4.the Ten Thousand Dao Source Rune Formations

Chu Jianqiu narrowed his eyes, a cold glint flashing in his gaze.

He had always known this woman was opportunistic, but never imagined she could be so vile and venomous. Seeing him in dire straits, she immediately came to kick him while he was down.

"Get lost!" Chu Jianqiu barked coldly.

Chu Jiaoyue's face instantly frosted over. "Chu Jianqiu, do you still think you're the high-and-mighty young master? A mere cripple daring to act so arrogantly before me – you must have a death wish!"

"My patience for your provocations has reached its limit," Chu Jianqiu warned, his voice icy. "Move aside now, or I won't hold back."

"Not hold back against me?" Chu Jiaoyue burst into mocking laughter as if hearing the world's greatest joke. "Did everyone hear that? This cripple dares threaten me!"

The onlookers joined in derisive laughter. As a sixth-level Body Refining martial artist, Chu Jiaoyue could crush Chu Jianqiu with a single slap. His defiance seemed utterly ludicrous.

"Let's see what you can do then!" Chu Jiaoyue sneered. "If you want medicine, kneel and beg like your little maid did. Maybe I'll show mercy and toss you a pill or two."

"Ru Hua's injuries – you did that?" Chu Jianqiu's eyes suddenly blazed with glacial fury. Though Ru Hua was technically his maid, he'd always treated her like a younger sister since childhood.

A shiver ran down Chu Jiaoyue's spine under his frigid gaze, followed by burning humiliation. How dare this cripple intimidate her? She'd make him grovel today.

"You wretched bitch!" The four icy words dropped like stones into water, silencing the crowd.

Gasps rippled through the spectators. Chu Jiaoyue wasn't just a sixth-level Body Refiner – she was the Grand Elder's direct descendant. This insult was suicidal.

Chu Jiaoyue's face flushed crimson. "You're dead!" she shrieked, lunging forward with a palm strike meant to cripple or kill.

The crowd braced for the inevitable – but the scene that followed left everyone stunned.

With a casual wave of his hand, Chu Jianqiu sent Chu Jiaoyue flying like a withered leaf. She crashed to the ground, blood spewing from her mouth, unable to rise.

Disbelief contorted her features. Rumor said his dantian was shattered! How could he retain such power? Had his cultivation not been destroyed, she'd never have dared provoke him. Even when his progress stalled three years ago, he'd remained the family's only youth to reach the True Qi Realm, far beyond their reach.

"Chu Jianqiu! How dare you commit violence in the Pill Pavilion!" The Pavilion Guardian rushed over, urgently directing others to tend to Chu Jiaoyue. Any serious harm to her would bring dire consequences.

"Elder, are your eyes failing? She struck first," Chu Jianqiu retorted coldly.

The Guardian faltered. As a minor elder, he wanted no part in this power struggle between factions. The Grand Elder's faction was powerful, but many of the Ten Great Elders still supported Chu Jianqiu. Though technically an elder himself, his position as Pill Guardian couldn't compare to the Ten.

Had Chu Jianqiu truly been crippled, he'd have sided with the Grand Elder without hesitation. But the situation was unclear – supposedly dantian-shattered, yet Chu Jianqiu displayed strength matching at least seventh-level Body Refinement. The Guardian couldn't gauge his true depth.

Forcing a smile, the Guardian changed tack: "What brings the Young Master to the Pill Pavilion?"

"To collect this month's allocation," Chu Jianqiu said calmly.

After deliberation, the Guardian produced a porcelain vial. Chu Jianqiu's expression darkened upon inspection – six Body Tempering Pills instead of his usual three Qi Gathering Pills. The latter were second-grade pills with tenfold potency.

"The Pavilion allocates resources based on cultivation," the Guardian explained weakly. "When you were at the True Qi Realm..."

Chu Jianqiu snorted, pocketing the pills and leaving. The rules were clear – family resources were distributed by cultivation level and status. As the Patriarch's son, he'd received privileges, but now...

Six Body Tempering Pills. Even in his prime, these wouldn't suffice to break through to the fifth Body Refining level. He'd hoped for Qi Gathering Pills to force a breakthrough, but now...

Back in his chambers, maid Ru Hua – face still bruised – reported grim news: "Young Master, Chu Han has petitioned the Elder Council to challenge for the Patriarch succession in ten days at the family tournament. The Council approved."

Chu Jianqiu sneered. The Grand Elder's faction was making its move. Those shrewd elders would abandon him if convinced of his crippled state. This battle would decide everything – defeat meant exile from the Chu family. Even his life wouldn't be safe afterward.

Chu Han was no ordinary opponent. The Grand Elder's grandson had reached ninth-level Body Refinement – far beyond Chu Jianqiu's current capabilities.

"Don't worry," Chu Jianqiu reassured Ru Hua with a pat on the head. "I have a plan. Leave me to cultivate."

Alone, Chu Jianqiu focused inward. Two paths to power: mastering stronger martial techniques or boosting cultivation. But the Chu family's techniques were already familiar to both him and Chu Han.

His thoughts turned to the mysterious Primordial Chaos Tower within his consciousness. Since obtaining the Primordial Chaos Emperor Sutra and awakening his Primordial Chaos Bloodline, he hadn't yet explored this tower.

Entering his mental realm, the ancient tower loomed with cracks marring its surface. Inside swirled streams of light forming profound runic arrays – the Ten Thousand Dao Source Rune Formations.

Runes and formations – the pinnacle of martial studies. Every aspect of cultivation relied on them: pill refining, artifact forging, defensive arrays...

His attention locked onto a specific formation – the Pill Rune Array. This miraculous formation could automatically refine pills when provided ingredients!

After a day's intense study, Chu Jianqiu mastered the Body Tempering Pill array. But materials were needed. Broke, he resorted to selling his six Body Tempering Pills to buy rune-paper.

After several failed attempts, he successfully inscribed his first tier-one rune – the Strength Amplification Rune, temporarily doubling a user's power. This marked the beginning of his unconventional path to resurgence.