The thought only lingered briefly in Xu Qingxian's mind. He had only known Lin Fan for a few days and could not be certain of his true character.
It would be unwise to make a hasty decision. He needed to observe Lin Fan a bit longer before deciding whether or not to take him in as his disciple.
With that thought, Xu Qingxian placed another piece of meat in his mouth, savoring the rich flavor.
The warmth spread across his tongue, a faint smokiness mingling with a subtle hint of spice that danced at the back of his throat.
"Also, your highness," Lin Fan began, lowering his voice slightly, "I heard some rumors that the king is preparing a marriage ceremony. Some say it is for the third princess since she is not as absorbed in cultivation as the others."
He paused, leaned in closer, and whispered conspiratorially.
"There are others who believe the Prince of the Cold North has taken a liking to one of the princesses. We can only wait and see how things unfold."
Xu Qingxian's gaze sharpened, a flicker of amusement flashing through his eyes.
"The Cold North Prince, huh?" He recalled a cliché trope from countless webnovels and could not help but silently offer a prayer for the prince's fate.
After a moment of silence, he asked, "How strong is the Cold North Kingdom?"
Lin Fan furrowed his brow, trying to recall what he had heard.
"According to the rumors, the Cold North is far more terrifying than the Xu Dynasty. Our kingdom sometimes has to curry favor with them. It seems this marriage alliance would be extremely beneficial for us."
"Quite terrifying," Xu Qingxian mused inwardly.
The two continued to chat, shifting topics several times before Xu Qingxian finished his meal.
Waving off the scholarly youth, Xu Qingxian smiled faintly. Lin Fan's culinary skills seemed to be improving with each passing day.
Now in a good mood, Xu Qingxian picked up the transmigration smartphone and logged in to claim his daily reward before returning to cultivation.
[Congratulations on checking in consistently for a week. You have received ten middle-grade spirit stones.]
He glanced at the notification lazily but then his eyes widened slightly.
"What?"
His gaze darted to his side, where he saw ten egg-sized stones resting quietly near him.
They glowed faintly, emitting an ethereal aura that made the surrounding air feel cool yet oddly comforting.
Compared to the low-grade spirit stones he had seen before, these were on an entirely different level.
These stones had a much purer quality, their surfaces glowing with a faint white light that shimmered softly under the dim illumination of the palace.
Suddenly, the system displayed a prompt in front of his eyes.
[Detected 10 middle-grade spirit stones. Do you wish to convert?]
[Yes / No]
With trembling hands and a racing heart, Xu Qingxian mentally chose 'Yes' without hesitation.
The system responded instantly.
[Congratulations on converting 10 middle-grade spirit stones. You have received 100 attribute points.]
Just as he had suspected, the system rewarded more points based on the quality of spirit stones. Each increase in grade meant a significant jump in rewards.
Now, with the addition of 100 points, his attribute points had grown once more.
He summoned his system panel to view his stats.
[Host: Xu Qingxian]
[Cultivation Techniques: Basic Sword Technique, Starlight Sword Technique; Basic Qi Gathering Technique, Qi Nurturing Technique (Incomplete)]
[Attribute Points: 225]
[Allocate Attribute Points to Techniques?]
[Yes / No]
Seeing that his attribute points had crossed the two hundred mark, Xu Qingxian felt overjoyed. Slowly but surely, he would cross the thousand mark in due time.
A faint smile curled on his lips as he closed the panel.
With nothing pressing at hand, Xu Qingxian spent the rest of the day studying the Basic Movement Technique and cultivating diligently.
Time passed swiftly. Soon, night fell once more.
Having completed both lunch and dinner, Xu Qingxian had gained an additional twenty attribute points, bringing the total to 245.
Although pleased, he did not let it affect his focus. He calmed himself and returned to cultivation.
Before long, his cultivation increased again, reaching the fourth stage of Foundation Establishment.
Opening his eyes briefly, he felt a strange transformation inside his body. The spiritual energy flowed more naturally now, refined and smooth. He closed his eyes again and continued his practice.
Everything seemed peaceful, and Xu Qingxian believed the night would pass quietly once more.
That was when something changed.
He sensed a disturbance, a ripple in the air. His eyes snapped open, and he glanced toward the door just as it creaked open under the slightest pressure.
A burly middle-aged man stepped inside. His heavy boots echoed against the cold stone floor, and his piercing eyes immediately locked onto Xu Qingxian.
Xu Qingxian had not even noticed the man's approach.
"A strong cultivator," Xu Qingxian thought grimly, his heart tightening.
He reached to his side, picked up the mortal-grade sword, and leapt to his feet with practiced grace.
The man stared at him coldly, then let out a disdainful breath.
"Just a weak ant. Why did his majesty bother himself with someone like you?"
His voice dripped with contempt.
"The king wanted to use you as a pawn to manipulate the Demonic Saintess. But seeing how devoted she is to you, it may disrupt his plans. It is better if you die now. That way, she can be used without resistance."
He smirked wickedly, his expression filled with malice.
"Do not worry. We will blame your death on the aristocrats. She will eliminate them for us."
Xu Qingxian's eyes widened in disbelief. The king had planned this all along. He had been patient, waiting for his sister to fall into his trap.
His heart dropped.
The man gave him no time to think. Without warning, he lunged.
He was a blur of motion, impossibly fast. Xu Qingxian barely had time to react before the man was already in front of him, his arm swinging downward, aiming to crush Xu Qingxian's skull.
A terrifying pressure radiated from him, causing the air itself to feel heavy.
Xu Qingxian's expression changed drastically as he finally sensed the man's cultivation level.
Golden Core.
The king had sent a Golden Core cultivator after someone supposedly 'weak'. Just how thorough was his desire to eliminate him?
A wave of anger surged within Xu Qingxian.
Without hesitation, he moved. His sword flicked up, and he executed the Starlight Sword Technique with precise intent.
Starlight shimmered in the air. The sword gleamed like a falling star streaking through the dark sky.
The burly man's eyes widened.
"You… you are a cultivator?" He reeled back in shock.
Recovering quickly, he retreated, dodging the attack with practiced movements.
"Not dead?" Xu Qingxian frowned. He had aimed to kill in one blow, but the man was faster than expected.
"I do not know what is going on, but you will not survive tonight," the man growled. "Now I see why the king was so cautious. You are a terrifying genius, perhaps even more dangerous than your sister, especially since you are cultivating with broken meridians."
Suppressing his shock, the man advanced again.
This time, he held nothing back. All his strength poured into his attack, determined to crush Xu Qingxian completely. He could not afford to underestimate him any longer.
Xu Qingxian could feel the shift in the air. The atmosphere thickened, and a palpable aura of destruction surged toward him.
A cool breeze brushed past his cheeks. Time itself seemed to slow as the man's glowing fist closed in, its pale blue light distorting the air around it.
Xu Qingxian exhaled calmly.
"It seems it is time to improve my sword techniques again."