Chapter 166 : First Master Dies Three Years Later

Chapter 166: First Master Dies Three Years Later

Chu Huaixu's thoughts were just that simple:

Gibberish nonsense! I'll just break through that so-called Origin Spirit Realm, and that’s it!

In fact, he had a rather favorable impression of Xiang Yan and the other high-ranking members of the Dao Gate.

Previously, after taking on Xu Ziqing’s protagonist script, they likely mistook him for a candidate to be the Sword Attendant.

After climbing the mountain, Chu Huaixu hadn't taken off that sword, and even engraved a message on the Gentleman’s Monument. Yet Xiang Yan and the others didn’t pressure him or say a single unnecessary word.

“『Saving Xuanhuang』, 『All living beings』—neither the Sect Master nor the elders mentioned such things.”

“See? People have all kinds of personalities, but they all seem so reasonable?”

“So that Pressure Freak hasn’t returned to the sect yet!” he thought.

Chu Huaixu could tell that his Little Martial Uncle Ancestor didn’t seem to like him.

And he had always been a straightforward person—if you don’t like me, I certainly won’t like you either.

What’s more, he always felt that the other party gave off the air of a nagging old man.

That just made it even harder to get along.

Of course, Chu Huaixu also understood that in a major sect, someone had to play the bad cop while another played the good cop—it was understandable.

However, he was quite familiar with his Little Housekeeper and Little Xu’s personalities.

“Big Ice Block is someone highly competitive, and competitive people often get mentally exhausted.”

“Little Xu—don’t even mention it, so sincere it’s deadly. Truly a childlike heart.”

“Going by the normal 『Borrowed Sword』script, it would’ve been the Pressure Freak laying the pressure on them.”

“The two of them are just too easy to pressure…”

Just imagining this made Chu Huaixu, the head of his household, uncomfortable.

After he finished speaking, the hall fell into a brief silence.

Even Xiang Yan and the others were a little moved by the aura this young man gave off.

——『All karmic burdens, I shall shoulder them alone!』

Even Jiang Zhi looked at Chu Huaixu, momentarily at a loss for words.

In the end, he simply said coldly, “Then you’d better truly resolve this matter.”

Chu Huaixu didn’t make any solemn declarations but asked curiously, “Disciple wishes to ask—if I defeat the Heir of Prince Rui, when should I depart for the secret realm?”

Xiang Yan looked at him with growing approval upon hearing this.

“He even asks how much time he has left to prepare—this means he’s not just talking big. He has both courage and foresight, as well as a grounded attitude!” the Sect Master thought.

He replied on everyone’s behalf, “After the Eastern and Western Continents’ Champion’s Duel ends, you’ll have exactly thirty days.”

“Enough,” Chu Huaixu said.

His attitude was already crystal clear.

You say I’m only about seventy to eighty percent of a Bronze Sword’s standard?

Then during this time, I’ll raise my strength accordingly!

If it were an ordinary person at the Ninth Heaven of the First Realm saying this, no one would believe it.

But Chu Huaixu was just that odd—he could constantly improve his overall power even during bottleneck phases.

He would remain at the First Realm without breaking into the Second, yet still grow stronger through other means.

『Afraid of what? Haven’t I been abusing my cheat well enough?』 Chu Huaixu was fearless.

Only now did the previously silent First Elder, Lu Pan, speak to ease the situation.

As the Enforcement Elder, he already looked extremely stern.

“Very well, but for now, your priority should be preparing for your final match.”

“Junior Sister Nangong and I will refine that Jade Pendant again as quickly as possible and deliver it to you.”

“Yes, disciple thanks both Elders,” Chu Huaixu replied.

Sitting beside Lu Pan was the Dao Gate’s Second Elder, Tai Tingbai.

His appearance and demeanor resembled a farmer, oddly mismatched with his name.

Following up on the First Elder’s topic, the Second Elder asked, “Chu Huaixu, after becoming the Eastern Continent’s champion, you could have gone to the Treasure Pavilion to exchange for a seventh-grade Spiritual Pill—why didn’t you?”

“Is it that none of the pills there suit your preference?”

“If so, I can personally refine the pill you desire,” the pill-refining grandmaster offered.

Clearly, to deal with the 【Origin Spirit Realm】, the Dao Gate was doing all it could to help.

Given that Chu Huaixu was still at the First Realm, there wasn’t much direct support he could provide.

So they helped as much as possible within what was allowed.

Chu Huaixu responded, “Disciple simply hasn’t decided what kind of pill to exchange for.”

“Indeed. After all, you're only at the First Realm—many high-grade pills are useless to you. In contrast, pills like the Xuantian Embryo Breathing Pill that change your roots and defy nature are more suitable.”

“Unfortunately, even such pills usually can’t be taken by First Realm cultivators.”

“If I were to recommend one, I’d suggest the 【Vein-opening Spirit-connecting Pill】.”

“It improves the absorption rate of spiritual energy during cultivation and accelerates recovery after spiritual energy is consumed,” Tai Tingbai explained.

Everyone hoped Chu Huaixu could make the most of the resources given to him immediately.

Even though he couldn’t break through yet, the main effect of the 【Vein-opening Spirit-connecting Pill】 would benefit him eventually.

Moreover, even just the enhanced recovery speed was somewhat useful in actual combat.

Little did they know that, to Chu Huaixu, this pill had low cost-effectiveness.

“I don’t rely on meditation to break through—that’s just something I do while AFK. My main path is leveling up through the System.”

“Its main effect doesn’t mean much to me; only the mana regeneration side effect remains relevant,” he thought.

Having just gained 2 points of 【Spirit Gathering】, his mana regeneration in the First Realm was already more than sufficient—comparable to secret arts.

He’d rather save such a precious seventh-grade Spiritual Pill for later.

Once everything had been discussed, the Dao Gate upper echelon let Chu Huaixu return to focus on cultivating.

Chu Yinyin was responsible for escorting him.

The Dead Fox looked at the Old Girl and asked, “Second Master, does First Master know I became the Eastern Continent champion?”

“She should know, I guess. I’m not sure. We’ve all been busy these past few days and haven’t visited the Purple Bamboo Forest,” Chu Yinyin replied.

“Then why don’t you take me there? I’d like to report the good news to First Master,” Chu Huaixu said solemnly.

“After all, I wouldn’t have achieved this so smoothly without the great efforts of my two masters.”

Sure enough, the Old Girl was instantly melted, smiling so wide her lips nearly reached her ears.

“Ah, I’ve said before—once your cultivation reaches the requirement for entering the inner sect, then we can take you in as a True Disciple,” she said, trying to suppress her smile and failing miserably.

“But you’re right. We should report the good news.”

She quickly brought Chu Huaixu flying toward the Purple Bamboo Forest.

The gaunt Daoist nun still sat high atop the massive stone.

By now, Chu Huaixu knew that this woman, who had tormented him countless times in the Sword Domain, was actually a stutterer.

He greeted her respectfully, “First Master, disciple has become the Eastern Continent champion. I have not failed your cultivation and came specially to share the good news.”

The Daoist nun on the rock gave a slight nod in response.

The Dead Fox, seeing the stutterer silent, deliberately acted as if she hadn’t heard him and respectfully repeated himself.

“K-Know... got it,” Shen Man replied.

Chu Huaixu: That hit the spot.

For some reason, the thought that this slender woman, exuding an aura of detachment and absurd strength, was a stutterer amused him immensely.

But the Dead Fox still knew his limits.

Seeing the Daoist nun fall silent again, he bowed and said, “Then disciple will take his leave.”

Chu Huaixu’s thinking was simple—even if Jiang Zhi became his Grandmaster one day, so what?

He followed the Stuttering Master, not him. Having a close relationship with this Daoist nun was enough.

Anyway, that old man liked going down the mountain to slay demons, seemingly obsessed with it, and rarely stayed on the mountain.

Wouldn’t hugging Shen Man’s thigh be the smarter move?

But on the flight back, Chu Huaixu suddenly remembered something.

“Shen Man broke through in Xuanli Year 1992, then died in Xuanli Year 1993.”

“Three years from now, she’ll vanish like incense smoke. What’s the reason behind it?”

“Could it also be related to the Heaven and Earth Calamity?” Chu Huaixu wondered.

Truthfully, even now, he hadn’t fully figured out what this so-called Heaven and Earth Calamity was.

But once he entered the 【Origin Spirit Realm】, he would probably find out.

..... .....

Back at the bamboo hut, Chu Huaixu bid farewell to Chu Yinyin.

Before leaving, the Old Girl even gave him a pep talk.

“Chu Huaixu, once you're on Dao Gate territory, make sure you teach that Heir of Prince Rui a good lesson—show him the might of the Eastern Continent. I believe in you!”

“Alright!” he agreed immediately.

Returning to his room, he sat cross-legged on the meditation cushion.

Then, he opened his mission interface to check the main quest 【Origin Spirit Realm】’s details.

It only displayed three words: [▶To be unlocked]. No other information.

“What the—? So if I don’t completely finish the prerequisite quest 【Eastern and Western Continents’ Grand Competition】, I get zero access?” Chu Huaixu was speechless.

Wasn’t this basically forcing him to blow up the Heir of Prince Rui?

This spy planted by the 【Organization】 in the Dao Gate hadn’t made a single move for the Western Continent or the Moon Country.

In his eyes, the 【Organization】 couldn’t even trigger 【Faction Quests】—completely useless to him.

To survive in another world, Chu Huaixu knew he had to follow his cheat.

With that thought, his gaze returned to the main quest 【Eastern and Western Continents’ Grand Competition】.

Only the final reward tier remained.

And its richness—that was the foundation of Chu Huaixu’s confidence in entering the 【Origin Spirit Realm】!

“100,000 Experience Points, 1 Random Special Attribute Point, 1 Free Special Attribute Point, 1 Spirit Embryo Attribute!”

......