Xu Ziqing naturally noticed what was different about him.
Xu Ziqing had successfully broken through because of what happened at Shanyan Ridge, yet over the course of this past year he had only opened two meridians. Two more remained before he could reach Qi Refinement layer 10. At his speed of cultivation, this was already considered very fast. Yet Su Xin had clearly been two layers below him back then, and now he had nearly caught up, his spiritual radiance already showing the level of Qi Refinement layer 8.
Xu Ziqing possessed a single spiritual root, yet even he had only advanced one layer in two years. Su Xin, however, had advanced twice in the same span. Unless he had encountered some extraordinary opportunity, something must have happened that Xu Ziqing did not know about.
And moreover…
Su Xin himself gave Xu Ziqing a strangely subtle impression. The spiritual energy around him seemed purer than before, as though it had been tempered and refined, making the youth appear especially vigorous and heroic.
Xu Ziqing smiled gently and nodded. “Brother Su, you truly have changed quite a bit. Your cultivation has advanced greatly. That deserves proper congratulations.”
Su Xin’s smile widened. He came over and grabbed Xu Ziqing by the sleeve. “You’re always in seclusion, so I can hardly ever see you. There are quite a few things I haven’t had the chance to tell you… Let’s sit down and talk.”
Xu Ziqing’s arm stiffened slightly, but he did not pull away. Two years ago, Su Xin had tugged him along just as familiarly, and back then Xu Ziqing had thought nothing of it. Now, however, he found himself somewhat rigid, nearly pushing him away by reflex.
Sighing silently to himself, Xu Ziqing let Su Xin lead him over to a stone stool and sat down. He said warmly, “I was just about to ask you to tell me.”
Once seated, Su Xin looked even more carefree than before, and his lively expression carried far less worry than it used to.
The moment he sat down, he went straight to the point. “Have you heard that someone in our Alliance’s Inner Alliance accepted a difficult mission a year ago?”
Xu Ziqing paused. “I haven’t.” Then he added, “I’d like to hear the details.”
Su Xin grinned. “As it happens, this mission has a little connection to you.” His eyes held a teasing gleam as he spoke. “Your surname is Xu, and the employer’s surname is Xu too. Who knows, tens of thousands of years ago you might even have been one family.”
Something gave a sudden jolt in Xu Ziqing’s heart. His state of mind had remained steady throughout the past year, but Su Xin’s words abruptly called up memories from before.
The employer was surnamed Xu… and had issued a difficult mission.
Everyone knew that unless one’s cultivation had reached Foundation Establishment or above, getting involved in a difficult mission almost invariably meant death.
Hearing those two points, Xu Ziqing could not help forming a few guesses.
He could not tell Su Xin any of them, however, so he only smiled. “Don’t tease me, Brother Su. Go on.”
Seeing his interest, Su Xin naturally continued. “Brother Ziqing, have you heard of the Xu family of Upper Quzhou?”
So it really was them. Xu Ziqing kept his expression unchanged. “One of the Five Great Families?”
Su Xin nodded with a smile. “Exactly. The Xu family of Upper Quzhou fell out with the Tian family. Somehow, the Tian family managed to establish ties with an Essence Transformation expert from the Thunderfire Sect. I heard they even colluded with a fifth-rank demon beast from the sea and secretly laid all sorts of schemes to swallow up the Xu family and strengthen themselves. After that, they intended to deal with the other great families as well, hoping to make themselves the sole dominant power. Their ambition was enormous.” He accepted the fragrant tea Miaoyue brought over, took a sip, and continued, “The Xu family had no Essence Transformation expert of its own. Fortunately, someone warned them in advance, so they had time to prepare. They spent a great sum issuing the mission to all the major sects and also to our Rogue Cultivator Alliance, hoping to preserve the Xu family’s foundation.”
The factions within the great sects were deeply entangled, so they had never been the ideal choice to begin with. The mission would also require them to send out many experts, and so they all hesitated. In the end, Family Head Xu Zhengtian had no choice but to seek help from the Rogue Cultivator Alliance directly. The Alliance had originally wanted nothing to do with such a hot potato, but the Xu family offered an enormous benefit, and at last the Alliance Leader personally decided to accept the mission.
Xu Ziqing was deeply curious. The Rogue Cultivator Alliance gathered independent cultivators from all directions and was loose by nature, rarely provoking trouble without reason. Just what benefit had Xu Zhengtian offered to make the Alliance Leader act?
Seeing the curiosity on Xu Ziqing’s face, which he did not bother to hide, Su Xin became even more smug. “Master did it for me.”
Xu Ziqing looked even more puzzled.
Su Xin stopped keeping him in suspense. “Xu Zhengtian offered the Scarlet Flame Fruit.”
Xu Ziqing was immediately shaken. How could he possibly not know of the Scarlet Flame Fruit?
That fruit was tied to one of the greatest turning points in his life. Back when the Xu family obtained it, Tian Tao of the Tian family had wanted to seize it and used despicable means to take Xu Ziqing hostage. He had mistaken Xu Ziqing’s identity, causing the Xu family to abandon Xu Ziqing for the sake of the greater situation. Tian Tao then shattered Xu Ziqing’s dantian and cast him into the lake, nearly killing him.
It could be said that Xu Ziqing’s present circumstances had all begun with that Scarlet Flame Fruit.
And now, after all its twists and turns, the Scarlet Flame Fruit had somehow ended up in the Rogue Cultivator Alliance and was once again being mentioned right in front of him. Xu Ziqing could not help feeling deeply emotional.
Thinking back, Xu Ziqing had been the first to awaken from the illusion, which led Old He to rouse the other cultivators and allowed the Xu family to take first place and obtain the Scarlet Flame Fruit. Later, the Xu family had abandoned Xu Ziqing because of that very fruit, and Xu Ziqing, wishing to repay the debt of being raised by the Xu family, had warned them of the coming danger. Because of that warning, the Xu family escaped destruction, yet in the end they still had to give the Scarlet Flame Fruit away.
Thus, the Scarlet Flame Fruit had been gained because of Xu Ziqing and lost because of Xu Ziqing. The tangled cause and effect in all of it was difficult to untangle.
Xu Ziqing sighed inwardly and stopped dwelling on it.
If the offered reward was truly this object, then it was not difficult to understand why the Rogue Cultivator Alliance had accepted the Xu family’s request.
It really had been for Su Xin. Naturally, it had also been for the Rogue Cultivator Alliance.
The fact that Young Alliance Leader Su Xin possessed dual spiritual roots, one thick and one thin, was not difficult to discover. His thick spiritual root happened to be fire-attributed. As long as Su Xin consumed the Scarlet Flame Fruit, the thin spiritual root could be washed away, immediately transforming him into an unrivaled genius with a single spiritual root. Su Xin and the Rogue Cultivator Alliance were bound together. If he achieved great things, the Alliance’s prestige would undoubtedly rise with him.
For that reason alone, the exchange was already more than worthwhile.
Moreover, Su Xin was deeply cherished by the Alliance Leader and the elders. For the sake of this beloved junior, they were naturally willing to act and fulfill the affection and indulgence with which they had protected him for so many years.
Seeing Xu Ziqing lost in thought, Su Xin assumed he did not fully understand and patiently explained the matter without the slightest irritation. When he finished, he opened his palm. A cluster of azure-blue flames appeared there, swiftly changing through many forms. It was obvious that his control over the Azure Flame Treasure Fire had improved several times over.
“Master personally led people from the Inner Alliance and even invited the Supreme Elder out of seclusion. They resolved the matter and brought back the Scarlet Flame Fruit…” As Su Xin spoke, his eyes filled with filial admiration and affection. “…Then they had me take it immediately. I secluded myself for several months, and the cultivation that had been stalled suddenly broke through layer after layer. In just one year, I’ve reached my current realm!”
If Su Xin had been able to consume the Scarlet Flame Fruit, that meant the Xu family’s crisis had been resolved. With the Rogue Cultivator Alliance’s Supreme Elder personally taking action, preserving the Xu family had indeed been no difficult matter.
As that thought arose, Xu Ziqing suddenly felt his heart open and clear. A knot within him loosened, and spiritual power flowed continuously through his meridians. Without his noticing, several half-opened acupoints became completely unobstructed.
Only then did Xu Ziqing realize that although he had always believed sending the warning had fully repaid the Xu family’s kindness in raising him, that was not entirely true. Deep down, he had still worried about them, wondering whether they had truly received his warning and whether they would survive the catastrophe.
Now that Su Xin had brought him this news, the stone weighing on his heart was finally lifted. From this point onward, the Xu family truly had nothing more to do with him.
Xu Ziqing smiled faintly and cupped his hands. “Congratulations, Brother Su. Your immortal path will surely be broad and unobstructed from here on.”
Su Xin had met many people lately and could naturally tell that Xu Ziqing was sincerely happy for him. His delight immediately grew. “I knew you were different from everyone else. I really didn’t misjudge you when I took you for an elder brother!” At this, he gave another mischievous chuckle. “I’ve recently gotten hold of something interesting. I might as well make a gift of someone else’s spoils and share it with you.”
Xu Ziqing asked curiously, “What is it?”
Su Xin was clearly in an excellent mood. He even waggled his brows before taking a small bottle from his sleeve, setting it on the table, and pushing it over. “For you.”
Xu Ziqing opened the bottle. An overpowering wave of pungent heat immediately rushed into his nose and nearly made him sneeze.
Looking more closely, he saw that the bottle contained a type of pill. It was dark red, the color rich as blood. Unlike ordinary pills, it gave off no faint spiritual glow and instead looked rather coarse, making it strangely unsettling.
Seeing Xu Ziqing’s odd expression, Su Xin burst out laughing. “This thing is called a Spirit-Boosting Pill. It was confiscated from the Tian family.”
Xu Ziqing’s heart jolted.
A Spirit-Boosting Pill?
He immediately remembered that in the secret realm years ago, Tian Liang of the Tian family had swallowed a pill that caused his cultivation to rise rapidly, nearly taking Xu Ziqing’s life. Later, at the marketplace, Xu Ziqing had heard the pill’s name. It had indeed been the Spirit-Boosting Pill. He had never expected Su Xin to bring one out as a curiosity and place it right in front of him.
The pill did have some uses and did not appear overtly harmful, but Xu Ziqing still felt uneasy about it. He only did not know whether Su Xin had been tempted by it.
Fortunately, Su Xin’s next words allowed him to relax a little.
Su Xin said with a grin, “This Spirit-Boosting Pill was made by sea beasts. It can raise a cultivator’s cultivation for four hours, so I suppose it can be used to save one’s life in an emergency.” He explained the effects Xu Ziqing already knew, then added, “The Tian family foolishly believed it truly had no lasting consequences, and many of their clansmen took it often. But after our Alliance obtained some, we had alchemists examine it carefully and discovered something wrong.”
One of the ingredients in the Spirit-Boosting Pill was the Deep-Sea Black Coral Worm. This demon insect normally fed on carrion and accumulated a bellyful of potent poison. The poison would not kill a person outright, but it could make the blood boil extremely quickly until the vessels burst. Sea beasts crushed the worms together with a symbiotic spiritual herb and refined them crudely into Spirit-Boosting Pills.
To a cultivator, the pill appeared to have no aftereffects. In truth, the more one consumed, the more poison accumulated in the body. One day, once the effect of the symbiotic herb finally failed, the poison could ignite all the cultivator’s blood and kill them on the spot.
Understanding dawned on Xu Ziqing. He accepted the bottle and said, “This can be kept as a curiosity, but it absolutely must not be consumed. Brother Su, you must be careful.”
Seeing how earnest Xu Ziqing was, Su Xin put away his joking manner and replied seriously, “Don’t worry. I’m not that foolish. You should be careful as well.”
The two talked for a while longer before Su Xin suddenly said, “Brother Ziqing, your cultivation still seems somewhat higher than mine. You’re at least at Qi Refinement layer 9, aren’t you?”
Xu Ziqing did not know what Su Xin meant by asking, but there was nothing to hide, so he nodded. “I am indeed at Qi Refinement layer 9.”
Su Xin immediately brightened. “That’s perfect!”
Xu Ziqing looked at him curiously. “Why is that?”