The disciples of the Heavenly Serpent Sect and the Blood Spirit Sect hesitated to approach Lu Yi, wary of his strength. After all, Lu Yi was the rumored genius who triggered a lightning tribulation while still in the Qi Refining Stage. Even though he had only broken through to the Foundation Establishment Stage a year ago, he could not be underestimated.


    They didn’t believe they could secure a decisive victory over him. Their plan was to stall for time until their sect’s stronger cultivators arrived, at which point victory would be assured.


    Hearing Lu Yi’s confident words, a Blood Spirit Sect disciple sneered, “Lu Yi, your talent is extraordinary, but an unripe genius is nothing more than an ordinary person. Once Senior Brother Tian Hen of the Blood Spirit Sect arrives, it will be your death sentence!”


    A disciple of the Heavenly Serpent Sect chimed in, “Heh, Senior Brother Qin Luo of my sect has been personally trained by the Grand Elder since birth. His strength is unparalleled. Let’s see if you can keep up that attitude when he arrives.”


    Their taunts made the two White Cloud Sect disciples even more uneasy.


    Lu Yi, however, remained calm. Noticing that his two senior brothers were gravely injured, he took out two bottles of pills and handed them over. “Don’t worry, senior brothers. Everything will be fine. These are White Jade Pills—they can heal injuries. Take them first.”


    The White Jade Pill was a Foundation Establishment Stage healing pill. Lu Yi had obtained the recipe from the Trial Tower and had already refined it to the highest grade.


    Given his current mastery of several peak-level pill recipes, refining a Foundation-level pill did not take much effort. After all, as long as one understood the principles, alchemy was not too difficult to master.


    The two senior brothers hesitated when they saw Lu Yi’s calm expression, but eventually accepted the pills.


    “Junior Brother Lu, though your strength is formidable, the Blood Spirit Sect and Heavenly Serpent Sect both have prodigies. If they join forces against you, it will be extremely dangerous. Why don’t we retreat for now?” Wang Chuanlu suggested nervously.


    You Jing also nodded repeatedly. They both knew Lu Yi’s strength was remarkable—he had already reached the 23rd level of the Trial Tower. However, the Blood Spirit Sect and Heavenly Serpent Sect also had their own prodigies. Lu Yi had only broken through to the Foundation Establishment Stage a year ago, after all.


    You Jing opened the jade bottle, intending to heal his injuries to avoid becoming a burden if they needed to flee.


    At that moment, a rich medicinal fragrance wafted out, instantly refreshing his spirit.


    You Jing’s eyes widened in shock. “This pill… top-grade? No, even top-grade doesn’t have such potent effects. This is a Perfect-grade White Jade Pill?!”


    Wang Chuanlu, who had been about to persuade Lu Yi to retreat, was stunned. “???”


    “A Perfect-grade White Jade Pill?!”


    Both senior brothers were dumbfounded.


    Perfect-grade pills—were they even something they were qualified to consume? If sold, such pills could be exchanged for countless top-grade ones.


    Even the six Foundation Establishment disciples of the Blood Spirit Sect and Heavenly Serpent Sect looked on with undisguised greed.


    They hadn’t expected that the pills Lu Yi casually handed out would be Perfect-grade.


    For Foundation Establishment cultivators, a Perfect-grade White Jade Pill was practically a second life!


    And Lu Yi just gave them away like that?


    Lu Yi smiled. “It’s just something I came across by chance. I don’t really need it myself, so you two should use it.”


    The two senior brothers were deeply moved.


    “I’ve long heard that Junior Brother Lu is generous and kindhearted. Seeing it firsthand today is truly impressive,” You Jing said.


    Wang Chuanlu took a deep look at Lu Yi and swallowed the pill in one gulp. “Don’t worry, Junior Brother. I will stand by your side no matter what. You are White Cloud Sect’s most talented disciple—its future. You cannot fall here!”


    You Jing also swallowed the pill.


    As soon as they took the pills, a warm current surged through their bodies. Their intense pain quickly subsided, and their wounds began to scab over visibly.


    Both were amazed. This was their first time taking a Perfect-grade pill, and they hadn’t expected the effects to be this astonishing.


    Even more so than the two senior brothers, the six opposing disciples were practically green with envy.


    “Damn it… Perfect-grade pills! And they were wasted on two doomed men!” one Heavenly Serpent Sect disciple said bitterly.


    Another Heavenly Serpent Sect disciple’s eyes gleamed with greed as he looked at Lu Yi. “If he can casually take out Perfect-grade pills, how many more treasures does he have?”


    At this, the six disciples’ breathing grew heavier. Their gazes toward Lu Yi were filled with intense desire.


    Lu Yi raised an eyebrow and smiled. “Weren’t you waiting for your senior brothers to arrive? Or are you planning to act now? Feel free to try.”


    Seeing Lu Yi’s fearless demeanor, the disciples exchanged glances, their confidence wavering as they began communicating through voice transmissions.


    “Does he have some hidden trump card?”


    “He doesn’t seem afraid of us at all. His strength might be extraordinary.”


    “He’s a Heaven-born talent. We shouldn’t underestimate him. Should we wait a little longer?”


    “Wait? For what?! He just handed out Perfect-grade pills! He definitely has even more valuable treasures. Think about what he might be carrying. Don’t you want them?!”


    “But…”


    Their eyes flickered, the greed in their gazes intensifying.


    “Let’s try! There are so many of us—what’s there to fear?!”


    “Exactly! So what if he’s a Heaven-born talent? He’s only been in the Foundation Establishment Stage for a year. How strong can he be?”


    “Kill Lu Yi, take his treasures, and earn a massive merit!”


    “Let’s do it! Go for broke!”


    The disciples’ eyes burned with eagerness.


    One Heavenly Serpent Sect disciple charged at Lu Yi first, shouting, “Kill!”


    Wielding a long blade, he slashed it, releasing tendrils of green mist with a faintly sweet and poisonous scent.


    However, Lu Yi had been eating Jade Bamboo Roast Chicken daily, and his poison resistance was already exceptionally high. This level of poison was meaningless to him.


    As the first disciple rushed forward, the others followed suit.


    “Junior Brother Lu! We’ll fight alongside you!”


    The two senior brothers of White Cloud Sect saw that six cultivators had already made their move. Unable to continue healing their injuries, they quickly stood up, intending to intervene.


    Lu Yi''s expression remained calm and unchanged. He casually placed his hands on the shoulders of the two senior brothers and pressed them back down. "You two should focus on resting," he said.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    With a flick of his finger, a golden sword light flashed by. The forehead of the fastest disciple from Heavenly Serpent Sect was pierced through. His eyes were still filled with disbelief as his corpse fell heavily to the ground.


    Lu Yi''s expression remained indifferent. With consecutive flicks of his fingers, streaks of golden sword light shot out. In an instant, several disciples from Heavenly Serpent Sect and Blood Spirit Sect were slain, leaving only the disciple from Heavenly Serpent Sect who had consumed the Parent-Child Transmission Gu earlier.


    The remaining disciple from Heavenly Serpent Sect, seeing that his fellow sect members and the disciples of Blood Spirit Sect had been slaughtered in mere moments, widened his eyes in terror.


    He let out a scream and turned to flee.


    Lu Yi casually extended his hand. The fleeing disciple suddenly felt an irresistible force binding him and pulling him toward Lu Yi.


    Soon, the disciple from Heavenly Serpent Sect was dragged in front of Lu Yi.


    Lu Yi looked at him helplessly and said, "You people really are something. Wouldn''t it have been better to just stay here quietly? Why insist on seeking death?"


    The disciple''s face turned pale with fear. He stared at Lu Yi as if he were looking at a monster, unable to utter a word. "You..."


    Lu Yi maintained a gentle smile. "Now, tell me your location. Let that Qin Luo from Heavenly Serpent Sect and Xue Tianhen from Blood Spirit Sect come over."


    Lu Yi had just issued another task to eliminate the disciples of Heavenly Serpent Sect.


    ''What a joke,'' Lu Yi thought. ''They dared to come and kill me, so naturally, I won''t sit back and do nothing.''


    The disciple, terrified by Lu Yi''s strength, repeatedly nodded.


    Behind Lu Yi, the two senior brothers looked at each other, worried expressions on their faces as they saw Lu Yi waiting for the disciples of Heavenly Serpent Sect and Blood Spirit Sect to arrive.


    "Junior Brother Lu, are you really going to wait for all of them to come?" You Jing asked anxiously.


    "Exactly, Junior Brother. Although Qin Luo is not well-known, he has been kept hidden by Heavenly Serpent Sect for many years. His talent must be extraordinary. And Xue Tianhen is notorious, with extremely formidable strength. It''s even rumored that he has slain a cultivator at the fifth level of Golden Core," Wang Chuanlu added.


    Lu Yi raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised. ''Xue Tianhen can kill a fifth-level Golden Core cultivator? It seems he has also broken through the Heavenly Dao’s limitations—a rare genius indeed.''


    However, Lu Yi was only mildly intrigued.


    He chuckled lightly and said, "You two need not worry. Just focus on healing your injuries."


    Wang Chuanlu and You Jing exchanged bitter smiles.


    ''How can we focus on healing like this?''


    ...


    While Lu Yi waited quietly, cultivators in the outer areas of the Eastern Forest Ruins quickly noticed unusual movements from Blood Spirit Sect and Heavenly Serpent Sect.


    In a desolate wilderness, a slender young man with short white hair and delicate features stood confronting a beast. The beast had the lower body of a fierce tiger but a snake’s head.


    The beast’s aura was powerful, having reached the Golden Core realm—a terrifying presence.


    The young man remained expressionless. With a graceful wave of his pale, slender hand, a massive hand of ice materialized in the air and enveloped the beast.


    The beast roared, its body surrounded by bloody light as its aura surged. It lunged left and right, trying to escape the icy hand’s grasp. However, the ice seemed to seal space itself, closing in step by step. The beast’s movements were gradually restricted until it was completely crushed in the icy grip.


    Crack, crack!


    The ice hand kept tightening. Blood seeped out through the cracks, and when the hand finally shattered, the beast had been reduced to frozen chunks of flesh radiating a chilling aura.


    The delicate young man remained unfazed. He calmly walked forward and plucked a pitch-black flower guarded by the beast.


    Just then, another young man hurried over and landed in front of him.


    "Senior Brother Hanyu, something big seems to be happening," the newcomer said.


    Hanyu turned and looked at him expressionlessly. "What is it?"


    The youth replied, "Heavenly Serpent Sect and Blood Spirit Sect have joined forces to hunt down White Cloud Sect’s prodigy. It seems the prodigy has already been found, and disciples from both sects are heading there now."


    Hearing this, Hanyu’s calm face finally showed a trace of fluctuation. "White Cloud Sect’s prodigy…"


    He had heard about this prodigy months ago—a peerless talent who triggered heavenly tribulation upon breaking into the Qi Refining Stage. Even the elders of Cold Winter Valley had lamented that White Cloud Sect might flourish for ten thousand years.


    Hanyu was equally curious to see what abilities this so-called prodigy possessed.


    After a moment of contemplation, he asked, "Where are they?"


    "The disciples of Heavenly Serpent Sect and Blood Spirit Sect are heading toward Dark Moon Forest. They should be there."


    "Let’s go take a look."


    ...


    Meanwhile, in another flower-filled valley, Yun Xi strolled through the blossoms with a radiant smile.


    "Is it here?" Yun Xi asked the flowers around her.


    The flowers swayed as if responding to her.


    Yun Xi giggled and continued forward. Before long, she arrived at a pool where a snow-white lotus emitted strange ripples.


    "Such good luck! A white jade lotus this large must be several hundred years old!"


    At that moment, a giant ape covered in crimson fur descended from the sky and roared at Yun Xi.


    Yun Xi kept smiling and said, "Little monkey, can you let me have this white jade lotus?"


    The ape roared and charged at Yun Xi, clearly refusing her request.


    Still smiling, Yun Xi’s presence caused the flowers around her to sway, releasing waves of fragrance. The giant ape suddenly wobbled and collapsed, drifting into a deep sleep.


    Yun Xi chuckled softly. "You’ve grown so big. It wouldn’t be fair to kill you."


    She gracefully stepped forward, gently caressing the white jade lotus. "Don’t worry, I’ll just take the seeds. It won’t hurt."


    Surprisingly, the lotus seemed to respond and willingly released its seeds, which fell into Yun Xi’s hand.


    Yun Xi stored the seeds and smiled. With a soft motion, she sent a green light into the lotus. "This is my thanks."


    The lotus absorbed the green light and instantly glowed with vibrant colors, swaying its stalk as if rejoicing.


    Yun Xi smiled warmly and waved goodbye. "See you next time."


    Yun Xi took a step forward and turned to leave.


    Just as she stepped out of the Flower Valley, two disciples of the Myriad Flower Sect landed in front of her. One of them hurriedly said, "Senior Sister Yun Xi, something big has happened! The Heavenly Serpent Sect and the Blood Spirit Sect have joined forces to kill the White Cloud Sect''s immortal seed."


    Yun Xi blinked and looked curious. "A immortal seed... I heard from Granny that he seems to be quite formidable. Could he truly ascend to immortality in the future?"


    One of the disciples curled his lips, a bit unconvinced. "There are plenty of talented people out there. How many of them can actually ascend?"


    "But no matter what, that celestial seed must have extraordinary talent; otherwise, he wouldn''t have triggered the Qi Refining Tribulation," another disciple added.


    Yun Xi squinted her eyes and smiled. "Then let''s go take a look."


    "Senior Sister Yun Xi, are you planning to see that celestial seed?"


    Yun Xi grinned and said, "No, I''m going to kill Xue Tianhen. Didn''t he kill our Myriad Flower Sect sisters last time?"


    With that, Yun Xi took a step forward. Her figure blurred as though the distance of a thousand miles was covered in an instant. After a few steps, she had vanished without a trace.


    The two Myriad Flower Sect disciples finally came to their senses, their faces changing. "Oh no, we forgot to tell Senior Sister Yun Xi the location!"


    "Senior Sister Yun Xi is still so reckless... Hurry and catch up!"


    "Can we even catch up to her?"


    "Stop talking and just run!"


    ...


    In the Dark Moon Forest, Lu Yi sat leisurely by a fire. Before him, a golden-brown piece of meat was roasting, emitting a rich and enticing aroma.


    Beside him, You Jing and Wang Chuanlu sat cross-legged, healing their wounds. However, both of them kept swallowing as their eyes occasionally drifted toward the roasting meat.


    Not far away, a disciple of the Heavenly Serpent Sect was bound tightly, his face blank but with lingering fear in his eyes. Even he couldn''t help swallowing when he saw the golden roasted meat.


    He couldn’t be blamed—this roasted meat simply smelled too good!


    The Heavenly Serpent Sect disciple felt utterly speechless. ''Why does this immortal seed have such exceptional culinary skills?''


    This roasted meat was clearly spiritual food, and not just any ordinary kind—it was top-grade spiritual food. Otherwise, it couldn''t possibly have such a heavenly fragrance.


    Lu Yi turned the meat over, infusing strands of spiritual energy into it to activate the hidden essence within the flesh. He sprinkled some homemade seasoning, then smiled in satisfaction. "It''s about to be ready."


    You Jing and Wang Chuanlu opened their eyes simultaneously and stared at the roasted meat.


    Seeing their expressions, Lu Yi chuckled. "How are your injuries, Senior Brothers?"


    You Jing said gratefully, "Thanks to your Perfect White Jade Pill, we''ve mostly recovered."


    Wang Chuanlu added with a serious face, "I’m just feeling a bit weak. I might need some nourishment."


    Lu Yi laughed. "Feel free to have some of this roast, Senior Brothers."


    "Thank you, Junior Brother!"


    The two had been waiting for this moment and quickly looked at Lu Yi expectantly as he divided the meat.


    Taking a bite, You Jing’s eyes lit up in astonishment. He looked at Lu Yi. "Junior Brother Lu, I didn’t expect you to not only have peerless talent but also be capable of cooking such spiritual delicacies."


    Lu Yi smiled. "I just practiced a little in my spare time."


    The two senior brothers exchanged silent looks, seeing the same sadness in each other''s eyes.


    ''Comparisons truly are infuriating. It’s bad enough that his cultivation talent surpasses ours, but even his casually practiced cooking is this extraordinary? Who are we supposed to complain to?''


    The two didn’t say another word and focused on eating.


    Lu Yi glanced at them and chuckled softly before turning his gaze to the forest on his right.


    Faint, subtle fluctuations could be sensed in that direction. If Lu Yi’s spiritual sense wasn’t so strong, he might not have noticed them.


    Those people were lingering in the distance, not daring to approach, but their faint hostility toward Lu Yi was evident.


    They were likely disciples of the Blood Spirit Sect and the Heavenly Serpent Sect. They probably thought they weren’t strong enough and were waiting.


    Lu Yi glanced at the bound and expressionless Heavenly Serpent Sect disciple lying on the ground. The corners of his mouth curved into a faint, mocking smile.


    ‘So it must have been this guy who leaked the information.’


    Lu Yi didn’t mind. As long as Xue Tianhen and Qin Luo didn’t get scared away, it didn’t matter.


    He thought for a moment. Xue Tianhen and Qin Luo were both geniuses, likely very confident in their strength. Scaring them off wouldn’t be easy unless Lu Yi displayed overwhelming power.


    And dealing with the other disciples of the Blood Spirit Sect and Heavenly Serpent Sect wouldn’t require absolute strength.


    With that thought, Lu Yi felt reassured and continued waiting for the big fish to take the bait.


    Just then, a presence quickly approached. Lu Yi raised his eyebrows in slight surprise.


    It was a familiar presence.


    Moments later, Jiang Fan flew over with a serious expression.


    Lu Yi looked surprised. "Senior Brother Jiang Fan, why are you here?"