Volume One, Chapter 17: The Saintess’s Wrath!

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Chu Tianxing frowned slightly, never expecting Su Xiaowan’s expression to change so dramatically.

“Whether I stay or leave, and whom I choose to associate with, is none of Miss Su’s concern.”

Chu Tianxing clasped his hands and continued, “In any case, thank you for personally coming to the Inner Sect to lend your assistance.”

“Please convey this message to the Holy Maiden: I, Chu Tianxing, will forever remember her kindness. Farewell.”

With that, Chu Tianxing walked straight toward the Elders’ Residence.

Su Xiaowan was visibly stunned. Watching his back, she suddenly called out, “The Core Academy has two palaces and two halls: the Jade Palace, the Night Palace, the Heartless Hall, and the Profound Lord Hall. All core disciples belong to one of them. If you do not join any of these four powers, you will not survive in the Core Academy!”

“You should know that every avenue for obtaining cultivation resources in the Core Academy is controlled by those two palaces and two halls, while the Elders’ Residence tacitly approves of it. In other words, as a lone individual, you will receive nothing more than the meager cultivation resources distributed by the Core Academy each month. All other resources will have nothing to do with you.”

“Moreover, since the four branches of the Holy Land do not value you, once Mu Yuyao and the others are promoted to personal disciples, you will be left entirely at the mercy of others!”

“When that happens, not only will you have no cultivation resources, but your progress will inevitably be painfully slow. You will not even be able to guarantee your own safety.”

“I advise you to obey and leave the Demon-Slaying Holy Land at once. Stop dreaming that the Holy Maiden will protect you. You simply do not carry enough weight!”

Chu Tianxing remained expressionless and did not respond to Su Xiaowan.

Nevertheless, the crux of what she had said forced him to take the matter seriously.

For a martial artist, the most essential thing in cultivation was resources.

If he could obtain only the resources distributed monthly by the Core Academy, advancing his cultivation would certainly be exceedingly difficult.

Yet every method of acquiring cultivation resources was controlled by the two palaces and two halls, with the Elders’ Residence turning a blind eye.

The Jade Palace had been founded by Su Xiaowan, while the Profound Lord Hall had been founded by Murong Ao. He clearly could not go to either of those places.

As for the remaining Night Palace, its deputy palace master was Xing Bufan, while the deputy hall master of the Heartless Hall was Mu Yuyao. Those places were even more impossible for him to enter.

“Chu Tianxing, you truly refuse to turn back until you run into a wall. No, that is not quite right—you refuse to repent until you are dead.”

Su Xiaowan curled her lips in disdain. Then, with her jade-white hands clasped behind her back, she turned and walked away.

“I shall return to the Holy Maiden now and tell her of your foolishness!”

At that moment, just as Chu Tianxing arrived before the Elders’ Residence, a man of about thirty blocked his path with a smile.

“Chu Tianxing, I have been waiting for you for some time. I am Lu Henglin, the Third Elder of the Core Academy.”

Lu Henglin glanced at the disciple token hanging from Chu Tianxing’s waist. After confirming that it was genuine, he continued, “I belong to the Demon-Slaying Branch.”

The Demon-Slaying Branch’s Third Elder of the Core Academy!

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He had deliberately waited here. Could it be that the Holy Maiden had instructed him to do so once again?

Chu Tianxing sighed inwardly, then clasped his hands and saluted. “This disciple, Chu Tianxing, pays his respects to Elder Lu.”

“Mm, there is no need for such ceremony. This is your core disciple token.”

Lu Henglin nodded lightly, drew a black token from his sleeve, and handed it to Chu Tianxing.

The front of the token read: Core Academy, Chu Tianxing.

The back read: Demon-Slaying Holy Land.

“Where is Su Xiaowan? Why do I not see her? Where did she go? As unruly as ever!”

Lu Henglin looked into the distance, but there was no sign of her. He sighed helplessly. “It seems I will have to take you to the Jade Palace myself.”

“The Jade Palace?”

Chu Tianxing frowned slightly. “Su Xiaowan has no intention of accepting me into the Jade Palace. Elder Lu need not trouble himself.”

Regardless of whatever arrangements Holy Maiden Ye Qingxuan had made, since Su Xiaowan was unwilling, he could not go there merely to invite humiliation.

“She will not accept you into the Jade Palace?” Lu Henglin was momentarily stunned. Could it be that the Holy Maiden had made other arrangements?

After considering the matter, Lu Henglin said, “Then that leaves only the Profound Lord Hall, the Night Palace, and the Heartless Hall.”

“I do not wish to go to any of those three places, nor can I go,” Chu Tianxing said, shaking his head lightly.

Hearing this, Lu Henglin rubbed his chin in confusion. “I have heard a little about your circumstances. It is understandable that you would not go to the Night Palace or the Heartless Hall, but you have no grievances with anyone in the Profound Lord Hall, do you? If you do not join one of the two palaces or two halls, you will be unable to survive in the Core Academy.”

Chu Tianxing naturally understood what Lu Henglin meant. After all, Su Xiaowan had already made it perfectly clear.

“There is no place for alchemy in the Outer Sect. Surely the Core Academy must have one?” Chu Tianxing asked.

“Alchemy?”

Lu Henglin could not help being surprised. “You wish to go to the Alchemy Academy? Are you an alchemist?”

“To be frank, Elder Lu, before entering the Holy Land, I had been exposed to the art of alchemy in the State of Chu. I simply entered the Holy Land before I had the chance to study it in depth.”

Chu Tianxing smiled and clasped his hands. “Since there is no place for me in the two palaces and two halls of the Core Academy, I can only go to the Alchemy Academy.”

“Besides, when it comes to cultivation resources, surely there is no place superior to the Alchemy Academy, is there?”

Lu Henglin studied Chu Tianxing deeply before nodding. “Cultivation resources are indeed not difficult to obtain in the Alchemy Academy. However, one must be an alchemist. And as you said, you entered the Holy Land before studying the Dao of Alchemy. That means you are, at most, a first-grade alchemist now, correct?”

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“A first-grade alchemist is equivalent to a martial artist in the Mortal Realm. The cultivation resources you can obtain will be of the lowest grade. Going to the Alchemy Academy may not bring you what you hope for.”

Chu Tianxing smiled bitterly. “Things have already come to this. I have no other choice. If I possess an aptitude for alchemy, perhaps I may still find a way forward.”

“Mm, that will do.”

Lu Henglin nodded lightly. “I happen to know Elder Shangguan Hai, the master of the Alchemy Academy. I can recommend you—”

“No need. I appreciate your kindness, Elder Lu, but I can go there on my own.”

Chu Tianxing refused him directly.

He truly did not wish to owe Holy Maiden Ye Qingxuan any more favors. In the end, he had to rely on himself.

“Very well. If you encounter any difficulties, you may come to the Elders’ Residence and find me.”

Lu Henglin was secretly astonished. He had not expected Chu Tianxing to be so resolute.

He clearly could have used connections to receive special treatment, yet he insisted on relying on himself.

It had been a long time since Lu Henglin had encountered a young man like Chu Tianxing.

Meanwhile, deep within the Holy Land, in the Holy Maiden’s Palace—

Ye Qingxuan wore a white dress. Her exquisite features were breathtaking, her bearing cold and aloof, and her snow-white hair lent her an air of supreme, flawless nobility.

“Xiaowan, come in.”

Ye Qingxuan stood at the edge of a medicinal herb field, waving her hand and drawing water from a well to sprinkle across the plants.

As Su Xiaowan entered the Holy Maiden’s Palace, the vast and empty hall, devoid of any other person, echoed with the sound of her footsteps.

Throughout the entire Demon-Slaying Holy Land, Su Xiaowan alone was permitted to enter the Holy Maiden’s Palace. Even those who came to request an audience had never once been granted permission.

Thus, Ye Qingxuan was renowned throughout the Holy Land for her cold arrogance, and across the continent for her imperious, untouchable nature.

“Your Highness, I have completed the task you assigned me. It is only that Chu Tianxing was far too insensible…”

Su Xiaowan lowered her head deeply and bowed as she reported everything in detail. Suddenly, Ye Qingxuan’s jade-white hand froze in midair.

Crackle, crackle…

The well water that had been swept into the air fell chaotically to the ground after losing Ye Qingxuan’s control.

“How dare you treat Chu Tianxing in such a manner? Who gave you the courage?”

Ye Qingxuan turned her head toward Su Xiaowan, her eyes filled with icy indifference.