Thanks To My Unlimited Investment, I'm Admired By All Races - Xianxia

"Junior Brother, you are thoughtful."

Li Xun did not feign humility or make a show of rejecting the jade box. Instead, he reached out and accepted it directly.

He was no saint—when he made sacrifices, he naturally hoped for some form of reward. Similarly, Ye Han was no ingrate. Having received Li Xun’s help, he constantly sought opportunities to repay the favor.

This reciprocal exchange was how normal people interacted. If one side always gave without compensation and the other never considered returning the favor, their relationship would likely have dissolved long ago.

"As long as Senior Brother is satisfied," Ye Han said with a sigh of relief.

It seemed his master had judged correctly this time.

Senior Brother Li Xun did indeed need a body refinement technique. On reflection, it made perfect sense. Previously, Ye Han had gifted Senior Brother the Golden Body Technique, which Li Xun had already cultivated to total completion. Naturally, he was in need of a new body refinement technique.

"Jade and Golden Glaze Technique," Li Xun read the name of the body refinement technique before putting it away.

There were still several days left before the Phoenix Origin Secret Realm opened. This was the perfect time to cultivate. With the help of the Mind-Clarity Bodhi Seed, achieving total completion in this technique would be unlikely in such a short time, but reaching minor completion should be feasible.

Of course, progress would be faster with the assistance of medicinal baths. After returning, he decided he would visit Zhen Tian City to search for suitable spiritual herbs.

"If the two of you have no other matters, I will take my leave now," the middle-aged man said with a smile.

After the middle-aged man departed, Elder Xie approached with a broad smile. Although there had been some twists and turns today, overall, the Profound Sun Sect had been the biggest winner.

As for offending the Beast Taming Sect...

Elder Xie wasn’t worried. The Profound Sun Sect was no weaker than the Beast Taming Sect. Without absolute certainty, the Beast Taming Sect wouldn’t dare to start a conflict.

Thinking of the Profound Sun Sect’s position, with both a genius like Li Xun and a prodigy like Ye Han emerging in their ranks, Elder Xie couldn’t help but laugh.

Once both Li Xun and Ye Han matured, even the Great Zhou Empire would likely have to tread carefully around the Profound Sun Sect.

After praising Li Xun and Ye Han a few times, Elder Xie released a flying treasure and called all the disciples aboard, leading them back to their lodgings.

Compared to the cheerful atmosphere of the Profound Sun Sect, the Beast Taming Sect was mired in gloom.

The contrast between the sect’s upper echelon was stark: in a single exchange, the relative strengths of the two sides had been made abundantly clear.

If that were the only issue, it might have been bearable.

But the real problem was this: one of their most promising disciples had been slain by Ye Han of the Profound Sun Sect. They wished for revenge but lacked any legitimate grounds.

After all, the Beast Taming Sect disciple had not uttered the words "I surrender" before his death.

Since he hadn’t conceded, the battle was still ongoing. Ye Han’s actions, while heavy-handed, fell within the bounds of the rules. There was no fault to be found.

And yet, swallowing their anger was equally impossible for the Beast Taming Sect.

"Why did you stop me earlier, Elder?"

In one of the rooms, a young voice rang out.

Ning Cheng stood tall, gazing out the window, his body still radiating killing intent. Clearly, he was dissatisfied with the elder’s intervention during the day.

He knew his personal combat strength was no match for Li Xun.

But what if he unleashed his beast?

In Ning Cheng’s view, the outcome of a battle between him and Li Xun would be far from certain once his beast was released.

"I wasn’t stopping you—I was saving you!"

The black-robed elder, thin and wiry, sat cross-legged on the floor. His gray-white hair draped down, and his sharp eyes seemed to pierce through the soul.

The elder continued, "Do you think you could have fought evenly against Li Xun of the Profound Sun Sect if you had released your beast?"

"Absolutely!" Ning Cheng’s voice was firm and resolute, ringing like clashing steel.

"If you released your beast, you would indeed stand a chance against him," the elder nodded slightly.

"Then why, Elder—" Ning Cheng asked, confused.

"Foolish!" The elder cut him off with a cold shout, his eyes glinting.

"Li Xun’s speed is terrifying. He has undoubtedly cultivated a movement technique of at least Earth level. With his agility, do you think he would give you the time to release your beast?"

"The moment the aura of your beast began to seep from your spirit beast bag, Li Xun would have already made his move!"

"If I hadn’t stopped you, the instant you released your beast, Li Xun could have killed you in a single blow!"

"Without your control, the beast in your spirit bag, no matter how terrifying, would be nothing more than a masterless feral creature in the eyes of others."

"At that point, Li Xun wouldn’t even need to act. The Northern King could crush it with a mere thought!"

"This..." Ning Cheng hesitated, uncertainty clouding his face. "Elder, aren’t you overestimating him and underestimating us? Could Li Xun really be that strong?"

The elder sneered and glanced at Ning Cheng. "Even with all my assumptions, I may still be underestimating him. I cannot fully grasp the extent of Li Xun’s true strength."

"But I can tell you this: without your beast, you wouldn’t survive even a single move against him!"

Hearing these words, Ning Cheng fell into a moment of despondency. He had always thought of himself as one of the strongest among the younger generation. He never imagined the gap between himself and Li Xun would be so vast.

If these words had come from someone else, Ning Cheng wouldn’t have believed a single syllable.

But now, hearing it from his own elder, the truth felt undeniable.

"You need not be so disheartened. The Phoenix Origin Secret Realm holds something you need. Once you obtain it, your beast will ascend to even greater heights!"

"At that point, forget Li Xun—even the most gifted prodigies across the Great Zhou Empire will be no match for you!"

The elder’s tone softened. His intention wasn’t to destroy Ning Cheng’s confidence but to help him recognize the disparity and focus his efforts.

"What does the elder mean...?" Ning Cheng asked curiously, looking up.

"The blood of an ancient Qiongqi."

The elder’s voice grew solemn. "At this stage, I will not hide it from you. The Phoenix Origin Secret Realm contains two crucial drops of blood."

"One is the blood of a Qiongqi, and the other is the blood of a Vermilion Bird. Once you enter the realm, someone will assist you in obtaining the Qiongqi blood."

"But at the same time, you must help this individual acquire the Vermilion Bird blood!"

"And who is this person the elder speaks of?" Ning Cheng asked again.

"Their exact identity cannot be revealed for now. However, I can tell you this much: they are from the Great Chu Dynasty," the elder said slowly.

"The Great Chu Dynasty..." Ning Cheng’s eyes narrowed, but he quickly dismissed the thought.

At this moment, his mind was entirely focused on the Qiongqi blood.

Though it wasn’t the essence blood of a Qiongqi, its value was still unimaginable.

If his beast consumed it, it could likely break through to a higher level in an instant.

Once his beast advanced, it would truly reach the Divine Power Realm!

A Divine Power Realm beast infused with the bloodline of an ancient Qiongqi...

As the elder had said, a mere Li Xun wouldn’t stand a chance!