Chapter 32: Gains, Emergence from Seclusion, Battle

【Apart from the Soul-Refining Banner, there were also two Profound-Rank High-Grade Artifacts, a fourth-grade pill for Nascent Soul cultivators, a page of the Wordless Heavenly Book, and ten thousand mid-grade spirit stones.】

【“A sect master this poor?” You were somewhat speechless. As a sect master and a Nascent Soul cultivator, he actually only had ten thousand mid-grade spirit stones on him. Who would believe that if word got out?】

【If you hadn’t learned from Qingyunzi’s mouth that the Azure Cloud Sect still had a hidden Spirit Transformation Ancestor, you would have long since run over and wiped out the Azure Cloud Sect!】

【You opened all the other cultivators’ storage bags. Immediately, all sorts of items piled up inside the cave residence, letting you feel the diversity of cultivators for the first time.】

【“Ah!” Shangguan Lan, who had just finished tidying the cave residence, looked at the female cultivator undergarments strewn everywhere, the various spring palace paintings, and all sorts of things whose uses she couldn’t even name. Her face instantly flushed red, and she hastily covered her eyes, saying shyly, “I never imagined Master liked this sort of thing.”】

【“Ahem.” Your old face reddened. You hurriedly put everything away and explained, “These are all things from rogue cultivators’ storage bags. I have never looked at these.”】

【“Master has cultivated bitterly for so many years. Disciple understands.” Shangguan Lan wore an expression that said she understood completely.】

【You forcefully suppressed your anger and slowly let out a breath. “Get out!”】

【In the blink of an eye, Shangguan Lan vanished before you.】

【You set up a restriction, took out the storage bags, and began sorting through them anew.】

【Among the many storage bags, only the Azure Cloud Sect disciples had some spirit stones. The rest, from rogue cultivators, mostly contained things unrelated to cultivation.】

【After you classified them one by one, you ultimately obtained fifteen thousand mid-grade spirit stones and a hundred thousand low-grade spirit stones.】

【Countless Yellow-Rank artifacts. Ten Profound-rank lower-grade artifacts, five mid-grade artifacts, three high-grade artifacts.】

【Mortal objects, countless!】

【Once everything was sorted, you settled down to cultivate in peace.】

【You had just broken through to the Golden Core stage, and before you could stabilize your realm, you had gone through battle after battle. If not for your deep foundation, you would likely be utterly weakened by now.】

【Even more so, your divine sense, which had suffered severe damage, had yet to recover.】

【You tossed a hundred thousand low-grade spirit stones to Shangguan Lan, left a strand of divine sense on her, and then announced your seclusion!】

【A year later, your Golden Core Third Layer cultivation was incomparably stable. Your severely damaged divine sense had also recovered, and your strength had reached its peak.】

【During this year, you earnestly studied Elder Qing’s formation insights, and finally gained entry, becoming a Tier-One Formation Master.】

【“A year without seeing her. I wonder how my disciple is doing now.” You came out of seclusion, stretched your body, and found no sign of Shangguan Lan in the cave residence.】

【After thinking it over, you set off for the Soul-Refining Sect’s Outer Sect disciples’ area.】

【Dressed in white, you did not wear the Soul-Refining Sect Elder’s robes, because you felt those clothes were not good-looking, and the Soul-Refining Sect did not enforce a dress code anyway.】

【Flying through the air, you arrived at the Outer Sect in the blink of an eye, then proceeded on foot.】

【“Hurry to the Challenge Roster! Someone’s challenging the Outer Sect’s number one!”】

【“What? Who’s so bold? Someone actually dares to challenge that fiend!”】

【“Who else? Obviously that Little She-Devil!”】

【“Hisss, it’s actually her. Now this is interesting.”】

【Several Outer Sect disciples hurried past, all rushing in the same direction.】

【Hearing this, you followed after them.】

【By the time you arrived at the Outer Sect’s Challenge Roster, the place was already buzzing with voices. Most of the Outer Sect disciples in the entire sect had come. On the arena stage stood a female cultivator in white, at the seventh layer of Qi Refining.】

【Every seal upon her, it was your disciple whom you hadn’t seen for a year, Shangguan Lan.】

【You nodded in satisfaction. Only advancing one layer in a year’s time; Shangguan Lan’s foundation was extremely solid!】

【Boom————!】

【A black-robed man descended from the sky, slamming heavily onto the arena stage, and said with utter wickedness, “So you’re the one who wants to challenge me?”】

【The black-robed man sized Shangguan Lan up and down, then said, “Seventh layer Qi Refining and you want to challenge me? I’m not one of those trash you’ve been jumping ranks to challenge!”】

【Shangguan Lan’s face was cold as frost. She said not a single word throughout, raised the spirit sword in her hand, and charged straight forward.】

【Seeing this, the black-robed man fully released his ninth-layer Qi Refining cultivation and met her head-on.】

【“How is the Outer Sect’s number one of my Soul-Refining Sect’s strength?” Qingyunzi suddenly appeared beside you and asked.】

【“Very strong. But compared to my disciple, still somewhat inferior.” You spoke without turning your head, your gaze fixed on the two battling on the stage.】

【Qingyunzi smiled noncommittally. A seventh layer Qi Refining fighting a ninth layer Qi Refining to a standstill — Shangguan Lan truly was a bit stronger.】

【“You two, master and disciple — just what grade of technique are you cultivating?” Qingyunzi had been curious about this question for a long time. This one below could challenge two ranks above her, and the one beside him could even cross major realms to kill enemies!】

【“A family heirloom technique. I have no comment on the rest.” You watched the two fight. Seeing Shangguan Lan unleash her Startled Swan Sword Art, which had already reached the Minor Completion Stage, you knew the outcome was decided.】

【Sure enough, the moment Shangguan Lan’s Minor Completion Stage Startled Swan Sword Art came out, the black-robed man opposite her could not withstand it and was directly heavily injured.】

【Battles at the Qi Refining stage were just that simple. What was compared was simply who had deeper cultivation and more exquisite techniques.】

【As for artifacts, for Qi Refining cultivators, there was simply no spirit power to spare to control them.】

【“It’s over just like that?”】

【“The Outer Sect’s number one is only this? So this Zhang Zifan was this trashy all along!”】

【“Our Little She-Devil really is a cut above!”】

【“So weak. I really don’t know what he was pretending for at the start?”】

【“If I were him, I wouldn’t have the face to stay in the sect!”】

【The surrounding Outer Sect disciples mocked the defeated Zhang Zifan.】

【Zhang Zifan staggered to his feet, wiped the blood spilling from the corner of his mouth, and roared at Shangguan Lan, who was about to step down, “I haven’t admitted defeat yet!”】

【After taking a pill, Zhang Zifan circulated his technique. His cultivation surged, and he attacked again.】

【“You forced me to do this! Void Great Hand Seal!” Zhang Zifan’s entire body of spirit power transformed into a giant palm, descending from the sky and slamming heavily down at Shangguan Lan!】

【Beside you, Qingyunzi frowned and said, “A Profound-Rank High-Grade technique. Not something his cultivation level should be able to use!”】

【Shangguan Lan raised her head gravely. The little remaining spirit power in her body poured entirely into her spirit sword as she unleashed the Startled Swan Sword Art once more!】

【Watching Shangguan Lan in the battle, your eyes revealed worry. With Shangguan Lan’s current cultivation, it was simply not enough for her to use a second Startled Swan Sword Art!】

【Both of them were now at the end of their strength. It would come down to who could not hold on first!】

【Though you were somewhat worried, Shangguan Lan’s life was not in danger, so you did not step in to stop it. You also wanted to see where Shangguan Lan’s limit lay.】

【Boom————!】

【The massive collision of spirit power sent both of them flying backward. Their spirit qi was utterly exhausted. Zhang Zifan slammed heavily to the ground, his life or death unknown.】

【At the critical moment, you arrived in time and caught Shangguan Lan from behind, preventing her from crashing to the ground.】

【Shangguan Lan raised her head and glanced upward at you. That pale, colorless face instantly bloomed with a faint smile, and then she fainted in your arms.】