Grandpa, times have changed.

However, Xu Xing did not continue killing.

They simply instructed people to settle the children they had brought back and to dispose of the body of the most senior elder.

No one dared to disobey, so they had no choice but to do as instructed.

After that, Xu Xing took over Jie's residence and began to recuperate from his injuries.

The injuries caused by the Willow Ghost Tree were manageable. Although the adventurer was tricked at the end, the treatment was simple.

Most importantly, it was his full-force attack, the 'Sword of Annihilation'.

His condition was already unstable, and that sword strike caused significant damage to his body.

This recuperation period lasted for two days.

During this time, the elders were filled with anxiety, fearing that they might suffer the same fate as their leader, Jie, and another elder.

This unease reached its peak, especially after intelligence reports from spies confirmed that the ancestral tree of the Willow Ghost Clan had been killed.

That's the peak of the Nourishing Myself Realm!
They were actually killed by this mysterious person who appeared out of nowhere.

Wouldn't he also be in the Yangwu Realm?
Upon realizing this, in addition to unease, a different kind of emotion arose in their hearts.

human race...

Is it possible to achieve the state of self-cultivation?
……

……

noon.

Xu Xing pushed open the door and walked out of the stone house.

His face was still pale, and he looked very weak.

But the elders who were watching the situation were startled and quickly lowered their heads.

The atmosphere within the settlement instantly became much more oppressive.

However, a little girl dressed in red stood in front of a stone platform not far away, her eyes lit up, and she ran over to Xu Xing.

"Big brother!"

Everyone in the settlement was terrified of Xu Xing, including the other children he had rescued.

But this little girl was completely different.

Not only was she not afraid, but she also became very close to Xu Xing.

"You should call him uncle."

Xu Xing smiled and reached out to rub her head.

He's over two hundred years old now, old enough to be this little girl's grandfather.

The little girl blinked, said nothing, and just stared at him curiously.

"Alright, go have some fun." Xu Xing took out a refined Moon Crown Bamboo essence and handed it to her.

Her body is too weak now, and she needs to replenish her vital energy before she can cultivate.

"Ah."

The little girl didn't refuse; she took it and obediently ran away.

This scene, witnessed by the elders, inexplicably made them feel much more at ease.

However, the next second, Xu Xing's expression returned to calm. He looked at them with an emotionless gaze that made them feel as if they had fallen into an ice cave, and they were reminded of what had happened two days ago.

Come on, everyone.

Come?
where to?
……

……

after a while.

Inside that much more exquisite stone house.

Xu Xing sat in his usual spot, his expression calm and indifferent.

The remaining elders sat on either side of the long table, not daring to look up, appearing somewhat uneasy.

"What happened before is in the past," Xu Xing said calmly.

In this day and age, there are too many things we can't control.

In order to survive, something must eventually be sacrificed.

After all, he himself only got to where he is today because of the sacrifices of Senior Sanshi, his master, and Senior Yi.

Faced with the Willow Spirit Tree at the peak of the Nourishing Realm, this human settlement, consisting only of Condensation Realm cultivators, was indeed far too weak. Compromise was the only option…

There's nothing we can do about it.

What truly made him decide to kill the village chief and the elder was the state of the village.

More accurately, it refers to the number of practitioners.

He had already explored the settlement the moment he arrived.

This settlement is home to 2,721 people, but only a pitiful 174 of them are cultivators.

One hundred and seven people were at the Qi Refining Realm, fifty-seven at the Nascent Soul Realm, and others at the Foundation Condensation Realm...

Including the leaders and elders he had already killed, there were only ten people.

This is clearly not the proportion of practitioners a settlement with cultivation methods should have.

In the Eastern Wilderness, there is a settlement with three thousand people. If there are cultivation methods circulating within it, then not all of them are cultivators.

Two thousand eight or nine thousand cultivators is quite normal. After all, the Tai Xuan Realm is rich in spiritual energy, and even in this place where spiritual energy is sparse, it is only relative.

Once you embark on the path of cultivation, refining your Qi and entering the Dao is quite easy.

In the current situation, there is only one possibility—

They restricted the circulation of spiritual practices!
"..."

The elders looked at each other in bewilderment.

What happened before?

Does it refer to the murderous intent he harbored towards this person?

Several of them had shifty eyes.

If they were at the Yangwu realm, and someone offended them like this, they would definitely grind the other person to dust.

He won't...

They've reached their limit; they don't have the strength left to make another move, do they?
Now he says he doesn't care anymore.

It's very likely a bluff!

Upon realizing this, the greed in my heart began to surge uncontrollably.

However, because I wasn't sure, I still accepted it.

Please give your instructions.

An elder with strong features and a somewhat mature appearance mustered his courage and spoke.

Xu Xing glanced at him and explained:
"Your current cultivation method is probably still the one we passed down back then, and its highest level is only at the God-forging stage..."

"No, the cultivation methods that remain only go up to the Condensation Realm. The cultivation methods for the Forging God Realm were lost during the great chaos when the Willow Ghost Clan moved here," the elder quickly explained.

"Lost?" Xu Xing frowned.

But then he remembered the elder he had killed with a single sword strike two days earlier.

They shouldn't have lost it; they passed on their cultivation methods to everyone back then.

As long as one person is still alive, the practice of spiritual cultivation cannot be lost.

That person was alive just two days ago...

and many more!

Could it be that he has been stuck at the Condensation Realm, thus concealing the Divine Forging Cultivation Method beyond Condensation Realm?

"..."

Having figured out the key to it, Xu Xing's killing intent surged.

No wonder...

No wonder he turned and ran away when he saw me.

I knew so...

He shouldn't have died so easily!
It took him a while to calm his murderous intent.

"It's lost... so be it."

There's no need to talk about such petty and despicable things about the dead.

"Afterwards, I will transmit cultivation methods, including not only the method of forging the spirit, but also the method of nourishing oneself," he said slowly. "I will get everyone in the settlement to start cultivating as soon as possible."

"You want to fully open up the cultivation method?!" an elder couldn't help but ask.

"Hmm? Is there a problem?" Xu Xing looked at him.

“Absolutely not!” another elder blurted out.

“This isn’t about seeking your opinions.” Xu Xing shook his head slightly, stood up, and said, “It’s settled then.”

After saying that, he walked outside.

Upon seeing this, the three elders exchanged glances and made a decision in an instant.

How could a cultivator at the Yangwu Realm, if still possessing energy, possibly behave in this way?

Clearly, although he defeated the ancestral tree of the Willow Ghost Clan, he was also seriously injured, and killing the leader and elders was his limit.

This is nothing but a bluff!
Do it!

Capture him and interrogate him to find out the subsequent cultivation methods!
The three of them moved like lightning, immediately rushing towards Xu Xing, channeling their magical power and blood energy to strike his back.

However, before they even got close, the world they saw suddenly shattered.

It was as if countless fine lines intersected, dividing the world into countless tiny fragments.

In their final moments, they saw Xu Xing walk out, holding a palm-sized incense burner in his hand.

How could I...

Why would someone act so impulsively?
As the last thought flashed through my mind, everything before me was plunged into eternal darkness.

boom!
The blood mist exploded and spread, covering every corner of the stone house.

The five elders still sitting at the long table were stunned and had not reacted.

Until a sound came from outside...

"Remember to clean it thoroughly."

They snapped to attention and finally realized what was happening.

Seeing the fear on each other's faces, their inner terror finally reached its peak at that moment. (End of Chapter)