Bro, did you just get expelled from the sect

Inside the tavern.

Zhang Yuanshan paid no mind to the peanuts and wine before him, now stained with his own blood.

He picked up a bloodied peanut and popped it into his mouth without hesitation.

The treatment prescribed by the physician was something Zhang Yuanshan, who was somewhat strapped for resources, could accept—after all, it was far better than losing his life.

And initially, it hadn’t seemed too troublesome.

At first, Zhang Yuanshan hadn’t been this unkempt either. It was just a matter of bloodletting therapy, followed by taking some blood-restoring pills.

A Golden Core Master had plenty of ways to manage such things.

And he only needed to shed blood once every two days.

But then, he crossed paths with Li Xingtian, who was in the midst of switching cultivation techniques.

And Li Xingtian had overestimated himself a little.

Given how well they had gotten along during their time together in the Central Continent, and how Zhang Yuanshan’s righteous character aligned perfectly with Li Xingtian’s own principles, Li Xingtian felt compelled to help when he saw Zhang Yuanshan regularly draining his own blood.

Considering his own expertise in matters related to blood, Li Xingtian figured he ought to have some credibility here.

Besides, how much worse could things get if he failed?

But as it turned out, some things were best left to specialists.

Theory and practice were often worlds apart.

Li Xingtian didn’t fully understand the specifics, but in any case, his efforts ended in failure.

Still, it wasn’t a complete waste—though the poison remained, it did come with an unexpected side effect.

Under Li Xingtian’s meddling, Zhang Yuanshan’s blood began a suicidal rebellion against the poisoned blood in his system.

Unless Zhang Yuanshan constantly focused his consciousness on controlling his own blood, an all-out war would rage inside his body.

At first, Zhang Yuanshan tried to manage it, but as time went on…

He started feeling like he was voluntarily sticking his face out to be slapped.

It was just too humiliating.

So Zhang Yuanshan thought—what’s the big deal about vomiting blood? Just let it happen!

From that day on, coughing up blood became part of his daily routine.

And the volume was staggering!

So much that he had to consume an alarming number of blood-restoring pills every day.

Zhang Yuanshan didn’t blame Li Xingtian for this, though. After all, he had agreed to let Li Xingtian try.

Li Xingtian had probably… meant well.

And to his credit, Li Xingtian didn’t just flee after making things worse.

Instead, he decided to take Zhang Yuanshan back to his master for a consultation—since his master was, after all, a legendary Karma Nascent Soul cultivator.

Over this period, Li Xingtian had also fought through countless dangers and gathered quite a few treasures.

He had finally scraped together enough funds to build his master a grand hall.

He had also picked up plenty of gifts for his senior sister Chen Baiqing and even some presents for his yet-unmet junior brothers and sisters.

Time to return—first, have his master construct the hall.

And if his master couldn’t fix Zhang Yuanshan’s condition, he’d at least give him enough money to go back to that physician.

If the physician could cure him, that would save some funds.

So now, the two were on their way back to the sect in Yuzhou City.

Li Xingtian still felt a pang of guilt, but watching Zhang Yuanshan spew blood like this, he couldn’t help but try to dissuade him gently:

"If you can’t handle it, don’t force yourself. You’re a Golden Core Master now—no need to cling to worldly indulgences."

Zhang Yuanshan looked at Li Xingtian and replied earnestly:

"I’m treating this as my last meal. Are you absolutely sure your master won’t end up killing me?"

Li Xingtian sighed. "I didn’t say he’d treat you. I’m just taking you back for him to take a look."

Zhang Yuanshan vomited another mouthful of blood, wiped the stains from his lips, and said:

"That’s exactly what you said before you tried treating me."

Li Xingtian fell silent at that.

"Ah, don’t take it to heart," Zhang Yuanshan grinned, revealing blood-stained teeth.

"I’m not blaming you. I just want this one drink. Golden Core cultivators may transcend physical hunger, but not the soul. I’m still a mortal at heart—let me have this."

"Old Zhang wouldn’t have come if he didn’t trust you, brother."

"And after that healing pill your master refined—the one that made me vomit blood for two whole days—just the sheer agony of feeling like my soul was being torn out proves your master’s a true alchemy grandmaster."

"What an incredible medicinal effect."

As he spoke, Zhang Yuanshan recalled the pill Li Xingtian had given him.

The potency was undeniable—it restored blood far more fiercely than any ordinary blood-restoring pill. But the sheer volume of blood he’d coughed up had made him feel like he was enduring an ancient torture.

Hearing this, Li Xingtian quickly lowered his gaze to the blood-smeared peanuts in front of him. Suddenly, they didn’t seem so hard to stomach.

That day, Li Xingtian hadn’t dared mention that Zhang Yuanshan’s suffering wasn’t just from excessive blood loss—but because his master’s pills were… a little unorthodox.

Half an hour later, Li Xingtian led a pale-faced Zhang Yuanshan out of the tavern.

As he stepped outside, he noticed the trail of blood Zhang Yuanshan had left behind—stretching from inside the tavern all the way to the entrance, dyeing the ground crimson.

After a moment’s thought, Li Xingtian turned back and tossed a small gold ingot onto the blood-soaked table.

Near Yuzhou City, two Golden Core Masters soared through the skies.

After days of travel, Li Xingtian finally set foot on familiar soil again.

A sense of homecoming warmed his heart—he wondered how his master had been faring all this time.

Now, Li Xingtian was leading Zhang Yuanshan back to the sect.

Zhang Yuanshan took a moment to sense the somewhat sparse spiritual energy in the area and couldn't help but remark,

"Who would have thought that Brother Li, despite his youth, possesses such formidable cultivation skills despite hailing from the Southern Avarice Continent? Truly, heroes emerge from humble origins."

Li Xingtian replied calmly, "It's all thanks to my master's guidance."

Zhang Yuanshan had changed into clean robes by now and was also diverting a fraction of his focus to suppress the chaotic blood energy raging within him. After all, he was about to meet his sworn brother's master—some basic decorum was in order.

It wouldn’t do to show up drenched in blood or suddenly cough up a mouthful of it, would it?

For now, he could only brace himself for whatever came next.

With a chuckle, Zhang Yuanshan added, "Indeed, a great master breeds outstanding disciples."

At these words, even Li Xingtian's typically expressionless face betrayed a faint smile.

Noticing this, Zhang Yuanshan couldn’t help but smirk inwardly.

Praising Li Xingtian himself would likely leave him indifferent nine times out of ten, but compliment his master? That would bring him genuine joy nine times out of ten.

Such profound devotion between master and disciple was truly moving.

Li Xingtian’s gaze soon fell upon his sect’s compound in the distance.

"Brother Zhang, we’re almost there," he said.

Following his line of sight, Zhang Yuanshan perked up. "Heh, finally! We’ve been traveling for quite a while."

Amid lighthearted banter, the two soon arrived at the sect’s grand entrance.

Li Xingtian stared at the familiar gates, his heart swelling with emotion. Without hesitation, he soared forward to enter.

Boom!

A violent surge of spiritual energy erupted.

Li Xingtian felt as though he’d slammed into an icy iron wall before an overwhelming force blasted him backward, sending him crashing to the ground.

Zhang Yuanshan, still hovering midair, hastily halted his momentum.

His eyes darted to the now-activated mountain-protecting formation, its oppressive aura pressing down on them.

Turning back to Li Xingtian, who was slowly picking himself up, Zhang Yuanshan cautiously whispered,

"Brother… have you been expelled from your sect?"