After finishing his morning cultivation, Yu Xuan stood up, stretched slightly, and took a moment to admire the scenery. The breeze was light, the river sparkled under the sun, and everything felt serene.
"Right... I’ve been hungry since yesterday."
Naturally, he decided it was time to eat something good.
With that thought, he made his way back into town. It was nearing afternoon now, and he figured it best to have a proper meal before challenging the first ranked red haired disciple.
He still planned to fight using only martial arts — no spells, no sword techniques. If he relied on those, the battle would be far too one sided.
He didn’t want to sound arrogant, but he was strong.
And it wasn’t about winning easily. It was about testing his other skills.
Wandering through the town’s streets, Yu Xuan searched for a decent place to eat.
The UFC was still open and noisy, but he had no intention of going back there — not while the memory of those thorny goats still lingered in his mind.
Eventually, he arrived at a humble street stall run by a female disciple. She was selling peculiar triangular rice dumplings wrapped in green leaves, steaming hot with a spicy aroma that immediately made his mouth water.
He bought one, took a bite, and his eyes lit up.
After finishing the meal, he decided to take a short walk through the nearby streets, casually exploring the local shops. A walk after eating, after all, was always good for the body.
He passed by a variety of vendors: some selling roasted spirit fruits, others peddling cultivation talismans of dubious origin.
One stall caught his eye, a man hunched over parchment, sketching portraits with exaggerated features. His brushwork was clumsy, proportions awkward. Definitely not better than Yu Xuan’s.
That reminded him of something.
’The painting I made for Ming Tianmei... I wonder if she liked it.’
He shook off the thought and continued walking. Some stalls sold trinkets, wooden amulets, jade charms, and talismans promising luck, love, or better breakthroughs in cultivation.
Then, not far ahead, something unusual caught his eye — a stone stall, surrounded by a small crowd.
Curious, Yu Xuan edged closer.
"This young man’s luck is amazing!"
"He’s cracked three stones in a row and found something valuable each time!"
"Maybe he’s cheating..."
"How can he be so accurate?!"
The shopkeeper’s expression was a mix of disbelief and frustration. His mouth was twitching as if he were watching his entire business evaporate with each successful stone opened. Judging by the mutterings and the crowd’s excitement, he probably was.
Yu Xuan smiled faintly, ’I smell protagonist energy.’
With idle curiosity, he approached the stall to take a closer look. Standing at the center of attention was a young man dressed in tattered robes, carefully examining the array of uncut spirit stones before him.
But the moment Yu Xuan laid eyes on him, something felt... off.
The man looked human — but didn’t feel human.
Trusting his instincts, Yu Xuan activated his trait [Soul Vision].
A faint shimmer of light flickered across his pupils, invisible to anyone else, and then vanished.
His eyes narrowed. ’I knew it.’
The moment he looked through the lens of [Soul Vision], the illusion peeled away. He recalled the description of his trait.
[Soul Vision]: Grants the ability to perceive the true nature of souls, including their presence and hidden characteristics. Detects soul fluctuations and spiritual intent, even through barriers or concealment.
Within his enhanced sight, the man’s soul shimmered oddly. Though it resembled a human soul in structure, something was distinctly unnatural about it.
The soul’s energy wasn’t centered around the chest, as it normally would be — but pulsed brightly from his forehead.
’A third eye...? Or some kind of spiritual construct in the brow region?’ Yu Xuan thought. ’Could be a racial trait. Maybe even a bloodline mutation or technique.’
His interest faded just as quickly as it came., ’Tch. Not a protagonist. Just another rare clan descendant passing through.’
Still, he gave the man one final glance, silently mourning the death of his imaginary plotline. Then he turned away to explore the rest of the market.
Along the way, Yu Xuan passed by stalls offering art, astrology readings, and even shelves of old cultivation techniques.
Seizing the opportunity, he sold one of the technique manuals, specifically the one "Zhou" had gifted him as a mission reward. Selling the seller was a great strategy.
"Haha..." he chuckled, feeling the satisfying weight of his new gain. 5,500 Sect Points richer — it was like money had a good effect on his soul.
Then he remembered his master, who had casually tossed him 10,000 Sect Points just to "eat well."
"Master is kind of cheap," he muttered, frowning. "I thought 10,000 was a fortune..."
Unbeknownst to him, muttering his master’s name or insulting her at her cultivation level could trigger karmic consequences.
Fortunately, only her clone was within this realm and not her true self, otherwise, Yu Xuan might have been spanked into his next life. ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡⁂𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚⁂𝙣𝙚𝙩
Granted, he was still only fourteen, so it technically would be child abuse. So, yeah right, it was inappropriate.
He briefly considered taking on another mission, but there was no urgent need to farm Sect Points anymore, so he dropped the idea.
Instead, he turned his steps toward the Arena.
It was time to climb the rankings fast.
Upon arriving, he was greeted by the familiar duo of gatekeeping disciples — the ones he had mentally named X and Y.
"Hello," Yu Xuan said, half prepared to be thrown out again.
But to his surprise, their reaction was entirely different this time.
"The dark horse has arrived!" said X with a grin.
"Are you going to challenge Lan Hao next?" Y added, clearly excited.
Yu Xuan’s eyes sparkled visibly. So now they’re fans now, huh?
Maybe, just maybe... he could pass a Math exam by writing pure English at this rate.