Martial Sage from the Vajra Skill

"Junior Brother Xu, what is it?"

Sun Tao glanced around. Seeing no one nearby, he asked in a low voice.

"Xiao Hua sent someone to attack me today. You need to be careful, Senior Brother," Xu Yang said.

Sun Tao’s expression changed drastically. "Junior Brother Xu, are you alright? That old dog really is trying to cut the weeds and pull out the roots."

Xu Yang shook his head. "I’m fine. I managed to kill the person he sent. But don’t say a word about this to anyone. Just pretend you don’t know anything."

Sun Tao nodded. "Don’t worry, I won’t tell a soul. You should go down the mountain less from now on."

If Xu Yang didn’t leave the mountain, Xiao Hua would have no opportunity to harm him.

Xu Yang nodded and said, "Senior Brother Sun, there’s something I’d like to ask for your help with."

In reality, he wanted to ask Sun Tao to help him exchange contribution points for an Elixir. Disciples were limited to exchanging for one Gang Qi Realm Elixir per month, and he had already used his monthly quota. He hoped Sun Tao could make the exchange for him, which would also reduce the number of transactions recorded under his name.

The number of contribution points he was spending far exceeded what he was earning. If Xiao Hua investigated him from this angle, it could easily lead to trouble.

"Leave it to me!" Sun Tao promised, patting his chest.

He didn’t refuse, even if the contribution points came from a questionable source. He was a proper senior brother, and besides, he and Xu Yang now faced a common enemy. Xu Yang’s strength was his own.

The two parted ways, and Xu Yang went to the dining hall.

When he returned to his courtyard, Sun Tao quietly entered his room and handed him a Profound Yuan Qi Transformation Pill.

After they separated, Sun Tao had gone to exchange for the Profound Yuan Qi Transformation Pill on Xu Yang’s behalf.

Xu Yang cupped his hands in a salute. "Many thanks, Senior Brother Sun!"

Sun Tao waved his hand and quickly left Xu Yang’s room.

...

「The Xiao Family Estate.」

"How the hell does that bastard Ma Jun do anything? He patted his chest and guaranteed me that killing Xu Yang was a sure thing, yet he let Xu Yang come back alive."

Xiao Hua’s expression was grim. He had already received news that Xu Yang was not dead and had returned to the Purple Sun Sect alive.

"Absolutely useless. Can’t even tail someone at the Initial Stage of Gang Qi."

He assumed that they had lost Xu Yang while tailing him, which was how Xu Yang had managed to return alive.

He thought about getting up to find Ma Jun, but seeing that it was already late, he knew it wouldn’t be appropriate to go to the Outer Disciple residences at this hour. He could only restrain himself and look for Ma Jun tomorrow.

...

The next day, the first thing Xu Yang did upon opening his eyes was to look at his panel:

[Obtained Ten-Perfection Rejuvenation Pill, Points +5]

[Obtained Gathering Essence Pill Formula, Points +20]

[Killed Ma Jun, Points +10]

[Killed robber and seized Ten-Perfection Rejuvenation Pill, Points +3]

[Martial Arts Longevity Points: 94]

’My points are almost at one hundred again.’

He sat up in bed and circulated his energy to continue refining the residual medicinal power of the Ten-Perfection Rejuvenation Pill in his body.

’I now have nine Ten-Perfection Rejuvenation Pills and one Profound Yuan Qi Transformation Pill. Once I’ve used up all these Elixirs, my progress with the Fuyue Bear Scripture should be about halfway complete.’

’By then, I’ll be much stronger than I am now. But if I were to face Xiao Hua, I still don’t know if I could escape.’

’For the time being, my goal is survival. I can’t be extravagant and hope to kill Xiao Hua just yet.’

’However, as long as Xiao Hua doesn’t find out I was the one who killed Ma Jun, he probably won’t make a move against me directly. And if he doesn’t, I’ll have time to grow stronger.’

’As long as I learn how to make the Gathering Essence Pill, I’m confident I can quickly reach Gang Qi Great Success, and maybe even the Marrow Cleansing realm.’

’Next, I’ll focus all my efforts on raising my Cultivation and practicing Stepping on Gang and Chasing Wind.’

Stepping on Gang and Chasing Wind was an escape technique. If he could master it to the Great Success stage, he might be able to escape from a Marrow Cleansing expert.

In the following days, Xu Yang did his sect tasks while secretly taking Ten-Perfection Rejuvenation Pills to raise his Cultivation. At the same time, he trained diligently in Stepping on Gang and Chasing Wind, hoping to master it to the Great Success stage.

With a constant supply of Elixirs, he experienced for the first time the thrill of "burning money" to raise his Cultivation. Thanks to his Perfect Root Bone, he absorbed one hundred percent of the medicinal effects, and his Cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds.

For an ordinary person, a single Ten-Perfection Rejuvenation Pill was equivalent to a month of arduous cultivation. And he had nine of them.

At the same time, news of what had happened at the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion auction spread among the Outer Disciples. Many now knew that Xu Yang had spent a fortune at the auction, not only winning a bottle of Ten-Perfection Rejuvenation Pills but also a "useless" Gathering Essence Pill Formula.

"Junior Brother Xu actually attended that auction?"

Sun Tao was astonished when he heard the news. No wonder Xiao Hua had found an opportunity to move against him.

Zhang Yong said, "Everyone always said he was cautious and meticulous. I never expected him to have the guts to attend a Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion auction."

He looked as if he was seeing Xu Yang for the first time.

’That damn old dog!’ Murderous intent surged within Sun Tao.

’Junior Brother Xu is cautious; he would never do something so risky. He only went down the mountain and took such a risk because Xiao Hua had him targeted, forcing him to take a chance.’

Zhang Yong had no idea what he and Xu Yang were truly facing.

"Junior Brother Xu should be close to reaching Gang Qi Minor Achievement," Jiang Ping said, unconcerned with the other details.

Because he had yet to reach Gang Qi Minor Achievement, many in the Outer Sect felt Xu Yang wasn’t qualified to be ranked among the Ten Heroes. But they knew that Xu Yang’s talent was not much worse than Lu Ren’s.

The reason he hadn’t reached Gang Qi Minor Achievement wasn’t a lack of talent, but a lack of resources.

Now, with this bottle of Ten-Perfection Rejuvenation Pills, Xu Yang would surely reach Gang Qi Minor Achievement soon.

Zhang Yong nodded. "It should be soon."

It wasn’t just them; many people knew that Xu Yang was on the verge of reaching Gang Qi Minor Achievement.

Within a month, or two to three at the most, Xu Yang would certainly reach Gang Qi Minor Achievement.

...

"Useless trash!"

In the Xiao Family estate, Xiao Hua’s expression was grim.

He had already found out that Ma Jun had not returned to the Purple Sun Sect for several days. Members of the Dawn Association had gone to Cyan Yang City to search for him but had come up empty-handed.

It was said that they traced Ma Jun to the place where he was last seen, where they found terrifying signs of a battle. The soil looked as if it had been scorched by a blazing fire.

In the end, the people from the Dawn Association concluded that Ma Jun must have gone to rob and kill the Blazing Blade, only to be killed by the Blazing Blade instead.

"Blazing Blade... don’t let me find out who you are!"