Martial Saint with Passives

In a quiet chamber in the Cangyun Sect’s Yunhai Courtyard.

Xu Qingshan was sitting cross-legged in meditation, a faint white aura swirling around him.

A Great Cultivator of the True Master Realm no longer needed sleep, so nights were typically spent in cultivation.

Suddenly, he heard footsteps.

They were followed by a deliberately hushed voice. "Master, it’s me, Jiang Che. I have an urgent matter to discuss!"

"Come in."

When Xu Qingshan opened his eyes, he saw Jiang Che walk in, looking travel-worn and weary.

He raised an eyebrow slightly. "You’re back at this hour. What happened?"

Jiang Che didn’t dare to hide anything. He recounted everything, from the Demon Sect’s attack and Sun Qihong’s collusion with them to his own suspicions about the involvement of Vice Sect Leader Xie Songnian.

He only omitted the detail about transforming into his Black Armor Form to kill Mr. Wu.

"Master, the implications are too great. I was at my wit’s end and had no choice but to seek your help!"

Jiang Che then offered him gold notes worth fifty thousand taels.

His tone was earnest. "This is just a small token of my sincerity. I hope you can help me, Master!"

Xu Qingshan glanced at the gold notes but did not take them.

But inwardly, he began to ponder.

’Jiang Che had provoked the Demon Sect before, but those were just minor skirmishes, nothing serious.’

’But this incident involves Vice Sect Leader Xie Songnian.’

’That makes things much harder to resolve.’

’And according to Jiang Che’s account,’

’he only suspects the Vice Sect Leader of colluding with the Demon Sect; he has no concrete evidence.’

’But even if he did have proof,’

’Xie Songnian has operated within the Sect for many years. His power is deeply entrenched and his influence is widespread.’

’A little bit of evidence is nowhere near enough to bring him down!’

’Of course, if the goal isn’t to take down the Vice Sect Leader,’

’but simply to protect Jiang Che,’

’the difficulty would be somewhat lower.’

’But it still wouldn’t be easy.’

’After all, he doesn’t know what they plan to do to Jiang Che.’

’Do they want him dead, or are they indifferent?’

’If they are determined to kill Jiang Che,’

’then protecting him would probably come at a great cost!’

’I might even have to give up some of the courtyard’s assets and resources!’

’And right now, Yunhai Courtyard is already struggling to compete with Liufeng Courtyard and Lingxiao Courtyard.’

’If we were to lose even more of Yunhai Courtyard’s resources, things would become even more difficult.’

’It’s true that Jiang Che is the only disciple Luo Kun ever sent over.’

’But the man had dissipated his energy before. His potential is extremely limited, and he’ll likely remain in the Bone Forging Realm for the rest of his life.’

’Is it really worth paying such a high price for a disciple with so little future?’

Xu Qingshan remained hesitant.

Jiang Che’s heart sank.

’It’s happening, just as I feared!’

’It seems my master is unwilling to risk offending Vice Sect Leader Xie Songnian to protect me!’

He gritted his teeth, took out the small, half-full bottle of Snow Crystal Milk he had taken from Chen Ze, and offered it with both hands.

"Master, this is some Snow Crystal Milk I came across by chance! I am willing to offer it to you, and I only ask that you protect me and spare my life!"

When Xu Qingshan saw the Snow Crystal Milk, his eyes widened abruptly.

As a Courtyard Head,

he was not short on gold notes.

But Snow Crystal Milk was extremely rare. Even he would find it difficult to acquire so much!

Moreover, this Snow Crystal Milk was incredibly useful for someone at his current Realm!

Xu Qingshan fell silent for a moment before finally accepting the Snow Crystal Milk.

He did not, however, take the gold notes.

He spoke slowly, "You are my disciple. How could I not protect you? As for this Snow Crystal Milk, I won’t take it from you for nothing."

Then, he took a cyan Jade Talisman from his sleeve and handed it to Jiang Che.

"This Jade Talisman contains a strike with my full power. No one below the True Master Realm can survive it! Even those below the Third Layer of the True Master Realm will suffer a considerable blow! I’m giving this to you. But do not use it lightly. Only activate it when you face a fatal crisis. This item was not easy to craft; it cost me several years of hard work!"

Jiang Che accepted the Jade Talisman. It felt cool to the touch, and a dense, heavy aura emanated from within it.

’This Jade Talisman... its power is so immense?’

’No one below the True Master Realm can survive? And even those below the Third Layer of the True Master Realm will suffer?’

With this item, plus his own Talents and Xu Qingshan’s assurance, Jiang Che felt instantly relieved.

He quickly bowed. "Thank you, Master! I will remember your words!"

"Alright, don’t waste any more time." Xu Qingshan waved his hand. "You must return to the Mining Area before dawn. The Sect will send people to investigate tomorrow, and you need to be there to handle it."

"I understand!" Jiang Che bowed and retreated.

However, he did not head straight back to the Mining Area. Instead, he turned and went to Yanluo Courtyard.

His life was on the line; he had to use every "backer" he could!

Ye Lianzhen’s residence had a stronger scent of medicinal herbs than Xu Qingshan’s quiet chamber.

At that moment, she was sitting at a table, organizing Elixir Recipes.

When she heard Jiang Che’s voice from outside the door, she couldn’t help but be a little surprised.

After letting Jiang Che in, she asked curiously, "What brings you here so late?"

Jiang Che explained the situation once more, and at the end, he offered her gold notes worth fifty thousand taels.

"Courtyard Head, I know this might get you involved, but I truly have no other choice..."

Ye Lianzhen didn’t accept the gold notes. Instead, she waved her hand. "There’s no need for money. If it weren’t for Qiaoqiao, you wouldn’t have offended Xie Xingwen in the first place. It’s only right that I protect you."

As she spoke, she took out a transparent, date-sized sphere and a small brown pill from a drawer.

"This little sphere is called an ’Illusion Mist Pearl.’ When broken, it creates a toxic mist in a twenty-meter radius that can cause anyone below the True Master Realm to fall into an illusion and lose their ability to move. As for this pill, it’s the antidote. Hold it in your mouth before use, and you’ll be immune to the mist’s effects."

Jiang Che took the Illusion Mist Pearl and the pill, a warmth spreading through his heart. "Thank you, Courtyard Head!"

The Jade Talisman his master gave him was powerful, but it could only be used against a single person. This Illusion Mist Pearl, however, could affect multiple people at once! It was practically a life-saving Divine Artifact!