You think I have mixed spiritual roots? I became an immortal through a spirit gourd, so what are you

"Zhang Hu?" Chen Huai'an was also startled by the sudden shout.

This tiger is truly a persistent ghost.

The other party's speed was a few days slower than he had expected.

Chen Huai'an thought the other party would come looking for trouble soon; this guy had delayed for several days before finally arriving.

It wasn't that Zhang Hu didn't want to cause him trouble immediately, but rather that he was waiting. He needed to consolidate his cultivation level so that he would have a better chance of success when facing Chen Huai'an.

It was precisely this caution that allowed him to thrive in the miscellaneous service area.

Even if he's looking for trouble, he'll only target those weaker than him but stronger in cultivation; he won't provoke anyone.

Although the Zhang family is a family of cultivators, there are many beings in the Qingyun Sect territory who are stronger than them.

"Chen Huai'an, you piece of trash, are you ignoring what I say?" Zhang Hu's expression was somewhat ferocious.

He was determined to get his hands on the location of the spiritual spring water that Chen Huai'an knew about today.

"Zhang Hu, this is Qingyun Sect. Aren't you afraid I'll report this to my senior brothers in the Enforcement Hall?" Chen Huai'an was quickly thinking of a solution.

Currently, he is at the late-stage peak of the first level of Body Refinement, while his opponent is at the second level of Body Refinement. The gap between them is not significant, and he is not without the ability to fight back.

Chen Huai'an was worried that this guy wasn't alone, but had accomplices.

He was confident in a one-on-one fight, but he wasn't so sure about winning against multiple opponents.

However, Chen Huai'an wasn't entirely without options.

The worst-case scenario is to ask a companion for help.

The people responsible for carrying water were not all four new disciples; there were also three old men who had been carrying water for several years. Their strength was not weak either, and they were no weaker than Chen Huai'an, only not as strong as Old Man Li.

However, to keep this matter confidential, it's best to handle it yourself. If other people are involved, the risk of him being exposed will be much greater.

"Report to the Enforcement Hall, do you have a chance?" Zhang Hu shouted angrily, then swung a dagger at Chen Huai'an.

Chen Huai'an had been on guard against his opponent. When he saw the opponent suddenly attack him, he swung the carrying pole in his hand and slapped Zhang Hu.

"Snapped!"

With a sharp crack, the carrying pole in Chen Huai'an's hand snapped as he slammed it into the other man's arm.

Zhang Hu's head was spinning; one can imagine how powerful Chen Huai'an's carrying pole was.

"If you want me dead, I'll kill you first." Before the other party could react, Chen Huai'an conjured a dagger out of thin air and stabbed it into Zhang Hu's chest.

Before Zhang Hu could react, Chen Huai'an's dagger plunged deep into his chest.

"You dare?" Zhang Hu's pupils widened. He was a master at the second level of the Body Refinement Realm, yet he was completely powerless against Chen Huai'an.

At that moment, Zhang Hu felt the threat of death. He was already severely injured and had to leave this place as soon as possible.

"What's there to be afraid of? You're going to kill me anyway, so go ahead and die." Chen Huai'an ignored the other party's threat and knew he had to finish the fight quickly.

Today, it's either you or me who dies.

If the process drags on, other water carriers from the neighborhood will arrive, and he will also suffer the consequences.

Although they were all menial disciples, harming fellow disciples without cause in the Qingyun Sect was a capital offense. Even if they didn't die, their cultivation would be crippled and they would be expelled from the sect.

Zhang Hu sensed the palpable killing intent emanating from Chen Huai'an, and he turned and fled.

However, Chen Huai'an gave him no chance at all. He pounced on Zhang Hu like a tiger descending a mountain, his dagger stabbing fiercely into the other's back.

In just a few moments, Zhang Hu had several bloody holes in his back.

Zhang Hu's pupils widened in disbelief. He never imagined that he would die at the hands of Chen Huai'an, a good-for-nothing who had only been a disciple for less than half a month.

"He's dead, collect him." Chen Huai'an used his mind to control the purple gourd, directly putting Zhang Hu's corpse into his space.

Having gone through the process of destroying a body and covering up the evidence once before, Chen Huai'an was becoming increasingly adept at it.

"The traces of battle here must be wiped away as soon as possible." The crisis was not over yet, so Chen Huai'an immediately began to clean up the battlefield. He scraped away the blood-stained dirt and then sent it into his spatial storage.

After doing all this, Chen Huai'an still felt unsure, so he used the spiritual spring water in his space to cleanse himself again.

This battle came very suddenly, but it ended just as quickly; it would be an understatement to describe it as a lightning-fast fight.

It wasn't that Zhang Hu was too weak, nor that he was careless and underestimated his opponent, but rather that Chen Huai'an had broken through and was very strong.

Without a point of reference, Chen Huai'an had no idea how strong he was now.

He consumed only high-grade Body Refining Pills, leaving his body with very little pill toxins. He genuinely opened up his meridians, without any pretense. In a few days, even the smallest meridians within his body would be opened, making him even stronger—something many lowly disciples couldn't achieve.

Chen Huai'an did just that; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he was invincible among those of the same level.

Through this period of hardship and the experience of two life-or-death battles, he learned a lesson: no matter what you do, you must go all out and act decisively when the time is right, without being afraid of anything or hesitating.

"This carrying pole is ruined. The Zhang family will definitely not let this go. I must find a way to get a suitable weapon. Otherwise, if Zhang Hu is even a little stronger, I will be the one who dies in the end." After coming out of the space, Chen Huai'an made a post-battle summary.

In this battle, he could have been faster and left fewer traces of the fight.

However, due to a lack of combat experience, he failed to utilize his advantages to achieve a fatal blow, and now he needs to spend time erasing the traces of the battle here.

The carrying pole broke, so Chen Huai'an didn't go to fetch water again. Instead, he carried the bucket, which was mostly spilled, back to the backyard of the canteen.

"Young Chen, what happened to you?" Old Li asked with a mocking expression when he saw Chen Huai'an, who was lagging behind and looking disheveled.

"Uncle Li, this guy is so unlucky. Even drinking cold water can cause him to have problems. He was already halfway up the mountain when his carrying pole broke," Chen Huai'an complained.

"The carrying pole broke. How many times have I told you not to rely on your brute strength? Carrying water requires skill and rhythm. That way it won't be tiring. You're like a dead piece of wood. If you don't know how to use skill, even the sturdiest carrying pole can't withstand your abuse," Old Man Li said irritably.

Chen Huai'an lied and said the carrying pole was broken, and he threw it away immediately because there was Zhang Hu's blood on it. He dared not bring it back and put it directly into the purple gourd space.

Chen Huai'an went to Steward Wu and got a new carrying pole before continuing to fetch water.

Once finished, Chen Huai looked exhausted and went straight to sleep. Only when no one was paying attention did he enter the space.

Having entered the Qingyun Sect, he had already dealt with the formidable enemy he had inadvertently offended. Now, all he needed to do was quickly find a way to clean up the mess.

The cleanup can wait, but that doesn't stop him from inspecting the spoils of war.

Zhang Hu was a tyrant among the new miscellaneous disciples, with a background even better than the deceased Wang Tong. He must have a lot of good stuff on him.

Upon entering the space, Chen Huai'an began cleaning the corpse. He found a small cloth bag and a yellowed ancient book in Zhang Hu's arms.

"Elephant Armor Technique!" He looked at the three ancient and weathered characters on the book with an excited expression.

That good-for-nothing Zhang Hu actually possesses such a valuable item.

Looking back now, Zhang Hu's body was really tough. His carrying pole was broken in an instant. Besides Chen Huai'an's great strength, a large part of the reason was that this guy had practiced the Elephant Armor Technique, making his skin thick and tough.