Chapter 18: Alleviating Poverty for the Profound Pill Sect

"A Holy Artifact?"

Old Granny Li was taken aback. She leaned in to take a closer look and realized that the ice-blue fan before her was indeed extraordinary.

What was going on? Wasn't the Xuandan Sect supposed to be destitute? How could they possess a Holy Artifact? And in the hands of a mere disciple, no less!

"What Holy Artifact?"

Chu Lingyun realized she had dropped her item. Since this was a gift from Chen Xuan, she immediately stepped forward to retrieve it. "This is just something I use to fan the Sect Master."

"Fan him?" Hong Luan's head was filled with question marks. "A Holy Artifact... used for fanning?"

I recognize all the words, but why do they sound so strange when put together?

"Could I have been mistaken?" Hong Luan scratched her head, watching Chu Lingyun’s retreating figure.

"Your Majesty, you must have been mistaken," Old Granny Li shook her head. "Holy Artifacts are rare; they only appear in those reclusive sacred grounds. If the Xuandan Sect truly possessed one, how could they have fallen into such decline?"

"But the aura from that fan was truly powerful," Hong Luan recalled.

"It must be some kind of specialized weapon that only has an imposing aura on the surface but lacks any actual combat power. I have seen many such items. Besides, who would ever use a Holy Artifact to fan someone?" Granny Li explained.

"So that's how it is..." Hong Luan nodded, only half-understanding.

"Sect Master!" Chu Lingyun ran quickly back to the main hall and said to Chen Xuan, who was practicing, "Sect Master, someone has come to the Xuandan Sect to offer poverty relief."

"Poverty relief?" Chen Xuan was stunned.

Coming to provide me with relief? In the current Great Xia Empire, while the Xuandan Sect might not be invincible, they were holding dozens of Holy Artifacts; they were hardly in need of charity. Could the visitors be immortals? Did they have Immortal Artifacts?

Regardless, as long as they gave him something, he could trigger system rewards. It was worth a look.

"Take me to them." Chen Xuan stood up.

Stepping out of the main hall, Chen Xuan saw from a distance a young girl with delicate features and a middle-aged beauty.

[Name: Hong Luan]
[Cultivation: Early Foundation Establishment]
[Luck Value: Gold]
[Spirit Root: Immortal-grade Fire Spirit Root]
[Constitution: Fire Phoenix Physique]
[Comprehension: Self-taught]
[Technique: Flame Phoenix Nirvana Art (Low-grade Holy Tier)]
[Filial Piety Value: 0]
[Summary: Possesses the bloodline of the Phoenix clan and is blessed by the luck of Great Xia; a peerless talent in a million. Coupling with her has a chance to obtain the power of Nirvana.]

[Name: Li Rou]
[Cultivation: Early Spirit Severing]
[Luck Value: Purple]
[Spirit Root: Top-grade Water Spirit Root]
[Constitution: None]
[Comprehension: Superior]
[Technique: Jade Pool Heart Canon (Mid-grade Heaven Tier)]
[Filial Piety Value: 0]
[Summary: A person of some significance.]

A golden luck value. Hong Luan. She possessed the Phoenix bloodline, an Immortal Spirit Root, and practiced a Holy-tier technique. Furthermore, she had an early Spirit Severing expert as a guardian. Her identity was not simple.

"Are you two here to provide aid to the Xuandan Sect?" Chen Xuan asked with great enthusiasm, inviting them in. "Please, come in, quickly come in!"

"So enthusiastic?" Hong Luan sensed the fervor in Chen Xuan's eyes. She had clearly been right the first time; the Xuandan Sect must be extremely poor, otherwise, Chen Xuan wouldn't be this excited just because she was offering support.

"Granny, you tell him," Hong Luan signaled to Old Granny Li.

"Mm." Granny Li nodded and said, "Sect Master Chen, you are courting disaster."

"?" Chen Xuan raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Are you not holding a recruitment competition and claiming to possess a Holy-tier technique?" Granny Li asked. "The three major sects have already learned of this. If you cannot produce a Holy-tier technique, the three sects will unite to annex the Xuandan Sect."

"Is that all? I knew that already." Chen Xuan curled his lip, thinking it was something more significant.

"You knew?" Granny Li’s beautiful eyes widened. "And you are still this calm?"

"Even if you have just broken through to the Spirit Severing realm, those are the three major sects! They have two sect masters at the peak of Nascent Soul, one at the Spirit Severing realm, nearly ten Nascent Soul elders, and beyond that, reclusive Supreme Elders."

"Are you not afraid?"

"Afraid, I'm so afraid."

"That's the right attitude." Granny Li didn't catch the sarcasm in Chen Xuan's tone and nodded. "However, rest assured. Our Great Xia Empress has said that as long as Sect Master Chen leads the Xuandan Sect to pledge allegiance to Her Majesty, she will help you tide over this crisis."

"Sect Master Chen," Granny Li added, "you wouldn't want to see the Xuandan Sect destroyed, would you?"

Chen Xuan’s brows twitched. This so-called Empress of Great Xia was clearly the bright young girl standing next to her. Chen Xuan did not expose her.

He had roughly guessed their motives. Hong Luan was Empress in name, but her cultivation was only at the early Foundation Establishment stage; surely no one obeyed her. Therefore, she wanted to cultivate a loyal faction to help solidify her position. And since he had just broken through to the Spirit Severing realm and his sect was in decline, he was the perfect candidate. If she provided him with benefits, he would work for her.

"Hehe," Chen Xuan remained composed and led Hong Luan and Granny Li toward the main hall with a smile. "Many thanks for the Empress's assistance. Let us enter the hall to discuss the details."

Hong Luan was stunned. She felt something strange in Chen Xuan's gaze—as if he had recognized her.

"Mm," Granny Li nodded with satisfaction. This was the proper attitude for Chen Xuan to have. "Her Majesty has said that as long as you serve Great Xia, she will provide her own Holy-tier technique to help you overcome this crisis. But be warned, the Holy-tier technique can only be used for display; it must not be leaked to others..."

Granny Li, unaware of anything amiss, followed him into the hall, continuing to list the benefits. But as soon as she stepped into the hall, her words trailed off. Her eyes widened, as if she had seen something incredible.

Inside Chen Xuan's hall, a pile of 'miscellaneous items' was heaped on the floor.

"These weapons... why does each one emit such a powerful aura? Granny, are these also just useless junk that only looks the part?" Hong Luan rubbed her eyes, asking Granny Li with some uncertainty. Granny Li had just said she had seen many weapons that felt powerful but were useless. Surely these were the same?

"This..." Granny Li was speechless. She had indeed seen many such weapons, but she had never seen so many of them in one place. It made her doubt her own eyes.

"Granny," Hong Luan’s gaze fell on a broken artifact, and she stepped forward with excitement. "This is... the Mid-grade Holy-tier 'Universe Glazed Ruler' recorded in the Great Xia Imperial Library! It is exactly the same as the illustrations!"

"Your Majesty," Granny Li walked over immediately, "are you certain it is identical to the records?"

"Yes," Hong Luan nodded. "Exactly the same. And that one there, it’s the Low-grade Holy-tier 'Heavenly Thunder Drum' recorded in the books. That one is the Low-grade Holy-tier 'Wind-Thunder Zither.' And that manual there, it is a Holy-tier technique, the 'Nine Steps of the Profound Heaven'."

Granny Li picked up the *Nine Steps of the Profound Heaven*. She only had to flip it open to be deeply shocked.

"It’s actually real! This really is a Holy-tier technique!" Granny Li was incredulous. "Could it be that all of these are genuine? Are these truly Holy Artifacts and Holy-tier techniques?"