Chapter 50: A Series of Breakthroughs

Xiao Wenzi did not want Chu Xiner to witness how he refined the blood of cultivators, so he deliberately remained motionless, only resuming his breathing exercises after she withdrew her divine sense.

Half an hour later, all the blood in his abdomen had been refined, and his body returned to its normal state. However, because the elder surnamed Xie possessed such low cultivation, the few drops of his blood had indeed advanced Xiao Wenzi’s cultivation significantly, but not enough to break through the bottleneck.

Yet Xiao Wenzi was not discouraged, for he had gained over a thousand Third Heaven system coins this time—not only enough to replenish the red hearts he had expended, but also to exchange for more than a hundred Monster Gathering Pills.

Exchanging Third Heaven system coins for low-grade Monster Gathering Pills was especially cheap, costing less than ten coins apiece. He could consume them as easily as candy, so how could he not break through the bottleneck?

With this thought, Xiao Wenzi directly exchanged for a Monster Gathering Pill and swallowed it without hesitation to begin refining.

Time passed slowly. As he consumed pill after pill as if they were free, Xiao Wenzi broke through the bottleneck of late Third Heaven in a short span.

Immediately afterward, the bottleneck between the peak of Third Heaven and the early stage of Fourth Heaven could not withstand the surging monster spiritual power’s assault. In a single night, Xiao Wenzi crossed two minor realms.

Though it was said that everything before Fifth Heaven was still considered the early stages of the Monster Qi Realm, lacking the formidable barriers that cultivators often faced, to achieve such rapid breakthroughs in so short a time was testament to the importance of spiritual pills.

Yes, it was all thanks to the pills, for in one night he had swallowed over twenty Monster Gathering Pills.

Twenty! Even the more basic spiritual pills within Green Mountain Gate were rationed: someone like Wang Sheng, an outer sect disciple, might not receive two or three such pills in a year.

In other words, he had consumed in one night what others would take ten years to accumulate—how could he not break through? Otherwise, what face would he have left?

Upon breaking through the bottleneck, the system unlocked a new exchange page, and Xiao Wenzi could not resist checking it.

On the Fourth Heaven system page, there were likewise a dozen types of pills, monster stones, talismans, and other treasures available for exchange.

What caught Xiao Wenzi’s eye was the mid-grade Monster Gathering Pill, marked at twenty system coins apiece, as well as the Monster Fire Talisman, Monster Shield Talisman, Monster Wind Talisman, and other talismans with both offensive and defensive capabilities.

Having consumed too many low-grade Monster Gathering Pills, Xiao Wenzi felt their effects were no longer as pronounced as at the beginning. The appearance of mid-grade pills solved this problem perfectly.

As for talismans capable of instantly casting monster arts—Monster Fire, Monster Wind, Monster Shield, and the like—they were somewhat expensive, requiring sixty system coins each.

But with Chu Xiner’s help, acquiring Fourth Heaven system coins would be easy. What had once been a headache was no longer an issue.

Xiao Wenzi glanced at his remaining eight hundred Third Heaven system coins and without hesitation exchanged them for red hearts, restoring his lost vitality.

Once again at full strength with nine lives, his joy was obvious.

Still, he could not spend his life as a spirit pet at someone’s beck and call. Though living off others had its pleasures, generally speaking, the master-servant contract had its limits. When the spirit pet’s cultivation far surpassed their master’s, it could be unilaterally dissolved.

Seizing every moment to cultivate and grow stronger so he might eventually regain his freedom was Xiao Wenzi’s goal.

For this reason, he did not linger in pride over his breakthrough, but began exchanging Fourth Heaven techniques to continue his cultivation.

Five Third Heaven system coins disappeared, and lines of ancient scripture appeared in his sea of consciousness, imprinting on his soul as if carved there, unforgettable.

The Fourth Heaven mental technique of the Blood Spirit Grand Art was consistent with the first three layers Xiao Wenzi was familiar with, bearing no particular surprises. He quickly comprehended it fully.

“Hmm, Little Wen, your aura seems stronger than yesterday—very good, very good.”

Just then, Chu Xiner’s divine sense probed into the spirit beast pouch and, seeing his change, she spoke with joy. Dawn had broken; she had just finished her cultivation and was preparing to leave Tianyun Valley.

Xiao Wenzi had only advanced a minor realm, yet after more than a month on Green Leaf Island without any progress, this alone proved that consuming a cultivator’s blood was indeed of great benefit.

“Little Wen, have you finished refining all the blood you've absorbed? Do you need to find some unlucky cultivators to feed again?”

A stronger spirit pet meant more ways to defeat enemies, and Chu Xiner’s mind became more active. After all, those low-level rogue cultivators were not difficult to handle.

Having them provide some blood was hardly fatal; at worst, she would refrain from looting their storage pouches afterward.

“Mm, thank you, Master. Little Wen has nearly refined it all—it will trouble Master to act again.”

System coins could be exchanged for pills and talismans—Xiao Wenzi could never have enough. Hearing Chu Xiner’s inquiry, he replied with delight and no hesitation.

“Very well, Little Wen, let’s leave Tianyun Valley's marketplace and seek out low-level rogue cultivators.”

The world of cultivation cares little for virtue or morality, and Chu Xiner was no naive fool. Having decided, she promptly left the pavilion, returned the jade talisman to the steward of Tianyun Valley, and headed outside.

By day, the marketplace bustled; the plaza was crowded with people, including not a few Fourth Heaven cultivators, their cries of buying and selling, bargaining, never ceasing.

All these cultivators were suitable for Little Wen’s blood feeding, but this was not the place to act. Wearing her magical mask, Chu Xiner passed gracefully by, only leaving the valley’s illusion formations.

As the saying goes, rabbits do not eat the grass near their burrow. When she first acquired the Tianyun Valley pass token, her identity as a Green Leaf Sect disciple was known to the valley’s people. Chu Xiner refrained from targeting rogue cultivators near the valley.

Instead, she traveled dozens of miles away. In an unfrequented spot, she changed into a black cloak, added a bamboo hat over her magical mask, then spread her divine sense to search.

“What is that troublesome girl doing?”

Watching the familiar streak of escape light pass overhead, Huang Yipeng, hiding in the woods under a Concealment Talisman, could not help but frown and mutter.

At this moment, neither Zhou Kai nor Wang Tao were with him. Believing the other party would surely return to the sect today, Huang Yipeng had sent the two ahead to set up an ambush.

Chu Xiner, searching for low-level rogue cultivators, was not flying directly to the Green Leaf Sect. Huang Yipeng could sense her casting her divine sense outward at full strength, leaving him full of puzzlement.

But to avoid exposing himself and affecting his plan, he had to use the Concealment Talisman given by his uncle to hide, not daring to release his own divine sense—nothing but confusion.

Tianyun Valley’s marketplace served all cultivators; rogue cultivators came and went daily. Chu Xiner had little difficulty finding two young cultivators traveling together on the outskirts.

The youth dressed as a scholar possessed late Fourth Heaven cultivation; his companion, a burly man, was similarly at the peak of Fourth Heaven. But against Chu Xiner’s sneak attack, herself at the peak of Tenth Heaven, their fate could only be to surrender without resistance.