Chapter 5

By the time I emerged from the cave residence, the trial was nearly over.

The white jade pendant contained a mysterious mustard-seed realm filled with heavenly-grade pills and herbs, forgotten medical texts, and prescriptions unknown to the Nine Provinces. Any single item would drive cultivators mad with greed.

Most important of all, I had obtained half of a mighty cultivator’s self-created sword manual: the Chaos Sword Art. It perfectly complemented my Chaos Spiritual Root. The manual was incomplete, so after taking revenge I would have to roam the Nine Provinces in search of the second half.

The realm’s spiritual energy was extraordinarily dense. After half a month of constant cultivation inside, I reached peak Golden Core. Unable to break through to Spirit Transformation, I finally left.

Only hundreds or perhaps a thousand Spirit Transformation cultivators existed in the Nine Provinces. Mahayana cultivators numbered barely a hundred, most of them sect masters and elders. The novel said that in addition to Ye Junhua, three ancient peak Mahayana experts lived in seclusion behind Spirit Sword Sect. To destroy the sect one day, I first needed to cripple Cui Fuling and her protectors.

The realm would soon close, and I remembered the Fire Phoenix Herb. Recalling its location from the book, I flew straight toward it.

“Stop!”

Cui Fuling and the others arrived at the cliff just as I plucked the herb. Her eyes nearly split with rage. I slipped it neatly into my storage pouch and spread my empty hands.

The group had recovered from its injuries with medicinal herbs found in the realm and the eldest senior brother’s alchemy. They stared in disbelief that I was alive.

“Bai Zhi, hand over the Fire Phoenix,” Second Senior Brother ordered, leveling a sword at my nose.

I pinched the blade and moved it aside. “Why? Treasures in a secret realm belong to whoever earns them.”

Cui Fuling’s eyes reddened. “It doesn’t matter, Second Senior Brother. I can cultivate without it. I simply may not advance for the next hundred years.”

His hesitation vanished. He placed his blade against my throat. “Then let us see whose ability is greater.”

I yawned. “Disciples of one sect may not fight each other. Remember, all of you carry recording stones that the elders will inspect after we return.”

They glared, but the rule was real. I had thrown my own recording stone away while falling into the abyss; theirs remained.

Unable to use force, Third Senior Brother tried reason. “Junior Sister Bai, Fuling’s Dao heart never recovered because you refused to forgive her. You share responsibility for the damage to her root. Immortal Junhua accepted you only for her sake. You owe her. Give us the herb and all past grievances will be forgotten.”

They spoke over one another while I listened with a cold smile.

“Enough!” Cui Fuling shouted at me. “Do not make things difficult for my senior brothers.”

“They are trying to take my herb for nothing. How am I troubling them?” I fought down the urge to kill her. The time was not yet right. Her life would still help me destroy Ye Junhua and wash Spirit Sword Sect in blood.

Knowing she had no claim, Cui Fuling threw her exquisite storage pouch at my feet. “Everything I found is inside, including a superior longevity pill that can extend your life by three hundred years. I will trade it all for the Fire Phoenix.”

She spoke proudly. In her eyes I remained a mortal insect. I kicked the pouch back like garbage. Its inferior treasures were nothing beside the heavenly-grade trove in my mustard-seed realm; I ate pills like hers as sweets.

“No.”

“Why? You cannot even use it.”

“True.” Hope entered her eyes. I leaned close and whispered sweetly, “But I would rather throw it away than trade it to you.”

She coughed blood from sheer fury. Under everyone’s murderous stares, I swaggered out of the secret realm. I cared no more for her spiritual root than she had cared for my family’s lives.

Half an hour after my return, Ye Junhua came to my dilapidated room on the remote outer peak. Cui Fuling followed behind him, looking strangely frail.

“Hand over the Fire Phoenix.”

“Why?”

He immobilized me the moment he sat down, his dark eyes furious. I refused without lowering my head. Though far weaker, I knew this hypocrite valued his spotless reputation too much to rob me openly.

After a frown, he produced a wooden box despite Cui Fuling’s protests. Spiritual energy spilled from it before the lid even opened. With a wave, he revealed a heavenly-grade Marrow-Cleansing Pill.

“This will cleanse your meridians, shed your mortal body, and put you on the path of cultivation. It is thousands of times more precious than the Fire Phoenix.”

“And?”

“I know you harbor resentment, but do not sacrifice your immortal future merely to spite Fuling.” He sounded almost sincere, as though concerned for me.

I had never forgotten his words: only mortal insects. Trash remained trash even if ground to dust eighteen times. Why would I obey him? Besides, my mustard-seed realm held heaps of the pill he was offering so grandly. The senior in my pendant told me to eat them like candy.