Master: This Villainous Disciple Is Not The Holy Child

Chu Xiu returned to his cave dwelling on Yúnxiá Peak.

After a moment of contemplation, he decided to head towards the Peak Master’s cave dwelling. The concentration of spiritual energy was higher there, and it would also help to conceal the commotion caused by his breakthrough.

He felt no hesitation. After all, what was hers was his, and what was his… was also his.

Qi Meng Die’s expression soured the moment she saw him. She clutched at her robes, her chest heaving.

“What do you want now, rebellious disciple?”

Chu Xiu chuckled, pinching her cheek. “What would Master like me to do?”

Qi Meng Die shuddered, goosebumps erupting across her skin.

“Don’t push your luck.”

“Hehe, there’s plenty more where that came from, Master.”

Chu Xiu chuckled as he retrieved formation flags from his storage pouch and began setting up a barrier around the hall.

Qi Meng Die’s eyes widened with shock as she observed his intricate hand movements, the complex patterns forming in the air.

“That formation technique… could it be… a legacy of the Primordial Era’s Formation Dao?”

“Oh?” Chu Xiu raised an eyebrow. “Master has a keen eye. Would you like to learn it? What are you willing to offer in exchange?”

“I have no desire to learn such things,” Qi Meng Die said quickly, shaking her head.

Her face flushed crimson, her eyes filled with disgust.

Chu Xiu finished setting up the barrier, shrouding the Peak Master’s hall in a thick mist.

“I’ll be in seclusion for a while, Master,” he said, tossing a pile of wild fruits onto the floor. “If you get hungry, eat these. You’re a mere mortal now. You can’t survive on spiritual energy alone.”

Qi Meng Die glared at the colorful assortment of fruits scattered across the floor, her teeth gritting.

“This is all your fault, rebellious disciple! I will have my revenge.”

“Hehe, you’re being naughty again, Master.”

Slap!

Chu Xiu swatted her backside.

Qi Meng Die’s face burned crimson, a muffled growl escaping her lips.

Chu Xiu chuckled wickedly and headed to the back hall.

“Master,” he said, “I’ve set up a killing formation in the back hall. It would be best not to enter carelessly. I still need you to improve my cultivation aptitude. If you die, I’ll be heartbroken.”

“Chu… Xiu…”

Qi Meng Die felt like she was on the verge of a breakdown.

To think… I, Fairy Meng Die, a powerful cultivator, a respected figure in the Tianqiong Continent… what sins did I commit in my past life to deserve such a monstrous disciple?!

“I will… I will have my revenge… I will tear you apart… limb from limb…” she muttered, her voice trembling with rage.

Chu Xiu ignored her threats and entered the rear chamber, sitting cross-legged on the jade floor. He retrieved a pear-shaped fruit that glowed with a seven-colored light from his storage pouch.

A blue information panel appeared above the fruit.

> [Item]: Life Creation Dao Fruit

> [Type]: Heavenly Treasure

> [Grade]: Immortal

> [Function]: A treasure used for establishing a powerful foundation during the Foundation Establishment realm. A cultivator who consumes this fruit will create an unyielding foundation. A mortal who consumes it will directly reach the Other Shore realm and gain a thousand years of lifespan.

> [Description]: The Life Creation Dao Tree grows at the bottom of the Weeping Heaven Demonic Abyss, producing only three fruits every ten thousand years. It is an incredibly rare and valuable treasure. Once, the leader of a Holy Land offered three Heaven Grade cultivation techniques and two Immortal Grade cultivation techniques in exchange for a single Life Creation Dao Fruit, hoping to establish an unyielding foundation for their chosen successor.

Chu Xiu took a deep breath, his dark eyes gleaming.

‘I possess the Dao Scripture, considered the strongest foundation-building technique in all of heaven and earth, a Divine Grade technique. And now… I have this Life Creation Dao Fruit, and the system’s assistance. From this day forward… who in the Tianqiong Continent could possibly have a stronger foundation than me?’

He chuckled, his white teeth flashing in the dim light.

He took a bite of the Life Creation Dao Fruit. It burst into a sweet, fragrant juice that flowed down his throat.

He closed his eyes, circulating the Dao Scripture, and began to rebuild his foundation.

His cultivation realm, previously at the eighth level of Foundation Establishment, dropped to the first level, then further, until he was no longer a cultivator but a mere mortal.

The essence of the Dao Fruit, guided by the Dao Scripture, flowed through his meridians, his blood, his flesh, his very bones, purifying and refining his body.

Rumble…

His blood surged through his veins like a raging river.

His cultivation realm began to rise.

> [Breakthrough possible. Proceed?]

> [Yes] [No]

“Yes.”

> [Detecting the cultivation of the strongest foundation-building technique, the Dao Scripture. Breakthrough point consumption increased. Estimated time for one minor cycle: one month. Estimated breakthrough point consumption per month: 100.]

> [Month 1: Consuming the Life Creation Dao Fruit and circulating the Dao Scripture, you have successfully broken through to Foundation Establishment First Level.]

> [Month 2: Consuming the Life Creation Dao Fruit and circulating the Dao Scripture, you have successfully broken through to Foundation Establishment Second Level.]

> [Month 3: Consuming the Life Creation Dao Fruit and circulating the Dao Scripture, you have successfully broken through to Foundation Establishment Third Level.]

…

> [Month 9: Consuming the Life Creation Dao Fruit and circulating the Dao Scripture, you have successfully broken through to Foundation Establishment Ninth Level.]

Chu Xiu’s body was enveloped in golden light, countless manifestations appearing above his head. Dragons and phoenixes danced in the air. A spectral image of the Dao Ancestor lectured on the profound mysteries of the Dao. Gods and demons roared, Buddhas chanted sutras.

A flood of insights, a deep understanding of the Dao Scripture, poured into his mind.

But it wasn’t over yet.

‘So that’s how it is…’

Everyone believed that nine was the limit. They blindly followed the path laid out by those who came before, never questioning the established norms.

But true power… true mastery… lay in breaking those limitations.

‘To break the limits… to achieve perfection… that is the true path!’

Misfortune can turn into fortune. Destruction can lead to rebirth. Within the depths of despair… true opportunity lies.

Seven days later…

Crack!

Chu Xiu felt an invisible shackle, a restriction that had been binding his soul, shatter. A wave of relief washed over him.

The hall erupted with countless manifestations.

Foundation Establishment Tenth Level… achieved!

> [Ding! Breakthrough complete. Host has successfully reached Foundation Establishment Tenth Level. Total time elapsed: 10 months. Breakthrough points consumed: 1000.]

> [Current breakthrough points: 0.]

Boom!

His black hair danced wildly. A wave of energy rippled outwards, shaking the foundations of the Peak Master’s hall.

Spiritual energy from Yúnxiá Peak surged towards the hall, converging into a massive vortex above the roof.

In the front chamber, Qi Meng Die remained oblivious to the changes in spiritual energy.

But the disciples on Yúnxiá Peak, their senses more attuned to the flow of spiritual energy, looked up in awe and confusion.

Even the powerful cultivators on the other peaks sensed the disturbance.

“Such a powerful surge of spiritual energy… could it be that bitch Qi Meng Die is about to break through?”

On Heavenly Sword Peak, a woman dressed in purple robes, her face veiled in white silk, stared towards Yúnxiá Peak, her eyes filled with hatred.

“My physical body… my true essence… they have reached their limit.”

Chu Xiu, his mind focused, opened his eyes. A brilliant light shone from within.

‘Today… I will break through the shackles of Foundation Establishment and enter the Sea of Bitterness realm! I will forge an unyielding foundation!’

Rumble…

Within his dantian, a golden Sea of Bitterness formed, expanding rapidly.

It was three times larger than a typical cultivator’s Sea of Bitterness. Then five times, ten times, twenty times…

The spiritual energy of Yúnxiá Peak surged towards him, refining into true essence, transforming into a vast ocean of golden energy, pouring into his ever-expanding Sea of Bitterness.

Crash… Crash… Crash…

The golden tide surged.

Chu Xiu felt a surge of power unlike anything he had experienced before. He felt like a primordial dragon, his body filled with boundless energy.

He had achieved perfection.

He had broken through his limits.

> [Ding! Major realm breakthrough detected. Reward mechanism activated.]

> [Ding! Host has achieved a perfect breakthrough, transcending the limits of Foundation Establishment Tenth Level and entering the Sea of Bitterness realm. Reward: Archaic Saint Body.]

> [Merging Saint Body with host…]

> [Merging complete.]

“What the…”

Chu Xiu’s face darkened.

‘The Primordial Saint Body?!’

‘System! Undo the merge! Stop it!’

‘No!’

> [Too late! o(*￣︶￣*)o]

“FUCK! You… you… *#$%&!* ”

Chu Xiu cursed, his anger echoing.

His Sea of Bitterness expanded once more, its size doubling, tripling, quadrupling. The spiritual energy vortex above the hall spun faster, its power growing.

Twenty-five times larger… thirty times larger… thirty-five times larger…

If the Sea of Bitterness of a typical First Level Sea of Bitterness cultivator was the size of a well… then Chu Xiu’s Sea of Bitterness was a vast lake.

The true essence within his Sea of Bitterness was almost completely depleted. He would need a vast amount of resources to replenish it.

This massive Sea of Bitterness had both advantages and disadvantages.

Its sheer size spoke volumes about the strength of his foundation. He had already surpassed all his peers.

He was only at the First Level of the Sea of Bitterness realm. He couldn’t even imagine how vast his Sea of Bitterness would be when he reached the peak. Perhaps a hundred times larger than a typical Ninth Level Sea of Bitterness cultivator… or even more.

But this incredible advantage came with a hefty price. The resources he would need to maintain this vast Sea of Bitterness… they would be astronomical.

It was a mixed blessing.

He had broken through his limits, achieved an unyielding foundation, a feat unimaginable for most cultivators.

But the system’s reward… the Primordial Saint Body…

It was powerful, yes. Incredibly powerful. But…

The Primordial Saint Body. Invincible physical strength, unrivaled within the same realm, the strongest physique of the human race.

In the ancient era, the Saint Body was a blessing. Its possessors could easily cultivate to unimaginable heights.

But after the ancient era ended, the laws of heaven and earth changed. The Saint Body was no longer suitable for cultivation. Its cultivation requirements became exorbitantly high. Even with all the support in the world, a Saint Body cultivator might never reach its full potential.

In this era…

The Primordial Saint Body… was a crippled physique.

This was a widely accepted truth, a belief held by almost every cultivator for the past hundred thousand years.

‘I already require a vast amount of resources just to maintain my monstrous Sea of Bitterness. And now… I have this Archaic Saint Body… this… resource-devouring beast… am I even going to be able to cultivate?’

‘Should I just start over? Create a new identity?’

‘But… I’ve used the last of my Life Creation Dao Fruits…’

Chu Xiu wanted to scream.

‘System, you… you asshole!’

> [Host, do not falter! Embrace the challenge! Lack resources? Then steal them! Can’t defeat the elders? Then prey on the weak! Slaughter your way to the top! Transform those resources into breakthrough points! This system believes that you, host, can achieve the full potential of the Primordial Saint Body!]

‘Who knows how many breakthrough points I’ll need in the future? How many resources will I have to steal, to plunder… just to keep up with this insatiable beast?’

‘And I have a feeling… the limitations of the Saint Body… they’re not something that can be overcome with breakthrough points alone. I’ll need… something more…’

“System, display my status panel.”

> [Host]: Chu Xiu

> [Cultivation Realm]: Sea of Bitterness First Level

> [Special Physique]: Archaic Saint Body

> [Aptitude]: 317 (Heaven Grade)

> [Cultivation Technique]: Dao Scripture – Foundation Establishment Chapter

> [Breakthrough Points]: 0

> [Luck]: -18 (Black). Killing those with great luck can allow you to absorb their luck for your own use.

> Note: Luck influences one’s destiny. Those with great luck can achieve greatness even with minimal effort.

> [Overall Combat Strength Evaluation]: 19 times the strength of an average cultivator at the same realm.