Starting as The Young Master of A Pharmacy, He Trained Swordsmanship in Seclusion For Twenty Years - Chapter 60

This time, before the others could act, Lu Xuan struck first. With a forceful stomp on the ground—

Swish!

Several small stones shot out like bullets, hurtling toward the three men.

In an instant, two dull thuds echoed through the chamber.

The heads of the two monks beside the middle-aged man exploded on impact, their bodies collapsing to the ground, twitching uncontrollably.

The middle-aged man, however, reacted swiftly—his hand shot forward, fingers clenched tightly as if gripping something in his palm.

Beads of cold sweat formed on his forehead as a sharp pain radiated from his hand. Slowly, he uncurled his fingers, revealing a bloody, sticky mess—a mixture of pulverized stone and his own blood.

“Who the hell are you?!”

“Black Raven Guard?!”

A chill ran down the man’s spine as an inexplicable fear gripped him.

The fact that his opponent had wounded him with nothing more than a pebble spoke volumes.

This man’s strength was unfathomable—far beyond what he had anticipated. He’s definitely stronger than me.

Could he be a peak Blood Refining realm martial artist?

Damn it!

Why would someone this powerful appear in Dengfeng County? Is he really from the Black Raven Guard?

The middle-aged man was no weakling himself—he had tempered his body to perfection in the Blood Refining realm. A warrior at this level possessed a physique as hard as diamond; ordinary attacks shouldn’t have even scratched him.

Yet here he was, injured by a mere stone.

Lu Xuan remained silent, his cold gaze fixed on the man. Then, with a powerful push of his legs, he lunged forward.

So, Blood Refining realm warriors really are different from the usual trash.

“You’ve got some nerve!”

The middle-aged man’s initial wariness evaporated, replaced by fury as he watched Lu Xuan charge at him.

His loose white robes billowed as a fierce gale erupted around him, sleeves flapping violently. A surge of potent blood energy erupted from his body.

“You’re dead!”

The man’s eyes gleamed with an eerie white light as he channeled his blood energy into his palm, thrusting it straight at Lu Xuan.

Without hesitation, Lu Xuan summoned his inner energy and met the attack with a palm strike of his own.

Hmm? This aura again.

The moment their palms collided, Lu Xuan recognized it—the same mysterious energy he’d sensed in the abbot’s body.

But this man’s version was far stronger.

Lu Xuan’s lips curled slightly as he unleashed a torrent of inner energy, flooding the man’s body with unstoppable force.

“Y-you—!”

“You’re… an Inner Energy realm master?!”

The man’s pupils trembled in horror as despair and terror flooded his heart.

That overwhelming energy ravaged his body, obliterating every inch of his flesh and blood. Even his formidable blood energy—hardened through years of refinement—was as fragile as a newborn’s in the face of such power.

Within moments, the middle-aged man’s indestructible body collapsed like rotten meat, his unyielding form reduced to a lifeless heap.

His final thoughts were filled with bitter confusion.

Why would an Inner Energy realm expert—a peer to the elders of our Holy Church—be in a backwater like Dengfeng County?

And why does he look no older than twenty?

Monsters like him… I’ve only ever seen at the Holy Church’s headquarters.

As the man’s corpse hit the ground, Lu Xuan frowned slightly.

These White Lotus Cult fanatics all seemed to practice the same “White Lotus Sacred Scripture,” infusing their bodies with that strange energy reminiscent of the White Lotus Blood Infant.

But why hadn’t he received any system points for killing them?

Is it because their energy is too impure? Too diluted compared to the Blood Infant’s?

After a brief moment of contemplation, Lu Xuan dismissed the thought and turned his attention to the lotus platform.

In the next instant—

Shing!

A cold glint flashed as a blade sang through the air.

Lu Xuan drew a broadsword from his waist, and the temperature in the chamber spiked visibly.

Without hesitation, he willed his inner energy into motion.

A crimson light erupted from the blade, carrying blistering heat as it streaked toward the center of the lotus platform.

In the blink of an eye, the massive white lotus—large enough to dwarf several grown men—was engulfed in raging scarlet flames. The fire spread rapidly, consuming the entire platform.

Hm?

A faint chime sounded in Lu Xuan’s mind, and the system panel materialized before his eyes:

Host: Lu Xuan
Realm: Inner Energy (Minor Achievement)
Techniques:

• Blazing Sun Saber Art (3/9)

• Wind-Chasing Steps (1/9) (Can be evolved)
  Points: 45
  Confirm evolution of Wind-Chasing Steps? (Cost: 45 points)

A rare smile tugged at Lu Xuan’s usually impassive face.

Points increased.

Originally, he’d had only 15 system points. Now, that number had jumped by 30, bringing him to a total of 45.

But his smile faded just as quickly.

Something’s off.

Back in the Junling Mountains, slaying that White Lotus Blood Infant had netted him 33 points.

Why is the reward lower this time?

This Blood Infant’s aura was clearly stronger than the last one.

Unless—

“Gyaaaaaaah!!”

A piercing shriek tore through the chamber—coming from the burning lotus platform.

Still alive?

Lu Xuan’s eyes narrowed as a shadowy figure shot out from the inferno, landing heavily on the plaza floor.

Before him stood a grotesque creature, roughly the size of a three- or four-year-old child.

Its body was covered in vivid crimson patterns, its skin a sickly, corpse-like white. A white lotus mark adorned its forehead, and its eyes burned with the same eerie glow he’d seen in the cultists.

What the hell is this?

It’s nothing like the White Lotus Blood Infant I fought before.

Lu Xuan’s brow furrowed.

Does the White Lotus Cult’s Blood Infant… evolve?

And if this thing was still alive, where had his system points come from?

The lotus flower?

His gaze flicked back to the platform, where the once-pristine white lotus had been reduced to ashes, the stone pedestal now blackened and smoldering.

Ah. So that’s it.

Now understanding, Lu Xuan turned his full attention to the creature before him.

A slow smile spread across his face.

Even better.

This trip to Liansheng Temple had turned out far more profitable than he’d expected.