Chapter 139: Chapter 1: Junior Sister Xu Doesn’t Want to Be Left Behind
“Immortal Execution Order?” Upon hearing Xu Yinglian’s words, Qiu Changtian was somewhat bewildered.

How did I suddenly end up on the hit list of a demon cult?

“Yes.” Xu Yinglian said in a deep voice, “This time, it was jointly issued by Mortal Life Path, Nether Ghost Path, Heavenly Demon Path, and Eastern Emperor Path.”

“No matter if it’s a demon cult cultivator or a loose cultivator, whoever kills you by any means can take the evidence to Mount Wutai to claim the reward.”

Qiu Changtian pondered for a moment before asking,

“Aren’t there two more Paths? What about Hell Path and Asura Path?”

“Hell Path has always been mysterious and never publicly walks the world, so naturally, they will not make a statement about this.” Xu Yinglian explained, “As for Asura Path… they generally do not issue hit orders, but they specialize in accepting such orders.”

So the Asura Path is essentially an assassin organization! Qiu Changtian reluctantly thought and then asked,

“How substantial are the assassination rewards, approximately?”

“I don’t know,” Xu Yinglian replied, “Probably elixirs, Daoist magic, and the like.”

“In any case, for the time being, you’d best not leave Kunlun, lest you become a target.”

Qiu Changtian responded noncommitally, thinking how could he not leave the mountain?

The synchronization value of the invincible character setting depends on taking my disciples out for training to accumulate.

Senior Sister An’s life-bound sword artifact would also require a journey far to the Southern Sea to find.

Could it be that I have to send Luo Yan and Ling Yunpo out?

But most of my skills are vested in Qiu Changtian! Unless one uses trump cards like the Five Elements Divine Light…

Seeing that Qiu Changtian was preoccupied, Xu Yinglian became somewhat indignant.

How could you be so attached to going out for training? I think you’re not trying to contribute to our sect but rather to show off in front of your junior brothers and sisters!

Junior Sister Xu, with her Seven Orifices Exquisite Heart, had guessed Qiu Changtian’s true intention and said with a chuckle,

“Senior brother should not underestimate the Demon Cult’s Immortal Execution Order. The tricky part is that we have no idea how much the reward offered inside their ranks is.”

“If the Demon Cult truly sees senior brother as a significant threat to their future, they may offer an extravagant reward. Then it’s possible that even Golden Core True Persons, and even Nascent Soul old freaks, might take on the job.”

“Senior brother certainly possesses the peerless talent of Daoist Heart Clarity, but after all, you’re at the Marrow Cleansing Rank. Could you really transcend your rank to defeat cultivators of the Golden Core and Nascent Soul Realm?”

This speech instantly sobered Qiu Changtian up.

That’s right! In the real world, unlike in novels, not all the big shots will kindly wait for you to develop your strength before making a move!

Isn’t it a common scenario to meet an insurmountable foe and be brutally snuffed out in your developmental phase?

Even as someone as cautious as me, meticulously planning every step and being extremely careful, I’ve already encountered death twice!

The problem is that the taller the tree, the harder the wind blows!

With Qiu Changtian’s exceptional talent, quality, and experience, it would be quite reasonable and natural for the Demon Cult to use extreme measures to eliminate someone like him.

At this thought, Qiu Changtian suddenly remembered the Ziwei Sect Leader’s warning:

“…You have the peerless talent of Daoist Heart Clarity, which makes most of the hardships and dangers on the path of cultivation invisible to you. However, those unsolvable crises become even more perilous for you…”

With a start, he finally fully awakened.

It seems that the smooth experiences from countless times of training outside had made me develop an unconscious air of arrogance and complacency.

Thank goodness for Junior Sister Xu’s timely reminder!

I’d better stay in Kunlun and lay low for a while before considering my next move.

Senior Sister An’s life-bound sword artifact can be sought by Luo Yan, who has the least reputation and won’t attract much attention.

But what about the synchronization value of the invincible character setting? No other identity can replace Qiu Changtian in accumulating synchronization value!

Without being able to go out for training, I can’t set a good example for my junior brothers and sisters, and my synchronization value will definitely drop. What should I do…

Then, Qiu Changtian’s gaze involuntarily shifted to Xu Yinglian.

Hmm? Come to think of it, has the junior sister been somewhat negligent lately?

Always laughing and joking around in front of me, as a cultivator, one should maintain dignity; how can she be so frivolous?

Perhaps it’s because I’ve neglected her recently that she’s become so lazy.

It’s an excellent opportunity to encourage her to be diligent and focus on her cultivation while I stay at Kunlun.

Xu Yinglian, completely unaware, continued to earnestly persuade her senior brother:

“Senior brother, you’ve also fought with Demon Cult cultivators before; you must know that the Demon Art is often bizarre and venomous, making them difficult to deal with even when they’re at the same level.”

“The Heavenly Demon Path manipulates demonic heads, moving unseen; the Nether Ghost Path binds souls and refines corpses, unpredictable and strange; the Eastern Emperor Path commands beasts and controls insects, domineering and brutal; let alone the fierce monks of the Asura Path, each one bloodthirsty and not afraid of death.”

“If you recklessly venture out and are ambushed and beaten, dealing with one or two might still be manageable, but what if they come in groups? What if there are Golden Core cultivators among them?”

“I know your Thunder Method is divine, but after all, you only possess the cultivation level of Marrow Cleansing…”

“Refining Mansion rank,” Qiu Changtian suddenly interjected.

“What?” Xu Yinglian hadn’t even reacted yet.

“A few days ago, with the help of the Pure Yuan Qi Pill, I have successfully reached the Refining Mansion rank,” Qiu Changtian said earnestly.

Xu Yinglian was momentarily dazed, her mind filled with echoes of Qiu Changtian’s voice saying, “I have already reached Refining Mansion.”

Qiu Changtian was nearly the same, with the reminder of [Invincible Character Setting, Synchronization Value +1] echoing in his head, so he went on to say:

“So, Junior Sister, you’re absolutely right. The Refining Mansion stage is crucial for the process of forming the Elixir; it cannot be taken lightly.”

“I’ve decided to stay in Kunlun to cultivate in seclusion and perfect my Purple Mansion.”

“Well, that’s for the best…” Xu Yinglian was still somewhat bewildered, as if she couldn’t accept the fact that she had “suddenly been left far behind by her senior brother,” and just murmured subconsciously.

“How is Junior Sister’s cultivation progressing?” Qiu Changtian smiled.

Although it was a gentle smile, complemented by the aura of an invincible character setting, it looked like a sneer to Xu Yinglian.

It felt as if a wave of anger was rising from her throat. She tried hard to suppress the negative emotions in her heart, when she suddenly heard Qiu Changtian say:

“Junior Sister Xu, I would like to make a bet with you.”

“What bet?” Xu Yinglian immediately looked up and glared, her voice also unavoidably rising in pitch.

“For ordinary cultivators, doesn’t Marrow Cleansing take ten years?” Qiu Changtian said with a smile.

After being with his junior sister for so long, he knew exactly how to shift her attention and stop her from obsessively dwelling on a single point:

“With your talent for the Seven Orifices Exquisite Heart and the aid of the Pure Yuan Qi Pill, let’s cut that cultivation time in half. Five years, how about it?”

“Junior Sister, can you complete Marrow Cleansing within five years?”

“Why can’t I!” Xu Yinglian’s chest blazed with a fire, no longer filled with jealousy and unwillingness, but with a high-spirited flame of the will to fight, “I don’t even need five years!”

“Senior brother has Daoist Heart Clarity; since leaving the Pavilion, he only took two months to complete the Marrow Cleansing! Although my Seven Orifices Exquisite Heart can’t compare with Daoist Heart Clarity, I don’t need as long as five years, two years is more than enough!”

Qiu Changtian was nearly caught off guard by his own response: It took me two months to complete the Marrow Cleansing because of the Innate Sword Bone talent from Ling Yunpo, coupled with the Blood Sea Marrow Refining in the Shushan Demon Locking Tower—it’s the result of both these boosts! Without these ‘cheat codes,’ even someone with Daoist Heart Clarity couldn’t complete Marrow Cleansing in two months!

Before he could say anything else, he heard Xu Yinglian speaking decisively:

“If I can’t complete Marrow Cleansing within two years, catch up with you, senior brother, then what dignity do I have to be the second senior sister?”

“You don’t have to persuade me any further, senior brother; my mind is made up! Let’s make it two years—if I cannot enter the Refining Mansion, then I will…”

“Snap!” But it was Qiu Changtian who quickly covered her mouth, preventing her from rashly swearing a toxic oath with her Daoist Heart.