Chapter 26: Chapter 26: Looking for Trouble?

"So that’s how it is!"

Jiang Xu had a sudden realization:

"Senior Brother Zong, I’m unworthy of being called your senior brother. How about this? Let’s just address each other as Fellow Daoist. What do you think, Fellow Daoist Zong?"

"I’ve lost my Cultivation, so I technically don’t even have the right to call you Senior Brother. But since you insist, it would be inappropriate for me not to agree. Greetings, Fellow Daoist Jiang. I look forward to your guidance."

With the matter settled, Jiang Xu finally breathed a sigh of relief.

It wasn’t that he was overly obsessed with titles.

The main reason was that Zong Ziqi used to be an Inner Sect Disciple.

If Zong Ziqi called Jiang Xu "Senior Brother" and other Inner Sect Disciples saw it, they might take offense.

Wouldn’t Jiang Xu just be asking for trouble for no reason?

If he happened to run into some petty-minded person who decided to make trouble for him over such a small thing...

...Jiang Xu would be left wanting to cry but having no tears to shed.

"By the way, Fellow Daoist Zong, did you say you want to start cultivating again, focusing on Body Cultivation?"

"Yes, but for now it’s just an idea. I haven’t bought a Body Cultivation Technique yet. Fellow Daoist Jiang, about your Body Cultivation Technique... oh, I’m not trying to ask for your technique. I just wanted to ask what channel you used to buy it. Could you possibly share that?"

In the Cultivation Realm, prying into someone else’s Cultivation Techniques and Magic is an act that can easily arouse hostility.

Because once others know your information, they can take targeted countermeasures against you, which is very dangerous.

Every Immortal Cultivator must keep a few trump cards hidden from others to maximize their chances of survival.

That’s why Zong Ziqi quickly explained himself, to avoid any misunderstanding with Jiang Xu.

"To be honest with you, I’m only practicing a Mortal Cultivation Method. I don’t have any channels to get a real Body Cultivation Technique either."

"After all, a true Body Cultivation Technique consumes far too many resources. Just reaching the Body Refining Early Stage can cost dozens of Spirit Stones. I really can’t afford it."

Jiang Xu answered truthfully.

"I see. That’s a shame."

Zong Ziqi shook his head, lamenting with some disappointment.

"Why don’t you go ask at the Scripture Pavilion, Fellow Daoist Zong?" Jiang Xu asked. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

"The Scripture Pavilion... Of course! How could I have forgotten... Thank you, Fellow Daoist!"

Zong Ziqi slammed his right fist into his left palm, looking as if he’d just remembered a brilliant move.

"..."

Jiang Xu was speechless.

’Is the Scripture Pavilion really that forgettable?’

...

"Big Bro, do you think that kid will agree to join our Tiger and Wolf Association?"

A burly man with the back of a tiger and the waist of a bear, who nonetheless looked a bit dim-witted, said to the short, skinny man next to him who resembled a monkey.

"Tch, a moron like you dares to question me?"

The skinny man leaped up and slapped the burly man hard on the head, cursing under his breath.

The burly man acted as if he hadn’t felt a thing, his expression still foolishly simple.

"I’ve already investigated. That kid just barely managed to get promoted to the Outer Sect at the five-year deadline. Before that, he was just a Spirit Plant Cultivator."

"And according to the intel I gathered, he has no background and no real skills. All his Spirit Stones were taken by some woman, so naturally, his strength couldn’t improve."

"This kind of person is the easiest to control!"

The skinny man spoke with great confidence, clearly thinking it was a sure thing.

"But if all the kid’s Spirit Stones were taken by a woman, wouldn’t our trip be for nothing?"

the burly man said in his booming voice.

"How could that be? The guy just collected his Spirit Stones yesterday. Unless he gave them away right after he got them. Who in the world could be that stu—"

The skinny man abruptly stopped talking mid-sentence.

He recalled the reports about Jiang Xu’s behavior and suddenly realized that such a scenario wasn’t entirely impossible.

No, there was a very high probability that those twenty Spirit Stones were already gone.

’If the Spirit Stones are gone, what’s the point of even going over there?’

The skinny man felt like an idiot.

He felt as if his own intelligence had dropped to the level of his idiotic subordinate’s.

"Big Bro, are we still going?"

The burly man asked, confused, seeing the skinny man had stopped walking.

"We’re going!"

The skinny man gritted his teeth.

"We’ve already come this far. It would be a waste of half a day’s walk not to go! Worst case, we’ll just beat the kid up to vent some frustration!"

"Big Bro, why are you angry?" the burly man asked, genuinely puzzled.

"Shut up!"

...

"So that’s how it is!"

Jiang Xu was ecstatic.

If you were to ask why...

...it could only be said that Zong Ziqi was truly worthy of his reputation as a genius Inner Sect Disciple, a former Qi Cultivation Sixth Layer cultivator who had a Foundation Establishment Elder as his master.

All these buffs stacked together completely overshadowed a Servant Disciple who was practically a Loose Cultivator.

Whether it was his cultivation experience or his breadth of knowledge, he was leagues ahead of Jiang Xu.

Whenever Jiang Xu asked about aspects of cultivation he didn’t understand, Zong Ziqi could immediately provide clear, easy-to-understand explanations that resolved his doubts.

The effect was so good that even the panel affirmed it.

Prompts of [Cangmu Skill · Skill Level +1] would occasionally float by.

This made Jiang Xu overjoyed.

He knew that it usually took a full hour of practice to increase the Cangmu Skill by one point, and he couldn’t cultivate too much in a single day. Otherwise, after too many Great Cycles, his meridians would ache and swell, risking cultivation deviation.

Now that his Cangmu Skill could gain extra Skill Level, and quickly at that, Jiang Xu was absolutely beaming.

If the Cangmu Skill’s Skill Level could reach Mastery, not only would his cultivation speed increase, but there was also a high chance his Lifespan would increase again.

An increased Lifespan didn’t just mean living longer; it also boosted the acquisition rate of Limit-Breaking Points, which was equivalent to accelerating the speed at which his strength grew.

Jiang Xu now felt more and more sorry for Zong Ziqi’s plight.

’He’s such a good person. How could he be so unlucky?’

Sigh!

But just as Jiang Xu was ravenously absorbing this knowledge...

BANG BANG BANG—!!!

"The Tiger and Wolf Association is here! Is Jiang Xu here? Get out here!"

"Yeah, get out here!"

The arrogant shouts were mixed with the sound of the bamboo forest being destroyed.

Jiang Xu’s mood instantly soured.

’Who the hell picks a time like this to cause trouble?’

Although he was in a foul mood, Jiang Xu didn’t react immediately.

He used the Spiritual Eye Technique and saw two Qi Cultivation Third Layer Cultivators shouting in front of his residence.

"What is it? Have enemies come knocking?" Zong Ziqi asked.

"I haven’t made any enemies. Where would enemies come from?" Jiang Xu was very confused.

Jiang Xu got up to go take a look, but seeing that Zong Ziqi intended to accompany him, he quickly waved his hand to stop him.

"You don’t need to go. I can handle this myself."

With that, Jiang Xu walked toward his own immortal cave.

...

"Big Bro, he’s not coming out!"

the burly man said to the skinny one.

"Not coming out? If he won’t come out, just smash his immortal cave! Let’s see if he comes out then!"

The skinny man pointed at the gate of Jiang Xu’s courtyard, about to signal the burly man to break it down.

The burly man hesitated after hearing this.

"Is that a good idea? This is the Sect’s property. What if they make us pay for it?"

"Are you stupid?! If anyone asks, we just deny it. Now, go!"