54: Afterwards, the upcoming side lane soldiers

A day passed, and dawn broke.

The Disciples had already followed the decree and descended the mountain for their worldly training.

The Sect Gate, which was usually bustling with noise, was now so quiet that a needle drop could be heard, making it uncomfortably desolate for a time.

At the entrance of the Sect Master's Hall, Lu Yuchen lay sprawled across his exclusive rocking chair, in a posture as undignified as could be.

He crossed his legs, letting the warm sunlight bathe his body, and his pores seemed to open up in comfort.

One word.

Splendid!

"Finally, some peace and quiet!"

Lu Yuchen yawned lazily, feeling utterly content.

No longer did he have to listen to Lin Fan, that kid, repeating like a broken record, "Master, this Disciple has comprehended again!" every day.

Nor did he have to constantly be on edge, wondering when Nanny would run over to tell him that something or other had accidentally been dismantled by her.

And he no longer had to watch Ling Ke'er, that Cultivation fanatic, every day, making it impossible for him, as her Master, to even steal a moment of laziness.

This life, with no one to manage him, no one to question him, where he could lie flat whenever he wanted and sleep until the sun was high in the sky...

Damn it, this was the life of an immortal!

Only...

This extreme tranquility did not last too long.

Lu Yuchen always felt an emptiness in his heart, as if something crucial was missing.

What exactly was missing?

He suddenly sat up, pinching his chin, and began to inventory all his current possessions.

Cultivation?

Golden Core Stage Fifth Level!

Cultivation Technique?

"Chaos Nine Yang Scripture"!

Disciples?

Four! Each one more of a Prodigy than the last, all possessing great Luck and serving as "sustainable development experience babies."

Sect?

Tai Xuan Immortal Sect! Who wouldn't give it a thumbs up?

Thinking about it this way...

He had clearly reached the Peak of his life, with nothing to worry about, right?

But...

No!

Lu Yuchen's brows furrowed even deeper.

"Damn it! How come I, a dignified Golden Core Stage mighty figure, don't even know a single decent Spell?"

Lu Yuchen slapped his thigh, nearly falling off the rocking chair.

In other Xianxia novels, the protagonists at the Foundation Establishment Stage could conjure fireballs, throw lightning, and wield Flying Swords with incredible skill, looking incredibly cool.

And what about himself?

He relied entirely on the few exclusive Cultivation Techniques returned by his Disciples, unable to even conjure the lowest-level "Palm Thunder"! His Outer Sect Disciples couldn't use any Spells either!

Was this reasonable?

Was this fair?

It was utterly embarrassing! It was infuriating!

And Medicinal Pills!

When his Disciples got injured fighting outside, aside from relying on his own wood-attribute magical power for forced healing, he couldn't even produce a single basic, trashy health-restoring pill!

And then there were Magical Artifacts!

Which Xianxia protagonist didn't have a Storage Ring with space large enough to hold a mountain? Flying Swords and Magic Treasures emerged endlessly, making battles look like fireworks displays.

And himself?!

This was simply the Cultivation of a top-tier expert, with the equipment of a beggar!

Poor!

One word: poor to the bone!

"No, this isn't over!" Lu Yuchen grew angrier the more he thought about it, pacing back and forth, "When those little rascals return, I must give them a death order!"

"Forget about all those fist techniques and Divine Abilities! First, figure out a few copies of 'General Principles of Artifact Refining' and 'Introduction to Alchemy' for your Master!"

His peripheral vision suddenly caught sight of a battle-worn broken stone in the corner of the plaza.

A bold idea, without any warning, popped out from the depths of his mind.

"Wait... my Disciples, their Comprehension Ability is more abnormal than the last. With this broken stone, they can even conjure up 'Devouring Heaven Magic Skill' and 'Nine Heavens Profound Scripture' out of thin air..."

"I, a handsome guy, am now also a mighty figure at the Golden Core Stage Fifth Level, having received so many returns from the System... my Comprehension Ability... surely it can't be worse than these little brats, right?"

"Holy moly! I'm practically a Genius! Uh, barely, I guess. Why didn't I think of this before? Speechless."

Lu Yuchen slapped his forehead, becoming excited. He literally jumped three feet high, feeling as if a halo of wisdom had appeared above his head.

"Damn it, it's better to rely on oneself than on others! Today, I will personally take action and create an unprecedented Legacy for these good-for-nothing Disciples!"

"Isn't it just Artifact Refining and Alchemy? Child's play! Watch me comprehend it in minutes!"

He acted immediately, without any hesitation!

Lu Yuchen bravely rushed to the "wu cheng stone," took a deep breath, settled his Qi into his Dantian, struck what he considered a graceful pose, and sat down cross-legged.

His mind instantly immersed itself within.

... ...

Half a day later.

Lu Yuchen slowly opened his eyes, his gaze empty and bewildered.

Aside from his butt hurting from the stone, and gaining a deeper understanding of the stone's density, hardness, and other physical structures...

There was nothing!

Forget about "General Principles of Artifact Refining," he didn't even see the shadow of a hammer!

"System, get out here!" Lu Yuchen roared hysterically in his mind, "What exactly is going on? Is this broken stone biased? Why does it work instantly for my Disciples, but it's completely dead for me?"

"[Ding! Warning: The 'Dao' Origin in this world is incomplete, and the related Xianxia cultivation System has not yet fully evolved.]"

The System's familiar, emotionless mechanical voice echoed faintly in his mind.

"[Cultivation arts such as Artifact Refining, Alchemy, Formation, Talisman, etc., have no 'Dao' concept remaining in this world.]"

"[Only those who possess the supreme Luck of this world can, with their Heaven-Defying Comprehension Ability and indomitable will, forcibly mend the Heavenly Dao's deficiencies, create a new beginning, and cause a void 'concept' to evolve into a truly existing 'Dao'.]"

"[The Host is an outsider. Although this System is with you, you have not received the recognition of this world's Origin Will, and therefore cannot receive the blessing of Luck, nor can you create a 'Dao' that does not exist in this world out of thin air.]"

Lu Yuchen was petrified upon hearing this.

After all this, he was just a middleman? A pure second-hand dealer?

He could only wait for his Disciples to painstakingly "research" new products, and then he, as their Master, could "bulk purchase with one click" from the System?

"Holy crap! I, a dignified Transmigrator, with a Golden Finger System, are you telling me now that I'm not the Son of Destiny?"

"[The Host is the Master of the System, controlling the System. And the Children of Luck of this world are the Children of the World. Please do not confuse these two concepts.]"

"... ..."

Lu Yuchen closed his eyes, slumping powerlessly back into the rocking chair, feeling his worldview struck by tons of impact.

"Fine, you're awesome, you're the greatest, you call the shots."

He accepted his fate.

"I'll just be a carefree boss, waiting to fleece my Disciples! That should work, right!"

... ...

Just as he was wallowing in self-pity and doubting life.

In another vast continent completely cut off by the distant "Endless Dead Sea."

Tianwu Continent, Southern Region, Qing Province, Star Dou Mountain Range.

Deep within the mountain range, in an inconspicuous hidden valley, lay an ancient Sect that reigned supreme in the world with its hidden weapons and poison Cultivation Technique—the Tang Sect.

At this moment, inside the Tang Sect's Discussion Hall.

The atmosphere was solemn and dignified, yet also carried a hint of irrepressible excitement.

A handsome and wicked-looking young man in brocade robes, with a faint, elusive sinister curve always playing at the corner of his lips, was slowly unrolling an ancient map, made from the skin of some unknown exotic beast, on the long table.

He was Tang Xiaoshan, the most astonishing and brilliant Young Lord in the Tang Sect's thousand-year history.

"Young Lord, did... did you truly find it?" A Tang Sect Elder with white hair and beard looked at the yellowed map, his voice trembling uncontrollably.

"Indeed." Tang Xiaoshan's eyes gleamed with almost fanatical excitement, "This Young Lord braved countless dangers, venturing alone into the deepest part of the 'Myriad Demon Abyss,' and finally did not disappoint!"

He extended a finger and pointed at a red dot heavily circled in cinnabar on the map, his voice low and filled with ambition: "A thousand years ago, the 'Sovereign of Poison Martial Arts,' who dominated the Southern Region and made countless Martial Sovereign powerhouses tremble at his exquisite poison Cultivation Technique, his final Legacy Secret Realm is right here!"

The map clearly marked an unknown sea area, perpetually shrouded in dense fog and storms, never before trodden by human feet.

And next to that unknown land, four large characters were clearly marked in an extremely ancient script—

Barbaric Land!

"According to the map's records, as long as one can successfully cross this Endless Dead Sea, one can reach that Barbaric Land forgotten by the world. And the supreme Legacy of the Sovereign of Poison Martial Arts is within the 'Hundred Thousand Mountains' of that Barbaric Land!" Tang Xiaoshan's voice was filled with undisguised desire.

"Legend has it that the Sovereign of Poison Martial Arts's 'Emperor-Slaying Poison' can easily poison even Peak Martial Sovereign powerhouses who can shatter the Void Realm! If our Tang Sect can obtain this Legacy, unifying Qing Province will be within reach! By then, everyone will tremble beneath the feet of our Tang Sect!"

He did not know.

That "Sovereign of Poison Martial Arts" Legacy, which he regarded as his to take, a faint, almost imperceptible wisp of its aura, had, by a twist of fate, saved someone from another world more than a year ago—someone who now felt very poor.

He also did not know that the "Barbaric Land" which he considered backward, barren, and insignificant, had now, due to the quiet rise of a force named "Tai Xuan Immortal Sect," become... extraordinary.

On this day, the night was dark and windy.

Three Tang Sect Elders, who had been in seclusion for many years and were at the Void Realm, quietly left the Sect to escort the Young Lord, Tang Xiaoshan.