Daily Intelligence: From Miner to Dao Ancestor of Alchemy and Talismans

Just as Zhou Chengxian rushed to the table, and the short knife was about to strike Xu Yuan,

Xu Yuan's eyes instantly turned cold.

boom--

A powerful spiritual force emanated from him, sweeping across the entire courtyard. His cultivation at the fifth level of Qi Refining poured out and pressed down on Zhou Chengxian and the dozen or so people he had brought.

This oppressive force was more than twice as powerful as that of a fourth-level Qi Refining cultivator. It carried the solidity accumulated over ten years, like an invisible mountain crashing down on everyone.

Zhou Chengxian, who was at the forefront, was the first to be hit. In an instant, it was as if an invisible hand had grabbed his neck, and his charging figure suddenly stopped. His short knife fell to the ground with a "clang".

His face turned deathly pale instantly, his bones creaked, and his legs went weak uncontrollably. With a thud, he knelt straight down in front of Xu Yuan, unable to even lift his head.

The dozen or so rogue cultivators following behind fared even worse. Those with lower cultivation levels were directly forced to the ground by the oppressive aura, spitting out acidic saliva. Those with slightly higher cultivation levels also had their legs go weak and knelt down, their bodies trembling violently, making it difficult to even breathe, let alone fight.

The only sounds in the courtyard were the thuds of kneeling and painful gasps.

Zhou Chengxian knelt on the ground, his forehead pressed firmly against the cold bluestone slab, his whole body trembling. He could clearly feel the pressure of spiritual energy pressing down on him, which was even more profound and solid than any Qi Refining Level 5 cultivator he had ever seen.

How is that possible?!

His mind went blank, filled only with shock and disbelief.

Ten years! A full ten years! Wasn't this person always a useless Qi Refining Level 3 cultivator?

Wasn't he unable to even pass the mid-stage of Qi Refining? How did he suddenly reach the fifth level of Qi Refining?!

He's a whole realm higher than him!

These days, his Qi Refining Level 4, built up with spiritual wine, is nothing short of a joke in other people's eyes!

The random cultivators watching at the alley entrance were all dumbfounded, their mouths agape, unable to close them for a long time.

"Qi Refining Level 5?! Am I seeing things? Xu Yuan is actually at Qi Refining Level 5?"

"My goodness, they've been hiding it for so long! Ten years to reach the third level of Qi cultivation? So they were just playing dumb to fool others?"

"No wonder he didn't take Black Wind Stronghold seriously at all; their cultivation level is far beyond ours!"

Whispers drifted into the courtyard. Zhou Chengxian, kneeling on the ground, felt as if he had been slapped dozens of times, his face burning with pain.

Previously at Zuixianlou, in front of so many people, he mocked Xu Yuan for stagnating for ten years, calling him cowardly and useless.

Now I realize that he wasn't unambitious; he simply didn't bother competing with him.

His pride in his cultivation level and the opportunities he was so pleased with were not even worthy of carrying Xu Yuan's shoes.

Xu Yuan slowly withdrew his oppressive aura, and the invisible mountain that had been pressing down on everyone vanished without a trace.

He lowered his eyes, looking at Zhou Chengxian kneeling on the ground, not daring to lift his head. His tone was icy, devoid of any warmth: "Back when you came out of the mountains, you were starving to death. I gave you half of the Bigu Pill. At the market gate, your storage bag was stolen. I helped you get it back. You had nowhere to live and no work. I helped you find a spiritual field and a way to survive."

"I led you out of the mountains and found you a way to make a living; I did everything I could. Readers are discussing: What exactly happened? Join the discussion."

His voice paused, each word ringing out with unwavering resolve: "Today, you brought men to kick down my gate and brandished a knife to kill me. This camaraderie between us ends here."

"From now on, you go your way, and I'll go mine. Whether we live or die is none of my business."

"If you dare to cause trouble in my courtyard again, or throw dirty water on me again," Xu Yuan's eyes swept over him, carrying an undisguised murderous intent, "I wouldn't mind making sure you never leave this house again."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Chengxian shuddered violently, a chill running from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.

He had no doubt that Xu Yuan was telling the truth. If he dared to utter another word of dissent, he would truly lose his life here today.

"I...I was wrong...Brother Xu, I was wrong..." Zhou Chengxian scrambled backward, his voice trembling with tears, all traces of his earlier arrogance gone. "I shouldn't have come to cause trouble, I shouldn't have talked nonsense, I'll leave now, I'll leave now!"

He didn't even dare to pick up the dagger that had fallen to the ground. He called to the dozen or so rogue cultivators behind him, and they scrambled and crawled towards the courtyard gate.

Those rogue cultivators were already terrified. Upon hearing this, they scrambled out, fearing that if they were too slow, Xu Yuan would spare their lives.

The group of people came with great fanfare, but left like stray dogs, not daring to look back, and disappeared into the alleyway in the blink of an eye.

Liu Yue'er stood there, her face pale, unsure whether to leave or stay.

She looked at Xu Yuan at the table, at his composed profile, at the small but peaceful courtyard, and then at her own foolishness over the past few months, and the bloodstains on the floor of the Drunken Immortal Pavilion. A wave of regret washed over her.

She bit her lip, wanting to say something, but when she met Xu Yuan's cold gaze, she couldn't utter a single word. In the end, she could only lower her head and run out with the crowd in a disheveled state.

The scattered cultivators who had been watching at the alley entrance dispersed when the excitement died down. But the look they gave the small courtyard no longer held the disdain of the past; only awe remained.

Overnight, the news spread throughout the entire Qingyafang independent cultivator community.

Xu Yuan, that seemingly useless Qi Refining Level 3 cultivator who could be easily trampled on by everyone after ten years, was actually a hidden Qi Refining Level 5 cultivator.

Zhou Chengxian led a dozen people to cause trouble, but they were all forced to kneel on the ground by the other party's overwhelming pressure. They were so frightened that they ran away in a panic without even lifting a finger.

From then on, no one in the entire Qingyafang dared to treat Xu Yuan as an easy target, and no one dared to provoke the owner of this courtyard.

In the courtyard, Xu Yuan bent down to pick up the short knife on the ground and casually threw it into the corner.

He walked to the gate of the courtyard, looked at the cracked wooden door, frowned slightly, and was wondering whether to replace it with a new one when he heard footsteps outside the gate.

He looked up.

Liu Yue'er, who had just run away with the crowd, returned and stood at the alley entrance, cautiously looking towards the courtyard gate. Seeing Xu Yuan looking over, she trembled, quickly lowered her head, and gripped the hem of her clothes tightly with her fingers. After hesitating for a long time, she finally took a few steps forward, stood at the courtyard gate, and timidly spoke, her voice barely audible:

"Brother Xu... I... could I please see you? I have something I'd like to tell you."

The wooden door creaked and rattled, and Liu Yue'er's voice, barely audible and tinged with a cautious, ingratiating tone, drifted into the courtyard through the crack in the door.

"Brother Xu, I know you're still angry with me. I... I really know I was wrong."