards.

Liu Lili was unscathed, but her face was written with exhaustion.

As for Zhang Fan, locked by the restrictive ring, he was dragged along the ground like a dead dog.

News quickly spread throughout Qingming Peak.

At the entrance of the Conquest Hall, Eldest Senior Brother Zhang Qian walked toward them.

He was heavily built with a rugged face, and his Late Stage Foundation Establishment aura was as deep and heavy as a mountain.

Seeing Zhang Fan's miserable state, he frowned.

"Junior Sister Wen, what is going on here?"

"Zhang Fan was eroded by Maitreya. We helped remove the mark for him."

Senior Sister Wen Yao's tone was very flat, as if she were speaking of a trivial matter.

Senior Brother Zhang Qian's gaze fell upon Chen Xuan and lingered for a moment.

He could tell that the wounds on Chen Xuan's body were left by a Foundation Establishment-level combat power.

A Qi Refining Cultivator, fighting against a Foundation Establishment-level entity and still returning alive.

Not simple indeed.

"Revered Master is waiting for you inside."

The three of them propped up Zhang Fan and entered the rear hall.

Master Liu Yun sat cross-legged on a prayer mat, with white hair and white eyebrows, exuding an otherworldly, sage-like air.

He glanced at Zhang Fan, then at Chen Xuan, a hint of anomaly appearing in his eyes.

"The Maitreya mark?"

"Yes." Senior Sister Wen Yao explained the sequence of events in detail, including the Buddha statue in the Zhang Family Charity Hall, Chen Xuan breaking open the blood barrier with his Sword Qi, and finally using the Heavenly Fire intent to burn away the Divine Thought.

She did not hide Chen Xuan's performance, nor did she exaggerate it.

But merely stating the facts was shocking enough.

Master Liu Yun fell silent for a moment after listening.

"Yun Qi, come here."

Chen Xuan stepped forward and knelt before the prayer mat.

Master Liu Yun reached out and pressed his hand onto the top of Chen Xuan's head, sending a warm stream of magic power into his body.

The magic power traveled through his Dantian, Meridians, and bones, finally lingering for an instant at his Innate Sword Bone.

"How many revolutions have you refined your Dao Base to?"

"Three revolutions Perfection, and I am preparing for the fourth."

Master Liu Yun withdrew his hand and nodded.

"To be able to fight a Late Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator at three revolutions Perfection, your combat power far exceeds those of the same tier."

"But you must remember, no matter how strong your combat power is, cultivation is the foundation."

"Establishing your foundation as soon as possible is the Righteous Path."

"Yes, Revered Master."

Master Liu Yun looked at Zhang Fan again and raised his hand to shoot a streak of spiritual light.

The spiritual light sank into the space between Zhang Fan's eyebrows. A moment later, Master Liu Yun withdrew the spiritual light, his expression darkening.

"The Maitreya mark has indeed been cleared, but his Divine Soul has suffered damage and needs recuperation."

"Send him to the Medicine Hall and have the fellow brothers of Baimu Peak look after him."

"In addition, notify the Southern Sky Zhang Clan and tell them about Zhang Fan."

"Just say I said so: Zhang Fan was eroded by Maitreya, and our sect's Disciples Yun Qi and Senior Sister Wen Yao took action to save him, and he is now unharmed."

Senior Sister Wen Yao nodded and turned to handle it.

Senior Brother Zhang Qian propped up Zhang Fan and also left the rear hall.

Only Master Liu Yun and Chen Xuan were left in the rear hall.

Master Liu Yun looked at Chen Xuan, his gaze profound.

"The secrets you carry are more than I expected."

Chen Xuan's heart skipped a beat, but he remained expressionless on the surface.

"This Disciple would not dare."

"Would not dare?" Master Liu Yun smiled. "With a Qi Refining cultivation, you were able to break the blood barrier set up by Maitreya's Divine Thought, burn away the Divine Thought with the Heavenly Fire intent, and perform Sword Light Differentiation to merge nine strands into one."

"Even if a Middle Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator were to do these things, they might not succeed."

"Do you say you did this yourself, or is there something helping you?"

Chen Xuan was silent for a moment before speaking.

"This Disciple possesses an exotic treasure that can predict good and bad fortune."

He did not hide the existence of the heavenly book golden decree, but he did not speak the whole truth either.

The matter of his hundred lifetimes of Reincarnation must never be told to anyone.

Master Liu Yun did not press further, only nodding.

"An exotic treasure protecting your path is your Opportunity; make good use of it."

"But remember, external things are ultimately external things; cultivation is the foundation."

"This Disciple understands."

"Go on. Recover well from your wounds. Once you are healed, enter secluded meditation to refine your Dao Base."

"The auction will begin in just over a month. You will come with me then."

Chen Xuan's heart stirred.

The auction for the ascension spirit liquid was finally about to begin.

He kowtowed in salutation and exited the rear hall.

At the entrance of his Immortal Cave, Liu Lili was waiting for him.

She held a steaming bowl of Spirit Medicine soup in her hands, fragrant with the scent of medicine.

"Junior Brother, I brewed this. Drink it while it's hot."

Chen Xuan took the bowl and took a sip.

The soup was very bitter, but it was rich in Spiritual Qi. After drinking it, his Dantian felt warm and cozy.

"Senior Sister, how did you know I was injured?"

"You walked into the Conquest Hall covered in blood. Who wouldn't see?"

Liu Lili rolled her eyes at him, her eyes slightly red.

"Don't risk your life like this next time, alright?"

Chen Xuan looked at her and nodded.

Only then did Liu Lili smile, reaching out to flick his forehead.

"Go rest quickly. I'll come see you tomorrow."

She turned and left, her silhouette stretching long under the moonlight.

Holding the bowl, Chen Xuan stood at the entrance of his Immortal Cave, watching her silhouette disappear at the end of the mountain path.

Then he closed the door, sat down before his desk, and took out those three items.

The golden crystal, the blood-colored Jade Slip, and the Heavenly Fire intent.

He held the golden crystal in his palm and swept his Divine Sense into it.

The crystal contained a very faint Buddhist intent, but it was not Maitreya's.

It belonged to an older, purer Buddha.

This trace of Buddhist intent was not corrosive; instead, it had the effect of purifying the Divine Soul.

Chen Xuan drew it into his Dantian to nourish it.

When refining his Dao Base in the future, this trace of Buddhist intent would help him resist Heart Demons.

He then picked up the blood-colored Jade Slip and swept his Divine Sense inside.

Inside, an incomplete Divine Ability called the "Blood Scripture" was recorded.

Using blood as a medium and spirit as a guide, it could temporarily boost combat power, but it would deplete Lifespan.

It was an unorthodox and evil path, but it could save his life at critical moments.

Chen Xuan memorized the contents and crushed the Jade Slip.

Finally, there was that wisp of Heavenly Fire intent.

Adding the two previous wisps, he now had three.

With the three intents combined, he could faintly feel a trace of fluctuation from the True Fire of the Great Sun.

But it was still far from enough.

To fish for the real Heavenly Fire, he would need at least nine intents.

Chen Xuan stored the fire spark into the Lava Treasure Bottle, stood up, and walked to the window.

Outside the window, the moonlight was like frost, and the shadows of Qingming Peak's mountains overlapped heavily.

He recalled what his Revered Master had said: establishing his foundation as soon as possible was the Righteous Path.

After the ascension spirit liquid auction, regardless of the outcome, he would enter secluded meditation to charge for Foundation Establishment.

Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment.

The Realm he had sought in vain in his previous life was finally within his reach in this lifetime.

Chen Xuan clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white.

Maitreya, the Zhang Clan, the Wang Family, the Cloud-Swallowing Eagle, the Snow-Winged Eagle.

All the hatred, all the grudges, would be settled one by one.

But he was in no hurry.

Through three lifetimes of Reincarnation, the most important thing he had learned was patience.

A hunter is never in a hurry to pull in the net.

He could afford to wait.

The moonlight shone into the Immortal Cave, falling upon his face.

On that young face, there was no youthful vigor, only the tranquility of having experienced the vicissitudes of life.

Like a sword, hidden in its sheath.

It would remain still inside its sheath, but once drawn, blood must be spilled.