Firmament Sword

Xie Yurou spoke, covering her mouth as she chuckled at Xu Luo. "Your Medicine Garden kicked his junior brother from being a Direct Disciple down to the ranks of Inner Sect Disciples. An Yu is furious. But given his status, it's not appropriate for him to go looking for trouble with other Medicine Garden Disciples, so he can only come after you!"

"Am I really that unlucky?" Xu Luo's mouth twitched.

"That's right. Senior Brother An said he's going to use facts to make the people of the Medicine Garden understand that personal combat strength is the true way, and Elixirs and whatnot... are just minor paths!" Xie Yurou stifled a laugh behind her hand.

'The true way... minor paths... Heh, he's certainly got some nerve.' Xu Luo gave a faint smile. Even with his own formidable combat strength, which made him all but invincible against opponents of the same realm, he would never dare claim that other people's cultivation methods were minor paths.

Besides, the path of Elixirs was infinite.

In the past, Xu Luo had come across a Pill Scripture. The Pill Formulas within it were impossible to concoct in the lower realm, as many of the required medicinal ingredients didn't exist there!

Xu Luo hadn't thought much of it at the time, but thinking back now, that Pill Scripture was surely no ordinary item!

Moreover, that Pill Scripture had recorded many offensive Pill Formulas: all sorts of poison Elixirs, Five Elements Pills... a vast and diverse assortment.

It was precisely the contents of that Pill Scripture that had inspired Xu Luo, leading to the scene where his single sentence awakened the Medicine Garden Disciples of Celestial Brilliance as if from a dream.

Back then, the Medicine King Ancestor, together with the founding master of Celestial Brilliance, had overcome all obstacles to establish the grand enterprise that was Celestial Brilliance.

The founding master even left a decree: in the future, whoever inherited the Medicine King Ring would possess the same status and position as the Sect Leader!

'This... Was it all just because of a personal favor?'

'Absolutely not!'

If the Medicine King Ancestor hadn't made such immeasurably great contributions to Celestial Brilliance back then, and if the Medicine Garden's importance wasn't enough to influence the entire sect, how could the founding ancestor, the first Sect Leader, have possibly made such a decision?

The Medicine Garden had now used facts to deliver a vicious slap to the faces of those who looked down on it. And yet, there was always a group of people who refused to believe the truth right before their eyes.

Xie Yurou didn't stay long. She also had to go back and prepare for her next match. Making it into the top 1,000 was nothing special. For someone of her status, she had to at least reach the top 100 to be considered barely passing.

Before leaving, Xie Yurou made a pact with Xu Luo. If she could win two more matches—advancing from the top 1,000 to the top 500, and then from the 500 to the 250—Xu Luo had to come and cheer for her during her third match.

Xu Luo didn't hesitate and agreed immediately.

In Celestial Brilliance, aside from the Medicine Garden Disciples and Su Qianqian, Xie Yurou was one of Xu Luo's few good friends. He had to support her.

Then, another piece of news erupted, and this time... it was aimed squarely at Luo Tian!

"Chu Lin, a Direct Disciple of the Medicine Garden's Inner Sect, has used his one and only challenge opportunity to challenge Luo Tian!"

When this news broke, many disciples within the Medicine Garden were furious.

They knew the full story and felt that Chu Lin's action was a classic case of biting the hand that fed him.

Frankly, Chu Lin had been in the wrong from the start. For the things he did, any other Elder would have simply expelled him from the sect, at the very least. A harsher punishment would have been to drive him out of Celestial Brilliance on the spot!

Because no sect would ever welcome a disciple who used their own people as human shields.

But the Seventh Elder, Zou Yuan, gave him a chance. He sent him into the Black Wind Cave to reflect on his mistakes and turn over a new leaf.

After emerging from the Black Wind Cave, Chu Lin directly entered the annual competition. He overcame every hurdle and successfully made it into the top 1,000—something that would have been completely impossible for him in the past.

Even though he was a Direct Disciple, getting into the top 1,000 would have been a pipe dream.

This year, thanks to the idea Xu Luo had given them, the Medicine Garden Disciples had shone brilliantly. Regardless of whether they made it into the top 1,000, almost every Medicine Garden Disciple was incredibly grateful to their Senior Brother.

Many had even begun to forgive Chu Lin. After all, who could claim they've never made a mistake? As long as he could turn over a new leaf and contribute more to the Medicine Garden from now on, people would have still forgiven him.

But no one expected that after biding his time until he made it into the top 1,000, Chu Lin would finally reveal his true colors.

Only then did people suddenly realize—this man... hadn't changed at all!

He felt no remorse for his past actions!

Otherwise, who would do something like this... using a precious challenge slot on one of their own?

The Seventh Elder, Zou Yuan, was so angry he nearly spat blood. He wanted to expel Chu Lin from the Celestial Brilliance Medicine Garden on the spot. It was no longer a question of demotion; Chu Lin's character had hit rock bottom.

It was Yuwen Ji who stopped him.

"Our Medicine Garden is in the spotlight right now, and too many eyes are on us. We haven't even dealt with Chu Lin's past scandals directly. Now he's using the rules to challenge Luo Tian, which is also within the rules. No matter what, we'll talk after the fight!"

Zou Yuan was silent for a long time, seeming to have aged several years in an instant. He said to Yuwen Ji, "I understand. This is my fault. If he truly obstructs Luo Tian's progress, I will kill him with my own hands!"

"Him? He can't stop Luo Tian!" Yuwen Ji smiled and patted Zou Yuan's shoulder. "We can watch this battle."

Zou Yuan sighed heavily. "Forget it. I'd rather not go."

No matter what, Chu Lin was still his Direct Disciple. To any Elder, a Direct Disciple was like their own child!

Even if Chu Lin had done countless wrong things, Zou Yuan couldn't bear to watch him die with his own eyes.

"He has brought this upon himself. Let him bear the consequences." After speaking, Zou Yuan shuffled away.

The outside world, however, was overjoyed by the news.

"Hahaha, the Medicine Garden is having internal strife!"

"This is the best news I've heard in a long time!"

"I heard that this Chu Lin went to provoke Luo Tian right after he joined the Medicine Garden, and the result was..."

"He's really that kind of person, using his own people as a shield?"

"A guy who survived the Black Wind Cave... He must've come out holding a huge grudge, ready to get revenge on Luo Tian!"

"I hear his reputation is completely shot inside the Medicine Garden. After this battle, win or lose, he probably can't stay there anymore!"

"If it were anything else, we might consider taking him in, but with that kind of character... forget it. I'd be terrified of him stabbing me in the back one day when we need to have each other's backs."

"Either way, this is a show we have to watch!"

"Brothers, you have to let me know when this fight happens!"

"Internal strife in the Medicine Garden! This battle is going to be interesting!"

Celestial Brilliance Medicine Garden, Seventh Mountain, territory of Elder Zou Yuan.

Chu Lin sat in his room, the dim oil lamp casting flickering shadows on his unstable expression.

Chu Lin's face was somewhat twisted as he inspected the various Elixirs laid out before him.

'Soft Bone Pill, Itchy Pill, Bursting Pill, Body-Breaking Pill, Seven-Step Throat-Sealing Pill... Hehe, Luo Tian, I've prepared a grand feast of Elixirs for you. I have almost every amazing Elixir the other Medicine Garden Disciples have concocted right here. And the ones they don't have... I have them too!'

'As a prodigy of the Elixir Realm, my Alchemy skills are beyond anything any of you could possibly imagine! When the time comes, I'll be sure to shock... everyone!'

'Master... you raised me, and I am grateful. But now... you're giving up on me. I understand... my mistake has broken your heart. But has anyone ever considered how I feel?'

'Since ancient times, the victor becomes king while the loser is branded a bandit. As long as I can kill Luo Tian with my own hands in this battle and then display all the Elixirs that only I... can concoct, then we'll see... if you still decide to abandon me!'

'If you're still so stubborn... then I, Chu Lin, don't mind leaving Celestial Brilliance and starting my own sect!'

'One day, I will make all of you regret your decision!'

'Luo Tian... just you wait. I will make you die a death full of terror!'

'Hehe, and in the moment you die, I will thank you for opening my mind and allowing me to concoct so many... useful Elixirs!'

POP! The oil lamp's flame flared, casting a flower-like spark and brightly illuminating the room.

A savage grin spread across Chu Lin's twisted face.

...

...

Meanwhile, Wanghai, an Inner Sect Disciple of Celestial Brilliance, was lounging on his luxurious bed.

Two beautiful young women were nestled in his arms, one on each side.

Most of these girls were Servants who wanted to become Outer Disciples without putting in too much effort. They would simply find a powerful backer, and as long as they pleased their patron, entering the Outer Sect was a breeze.

Wanghai's hands roamed over the two girls' bodies, leaving them panting, their faces flushed crimson.

One of the girls cooed, "Senior Brother... you're still going? I can't take it anymore... you're too much..."

The other girl giggled. "You little vixen, using those words to provoke Senior Brother again. Be careful, or I won't help you in a bit and leave you to face the storm all by yourself!"

"Ah, sister, I was wrong... please don't leave me by myself..."

Then, the room filled with the sound of giggles, and...

After a long while, the storm subsided.

A smug look appeared on Wanghai's face—the expression of a man who had just conquered a woman.

"That country bumpkin from the Medicine Garden really thinks he's a somebody. I haven't even had the chance to deal with him, and someone else beat me to it," Wanghai grumbled.

One of the girls said, "Senior Brother, are you talking about the Senior Brother of the Medicine Garden, Luo Tian? I hear he's been really popular lately!"

"That's right, he's a powerhouse who broke into the top 1,000. He's considered a significant figure in Celestial Brilliance now."

"I heard that all the changes in the Medicine Garden this year are because of him."

"I heard he's very handsome, hehe... Forgive me, Senior Brother, I won't speak out of turn again."

The two girls chattered away, filling the room with laughter.

Wanghai sneered. "A somebody? He's just a nobody who got ridiculously lucky by chance. Getting from the top 1,000 to the top 500 isn't hard. Getting from 500 to 250 isn't hard either. The hard part is getting from 250 to 125!"

"To make it onto that list of 125 for several years in a row, now that's truly impressive! Only those people can decide the future of Celestial Brilliance!"

"If he can survive this scheme from his own sect member and make it into the top 500, then I'll be the one to knock him out in the round advancing from 500 to 250!" A confident smile spread across Wanghai's face, but his eyes glinted with an icy light.

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