Chapter 166: Strength is the Ultimate Truth

In the blink of an eye, two days had passed since his return to the Lingyuan Sect.

Captain Shen from Juzun City had come again.

This time, he brought two middle-grade storage bracelets, packed to the brim with spiritual herbs, totaling ten cubic meters in volume.

"The Earth-grade Breakthrough Pill from last time was extraordinary and has already made a huge name for itself within Juzun City. My young master asked me to express his gratitude on his behalf. This is a gift; please accept it."

Captain Shen produced another wooden box containing over a thousand low-grade spirit stones.

"Young Master Shen is far too courteous! How could I possibly deserve this!"

Although Qing Xi's words were full of feigned modesty, his hands were exceptionally honest as he accepted the spirit stones.

Consuming a vast amount of the Origin of the Five Elements, he secretly condensed one hundred and forty Earth-grade Breakthrough Pills, handed them to Captain Shen, and said, "Here are the pills."

"Thank you a thousand times over!"

Captain Shen was overwhelmed with excitement.

When other alchemists made pills, they usually left their patrons waiting for ten days or half a month. But Qing Xi was different; the moment the spiritual herbs were delivered, the finished pills were ready to be taken away.

Captain Shen remarked that this was what one called true professional dedication!

After seeing Captain Shen off, Qing Xi condensed another one hundred Earth-grade Breakthrough Pills and handed them, along with the herbs brought by Captain Shen, to Sect Master Qiu Mingzi.

"Qing Xi, you are truly a blessing to our Lingyuan Sect!"

Qiu Mingzi stared at the Earth-grade Breakthrough Pills on the table, beaming with joy.

These pills were more than enough to substantially boost the Lingyuan Sect's strength in a short period.

At that moment, he even considered abdicating and letting someone more capable take over.

Although Qing Xi's cultivation was only at the peak of the Xiantian realm and he had not even condensed a Tiangang mark, his physical body had reached the Earth-grade, meaning his overall strength was by no means inferior to his own as Sect Master.

Therefore, Qiu Mingzi suddenly had the urge to become a hands-off leader.

However, before he could voice his thoughts, he heard Qing Xi ask, "Sect Master, do you know anything about the background of my master, Ouyang Changfeng?"

"Ouyang Changfeng?"

Qiu Mingzi was stunned for a moment, as if falling into deep memory, before slowly recounting, "He does not belong to our Yunchuan Prefecture, but rather comes from the neighboring Sword Domain. It is said he hails from a two-star power called the 'Sword Sect'."

"Sword Domain, Sword Sect..."

Qing Xi frowned. He had not expected Ouyang Changfeng to be a foreigner.

Could it be that the reason he had been completely out of touch recently was because he had returned to the Sword Domain?

"Come to think of it, it is rather strange. Since Master is from the Sword Sect of the Sword Domain, why would he choose to join our Lingyuan Sect?" Qing Xi wondered aloud.

Though he harbored many guesses, Ouyang Changfeng was a slippery fellow who had never revealed his origins, leaving Qing Xi unable to determine the truth.

Qiu Mingzi shook his head and said, "Ouyang Changfeng was actually invited by me. Strictly speaking, he is only an honorary elder. After joining our Lingyuan Sect, he never took on any disciples. As for the reason behind all this, he never spoke of it, and I couldn't be bothered to ask."

Hearing this, Qing Xi was rendered speechless.

He silently thought that Qiu Mingzi, despite being a Sect Master, didn't even bother to inquire about such matters; he truly possessed the style of a completely hands-off leader.

"So be it. Once the war against the demons is over, I will make a trip to the Sword Domain and see if I can find him." Qing Xi put the thought away.

He had originally worried that Ouyang Changfeng might encounter the demons and fall into mortal danger, but now he figured the man might have already returned to the Sword Domain, thus avoiding the disaster of the demonic invasion.

Soon, however, Qing Xi began to doubt that conclusion.

Rumors had it that the territory invaded by the otherworldly demons was vast, and it was likely that the neighboring Sword Domain had also suffered their assaults. In that case, Ouyang Changfeng might still be in danger.

After conversing with Qiu Mingzi for a long time longer, Qing Xi took his leave.

Returning to Ouyang Changfeng's estate and looking at the dust-covered tables and chairs, Qing Xi suddenly felt a twinge of missing his unconventional master.

After resting in the estate for half an hour and refining the acquired storage bracelets, his total spatial power reached 150 wisps.

Although still insufficient to withstand an attack from the King Gang realm, when combined with his middle Earth-grade physical strength, meeting a peak Yuan Gang realm expert head-on would be no problem at all.

That very day, he bid farewell to Qiu Mingzi and set off for the Central Domain, taking along the Dragon Horse, the Little Vajra Ape, Xia Dang, and Lin Feng.

Initially, Qiu Mingzi had been worried that Lin Feng might be in danger, but upon second thought, Qing Xi's strength was already formidable, so he simply let them go together, treating it as a trial by fire.

As for the captured dog-headed demon, Qing Xi had originally wanted to take it with him, but finding it inconvenient, he instead locked it up in the Lingyuan Sect's dungeon.

With the Dragon Horse, which possessed the innate talent of traversing the skies like a galloping steed, the group traveled at an incredible speed and reached the borders of the Central Domain before long.

Overlooking the earth from an altitude of a kilometer, one could see numerous traces of past battles; whole stretches of forests had been burned to ashes, interspersed with the massive corpses of various fierce demonic beasts.

"How tragic indeed!"

Qing Xi could not help but shake his head in a sigh.

War was cruel.

To emerge victorious, enhancing one's own strength was the absolute truth.

Therefore, instead of immediately heading to the Zixiao Sect—which was listed as a primary target for the demons—he came to Juzun City, the hometown of Shen Qianzhong.

"Halt, who goes there?"

Seeing the Dragon Horse descending from the sky, the city guards immediately grew tense, thinking another demon had come to harass them.

"Oh, it's Young Master Qing Xi!"

The guard captain recognized Qing Xi.

Ever since Shen Qianzhong and Qing Xi became business partners, all the guards in the city had memorized Qing Xi's portrait to avoid any unpleasant misunderstandings should they ever cross paths.

"Oh, you know me?"

Qing Xi smiled, produced Shen Qianzhong's token, and said, "I wish to enter the city."

"The number one on the Rising Star Roll and Young Master Shen's honored guest—how could I not know you?" The guard captain respectfully opened the city gates.

With the token in hand, entry was granted without the need to pay spirit stones.

Even without the token, the guard captain would not have dared to bar his way.

"So this is the number one city in the world? Truly magnificent!"

Entering the city, Lin Feng looked around in wonder.

Though recently plagued by demonic harassment, Juzun City was guarded by the ancient Heavenly Venerate Bell, and not being the main target of the demonic army, the city remained safe and orderly.

Xia Dang chimed in, asking, "Big Brother, why did we come to Juzun City?"

"To increase our strength."

Leaving behind these words, and amidst the bewildered gazes of Xia Dang and Lin Feng, Qing Xi scoured all the surrounding branches of the Wantong Pavilion, spending a total of one thousand five hundred low-grade spirit stones to purchase a hundred low-grade storage bracelets and ten middle-grade storage bracelets.

"Buying storage bracelets increases strength?"

"What kind of operation is this?"

Lin Feng and Xia Dang exchanged glances, utterly baffled.

Following that, Qing Xi found an inn and began a period of seclusion.

It was not until noon the next day that he emerged looking utterly satisfied.

His total spatial power had now surged from 150 wisps to 300 wisps, creating a spatial interference zone with a much larger area—more than enough to cover three people.

Though he had yet to test its durability, Qing Xi felt that even if it couldn't completely fend off an attack from a King Gang realm expert, it would be close.

Half a day later.

The guard captain watched Qing Xi and his two companions fly away on the back of the Dragon Horse, scratched his head in confusion, and transmitted the information to the center of the city.

Inside the headquarters of the Wantong Pavilion.

Shen Qianzhong listened to the guards' report with a blank expression.

He asked the guard, "Did Qing Xi mention what he plans to use all those storage bracelets for?"

"Word is... he plans to wear them as necklaces."

The guard scratched his head, looking quite embarrassed as he faithfully relayed the reports sent back from the other branches of the Wantong Pavilion.

Hearing this, Shen Qianzhong grew even more bewildered.

Using storage bracelets as necklaces?

What kind of bizarre hobby was that?