System crash? I prove it with my control panel!

In a secluded courtyard of the Spirit Beast Hall, a magical array enveloped everything, isolating the area.

In the courtyard, one person was bound in mid-air, while another stood on the ground, their eyes meeting.

Zhai Ji knew that Chen Wen knew his secret but kept it to himself.

Chen Wen knew that Zhai Ji knew he knew his secret but kept it to himself.

A tacit understanding without words.

In the end, Zhai Ji was defeated and resigned.

"A maximum of five drops!"

"Brother Zhai, is this how you ask for favors?"

Chen Wen's eyes turned cold, and his tone became more serious.

"You should know that I risked my life to help you."

Zhai Ji hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, "Ten drops!"

Chen Wen frowned. "Brother Zhai, you tried to swindle me out of the jade pendant and the favor you owed me..."

"Stop talking, fifteen drops!"

Zhai Ji interrupted him, his face flushed.

Chen Wen's eyes held a look of inquiry and amusement:

"Brother Zhai, if I turn around and leave now, do you think all your plans will come to nothing?"

Upon hearing this, Zhai Ji immediately panicked and shouted, "Twenty drops! Really, that's all! I swear!"

Chen Wen, however, didn't care and kept adding five drops at a time, confident that he could extract even more oil.

He continued, "Brother Zhai, it's not that I'm heartless, but you know who else besides me would be willing to risk their life for you?"

"Oh, by the way, there aren't many people qualified to receive a second-tier spirit beast, are there?"

Zhai Ji was furious at Chen Wen's confident demeanor, but he still compromised:

"Stop talking, twenty-two drops, that's the limit. I can't give you any more, really!"

He stared intently at Chen Wen, but his face showed an attitude of giving up.

"make a deal!"

Chen Wen made the final decision with a wave of his hand, dispelling the wooden vine spell.

Zhai Ji stumbled as he landed on the ground.

Chen Wen immediately stepped forward, put his arm around his shoulder, and, in a friendly manner, said with a smile:

"Brother Zhai, look at you, why didn't you just explain things clearly earlier? Why did you have to suffer such injustice?"

Zhai Ji rolled his eyes, pushed him away, sat down at the table in the courtyard, and said irritably:

"I didn't mean to hide it from you, I just thought I'd tell you after you got the Snowwing Eagle's egg."

"So you're just trying to trick me!"

Chen Wen also sat down, waved his hand to take out some tea leaves and teaware from his storage bag, and while brewing tea with his magic, he said calmly,

"It's only because we have a good relationship that we've fallen out. If it were anyone else, we would have broken up long ago."

Zhai Ji was somewhat embarrassed upon hearing this, and chuckled.

"I knew you wouldn't be afraid of these things, Brother Jingwen, and besides, you're the one who benefited from this."

Chen Wen poured himself a cup of tea and took a sip. "But the karmic consequences he'll bear are quite heavy!"

Zhai Ji wasn't annoyed. He poured himself a cup of tea and said with a smile:

"Hehe, who doesn't know Brother Jingwen? Why would you be afraid of these consequences?"

"What's wrong with me?"

Chen Wen was puzzled.

Zhai Ji took a sip of tea, his eyes immediately lit up, and he clicked his tongue in amazement:

"Good tea, like this one. One sip and you can taste the gentle breeze of spring. Nobody can get their hands on this, yet you have a whole jar of it!"

"Do you know why Brother Chu and I have been in such a sorry state this past year, while you have been living a carefree life?"

"The eldest daughter of the Qin family has given the word that anyone who dares to touch her brother will face the consequences."

Zhai Ji put down his teacup, his eyes gleaming. "If I had those connections, I would have been able to walk around the Qingming Sect with my head held high long ago. Why would I be bullied?"

Chen Wen was surprised, as he had never heard of this before.

He immediately asked:

"How do you know that? How could I not know?"

"Heh, with your personality—you never even leave your own cave—there'd be no way you'd know!"

Zhai Ji shook his head and laughed.

"It should be known that Senior Sister Qin surpassed her peers and the previous generation of disciples to become a true disciple. In recent years, although she has not been well-known in order to accumulate foundation for foundation building, no one dares to underestimate her."

"If she wanted to establish her foundation, she would have done so long ago. She has been waiting for the right Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiend Qi to accumulate her foundation in order to achieve a superior Dao Foundation."

"I heard that we heard a bit of a rumor that someone in the He family wanted to stop her, but as a result, Bailian Peak didn't get any resources at all the year before last."

"So the more you become enemies with the He family, the happier she will be, and the more she will protect you!"

Chen Wen suddenly realized that he was referring to the time when he first entered the sect, when she was fighting with He Yuzhu.

As for the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiend Qi, he did know about it.

The rogue cultivators outside regard the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiend Qi as a treasure. If they encounter it, they would like to refine it immediately, regardless of whether it is suitable for them or not.

In the Qingming Sect, true disciples naturally have no shortage of this item, and can even choose the one that best suits them.

Moreover, what is Foundation Building? It is the foundation for the Great Dao. Every step after that is closely related to Foundation Building.

Therefore, practicing Qi cultivation is not difficult; it's just about accumulating magical power. The real challenge lies in accumulating enough foundational knowledge.

The three tests of essence, energy, and spirit alone are enough to stop countless disciples.

But the geniuses within the sect never worry about whether they can establish their foundation; instead, they focus on establishing a good foundation!

The foundation of the Dao is divided into nine grades, with essence, energy, and spirit being the three foundations.

The latter six grades can only be formed if one's magical power is pure, spiritual awareness is perfect, physical body is flawless, Dao heart is pure, cultivation method is flawless, and Dao fruit is flawless.

Everything else is easy to understand, but the final Dao Fruit is the condensation of one's own understanding of heaven and earth and all things; different people have different Dao Fruits.

However, no one dares to say that they have reached the pinnacle of Qi cultivation.

This is where the importance of Taoist scriptures becomes apparent. The more Taoist scriptures one reads, the deeper one's understanding becomes, and the more perfectly one's Taoist attainments are solidified.

Therefore, even now, Chen Wen is still reading the two Taoist scriptures he obtained before, and after becoming a true disciple, he can directly borrow Taoist scriptures from the scripture pavilion.

There are also many lecturers who explain Taoist scriptures.

He would often go and listen to it.

No matter how well others explain it, it is still just their experience. So you can only listen and learn from it, but ultimately you have to figure it out for yourself.

Fortunately, he was well-versed in metaphysics, so understanding the Taoist scriptures was not difficult for him.

This was the only place where there was no progress bar, so he wasn't sure what to expect.

Coming to his senses, Chen Wen shook his head and said:

"Senior Sister Qin is protecting me, but I cannot act recklessly because of her power. Otherwise, wouldn't I be ruining my future and becoming a laughingstock?"

"you..."

Zhai Ji was about to speak when Chen Wen interrupted him, saying seriously:

"Let's not talk about that. Let's get down to business. Since you sent me to retrieve this beast egg, are all the necessary procedures prepared?"

"That's natural!"

Zhai Ji patted his chest and assured him,

"My own people are in the Beast Hall, so this matter is naturally very safe. The Beast Hall has its own rules, and He Qingpu has no say in it."

"Logically speaking, when disciples come to select spirit beast eggs, it should be on a first-come, first-served basis, and everyone should be treated equally. However, there are always those who want the best ones."

At this point, Zhai Ji smiled smugly.

"When He Qingpu heard that the Snowwing Eagle was about to lay eggs, he got the idea. So he asked an elder of the He family to step forward and came to the Beast Hall in advance to wait for the eggs to be laid. He wanted to choose the eggs as soon as possible."

"But anything can change."

"If a disciple who is qualified to select a second-tier spirit beast egg happens to apply to select an egg when the Snowwing Eagle is laying eggs, and the Snowwing Eagle happens to lay eggs at that time, and the disciple happens to select the Snowwing Eagle, then even if He Qingpu is angry, he has no reason to lash out."

At this point in Zhai Ji's explanation, Chen Wen understood and nodded, saying:

"Is he in the Beast Hall now?"

"My father is playing chess with him right now. We're both at the Foundation Establishment stage, so he won't refuse."

After Zhai Ji finished speaking, he added:

"So starting tomorrow, you will enter the Beast Breeding Pavilion and stand guard next to the Snowwing Eagle. Once the eggs are laid, my Beast Hall staff will retrieve them for you. You must sign a spirit contract immediately, understand?"

"Don't worry, I know what's important."

Chen Wen nodded. He naturally knew the gravity of the situation. If the contract wasn't signed, he would offend He Qingpu, which would be a huge loss.

"Wait a minute, Brother Zhai, didn't you say your father was in seclusion?"

"Hehe, playing chess in seclusion is still seclusion!"

...

Chen Wen discovered that in just one year, Zhai Ji had changed, becoming increasingly slick and shameless, and this time he had even schemed against him.

He dared to say that if he hadn't noticed anything amiss, he would have been tricked by Zhai Ji, who would have used his connections to push him to the forefront and take the fall.

But considering that he was in the Beast Hall, surrounded by scheming and flattery, and that he wasn't particularly close to her, it wasn't surprising.

Once they started going astray, the two of them could never go back to the innocence they had in the secret realm that year.

Chen Wen sighed inwardly. Since you schemed against me, don't blame me for scheming against you in return...

He then exclaimed that the Xuanhuang Refining Heart Technique was indeed very useful.

He was able to see through the clues, which might also be due to the Xuanhuang Refining Heart Technique's ability to isolate his luck from being affected.

He thought he was disguising himself well, little did he know that his expressive face had already betrayed him.

If the Xuanhuang Refining Heart Technique had not been perfected, and Zhai Ji's luck had swept over him, he might have overlooked the other party's strangeness.

Compared to him, Chu Feng was much better; at least when you were with him, he was still as honest and simple as ever.

Zhai Ji drank a few more cups of tea and then left.

Give Chen Wen time to familiarize himself with the art of contracts.

As for the green pearl, he will bring it with him when he comes tomorrow.

Chen Wen glanced at the spirit contract. It wasn't difficult; it just required taking essence blood and a wisp of divine soul to sign the spirit contract. The key was to be fast.

If you understand one method, you understand all methods.

This method mainly contains elements of formations, talismans, and some magical techniques.

He quickly familiarized himself with it a few times and tried it a few more times, and then he got it.

He entered the room, took out a futon, and sat down.

The Xuanhuang Refining Heart Technique continued to absorb his distracting thoughts.

I just can't calm down.

The methods of Foundation Establishment and Great Repair are terrifying; if you are even a little slow, it will detect that something is wrong.

If it weren't for Zhai Ji's father helping to cover it up, he would never have dared to do such a thing.

Finally, he simply took out his magical longsword.

This sword is named Qingfeng, and it was bestowed upon me by the peak when I was promoted to a true disciple.

He had only refined it, but never used it, which was inconsistent with his usual cautious and low-key style.

He still prefers to use ritual implements such as needles and banners, which are more discreet and low-key.

This sword is a mid-grade first-tier magic weapon, with decent power, but its main feature is the spiritual runes inscribed on it, such as speed, agility, and wind control.

He specifically chose it to help him escape in a critical moment.

Although his cultivation level was not high enough to fly on a sword, gliding on a sword was still no problem.

If anything unexpected happens tomorrow, run as far away as you can!

He placed Qingfeng in front of his knees and began to nurture it.

Silent all night.

The next morning.

Zhai Ji appeared in the courtyard looking dejected.

Chen Wen had already eaten breakfast and was reading Taoist scriptures in the courtyard.

Upon arriving, Zhai Ji sighed deeply, "Brother Jingwen, I paid a heavy price for your medicine!"

Chen Wen didn't even lift his eyelids, and said calmly:

"You can still back out now. I don't mind choosing a low-grade spirit beast."

"That's unnecessary. The die is cast, and we have no choice but to proceed!"

Zhai Ji's expression instantly changed, revealing embarrassment. He then took out a jade bottle and placed it on the table.

"Twenty-two drops, not a drop less. Shall we go?"

Chen Wen picked up the jade bottle, uncorked it, glanced at it, and then nodded in satisfaction. "Let's go."

Zhai Ji put on a humiliated expression, "Brother Jingwen, you actually don't believe me!"

"It's not that I don't believe you, but I want to verify it face-to-face. We're both open and aboveboard!"

Chen Wen shook his head and walked out first.

Zhai Ji followed behind, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes. He sighed inwardly, realizing that his friendship with Jingwen had ultimately faded, and that things would change in the future...

Chen Wen was also filled with emotion. After using all of these, it should be enough for his spiritual root to undergo a transformation!

As for Zhai Ji? He had been scheming since they first met, and now he's just become more blatant about it. He's actually happy about this change, as it will make him feel more at ease when he schemes in the future.

Although he has never felt guilty.

...

The same path as yesterday, the same animal enclosure.

But the beasts in them are different.

Chen Wen maintained a calm gaze and transmitted his voice:

"Brother Zhai, what's the deal with these pigeons here?"

At this moment, a snow-white pigeon, no bigger than the palm of a hand, was perched in the animal enclosure, with only its pair of ice-blue eyes standing out.

If those eyes hadn't remained as haughty as yesterday, Chen Wen would have truly thought he'd been tricked by Zhai Ji.

Zhai Ji blinked and transmitted his voice:

"This is why He Qingpu chose it. Its size is flexible and usually comes from third-tier demonic beasts, but this one was raised very well by the elder of my Beast Peak and unintentionally awakened this supernatural ability."

"Its descendants are very likely to inherit this supernatural power, a phenomenon commonly known as atavism!"

Chen Wen naturally knew that this was a divine ability that only a third-tier demon beast could master.

However, a second-tier high-grade spirit beast is different from a spirit beast with the potential to revert to a third-tier ancestral form.

This time, not only have we offended He Qingpu, but we've also completely offended the He family!

However, Chen Wen thought again that since he had already offended the He family members by killing them, he might as well offend them a little more.

However, Zhai Ji actually had something to hide from me!

His gaze was cold as he stared at Zhai Ji.

Zhai Ji felt uneasy under those eyes, as if he were being stared at by a venomous snake.

He quickly sent a telepathic message, "Brother Jingwen, I understand, add more money!"

Chen Wen's gaze sharpened, softening considerably. He gave him a look that said, "This young man is teachable!"

Zhai Ji sighed and took out another jade bottle from his bosom.

Chen Wen took it and scanned it with his spiritual sense: five drops!

His expression was strange. Had he anticipated this scene and prepared compensation in advance?

However, since they had already accepted the gifts, it was not appropriate to cause any further trouble.

He sat cross-legged beside the animal enclosure, waiting for it to lay its eggs.

Zhai Jize said, "Brother Jingwen, I have some urgent matters to attend to. You stay here and wait, I'll take my leave first?"

Chen Wen wore a half-smile. "Brother Zhai, I think we should wait here together. What do you think?"

Zhai Ji shook his head helplessly and said with a wry smile, "Haha, Brother Jingwen, don't worry, I have no ill intentions, it's just that there really is..."

However, before he could finish speaking...

A painful scream suddenly rang out from the animal enclosure: "Li—"

.........