"Who are you, and what do you want?" Chen Xuan's voice trembled.
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"Who I am is not important; what matters is, do you desire power?" replied Shen Hua.
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"Power..." Chen Xuan's heart felt somewhat dazed upon hearing this word.
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"With power, you can accomplish many things, such as dealing with that crow. You detest it, don't you?"
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Shen Hua extended his arm, and a powerful vortex erupted from his palm. The crow, powerless to resist, was drawn into Shen Hua's hand. With a firm grip, Shen Hua crushed the crow's neck.
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"Feeling the discomfort of the crow pecking at your body? Look, now it's dead, easily crushed, because I have power. Grasp power, and you grasp authority and strength. Respect, admiration, reverence—all will follow."
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Chen Xuan gazed at the lifeless crow before him, the words of Shen Hua echoing in his ears.
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"What price must I pay to obtain power?" Chen Xuan's eyes reflected an unprecedented determination. He refused to die here, to be pecked at by crows. This was his last chance. He must survive, he must gain power! He wanted to be admired by all!
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Shen Hua chuckled, a genuine laugh emanating from within.
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"Good, very good. As long as you possess the heart of a strong individual, you can become stronger. You lack only opportunity."
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"Allow me to provide you with that opportunity."
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With that, Shen Hua fed a pill to Chen Xuan, channeled his own energy into him, and aided in his healing.
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"You need not pay anything; you need only be yourself," Shen Hua reassured. "Follow the flow of my energy, and I will assist in your recovery."
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"Very well."
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A quarter of an hour later, Chen Xuan stood once more, his injuries healed under Shen Hua's treatment. Shen Hua clapped his hands; for a Qi Refinement cultivator like him, such injuries were child's play.
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"My lord, how can I become stronger?" asked Chen Xuan.
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Shen Hua retrieved a slightly reddish dagger from his spatial ring.
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"This dagger is called the Crimson Ghost Blade, a Qi Refinement artifact. Grip it and feel its essence." Chen Xuan nodded and firmly grasped the Crimson Ghost Blade, holding onto it tightly, unwilling to let go.
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"Close your eyes and probe your energy into it."
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Chen Xuan obediently shut his eyes.
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This dagger had been prepared by Shen Hua long ago, with considerable effort invested in it. Shen Hua infused his own energy into the blade and even inscribed a formation within it to enable Qi Refinement cultivators to use it.
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After completing the work, Shen Hua named the blade the Crimson Ghost Blade.
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"Do you feel anything?" asked Shen Hua.
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"I feel power. The blade contains a surging force like waves," replied Chen Xuan, his voice trembling.
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"Try to manipulate it."
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"Very well." Suppressing his inner excitement, Chen Xuan cautiously began to manipulate the immense power contained within the Crimson Ghost Blade.
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Under the control of the formation, the energy within the blade responded extremely docilely, allowing even the weakly-cultivated Chen Xuan to control it.
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Grasping the Crimson Ghost Blade, Chen Xuan felt a newfound sense of strength.
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"I can now control the power within the Crimson Ghost Blade."
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"Excellent, very good. Additionally, let me tell you a secret. When you wield the power of the Crimson Ghost Blade, even our sect master won't detect it," said Shen Hua gently.
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Shen Hua possessed a secret technique called the Shadowless Art, which he had discovered in an abandoned inheritance. It provided significant aid to Shen Hua, saving his life on several occasions. It could conceal his aura and movements.
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During battle, Shen Hua planned to use the Shadowless Art to conceal the aura of the Crimson Ghost Blade, which already possessed a function to conceal its own aura.
"The amalgamation of both renders the Yu Long Sect's Primordial Lord oblivious," Shen Hua commented.
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"Such potency!" Chen Xuan exclaimed in surprise.
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"Who inflicted such wounds upon you?" Shen Hua inquired.
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"It was Xi Xing Lei."
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Recalling Xi Xing Lei's strike, Chen Xuan still felt a lingering fear.
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"Oh? Is Xi Xing Lei formidable?"
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Chen Xuan gazed at the crow lying on the ground, recalling its limp neck.
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Then, he looked at the Crimson Ghost Blade tightly gripped in his hand, understanding that wielding it meant holding power.
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"No, now I am stronger!"
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"I will make him pay!" Chen Xuan's gaze turned fierce.
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"Let him suffer." Shen Hua's lips curled up.
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"Yes, let him suffer!"
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Several days later, Chen Xuan, now clad in clean attire, stood in the courtyard of the Yu Long Sect.
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His posture was upright, his eyes sharp, and a newfound confidence emanated from him, exuding an extraordinary aura. He was a different person from the insecure and timid Chen Xuan of the past.
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This was the change brought about by grasping power. Chen Xuan was here to wait for Xi Xing Lei.
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He sought revenge against Xi Xing Lei, intending to challenge him publicly and then ruthlessly defeat and humiliate him!
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Chen Xuan had been in the sect for some time and knew that Xi Xing Lei valued his reputation above all else.
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Therefore, Chen Xuan's plan was to trample Xi Xing Lei's dignity before the eyes of all.
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This was Chen Xuan's revenge plan; he couldn't actually kill Xi Xing Lei.
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Because Xi Xing Lei was a genius, highly regarded by the sect master and elders. If Chen Xuan killed him, he would antagonize many influential figures within the sect.
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Of course, the main reason for Chen Xuan's actions was the mysterious figure in the black robe who had granted him power. He had stated that he wanted Xi Xing Lei to suffer.
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Although the black-robed figure claimed not to want anything in return, Chen Xuan wasn't foolish.
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He knew that all gifts in the world came with an implicit price.
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Therefore, Chen Xuan had to heed every word spoken by the black-robed figure.
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Otherwise, he would have considered reconciling with Xi Xing Lei and becoming friends, which was the best option.
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Chen Xuan was a smart man.
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With this in mind, Chen Xuan stopped thinking about other matters and began to meditate.
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Until a commotion arose in the crowd, prompting Chen Xuan to open his eyes once more.
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Because he knew that Xi Xing Lei had arrived.
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Chen Xuan squeezed through the crowd towards the center.
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Through the throng, he saw Xi Xing Lei proudly holding up the head of a demonic beast and its core in his hands.
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Xi Xing Lei basked in the admiration and respect of the crowd, reveling in their praise.
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"Xi Xing Lei has successfully hunted a mid-stage Qi Refinement Wind Wolf Beast. He truly deserves to be our Yu Long Sect's top genius!" Elder Li proclaimed, brimming with excitement over Xi Xing Lei's achievements.
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It was important to note that in the Qi Refinement stage, the strength of demonic beasts far exceeded that of cultivators.
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Being able to hunt a mid-stage Qi Refinement demonic beast with only an initial-stage cultivation, Xi Xing Lei was indeed worthy of the title of genius.
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The crowd erupted into applause and cheers, showering Xi Xing Lei with praise.
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Xi Xing Lei held his head even higher, his eyes narrowed slightly, basking in the sunlight as if radiating brilliance.
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Chen Xuan squeezed his way into the center of the crowd, step by resolute step.
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Finally, he reached the heart of the crowd, right beside Xi Xing Lei.
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Gripping the Crimson Ghost Blade, a surging wave of power entered Chen Xuan's body, accompanied by boundless courage.
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"Xi Xing Lei, I challenge you!" Chen Xuan used a spell to amplify his voice, causing his lone voice to resonate throughout the courtyard.
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Suddenly, the entire square fell into an eerie silence, with everyone casting puzzled glances at Chen Xuan.
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