Chapter 123: Unbearable Pain

The cap was removed, and the golden mist instantly sank to the bottom of the bottle. Su Yizhao recited the secret chant, his hands forming seals as he began to circulate his cultivation technique.

"The transcendent body is but the limit; gold essence is hard to find, the pain is unbearable; the five elements enter the flesh, turning blood and bone into gold...!"

As the technique engaged, a wisp of mist drifted from the jade bottle, winding its way toward the center of Su Yizhao’s brow.

Su Yizhao closed his eyes slightly. But the moment the mist touched his brow, his entire body shuddered, and his eyes snapped wide open.

Pain! Unbearable pain! It felt as if his flesh were being torn apart, as if a foreign substance were being forcefully fused into his very being. He hurriedly stoppered the jade bottle, focusing his mind on refining the wisp of mist at his brow.

As the mist entered his body, a golden dot the size of a needle prick appeared between his eyebrows. As his technique continued to circulate, the golden dot slowly dissipated. Su Yizhao was drenched in sweat from the agony.

Only now did he truly grasp the meaning of "the transcendent body is but the limit; gold essence is hard to find, the pain is unbearable." For most cultivators, body refinement nearly ended here. First, Gold Essence Sand was incredibly precious and rare. Even if a bottle were to appear, it would immediately be bought or seized by powerful factions, leaving most cultivators without even a chance to see it, let alone obtain the several bottles required to succeed. Second, there was the unbearable pain.

Of course, none of this was a problem for Su Yizhao. He gritted his teeth and held on with grim determination. After the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, the golden dot completely vanished into his brow.

However, this was only a single wisp of mist! Su Yizhao looked down at the jade bottle in his hand; that wisp was at most one-hundredth of the bottle's contents. He would have to endure this level of pain four or five hundred times? After a moment of internal deliberation, he resolutely removed the stopper once more.

***

In the southern region, near the center and four or five thousand miles away from Su Yizhao, stood a towering mountain peak. Mo Yutang stood upon it.

"You were slapped, humiliated, and lost face, so you must strike back twofold!" A voice emanated from a wooden hut.

Mo Yutang replied in a low voice, "I cannot defeat him. Even if I advance to the Eight Void Realm, I still cannot!"

"Yutang!" the voice from the hut said, sounding earnest. "A person must always rely on themselves. Go now, advance to the Eight Void Realm first, then challenge him again. How will you know if you don't try?"

Disappointment flickered in Mo Yutang's eyes, but he still cupped his hands and said, "Yes!"

As he turned to leave, the voice from the hut spoke again: "I am at a critical stage in cultivating my demonic arts and cannot leave seclusion for the time being!"

Mo Yutang's face darkened—so that was why. Suddenly, he asked respectfully, "Then, could you perhaps give a word and arrange for some people to..."

"Shut up!" The tone from the hut was sharp, yet it carried no hint of genuine anger.

Mo Yutang fell silent.

"The Mo family’s reputation does not require outsiders to help restore it!"

Mo Yutang was speechless. The Mo family might not need it, but he certainly did!

The Mo family was a vast clan, comprising more than just those of the Mo bloodline. Countless factions, large and small, with their tangled web of interests, had forged this massive house. He believed that if a single order were issued from that hut, few among the elite disciples would dare to defy it. This was due to both power and status. He was still young and possessed neither. He could get by outside, but among the elite disciples, his words held no weight.

Mo Yutang felt stifled. Suddenly, the voice from the hut spoke again: "There is an unwritten rule among the elite disciples."

Upon hearing this, Mo Yutang’s eyes lit up instantly!

"In the southern region, the strongest among the previous batch of elite disciples is ranked seventy-sixth from the bottom. He has always sought to curry favor with the Mo family. Go and have him enforce this unwritten rule."

"Yes!" Mo Yutang began to smile.

"Go!"

"Yes!" Mo Yutang’s smile was radiant. He turned and sped away.

An unwritten rule! The previous batch could collect "protection fees" from the incoming batch! They could even teach the newcomers how to be proper elite disciples! This was perfect! First, collect the profound stones, then give them a beating! If they dared to resist, he would drag them straight to the Life and Death Arena! Mo Yutang chuckled as he dashed off.

***

In Haohan City, at the headquarters of the Gou Family Auction House, Gou Jianren wore a look of astonishment. He said to Qin Hongyi, "There should be no problem for them to enter the Xuantian Sect, but you want to go too?"

Gou Haitian and Chi Xiangdong both held golden plaques in their right hands. These were the very plaques Su Yizhao had left for them, granting them direct entry into the Xuantian Sect.

Qin Hongyi nodded. "Fellow Daoist Su is a disciple of the Xuantian Sect, so naturally, I must go as well!"

"This... I understand, but how do you intend to enter?" Gou Jianren frowned slightly.

Indeed, how? She hadn't participated in the trials, so she didn't even have the opportunity to become an ordinary disciple. Pulling strings or spending profound stones—neither was a possibility!

Yet, Qin Hongyi said calmly, "Is being Su Yizhao’s attendant not enough?"

Everyone froze instantly! Damn it! What kind of reason was that? "Enough"? There had never been a precedent for such a thing!

If every top-ranked disciple on the Heaven Ranking could bring people along, would the Xuantian Sect still be the top sect in the continent? It simply wouldn't do! It was against the rules and would be a laughingstock!

Gou Jianren thought to himself that it would be better if she didn't go. If a great beauty were always by his side, the Young Master might become displeased if he found out! He said earnestly, "Hongyi, just stay here at the headquarters. With your extensive experience as an auctioneer, you are sure to flourish here!"

"But I owe him a great many high-grade profound stones, and I must work by his side to repay them!"

Work by his side to repay them? Offer herself in marriage? Gou Haitian and Chi Xiangdong exchanged glances, their minds drifting toward thoughts unsuitable for children.

Gou Haitian asked curiously, "How much do you owe that you need to work by his side?"

Chi Xiangdong ventured a guess: "Fifty thousand?"

Gou Jianren remained silent. He, of course, knew exactly how much! Three hundred million! Could a mere employee ever pay that back? Forget working at the headquarters; even if she worked at an auction house in the Upper Realm, she would never pay it off in her lifetime! This woman was truly calculating.

Qin Hongyi held up three fingers to the two men.

Chi Xiangdong nodded. "Three hundred thousand. Work hard at the headquarters, and you can pay it off in two or three years!"

Gou Haitian said disappointedly, "That’s not too much!"

Qin Hongyi lowered her head and whispered, "Three hundred million!"

"What?" Gou Haitian and Chi Xiangdong were shocked! Three hundred million! Would Su Yizhao really have three hundred million high-grade profound stones? Even if he did, he wouldn't lend them all to her!

Gou Jianren nodded. "Three hundred million is indeed a large sum. In this, I truly cannot help! And of course, I cannot help with the matter of entering the Xuantian Sect either!"

Gou Haitian and Chi Xiangdong were stunned! So it was true! They realized the situation and immediately stared intently at Qin Hongyi. She must not be allowed to run off! That was Su Yizhao’s three hundred million profound stones! And high-grade ones at that!

The two said in unison, "Fellow Daoist Qin, you absolutely must go to the Xuantian Sect and give it a try!"