Master, spend the night with me!

Pum!

The head rolled on the floor. Everyone stood in shock.

All they could do was watch as Xie Qing tore apart the disciple's clothes on the lifeless body, then used the fabric as a makeshift cloth to wipe the blade.

The disciples took in a cold breath. It suddenly seemed to them that Xie Qing had grown a second head.

"He... killed a disciple? Moreover, this disciple was at the peak of Foundation Building!"

The disciples on the training ground were shocked because they knew Xie Qing's true level, which barely reached the peak of Enlightenment. And now, he easily killed someone stronger than him!

Each of them knew that Xie Qing had gone on a task, but... how did he become so powerful?

"Dude, what mushrooms did you eat? Give us some too!"

...and although they asked sincerely, instead of that, Xie Qing would give them fly agarics.

***

Elders' Hall. It was the place where elders from the entire sect gathered. In terms of size, it was extremely spacious, easily accommodating more than five hundred people without any strain.

And today, this place was filled to the brim with elders.

There were about 250 of them in the sect, and although this might seem like a small number compared to the total number of disciples, it was more than enough. Most disciples came from wealthy families and didn't cause trouble, while the elders' work involved checking documents and similar tasks, with some overseeing the pavilions.

In short, they had enough. Their numbers increased every year thanks to talents flowing into the sect.

Today's assembly was important, at least according to the male elders who were once suppressed by Xu Mei.

"This is the Sect of Heavenly Sword, a sacred place! How does a disciple like him dare to openly kill fellow disciples without any reason?!" shouted an enraged male voice.

"Without reason? Let me remind you, Elder Sun, that you need to remember to take your pills. You seem to have memory gaps, or you're just mentally backward," retorted a female elder in response to the angry voice and then added with a snort, "You're just trying to avenge the actions of Elder Xu in the past! Shame on you!"

"Y-you..."

Such disputes continued for two hours. There were only two sides – some wanted to punish Xie Qing, while others defended him. The majority of women were in the defenders' camp, while almost all men were on the side of punishment.

"Ha-a-ah..."

Most elders had already started to get tired, and they silently prayed for it to end quickly. Although killing disciples was strictly prohibited, there was another rule that allowed bypassing the first law.

If someone attacked you with the intent to kill, you could defend yourself. This self-defense also included killing the attacker.

Some witnesses spoke about the two disciples attacking Xie Qing with the intent to kill, so everyone understood that this issue couldn't go far. Probably, Xie Qing would just be given a warning, and then they would pat him on the head.

In the end, all voices turned to the main elder.

"Main Elder Su!"

Su Hai – that was the name of the main elder. He looked like a hunched old man. The poor grandfather was sleeping when the cries of the other elders woke him up.

"Hm... mmm? Who the hell is screaming?" he complained, then wiped the drool from the corners of his mouth, making the verdict: "This matter should have been closed long ago. It's clear that it was self-defense, and besides, disciple Xie was attacked with obvious intent to kill. If you want to kill someone, be ready to be killed, that's the plain truth."

"Ehhh..."

Those who were in favor of punishing Xie Qing sighed heavily, their faces turning sour. They lost their chance to voice their opinion from the moment the main elder spoke. Su Hai waved his hand and added:

"You all have much more important matters to attend to. Internal strife is serious, but these are just two useless disciples with questionable pasts," said Su Hai, then continued with a serious expression: "You need to focus on the Ancestral Cave. It's set to open in the next six months."

The elders immediately fell silent, then nodded. The words of the main elder made sense, as the Ancestral Cave was a great opportunity.

Spaces were limited, and it was planned to allocate them in advance among the disciples of the four great sects that had used this method for centuries.

In the Ancestral Cave, one could enter an illusory realm where, depending on their potential, they could obtain some technique, and with great talent, inherit the legacy of an ancient cultivator.

Anything related to antiquity was an object of admiration for cultivators. An example of this was Xu Mei... uh... I mean, the cultivation technique that Xie Qing obtained.

Nine Golden Dragons Technique. It came directly from the Dragon Cave of Zhang Mei, who was one of the four main geniuses at that time.

Having fallen into the hands of the Sect of Starry Stream, this cultivation technique had been gathering dust for a long time in a secret place known only to Zhang Mei... well, and Xu Mei, who simply destroyed everything, thereby revealing a small cabinet hidden behind a thousand formations.

"Alright. Let's discuss then the disciples we should send. I believe Li Tian should earn his place."

"Hmm, in my opinion, Suen Suen has good talent, and she just recently moved to the main court."

"Ah, you cunning old folks! You're pushing your relatives forward!"

In this way, everyone forgot about the main topic of today. In the corner, the main elder wiped sweat from his forehead and turned his gaze to the girl standing in the darkness.

"Mi... Miss Xu Mei, are you satisfied?"

"Quite. Write me the names of those who shouted the loudest," Xu Mei coldly replied and disappeared.

Finally, after her disappearance, the main elder could breathe a sigh of relief. All this time, Xu Mei was here to make sure others didn't cause trouble.

She "politely" asked the main elder for help, and he "selflessly" agreed.

A few minutes later, Xu Mei appeared in the pavilion, informing everything to Xie Qing.

"Oh..."

Xie Qing sighed in relief when Xu Mei reported that the elders had decided to hush up the matter and leave him unpunished. Anyway, he didn't regret his actions and was ready to kill those two again.

"Thank you, Master," Xie Qing said with a smile, then used movement technique to shorten the distance and approached Xu Mei from behind. He embraced her slender waist. "Your disciple was so scared... wouldn't the esteemed Master comfort me? We can go to my room..."

"G-Get off!"

***

The training went well. Xie Qing sat in the backyard of the pavilion, surrounded by a vortex.

Boom!

Suddenly, Qi exploded and rose into the air, and thunderous sounds echoed from the sky. It seemed like lightning was about to strike, but fortunately for Xie Qing, nothing happened.

Ding! Ding!

Consecutive notification sounds reached his ears, and the youth opened his eyes, which for a moment turned golden but then returned to their black color with countless stars in the pupils.

"Phew..."

Xie Qing exhaled, and steam came out of his mouth. His body felt stronger than ever. Qi was boiling in his veins, which was normal for someone who had just broken through. Although he was excited, the most crucial step was to first calm his Qi and deal with the consequences of the breakthrough.

It took another two hours for this. While he was warming up, Xie Qing checked the notifications.

[Status analysis... You have reached the Foundation Building stage – 6th stage... 7th stage... 8th stage... 9th stage!]

[Congratulations! You have broken through to the "Qi Condensation – 1st stage" cultivation stage! From this moment, the true cultivator's path begins.]

[Under the influence of the breakthrough, the doors to a bright future open for you...]

[You gained the skill "Analysis (system skill)," and you acquired the following techniques]:

>>>> [Rising Legend (1/4)] | [Rank: Unusual?] | [Description: A technique that enhances the body's permeability, eliminating restrictions and allowing one to reach a new level of power. Boosts strength and Qi for 15 seconds. Who knows, if you don't die at the hands of your lovers, you might truly comprehend this technique... hehe]

[Sword Aura] | [Rank: Elite] | [Description: More related to body reinforcement technique but can also be used for combat. Attacks infused with this type of energy become more dangerous.]

"Why does this damn system leave such sarcastic comments?" frowned Xie Qing, but upon seeing another reward, he grinned from ear to ear. "Hehe... Sword Aura! Moreover, I also got a strange technique that will help me increase my strength!"

Excited about his breakthrough, Xie Qing visited Xu Mei. Upon hearing the news, she was very pleased and then, recalling something, tilted her head and asked, "Right. You exceeded my expectations in that battle. What do you want? I promised to give you anything you wish!" confidently said Xu Mei, looking assured.

After a brief thought, Xie Qing smirked and said, "Master, spend the night with me!"

"Hm?"