Immortals and Demons Forever

Chapter 4: The Cruel Reality

Two years later. Lingxiao Sect comprised five peaks: the main peak, Tianjian Peak, followed by Floating Cloud Peak, Luoxia Peak, Misty Peak, and Lieyan Peak. The primary duty of outer-sect disciples was to serve the inner-sect disciples, spending their days busy with menial tasks. Even so, those without any connections were still willing to remain in the Outer Sect, as they could at least receive cultivation-enhancing pills once a month. At the foot of Blazing Flame Peak lay a residential area where the Outer Court was established. Night was falling. With a loud crash, the door of a dilapidated wooden hut in the Outer Courtyard was kicked open. A tall, burly teenager strode in, swaying his head from side to side, followed by three underlings. Two people were inside the hut; upon hearing the commotion, they immediately scrambled out of bed. “If I don’t come in person, do you think my words are just a load of crap? Hand over the three Bone-Cleansing Pills for this month—it’s a waste for you two good-for-nothings to even take them.” Of the two men in the room, one was a huge fat guy, while the other had delicate features and a tall, straight build—though his complexion was extremely pale. The chubby teenager hurried over with a ingratiating smile. “Oh my, what brings Brother Qiang here? “The Bone-Washing Pills were distributed, but it’s such bad luck—this morning the steward made me carry a huge bundle to Piao Feng Peak. I had to make several round trips. You know how little stamina I have—I couldn’t handle it. I fell over a few times along the way, and when I got back and checked my stuff, I realized I’d dropped my pill bottle. What a damn stroke of bad luck!” “Qian Fatso, is that really true?” “It’s absolutely true. If even a single word is a lie, may I be struck by five bolts of lightning!” The fat man looked dead serious as he pointed to his knees and thighs, which were indeed covered in several bruises. The tall, burly teenager nodded, then suddenly slammed a fist into Fat Qian’s face, instantly knocking him to the ground. “Fat Qian, I didn’t hit you because I didn’t believe you—it’s because you’re as dumb as a pig!” Fat Qian clutched his face as he lay on the ground, wailing in pain. “Zhong Qiang, don’t push it too far!” the delicate-looking teenager inside the room snapped. “Trying to be the one to stick your neck out? What about yours?” “I’ve already used it up. Even if I still had it, I wouldn’t give it to you!” Zhong Qiang burst into loud laughter, turning to the crowd around him. “Listen to this, listen to this! Junior Brother Su Mu sure talks a big game—he’s not giving me any face at all. Do you know why?” A horse-faced youth standing nearby chuckled, “Who doesn’t know? He’s got Senior Sister Cheng Yao backing him up. That delicate little face of his can’t be harmed. Junior Brother Su sure knows how to hide behind a woman—he’s famous throughout our Outer Sect for making a living off his looks.” “What did you say? Say that again!” Su Mu instantly flew into a rage. “Oh my, you nearly gave me a heart attack! I’d almost forgotten—when Junior Brother Su Mu first joined the sect, he was actually an inner-sect disciple for a while! He must have learned some incredible martial arts. I really should ask him to teach me a thing or two.” Zhong Qiang said with a chuckle, then suddenly swung a punch at him. Su Mu immediately countered with a punch of his own. With a loud “thud,” their fists collided. Instantly, his qi and blood went haywire, and he stumbled backward, crashing into the wall with a clang before tumbling to the ground. “What’s going on? I only used fifty percent of my strength. How come you went down, Junior Brother Su Mu? You’re Elder Qingsong’s top disciple, after all. Could it be that you haven’t put any effort into your cultivation this past year, spending all your time thinking about how to win Senior Sister Cheng Yao’s favor? Haha.” Su Mu gritted his teeth and tried to get back up, but the punch had been too powerful. He braced himself with both arms on the ground, only to collapse again with a thud. Zhong Qiang clapped his hands. “A loser is a loser. He’s practically a stain on my hands. Let’s get out of here. If I beat him too badly, Junior Brother Su Mu would definitely run to Senior Sister Cheng Yao to tattle on me. How scary.” The people standing nearby burst into laughter. Zhong Qiang waved his hand and turned to leave, just as he stepped out the door. “Stop right there!” Su Mu forced himself to his feet. “What’s the matter, Junior Brother Su Mu? Do you have some advice for me?” “I, Su Mu, intend to be a man of integrity and honor. I’m certainly not the sort who hides behind women, as you’ve accused me of doing. In seven days, we’ll have a fair fight in the open—you pick the location.” Zhong Qiang raised an eyebrow. “Since you’re saying this here, can I take that to mean—you’re challenging me to a duel?” “So what if I am?” “Great! I’ve been waiting for this. Let’s meet at the lecture platform. Just don’t go crying later.” “It’s a deal!” Zhong Qiang laughed heartily and walked away with a few of his henchmen waiting outside. As soon as they were gone, Fat Qian sat up with a jolt and hurriedly brushed the dust off his clothes. “Da Fu, how are you holding up?” This roommate and friend of Su Mu’s in the Outer Sect was named Qian Dafu. His family was in business, and he’d longed for the world of the Source Cultivators since childhood. It had cost his father a small fortune, but after great effort, he’d finally managed to gain admission to the Lingxiao Sect’s Outer Sect. While many who failed the entrance exams were left to mope and suffer here, he had performed exceptionally well and was actually quite happy to be here—a natural optimist, though he’d been ostracized more than a few times due to his extremely poor cultivation level. After Su Mu arrived here, a stroke of luck led him to become friends with Qian Dafu. The minimum cultivation requirement for inner-sect disciples is the Yuan Tu level, marked by the ability to condense a Seed of Source Power in the dantian. The cultivation levels above Yuan Tu are, in order: Yuan Wu, Source Master, Source King, Source Venerable, Source Sage, and Source Emperor. Outer Sect disciples are, of course, all below the Yuan Tu level, and there are two cultivation realms: Innate and Acquired. The Innate realm includes Refining the Skin, Refining the Bones, Refining the Blood, and Refining the Qi. Upon reaching the Qi Refining stage, one can generate a strength of over a thousand jin, making them virtually unstoppable among ordinary people. The Postnatal stage comprises Marrow Purification, Eye Awakening, Soul Opening, and Source Condensation; upon reaching the final step—the peak of the Postnatal realm—one can condense a Source Power Seed. The human body has eight meridians; opening one Source Meridian allows one to cross a major threshold, a process known as “Opening the Eight Meridians.” Currently, only four Source Meridians are open within Su Mu’s body. Through two years of effort, his physique has strengthened considerably; he is no longer as frail as before, and his strength has greatly increased. He is now at the mid-Prenatal stage, having just reached the Blood Refinement stage. This level of strength is considered relatively weak among Outer Sect disciples; the Bone-Washing Pill is used specifically to open the fifth Source Meridian. “It’s fine. I’ve got thick skin. It only hurt for a moment just now, and I’m feeling much better now.” A year ago, Su Mu had undergone a total of six treatments administered by Elder Qingsong, but none had been successful. According to the sect’s rules, he had no choice but to be expelled. Elder Qingsong took pity on Su Mu. If the stagnant poison within his body could not be purged, it would flare up in two years, and death from the poison’s effects would be inevitable. Simply put, he had only two years left to live. Elder Qingsong had pleaded with the Sect Master on his behalf, allowing him to join the Outer Sect—which was as much compassion and consideration as anyone could expect. Having been demoted from the Inner Sect to the Outer Sect, the others had no idea of his situation, and their scorn and ridicule never ceased for a single moment. Elder Qingsong was one of the most outstanding elders; as the saying goes, “A great teacher produces great disciples,” but Su Mu was undoubtedly an exception. Just half a month after he arrived at the mountain, he was branded a “good-for-nothing,” a label he could never shake off.