Chapter 213 : What, I Became the Holy Son?
Chapter 213: What, I Became the Holy Son?
【You have once again defeated an LV75 enemy, gaining 10,000 experience points.】
【You have once again defeated an LV76 enemy, gaining 10,000 experience points.】
【……】
Chen Ming once again entered the prison, bringing out nine Third Grade prisoners one by one into the torture chamber, and “sparred” with them. In the end, he harvested a total of ninety thousand experience points.
“It seems that defeating a Third Grade enemy guarantees at least ten thousand experience points.”
Before leaving, he handed Lei Chun a silver note, asking her to buy some fine wine and dishes to send to those nine Third Grade prisoners.
The money came from Gu Xianyu’s body.
Since he was asking them to spar, it was only natural to give them a little benefit in return.
These past few days, he had observed Lei Chun’s character. She was rather bold and forthright, not the sort of person who always demanded benefits after a fight. Entrusting her with this task was the best choice.
He opened his panel.
【Level: 70】
【Current Points: 949875】
【Cultivation Methods: 《Iron Horse Stance》 (Fifth Layer Perfection), 《Five Elements True Art (Incomplete)》 (Seventh Layer 205784/10000000)】
【Combat Techniques: 《Three Talents Fist》 (Mastery), 《Eight Trigrams Saber Technique》 (Mastery), 《Zhuang’s Flying Knife》 (Mastery), 《Swallow Returns Sword Technique》 (Mastery), 《Vermilion Bird Sword Technique》 (Mastery), 《Phoenix Dances Through Nine Heavens》 (Fourth Layer 3908/400000), 《Heaven and Earth’s Lone Swan》 (Second Layer 35734/2000000)】
【Secret Arts: 《Disguise Technique》 (Mastery)】
Chen Ming felt a headache. “I’m still halfway from reaching the Third Layer of 《Heaven and Earth’s Lone Swan》.”
Where could he possibly find a million experience points in such a short time?
……
When Chen Ming exited the prison, it was already near noon.
He recalled Ruan Caihong’s invitation and hurried off to find him.
Ruan Caihong was waiting for him. When he saw Chen Ming arrive, he exclaimed happily, “You finally came! This place is too gloomy. I don’t want to stay here another moment.”
Chen Ming apologized, “I’ve kept elder brother waiting.”
“I’ve already said, there’s no need for such courtesy between us. If you keep acting like this, I’ll get angry.”
“Elder brother, does Lord Zhong often go into seclusion to cultivate?”
Ruan Caihong gave him a surprised glance. “It seems that you really aren’t valued at home. Didn’t anyone tell you about matters concerning experts of the Divine Repository Realm?”
“They truly didn’t.”
“For experts of the Divine Repository Realm, a single meditation session can last ten days, half a month, or even longer. So unless there’s some great matter, they rarely walk the martial world. After all, very few things in this world can still capture their interest.”
“I see.”
Chen Ming thought to himself that upon reaching the Divine Repository Realm, one’s very essence of life might undergo transformation—truly transcending into the sacred, with lifespan greatly extended. Their perception of time would naturally differ from that of ordinary people.
Ruan Caihong revealed another secret. “Furthermore, after reaching the Divine Repository Realm, one can clearly sense the end of their own lifespan. Every time they exert their full strength, it shaves away at their remaining years. Therefore, unless it is absolutely necessary, they are reluctant to act.”
“No wonder there are so few rumors of Divine Repository Realm experts taking action.” Chen Ming finally understood. He had always wondered why these experts seemed to live in seclusion and so rarely appeared in the world.
So this was the reason.
Up to this point, he had only seen Divine Repository Realm experts in the Sea-Calming King’s Mansion, and more than one at that. Unfortunately, he had never seen them act.
He still did not know just how terrifyingly strong such an expert truly was.
While talking, the two of them arrived at the Ruan Residence.
It was an extremely imposing mansion.
As soon as they arrived, the gates swung open. Madam Ruan personally came out to greet them. “Welcome back, husband. Young Brother Gu, please come in quickly.”
Ruan Caihong’s face glowed red with joy, clearly very pleased.
Chen Ming smiled. “Greetings, sister-in-law. I came in such a hurry that I didn’t bring a gift. I hope you’ll forgive me.”
“You coming here already makes my husband and me very happy. There’s no need for such words.”
Thus, Chen Ming was welcomed into the residence.
It was just a small family banquet. He was the only guest, together with Ruan Caihong and his wife, just the three of them. Still, the table was laid with a rich spread of dishes.
Chen Ming noticed that all the servants in the residence were rather plain-looking, especially the maids. They all had rough, sturdy hands and tall, burly builds.
Clearly, Madam Ruan had chosen them deliberately. Truly, she had put great thought into this.
Ruan Caihong brought out a treasured wine to treat him. “This is spiritual wine personally brewed by Lord Zhong. It is said to be made from a certain spirit fruit found in a Secret Realm. Even for Third Grade martial artists, it can help improve cultivation.”
Hearing that it came from a Secret Realm, Chen Ming smiled. “Then I must really try it.”
Madam Ruan chimed in, “My husband has kept this wine stored away for years. Even when Third Uncle came last time, he was unwilling to bring it out.”
Ruan Caihong took the wine jar, broke the seal, and instantly the fragrance of the wine spread throughout the room.
Chen Ming was moved. “Just smelling this wine is enough to make one feel tipsy.”
Ruan Caihong laughed. “Lord Zhong said that while this wine does aid in cultivation, it also makes people easily drunk. That’s why he named it ‘Hundred Days’ Drunk’.”
He poured a bowl for Chen Ming, another for himself, and tried to pour one for his wife. But she shook her head. “I won’t drink. You two enjoy yourselves.”
He set the jar aside, raised his bowl, and said to Chen Ming, “Come, try it.”
Chen Ming lifted his bowl and clinked it against his, then sniffed it. He felt a surge of pure vitality rush into his nose, quickly merging into his body and being absorbed into his dantian.
It was indeed spiritual wine.
He glanced at his panel. After just a sip, the proficiency of his cultivation method increased by over a hundred points.
He drank a mouthful. The wine entered his belly like a smooth thread, not spicy at all. Instead, his mouth was filled with the refreshing fragrance of fruit wood.
The next moment, a surge of energy welled up in his abdomen, spreading to his limbs and bones, then merging into his meridians.
He looked at the panel again. The proficiency of his cultivation method was rising rapidly, in the blink of an eye already increasing by several thousand points.
“Good wine.”
Chen Ming praised sincerely. It truly enhanced cultivation, far from being ordinary.
Ruan Caihong refilled his bowl. “Another one. Bottoms up!”
And so, bowl after bowl, in less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the entire jar of spiritual wine was gone.
“Urgh—”
After finishing the last bowl, Chen Ming burped, feeling dizzy all over. Unable to hold on any longer, he collapsed onto the table and fell soundly asleep.
At the same table, Ruan Caihong shouted, “Excellent! What a joy… Brother Gu, get up and drink more… Huh? Why’s there no more wine? Wife… wife…”
Madam Ruan hurried forward to support him, carrying him back to their room. She then ordered the servants to escort Gu Xianyu to a guest chamber.
……
Chen Ming did not know how much time had passed. Still drunk and in a haze, his martial instinct suddenly stirred, instantly waking him up.
“Who’s there?”
He reached to his side and found a sword—it was Po Jun. His other sword, the Phoenix Cry Sword, was missing.
He was lying on a bed. Outside the bed curtains, a graceful woman’s figure stood, asking in a faint voice, “Young Master Gu, where did you obtain this sword?”
It was Madam Ruan!
Chen Ming recognized the voice immediately. But at this moment, her tone was utterly different from before.
Sweeping his senses, he discovered that only the two of them were inside the room.
This realization shocked him greatly.
A lone man and a married woman together in one chamber—it was already improper. All the more so when she was the wife of Ruan Caihong.
Chen Ming asked sternly, “Sister-in-law, what do you mean by this? Where is Elder Brother Ruan?”
Checking his body quickly, he found no signs of poison or restrictions. His heart eased slightly.
Madam Ruan said, “He is still unconscious from drink. You haven’t answered me yet. Is this sword yours?”
She seemed to care a great deal about the Phoenix Cry Sword.
Chen Ming was puzzled, not understanding her true intentions. “Naturally, it is mine.”
Madam Ruan suddenly said, “I didn’t expect Young Master to actually be a descendant of the Nine Nether Sect.”
What!?
Chen Ming froze. He had never imagined she would say such a thing.
A descendant of the Nine Nether Sect?
He quickly replied, “Sister-in-law must be mistaken. I have nothing whatsoever to do with the Nine Nether Sect.”
“You cannot deceive me.”
Her voice carried a trace of coldness. Stroking the Phoenix Cry Sword in her hand, though the bed curtain obscured her expression, her movements revealed a certain reverence. “Yesterday, when I saw this sword, I already knew your identity. Since you possess a Holy Sect’s Sacred Sword, that makes you the Holy Son of this generation.”
Sacred Sword?
Holy Son?
Chen Ming felt a chill race up his spine. Like a bolt of lightning splitting through his mind, he finally realized who the spy beside Ruan Caihong was.
It was her!
What she called a Sacred Sword should actually be a Demonic Artifact.
And the Holy Son was none other than the Demon Heir of the Nine Nether Sect.
Only disciples of the Nine Nether Sect would call a demonic sword a Sacred Sword.
But why would she expose her identity in front of him?
How could the Phoenix Cry Sword possibly be a demonic artifact of the Nine Nether Sect?
No—
Chen Ming suddenly remembered that within the Phoenix Cry Sword, there was indeed a sealed remnant soul of a Demon Venerable. Strictly speaking, it was indeed a Demonic Artifact!
That explained it—Madam Ruan must have sensed the remnant soul of the Immortal Demon Venerable within the Phoenix Cry Sword, and thus mistook him for the Demon Heir of the Nine Nether Sect!
Having figured out the cause and effect, Chen Ming’s first thought was, “Thankfully, when I went to meet Lord Zhong last time, I didn’t bring the Phoenix Cry Sword with me.”
If Lord Zhong had sensed the Demon Venerable’s soul sealed inside, he might have slain him on the spot.
Chen Ming’s silence was taken by Madam Ruan as tacit admission.
“I knew I wasn’t wrong.”
Her tone carried excitement. With a sudden thud, she dropped to her knees, holding the Phoenix Cry Sword high above her head. “This subordinate, Zhou Yilan of the Nine Demon Sect, pays respects to the Holy Son!”