Chapter 39: Chapter 39: Power Advancement
"Did you kill Song An and Nie Yuan?"
Inside the Drunken Ink Residence, Ji Chen did not hide the matter and informed Ji Xiaotian and Fang Qingyao.
Both of them were taken aback by the news.
Because they were well aware that Nie Yuan, as the Young Sect Leader of the Celestial Profound Sect, had a cultivation level at least around the Eighth Layer of the Vein Condensation Realm. Even among the younger generation of the Chu Kingdom, few could match him.
As for Song An, there was no need to say more; the Grand Elder of the Celestial Profound Sect was truly a Spirit Transformation Realm expert.
Figures like these couldn’t even be defeated with absolute certainty by Ji Xiaotian if he were to take action.
Yet they never imagined that on the way back to the Lingyun Sect, Ji Chen had managed to erase these two figures from existence without leaving a trace.
How could this be possible...
Both Ji Xiaotian and Fang Qingxue were utterly shocked upon hearing this.
They found it hard to imagine how Ji Chen could have managed to kill those two men.
After all, that was the Grand Elder of the Celestial Profound Sect, a bona fide Spirit Transformation Realm expert.
Though Ji Chen possessed Nine Spirit Veins, in Ji Xiaotian’s eyes, he had only just stepped into the Vein Condensation Realm. How could he have the power to kill Song An?
"I won’t explain the specific reasons to you, but there is such a matter. Although the Celestial Profound Sect has yet to trace this back to me, they will eventually find out. Therefore, before that happens, I hope the strength of the Lingyun Sect can be raised rapidly to a level capable of contending with the Celestial Profound Sect," Ji Chen spoke.
Ji Xiaotian nodded his head. He did not press further but said, "Given our current situation at the Lingyun Sect, if we were to truly go to war with the Celestial Profound Sect, we indeed couldn’t withstand them. It’s said that the Celestial Profound Sect Leader, Nie Yunchang, achieved Fourth Layer Spirit Transformation Realm cultivation two years ago and is likely even stronger now. Once he comes to us, no one in the Lingyun Sect would be able to stop him."
"The Fourth Layer of Spirit Transformation Realm..."
Ji Chen furrowed his brows slightly; such power indeed posed a thorny problem for him.
Even with the Cloud-Breaking Pill, he could barely fight against Second Layer Spirit Transformation experts. With Nie Yunchang reaching the Fourth Layer, or even stronger, this was beyond what he could handle.
And though Ji Xiaotian was the Sect Leader of Lingyun Sect, over the years, due to numerous sect affairs, he barely had time to cultivate, and his cultivation remained only at the Second Layer of Spirit Transformation Realm, which was quite lacking compared to Nie Yunchang.
Of course, if the Cloud-Breaking Pill were given to Ji Xiaotian, boosting his cultivation in a short time, possibly he could battle Nie Yunchang.
But Ji Chen wouldn’t do this.
Because Ji Xiaotian was different from him, such an elixir brought immense side effects. No one other than Ji Chen could ensure standing unharmed once the effects wore off.
"Father, during this period, leave the sect affairs to me and Senior Sister. In a few days, I’ll prepare some elixirs for you to aid your cultivation, aiming to break through to the Third Layer of Spirit Transformation Realm quickly," Ji Chen advised.
Besides elixirs, martial techniques were also important. If Ji Xiaotian did break through to the Third Layer of Spirit Transformation Realm, and then cultivate some Profound Tier Martial Techniques, he should be able to contend with Nie Yunchang.
...
Time flew by swiftly.
In the blink of an eye, nearly a month had passed.
Elder Li Huayuan had long returned to the Lingyun Sect, and during this month, Master Qin Lan spent most of his time at the Lingyun Sect, assisting in the crafting of Qi Gathering Pills.
As Ji Chen promised previously, now every disciple of the Lingyun Sect received ten Qi Gathering Pills per month for cultivation.
Thus, within this month, everyone’s cultivation had seen significant improvements.
Moreover, now at the Martial Arts Hall of the Lingyun Sect, as long as you’re a disciple, you can borrow three martial techniques every month to take back and practice.
Not only low-level Yellow Tier, but also Middle Level and even high-level Yellow Tier Martial Techniques!
Know that in the past, only direct disciples like Fang Qingyao had access to high-level Yellow Tier Martial Techniques.
But now, things were different; almost everyone had the opportunity to learn them.
Furthermore, if enough contributions were made to the sect, one could even receive Profound Tier Level martial techniques as a reward!
This was something none of the disciples had ever dared to dream of before!
Even the Lingyun Sect, which had its moments of glory in the past, had never been so generous.
A month, neither long nor short.
With the aid of Qi Gathering Pills and the popularization of high-level Yellow Tier Martial Techniques, the collective strength of the Lingyun Sect’s disciples had improved by at least one grade.
Ji Chen naturally was no exception.
He practiced the Supreme Scripture, inherently advancing faster than ordinary people by nearly tenfold.
During this month, Ji Chen’s cultivation had also progressed rapidly, advancing from the Fourth Layer to the Sixth Layer of Vein Condensation Realm!
With Nine Spirit Veins and numerous Profound Tier Martial Techniques in hand, Ji Chen was confident that even without consuming a Cloud-Breaking Pill, he could barely face an ordinary First Layer Spirit Transformation Realm expert in combat now.
This recent period witnessed explosive growth for the Lingyun Sect.
Yet outside, almost no one knew about these happenings.
Because Ji Chen had cautioned all disciples that matters regarding Qi Gathering Pills and martial techniques must not be disclosed outside under any circumstances, not even to family members.
Otherwise, they would be expelled from the Lingyun Sect!
...
Meanwhile, in a region among the southwest mountains of the Chu Kingdom, there lay the solemnly established gates of the Celestial Profound Sect.
For the past month, the entire Celestial Profound Sect had been enveloped in an atmosphere of melancholy and silence.
Obviously, news of Grand Elder Song An’s murder and the Young Sect Leader Nie Yuan’s death had already spread back.
Still, the sect continued to pursue the truth of these events, with no one knowing who had really caused their deaths.
However, now, there seemed to be a glimmer of insight.
At the moment, within a main hall of the Celestial Profound Sect, over a dozen elders had gathered upon summons, having laid down their tasks to assemble here.
"Sect Leader, have you truly found out who killed the Young Sect Leader and the Grand Elder?"
Seeing Nie Yunchang seated above them in silence, one elder could no longer hold back the question.
Nie Yunchang remained silent, his expression somewhat grim, and only after a while did he say, "Not long ago, I personally went to the Sword King Sect and gave Broken Life Scrolls of the Young Sect Leader and the Grand Elder to Venerable Zhou, seeking his help to deduce with a forbidden technique. Indeed, we have traced some leads."
"If Venerable Zhou’s deduction is correct, the deaths of Nie Yuan and the Grand Elder are likely linked to Ji Chen!"