“Old fox! Bah!”
Watching Elder Hei’s retreating figure, Hei Suo couldn’t hold back a curse.
Elder Hei’s demand for ten times the usual payment was too steep—Hei Suo couldn’t meet it.
But that was fine. If he couldn’t deal with Ling Xiao openly, he’d do it covertly, following the sect’s rules so no one could object.
…
After his battle with Yang Cheng, Ling Xiao felt his understanding of martial arts had deepened.
This was the benefit of real combat, something mere secluded cultivation couldn’t achieve.
He wasn’t injured, though the fight had drained him considerably. In front of others, however, he showed no trace of fatigue.
As before, he calmly descended the challenge platform, meeting the fearful or envious gazes of the outer sect disciples, and walked to Lan Yuer’s side.
“Senior Sister, I didn’t disappoint you, did I?”
He grinned, revealing a set of white teeth, exuding a childlike innocence.
Indeed, at just fourteen years old, he was still a kid.
“Hmph, you made us worry—how should you be punished?” Lan Yuer teased.
“How about I treat you, Elder Yang, and Yuling to a meal?” Ling Xiao suggested with a smile.
“Fine, but you have to cook it yourself, using ingredients at least a hundred years old, rich in spiritual energy. Otherwise, it’s no good for martial artists like us,” Lan Yuer said, laughing.
This wasn’t the first time she’d flashed her radiant, sun-like smile in front of Ling Xiao.
Thanks to him, the other outer sect disciples got a rare treat for their eyes.
“A hundred years? No problem,” Ling Xiao said after a moment’s thought. His Mountain River World contained hundred-year-old ginseng, deer antler, wild chicken, and spices. A ginseng-stewed chicken soup should be feasible.
Only he could afford to use hundred-year-old ingredients for cooking—so extravagant most wouldn’t dare dream of it.
But for Ling Xiao, it was no big deal.
He believed that as his “Mountain River Sovereign” abilities grew, he’d eventually use ingredients aged five hundred, a thousand, or even ten thousand years for meals.
Perhaps because he’d once been a beggar, his craving for fine food far surpassed his interest in pills.
Fortunately, the two weren’t mutually exclusive. Understanding pharmacology would make crafting dishes easier.
“You’re bragging! Hundred-year-old ingredients aren’t that easy to get,” Lan Yuer said skeptically. Even the oldest members of the Moonlight Sect were only three or four hundred years old.
Hundred-year-old ingredients were rare.
“Hahaha, congratulations, Junior Brother Ling! Defeating Li Anle and Yang Cheng to become a near-inner disciple—you’ve shown incredible prowess. Truly admirable!” Zhao Zhi was the first to congratulate Ling Xiao.
Though not close to Ling Xiao, Zhao Zhi had always avoided offending him—a wise choice.
“Senior Brother Ling is amazing! Let’s see those old outer sect disciples strut now! Especially Li Anle, who whipped us just yesterday!” another disciple exclaimed.
“Congratulations, Senior Brother Ling! You’re a role model, breaking the Moonlight Sect’s ten-thousand-year record!”
Many outer sect disciples were older than Ling Xiao and, by entry order, should call him Junior Brother. But they didn’t dare.
His strength intimidated them.
So, they called him Senior Brother instead, which was acceptable since the sect valued strength above all.
Zhao Ci, too proud to flatter Ling Xiao, had a straightforward personality.
But her pride meant Ling Xiao paid her no mind.
Xu Ying, however, was defiant. *“So what if you beat Yang Cheng? Your potential is less than mine. You may shine now, but the further we go, the more you’ll fall behind. Just wait.”*
She gritted her teeth and left.
She’d avenge her fiancé, but not now.
Among the Moonlight Sect’s new disciples, aside from Leng Hao, who was directly taken as a personal disciple by Golden Light Heavenly Venerable, Ling Xiao was the first to break into the outer sect’s top ten.
As a near-inner disciple, especially one in the top ten, Ling Xiao gained his own cave abode.
It was far more comfortable than the Medicine Hall’s quarters.
Best of all, these abodes were built in spiritually rich areas, protected by arrays, making cultivation twice as effective and thwarting any assassination attempts.
As the tenth-ranked near-inner disciple, his stipend was far greater than that of ordinary outer sect disciples.
Regular outer sect disciples received ten low-grade spirit stones and ten yellow-grade low-tier spirit pills monthly.
His stipend was twenty times that!
Plus, he was exempt from menial tasks, free to focus on cultivation.
He also gained privileges unimaginable to other outer sect disciples.
This was why Ling Xiao had challenged Yang Cheng and Li Anle.
The logistics were handled by outer sect staff, so he didn’t need to worry.
His task was to visit the outer sect’s main hall to collect ten yellow-grade low-tier spirit pills and a rare treasure-grade spear—Yang Cheng and Li Anle’s wager.
He also retrieved his thousand-year golden snow lotus.
He wasn’t in a hurry to use it, letting it continue maturing in his Mountain River World.
The longer medicinal materials aged, the more spiritual and beneficial they became.
Yellow-grade low-tier spirit pills might sound unimpressive, but they surpassed the best pills in the secular world.
In fact, only these could be called true spirit pills—secular pills didn’t even qualify.
When he returned to the Medicine Hall with Lan Yuer, Elder Yang greeted them with a beaming smile.
As the Medicine Hall Master, he cared deeply for Ling Xiao.
Though he’d downplayed it, he’d instructed Lan Yuer to report the challenge’s outcome immediately.
If Ling Xiao were in danger, he’d have rushed over.
“Not bad, kid! You actually took down those two. Well done, but don’t get cocky. Fights below the Mortal Realm are small fry. Focus on learning alchemy and medicine to become an outstanding pharmacist!” Elder Yang said, still believing it’d be a waste if Ling Xiao didn’t pursue alchemy.
“Senior, I won—don’t I deserve a reward?” Ling Xiao said with a cheeky grin.
“Knew you’d ask for something. Here, it’s ready. Use it well—don’t waste it,” Elder Yang replied, handing over the reward.
