Chapter 16: A Violet Palace Expert Takes the Girls Along!

“Senior, who are you?”

Still kneeling, Chen Junsheng looked up at Lin Yang in awe. Lin Yang walked over and pulled him to his feet.

“Senior Brother Chen, what are you doing? You knew you couldn’t beat them, but you still stood up to protect me. I should be thanking you.”

“In the cultivation world, the accomplished come first,” Chen Junsheng said quickly. “You’re a Violet Palace expert, and I’m only a Qi Refining disciple. I should call you Senior.”

“We’re fellow disciples. There’s no need for that.” Lin Yang patted his shoulder. “Just call me Lin Yang. You were willing to protect me today, and I’ll remember the favor. From now on, I’ve got your back!”

Chen Junsheng stood there stunned. A Violet Palace cultivator would protect him? Many outer sect elders of the Qingyuan Sword Sect were only at Foundation Establishment; the peak masters had just reached the first or second level of Violet Palace. If Lin Yang spoke up for him, he might not be able to throw his weight around, but nobody would dare bully him casually again!

His conscience had simply made him stand up for a new disciple. In the blink of an eye, he’d gained a Violet Palace patron. What incredible luck!

“If you don’t want to call him Senior, you can call me your adoptive father,” Xiao Hei said seriously from Lin Yang’s shoulder. “Acknowledge me as your adoptive father, and I’ll protect you too.”

Chen Junsheng looked at the dog, then silently turned his head away. He wasn’t quite sure how to deal with Xiao Hei.

Lin Yang reactivated the Heaven-Deceiving Mirror of Mountains and Rivers. His Violet Palace aura disappeared, and he appeared to be at the first level of Qi Refining again. Watching a Violet Palace expert transform before his eyes shocked Chen Junsheng all over again. Such a method of hiding one’s realm was terrifying!

“Junior Brother Lin… Lin Yang, don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone what happened today.”

“All right. I trust you.”

Lin Yang had revealed his cultivation precisely because of Chen Junsheng’s actions. Even if the man did intend to harm him, what trouble could a fifth-level Qi Refining disciple cause?

He sent a thread of azure true essence into Chen Junsheng and activated Azure Emperor Rejuvenation. Several broken bones in his chest knitted together, and damaged meridians rapidly healed. In less than half a minute, most of his injuries were gone.

“My injuries are healed?” Chen Junsheng moved and found that his chest really no longer hurt. Lin Yang knew seal techniques and such powerful healing spells! How much more could he do? This newly admitted junior brother had too many secrets.

Lin Yang thought little of it. He had finally met a decent senior brother; he couldn’t leave him injured. Besides, he was unfamiliar with this world and could learn about it from Chen Junsheng.

“Senior Brother Chen, where exactly are we?”

Chen Junsheng blinked. “You don’t know?”

“I’ve only been here three days. What would I know?”

“Fair enough.” He gathered his thoughts. “We’re in the Black Mountain Region of Youzhou. The strongest person in the region is the lord of its administrative city, Black Mountain City. They say he’s reached the first level of the Golden Core Realm! Besides that city, some sects and cultivation families have Core Formation patriarchs. The Qingyuan Sword Sect is only a third-rate sect in this region.”

“Third-rate?” Lin Yang was surprised. When he’d first seen its hundred-odd peaks floating above the clouds and its countless palaces and flying swords, he’d thought the sect was already powerful.

Chen Junsheng continued, “Our Supreme Sect Master has perfected the Violet Palace Realm. He’s been attempting Core Formation for years, but has failed several times. If he succeeds, the Qingyuan Sword Sect may become a second-rate sect.”

Lin Yang nodded. He now had a rough idea of the sect’s strength: the master had perfected Violet Palace, most peak masters were in its early stages, and the other elders were mainly at perfected Foundation Establishment or Violet Palace. A Golden Core expert was a dominant power across the entire Black Mountain Region!

“At my current strength, I must already rank near the top of the Qingyuan Sword Sect.”

He wasn’t in a hurry to find Huang Bin. He could crush the man effortlessly, but killing him would spoil the fun. Just as Huang Bin had wanted to cripple Lin Yang, Lin Yang didn’t want him dead yet. He would take his time with him.

His own goal was Golden Core! From the look of things, Golden Core in seven days would be a little difficult; Core Formation, on the other hand, was about right. “Too slow!” He shook his head, dissatisfied with his cultivation speed.

Remembering the tier-three shop, he asked, “Senior Brother Chen, do you know where I can get high-grade spirit stones?”

“High-grade spirit stones?” Chen Junsheng became even more certain that Lin Yang wasn’t an ordinary Violet Palace cultivator. Qi Refining disciples usually used low-grade stones. Foundation Establishment cultivators occasionally handled mid-grade stones. High-grade stones mainly circulated among Violet Palace cultivators and above.

“The Qingyuan Sword Sect’s Myriad Treasures Pavilion should have some,” he said after thinking. “If you want a large quantity, it’s best to go to Black Mountain City, eight thousand li—4,000 kilometers—away, or the Yunchuan Dynasty’s royal capital, farther still. Both cities have populations over a hundred million, with major merchant associations and auction houses. If you have the money, you can buy almost anything.”

Cities with over a hundred million people! Lin Yang rather wanted to see them. He opened the regional map to check the route, but gray fog covered the locations of Black Mountain City and the Yunchuan Royal Capital. When he selected Black Mountain City, a red notification appeared.

【Player’s current main quest progress is insufficient!】

【Black Mountain City region is not yet open!】

【Blue Star players cannot enter this region!】

Lin Yang blinked. “I’m in the Violet Palace Realm and still can’t go?”

【Realm and main quest progress are separate systems!】

【Blue Star players have only recently entered the Immortal Realm. Initial regions are not yet fully connected!】

【Players must complete designated main quests before entering higher-level regions!】

He selected Kaiyang City, the closest city to the Qingyuan Sword Sect.

【Kaiyang City!】

【Entry requirement: Complete Main Quest 10!】

“It’s right next to the sect, and I still can’t enter?”

【Forced entry will be blocked by the regional barrier!】

“Can I break it?”

【Player may try.】

His eyes lit up. “There’s a chance?”

【No.】

“Then why the hell tell me to try?”

He understood. Like an invisible wall in Black Myth: Wukong, it couldn’t be broken and existed specifically to stop players. Despite reaching Violet Palace, he was still a newcomer who couldn’t leave the starting village without enough main quest progress. Even if he woke up as an immortal, he’d have to come back and finish the beginner quests.

“Looks like I have to continue the main quest first.”

Chen Junsheng couldn’t hear the system, but saw his expression change. “If you only need a small number of high-grade spirit stones, you don’t necessarily need to visit those cities. A tier-three demonic beast has a tier-three core. Even an ordinary one can be exchanged at the sect’s Myriad Treasures Pavilion for dozens of high-grade spirit stones. Cores with special bloodlines or pure attributes can fetch hundreds.”

Lin Yang’s eyes lit up. A tier-three beast corresponded to a Violet Palace cultivator. Another cultivator might struggle to kill one, but he wouldn’t. He was confident even against a tier-four beast. Otherwise, what was the point of learning all those epic techniques?

Xiao Hei perked up at the mention of beasts. “You get the cores; the meat belongs to me!”

“You just ate hundreds of bottles of Myriad Beast Spirit-Nurturing Pills, and you’re hungry again?”

“Pills are pills and meat is meat. How are they the same?” Xiao Hei said earnestly. “I’m growing. I have to eat more!”

Lin Yang couldn’t be bothered arguing. The two left Blackwind Cave and continued their patrol. His Great Sun Mountain-Burning Seal had already frightened away nearby beasts, so the rest of the route was uneventful. It was nearly dark when they returned to the Demon Beast Suppression Hall.

Chen Junsheng stayed behind to explain Cao Hu and Zheng Tong to the steward. He said only that they had tried to harm a fellow disciple and had been killed by a passing Violet Palace cultivator; he didn’t reveal Lin Yang’s true realm. Lin Yang submitted his assignment with the patrol token.

【Congratulations! Player has completed Main Quest 5: Sect Training!】

【Next main quest unlocked!】

【Main Quest 6: First Demon Hunt!】

【Objective: Kill ten demonic beasts of any level!】

【Notice: Blue Star players who kill demonic beasts gain cultivation and have a chance to obtain equipment, pills, materials, and special items!】

【The higher the beast’s level, the more cultivation gained and the greater the chance of high-quality drops!】

Lin Yang’s eyes lit up. Natives of the Immortal Realm could only take materials from slain beasts, but players gained cultivation and drops as well. That was the advantage of the player template!

A new event page appeared.

【The Black Mountain Region’s first demon-hunting leaderboard is open!】

【The leaderboard has individual and three-person team divisions!】

【Hunting points are calculated according to the level of beasts killed!】

【Rankings will be finalized at midnight tonight!】

【Higher rankings earn better rewards!】

Lin Yang opened regional chat. Many players had already started hunting.

“I followed a senior brother and killed a tier-one demon rabbit. I got fifty cultivation points and two common healing pills!”

“Anyone forming a team? First-level Qi Refining, fourth-grade earth spirit root, beginner defensive spell. I can take a couple of hits!”

“First place on the individual board has already killed more than twenty beasts. That’s fast!”

“I’m mining and I’m not even a sect disciple. What’s this event got to do with me?”

“Where’s Wealthy Heavenly Emperor? Is he going to take first place again?”

Lin Yang smiled at the last message. What a coincidence! He was about to find a tier-three demonic beast to get high-grade spirit stones, and its hunting points would surely dwarf those of tier-one beasts. He wanted first place individually—and he wouldn’t pass up first place for a team either!

Besides himself, a three-person team had exactly two spots. Fang Qingyao and Tang Yu immediately came to mind. They were old classmates. Now that he had the ability, helping the two girls along was perfectly reasonable!