Chapter 1: Restless Mind

The night grew deeper and deeper. Several hours later, the banquet orchestrated by Xu Que came to an end.

Many sect masters and elders had drunk to their hearts' content. Before leaving, they kept pulling Xu Que along, asking him to return with them to continue drinking.

Xu Que naturally declined with polite excuses.

Having spent the whole day acting cool at the Profound Heaven Sect, plus this final banquet, he had harvested over two hundred Acting Cool Points—enough to exchange for the cheapest mid-grade array.

Opening the system interface, his personal information appeared before his eyes:

"Host: Xu Que

Realm: Core Formation Stage, Level 5 (Thorough Mastery)

Experience Points: 0/200,000

Acting Cool Points: 280

Technique: 'Ancient Five Elements Art' (Mid-grade)

Skills: Dragon Soaring Nine Transformations (Perfect); Three Thousand Thunder Movement (Perfect); Bing Character Secret (Progress 0%); Flame Splitting Wave Devouring Ruler (Progress 0%); Six Harmonies Wandering Body Ruler (Progress 0%).

Essence: Technique (330 points)

Occupation: None

Status: Prince Consort of the Fire Yuan Kingdom, Eastern Desolate Continent

......"

"Right, I almost forgot to improve the proficiency of the techniques."

After Xu Que exchanged for the new techniques, he hadn't used them yet, so the progress had remained at 0%. Seeing this now, he finally realized.

However, there were only three hundred-plus points of technique essence left; how should he allocate them?

The previous Dragon Soaring Nine Transformations and Three Thousand Thunder Movement were both Earth-grade techniques. Improving each technique to the Perfect stage required consuming one hundred points of technique essence.

But the Bing Character Secret he had mastered now was a Heaven-grade technique. To bring it to the Perfect stage, the consumption of technique essence would likely be far more than one hundred points.

"Forget it, let's take one hundred points of technique essence to test it out first!"

Xu Que thought for a moment and immediately operated the system, applying all one hundred points of technique essence to the Bing Character Secret.

"Ding! Consumed one hundred points of technique essence. 'Bing Character Secret' upgrade successful. Current progress: 10%."

Holy crap!

Xu Que almost jumped up.

A whole one hundred points of technique essence! An Earth-grade technique could be upgraded directly to Perfect, yet a Heaven-grade technique only improved by 10%? This is killing me.

No, no, can't waste it like this.

"System, add the other two hundred points of technique essence to the Flame Splitting Wave Devouring Ruler and the Six Harmonies Wandering Body Ruler."

Xu Que felt that what he needed most right now were techniques that could control weapons; otherwise, he would definitely be at a disadvantage when fighting those cultivators with flying swords. After all, his physical body was far from reaching the level of being impervious to swords and spears.

"Ding! Consumed one hundred points of technique essence. Flame Splitting Wave Devouring Ruler upgrade successful. Current progress: 100%. Cultivation: Perfect!"

"Ding! Consumed one hundred points of technique essence. Six Harmonies Wandering Body Ruler upgrade successful. Current progress: 100%. Cultivation: Perfect!"

Following two consecutive notification sounds, Xu Que felt two streams of heat suddenly surge through his body, then flow into his dantian. He immediately felt his whole body filled with power.

"Feels great. It's time to go back to the village."

Xu Que felt completely refreshed. Just as he was about to walk away, he discovered a figure standing not far ahead.

That person stood calmly in the pitch-black night, their eyes fixed on him with a profound look.

"Sect Master Zhang, haven't you rested yet?"

Xu Que smiled immediately, but he felt a bit uneasy inside. This Sect Master Zhang was likely here to inquire about Duan Jiude.

Zhang Danshan stood in the distance and nodded at Xu Que.

Then, without any movement, he just blinked, and instantly appeared before Xu Que, almost giving him a fright.

"Several hundred years ago, I had a few encounters with your master. I wonder if he is doing well now?" Zhang Danshan asked in a gentle tone, clearly having truly taken Xu Que as Duan Jiude's disciple.

Xu Que smiled: "He is doing very well. For the past few years, he has been eating, drinking, and having fun in the Eastern Wasteland."

"Oh? Is that old gentleman in the Fire Yuan Kingdom now?" Zhang Danshan's eyes brightened slightly.

"I don't know. That old guy's whereabouts are mysterious; I don't know where he is now either. However, he gave me a secret talisman. As long as I encounter life-threatening danger, he will appear immediately. Sect Master Zhang, would you like to try it?" Xu Que asked with a smile.

The so-called secret talisman and such were, of course, based on his experience reading web novels in his previous life; he was just spouting nonsense.

However, Zhang Danshan clearly believed it. He was silent for a moment before shaking his head faintly: "Forget it. We will meet again if fate allows."

He then looked at Xu Que and said gently: "From now on, you can stay at the Profound Heaven Sect. If you need anything, just ask. As for Panshan Village, I guarantee that no one will go to disturb it again."

"Good, then thank you, Sect Master Zhang! But I need to go back for a trip now to pack some things." Xu Que cupped his hands and smiled.

Zhang Danshan nodded: "En, go ahead."

Xu Que didn't stand on ceremony anymore. He unleashed Three Thousand Thunder Movement, lightning interweaving under his feet, and immediately flew toward the foot of the mountain.

Zhang Danshan's attitude was certainly a good thing, but the hidden danger was still great.

If his identity were exposed one day, it would be a disaster!

But Xu Que was bold and skilled. Zhang Danshan invited him to stay at the Profound Heaven Sect, so he naturally accepted gladly.

Last time he only stole from the treasure pavilion of an outer sect of the Profound Heaven Sect. If there was an outer sect, there must be an inner sect, and there must be more awesome techniques hidden inside. When the time came, he would steal them and recycle them for the system, which would be another big profit.

However, before doing that, Xu Que knew he had to return to Panshan Village first.

Although Zhang Danshan had just guaranteed that no one would touch Panshan Village, he still had to quickly exchange for a mid-grade array to protect the village, so as not to implicate the villagers if things were exposed in the future.

Yet, just as he was rushing to Panshan Village, he suddenly felt a tightness in his chest and an inexplicable, ominous premonition.

It was without any warning; he just felt as if something bad had happened.

He frowned. His first reaction was that he had been poisoned, and it must have been that old fox Zhang Danshan who had poisoned the food and wine at the banquet.

"System, quickly check my body and see what poison I've been hit with."

"Ding! Host 'Xu Que' is in good physical condition, with vigorous vitality. No signs of poisoning."

Eh, not poisoned?

Xu Que was stunned. If not poisoned, why would he be restless?

"Forget it, let's go back to Panshan Village first. Yesterday Xiao Rou asked me to bring her some silk and cloth to make clothes for me. Haha, that girl is probably waiting anxiously now."

Xu Que shook his head and smiled, shaking off the slight annoyance in his heart, and accelerated toward Panshan Village.

At this moment, a figure flashed across the sky above the Profound Heaven Sect, rushing quickly into a pavilion. Upon landing, their footing was unstable, and they fell to the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

"Elder Sun." Several Profound Heaven Sect disciples on guard duty saw this and ran over in a panic.

The old woman's face was terrifyingly gloomy, and she gritted her teeth: "Damn it, I didn't expect the array set up by that little bastard to be so powerful. This time, not only was the Array-Breaking Shuttle destroyed, but even this elder has suffered heavy injuries."

Speaking of this, she looked at the several Profound Heaven Sect disciples and asked coldly: "Is that little bastard still at the Profound Heaven Sect?"

"Reporting to Elder Sun, we just saw him go down the mountain."

"Went back? Heh, just right. Let him go see the big gift I left for him and see what he can do to me." The old woman sneered. With the support of several Profound Heaven Sect disciples, she barely stood up and walked into the pavilion. ===== CHAPTER 2 =====