Xuan Yangzi, Saint-level Talent

The pill melted as soon as it entered his mouth, and a warm, moist current slid down his throat. At first, it was as gentle as melting snow in spring, but when it washed over his heart, it suddenly exploded.

Countless golden points of light flowed like a river of stars, surging along his meridians.

Those spiritual power barriers that had been blocked for years shattered inch by inch under the scouring of the light points. A numb warmth spread all over his body, as if invisible hands were carefully smoothing the wrinkles between his muscles.

"Ugh ah—"

Xuanyangzi couldn't help but groan. The spiritual energy around him churned wildly into a vortex, and his aura at the peak of the King Realm skyrocketed like a volcanic eruption.

The spirit fruits on the stone table were blown backwards by the air wave, and the leaves of the purple bamboo forest rustled. Half of them actually turned into fragments of spiritual light, scrambling to merge into his body.

Gu Changge flicked his fingertips, and a green light fell like a glazed cover, steadily suppressing his skyrocketing aura at the critical point.

He leaned back in his bamboo chair, casually watching the rosy light around Xuanyangzi grow brighter, even the white hair at his temples dyed with a layer of golden radiance.

Half an hour later, the light suddenly converged.

Xuanyangzi suddenly opened his eyes, golden light flashing in his eyes like lightning. The spiritual power lingering around him was actually more than a hundred times more condensed than before.

He subconsciously looked inside his body, suddenly stiffened, and tremblingly took out the Spirit Testing Jade in his arms.

The jade surface originally only had a faint golden halo, but at this moment it was as bright as the blazing sun, and four quaint small characters emerged on the edge: Saint-level Mid-grade!

"Aptitude... my aptitude..."

Xuanyangzi's voice trembled, his fingertips repeatedly rubbing those four words. He suddenly grabbed Gu Changge's arm, his knuckles turning white from exertion.

His eye sockets instantly turned red, and muddy old tears rolled down his wrinkled cheeks: "Saint-level Mid-grade! I was originally only Heaven-level Mid-grade!"

He remembered the Spirit Testing Jade that only lit up halfway when his aptitude was tested a hundred years ago.

He remembered the elders' regretful words of "malleable but hard to become a saint", and he remembered tossing and turning in the middle of the night when he was stuck at a bottleneck.

At this moment, the jade in his palm was warm and hot, and the halo of Saint-level Mid-grade reflected brightly on his old face. He actually cried like a child who had gotten candy.

Gu Changge handed over a brocade handkerchief and said indifferently: "It's just a pill, is it necessary?"

"It's necessary! It's too necessary!"

Xuanyangzi grabbed the brocade handkerchief to wipe his face, crying like a child.

"You don't understand! This means I can break through to a very high level, which means the Azure Profound Sect can become stronger and stronger! It means..."

He suddenly hugged Gu Changge, patting his back with a thud.

"Changge! My good junior brother! From now on, I will cover your Purple Bamboo Peak! If anyone dares to provoke you, I, Xuanyangzi, will be the first to lift his mountain gate!"

The little black bird on the bamboo branch rolled its eyes, fluttered down, and carried away the last spirit fruit on the stone table.

This person said "I haven't got a wife" a while ago, but now he probably even has the name of his great-grandson figured out.

Gu Changge helplessly pushed him away, flicked his fingertips, and five bottles of Marrow Cleansing Pills landed on the table.

"For you."

Xuanyangzi was crying soundly when he suddenly caught sight of the five bottles of Marrow Cleansing Pills Gu Changge handed over, and his crying stopped abruptly.

He grabbed the jade bottles, rubbing his fingers on the bottles like holding rare treasures.

The previous tears were instantly replaced by ecstasy, and even his wrinkles rippled with smiles.

"The five patriarchs in the forbidden area, one pill each. Their deadlines are approaching, maybe they can take advantage of the medicinal power to go one step further.

The six peak masters of Pill Cauldron Peak, Sword Howl Peak, etc., will also share one pill each, as well as several elders. They are the pillars of the sect. Only when their aptitudes are improved will the sect's foundation be stable."

Xuanyangzi counted clearly on his fingers.

"The rest will be given to the chief disciples of the major peaks—Lu Chenyu of Quelling Mountain Peak, Lin Xiaowan of Pill Cauldron Peak, Chu Jingchen of Sword Howl Peak... If these children's aptitudes can be improved by one level, they will be able to shoulder more responsibilities in the future."

He paused, tucked the jade bottles into his arms again, and smiled like a squirrel that had hoarded enough food.

"With this distribution, the patriarchs, peak masters, and chief disciples can all benefit, and it's temporarily enough."

"After the grand competition is over, let's see whose potential is greater, and keep the rest for key cultivation."

After saying that, he remembered something again. Previously, he wanted to use that Nine-Turn Golden Pill and Connate Spirit Marrow to see if he could improve the aptitudes of a few more disciples.

Now with this Marrow Cleansing Pill, it's saved!

Wuhu, take off!

Gu Changge watched Xuanyangzi suddenly stop there and giggle, his eyebrows dancing, exactly like a fool.

A moment later, Xuanyangzi tidied up his expression.

Remembering something again, he solemnly bowed to Gu Changge.

"A great kindness cannot be thanked with words! From now on, my, Xuanyangzi's, life is yours!"

After saying that, he turned around and rushed down the mountain, but turned his head again after running two steps.

"Right! I'll accept the King-level treasures. The disciples' strength is not enough yet. I'll personally write the reward list for the grand competition. One Heaven-level treasure is enough to drive all the disciples of the sect crazy!"

Looking at his bustling back, Gu Changge shook his head and laughed.

Back mountain forbidden area.

"Patriarchs, look what good things Little Yangzi has brought you!"

He shouted at the top of his voice, quickening his pace and rushing forward, wanting to give the ancestors a surprise.

But just as he rushed to the front of the barrier, with a muffled "bang", a translucent barrier suddenly emerged, glowing with a glazed luster, forcefully bouncing him back, almost making him fall on his butt.

Xuanyangzi clutched his bumped arm, staring wide-eyed at that layer of barrier.

The runes circulating on the barrier were several times denser than usual, faintly carrying the sounds of dragon roars and phoenix cries. Touching it actually brought a prickling pain like needles—the strength of this barrier had at least tripled from before!

"Strange..." He circled the barrier twice, rubbing his chin and muttering.

"I clearly didn't have anyone reinforce it, could it be..."

Suddenly remembering the spirit tea he sent to the patriarchs a few days ago, Xuanyangzi suddenly realized.

It was most likely that the patriarchs drank the Dao Enlightenment Tea, their cultivation advanced, and they strengthened the barrier.

He looked at the five stone peaks faintly visible behind the barrier. Clouds and mist lingered there, and the stone platforms where the patriarchs sat cross-legged glowed with faint golden light, obviously in deep comprehension.

"Forget it, forget it."

Xuanyangzi weighed the Marrow Cleansing Pills in his hand and smacked his lips.

"I can't interrupt the patriarchs' cultivation for a pill, that would not be worth the loss."

He turned around and left the forbidden area.

On the stone peaks behind the barrier, five old figures slowly opened their eyes.

The First Patriarch twisted his beard, his gaze passing through the translucent barrier, looking at Xuanyangzi's back as he trotted away, and couldn't help but snort lightly.

"Who reinforced this barrier? Why aren't you removing it quickly?"

The Fifth Patriarch was using his spiritual power to brush away the tea stains on the stone platform. Hearing this, he rolled his eyes.

"Who else could it be? Wasn't it you guys who were anxious to drink tea that day and strengthened the barrier."

The Third Patriarch rubbed the back of his head and chuckled: "Wasn't this thinking of reinforcing it for safety... who knew Little Yangzi would come at this time."

The First Patriarch flicked his fingertips on the stone table, where faint golden tea stains of Dao Enlightenment Tea still remained.

"Look at the jade bottle in his hand, spiritual light lingers around it, it's eighty percent a good thing. The spirit tea from a few days ago allowed me to touch the threshold of the Saint Realm, what's in this bottle..."

The Fourth Patriarch suddenly interrupted him, pointing in the direction where Xuanyangzi disappeared outside the barrier.

"That kid was just yelling about 'bringing the good stuff.' Nine times out of ten, he was coming straight for us. Now look what happened—he got bounced right back by your crappy barrier."

"Should we call him back, then?"