Chapter Seventeen: I Was Merely Teaching Them a Lesson

After having a good laugh, Chen Xiang immediately opened the marketplace to take a look.

Second Chapter of the Chaos Manual: 500 reputation points.

“Damn! Why don’t you just rob me?” Chen Xiang cursed in a fit of anger.

Even counting the reputation points he’d just earned, he was only halfway to affording the second chapter. If he’d known it would be so expensive, he wouldn’t have exchanged for the Three Thousand Thunderbolt; just a bit more effort and he’d have enough.

“Sigh, the path of cultivation seems destined to be long and arduous,” Chen Xiang muttered to himself.

It seemed he would have to focus on earning more reputation points, or else his cultivation would be hindered by this infuriating cultivation method.

“Ding! Congratulations to Host ‘Chen Xiang’ for making a cultivator feel fear. You’ve gained forty reputation points.”

“Ding! Congratulations to Host ‘Chen Xiang’ for making a cultivator feel fear. You’ve gained thirty reputation points.”

“Ding! Congratulations to Host ‘Chen Xiang’ for making a cultivator feel fear. You’ve gained twenty reputation points.”

“Ding! Congratulations to Host ‘Chen Xiang’ for making a cultivator feel fear. You’ve gained forty reputation points.”

...

“Hm?” Chen Xiang was utterly baffled. How did his reputation points suddenly increase by nearly two hundred?

He turned his head and saw three cultivators, tattered and battered—one missing an arm, one a leg, and one his manhood—all staring at him with terror in their eyes. In the distance, a group of other cultivators wore the same look.

Chen Xiang instantly understood. Apparently, he hadn’t finished off all eight Core Formation cultivators just now!

Well, let’s remedy that, he thought with a wicked grin. Thanks to the system’s restoration, he had recovered seventy percent of his spiritual power.

“Y-you… stay back.”

He stepped forward slowly, the three crippled Core Formation cultivators retreating in terror.

“Ding! Congratulations to Host ‘Chen Xiang’ for making a cultivator feel fear. You’ve gained thirty reputation points.”

“Ding! Congratulations to Host ‘Chen Xiang’ for making a cultivator feel fear. You’ve gained forty reputation points.”

...

Chen Xiang wore a satisfied smile. Not bad—this act was quite effective. In an instant, he’d earned over a hundred more reputation points, nearly enough to buy the second chapter of the Chaos Manual.

“Stop!”

A thunderous shout exploded from the sky.

A figure appeared silently before Chen Xiang, his very presence exuding an imposing authority.

“Sect Master!”

One of the onlooking cultivators broke from the crowd. Chen Xiang recognized him as the one who had blocked him at the inn’s entrance—a Foundation Establishment cultivator at the peak of his stage.

The Sect Master nodded, then turned to Chen Xiang. “Did you kill my sect’s elders?”

Chen Xiang probed the man’s cultivation with the system and was startled—this man was actually at the second stage of Nascent Soul!

He quickly regained his composure after the initial shock.

“Who are your elders? I recall killing a few elders just now. Which one belonged to your sect?” Chen Xiang said, glancing around.

Other than Elder Li and Elder Liu, who hadn’t dared to fight him head on, three others had survived. In total, five or six Core Formation cultivators had died by his hand.

“Insolence!” the Sect Master roared. “If I hadn’t noticed Elder Zhang’s soul tablet shatter, I wouldn’t have personally come to deal with you. Now you’ve killed several more of our sect’s elders. More reinforcement is likely on its way. Today, you shall die with not even a grave to mark your passing!”

“Oh? Is that so? So that idiot was from your sect? Well, he only has himself to blame, thinking I was easy prey. Of course, I had to teach him a lesson. The same goes for the others—consider it a favor from me, helping your sect discipline them. No need to thank me. After all, I am a righteous and kindhearted man,” Chen Xiang replied matter-of-factly.

The crowd nearly spat blood at his words.

A lesson? You killed them outright! Even if it was a lesson, they won’t be able to learn anything now.

“Hmph! Arrogant brat, it’s not your place to discipline my sect’s elders. Since you’re so fond of teaching others, today I’ll teach you a lesson myself!” The Sect Master’s face was as dark as charcoal, his voice booming in anger.

With a sweep of his sleeve, a fierce gale of spiritual power erupted.

The tempest sent dust and debris swirling, and even the bystanders were thrown off balance.

So this is the might of a Nascent Soul expert, Chen Xiang marveled.

He used his spiritual power to resist the gale, standing rock-steady where he was.

The Sect Master gave him a surprised look. The strongest elder Chen Xiang had killed was at the fourth layer of Core Formation—a couple of fifth-layer elders survived but were crippled. Based on Chen Xiang’s combat performance, he seemed to have the strength of a seventh-layer Core Formation cultivator. Considering he was only at peak Foundation Establishment, that was already an extraordinary feat. Still, the Sect Master was confident he could subdue him.

He raised his palm, and a giant hand of spiritual power formed over Chen Xiang’s head, pressing down with immense force.

Chen Xiang frowned. He had felt the pressure the moment the giant hand formed above him, and now it was growing unbearable.

“Sigh, the difference is too great—an entire major realm apart. I’ve already lost before the fight even begins,” Chen Xiang sighed.

“Heh, if I’m leaving, I should at least leave something behind,” Chen Xiang said with a devilish grin.

He sensed several powerful auras rapidly approaching from afar.

“Old dog, if you want to keep me for dinner, I’m afraid I’ll have to decline. My mother has urgent business for me at home—so, farewell!” Chen Xiang shouted at the Sect Master.

The crowd all turned to look at him—this young man was truly bold, daring to call the Azure Luo Sect Master an old dog and telling him not to keep him for dinner! For such composure, none of them could compare.

“Ding! Congratulations to Host ‘Chen Xiang’ for inspiring awe among cultivators. You’ve gained twenty reputation points.”

“Ding! Congratulations to Host ‘Chen Xiang’ for inspiring awe among cultivators. You’ve gained thirty reputation points.”

“Ding! Congratulations to Host ‘Chen Xiang’ for inspiring awe among cultivators. You’ve gained forty reputation points.”

...

A sly smile played at Chen Xiang’s lips. He hadn’t expected that showing off before leaving would net him another hundred or so reputation points. Now he had nearly six hundred—enough to buy the second chapter of the Chaos Manual.

“Hmph, naïve. Do you really think you can escape the palm of my hand?” the Sect Master thundered, thoroughly enraged by Chen Xiang’s “old dog” remark.

“No need, no need, truly. How about this—this beautiful hand seal is my gift to you as a token of our acquaintance. Until we meet again!” Chen Xiang said with a mischievous smile, then tossed a Jade Crystal Hand Seal toward the Sect Master.

He sensed four powerful auras drawing near. With a flick, he hurled the Sea-Turning Seal and, using a teleportation talisman, vanished from sight.

“What?” The Azure Luo Sect Master was shocked. He had been keeping Chen Xiang firmly locked in his senses, yet the young man disappeared without a trace.

At that moment, he sensed the terrifying aura left behind in the form of the crystal hand seal. He immediately tried to intercept it.

Four figures appeared on the horizon beside the Sect Master, distracting him for a split second and causing his forming incantation to falter.

“Boom!”

The Sea-Turning Seal exploded before the five of them, and the resulting energy storm swept them all into its vortex.

To be continued…