Chapter 21: The Femme Fatale

A night passed.

Li Wudao consumed over eighty Essence-Replenishing Pills in succession, finally breaking through to the late stage of the Blood-Moving Realm.

He owed this achievement largely to the Earth Spirit Fish and the half-step Demon King's blood; otherwise, he would never have succeeded.

"Damn it, this Sacred Body consumes too many resources. How am I supposed to manage in the future?" the young man grumbled.

He estimated that these resources would have been enough to propel a disciple of the same level through ten breakthroughs. If not for his "cheat," he would be weeping in despair. It was no wonder that most individuals with Sacred Bodies hailed from major sects or holy lands. Had one appeared among itinerant cultivators, their fate would be uncertain—they might have withered away from old age due to resource scarcity long before they could even grow.

Just as Li Wudao pushed his door open to wash up, Xia Gucheng snatched him and tossed him into a wooden barrel. He soaked for an entire day, going through three massive barrels of liquid, until he was numb and his skin was nearly rubbed raw.

The next day, before dawn had even broken, Xia Gucheng caught him again. This time, it wasn't a simple blood soak; various pungent, foul-smelling medicinal packets were added, their fumes so overwhelming they nearly knocked him unconscious.

On the third day, Li Wudao couldn't take it anymore and prepared to escape in the middle of the night. However, he hadn't even made it out of the valley before he was dragged back and forced to soak for another day and night.

Seven days passed in this manner.

Today, Li Wudao pushed the door open cautiously, poking his head out with bright, scanning eyes.

"That old man seems to have gone out..."

The boy breathed a sigh of relief. After searching around and seeing no sign of Xia Gucheng, he felt his luck had turned. If the old man were around, he wouldn't be able to make off with the demon python's blood.

Li Wudao stood before the massive python, hesitating. He was in a bind; he lacked a suitable container to store the blood.

"I recall the sect has a Spirit Treasure Pavilion. I should go see if there's anything useful there."

With a thought, Li Wudao set off. The Spirit Treasure Pavilion was the sect's center for trading goods, covering everything from pills and spirit herbs to talismans and cultivation techniques. It was said that with enough contribution points, one could even exchange for Heaven-grade techniques.

An incense stick's time later, inside the Spirit Treasure Pavilion:

Li Wudao was dazzled by the array of merchandise on the counters. There were many good items, but the prices were exorbitant. Decent spirit pills cost hundreds of spirit stones per bottle, which was nowhere near enough for his appetite. He had intended to offload his one million taels of gold, as it was just sitting idle, but the Pavilion did not trade in gold or jewels—only spirit stones and contribution points. Having just joined the sect and never completed a single mission, he had no points.

Resigned, he spent four hundred low-grade spirit stones on a Mysterious-grade storage ring. It wasn't very large, but it was enough to serve as a cover so he wouldn't expose his system space. Afterward, he spent another five hundred low-grade spirit stones on five jade purification bottles. These bottles contained small spatial arrays, their sole purpose being the storage of liquids, much like Xia Gucheng's wine gourd.

On the way back, Li Wudao felt a heavy heart. He had spent nine hundred low-grade spirit stones on a few trivial items—nearly two months' worth of his stipend. If this were the case for an outer disciple, how could they possibly meet their daily cultivation needs? This was why disciples fought tooth and nail to climb the ranks; the bottom tier was simply too difficult.

Back at Piaomiao Peak, Li Wudao filled a small bottle with roughly two hundred pounds of demon python blood and hurried toward the main peak.

When he reached the foot of the mountain and declared his identity, he was blocked by the gatekeeping disciples. The reason: Senior Sister Jiang was not receiving guests. After several fruitless attempts, Li Wudao returned home in low spirits.

He muttered to himself: could Jiang Churan have known he was coming and deliberately turned him away to avoid paying her debt?

Just as he turned to leave, a familiar figure approached: Qi Xingyu.

Today, the Seventh Prince was dressed even more handsomely than usual, walking with an air of extraordinary grace.

"What are you doing here?"

Seeing Li Wudao, the prince paused in surprise, his expression instantly hardening.

"None of your business." Li Wudao looked at him with disdain. This fellow was dressed to the nines, more delicate than a woman; he was clearly up to no good. As far as he knew, the main peak was occupied solely by the Sect Master's lineage, and few were worth such effort from a prince. It was likely Jiang Churan.

"I am speaking to you civilly, and this attitude is quite excessive," Qi Xingyu said, his expression turning cold after being slighted.

"Excessive? When you slandered and gave me trouble during the entrance examination, did you think that was excessive?" Li Wudao sneered. He was no saint; he was someone who repaid every grievance. Those who dared to provoke him would pay the price.

"You..." Qi Xingyu’s eyes flashed with anger, but he took a deep breath. He said nothing, brushing past with a dark face, looking for all the world like a man who had swallowed a fly.

Li Wudao did not leave, instead finding a spot to watch the show. He wanted to see what this flamboyant prince intended to do.

"It’s you again, kid! This is the third time, get lost!"

"Including that guy just now, you're the fifth group to come today. Senior Sister Jiang has made it clear she won't see any of you, so stop wasting your time!"

The two gatekeepers blocked Qi Xingyu as he stepped forward, looking exhausted. Since Jiang Churan had topped the entrance rankings, her reputation had spread, and disciples—both new and old—constantly came to curry favor. What used to be a quiet post had become a source of daily annoyance. Moreover, their excuses were identical: they were all "old friends," "relatives," or "acquaintances"—one would think the entire world had descended upon the Xuantian Sect.

"Then I shall return another time. Please inform me when Junior Sister Jiang is free," Qi Xingyu sighed, dejected. He desperately wanted to get close to Jiang Churan, but she seemed to have no interest in him at all.

"That shouldn't be... where did I go wrong?" The prince frowned, shaking his head. Before leaving, he glared at Li Wudao, though he said nothing, and departed in a foul mood.

"I knew it, he's definitely here for Jiang Churan," Li Wudao thought, having observed everything. Hearing the guards' complaints, he finally understood how popular Jiang Churan had become—she had effectively become the "Flower of the Xuantian Sect." He also realized that his own earlier arrival must have been viewed by the guards in the same light.

Forcing his way in was not an option. With things as they were, he could only retreat. Li Wudao looked at the mountain gate, but just as he turned, he stopped in his tracks. A man and a woman were walking quickly toward the gate.

"Junior Sister Jiang, this is just a small token of my esteem. Please, do accept it."

The man appeared to be about twenty-five, tall and broad-shouldered, with a cold, arrogant expression and an imposing, domineering aura. Beside him walked Jiang Churan.

Today, the young woman was no longer in cheap, coarse clothing but in the exclusive attire of a female core disciple. The elegant, ivory-white, embroidered robe highlighted her graceful figure, and coupled with her breathtaking beauty, she appeared ethereal and transcendent, like a celestial maiden from a painting.

"I told you I don't need it. Thank you for your kindness, Senior Brother Wu, but I have matters to attend to. Please stop following me!" Jiang Churan walked ahead, her delicate brows furrowed in annoyance.

"Greetings, Young Sect Master!" the two guards bowed hurriedly upon seeing the man.

"Get out of my way!" the youth surnamed Wu snapped, clearly irritated that the girl was walking away.

Just then, Jiang Churan caught sight of Li Wudao, who was preparing to leave. Her beautiful eyes widened slightly. "What are you doing here? Looking for me?"

"Other than you, do I know anyone else on this main peak?" Li Wudao spread his hands.

"Junior Sister Jiang, who is this?" The voice of the youth surnamed Wu sounded from behind.

He strode forward, standing beside Jiang Churan with his hands behind his back, casting a scrutinizing look at Li Wudao.

"A friend," Jiang Churan replied flatly.

"I am Wu Shaotian, the Young Sect Master of the Xuantian Sect. A pleasure to meet you." The youth raised an eyebrow, smiling at Li Wudao. "You look unfamiliar, Junior Brother. You must be a new disciple? Which lineage are you from?"

"Piaomiao Peak," Li Wudao replied casually. He sighed inwardly at the familiar, classic pressure radiating from the other man. He had underestimated Jiang Churan's charm; in just a few days, even the Young Sect Master had fallen for her. She truly was a Daughter of Destiny, a focus wherever she went.

"Piaomiao Peak? I don't recall such a lineage..." Wu Shaotian paused for a moment, then clapped his hands in realization, saying with a strange tone, "Ah, you are a disciple of the Seventh Peak. To think that 'Drunken Peak Master' would actually take an apprentice—that is truly earth-shattering news."

The atmosphere instantly chilled. Li Wudao remained silent, feeling the clear mockery in the other's words.

*What a femme fatale,* he thought. Truthfully, he had no romantic interest in Jiang Churan; he just wanted to "harvest her wool" for resources. This was an unprovoked disaster.

"Tell me, what do you want?" Jiang Churan asked directly, her voice melodious.

"Oh, nothing much. Just brought you some resources, thought they might be of help," Li Wudao said, skipping the pleasantries and producing the small jade bottle.

To his surprise, before Jiang Churan could respond, Wu Shaotian interjected: "Junior Brother, I don't mean to be harsh, but Junior Sister Jiang is the Sect Master's second direct disciple—why would she lack resources? You really should focus on yourself."

He spoke with a hint of disdain. Li Wudao exhaled, wishing he were strong enough to slap the arrogance off the man's face. *Acting all high and mighty in front of me? We’ll see about that.* He silently resolved to cultivate harder; if the guy loved to act superior so much, he would ensure he was "flying" when the time came.

"What is this?" Jiang Churan blinked, stepping forward to take the bottle. She curiously popped the cork, and a pungent, fishy stench of blood immediately wafted out.

"Junior Brother, is this really the 'resource' you brought for Junior Sister? Are you sure you aren't trying to poison her?" Wu Shaotian covered his nose, coughing with exaggerated disgust, though he was laughing on the inside. He had expected something worthwhile, but it was just this?