Chapter 165: Minor Changes in the Spirit Origin Sect

Following the departure of Ye Wuyou, Xiao Wusheng and other top talents of the Rising Star Roll also took their leave one after another.

Faced with their departure, the leaders of the major sects exchanged uncertain glances.

Although Ye Wuyou had not explicitly demanded that they head to the Central Domain for reinforcements, under the current circumstances, coupled with their newly elevated cultivation levels, they would feel deeply uneasy if they chose not to go.

The Sect Master of the Scarlet Flame Sect desperately wanted to flee.

Yet, upon second thought, when the Scarlet Flame Sect had faced the massive onslaught of demons, Ye Wuyou and other factions from the Eastern Domain had rushed to their aid. He immediately realized how shameful his initial impulse had been.

"Very well. I shall first return to the Scarlet Flame Mountain Range to see how the sect fares, and in a few days, I will head to the Central Domain." Gritting his teeth, the Scarlet Flame Sect Master bid farewell to the others and departed for his sect with several dozen elite disciples.

"I take my leave as well!"

"See you in the Northern Domain!"

The Sect Masters of the Cangyuan Sect and the Yunluo Sect also left with their disciples, explicitly declaring their stance that they would head to the Central Domain as reinforcements in a few days.

They understood the old adage that if the lips were gone, the teeth would feel the cold.

However, having been away from their sects for quite some time, they needed to return to handle internal affairs and pacify the anxious and frightened disciples.

Soon, the Water Immortal Sect, the Bliss Sect, and the remaining auxiliary forces also withdrew.

"Many thanks to Elder Xia for the medicinal pills; we are endlessly grateful. But having stayed in the Southern Domain for quite some time, we must now return. Until we meet again!"

Qiu Mingzi cupped his fists toward Xia Yan, preparing to make his journey back to the Eastern Domain.

Qingxi stood quietly within the crowd, dragging behind him a dog-headed demon whose face bore a look of utter despair.

Hailing from the renowned strategist clan of the dog-headed demons in the Kunxu Realm, he had fallen to such a wretched state that he felt he had thoroughly disgraced his ancestors.

Even if he managed to survive, he would have no face to ever face his elders and fellow clansmen back in the Kunxu Realm.

"Big Brother, I'm coming with you."

Xia Dang had packed half of his family fortune and was clad in a set of flowing, radiant battle armor that made him look remarkably heroic and formidable.

This was a Earth-grade armor gifted to him by Xia Yan. There were only a few such sets in the entire Medicine Deity Sect, and it possessed enough defense to withstand attacks from ordinary Yuan-gang Realm cultivators.

"You rebellious brat, what nonsense is this!"

Sect Master Xia Song glared at him with a scold.

"Let him go."

Great Elder Xia Yan sighed softly, placing a storage bracelet into the palm of Xia Dang's hand. "A young man traveling out in the world must know how to protect himself."

"I will. The next time I return, I might just bring you back a granddaughter-in-law."

Xia Dang winked playfully at Xia Yan, and grandfather and grandson shared a tacit understanding, breaking into hearty laughter while wearing expressions that clearly conveyed "you know how it is."

Xia Huanyan stood before the mountain gate, flanked by the mighty and imposing Fire Spirit Rabbit.

"Since you have no desire to refine pills, you should at least focus properly on your cultivation. Make sure you don't lose the watermelon while picking up sesame seeds..."

Though she had originally intended to say little, Xia Huanyan still found herself offering a few words of caution.

She had beaten this younger brother and scolded him, yet he adamantly refused to refine pills. Xia Huanyan felt she had no choice left but to abandon any hope of curing him of this aversion.

As for the monumental task of pill refining, she would simply have to shoulder it herself as the elder sister!

Before Xia Huanyan could finish her sentence, however, she noticed that Xia Dang was already walking away by Qingxi's side, wearing an audacious grin as he strode out of the mountain gate, acting as though he had never heard a word she said.

"He is utterly hopeless, like mud that cannot be plastered onto a wall!"

Xia Huanyan stamped her feet in fury, secretly thinking that she had been far too soft-hearted. The next time she laid eyes on Xia Dang, she would definitely give him a thorough and creative beating.

...

On the journey back to the Medicine Deity Sect, the disciples looked at Qingxi with unconcealed awe and reverence.

Word had spread that Qingxi's physical body had stepped into the Earth-grade realm, making him a powerhouse capable of rivaling sect masters, and that the dog-headed demon at the peak of the Ling-gang Realm had been knocked out cold by a single punch from him.

Toward this fellow disciple who had only entered the sect this year yet had already surpassed them by leaps and bounds, the disciples felt not a shred of jealousy, only a deep and burning envy.

As for the various elders, the more they looked at Qingxi, the more pleasing to the eye he became.

Some of them even harbored the thought of making Qingxi the Sect Master outright, thereby binding him firmly to the Spirit Origin Sect's chariot.

Qiu Yingying walked near the rear, gazing at Qingxi's back with intense curiosity.

She knew that Qingxi's spiritual roots were merely of trash grade. Although all twelve primary meridians were fully unblocked and he claimed to possess an ancestral Xuan-grade breakthrough pill, such rapid advancement was still astonishing.

The real question, however, was how he had managed to elevate his physical strength at such a blistering pace.

Curious as she was, Qiu Yingying knew that prying into another's secrets was improper, and thus she actively suppressed her inquisitiveness.

Since there was no spirit boat available for travel, Qiu Mingzi had to capture a few Xuan-grade demonic beasts to serve as mounts, successfully arriving back at the Spirit Origin Sect by the following day.

Surveying the newly repaired mountain gate, Qiu Mingzi nodded in satisfaction.

Walking into the sect grounds, a vibrant and thriving atmosphere washed over them.

Disciples engrossed in earnest cultivation could be seen everywhere.

Some were sparring in martial techniques, others were discussing profound problems of cultivation, and a few were studying the intricacies of forming arrays.

Overall, the disciples within the sect displayed an extraordinary level of diligence, which left Qiu Mingzi and the others deeply astonished.

Before leaving the sect not long ago, the majority of the disciples had been gripped by panic and anxiety, terrified that the mountain gate would be breached by demons, with some even contemplating abandoning the sect altogether.

Therefore, prior to returning, Qiu Mingzi—having acquired a substantial bounty—had intended to increase the supply of Qi-Condensation Pills for the remaining disciples simply to stabilize morale.

Yet, contrary to his expectations, upon returning to the sect, they were greeted by the sight of numerous disciples diligently cultivating—a scene completely different from what they had imagined.

The other elders were equally dumbfounded.

"Sect Master, you've finally returned."

The Eighteenth Elder jogged over all the way. Catching sight of Qingxi, he instantly burned with excitement and wanted to speak, but remembering that the Sect Master was present, he checked himself and grew slightly embarrassed.

Qiu Mingzi stared at the Eighteenth Elder, feeling a trace of surprise. "Elder Lu, you've actually broken through to the late Xiantian realm?"

The Eighteenth Elder's surname was Lu, but because he spent most of his time refining pills at the Pill Peak, very few people actually knew his given name.

"Indeed, I've broken through! And not just me—those other old fellows have also advanced by a small realm. Even among the top ten inner sect disciples, several have broken through to the early Xiantian realm," the Eighteenth Elder explained with a face full of unconcealed joy.

The Great Elder asked with intense curiosity, "How on earth did you manage this?"

The Eighteenth Elder immediately recounted the visit of Shen Qianzhong to the mountain gate and the role played by the Xuan-grade breakthrough pills.

Hearing this, everyone present was struck dumb with astonishment.

Especially Sect Master Qiu Mingzi; the gaze he cast upon Qingxi was akin to looking at an invaluable, peerless treasure.

Such an exceptional disciple could not be found even if one searched with a lantern as bright as Zhou Shitong's; this was truly a blessing bestowed upon the Spirit Origin Sect.

Facing the wave of glowing and excited gazes directed at him, Qingxi waved his hand dismissively and said, "Helping one's fellow disciples is only right!"

"Big Brother is truly Big Brother. Despite possessing such overwhelming strength, he remains remarkably low-profile."

Xia Dang took in everything he saw, committing it silently to memory to use as a personal template for self-improvement.

He figured that if he could emulate even half of that demeanor, he too could become someone equally outstanding in the future.

Soon, the news of the Spirit Origin Sect's sweeping victory in the Southern Domain spread throughout the sect, electrifying all the disciples.

Wang Miao, who was in the middle of cultivating at the martial arts arena, upon hearing that Qingxi had grown powerful enough to crush a Ling-gang Realm demon, was so startled that he accidentally slammed his head straight into a wooden post.

During this period, he had exerted himself to the utmost in cultivation, breaking through to the thirtieth layer of Qi Refining and establishing a remarkably solid foundation.

He had foolishly believed he was closing the gap, only to realize that the distance between them was widening instead.

Yet, unlike in the past, Wang Miao felt no discouragement whatsoever; instead, an even fiercer fighting spirit ignited within him.

"Qingxi is formidable indeed, but I, Wang Miao, will never admit defeat!"