Chapter 54: Handwriting

Some cultivators opposite sneered and cursed, "You idiots."

Some of them had joined the Heavenly Mystery Dao Sect since childhood, some had shown remarkable cultivation talent in their youth, and one was sent by his family to further his studies.

They felt no attachment to the Heavenly Mystery Dao Sect.

Yet these nine people, clearly possessing decent cultivation, could enjoy offerings or elder‑level treatment if they left the Heavenly Mystery Sect for other sects.

How can they be so stubborn, thinking they can fight the Ye family with nothing? Do they really think Ye Xuan is a fool, with no precautions?

Not even caring about preserving their lives, they still want to escort the young sect master to Cloud Sea City?

Tsk!

It's practically suicide.

With just a dozen or so people, they'd likely die on the road before even reaching the Ye family's territory.

"I'm also willing to follow the young sect master; if I die, I die—I have no parents, nothing to hold me back."

Suddenly, the younger sister of a pair of twin miscellaneous laborers stepped forward, gritted her teeth, and moved to the left.

The twin's older sister grabbed her hand: "Are you crazy? You also want to follow the young master to your death?"

"Sister, if the young master hadn't taken us in, we wouldn't even have had money for our father's funeral. I can't betray kindness and abandon duty; I'll spend this life as an ox or horse, following the young master." The younger sister said firmly, "Sister, you go on."

The older sister, both disappointed and angry, stamped her foot, but ultimately stood on the right.

Soon, all the disciples and elders of the sect had made their choices.

Only ten were willing to follow Su Chen away.

More than three hundred seventy refused to sign the contract, wanting to leave the sect with their spirit stones.

Regarding this,

Su Chen's face showed no obvious change; he tossed the previously prepared spirit‑stone storage bag onto the ground at random.

He said, half‑smiling, "Very well, since you've made your choice, you may leave."

"But those who stay must sign a contract, for I hope to avoid traitors in what lies ahead."

"Furthermore, I have no habit of morally blackmailing others or forcing their will; from now on you walk your sunny path, I walk my narrow bridge, and you are no longer members of the Heavenly Mystery Dao Sect."

"I'll say this up front: after crossing this hurdle, life or death aside, I hope none of you will regret it."

"Regret?"

"What is there to regret?" someone wondered.

"Regret the choice you've just made—now take your spirit stones and get lost!"

As soon as he said that,

Many of the cultivators present found it hilarious, merely picking up the spirit‑stone storage bags from the ground and leaving the Heavenly Mystery Dao Sect without a second thought, fearing Su Chen might change his mind any second.

They would never regret this in their lifetime—who would regret not going to die?

Truly laughable.

The twins— the elder sister inwardly sneered, convinced her choice was correct.

As they were about to leave, she gave her younger sister a look of useless sympathy, then sighed and shook her head: "You're truly foolishly loyal! —abandoning the offerings, going to follow the young sect master to your death; rest assured, you'll regret it soon enough."

Once fallen from power, a person is worse than a dog.

When the Heavenly Mystery Dao Sect was at its peak, that aristocratic clan spared no expense—spending vast sums of spirit stones and even presenting royal artifacts—to have their children come study there.

But now that the Heavenly Mystery Dao Sect has fallen, few disciples or elders are willing to stay and share hardships.

"Mother…" the second sister, Su Lingxue, watching the scene before her, couldn't help clenching her fists tightly, feeling that life's great ups and downs amounted to this.

Before, these disciples shouted their slogans loudly.

"Willing to plunge into boiling water and tread fire for the sect, willing to die for the sect!"

But they never imagined it was just for show, merely shouting a couple of slogans.

"It's fine." Madam Su gently extended her hand, soothed her daughter with a couple of words, and smiled: "All this is under Su Chen's control; their decision to leave the sect now is due to their lack of fortune."

Even the cultivators present, unwilling to sign the contract, would gladly lay down their lives and shed blood for the Heavenly Mystery Dao Sect.

The Nine Heavenly Beast Guards, moreover, showed resolute determination, their eyes blazing with fierce fighting spirit.

Who isn't afraid of death?

But sometimes, one must die openly and righteously!

After the heavy atmosphere, Su Chen looked at these fearless guards and suddenly laughed: "Every one of you looks ready to sacrifice yourself—do you really think I'm sending you to die?"

"Young master." Heilong gripped his natal flying sword and said: "Rest assured, even if I must risk life and death, I will keep you safe."

"Save your strength; you won't be needed yet."

Heilong: "Huh?!"

"Besides, the Ye family's foot soldiers—no matter how many come, I'll slaughter them all. Isn't it just two Martial Venerable experts holding the fort?"

When these words fell, Su Chen's surroundings gathered heavenly and earthly spiritual energy; a powerful oppressive pressure surged forth, then vanished instantly without a trace.

Then Su Chen snapped his fingers, and instantly nine black wooden boxes appeared in his hand.

Before Heilong could react, he smelled a fragrant, soul‑soothing pill aroma; as the wooden boxes opened, each round, plump pill glowed with a faint light, hovering in the air.

The pills bore azure lines; it is said only perfect‑grade pills display such patterns, and the more lines, the fewer impurities the pill contains.

As the saying goes, medicine is three‑part poison.

At that moment, numerous pairs of eyes widened in shock, all fixed on Su Chen.

"These are twelve sixth‑grade breakthrough pills."

"Five fifth‑grade Rejuvenation pills."

"Ten million medium‑grade spirit stones."

"Furthermore, there are fifty third‑rank talismans— twenty explosion talismans and ten contract‑earth‑to‑inch talismans." Su Chen's face showed utter confidence and poise, as if these, when unleashed upon the outside world, would stir a bloody storm and draw powerful figures scrambling for pills and talismans— to him they were nothing worth mentioning.

He said: "Each of you gets one breakthrough pill— one per person only; the spirit stones needed to set up a Spirit‑Gathering Array are also ready, and you'll each receive five of these talismans."

With these, your cultivation can break through a major realm, not to mention; the cooperative sword formation you practiced earlier will also be useful now; at least when facing cultivators below Martial Venerable, you won't have to worry about your lives.

The resources here are, Su Chen just exchanged from the Myriad Worlds Mall; of course there is also a Martial Venerable realm enforcer, he hasn't taken it out yet.

He just spent 200,000 points.

Now there are still over 1,700,000 points left.

Having these elixirs, talismans, and mystic weapons, even if a Martial Saint-level old ancestor from the Star Pavilion runs out, he has nothing to fear.

Looking at these elixirs and talismans of grades they have never seen in their lifetimes, only talisman masters can make them, and they are extremely difficult to refine; the refinement technique has long been lost in the Eastern Wasteland.

, Young, Young Master... these elixirs... are they real? Give them to us... I never dared dream in my lifetime that one day I could take a Realm-Breaking Pill.