Longevity starts with choosing Hextech enhancement

Chapter 376 Battle Report - Reactions from All Sides
News of the great victory on the southern front was quickly disseminated to the other sects through various means shortly after the battle.

Listening to the waves on the south side of the sea.

"Senior Brother Heming, a great victory at Sword Pavilion!"

Ziyang Zhenjun excitedly pushed open the cultivation room door with the latest battle report in hand: "That Fellow Daoist Xiao has reappeared, lying in wait inside the Sword Pavilion Formation."

"The sea creatures were caught off guard and lost four great demons in one fell swoop, and even the giant octopus has turned to ashes."

"The southern front is now our absolute advantage!"

Crane Cry True Lord was breathing in spiritual energy.

Upon hearing this, he didn't even bother to stop his momentum. He jumped up, took the battle report, and eagerly began to read it.

After a few breaths.

A joyful smile spread across his face: "That's wonderful!"

"No wonder those three beasts outside suddenly disappeared. I thought they were up to some kind of trick again."

"It seems that they were afraid that Fellow Daoist Xiao would come to their aid, so they fled in advance."

Chongzhen Temple was originally positioned at its southern stronghold to contain the other three great sea monsters, forming a strategic alliance with Yuntao Sword Lodge.

However, yesterday afternoon was strangely quiet, without the usual disturbances.

They were still wondering what the reason was when they received this great news.

"If I had known that Fellow Daoist Xiao was so powerful, I should have taken the initiative yesterday."

Ziyang Zhenjun said with a slight regret: "This way, we might be able to keep one or two more great demons and expand our gains once again."

The night Xiao Chen arrived at the Sword Lodge, True Monarch Yunwo informed them of the good news to boost their confidence.

However, despite their joy, they never expected that Xiao Chen would achieve such a great victory in such a short time.

So after noticing the anomaly yesterday, we did not go out to pursue it as a precaution.

"That's not how it works; it's always better to be cautious."

True Monarch Heming disagreed: "Although this time it seems overly cautious, the key is that no one expected that Fellow Daoist Xiao would have such abilities."

"He has only just broken through to the next level, yet he was able to slay four great demons single-handedly. He is truly a formidable young man!"

There was a hint of emotion in his tone.

However, there wasn't much regret.

After all, for Chongzhen Temple, protecting the southern side of Cibei Island and befriending its neighbor Yuntao Jianlu had already achieved its main objective.

As for pursuing the monsters and expanding the spoils of war, that's not so important.

"Senior brother is right. I was not steady enough."

Ziyang Zhenjun smiled, looking visibly relaxed: "In short, after this battle, the overall situation in Yuntao Sea can be said to be settled."

"We can now take a good rest and recuperate for a while."

"Finally, I'll have time to repair all the major formations and, while I'm at it, train those few who performed exceptionally well in battle..."

However, he was only halfway through his sentence when he saw that True Monarch Crane Cry was shaking his head slightly.

"No, no, no, none of the things you mentioned are urgent."

"The most important thing right now is to go to the Sword Pavilion and pay a visit to Fellow Daoist Xiao."

"Yes, I should also bring a presentable gift."

"Junior brother, do you think it's better to give them the Floating Cloud Jade or the Water-Suppressing Spirit Pearl?"

The two items mentioned by True Monarch Crane Cry are both top-tier fourth-order spiritual materials passed down through the Chongzhen Temple, and are qualified to be classified as high-grade fourth-order spiritual objects.

They started discussing gifts.

Meanwhile, inside the Cangming Immortal Sect, True Monarch Iron Fan was slightly lost in thought as he looked at the latest message in his hand.

This battle report looks absolutely terrifying!

Even though he had already guessed in advance that Xiao Chen's potential was limitless.

But isn't this growth rate a bit too fast?

"To kill a mid-stage Nascent Soul demon by fighting alone and without relying on family heirlooms."

Iron Fan Zhenjun reviewed the battle report again, still feeling incredulous: "They're simply... monsters!"

Fortunately, he had learned about the feud between the Yi family and Xiao Chen beforehand.

A settlement was chosen for the sake of long-term considerations.

The Immortal Yunya was promptly dispatched as a representative to deliver Peach Blossom Divine Water Dew in order to resolve the grievances between the two parties.

In the end, Xiao Chen accepted his gift, and logically, the matter should be considered closed.

Otherwise, if you were to provoke such an enemy, you wouldn't know how to deal with it.

It’s so dangerous!
"Senior brother, has something urgent happened?"

Yinhao Zhenjun was patrolling the formation when he was called back midway.

Upon entering, one immediately sees Iron Fan Zhenjun with a serious expression, hinting at lingering fear, and holding a battle report in his hand.

I was immediately alarmed. Could it be that the sea creatures had won again? I wondered if the incident occurred on the southern or northern front.

"Junior brother is back. Take a look at this first."

Iron Fan True Lord reached out and handed over the battle report.

Yinhao Zhenjun had already walked up to him, reached out and took the battle report. He didn't even bother to sit down, and immediately stood there and read it through.

"Ok?"

Upon seeing this, he was first taken aback, then immediately frowned in confusion.

Why did my senior brother show that expression when he delivered what was clearly a report of good news?
"what?"

Yinhao Zhenjun continued to look down and was immediately taken aback.

It's unbelievable that Xiao Chen possesses such astonishing combat power.

"This...this...it's all thanks to Senior Brother's foresight."

It wasn't until he carefully read the detailed explanation that he finally understood why his senior brother had that expression.

Looking back, he was still somewhat dissatisfied with his senior's decision, especially not understanding why they had to send such a generous gift to apologize.

However, out of consideration for the overall situation, no objection was raised.

In retrospect, it seems that my senior brother was indeed farsighted.

They had already judged that Xiao Chen was hiding his true abilities and that they absolutely could not make enemies with him.

"It's not foresight at all, it's just a case of locking the barn door after the horse has bolted."

Iron Fan True Lord shook his head self-deprecatingly: "If I were truly farsighted, I should have personally investigated the Yi family back then, instead of listening to the reports from my subordinates."

He is, after all, the sect leader. If something serious happens, he should at least bear the responsibility for mismanagement.

"Senior brother, there's no need to blame yourself too much. In any case, these are all things of the past."

Yinhao Zhenjun comforted him, saying, "Now that we have achieved a great victory on the southern front, Tingtao Sea is almost pacified. It shouldn't be long before we receive reinforcements here as well."

"If we just hold on for a little longer, and wait for our fellow Daoists from the southern route to arrive, things will be much easier for us."

"Such good news should be spread so that the disciples can also be happy."

Iron Fan True Lord certainly wouldn't object. He not only summoned all the elders to announce the celebration, but also took the opportunity to distribute another round of cultivation resource subsidies.

The neighboring Qianji Valley also didn't miss this great opportunity.

Each disciple under the sect received two bottles of the same level of spiritual pills.

As the disciples were overjoyed, Xiao Chen's name once again resounded throughout the Shallow Sky Sea.

"Senior Brother Qian Shu, the items have all been distributed."

The Hundred-Aperture True Lord, however, had some doubts: "Is what we're doing appropriate?"

"Having used the guise of celebration to distribute resources three times in a row, Fellow Daoist Xiao's reputation in the valley is now at its zenith."

"Many disciples were talking about it, and many even openly expressed their admiration for Fellow Daoist Xiao."

Based on his observations, these people were clearly not just talking.

"Junior brother, there's no need to worry. I simply admire those who can achieve great victories; it's only human nature."

True Monarch Qian Shu didn't take it to heart: "It's a good thing that Fellow Daoist Xiao can become a role model for everyone."

"If we secretly spread some stories about Fellow Daoist Xiao's diligent cultivation in his early years, we can motivate our disciples to cultivate more diligently."

"You take charge of arranging this, and do it discreetly."

The Hundred-Aperture True Lord was taken aback upon hearing this.

Even after all this, not only do they ignore it, but they also secretly help praise Xiao Chen and continue to speak well of him?

Qian Shu Zhenjun could tell at a glance that this newly promoted junior brother had not yet fully adapted to his new identity.

So he took the initiative to explain, "Junior brother, I know you're worried that if the disciples' minds are scattered, it will be difficult to manage them in the future."

"But think about it carefully, who is Fellow Daoist Xiao?"

"If some fool were to run to them for refuge, they probably wouldn't even consider taking him in."

"Besides, with such a large sect, how can every disciple be completely loyal?"

"Most people just need to complete the mundane tasks assigned by the sect on time. We just need to keep an eye on the true immortal seedlings, and leave the rest to the internal affairs elders."

Upon hearing this, the Hundred-Aperture True Lord chuckled to himself.

He had been the Elder of Internal Affairs for over 260 years, and had long since developed a habit of paying attention to the disciples within the valley.

That's true. He's now broken through to the Nascent Soul stage and is already a Supreme Elder.

These things can be left to the elders of the Household Affairs to worry about.

"It's just a habit, please excuse my poor senior brother."

The Hundred-Aperture True Lord immediately understood: "I will go find someone to spread the word about Fellow Daoist Xiao's diligence and hard work."

Under their deliberate arrangement.

Soon, many rumors about Xiao Chen's early years emerged within the Shallow Sky Sea area.

For example, Xiao Chen insisted on practicing breathing exercises every day, day after day, year after year, and never rested even during holidays.

I suggest that everyone learn to give up holiday rest and strive to improve themselves in the future.

Some say that in order to have more time to cultivate, Xiao Chen neglected to eat from the Foundation Establishment stage onwards, and took Bigu Pills year-round.

Therefore, he saved the time of three meals a day compared to others in his cultivation, and over the years he has achieved his current level of cultivation.

I suggest that everyone keep fasting pills on hand from now on and learn from the role models.

Some even say that Xiao Chen completely gave up sleep from the Foundation Establishment stage onwards.

He believed that "sleeping is a habit of mortals," so he practiced meditation day and night, relying solely on sitting meditation to regulate his breathing and restore his energy.

When others asked him how he managed to persevere, he replied, "Just think, 'If I sleep for even a moment longer, I'll have one less moment to cultivate,' and I won't feel sleepy anymore."

I suggest that everyone spend more time on cultivation in the future and strive to achieve a breakthrough as soon as possible.

There are many similar rumors, such as severing ties with a sword, or passing by the market three times without entering, and so on.

The core content is that Xiao Chen neglected sleep and meals, devoting himself entirely to cultivation.

These rumors were later spread by word of mouth and gradually reached the entire Ocean of Compassion.

The variety of versions naturally increased, becoming more and more bizarre.

After Qianji Valley, the first to receive the battle report was naturally the Mozhang Sect, which was also a Taoist sect.

After all, they have specific ways of contacting each other.

When the intelligence first arrived, True Monarch Yunfeng was still dealing with the sea tribe's harassment. It was more than half an hour before he had time to come back and check it.

However, when he saw it, he was stunned.

"Hiss, Fellow Daoist Xiao's cultivation has improved so quickly?"

Yunfeng Zhenjun rubbed his eyes in disbelief to make sure he wasn't seeing things.

Judging from the battle report, Xiao Chen's strength has increased significantly compared to three months ago.

To be honest, this is a bit outrageous.

After reaching the True Lord realm, people generally measure the changes in their cultivation in units of years.

It had been a long time since True Lord Yunfeng had encountered a fellow cultivator whose strength had greatly improved in just a few months.

The main problem is that it simply doesn't make sense.

Honestly, what can you do in three months?

A cultivator who can condense three strands of true essence is already considered a genius.

If someone can learn a new spell, even just the basics, then they are an extraordinary genius, the kind that only appears once every few thousand years.

The problem is that this alone is not enough to bring about such a significant increase in combat power.

All I can say is that True Monarch Yunfeng has a hard time imagining what Xiao Chen has been doing in the past three months.

Does he eat rare and precious materials all day long? Or does he consume some extremely valuable fifth-tier spiritual item to enhance his cultivation?
Wow, I can't even imagine.

Of course, True Lord Yunfeng did not forget and promptly summoned True Lord Pili to share the good news with him.

Unsurprisingly, after reading it, Thunderbolt True Lord was also dumbfounded and showed a face full of shock.

He also couldn't understand how Xiao Chen could cultivate so quickly.

Everyone else was a newly promoted Nascent Soul cultivator, but with the help of spiritual objects over the past three months, he had only condensed three strands of true essence, with almost no significant change in strength.

Originally, Thunderbolt True Lord did not notice anything unusual.

After all, based on the experience left by the elders of the sect, everyone has gone through this process.

Now, upon comparison, he was shocked to discover that there were people who were not only strong but also progressed in cultivation so quickly.

Confused, Thunderbolt Monarch reviewed the battle report again.

Soon, a thought flashed through his mind, his pupils contracted rapidly, and a terrifying conjecture appeared in his mind.

After a slight hesitation, he asked directly, "Senior brother, do you think there's any possibility like this?"

"Is the reason why Fellow Daoist Xiao has been able to progress so quickly because he has actually been secretly cultivating demonic arts?"

"I also saw in the intelligence report that he actually possesses the long-lost Big Dipper Demon Fire."

"Could it be that he doesn't come from any hidden lineage at all, but is actually a remnant...successor of the Star Sacrifice Demonic Sect?"

Actually, Thunderbolt True Lord subconsciously wanted to say "remnants," since people usually use even more vulgar language when criticizing demonic cultivators.

However, he felt something was off about to say it, so he changed his mind.

After all, this is just his personal speculation, and without relevant evidence, it cannot be completely confirmed.

How could you have such a strange idea?

True Monarch Yunfeng was clearly somewhat surprised: "How could Fellow Daoist Xiao be a member of the demonic path? He must be from a top lineage within the Three Mountains Grotto Heaven."

Before Thunderbolt True Lord could answer.

He understood: "Oh, I see."

"You must be thinking that Fellow Daoist Xiao actually cultivated demonic arts, which is why his cultivation progress is so astonishing, right?"

Thunderbolt True Lord nodded; that was indeed what he thought.

As is widely known, demonic arts have always been notorious for their heinous acts and shortcuts.

Under the same conditions of aptitude and resources, the cultivation speed brought by choosing demonic arts can indeed far surpass that of all orthodox cultivation methods.

However, in ordinary times, cultivators with a little talent or background are wary of those side effects.

Therefore, I would rather take the right path, even if it is slower and more expensive, because I want to be more secure and have a higher potential in the future.

Generally, only those cultivators who lack the necessary qualifications or resources would consider venturing into the demonic path to take a chance.

But there are exceptions to everything.

Historically, there have indeed been special cases where individuals with exceptional talent still actively embraced demonic arts.

Thunderbolt Monarch was now wondering if Xiao Chen had also become a demonic cultivator for some reason he didn't know.

"Hahaha!"

True Monarch Yunfeng couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Silly junior brother, you don't actually think that by practicing demonic arts you can cultivate at the same speed as Fellow Daoist Xiao, do you?"

"Then you think too highly of demonic arts."

"If the Star Sacrifice Demon Sect had this ability, no, no, even half of it, it wouldn't have been completely wiped out millions of years ago."

After laughing and mocking the Star Sacrifice Demon Sect,

Yunfeng Zhenjun explained more seriously: "It is true that demonic arts can accelerate the cultivation speed, but there is a limit to it."

"Not to mention that most demonic arts can only increase the cultivation speed by two or three times."

"Even the 'Blessed Life Demon Flame Technique,' which could increase cultivation speed at the cost of burning one's lifespan, could only increase cultivation speed by eight times."

“Junior brother, you also have a Heavenly Spiritual Root, and your cultivation resources are not bad either.”

"Do you think this boost is enough to close the gap between you and Fellow Daoist Xiao?"

Thunderbolt True Lord was stumped by the question. He thought about it seriously and said, "I'm afraid it's not enough, far from enough."

According to his estimate, eight times might be a bit low; adding a zero at the end might make it more accurate.

"So you're just overthinking it."

Yunfeng Zhenjun spoke with the air of someone who had been through it all: "There are countless heroes in this world, geniuses among geniuses, and heroes among heroes."

"Fellow Daoist Xiao is undoubtedly a super genius."

"There's no point in trying to figure out such a person using common sense."

“He is different from us. Just like you, junior brother, you probably find it hard to understand why some people can't even break through to the Foundation Establishment stage even at the age of sixty.”

"Fortunately, over the years, there haven't been many people like Fellow Daoist Xiao."

"We don't need to compare ourselves to him; we should just keep a calm mind."

The reason why True Lord Yunfeng was so certain was because he had a secret he hadn't revealed.

It's not that I don't trust Thunderbolt True Lord.

The main reason is that my junior brother has only recently broken through to the Nascent Soul stage, and the timing is not quite right yet.

The secret is that many veteran Nascent Soul True Monarchs have experience secretly researching demonic arts.

It's not entirely about stepping into the demonic path; some people are just thinking about broadening their horizons, after all, one can learn from others' experiences.

Of course, there are also people who secretly start learning as they watch, and there are quite a few throughout history.

Every few tens of thousands of years, there will be instances where a few True Lords, in order to prolong their lives, secretly commit mass killings.

But compared to Xiao Chen, they were far inferior.

There's simply no comparison.

Therefore, none of the others, including True Lord Yunfeng, True Lord Gangyuan, True Lord Heming, and True Lord Tieshan, suspected Xiao Chen of being a demonic cultivator because of the matter of the Big Dipper Demonic Fire.

The main reason is that they all have some experience in this area, and they never even thought of it that way.

This is why True Monarch Yunfeng laughed after hearing his junior brother's suspicions.

Thunderbolt True Lord scratched his head awkwardly: "Oh, I see. Thank you for your guidance, Senior Brother. I understand now."

Fortunately, it was only my senior brother here, so making a fool of myself wouldn't be too embarrassing.

"Such good news should be shared."

Considering the difficulty of sending messages, Yunfeng Zhenjun took the initiative to say, "Let's send a message to the Buddhist sect so that they can also know this good news as soon as possible."

Because they are closer together.

Thus, the good news reached Huiming Temple before the battle report from Yuntao Sword Lodge.

Similar to Kuji Temple, each abbot of Huiming Temple will be renamed Huiming Zen Master.

Upon learning of the good news from the Mozhang Sect, he immediately summoned Zen Master Fenghua of Jiaye Temple to read it together.

The reason why Zen Master Fenghua was at Huiming Temple was because the original site of Jiaye Temple had been trampled flat by the sea creatures.

After all, both of these temples are relatively small, and what's even more awkward is that in this generation, each only has one Zen master left to preside over it.

Therefore, facing the overwhelming sea creatures, Zen Master Fenghua, who was at the forefront, did not hold out to the death, but instead led his disciples to retreat and seek refuge at Huiming Temple.

It must be said that his choice was very wise.

The left wing of Pudu Temple has been able to hold out for so long.

Half of the reason is that the newly appointed Zen Master Huibo of Lianhua Temple shared the burden.

The other reason is that Zen Master Fenghua's wise choice preserved his own strength and prevented him from being defeated one by one.

For this reason, Pudu Temple even wrote a letter promising that after the victory, it would definitely help Jiaye Temple rebuild the temple, and make it bigger and better than the original one.

Meanwhile, Huiming Temple had received good news.

Lianhua Temple and Pudu Temple naturally received the battle report from them quickly.

The great victory on the southern front undoubtedly boosted their confidence significantly.

While busy dealing with the endless waves of attacks from the sea creatures, Zen Master Jingxing also held a small meeting to announce this good news.

"Amitabha, now they will definitely have to split up!"

Having recovered from his injuries, Zen Master Jingchen chanted a Buddhist prayer, and a long-lost smile appeared on his face.

The last time he was this happy was when he heard that the western front had been pacified, which was also related to Xiao Chen.

"Great, we can finally see a glimmer of hope here."

Zen Master Jinghua also showed a happy expression: "Even if the sea tribes are stubborn this time, we will have to send troops to reinforce the southern front."

"Otherwise, once Layman Xiao arrives with reinforcements from Yuntao Sword Pavilion, the situation in Qiankonghai will be completely reversed."

Since the start of the war, although Pudu Temple was not the first force to be attacked, it has certainly endured the greatest pressure.

The sea creatures are like a blood feud between them.

They immediately amassed a large force and launched a relentless, all-out attack day and night.

It can be said that the other forces were only facing small groups of sea creatures, while only Pudu Temple was fighting against the main force of the sea creatures.

Fortunately, they possessed the only fifth-order grand formation in the Sea of ​​Compassion; otherwise, they would have been trampled a hundred times over by now.

After enduring so much hardship, a turning point has finally arrived.

“I remember last time it was this Mr. Xiao who displayed great prowess on the western front.”

Zen Master Jingchen praised him generously: "I really didn't expect that he would be the one to deserve the most credit this time."

"Truly a dragon among men, a rare talent."

Zen Master Jingxing nodded: "What you say is very true, Junior Brother."

Then he sighed softly, "There's only one thing that's a real pity!"

“Layman Xiao is so wise, yet he is not a member of our Buddhist community.”

"If the opportunity arises in the future, I should guide him into my Buddhist order."

(End of this chapter)