Inside a chamber filled with ancient cultivation scriptures, the scent of medicinal herbs mingled with a strange, ethereal aura.
A young man with a cold, indifferent expression—one hardened over the years by countless battles, shrewd calculations, and buried emotions—gazed into the distance, his sharp eyes focused on a point not too far away.
After a prolonged silence, a deep frown surfaced on his face.
"Strange," he muttered, standing up from the regal throne he sat upon. "He is dead?"
The king was stunned.
The elder he had sent out only moments ago had perished, his presence vanishing completely from his divine sense.
Startled, the king scanned his surroundings with a perplexed expression, as if the walls themselves might whisper answers.
"What could have happened?" he said aloud, his brows furrowed. "Could Jiao's master have interfered?"
He began to pace, trying to piece together where he had miscalculated.
First, he had to consider if there was the matter of Jiao's master handing her a protective treasure, which she had then given to her brother. That in itself would disrupt his plans.
Secondly, he had to consider the possibility of her pleading with her master to act directly.
He didn't consider the fact that Xu Qingxian might have recovered his cultivation. After all, it had just been crippled; how much could one's strength increase within the span of a few days?
The king sighed and slowly fell into deep contemplation, his mind sifting through each layer of his strategy.
…
Unaware of the storm gathering in the king's heart, Xu Qingxian remained immersed in cultivation. Time slipped by, and with it, the night passed quietly.
Thankfully, no more assassins had come for him.
'How unfortunate, in a way.'
Xu Qingxian couldn't decide whether to feel relieved or disappointed.
He had hoped for more enemies to test himself against, but peace had its own rewards. Thanks to the undisturbed night, he had quietly broken through to the fifth stage of Foundation Establishment.
The morning arrived silently.
As sunlight filtered through the narrow cracks of the cold stone door, Xu Qingxian remained seated in the cold, stone room.
The faint creak of the door drew his attention. He opened his eyes and looked toward Lin Fan, who entered the cold palace carrying a tray of steaming dishes.
Surprisingly, the food was far more abundant than what he usually brought.
Xu Qingxian stared at him, slightly stunned.
"Is there an event ongoing?" he asked with a raised brow.
Lin Fan smiled faintly and replied, "Young master, this is to celebrate your successful survival of your execution."
As he spoke, Xu Qingxian noticed a flicker of hesitation in his eyes.
"Just be honest with me. Tell me what's wrong," Xu Qingxian said, picking up his chopsticks and placing a piece of meat into his mouth.
The moment he bit into it, his eyes widened.
[Congratulations on devouring a Foundation Establishment realm beast.]
[You have received 10 attribute points.]
Xu Qingxian stared at the piece of meat still held by his chopsticks, then turned his gaze toward Lin Fan. His eyes narrowed.
"Lin Fan," he said in a deep voice, "what is going on?"
Lin Fan hesitated, then finally spoke up.
"Young master, actually, I plan to participate in the trial for the Profound Dao Sect later today. I believe my talent is good enough to be accepted. So, this is… farewell."
Xu Qingxian frowned and slowly set his chopsticks down. A quiet sadness settled in his heart.
Although they had only known each other for a few days, Lin Fan's presence had made the long, cold hours feel less lonely.
Now that he was leaving, Xu Qingxian could not help but feel a trace of melancholy.
He looked at Lin Fan and noticed the quiet resolve in his eyes.
Picking up his chopsticks again, he spoke softly, "It seems I cannot stop you from leaving."
To lighten the mood, he changed the topic.
"Tell me what's been happening lately. Any news worth knowing?"
Lin Fan let out a breath of relief. He had feared Xu Qingxian would react harshly or try to stop him. Seeing that Xu Qingxian accepted his decision calmly, he peeked a glance at him and smiled.
In the end, the young master remained as composed and understanding as ever. Still, Lin Fan too had a path to walk. The pursuit of immortality waited for no one.
He exhaled and began to speak.
"Nothing much has occurred in the royal capital. Aside from the heated preparations for the trial later today, there's been little to talk about. Many are speculating on who the Profound Dao Sect will choose, but nothing is certain yet."
Xu Qingxian's eyes flashed with interest.
"Tell me more about the Profound Dao Sect," he said while placing a steaming bundle of noodles into his mouth.
[Congratulations on eating a set of rank 2 spirit ingredients. You have received 10 attribute points.]
Xu Qingxian smiled faintly, choosing not to let sadness cloud his mood.
"In the cultivation world, there are three great sects," Lin Fan explained. "The Profound Dao Sect, the Heaven Seeking Sect, and the Buddhist Sect. Each follows a different path. The Heaven Seeking Sect is considered the strongest of the three."
"In fact, according to rumors, even if the Profound Dao Sect, the Royal Kingdom, and the Buddhist Sect combined their forces, they would still be unable to defeat the Heaven Seeking Sect."
Xu Qingxian paused, raising a brow.
"In that case, why aren't you trying to join the Heaven Seeking Sect?"
Lin Fan laughed awkwardly. "Haha, young master, I don't even know if I have the qualifications to join the Profound Dao Sect. I wouldn't dare dream of reaching the Heaven Seeking Sect. As for the Buddhist Sect… well, I am not ready to become a monk."
The image of someone named 'One Inch Stick' suddenly came to mind, and Xu Qingxian couldn't help but burst out laughing.
Lin Fan was truly amusing.
"In that case, I wish you the best of luck. Don't feel too pressured about it," Xu Qingxian said kindly.
"Thank you, young master," Lin Fan replied, his smile genuine. The uneasiness in his heart gradually faded.
He sighed and focused once more on their conversation.
After a while, Xu Qingxian finished his breakfast. During the meal, he had acquired a total of 100 points, bringing his accumulated attribute points to 363.
He glanced at the number with a smile. It was slowly approaching 1000.
As he watched Lin Fan's departing figure, Xu Qingxian let out a soft sigh, then reached for his phone.
He didn't dwell too much on his friend's departure.
Unlocking the device, his eyes were immediately drawn to a glowing notification.
[Transmigration Group Chat – 99+ messages.]
Xu Qingxian had expected that. However, the next line made his heart jolt.
[18 transmigrators from the new batch have died. Please watch the video and remain cautious.]
His thoughts raced.
"That's right. Seven days have passed. A new batch of transmigrators was supposed to join the group today."
"So many died already? How?"