Chapter 35: The Strange Demon Orchid

"Master, is he dead?" Chu Lingyun asked, looking at the spot where Su Yu had vanished.

Chen Xuan frowned. His previous strike was powerful enough to kill a peak-stage Spirit Transformation expert instantly, yet just as his attack was about to connect, Su Yu had simply disappeared.

"A teleportation technique?" Chen Xuan’s expression turned solemn. He realized he had underestimated the "Son of Fortune." These individuals were not merely cultivation geniuses; their true power lay in their destiny, which allowed them to turn disasters into blessings and possessed various life-saving trump cards. He resolved that the next time he targeted a Son of Fortune, he would need to be fully prepared.

"He isn't dead."

"He isn't?" Chu Lingyun looked at Chen Xuan with worry. "Master, what if he goes back to report this to the Holy Land?"

"Do not leave the sect for the time being. Leave the Holy Land to me," Chen Xuan replied.

"Understood."

***

A thousand miles away, Su Yu coughed up a mouthful of blood. "Good thing I found a teleportation talisman in the secret realm last time, or I would have capsized in the gutter."

Despite the talisman's protection, he was only at the peak of the Golden Core stage, and the mere pressure of Chen Xuan's aura had sent his blood and energy into turmoil. "Chen Xuan... he actually dared to attack me. He has no regard for the Holy Land at all. Damn him!"

The thought of Chen Xuan filled him with hatred. It was the first time he had encountered someone who showed him such utter disrespect. "However, the weapon he wields is terrifyingly powerful. It killed a peak Spirit Transformation expert instantly; even against an Enlightenment-stage expert, he would likely have the upper hand. It’s no ordinary Sacred Artifact. That Dongfang Bubai mentioned an 'Immortal's Treasury' before... could it be that Chen Xuan discovered it and obtained these items from there?"

At this thought, Su Yu’s eyes glimmered with greed. "I must return to the Holy Land and have Master heal me." As he thought of his stunning master, his eyes filled with possessiveness.

At the Lingxiao Holy Land, Yun Zhiqiang asked, "Yu'er, how did you get injured?"

Su Yu looked at the woman before him, dressed in a golden phoenix robe. Her long, slender legs were partially visible through the slits in her skirt, and every step she took made his heart race. The crimson lips on her beautiful, majestic face were the stuff of his dreams. He had seen countless heavenly maidens and saints from various holy lands, but his master was the most perfect woman he had ever known.

The only pity was that she was his master, and with her cultivation already at the Feathering stage, he didn't even have the opportunity to use underhanded tactics; she was simply beyond his reach.

"It's nothing, I ran into a demonic beast," Su Yu lied, careful not to mention Chen Xuan. He had yet to fully uncover the secret of Chen Xuan's treasure, and knowing Yun Zhiqiang’s protective nature, if he told her Chen Xuan was the culprit, she would surely kill him. If that happened, the treasure would be made public, and he would lose his chance to claim it. Chen Xuan had risen from early Spirit Transformation to the peak in just a month; there must be pills in the treasury to boost cultivation. If he could get his hands on them, his own cultivation would soar, and then he would finally have a chance to possess Yun Zhiqiang.

"I see," Yun Zhiqiang said with concern. "Yu'er, your nature is too gentle and kind. The world outside is treacherous; you must be more careful. If you encounter danger, mention my name. But remember, do not rely on my name to bully others. Do you understand?"

"I know, Master. I have never bullied others by flaunting your influence," Su Yu said, looking as innocent as possible.

"That's good," Yun Zhiqiang smiled. "Sit down, let me heal you."

"Master, my cultivation has been growing slowly lately. Is there any way to accelerate it?" Su Yu asked tentatively. He knew he couldn't defeat Chen Xuan’s peak Spirit Transformation strength as he was now; he had to improve quickly if he wanted to compete for the treasure.

"Accelerate your cultivation?" Yun Zhiqiang frowned. "Cultivation requires a steady foundation. Do not seek out crooked paths like dual cultivation or soul-draining techniques. If you do, I will purge you from the sect, even if you are my disciple."

"Master, I would never," Su Yu replied quickly, though his heart stirred—he hadn't considered dual cultivation before.

***

Back at the Xuandan Sect, Chen Xuan returned to his practice room, his mood heavy. With Su Yu on the run and his master at the Feathering stage, he had to increase his strength rapidly.

He took out the Demon Flower Qilan. Breakthrough to the Enlightenment stage required fifty-one types of natural treasures, and the Scream Qilan was the most important of them all. However, after the system's enhancement, it had become the Demon Flower Qilan, and he wasn't sure if it would still be effective.

He checked the system:

[Demon Flower Qilan]
Grade: Immortal
Description: The leader of all flowers; once planted, it can propagate a hundred types of demon flowers.

"The leader of all flowers?" Chen Xuan was intrigued. If he planted it, would the herb garden grow the original Scream Qilan? He decided to head to the garden to experiment.

The Xuandan Sect’s herb garden spanned three mountains and covered a vast area, but Chen Xuan planted the flower in a corner near the sect. As soon as it was planted, the flower began to grow rapidly. Its palm-sized stem grew to over half a meter, becoming increasingly humanoid in shape. However, the surrounding herbs began to wither as the Demon Flower Qilan absorbed all the nutrients and spiritual energy from the soil.

"So tyrannical?" Chen Xuan was stunned. He had grown many precious herbs before, but none had ever sucked the others dry like this. The flower stopped growing, likely due to a lack of nutrients in the soil.

"It seems I need to upgrade the garden's soil quality," Chen Xuan thought, checking the system.

[Primary Herb Garden]
Description: Can grow up to Sacred-grade herbs.
Cost: 3000
(Unlock Condition: None)

"A primary garden can only handle Sacred-grade... no wonder it couldn't support an Immortal-grade flower."

[Intermediate Herb Garden]
Description: Can grow up to Immortal-grade herbs.
Cost: 20,000
(Unlock Condition: Level 2 Sect)

"An intermediate garden can do it, but I need to reach a Level 2 sect first."

Sect System:
Sect: Xuandan Sect
Master: Chen Xuan
Level: 1
Sons of Fortune: Gold: 2, Red: 0, Orange: 1
Sons of Filial Piety: 2
Ordinary Disciples: 50
Filial Piety Points: 480/day
Buffs: None
Upgrade Requirement: 10,000 Filial Piety points

"Upgrade!"