Desolate Fallen Dragon's Decree

After speaking, Su Jiu tossed a palm-sized cloth pouch onto Su Ji, which contained an ordinary piece of wood.

Then, with a casual wave of her hand, the wood transformed into a blood-drenched spiritual root in the blink of an eye.

It looked identical to the "real thing" Su Jiu had examined the day before.

The sight sent a shiver down Su Ji’s spine.

"Here’s the item. Take it to the Personnel Hall yourself and report back."

Su Jiu made it clear he was dismissed.

"Remember to give three low-grade spirit stones to Fat Steward. He’s only at the fifth level of Qi Refinement, but his uncle is an Outer Sect Elder. Be careful, or he might come after you later."

Yet, Su Ji acted as if he hadn’t heard her, remaining sprawled comfortably on her bed—even shifting into a more relaxed position.

"Junior Sister," Su Ji suddenly spoke, his tone turning solemn. "Do you know about the world beyond the Great Xia Kingdom?"

Su Jiu’s hand, about to reach for a cup of water, froze almost imperceptibly mid-air.

She didn’t turn around.

But seeing her pause, Su Ji knew his gamble had paid off.

How could a continent’s cultivation ceiling be capped at the Golden Core stage?

And what about all those young prodigies in the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm who were destined to surpass 'Golden Core' in the future?

It was obvious—this 'Great Xia' was nothing more than a forgotten or abandoned corner of the 'Upper Realm.'

"Let me be honest with you," Su Ji sat up, his expression grave. "Aren’t you curious why my future self is so strong?"

He didn’t give her a chance to interrupt, continuing, "I’m actually the direct descendant of a prominent clan from the Upper Realm. I was sent to this backwater Great Xia as a trial for competing for the position of Young Clan Chief. If I prove myself the best, my family will send someone to bring me back."

"Being insulted by lowly commoners in this lower realm… it’s only natural for my mindset to falter."

Su Jiu finally turned around slowly, her clear eyes silently scrutinizing Su Ji, her face expressionless.

"Do I look stupid to you?"

Su Ji shook his head. "Of course not."

A faint, mocking smile tugged at Su Jiu’s lips, the teardrop mole beneath her eye shifting slightly.

"Then why do you think I’d believe your nonsense?"

Su Ji sighed, wearing just the right amount of melancholy.

"Believe it or not, I just need some starting funds. Once I return to my clan and claim the position of Young Clan Chief, I’ll repay you handsomely."

With shameless audacity, he held out his hand.

Rich lady, hungry, feed me.

Su Jiu stared at Su Ji’s brazen, unrepentant expression as he demanded money.

After a long silence, she finally walked to the storage cabinet in the corner.

She opened it, bent down, and pulled out a pouch containing twenty low-grade spirit stones, tossing it to him.

"Stop lying. Take it. Don’t expect anything more."

She couldn’t bear to waste another word on him.

Su Ji swiftly pocketed the spirit stones, his face instantly lighting up with a grin. "Many thanks, Junior Sister! Your kindness will be repaid a hundredfold in the future."

With that, Su Ji clutched the pouch holding the "spiritual root" in his right hand and the spirit stones in his left, then strode away without hesitation.

Just as he reached the door, he suddenly turned back. "Oh, Junior Sister… do you happen to have any higher-level cultivation manuals?"

"Get lost!"

The response didn’t surprise him—he’d only asked on a whim.

He was just about to turn around when his vision suddenly darkened.

A book, still warm with a maiden's body heat, smacked straight into Su Ji's face.

"Get lost, get lost, get the hell out!"

The book slid off Su Ji's face, and he hurriedly caught it with his hands.

His eyes landed on the bold characters on the cover.

His heartbeat quickened.

[Fallen Dragon Desolation Art]

When Su Ji looked up again at Su Jiu,

he found her biting her lower lip, her expression full of disdain as she glared at him.

Fine.

Su Ji had no complaints.

If Su Jiu wanted to curse at him, so be it.

Just based on today's "transactional assistance" she had offered him, even if he were to fall into demonic cultivation in the future, it would be enough to earn him a spot on the "exemption list."

...

Time passed in a flash—two and a half months.

Su Ji's days were uneventful, even bordering on dull.

Aside from the three spirit stones he had given the Fat Steward to "understand the rules,"

the rest of the spirit stones Su Jiu had given him were almost entirely spent on cultivation.

Thanks to that profound, unidentifiable-grade cultivation manual, his strength had steadily improved.

He had reached the peak of the fourth layer of Qi Refining, just one step away from breaking through to the fifth.

During this time, he had also activated his [Fate-Seeing] ability multiple times.

But the threads of fate that appeared before him were all dull and lifeless, devoid of any nodes he could pull or leverage.

It was as if his life had been temporarily locked within this tiny corner of the Love-Longing Sect.

Until today.

When he once again calmed his mind and connected with that black thread of fate,

amidst countless gray strands, he finally spotted one faintly glowing red thread.

Without hesitation, Su Ji reached out and plucked it.

The scene before him instantly shifted.

...

When Su Ji regained his senses,

it was dusk.

The door of his shabby wooden hut was knocked with a series of "knock, knock, knocks."

"Who is it?"

"It's me."

The voice was somewhat unfamiliar—a man's.

Puzzled, Su Ji went to open the door.

Outside stood none other than the slightly plump steward from the Personnel Hall.

His face was plastered with an oily smile, and in his hand, he held a small cloth pouch.

"Ah, Junior Brother Su Ji, your senior brother came to check on you. Brought some local specialties from our Love-Longing Sect too."

He opened the pouch, revealing a handful of glistening, plump red beans.

"These are premium goods usually reserved for inner sect disciples. Seeing how diligently you’ve been cultivating, I went out of my way to spare some for you. Not much, just ten low-grade spirit stones’ worth."

The vision ended there.

Su Ji's consciousness returned to reality.

Then, his eyes turned icy cold.

Ten low-grade spirit stones?

That fat bastard really had the nerve to ask.

This wasn’t just a "token of appreciation" anymore.

This was outright robbery!

Apparently, his willingness to hand over three spirit stones last time had made the Fat Steward think he was an easy target.

Right now, Su Ji’s entire savings amounted to four spirit stones and a single Blood-Coagulation Pill.

How was he supposed to pay?

Even if he had the money, he wouldn’t give it!

A thought began to fester wildly in Su Ji’s heart.

That fat bastard was only at the fifth layer of Qi Refining.

And Su Ji was already at the peak of the fourth.

This kind of petty man loved to abuse the tiny bit of authority he had to bully others, didn’t he?

Clearly, the previous senior brothers and sisters had spoiled him rotten!

If no one else would clean up the Love-Longing Sect’s corrupt practices, then Su Ji would be the first!

Kill!

All cultivators would inevitably walk this path sooner or later.

What does our kind fear in battle!?

But before that…

Killing someone above his level—even with the advantage of a high-grade cultivation technique—wouldn’t be so easy.

To do a good job, one must first sharpen one's tools.

Su Ji decided to step out for a while.

His destination was clear.

He wasn’t going to ask Su Jiu for help.

Instead, he headed for the Love-Longing Sect’s market.

In matters like this, relying on oneself was better than begging others.

...

The Love-Longing Sect’s market wasn’t large, but it had everything one might need.

Su Ji wandered between the stalls but couldn’t find anything that satisfied him.

Just as he was about to lose patience, a stone block, about the height of a three- or four-year-old child, caught his eye.

The stall owner was a gaunt old man with a faintly decaying aura. Seeing Su Ji’s interest in the stone, he weakly explained, "This is 'Flashstone.' Infuse it with spiritual energy, and it emits a blinding light. Beyond that, it’s useless. Five low-grade spirit stones—fair price for all."

Su Ji turned to leave.

"Three!"

"Two!"

"One!"

Then Su Ji turned back but didn’t approach. "Two spirit stones—use this Flashstone to forge me a spear."

The stall owner hesitated slightly. "Flashstone’s texture isn’t ideal for crafting weapons meant for combat."

Su Ji flashed a knowing grin. "Of course I’m not using it to kill anyone. I’ll take it back to play with my junior sister at night, ask her if my spear is big and bright."

However, the old stall owner, perhaps having had his spiritual roots severed in his youth, didn’t catch the innuendo and refused to engage. "Two and a half. Pay half upfront, come back at this time tomorrow for the spear."

"Fine. But I have a condition—the light must flash forward. I can’t have it blinding me, right?"

"I’ll try to find someone to test it."

...

Then, two and a half days passed in the blink of an eye.

At dusk, the familiar knock came right on schedule.

Knock, knock, knock.

Su Ji opened the door to find the Fat Steward standing outside, his face plastered with a greasy smile.

"Ah, Junior Brother Su Ji, your senior brother has come to see you."

"And I’ve brought some specialties from our Love-Longing Sect."

"This is something only inner sect disciples get to enjoy. Seeing how hard you’ve been training, I set aside a little for you. Not much—just ten low-grade spirit stones."

"It’s not like I want your stones, but I’ve got my eye on a new technique and I’m a bit short. Think of it as a loan—just ten."

The Fat Steward walked in uninvited, dropping a cloth bag on the table. His spiel was identical to what Su Ji had seen in the "predetermined future."

Su Ji put on a troubled expression. "Senior Brother... I... I really don’t have any spirit stones left."

The Fat Steward’s smile vanished instantly, his eyes turning cold.

"Junior Brother, don’t be like this. I came all this way to bring you gifts, and you’re crying poverty?"

As the Fat Steward’s expression darkened further, Su Ji shifted tactics.

"But, Senior Brother, though I have no spirit stones, I won’t let you leave empty-handed."

"I’ve prepared a grand gift for you."

The Fat Steward perked up. "Oh? What is it?"

Su Ji leaned in, lowering his voice as he hissed two words through clenched teeth.

"A technique."

The Fat Steward scoffed. "You? An outer sect disciple? What kind of technique could you possibly have?"

Su Ji had his excuse ready. "Stole it from Su Jiu’s room when I was getting my spiritual roots severed."

"I’ve been too scared to use it. Su Jiu hasn’t said anything outright, but she’s definitely investigating in secret. I was waiting for things to cool down."

"It's hidden in the back mountains where I used to live as a miscellaneous disciple," Su Ji said.

The Fat Steward sneered, "You’re trying to dump this hot potato on me, aren’t you?! Stealing from a fellow disciple is a grave crime in the sect."

Though he said this, he was already seventy to eighty percent convinced that Su Ji truly possessed the cultivation manual.

"Take me to retrieve it."

Su Ji didn’t move. "I have one condition."

The Fat Steward glared at him. "You dare make demands of me?"

Unfazed, Su Ji replied, "Before handing it over to you, I want to take one last look. However much I can memorize will be my own gain. After all, I’ve put in the effort—if not for merit, then at least for hardship."

The Fat Steward turned away. "Fine. Lead the way."

As the steward’s back faced him, Su Ji couldn’t suppress the smirk curling his lips. "Right away, Senior Brother. Let me guide you… on your journey."