After recovering his spiritual reserves, Xuanyan waited a few more hours, but still hadn’t sensed any presence in the mountain. He faintly frowned as his mind wandered to the bounty hunters; none of them had come back near his territory, It was as if they had simply vanished
He felt an inexplicable urge to kill again, believing it might help him unlock what he truly felt from inside. The hollow emptiness after the previous killings still lingered, unanswered. However, he had no means to learn anything more about them now.
With no leads and nothing to react to, he let out a quiet sigh and stood up again.
"I can’t stay in one place for too long," he thought. If they were still tracking him, staying put would only give them the chance to converge and trap him. He decided to move now, before they could close in.
It didn’t take him long to discover an excellent hiding spot. A secluded cave nestled deep within the rugged spine of the mountain. This concealed chamber was so expertly hidden that even experienced seasoned cultivators, attuned to the slightest disturbance, would pass by it unnoticed, sensing nothing out of place.
From the outside, it appeared no different from the surrounding rock face—jagged stone streaked with age, lichen clinging like scars left by time. Only when the mist shifted just right did a narrow fissure reveal itself, barely wide enough for a single person to slip through. Even then, the entrance seemed reluctant to be found, as if the mountain itself wished to keep it secret.
Seeing such a narrow path, he hesitated. Maybe this wasn’t a good idea, he thought. But his legs moved anyway, carrying him toward the cave. Inside, the air turned cool and unnervingly still. Every step echoed softly, the sound swallowed almost immediately, leaving behind an unsettling impression—as if the cave was listening rather than responding.
Deeper within, the space widened into a hidden chamber—vast enough to completely conceal a person’s presence. The air was thick with Spiritual energy, which moved and gathered here in slow, steady currents, circulating without turbulence, making it an ideal place to hide and cultivate.
At the centre, Xuanyan’s eyes widened as he sensed the spiritual energy here was even richer than in Sister Lingling’s cave. A flicker of concern crossed his mind-----how was her tournament going? A touch of regret simmered beneath his thoughts, knowing he hadn’t been able to support her on the most crucial day, especially after what had transpired between them yesterday.
Xuanyan sat down and slowly began to clear his mind, pushing aside unnecessary thoughts one by one. Worrying now would only disturb his cultivation, and he knew Lingling well—knew what would make her smile. With that, he let the concern fade.
Xuanyan let out a slow breath and summoned the familiar interface. The translucent runes unfolded before him instantaneously.
System Status—
Name: Xuanyan
Realm: Qi Condensation Realm — Stage Four
Luck: 80
Charm: 120
Aptitude —
B Rank [ 45% ]
(500 System Points required per 1% increase within B Rank)
Special Skills —
• Natural Charm
[ Doubles Charm attribute and greatly improves first impressions when interacting with others ]
• Major Alchemy Talent
[ Alchemy attainment has reached Master level ]
• Yin-Compatible Physique (Passive)
[ Cultivation speed increases significantly in proximity to Yin-attributed female cultivators ]
Basic Skills —
• Cloud-Bound Steps
[ Yellow Rank Movement Technique ]
• Basic Martial Arts
[ Foundational combat techniques ]
• Qi Sensory Technique
[ Enhances perception of surrounding Qi fluctuations ]
Cultivation Method —
• Nether Abyss Mainland Sect Technique
[ Earth Grade Cultivation Method ]
[Heaven Grade Skills]
• Heaven-Listening Guard (Passive Sword Art)
[ Automatically responds to killing intent within range. The blade moves on its own, intercepting hostility before an attack can fully form. ]
• Silent Heaven Draw (Sword Technique)
[ A silent sword-draw executed and re-sheathed within a single breath. Lethality depends entirely on perfect timing. Absolute effective range: three meters. ]
• Heavenbound Imprint Shift (Spatial Movement Art — Incomplete)
[ Instant and precise relocation along pre-established Qi imprints rather than forced teleportation. Stable and flawless, but spiritual energy consumption increases exponentially with distance. ]
• Qi-Erasing Mirage (Concealment Technique)
[ Suppresses the user’s Qi and leaves behind a false residual presence, causing spiritual senses and perception to lose track of the user’s true position. ]
System Points —[ 2000 ]
Harem Members —
• Mei Lingling - Devotion Level: [ 100% ]
Physique —
• Basic Yang Physique - [ A foundational Yang-aligned physique ]
Xuanyan had already known this before opening the interface, yet seeing the number still irritated him. Only 2000 system points left—he spent more on Qi-Erasing Mirage, the technique that had allowed him to evade the Iron Butcher Union.
Xuyanyan knew it wasn’t a bad skill. On the contrary, it had already proven its value. The issue was timing. He didn’t need it right now, not while he was still inside the sect. Spending such a large amount of points on a technique he likely wouldn’t use for a long time left a faint, lingering dissatisfaction in his mind.
Xuanyan kept staring at the floating runes for a long while before finally dismissing them. Only two thousand system points left. The thought lingered as he leaned back slightly and considered his options. Increasing his cultivation stage was the most straightforward path. It was also the most tempting one. Power solved many problems, and reaching the next stage would make things easier in more ways than one.
However, the challenge was no longer straightforward. After advancing to Stage Four and seeing his aptitude surge to B Rank, the stakes had escalated. Relying solely on system points to overcome the next bottleneck would drain him completely.
There was also a sacred place within the sect, a cultivation ground where the spiritual energy was said to be five times denser than anywhere outside. Compared to that, spending system points now felt wasteful. Cultivating there would be far more efficient.
And if he managed to become Mei Lingyao’s personal disciple, he would gain access to that sacred land after the outer sect tournament. At that point, he could stop relying on system points for cultivation altogether. It was a rare opportunity, But it wasn’t his alone.
Ye Qingfeng would be there too. The thought lingered in his mind longer than he liked, planting a quiet sense of unease about what the future might bring.