Translator: CinderTL
Xiang Tan lowered her gaze and smiled, a hint of bashfulness on her face, as she gracefully approached and leaned into Xu Sanyan's embrace.
Chu Yuan licked her crimson lips, deliberately thrusting out her chest. Her ample breasts strained against her robes, threatening to burst free as she settled onto Xu Sanyan's other leg, wrapping her arms around his and began to nuzzle against him.
Xu Sanyan slowly closed his eyes. How had I never noticed she was so well-endowed before? he wondered. Perhaps she'd been concealing it to avoid hindering her movements?
"Senior Brother, why did you call us here?" Xiang Tan asked softly, her eyes fluttering.
Xu Sanyan spread his arms, embracing one woman on each side. "I heard a new batch of disciples has arrived. Go select some promising talents and nurture them well."
From this moment onward, he needed to plan ahead. He needed a reliable group of subordinates to carry out his orders. There would be many situations in the future where he would require capable manpower.
"Rest assured, we sisters will handle it perfectly for you."
"Hmm..." Xu Sanyan nodded. He trusted they could manage this simple task.
The next morning dawned under a slightly overcast sky.
Today was the day Xu Sanyan would break through to the Dao Seeking Realm. He had already made all the necessary preparations, which, in truth, required nothing more than opening his panel and clicking the plus sign with determination.
The reason he had chosen to wait three days was to allow the news to spread and create a greater impact.
A Foundation Establishment Realm Holy Son and a Dao Seeking Realm cultivator were fundamentally different concepts. Once Xu Sanyan broke through, a flood of new followers would undoubtedly flock to his banner.
After all, the power and resources controlled by Elder Wu and his faction were truly enviable, and many elders were likely lurking in the shadows, salivating at the prospect of seizing them.
Liu Tang arrived with a young man and a sizable group of followers. Most of them remained outside, observing from a distance.
Crimson Dragon Mountain's cultivator population was neither large nor small, totaling just under a thousand when excluding Outer Sect Disciples and servants. News traveled swiftly through the sect.
The conflict between Elder Wu's faction and Xu Sanyan in Crimson Heart Hall the previous night had already become common knowledge. Everyone understood that Crimson Dragon Mountain's power structure was about to undergo a major reshuffling.
They had only two choices: observe from the sidelines, neither winning nor losing, unaffected by the outcome, or pledge allegiance to Xu Sanyan, gambling their lives and fortunes on a high-stakes gamble.
They had to either side with Xu Sanyan, betting their entire fortunes and lives on a high-stakes gamble.
Outside the cultivation cave, Elder Wu stood silently with a group of disciples. One of them spoke up, "Elder Wu, should we teach him a lesson?"
Elder Wu glanced sideways. "How? Perhaps Elder Song could sacrifice himself, kill Xu Sanyan, and we'll take care of his family. What do you say?"
Elder Song fell silent.
The sect had its rules, and insubordination was a grave offense. Even if Xu Sanyan died, the sect wouldn't spare him, and his entire family would suffer the consequences.
"Let's go," Elder Wu said, stepping forward. "Let's see what tricks this Holy Son has up his sleeve." The group followed in formation.
Xu Sanyan sat in the main hall, his eyes slightly lowered, his expression calm as he gazed at Liu Tang and his son.
"I am Liu Shuzhi, paying my respects to the Holy Son," the young man said, his heart pounding. He dared not meet Xu Sanyan's gaze as he prostrated himself obediently on the ground.
"Hmm, rise," Xu Sanyan said softly.
"Thank you, Holy Son."
Xu Sanyan tilted his chin. "Sit."
At that moment, Elder Wu's booming voice echoed from outside the door. "I am Wu Xin, elder of the Hall of Affairs, offering my congratulations to the Holy Son on his path to enlightenment."
"I am Zhang Weiliang, elder of the Corpse Blood Hall, congratulating the Holy Son..."
"I am..."
Congratulatory voices echoed from beyond the gate. Xu Sanyan slowly rose, ignoring them. With a casual wave of his hand, a surge of spiritual power erupted, causing the vermilion gate to swing open, revealing Elder Wu and his entourage standing outside, as well as the crowd watching from afar.
With a mere thought, a panel materialized before his eyes:
Xu Sanyan
Age: 20/380
Realm: Foundation Establishment Stage (Peak)
Cultivation Method: Dao-Seizing Vitality Origin Sutra (Peak)
Mystical Arts: Soul Condensation Technique (Peak), Lu Clan's Spirit Refining Force (Peak), Purple Mountain Heart-Planting Art (Peak)...
Techniques: Perfect Circle Stance (Peak), Three Tigers Subduing Dragon Saber (Peak), Horse Appraisal Technique (Peak)...
Vitality: 1258
Over the past few days, Xu Sanyan had frantically absorbed spirit stones, raising his Vitality to over a thousand points.
Today, he was going to make a grand move!
Upgrade!
Boom—
In an instant, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth reversed course, surging violently into Xu Sanyan's myriad pores. The originally invisible and colorless energy coalesced around him, forming a faint milky-white liquid.
The spiritual energy was so dense that it had transformed from a gaseous state into a liquid!
Liu Tang's heart jolted—what an imposing display!
Beside him, Liu Shuzhi, Xiang Tan, Chu Yuan, Meng Zhuer, and the others stared wide-eyed, scrutinizing every detail, not daring to miss a single nuance. This was a rare spectacle they might never witness again.
Xu Sanyan slowly emerged from the hall into the courtyard, his gaze fixed on Elder Wu standing outside the gate. A faint smile curled at the corner of his lips.
Heavenly spiritual energy ceaselessly poured into his body. Xu Sanyan channeled it with all his might, his Qi Sea swelling with Spiritual Power. He continuously expanded his Qi Sea, striving to contain even greater reserves of power.
Elder Wu clutched the golden gallbladder behind his back, the veins on his hand bulging. He desperately wanted to strike now, to end Xu Sanyan with a single palm strike, resolving all their problems in one swift blow. [1]
But he dared not. Killing the Holy Son would be tantamount to betraying the sect, and the Discipline Hall would show him no mercy.
That bastard! He actually broke through! Elder Wu seethed inwardly.
Xu Sanyan opened his eyes, a hint of mockery in his gaze. Spiritual energy surged around him, billowing his pale green robes and sending stray strands of hair dancing across his upturned lips.
What an arrogant, overbearing display!
It was as if Elder Wu and the assembled Soul Refinement cultivators were mere insects in his palm, ready to be crushed at a whim.
"How utterly arrogant!"
This thought arose simultaneously in the hearts of everyone who witnessed the scene.
Elder Wu's fury intensified, his golden orbs nearly crushed in his grip. Though he wished to tear Xu Sanyan apart limb by limb, his expression remained impassive, his cold gaze locked unyieldingly on the young man.
After a long interval, the spiritual vortex around Xu Sanyan gradually calmed. The milky-white spiritual liquid thinned, slowly reverting from liquid to gaseous form.
Elder Wu pressed his lips into a thin line. He's made quite a spectacle of himself today. I must find a way to suppress him!
Even if Xu Sanyan had broken through, he was still merely at the Dao Seeking Realm—a level Elder Wu considered beneath his notice. Were it not for the young man's status as Holy Son, Elder Wu would have a thousand ways to kill him.
As the spiritual vortex completely dissipated, Elder Wu was about to speak when his expression suddenly froze. Not only him, but all the other elders, Liu Tang, the distant onlookers, and Xiang Tan's group also froze in place.
For they sensed... the spiritual energy of heaven and earth was surging once more.
The turbulent energy slowly converged, gradually coalescing toward a single point.
Only Liu Shuzhi remained oblivious, his cultivation level too low to perceive the movements of spiritual energy.
TL/N:
[1] Elder Wu isn't literally carrying a gallbladder from some poor soul — the "金胆" (golden gallbladder) here is a cultivation-world artifact or treasure.
In xianxia/wuxia novels, 金胆 often refers to a condensed core or bead-like object that contains powerful medicinal essence, spiritual energy, or poison. The name uses "胆" (gallbladder) because in traditional Chinese medicine, the gallbladder is linked to courage, vitality, and certain medicinal properties — but in fiction, it can just be a fist-sized golden orb.
(End of the Chapter)
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