After transmigrating into the body of the protagonist's childhood friend, he was targeted by a

Lin Zhixu wiped the beast blood off his face, rubbed the dagger on the beast's fur, and plucked out the still-steaming beast core, putting it into his storage bag.

Whether it was the pressure of several real battles or the rich spiritual energy in the secret realm that brought him to this point, the bottleneck that had been holding him back for so long quietly loosened during this life-or-death struggle, allowing him to step into the ninth level of Qi Refining in one fell swoop.

He took a pill to replenish his qi and blood, meditated for a while, and when his spiritual power had recovered, he got up and continued walking deeper into the dense forest.

Since we're already here, we can't just let three days pass by uneventfully.

He wasn't the type to seek stability, so naturally he wanted to find more opportunities.

Maybe with a bit of luck, you might find some divine weapon or ancient legacy like the protagonist.

Passing through a grove of ancient trees, the faint sound of spiritual energy colliding could be heard ahead.

Lin Zhixu paused, hesitated for a moment, and then tiptoed over.

There, on a clearing in the forest that had been leveled by sword energy, Jiang Che was locked in combat with a late-stage Foundation Establishment demon beast.

The monster was twice the size of the Crimson-Maned Beast, covered in iron-gray scales, and spewed out a foul-smelling poisonous mist instead of fire.

Jiang Che's sword light weaved through the poisonous fog, his figure moving so fast it was almost invisible.

He was also injured; half of his left sleeve was torn off, revealing a claw mark that was still bleeding underneath, but his breathing was still relatively stable.

Seeing that Jiang Che could handle the situation, Lin Zhixu did not offer any assistance.

The level of skill Jiang Che displayed at this moment was far sharper than the gentle image he usually projected.

He also wanted to see Jiang Che's skills and learn some experience from him.

In the arena, the iron-gray scaled beast was clearly enraged by Jiang Che.

It pawed at the ground with its front paws, let out a low growl like thunder from its throat, and suddenly opened its huge mouth full of fangs, spewing out a thick, dark green poisonous mist that instantly scorched and withered the vegetation in its wake.

Jiang Che's pupils contracted slightly, and he scrambled his feet to barely avoid the direct impact of the poisonous fog.

But the edge of the poison gas still grazed his arm, and the skin around his arm immediately turned an abnormal bluish-purple. A sharp pain shot up his veins, and he groaned.

Jiang Che took a deep breath and made a wind-guiding spell with his left hand.

A sudden gust of wind arose from the flat ground, blowing away most of the remaining poisonous fog.

Taking advantage of the wind, he stepped forward and rose into the air, twisting his body in mid-air with the sword tip pointing downwards, pouring all his spiritual power into this sword strike without reservation.

As the sword energy pierced the air, it emitted a sharp, angry roar, as if a demonic beast was raising its head and trying to spew out another mouthful of poisonous mist.

But Jiang Che was too fast. His sword light was like a silver lightning bolt, precisely piercing through its open mouth, penetrating its upper jaw, and exiting from the back of its neck.

The monster's roar abruptly ceased.

The massive body froze in place, swayed twice, and then collapsed to the ground with a thud.

The dust and poisonous fog that were kicked up slowly settled, revealing Jiang Che's figure kneeling on one knee.

He leaned on his sword, panting heavily, cold sweat beading on his forehead. The wound on his left arm was swollen and shiny, and the bluish-purple poison mark was slowly spreading upwards.

He rummaged through his storage bag and found a bottle of antidote pills. He poured out two pills and swallowed them. Then he tore off a strip of cloth and tied it tightly around the vein above the wound to prevent the toxin from spreading further.

In such a place, being even slightly weak gives others an opportunity to take advantage.

Lin Zhixu only came out after seeing that he had resolved the issue.

Jiang Che turned his head warily, and when he saw that it was Lin Zhixu, his tense shoulders slowly relaxed.

"So it was you. You scared me half to death." He gave a wry smile. He had been so focused on dealing with the monster that he hadn't even noticed someone was next to him.

Fortunately, it wasn't an enemy. If it had been an enemy, he would probably be dead by now, given his carelessness.

Lin Zhixu didn't get too close, stopping a few steps away, and nodded slightly: "Sorry, I startled you. I didn't act rashly because I saw you were handling it."

Jiang Che planted his sword in the ground, propped himself up, and chuckled upon hearing this: "Thank you so much. I'd be so frustrated if someone else got a share of the spoils after I went through all that trouble to kill the monster."

His tone was relaxed, with a hint of joking, clearly indicating that he didn't mind Lin Zhixu watching from the sidelines.

After recovering, Jiang Che tidied up the beast cores and usable materials from the demon beasts, and found a flat rock to sit down.

While bandaging the wound on his arm, he casually asked, "Why are you alone? Where are your two inseparable little followers?"

Lin Zhixu said helplessly, "I didn't expect the teleportation to be random. We were separated as soon as we entered the secret realm."

It turned out to be the case.

Jiang Che tied the bandage in a knot, stretched his arm, and asked, "So, where are you going next?"

"I plan to explore further in; perhaps I'll stumble upon some unexpected opportunity."

"What a coincidence, I thought so too." Jiang Che stood up, dusted himself off, and laughed. "Why don't we go together? It's only the first day, and the two of us can look after each other."

Lin Zhixu agreed.

The two walked together deeper into the secret realm, encountering several more demonic beasts along the way. These beasts were of a much higher rank than those in the outer areas. Fortunately, they cooperated well and did not suffer any serious injuries.

They also encountered other disciples sporadically along the way, exchanging a brief glance from a distance before the other party warily avoided them.

In this secret realm, who knows if you'll encounter a human or a ghost? What if they have malicious intentions and want to steal your things?

Lin Zhixu and Jiang Che didn't mind and continued on their way.

……

Outside the secret realm, inside the main hall of the summit.

A giant water mirror hangs in mid-air, dividing the scenes in the secret realm into countless small pieces that flash by in turn.

Seeing that a disciple had actually killed a fellow disciple, everyone's faces turned grim.

Indeed, people's hearts are unfathomable, and they are utterly vulnerable in the face of self-interest.

Everyone remembered the disciple who had done wrong, and if he managed to get out alive, they were determined to punish him.

Only when they saw Luo Yiyan and Lin Zhixu did everyone feel a little relieved.

"Although some disciples have wicked intentions, fortunately most of them are good."

"Yes, the disciples of Immortal Venerable Wucang and Immortal Venerable Fengheng are truly outstanding individuals. It's been less than a year since they entered the sect, yet they've grown so rapidly."

One is at the ninth level of Qi Refining, and the other has actually broken through to the Foundation Establishment stage. These youngsters are truly formidable; they're no less capable than their masters were back then.

"Indeed, what surprised me the most was Lin Zhixu. When he first entered the sect, he had a useless spiritual root, but in just one year, his physical attributes have improved a lot, and even his cultivation has grown so fast. It seems that Immortal Venerable Feng Heng has taught him well."

As he spoke, the man looked around and said, "But why isn't Immortal Venerable Feng Heng here today? Isn't he always the one who loves to join in the fun on these occasions?"

Someone replied, "I heard he went into seclusion. I wonder if he's received some kind of fortuitous opportunity and wants to break through to the Nascent Soul stage in one fell swoop."

The hall fell silent for a moment after these words were spoken. The elders exchanged glances, their expressions somewhat subtle.

If the Tianheng Sect could produce a Nascent Soul stage expert, it would be a tremendous boon to the entire sect.

But if that person is Yu Linzhou, then it's a different story.

Previously, he and Yan Lingcang were evenly matched, with Yan Lingcang having a slight edge over him and being able to keep him in check to some extent.

If Yu Linzhou really breaks through to the Nascent Soul stage first, who in this world can stop him?

Given Yu Linzhou's personality, wouldn't he turn the cultivation world upside down?

Everyone turned to look at Yan Lingcang, who sat silently to the side, and silently prayed.

Even if a Nascent Soul cultivator were to emerge, it would have to be the righteous leader, Immortal Venerable Wu Cang, and absolutely not the lawless and unruly Yu Linzhou.