by Fiery Moon
Rising on this energy, Xiao Chen twisted his body in a strange manner and his body actually rose higher again. An unending stream of matchless and surging energy exuded from the Azure Dragon Martial Spirit in his body!
“Chi! Chi! Chi!”
He hacked out ferociously another three times. There was a flash of electrical light, and a dragon’s roar even the clouds thousands of meters above seemed to rumble with, as the thunder echoed in the distance.
After the three hacks, Xiao Chen’s body rose even higher. At this moment, he was already more than 30 meters above the ground. This was the first time Xiao Chen had been so high in the air. He could not help but feel anxious and horrified.
However, the desire to explore the unknown occupied Xiao Chen’s mind. He was filled with a prideful heroic spirit, and vaguely wanted to view the land from the heavens. How high can I, Xiao Chen, soar up into the sky?!
“Hua! Hua! Hua!”
Xiao Chen hacked three more times, and his body rose by another five meters. He could now see half of the Xiao Residence. It was a good thing that Xiao Chen’s courtyard was quite isolated. Otherwise, given his current altitude, someone would have noticed him long ago.
He repeated his actions another two times. Xiao Chen’s body was now seventy or eighty meters above the ground. His Essence was already half exhausted. Xiao Chen did not dare to expend anymore Essence. If he ran out of Essence, he would die or at least be severely injured when he fell.
On the spur of the moment, he sheathed his saber and plummeted downwards like a meteor. A formless Azure Dragon enveloped Xiao Chen as he blasted through the sky, ferociously smashing towards the ground.
The wind howled in Xiao Chen’s ears as he shouted loudly. He used the momentum of his fall to send out a lightning fast strike with his saber. Using this boundless vigor, the strike was heavier than 1000 6jins of force. It had great momentum, and a magnificent and unblockable force!
“Bang!”
The ground was blasted apart, and a huge crater could be seen at the point of impact. Countless rock fragments were blasted into the air, filling the sky. Upon contact with the wind, the rock fragments immediately turned into powder. In an instant, dust flew everywhere, and the entire front yard was decimated.
Xiao Chen’s four limbs were spread out as he laid on the ground. He gasped for air with deep breaths. His emotions were hard to describe; originally, he just wanted to test out the might of the Azure Dragon Martial Spirit when using a Spirit Weapon.
He did not expect that he would accidentally comprehend a strong Martial Technique. This Martial Technique was at the very least a Profound Grade technique. Furthermore, this Martial Technique was created by Xiao Chen himself; it was unique in the Tianwu Continent. How could he not be excited?
He had to think of a name. Let’s call it Meteor Burst, smashing against the ground like a meteor and bursting forth with the explosive force of a meteorite.
Meteor Burst, Meteor Burst. He repeated this name a few times and the more he said it, the more satisfied he felt.
However, was this Meteor Burst truly unique in this world? Actually, it was not. The Azure Dragon Martial Spirit was very mysterious. The last time it existed was at least thousands of years ago.
Dragons could change their size at will. They could fly and swim; when they were large, they were able to swallow clouds and blow out fog. When they chose to be small, they could hide from all things; they could fly to the nine heavens or hide beneath the waves.
Ascending from the ground and soaring into the skies, this was a very normal thing for the Azure Dragon Martial Spirit. The Azure Dragon Martial Spirit had many mystical abilities and Martial Techniques. However, due to its mysterious nature, the Xiao Clan had lost the ability to pass them down long ago. The Meteor Burst that Xiao Chen executed was actually a long lost Azure Dragon Martial Spirit exclusive Martial Technique — Descending Divine Dragon Chop.
This kind of Holy Beast exclusive Martial Technique was very well preserved in the other clans with Holy Beast Martial Spirit bloodlines. They did not have to figure it out by themselves, like Xiao Chen. When they reached a certain cultivation realm, they could just go to the library to retrieve it easily; they were a lot more fortunate than Xiao Chen.
After resting on the ground for a while, Xiao Chen slowly recovered some of his strength. His face was a little pale; these strikes exhausted too much of his Essence. After struggling for awhile, he managed to stand up and tidy himself some. He then looked at the entrance to the courtyard.
He could feel the vibrations of footsteps from a person slowly walking over. The Essence in this person’s body was weak. It seemed like the person was not a cultivator. After he realized that, he let his guard down.
“Ai! What… What happened here...”
After a short moment, a girl dressed in a maid uniform appeared in Xiao Chen’s vision. The maid looked at the dusty front yard that was full of potholes and cried out.
Looking at the maid in front of him, Xiao Chen frowned, “What’s your name? Who sent you here?”
The maid looked at Xiao Chen who was covered in dust; he looked like a mudman. She found it funny in her heart, and said in a quiet voice, “Replying to Second Young Master, this servant’s name is Bao`er. The First Elder sent me to deliver this book to you.”
Xiao Chen walked over, received the book, and took a look. It was the introductory alchemy book the First Elder promised him. His expression turned warmer, and he smiled, “Thanks.”
After thanking her, Xiao Chen turned and headed to the bedroom. He wanted to change into a new set of clothes and bathe. He felt very uncomfortable with all the dirt sticking to him. However, the maid called Bao`er did not leave. Instead, she slowly followed him.
Xiao Chen felt this was a little strange. He smiled as he turned around, “Why are you not leaving yet? Do you intend to stay here and bathe with me?”
Bao`er blushed, her entire face turning a bright red as she muttered in a soft voice, “The First Elder told me to come here and serve Second Young Master. He said to do whatever Second Young Master says. If Second Young Master wants Bao`er to take a bath with him, then Bao`er does not dare to disobey...”
What! He only said it casually, but this girl was actually willing to accompany him in the bath...
In Xiao Chen’s memory, he did not recall that he ever had a maid to serve him. To think that the First Elder would not only give him a Spirit Weapon upon request, but he would also give him books on alchemy. In the end, he even sent him a maid to serve him. However, Xiao Chen enjoyed this idea.
It was a pity that it was not a time to enjoy himself. If he gave into lust, then he might stumble on his cultivation path. There were many experts in the Tianwu Continent. Even if you didn’t mention those from far away, he was unable to deal with Zhang He from the Zhang Clan. How could he lust after this little beauty during this time?
He could only put up with this and become a 7wizard. Only when he finally stood on the peak of the cultivation world would he stay and enjoy the scenery. It was definitely something that this small Mohe City could not compare to. How could, I, Xiao Chen, be confined to Mohe City?
After thinking for a while, Xiao Chen shook his head, “I just said that jokingly; don’t take it seriously. I will not ask you to accompany me to bathe.”
Bao`er’s face was already red. After saying those shameful things, her heart was palpitating. She then said in a soft voice, “Then does Young Master have any other instructions? Bao`er is now Young Master’s exclusive maid. Aside from serving Young Master, there is nothing else for me to do.”
Xiao Chen scratched his head, unsure of how to handle this situation. This was a tough question. If she did not bathe with him or sleep with him, what else could she do?
If Bao`er knew what Xiao Chen was thinking, she would definitely be very infuriated. Maids did not exist just to sleep with their masters. They had many other things to do. Only a Neet
from the 21st century, like Xiao Chen, would think this way.
“Right, help me go to the city to purchase some herbs,” said Xiao Chen joyfully after he thought about it for a bit. Too many things had happened today, and he was too lazy to make this trip. Coincidentally, there was now a maid to help him with this.
After the battle with Zhang He and comprehending the Meteor Burst, he obviously felt that his Essence capacity was insufficient. Whether it be executing a strong Martial Technique or maintaining a high intensity Purple Thunder True Fire, he could not sustain it for long.
This was a serious problem. If he underwent a long battle or refined a high-leveled pill, his insufficient Essence could be his fatal weakness. The only solution to this was to step up his cultivation and quickly cultivate the Purple Thunder Divine Incantation to the 2nd layer. That way, he could store up more Essence in his body.
When increasing his cultivation speed, aside from hardwork, medicinal pills were a necessity as well.
Xiao Chen went to get some paper and ink from the study, and began to write. Although he was not used to writing with a brush, the original owner of this body was no stranger to it, as he was an original resident of this world.
After he finished writing, Xiao Chen blew gently on the paper, trying to dry the ink. He was satisfied with his calligraphy. Xiao Chen then took out his personal seal and gave them to Bao`er. He smiled and said, “Just follow the list on the paper to purchase the herbs; they are not rare herbs, and should be easily found in ordinary herb stores in Mohe City. Use my seal to retrieve some money from the accounts branch. You can use the remainder to purchase some rouge or other makeup products for yourself; there is no need to return the change.”
Bao`er received the seal while feeling somewhat dumbfounded, she said in disbelief, “Young Master, you are asking Bao`er to run some errands?”
The work of a maid was normally to serve tea or water, tidy the house or assist their masters in dressing up. Sometimes, there might be special requests to sleep with their master or accompany them for a bath; these were very normal too.
However, running errands, this was normally done by the male stewards. Furthermore, Xiao Chen had a very poor reputation in the Xiao Clan. Bao`er did not expect that Xiao Chen would only ask her to run some errands.
If you don’t run errands, then what can you do? Sleep with me? Xiao Chen smiled, “Why? Are you not able to do it? If you can’t then I will just find someone else.”
Bao`er immediately reacted, her small and dainty face filled with a smile as she said joyfully, “I can do it. I definitely can do it; I’ll go do it now. Young Master, rest assured, Bao`er will accomplish this task beautifully.”
Looking at Bao`er disappearing in an instant, Xiao Chen laughed in satisfaction. It was not bad having a maid. At least he did not have to bother with things like running errands in the future.
Chapter 24: Refining Medicines
After he took a bath, Xiao Chen changed into a fresh set of clothes. He laid on his bed and began to read the introductory alchemy book. To lie down and read was a habit he gained from his original world; it was something he did not bother changing even after he came to this world. If someone from this world saw him now, they would be very shocked.
Alchemy was the most respected profession in the Tianwu Continent. This respect came from their medicines that could heal wounds, their miraculous pills that could change the body’s talent for cultivation, and the pills that sped up cultivation time.
To every cultivator, alchemy held a certain level of attraction. Alchemists were rare and they were highly demanded. This naturally caused the profession to be respected far more than others.
Xiao Chen flipped through the book page by page. This introductory book was not very thick; it only contained tens of pages. Xiao Chen skimmed through the book and finished it in no time.
It was truly just an introductory book, so there was no solid content inside and it only provided a brief preview to alchemy. However, Xiao Chen still benefited from this as he now had a rough understanding of the alchemy in this world.
Alchemist in the Tianwu Continent could be separated into seven ranks, with one being the lowest and seven being the highest. All of the ranking examinations were conducted by the Alchemist Association.
To become an alchemist, there were three prerequisites. First, one needed a fire attributed Martial Spirit or a fire attributed technique. In other words, they needed to have the ability to condense a flame.
The second prerequisite was to do with one’s knowledge of medicinal herbs. This condition required very solid fundamentals, and an individual needed a very thorough understanding of medicinal herbs and their usage. There were no shortcuts to this; it could only could be accomplished by rote learning.
The third prerequisite was Spiritual Awareness. This was the most vague condition, and it seemed very enigmatic. Spiritual Awareness was similar, but distinctly different, from perception.
Even if an individual walked very far on the road of cultivation, they still might not be able to awaken their Spiritual Awareness. Cultivation and Spiritual Awareness were not directly linked. There were some individuals who awakened their Spiritual Awareness and possessed a very great Spiritual Awareness. However, they did not manage to have any accomplishments in terms of cultivation.
The so-called Spiritual Awareness referred to the intuition, senses, and Mental Connection of the alchemist. The most important of these was their Mental Connection to medicinal ingredients. If their Mental Connection was fast, stable, and meticulous, then they could go far on the path of alchemy.
Xiao Chen thought about these three prerequisites and checked himself. He had the Purple Thunder True Fire, thus he naturally cleared the first prerequisite. Additionally, he had memorized the chapter on refining pills in the Compendium of Cultivation and was able to recall the information on medicinal ingredients in detail.
After reading the Compendium of Cultivation for three years, he was already as familiar with it as the back of his hand. Furthermore, he had discovered that the medicinal ingredients of this world were the same as those recorded in the Compendium of Cultivation. Thus, Xiao Chen had already cleared the second prerequisite too.
As for the third prerequisite, it seemed very mysterious. The Compendium of Cultivation had no records of Spiritual Awareness in the chapter on refining pills. However, he was not worried. After all, the alchemy recorded in the Compendium of Cultivation was slightly different from this world’s. Even if he did not have Spiritual Awareness, or only had a weak Spiritual Awareness, he was still confident that he could learn to refine pills. If he could not become an alchemist of this world, he would follow the method recorded on the Compendium of Cultivation instead.
Furthermore, the pills recorded on the Compendium of Cultivation were more profound and mysterious than the pills of this world. For example, he intended to refine the Fasting Pill. This pill removed the need to eat or drink for a month after its consumption. This kind of effect was unheard of in this world.
...
When the sky was almost dark, Bao`er finally returned with a big bag of medicinal herbs. After he saw her sweat covered and dusty appearance, Xiao Chen felt somewhat disturbed. This girl did not look older than fourteen or fifteen years old. In his original world, she would still be in middle school.
He said in an apologetic tone, “I’m sorry, I forgot to tell you that I did not urgently need these medicinal herbs and that you could take your time.”
As Bao`er wiped her sweat with her small hands, she heard these words and was stunned. Did I hear incorrectly? The famous prodigal son of the Xiao Clan actually apologized to a maid?
When Xiao Chen was still trash, his reputation was very bad. Although he defeated Xiao Jian and proved he was not trash, there was still not a good impression of Xiao Chen. Everyone said he was a vile person who was intoxicated by success, becoming even more overbearing than before. There were even rumors
that he taught everyone who had humiliated him in the past a lesson. Bao`er had heard plenty of these rumors.
If Xiao Chen knew of these rumors, he would definitely become incomparably depressed. When he saw Bao`er’s stunned expression, Xiao Chen felt a little worried and asked in a soft voice, “Are you alright? Are you not feeling well?”
Bao`er quickly recovered her wits. She was not used to Xiao Chen’s tone, thus she blushed and replied in a soft voice, “Bao`er is fine, many thanks for Young Master’s concern.”
Xiao Chen relaxed, “Go back first. There is nothing else for you to do for now.”
When Bao`er heard these words, she looked at Xiao Chen in surprise and said nervously, “Is Young Master chasing me away? The First Elder said that I am now your personal maid and will stay here from now on. If you chase me out, the First Elder will think I did not serve you well, and will punish me.”
Xiao Chen did not expect such a situation. These servants and maids were all orphans or the children of poor families. They had already been sold away. Even if they were beaten to death as a punishment, the offender would not be held responsible. Although the Xiao Clan was not that strict, there would still be some form of punishment.
Xiao Chen frowned, he had never been in such a situation before. There was plenty of space in Xiao Chen’s courtyard, but he had too many secrets. Having a stranger by his side made him feel uneasy.
After thinking for a long time, Xiao Chen did not manage to think of a solution that would benefit both sides. Looking at the pitiful Bao`er, Xiao Chen’s heart softened, “Stay here first then. There is an empty side room in the east wing, you can stay there tonight.”
Bao`er said joyfully, “Bao`er thanks the Second Young Master. I will go and prepare supper for Second Young Master now.”
Xiao Chen looked on helplessly as Bao`er left and shook his head. He then turned his attention to the medicinal herbs she brought back and inspected them carefully.
