Chapter Nineteen: Leaving the Sect

Spring passed, autumn came, and another year went by. Xu Chen had now been here for two years.

In the dense forest, where the autumn winds rustled, there was a cleared, level ground. There, a man and an ox battled fiercely in the center of the square.

“Xu, little brother, take a punch from your old bull!” The Golden Armored Thunder Ox, towering more than ten feet tall, unleashed a mighty fist, accompanied by a fierce gale. Xu Chen pressed his palms together, arms bent, blocking the blow.

In an instant, Xu Chen felt as if hit head-on by a heavy truck, forced backward dozens of yards. As he retreated, his vital energy erupted layer upon layer, dissipating the force of the Thunder Ox’s full-strength punch.

After the blow landed, the Golden Armored Thunder Ox did not pursue further. “I have the strength of nine tigers, and with all my power, can reach ten. Yet you, little brother Xu, managed to block it.”

Though Xu Chen had been sent flying, apart from a slight discomfort in his hands, he suffered no injury.

“Brother Niu, I fear that if you train a bit longer, I won’t be able to hold out against you,” Xu Chen said with a wry smile.

Over the past year, he had only gained six bull’s strength, despite constant resources; meanwhile, Niu Dali, with his spiritual aptitude, had gained a full tiger’s strength.

“But what of it? In terms of combat skills, I’ll never match you,” Niu Dali replied in awe. He felt his junior was born for battle.

“In the face of absolute power, all technique is mere smoke,” Xu Chen waved his hand dismissively.

After sparring, the two concluded their training for the day and each returned home.

At his doorstep, Xu Chen saw several monkeys busy nearby—these he had hired especially to cook for him.

“Sir, the meal will be ready in half an incense stick’s time. Please wait a moment.”

“Good. Just leave the dishes at the door when they’re done.” Xu Chen instructed and went inside. On the stone table in his small courtyard lay a letter.

“Another letter,” Xu Chen’s eyes brightened.

He opened it and quickly scanned the contents.

“Father and Mother have moved again. I wonder which clan it is this time.”

“But no matter who they’re fighting, as long as Father and Mother are safe, that’s all I care about.”

After reading the letter, Xu Chen retrieved his meal from the doorstep.

His dinner consisted of twelve dishes and a pot of spirit rice, prepared by chefs from the Wine Monkey Tribe whom Xu Chen had hired for twenty spirit coins a month, including ingredients—a better deal than eating fasting pills.

After eating, with nothing else to do, Xu Chen entered the Sacred White Space to begin his daily trials.

After a year of cultivation, Xu Chen now possessed the strength of two tigers and four bulls, able to exchange blows with the Sacred Ape Six Forms clone for the first fifty moves.

If given the chance, he could even counterattack once or twice.

Within the Sacred White Space, Xu Chen once again clashed with the clone, his vital energy reverberating as he shed all the force from his body.

This was the result of enduring many beatings—he had developed a force-dissipating method inspired by the twelve-fold wave body-building technique.

“Little rookie, not bad, you’re getting more skilled.”

“Take another move from me!”

The clone launched another heavy punch at Xu Chen.

Having just dispersed the force, Xu Chen couldn’t dodge and clashed head-on again. As he tried to dissipate the force, the clone followed up with the Sacred Ape Hammering Heaven, causing Xu Chen’s collapse.

Three breaths later, Xu Chen stepped through the door once more.

“Come on, let’s keep going!”

After fifteen collapses, Xu Chen slept soundly on his bed.

At dawn the next day, just as Xu Chen was about to start his cultivation, the disciple token in his storage pouch lit up with spiritual radiance.

“What task is it this time?”

Since joining the sect, almost every month brought a mission, some large, some small.

Xu Chen picked up the disciple token, and a message appeared in his mind.

At the main gate plaza of Great Creek Sect, Xu Chen and nine other blood-energy realm disciples gathered.

A disciple in the Treasure Body Realm approached, prompting Xu Chen and the nine others to bow.

“Greetings, senior brother.”

“No need for formalities. Our mission is urgent, so let’s skip the pleasantries.”

“I am Liu Guang. You may call me Brother Liu.”

With a wave of Liu Guang’s hand, a three-zhang-long blue flying boat appeared before them.

“Board the boat. We’ll discuss on the way.”

Eleven people boarded the flying boat, heading toward the wilds outside the sect.

The flying boat, three zhang in length, was extremely simple, with only enough room to sit cross-legged.

“Our mission is to pursue a newly awakened Treasure Body Realm Stone Spirit. Its true form is a spirit crystal and it has escaped from the sect’s spirit stone mine.”

At this, Xu Chen’s and the others’ eyes lit up instantly.

“The sect requires it captured alive, so three teams have been dispatched. Whichever team catches the Stone Spirit will receive a reward.”

“So we need speed. If we capture it alive, each of us gets a thousand spirit coins.”

As Liu Guang steered the flying boat, he quickly explained, his brisk manner silencing any questions.

“Just follow my lead and heed instructions.”

“Now, report your body-building techniques and martial methods, as well as your current strength.”

“Five Elements Body, four tiger’s strength,” said a tall, thin blood-energy disciple.

“Moon-Gazing Method, five tiger’s strength.”

“Glazed Treasure Body Building Method, four tigers and three bulls’ strength.”

“Sacred Ape Twelve Forms, six tiger’s strength.”

Hearing this, Xu Chen couldn’t help but look toward the disciple cultivating the Sacred Ape Twelve Forms.

The Sacred Ape Body-Building Method was a series, with the lowest being the Six Forms and the highest the Sixteen Forms, each requiring greater talent.

After the other nine had reported, it was Xu Chen’s turn.

“Twelve-Fold Wave Body-Building Method, two tigers and four bulls’ strength.”

Instantly, all eyes turned to Xu Chen.

Liu Guang also looked at him in surprise. All of these disciples had been in the sect for two or three years; even the weakest should have at least three tigers’ strength.

“This junior, did you get in through connections?” the disciple cultivating the Sacred Ape Twelve Forms couldn’t help but tease.

Great Creek Sect was the easiest among Leizhou’s great sects for backdoor entry; Xu Chen’s strength made their suspicion reasonable.

“My talent is lacking, but I won’t hold any of you back,” Xu Chen replied calmly.

“You’re just here to assist me. Normally, you won’t need to fight.”

“Alright, I understand your abilities.”

“Now, I’ll assign your tasks.”

He tossed a map before them, marked with ten red dots, each indicating a specific area.

“These are the possible locations of the Stone Spirit. One dot per person—you must thoroughly search your assigned area.”

“Remember: if you find the Stone Spirit, do not act rashly. Contact me with your disciple token.”

“As for identifying the Stone Spirit—since its true form is a spirit crystal, the simplest method is to sense the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. If a location’s spiritual energy suddenly surges, it’s likely the Stone Spirit is there. In such cases, just contact me.”

“We’ll reach the area in five hours. Get ready—capturing the Stone Spirit alive means a thousand spirit coins each. Such tasks are rare opportunities.”