31: Chapter 31: Huge Profit!

Amidst the ruins of the tea stall, Chu Xiao stood quietly, letting the night wind carrying the scent of blood ruffle his simple linen clothes.

His mind was completely immersed in the few brilliant golden characters flashing in his consciousness — the Earth Wasteland Panlong Technique!

Unlike the wide-open, straightforward, and fiercely direct Demon-Subduing Fist, the Earth Wasteland Panlong Technique followed a completely different path.

This technique was created by visualizing the primordial era when the earth was still unformed, and a chaotic Panlong Dragon slumbered deep within the earth's veins. Upon its awakening, it stirred the earth's veins to upheaval, unleashing the power to shatter mountains and rivers, thus giving birth to this supreme fist and palm technique.

The technique was divided into nine levels, each more domineering than the last.

The first level stirred earth Qi, making a fist strike like a mountain collapsing; the second level connected with the earth's veins, making a palm fall like the earth splitting. Upon reaching the Perfection of the ninth level, one could transform their body into a Panlong Dragon, with each fist and palm possessing the supreme might to overturn the earth and shatter mountains and rivers!

Its grade was already at the peak of Profound-Grade techniques, separated from the legendary Earth-Grade by only a hair's breadth!

"Profound-Grade peak... Earth Wasteland Panlong Technique..."

Chu Xiao slowly let out a turbid breath, his eyes filled with joy.

Although this Opportunity return didn't trigger a further Opportunity return like the primordial dao spring spirit liquid to grant a true Earth-Grade divine technique, this harvest had already far exceeded his expectations!

His current offensive methods relied too heavily on the Wind and Cloud Xun Thunder Sword Technique. While its power was peerless, its consumption was equally massive, and it was far too eye-catching.

And this Earth Wasteland Panlong Technique undoubtedly perfectly compensated for his shortcomings in close-quarters combat.

Once mastered, complementing the overwhelmingly domineering power of his Primordial Dao Body, his comprehensive combat strength would surely soar to a whole new level!

The upcoming journey to the Feixiao Secret Realm in a month... those so-called Sect Prodigies, clan Prodigies...

Thinking of this, the corner of Chu Xiao's mouth lifted slightly.

He looked forward to seeing the splendid expressions on the faces of those self-proclaimed heaven's favorites when they faced these fists of his, capable of overturning the earth.

With his mind settled, Chu Xiao reined in his thoughts and turned his gaze to the two Storage Pouches in his hand.

These two were the most direct spoils of this trip.

He first opened the Storage Pouch belonging to the Jiuyou Sect Disciple Feng Feng.

A sweep of his Divine Sense revealed quite a few items inside.

There were about twenty to thirty thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones, over ten bottles of various Medicinal Pills, mostly for healing and recovering spiritual power, of decent quality.

Aside from that, there were several Cultivation Technique Secret Manuals, all bearing the Jiuyou Sect emblem on their covers, exuding a cold, sinister aura.

Chu Xiao flipped through them casually. They were all Yellow-Grade and Low Grade Profound-Grade techniques. The most prominent one was named 'Black Miasma Bone-Corrosion Claw,' which was likely Feng Feng's final killing move.

"Sufficiently sinister, but too narrow in scope."

Chu Xiao shook his head and casually tossed these Secret Manuals back into a corner of the Storage Pouch.

In his eyes, these techniques were no different from trash, not even worthy of a second glance.

What truly interested him was Thousand-Mile Smoke-Extinguisher's Storage Pouch.

A Golden Core Stage Loose Cultivator who had been hunted by three major Sects simultaneously and survived for so long definitely wouldn't have a shabby collection.

After all, he had been completely focused on the technique earlier and hadn't examined the contents of the Storage Pouches carefully.

And when Chu Xiao's Divine Sense probed into Thousand-Mile Smoke-Extinguisher's Storage Pouch...

Even with his steady Heart-Nature, his eyes couldn't help but light up.

Rich!

It was truly too rich!

Just the Low-Grade Spirit Stones alone were piled into a small hill, roughly estimated to be at least over a hundred thousand!

Besides that, various rare Ores and Spiritual Plants were also piled up in no small amount, among which were even a few fifth-grade Spirit Medicines of considerable age. Presumably, these were all the assets this guy had painstakingly accumulated over the years through murder and robbery.

"This saves me a lot of trouble."

Chu Xiao nodded in satisfaction.

With this windfall, he wouldn't have to worry about cultivation resources for a long time to come.

Just as Chu Xiao finished organizing all the spoils and prepared to leave this trouble-ridden place...

A faint sound of something cutting through the air approached rapidly from afar.

Chu Xiao's brow raised slightly as he instantly spread out his Divine Sense.

At the end of the official road, a group of seven or eight people, riding Flying Swords, transformed into several streams of light, speeding towards the direction of the tea stall.

Seeing their uniform cyan robes and the cloud patterns embroidered with gold thread on their cuffs, Chu Xiao's eyes instantly took on a playful glint.

People from the Yunhai Sect.

Moreover, the young man leading them had a face like carved jade, eyes like stars, and exuded an innate arrogance and confidence.

Who else could it be but that Luck-blessed Ye Lingyun?

It seemed the main character had finally arrived.

Only, he was a bit too late.

Chu Xiao not only didn't leave but leisurely withdrew all his aura, still playing the part of that unremarkable linen-clad traveler, standing amidst the ruins, quietly waiting.

He very much wanted to see how this Son of Luck would react upon discovering that the Opportunity he had long awaited had already been snatched away.

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

Several figures descended from the sky, landing steadily outside the tea stall courtyard.

It was precisely Ye Lingyun and his group of Yunhai Sect Junior Brothers.

"Senior Brother Ye, a fierce battle just took place here!" A Disciple said with a grave expression, looking at the chaotic scene before them.

"Hmm."

Ye Lingyun nodded. His gaze was sharp as an eagle's, swiftly scanning the entire battlefield.

When he saw the two corpses on the ground, their deaths gruesome, even his pupils couldn't help but constrict sharply, given his Heart-Nature!

"That's... the Jiuyou Sect's Feng Feng!"

One Disciple exclaimed in shock, clearly recognizing one of the corpses.

"The... the other person is... is Thousand-Mile Smoke-Extinguisher, Zhou Han!"

Another Disciple's voice trembled, his face filled with disbelief.

Thousand-Mile Smoke-Extinguisher had a fierce reputation and was a Golden Core Stage expert, while Feng Feng was also a long-established Genius within the Jiuyou Sect's inner Sect, with a cultivation at the Perfection of the ninth level of Foundation Establishment and formidable strength.

These two notorious figures had both died here?

"Judging by the traces at the scene, it seems Zhou Han and Feng Feng encountered each other here and fought a battle to the death."

Ye Lingyun analyzed calmly. He walked to the two corpses, examined them carefully, and then concluded, "Both exhausted their spiritual power, suffered extremely severe injuries, and ultimately perished together."

This deduction was reasonable and made the surrounding Junior Brothers nod in agreement, breathing a sigh of relief.

Their target for this trip was Zhou Han. Now that the target was dead, they were saved a lot of trouble.

Right at that moment, Ye Lingyun's gaze finally fell upon the linen-clad youth who had been standing in the corner all along, as if scared stiff.

A sweep of his Divine Sense detected the other's unremarkable cultivation at the ninth level of the Foundation Establishment Realm.

The trace of vigilance in his eyes instantly turned into disdain.

So, it was just a Loose Cultivator who happened to pass by and got incredibly lucky.

He walked slowly up to Chu Xiao and spoke in an indisputable tone, "You, hand over everything you got from them."

He couldn't even be bothered to ask if Chu Xiao had taken anything. In his view, it was an undeniable fact.

Faced with the corpses of two powerful experts, no Cultivator could remain unmoved.

"Zhou Han was a target our Yunhai Sect was determined to kill. The things on him rightfully belong to our Sect."

Ye Lingyun's tone was flat, yet it carried an imperious authority. "However, considering your good Luck, I can make the decision to grant you a thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones. Quickly hand over the things, and then get lost."

In his view, this was already a tremendous favor bestowed upon a lowly Loose Cultivator.

However, the scene he anticipated—the Loose Cultivator trembling with fear and gratitude—did not appear.

Chu Xiao raised his head, looking up and down at this self-satisfied 'Son of Luck' before him with a gaze as if looking at an idiot, finding it utterly ridiculous.

He spoke lightly, "Oh? You mean to say you're trying to rob me?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the expressions of several Yunhai Sect Disciples behind Ye Lingyun instantly darkened.

"How dare you! What do you think you are, speaking to Senior Brother Ye like that!"

"A lucky Loose Cultivator dares to be so insolent! Truly courting death!"

"Senior Brother, why waste words with this ant? Just kill him, and the things will naturally be ours!"

One Disciple, the most hot-tempered and burly, even roared angrily. A flash of ferocious light appeared in his eyes as he suddenly took a step forward!

"Kid, since you refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit, then go die!"

Boom!

The spiritual power of the seventh level of Foundation Establishment erupted explosively as he struck out with a palm.

It stirred up a sharp gust of wind, carrying a mighty force, and slammed viciously towards Chu Xiao's chest!

He seemed to already see the miserable sight of this ignorant Loose Cultivator, with shattered bones and vomiting blood, being sent flying by his palm.

However, just as his palm strike, covered in spiritual light...

was about to touch the fabric of Chu Xiao's clothes over his chest...

The ferocious grin on his face suddenly froze.

His eyes, as if seeing a ghost in broad daylight, instantly widened to their limit!