robe

He had once seen this kind of spirit pill in the Treasured Pill Scripture. However, due to a shortage of certain spirit medicine, the Holy Church of Light did not have this spirit pill. He would usually consume animals to restore his blood essence.

For instance, Lu Zhen required a large amount of blood essence to regenerate her arm. Unfortunately, there was no such pill as the Strengthening Pill, so she had to rely on consuming more animals.

Still, by doing so, her blood essence could only be replenished at a limited speed, which was about ten days.

Besides, the restoration of blood essence also determined the condition of recovery. Just like regenerating an arm, if Lu Zhen had a rich supply of blood essence, her new arm would be strong. If her supply of blood essence was lacking, her regenerated arm would look like that of a baby's and it would take some time for it to become robust.

In spite of the saying that people who practiced martial arts had vigorous blood essence, it was not sufficient for limb regeneration.

"Excellent!" Wen Tingdao was overjoyed. He did not expect Chu Li to agree to it.

Chu Li said, "A bottle of Strengthening Pills and the Less Ultimate Sword's techniques. Hand them over now!"

Without hesitation, Wen Tingdao took out a jade bottle and a thin book before he tossed them to Chu Li.

When Chu Li received the items, he flipped through the sword manual. Then, he took the copy in Li Ruolan's hands, flipped it through and nodded contemplatively. Undoubtedly, the sword techniques were wondrous and the combat styles were unusual. The manual could help improve his limited skills.

After that, Wen Tingdao removed the cork from the bottle and emptied out ten round, red pills. Chu Li nodded in a satisfied manner. He then took out a jade bottle from his own pocket and tossed it to Wen Tingdao.

Wen Tingdao opened the bottle too and there were four pills in the size of soybeans. They were the Detachment Pills he had consumed before and so, he nodded pleasantly. "Brother Zhao, we're considered friends now."

Chu Li snorted, "We aren't friends!"

"Those who trust each other are friends. I regard you as a friend, Brother Zhao!" Wen Tingdao grinned. "We wouldn't have known each other if it weren't for this matter. I now have ties with the Holy Church of Light. If I ever find the time, I'll definitely pay you a visit!"

Chu Li gestured dismissively. "I don't have time for you, so it's better that you don't come. Goodbye!"

After he finished speaking, he turned around and left.

Li Ruolan followed him out of the temple.

Wen Tingdao raised his voice. "Brother Zhao, we'll meet again."

Chu Li waved his arm and walked in big strides. He sped up before he finally used the Time Steps to leave with Li Ruolan.

Li Ruolan remained by his side silently.

She knew it was all her fault. She was careless and was duped into coming to this place. Li Ruolan was worried and behaved impulsively.

Chu Li was quiet as he walked quickly. They descended the mountain where the Taoist temple was built on and headed for Falling Autumn City.

"Junior Brother, about this…" Li Ruolan let out a sigh. "It was my fault that I got you into this."

Chu Li glanced at her and remained silent.

Li Ruolan added, "Everything happened so quickly at that time. I really thought that they had abducted Senior Brother Ji. You do know that Senior Brother Ji can't defend himself now and is almost crippled. It's very easy for someone to abduct him…"

"Mm, I understand," Chu Li interrupted her with a wave of his arm. "You weren't careless. It's just that Wen Tingdao is very cunning and crafty."

Sigh…" Li Ruolan exhaled a pent-up breath.

Chu Li spoke, "Initially, I had intended to give the Detachment Pills to the Saint and she will then trade the Less Ultimate Sword with the Sword Moon Sect, but I didn't expect Wen Tingdao to be so anxious that he used this tactic. Because of that, I traded the items now."

Li Ruolan's eyes gleamed and she soon understood Chu Li's plan.

"It was all my fault…" Li Ruolan said apologetically.

Chu Li shook his head. "He has always had a way of manipulating you. You can't defeat Wen Tingdao, so today's situation was bound to happen. We'd better return to the Great Light Peak in case he bothers us again!"

"Alright!" Li Ruolan gave a firm nodded.

To save her, Junior Brother Zhao has made one less contribution and he could not prove himself before the Saint. She felt guilty about this because it was likely that he could not become a priest due to this misstep.

The two of them returned to the backyard of the Town Defense Prefecture where Lu Zhen and the rest were waiting for them.

When he saw Li Ruolan's return, an emotional Ji Xin approached her. He had wanted to embrace Li Ruolan, but when he noticed how solemn she was with her lack of shock, he could only suppress this urge.

Zhou Jinchun smiled cheerily as he bombarded them with questions.

Li Ruolan told them everything and the crowd shook their heads helplessly.

The others would have done the same if such a situation had occurred. If they had felt concerned, they would have rushed to check on someone and fell into the same trap. Wen Tingdao was a sly person as he had managed to trick someone within a short timeframe.

Nonetheless, they also knew that this sort of invitation would either end up as a forced invitation or a fight at any time. If not for Chu Li's timely arrival, the outcome would have been unpredictable.

"Since when has Wen Tingdao become such a nice person to negotiate with?" Ji Xin muttered angrily.

He became nervous when he thought of Li Ruolan's precarious situation.

"He still wants the Detachment Pills." Chu Li shook his head. "Forget it, we'll ignore him for now. Senior Sister Lu, take one Strengthening Pill a day and two Detachment Pills each time!"

"Alright." Lu Zhen nodded.

She was often quiet and seemed indifferent towards everything. She merely tugged at Li Ruolan's hand and did not say much. Yet in reality, she was trying to suppress the pain in her shoulder.

"We must leave now," Chu Li announced. "We have to get back to the Great Light Peak as soon as possible."

"Yes, go now!" Zhou Jinchun and Ji Xin nodded quickly.

Li Ruolan said, "Senior Sister Lu, come with us. It's not a good idea for you to stay here."

"Mm." Lu Zhen nodded gently.

She knew Mo Qianjun could not wait for her to leave at once as she was already a burden to him.

…

Indeed, Mo Qianjun could not wait for all of them to leave. They had burdened him by remaining at his place. At dawn the next day, they left Falling Autumn City by steeds as Zhou Jinchun and Ji Xin could not use their light-body techniques.

Due to that, Mo Qianjun had prepared a steed for each person before he sent them off personally.

Noticed his satisfied expression, Chu Li shook his head quietly. If only the latter knew that Bai Feng and her disciples had already set up a huge formation, he would not have been so excited. Now, he would not be able to seize the great deed of guarding Falling Autumn City.

The setting up of the formation by Cheng Sen and Cheng Lin went better than expected. They had finished setting it up the second night but it had not been activated yet. However, it could be activated at any time once a large army ambushed them.

Everyone rode on the horses which galloped as fast as they could.

Lu Zhen remained quiet on the journey.

Chu Li knew that she was in terrible pain. The Detachment Pill had an unpleasant taste and her arm was probably aching. Although she had lost an arm, the feeling of pain in her arm was still present.

Yet, Lu Zhen did not moan; she had even masked her agony. Seeing her pale and haggard face, Li Ruolan and the rest knew how uncomfortable she must be feeling. Therefore, they did not disturb her as they rushed back in silence.

At dawn on the fifth day, when they passed through the border of the Great Light Peak, a jubilant cheer broke the silence. Li Ruolan held Lu Zhen's left arm and felt overjoyed — Lu Zhen's left arm had finally regenerated.

Zhou Jinchun went over to have a look. When he saw Lu Zhen's fair and supple arm, he laughed excitedly as he gripped Chu Li's arm tightly. He exclaimed in a grateful manner, "Junior Brother Zhao, you're amazing! You're amazing!"

Chu Li was not amused by his emotional outburst and instead, tried to pull his own arm away.

Ji Xin, too, was in awe. "I can't believe her arm would regrow! The Detachment Pill is wonderful! With this pill, we won't be afraid of injuries again!"

Instead of fearing death, the disciples of the Great Light Scripture feared disability. If they were to end up as a disabled person like Lu Zhen, they had to spend the remainder of their lives in the Great Light Peak, doing nothing but eating, sleeping and waiting for death. It would be a cruel life.

The following evening, they had arrived at the Great Light Peak.

As soon as Chu Li stepped into the Spirit Medicine Nursery, Zhou Huang rushed out and complained about the low efficiency in the nursery since the former's departure. Things happened too slowly in the Spirit Medicine Nursery and it needed Chu Li. Zhou Huang even advised Chu Li to stay in the nursery instead of going away all the time.

At the same time, a young girl in a green gown showed up in the nursery and approached Chu Li. "Junior Brother Zhao, the Saint requests your presence!"

So, Chu Li returned a fisted salute before he followed her to the Divine Light Basilica.

The Divine Light Basilica turned a rose color as it basked under the evening glow. Each and every stone on the floor in the hallway glimmered softly as if they were made from white jade.

Sun Mingyue was seated behind the desk. The sunglow had, too, dyed her white outfit and white veil into a rose color, with warmth radiating from her beautiful eyes. She looked particularly graceful and divine.

She looked contemplatively at the two sword manuals as well as the bottle of Detachment Pills that was on the desk.

She did not expect Zhao Dahe to be so devoted, to go out of his way to retrieve the items. It seemed as if luck followed him wherever he went and he was cared for by the Heavens.

The Holy Church of Light was fortunate to have a member like him, but there was still an important matter —— she could not detect his true intentions.

When he was still a nobody, this was a negligible issue as a lowly disciple was incapable of causing trouble. However, in a few month's time, he had managed to perform so many contributions and was even qualified to become a patrol.

Once he became a patrol, he was no longer a nobody. He had to be monitored regularly and when the Saint was finally at ease, he could become an Altar Leader.

An Altar Leader's responsibility was to watch over a certain area. If he had indeed harbored evil intentions, it would be detrimental for the Holy Church.

Moreover, he was too young and bore the background of an outer mountain disciple without any prior ties to the Holy Church. If he could scale the ranks so suddenly and became an Altar Leader, the rest of the disciples in the Holy Church would surely be discontented. An intangible thing like experience had a powerful influence, more so that sometimes, it was more powerful than martial arts.

Now, she had to suppress Chu Li a little bit to slow down the speed of his promotion and allow him to gain more experiences in order to ensure stability and ease among the disciples. Having an Altar Leader who was too young was not a good thing, as such a person lacked maturity in handling matters. This worried people, for a hasty act would lead to the downfall of the Holy Church and the outcome would be unimaginable.

All manner of thoughts flashed across Sun Mingyue's mind. Then, she lifted her head and looked at Chu Li.

A high-spirited Chu Li stood in the hall and looked at her directly. His gaze was bold, and it lacked the reverence and veneration displayed in the eyes of the other disciples. That face of his was as hideous as ever, with his beady eyes, thick lips and flat nose.

Sun Mingyue returned a subtle smile. Looks did not matter to her since she had seen too many good-looking men and women. She was now indifferent towards appearances and only cared about talent, competency, martial arts prowess and loyalty.

"From today onwards, you're a patrol!" Sun Mingyue announced.

Chu Li cupped his fists and gave a fist salute. "Thank you, Saint!"

"You deserve this," Sun Mingyue spoke. "The Less Ultimate Sword is an incredible weapon indeed and it overshadows the Divine Light Sword Technique. Your contribution is great."

Chu Li nodded.

"Do you wish to be promoted to an Altar Leader at once?"

"Yes."

"Is it because of Altar Leader Mo?"

"Yes!"

"Unfortunately, your wish cannot be granted," Sun Mingyue said calmly. "Your martial arts ability isn't enough for you to become an Altar Leader, no matter how great your contributions are."

For one moment, Chu Li was stunned. Then, the light dawned on him.

Martial arts prowess and contributions are the two pillars that supported one's promotion in the Holy Church. One could not work without the other.

At present, his ability had been crippled and he had to re-cultivate. Ignoring the fact that he had purposely avoided recovering his martial arts ability in order to hide his knowledge of the Earth Matrix and Reincarnation Scripture, even if he did recover his ability, his current cultivation level was still not enough for him to become an Altar Leader.

Although His Light Blade was mighty and impressive, his cultivation level was his stumbling block. It was not an issue when he was a Branch Leader. However, to be promoted to an Altar Leader, he would require a sufficient cultivation level and that was not just limited to the Light Blade's level.

There was a fixed standard for the need for a greater cultivation level.

On its own, the Great Light Scripture did not have regular levels, but only higher or lower levels of attainment. By cultivating continuously, the might of the Divine Light Body would only grow steadily. One could even rely on this scripture to fly and ascend the Heavens.

In ancient times, there were a number of elders who had attained a rainbow body and could fly to the Heavens. However, after the Spirit Beasts returned to Hundred-Thousand Hills, no one had succeeded in achieving this skill. The key factor was that the Great Light Scripture had already been split into two parts at that time, thus the members of the Holy Church of Light were unsure whether they could attain rainbow bodies and ascend the Heavens.

Today, the elders who resided in the Great Light Peak were filled with hope and cultivated the Great Light Scripture religiously. They wanted to ascend the Heavens before they passed on to the afterlife.

"I've decided to let you join the herbalist hall," Sun Mingyue said. "Your innate talent in alchemy is far better than your talent in martial arts. You shall refine pills in the herbalist hall. Coincidentally, it can also improve your cultivation level and prepare you for your promotion to Altar Leader in the future."

Chu Li shook his head. "I don't want to be a pill-refining Master."

Sun Mingyue shifted her gaze and spoke calmly, "This is my decision and you shall obey."

Chu Li shook his head again. "Forgive me for disobeying you! I don't want to be a pill-refining Master, I want to be an Altar Leader as soon as possible!"

Mo Qianjun's action in Falling Autumn City had made him understand that high ranks gave one the license to dominate others below him. If not for Chu Li's wits and his swift action in foiling Mo Qianjun's tactics, things would not have turned out smoothly.

If Mo Qianjun had told Chu Li to hand over the Detachment Pills instead of using that tactic, assuming Chu Li had refused to comply, it would be justifiable for Mo Qianjun to tackle him and even order Li Ruolan and her companions to take him down.

As long as he failed to become an Altar Leader as early as possible, this sort of situation would resurface and Mo Qianjun would certainly not let him go. He could not use his identity as an Altar Leader to hurt him, but he could use his identity as an Altar Leader to humiliate him!

Sun Mingyue's tone was bland and it was hard to detect her emotions. "Do you understand the implications of violating the rules?"

Chu Li asked, "What implications?"

"You'll be demoted by one rank," Sun Mingyue replied, "If you violate the rules again, you'll be demoted by two ranks. When you can't be demoted any further, you'll be banished from the Great Light Peak!"

Chu Li became quiet as he pondered with a lowered head.

Sun Mingyue looked at him placidly with a pair of cold eyes.

After some time, she asked, "Have you made up your mind?"

"I don't want to be a pill-refining Master." Chu Li lifted his head and looked at her with determination in his eyes. "Never mind about demoting me by one rank. Assuming you do banish me from the Great Light Peak, I still stand by my word. I don't want to be a pill-refining Master!"

"Alright, your wish has been granted." Sun Mingyue nodded and said calmly, "You're now a Branch Leader and you may return to Gale City!"

She thought it was a shame that Chu Li was unruly and this cemented her decision to prevent him from becoming an Altar Leader. He was like a stallion that could not be tamed. The faster it ran, the more trouble it would attract.

A fellow like him had to be honed. Firstly, his disobedience had to be eradicated. Secondly, his loyalty must be observed and she had to determine whether he could stand the tests of time.

If it were someone else, she would not have to go through so much trouble as she would be able to see the person's true intentions. Only with Chu Li did she have resort to such methods.

It was a waste of talent if she were to let him go. Hence, he must be properly honed. At the same time, she could carefully observe his true nature before appointing more important titles to him, such as Altar Leader or Priest.

Chu Li made a fist salute. "Understood!"

Sun Mingyue waved her arm. "Go now!"

Chu Li kept quiet as he turned away. He held his head up high and strode out of the

Divine Light Basilica. Soon, he stepped within the range of the bizarre gust of wind and walked down the mountain.

Sun Mingyue stared at his back pensively.

It was not easy to make this fellow lower his head. She must suppress him effectively and eliminate that ego of his.

With a glum look on his face, Chu Li marched back into the Spirit Medicine Nursery, entered his house and began packing his stuff.

He left the Treasured Pill Scripture and the Thousand Herb Scripture behind as he had already seared their contents into his mind which allowed him to recall them whenever he wished. As such, he had no need to bring them along with him.

While Chu Li was packing, Zhou Huang and Xu Jingya walked in on him.

"What's the matter this time!? You're heading out yet again?!" Zhou Huang yelled frantically the moment he entered. "Lil punk, have you forgotten that you're now part of the Spirit Medicine Nursery!"

On the other hand, Xu Jingya had a shocked look on his face. "Did you receive a new assignment, Senior Brother Zhao?!"

Chu Li put down his things and then clasped his fists together. "Old Man Zhou, Junior Sister Xu, I'm really going to leave the Spirit Medicine Nursery this time. I'll be heading down the mountain!"

"How's that possible?" A look of dissatisfaction hung on Elder Zhou's face. "It has not even been a year!"

Chu Li answered, "I'm a Branch Leader now. I'll be heading to Gale City to take on the role of Branch Leader, and I won't be returning."

"Branch Leader?" Elder Zhou scrunched his brows. "Ah, I remember now, you are indeed a Branch Leader. However, what's with the rush? Why don't you first nurture a spirit herb in the Spirit Medicine Nursery and accumulate some merit!"

For Zhao Dahe, accumulating merit in the Spirit Medicine Nursery was but a simple task for him. After all, in order to gain merit outside, he would need to constantly wager his life by engaging in battle. However, even if he had massacred a bunch of people, the merit he would obtain was still no match compared to planting a few spirit herbs.

Chu Li shook his head. "Since I've disobeyed the Saint's order to become a Pill-refining Master in the herbalist hall, she sent me to Gale City instead. My guess is that she wants to remove me from her sight."

"Herbalist hall?! They must be the ones who riled up the Saint!" Zhou Huang stated through his gritted teeth.

Chu Li continued, "While I am indeed talented in refining and producing pills, which is obvious from my creation of the Detachment Pill, I have no interest in it, even if goes against the Saint's wishes."

"Detachment Pills…" The memory quickly bubbled up to Zhou Huang's mind, and upon recalling it, he stared at Chu Li in shock.

Chu Li harrumphed, "Well, I guess Gale City's pretty great too since I have plenty of freedom and all!"

"Hmph, what's so good about that?!" Zhou Huang glared at Chu Li with an ominous expression. While shaking his head, he commented, "That place is located far west! You've basically been exiled!"

He did not even bother to think about seeking forgiveness from the Saint as his efforts would be in vain. The Saint's word was law and the words she spoke were absolute. Heck, even if it was the bishop who requested forgiveness, the Saint still would not budge.

Xu Jingya was standing at the corner. She could not come to terms with the decision, as even though Junior Brother Zhao was slightly ugly, he was actually a pretty good person to get along with, and he did not bear any malice.

Despite what she felt, she showed no traces of it on the surface. Instead, she calmly sent him off and requested for him to visit whenever he's free.

"Elder Zhou, I would've left sooner or later anyway, it's not like there are permanent unions in this world!" After packing up his belongings into a bundle, he hoisted it and added, "I'll make sure to visit often. If you have anything important to talk about, just send me a message at Gale City. I'll definitely receive it."

"You lil brat!" Zhou Huang vehemently slammed. "Going against the Saint is like asking for death! Remember this lesson boy and be humbler next time. The Saint is like an iron mask. She will not soften up to you no matter how talented you are!"

Chu Li nonchalantly clasped his fists together before turning around to leave.

Just as he arrived at the mouth of the ravine, Li Ruolan came rushing over. She was panting heavily and her alluring face was flushed red which amplified her beauty even more.

Chu Li clasped his fists together. "Have you came to send me off as well?"

"Zhao Dahe, are you mad?" Lu Ruolan chastised. Her alluring looks had been clouded by a layer of frost.

She rushed over upon hearing the news, and her temper flared along the way. After all, Chu Li had just been promoted to the role of Patrol, but he quickly got himself demoted to Branch Leader before he had even settled down. Not only that, but he had also been assigned to Gale City as well.

'Reaching the rank of Patrol from Branch Leader is no easy task. Dahe was just fortunate enough to be in Falling Autumn City to encounter the Sword Moon Sect. This has caused him to wrongly assume that becoming a Patrol is easy, which in turn has caused him to be unable to appreciate its worth!'

'He has no idea how many Branch Leaders have stayed as Branch Leaders throughout their lifetime. I count myself fortunate as I only needed to go through plenty of tribulations in order to become a Patrol, but that Zhao Dahe. He destroyed his career with that big mouth of his!'

This pained her to a great extent and she really wished that she could give him two good slaps.

As if oblivious to her expression, Chu Li commented, "Hmm, it seems that Senior Sister isn't here to send me off."

"Do you know how stupid your action was?" Seeing the nonchalant expression on Chu Li's face had Li Ruolan riled up even further. Her chest was bursting with rage, and she roared. "Are you even aware of what you've done?"

"Well, I don't want to be a Pill-refining Master. Refining a pill occasionally is fine, but if she wants me to sit in front of the alchemy furnace for the entire day, that's no different from dying!" Chu Li angrily shouted, "What's wrong with my decision?"

"You…" Li Ruolan gritted her teeth and with great anger, she said, "Can't you just endure it for a while? It's not like she wants you to become a Pill-refining Master forever! You'll still have time for yourself!"

"I had no other choice. I couldn't take it, so I rejected it." Chu Li added, "Well, this is actually pretty good. After all, I'll have more freedom in Gale City."

"You'll be stuck with the position of Branch Leader for the rest of your life if you enter Gale City!" Li Ruolan retorted.

"Being a Branch Leader for the rest of my life sounds pretty good actually." Chu Li chuckled. "After all, no one would point fingers at me if I do or say anything wrong!"

"Zip it!" Li Ruolan took a glance at her surroundings for a moment before tugging Chu Li away. "Let's go!"

She glared viciously at Chu Li. If this incident were to reach the Saint's ears, she would definitely lock Chu Li up. If that were to happen, she would never let him escape, all because of his big mouth!

The two left the ravine and before long, they had exited the Great Light Peak and arrived at Chu Li's Small Light Peak.

The two were standing in front of a straw hut in the middle of howling winds. They had locked gazes with one another, and while Li Ruolan's visage was filled with rage, Chu Li's was filled with indifference. As a matter of fact, one could say that it was outrageously so.

Li Ruolan could not stand his look any further, and as such, she was the first to break the silence. "What are you even planning to do?"

"I'll do what I want to do." Chu Li scoffed. "If it's not something I want, not even the Saint could convince me otherwise!"

"You're saying that you'll go against the Saint?" Li Ruolan was furious. "She's the Saint you know?!"

"Even the Saint has to conform sometimes!" Chu Li's words dripped with discontent. "What's wrong with not wanting to be a Pill-refining Master? That's just unreasonable!"

"Once the Saint gives an order, you just obey it." Li Ruolan continued, "If the Saint tells you to die, you must obey. Of course, the Saint would never give these kinds of orders, but if you're to disobey her, it would mean that you're disloyal to the church. You know what that means, right?"

Chu Li retorted, "She could only send me to Gale City at most. What could be worse than that?"

"Are you satisfied with only being a Branch Leader for the rest of your life? While this might be a great pleasure to others, you're not like them. You're a prodigy at martial arts, and you're good at cultivating as well! You should be living the life of a Priest!"

Chu Li answered, "If it's a life of doing something I take no pleasure in, what's the use of living like a Priest?"

"Tell me, is there anyone in this world who can live as they please?" Li Ruolan thought long and hard before continuing, "Just look at how much power the Saint holds, don't you think she's able to act as she pleases?"

"Nope." Chu Li shook his head.

Li Ruolan responded, "That's smart of you. Yes, if even the Saint isn't able to do as she pleases, what does that make of us? As such, you should learn to be humble, and focus on your martial arts when you reach Gale City. Stop stirring up trouble. I'll try to put in a good word for you on the Saint's end if the opportunity presents itself."

"Sigh…" Chu Li shook his head. "Forget it, I think my life at Gale City would be great!"

Li Ruolan rolled her eyes and waved her hand. "Now leave, I'll make sure to visit!"

With that, Li Ruolan took her leave and before long, she vanished in the thick forest. Her green apparel had blended perfectly with the verdant woods, making them hard to distinguish.

After exiting Small Light Peak, Chu Li headed off to Gale City. However, halfway through the journey, he vanished and reappeared at King An's Imperial Palace.

King An's Imperial Residence was buzzing with excitement. The scribes and maids hurried around the residence while more than ten beautifully adorned horses stood waiting outside.

The horses were adorned with extravagant accessories and exquisite matching saddles. These rare and fine horses were well-trained and full of spiritual energy, and any one of them could be sold to cover the lifetime expenses of a civilian household.

Chu Li appeared in his room and went to sit cross-legged on the bed.

Leng Qiu and Leng Qing were practicing their swordsmanship in the courtyard. They were both dressed in luxurious gowns and appeared to be in high spirits.

He slowly circulated the Life and Death Scripture and hid away all the vital energy in his Dantian from the Divine Light Technique. Then, a tree of great height gradually emerged in his mind. It was the Tree of Life and Death.

This Tree of Life and Death stretched across the void of his mind, as though it was an extension of this vast and endless void. Its roots floated in the void as if the tree had taken root in the void itself and was using the void as soil.

The tree was floating above the four scriptures and seemed to overlook them as the scriptures circulated in his mind.

After a short while, a fist-sized Heavenly Demonic Orb descended onto his body like a fruit that had ripened and fallen off the tree as the Life and Death Scripture slowly vanished.

The Heavenly Demonic Orb appeared out of thin air above his precordium and contained a great and thunderous force.

With a flicker of the mind, spiritual energy from his surrounding environment surged into him and flowed according to Cloud Slashing Power's heart technique. In the blink of an eye, inner energy formed inside his Dantian. Within fifteen minutes, his Dantian had become filled with the Cloud Slashing Power. In fact, when he restored his cultivation level, it had turned out to be much higher than before!

The two women stopped practicing their swordsmanship. Following the growth in their cultivation level, their senses had become increasingly acute. As a soft breeze blew around them and gently caressed their cheeks, it felt inexplicably cool against their skin and was very different from a normal wind. It caused them to circulate their inner energy involuntarily.

In the void of his mind, the three Buddhas and the Heavenly Demon were chanting their respective scriptures as usual. They looked the same as how they had been when he was disguised as Zhao Dahe. His body kept growing stronger as the Great Light Scripture, Maha-Vairocana's Immobility Scripture, the Earth Matrix and Reincarnation Scripture, and the Heavenly Demon Scripture circulated simultaneously.

After he had fully restored his cultivation level, he found that his current level had far surpassed that of Fang Qingyang and Mo Qianjun. He had now surpassed his own cultivation level from before!

A violent and monstrous aura permeated the area, and the women in the courtyard could distinctly detect this mountainous aura looming over them.

"Head Chief!" they called out in pleasant surprise.

Chu Li got off the bed, opened the door, and walked out with a smile. "Is there anything special happening today?"

A radiant sun was shining brightly over the courtyard.

"The Hunting Ceremony." Leng Qiu tilted her head to the side as she sized Chu Li up. "Head Chief seems slightly different now."

"Oh…?" Chu Li lowered his head to examine himself.

Leng Qing said, "Congratulations on your great improvement in your martial arts cultivation, Head Chief."

Chu Li nodded and smiled as he replied, "Indeed, I've achieved some progress during my isolated cultivation this time. I see that I've shown up just in time for the Hunting Ceremony!"

"Since Head Chief has returned, you have to take part in it!" Leng Qiu said. "Nowadays, Leng Tao is becoming unreasonable and domineering again. He has recruited two more Grandmasters, so the Imperial Residence of King Cheng has grown much stronger!"

"I look forward to meeting him again then," Chu Li said with a chuckle. "The two of you should be capable of defeating him, right?"

"He doesn't even dare to fight us now." Leng Qiu pursed her pink lips. "He knows that he's no match for us!"

"You're already capable of defeating him and yet you're still practicing so diligently?" Chu Li chuckled.

He noticed that they had been practicing their swordsmanship very persistently in his courtyard from morning till night. Initially, King An had stopped them from practicing, so they had gone without practice for a few days. However, later on, they proceeded to sneak over and ignored King An's attempts at stopping them.

It was as if swordsmanship had become their greatest source of joy. Furthermore, they had been making rapid advancement and had successfully attained a higher cultivation level in their swordsmanship. Chu Li believed that the main reason they had managed to improve so quickly was that they had sheer interest in this area and found pleasure in practicing their swordsmanship.

"We want to make sure that he can never lift his head in front of us. We intend to surpass his protectors in the future!" Leng Qiu said with a huff. "Let's see if he dares to behave so arrogantly then! We hope to become like Head Chief. Although his protectors are martial arts masters, he wouldn't dare to behave outrageously in front of Head Chief!"

Chu Li shook his head and burst out laughing.

A maid came in and said, "Miss Qiu, Miss Qing, it's time to leave. The consort is asking the two of you to depart now."

"Okay, let's begin our journey!" Leng Qiu beamed. "Head Chief, let's go!"

Chu Li smiled and said, "You two should go first. I'll go and greet the consort."

…

When Chu Li came to Tianshu Courtyard, he saw that Xiao Shi and Xiao Qi were on their way out with Yang Xu and Menglan hastily trailing behind them.

The two ladies were dressed in similar outfits. They both wore pure white tunics and had covered their faces with white veils, so only their lovely eyes could be seen. They looked graceful and charming.

"You showed up just in time. Would you like to participate in the Hunting Ceremony?" As Xiao Shi's elegant and slender figure swayed from side to side while she walked over, she seemed like a willow branch gently brushing against the surface of the water. She waved a jade-like hand at Chu Li. "Let's go together and relax a little."

"Sure." Chu Li nodded and then looked at Xiao Qi.

Xiao Qi's gaze was cold and impassive. She merely gave him a quick nod before walking away. Her tall and straight posture as well as her elegant figure indicated her noble birth and upbringing. She exuded a strong air of aristocracy.

Chu Li shook his head. "My Lady's cultivation level has improved greatly."

"I still can't compare with you," Xiao Qi replied.

Chu Li fell into step beside her, and they walked out together. "It's going to be very hard for my Lady to surpass me. It's been difficult for you to achieve further advancement in the Regal Sword Scripture, right?"

"Yes." Xiao Qi turned to look at him. "You know the reason behind it?"

Chu Li smiled and replied, "It is only by allowing yourself to fully experience your feelings and emotions first that you can learn to forget and let go of them. If you don't even feel anything, then how can it be considered as forgetting and letting go of your emotions and feelings?"

Xiao Qi frowned and stared at him.

Chu Li went on, "My Lady has been keeping your heart locked tight. This is emotional numbness, so you're not actually forgetting and letting go of your feelings and emotions. Since you've been cultivating it the wrong way, it's very hard for you to advance further in your cultivation."

He had consulted Sun Lihua about the Regal Sword Scripture.

Since Sun Lihua had nothing much to do at the Sutra Library, she had helped him find more information about the Regal Sword Scripture.

"Emotional numbness…" Xiao Qi seemed to be deep in thought.

Xiao Shi glanced at Xiao Qi with a smile and then gave Chu Li a disapproving look. "You're disturbing Younger Sister's inner state again!"

Chu Li chuckled and replied, "This insight came from true experience. I've tried very hard to find out about this."

"You've even managed to find information on the Regal Sword Scripture?" Xiao Shi looked amazed. "You've really put in a lot of effort then."

Chu Li replied, "Of course! … My Lady's Regal Sword Scripture is indeed profound and leads directly to the Enlightened Master's Boundary, but it's very difficult to become an Enlightened Master. It's better for my Lady to not have such high hopes."

Xiao Qi cast him a sidelong glance.

Xiao Shi laughed. "Even if she can't reach the Enlightened Master's Boundary, that doesn't mean that she should stop cultivating it altogether. After all, there are only a few Enlightened Masters in this world. Moreover, Enlightened Masters can't attack their enemies as they please, so it would still be more useful to be a Grandmaster instead. You can go ahead and kill anyone you wish to kill."

As the three of them continued to chat on their way out, Su Ru came forward to welcome them. She was dressed in an apricot yellow gown. When she noticed Chu Li walking out as well, her face broke into a bright smile like a blooming flower in spring.

The two concubines, Xue Ningyu and Song Liuying, were already outside and were just about to mount their horses.

They were both clad in green clothing and looked valiant and heroic. As they stood together with Leng Qiu and Leng Qing, the four of them looked more like sisters instead of mothers and daughters.

"Head Chief seldom comes out these days," Xue Ningyu said with a smile. "Head Chief, you've already missed the Hunting Ceremony quite a few times. You're finally back now!"

Chu Li gave a fist salute and returned the smile. "I just came out of isolated cultivation. I'll be spending more time in the residence from now on. Consort Xue looks even more beautiful than before."

"Really?" Xue Ningyu chuckled softly. "Perhaps it's because these two young ladies have been causing less trouble now. I don't have to worry about them as much, so I don't look as old as I'm supposed to. Sister Xiao, shall we depart now?"

"Let's go." Xiao Shi nodded.

The protectors in front of them began spurring their horses. The scribes at the back kept up pace with the protectors and escorted the women as they left King An's Imperial Residence and moved eastward.

The pedestrians on the avenue hurriedly made way for them to pass while studying them with curious eyes. Soon, they reached the eastern gate. After going out through the eastern gate, they saw elite soldiers standing straight like javelins on either side of the main road.

Chu Li was joking and laughing around with Leng Qiu and Leng Qing when he noticed a group of people leisurely traveling ahead of them.

Through the Omniscient Mirror, he saw Leng Tao among the group with Qiao San following beside him.