Chapter 81: Preparing for Foundation Establishment!-From Servant to Saint: The Path to Enlightenment(The mountains rise high beneath a small, distant moon.)

At that very moment...

“Hm?” Luo Ruoqin opened his eyes, his brows knitting together. He felt a sudden, inexplicable surge of intuition, followed by deep unease, as if disaster was looming.

“Could it be that those rival families have already learned the news?” His unease grew, but he could find nothing amiss. Helpless, he closed his eyes again, channeling his energy to recover from his wounds.

Meanwhile, outside the tower ship, Shen Yan slipped quietly within. He had come for one purpose: to kill Luo Ruoqin and eliminate the last threat.

Some matters must be either left untouched or pursued to the bitter end—only by uprooting the cause could future troubles be avoided.

Luo Ruoqin, with cultivation at the peak of the Qi Refining stage, was the patriarch of a Qi Refining clan; who knew what treasures might be hidden in his home to summon a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Shen Yan, now at a critical juncture of Foundation Establishment, could afford no errors—Luo Ruoqin had to die.

Moreover, the wealth of the opposing clan would be his for the taking.

Once inside the tower ship, Shen Yan swept his senses through the interior, quickly locating Luo Ruoqin as he tended to his injuries.

Again, Luo Ruoqin opened his eyes, anxiety overwhelming him. Danger was imminent.

“What is happening?” He frowned, pondering silently. Though wounded, he was not mortally so. Even if his old enemies had learned of his plight and come to ambush him, he was confident he could hold them at bay.

Could it be Xuanji Zi?

Just as the thought crossed his mind, he was struck by a sudden, intense pain in his back.

“Ah!” Even Luo Ruoqin, hardened by a century of trials, could not withstand such agony. He cried out and collapsed to the ground.

“Who is it?” Amidst overwhelming pain, Luo Ruoqin finally realized the peril.

But Shen Yan, having succeeded in his surprise attack, would not let him react. Innate purple energy surged into the Azure Spirit Sword, and with a swift stroke, Luo Ruoqin was beheaded.

“Patriarch!”

Outside, shouts of alarm erupted, but the protective array barred them from entering.

Shen Yan paused, deciding not to kill the others; their survival would help obscure the truth.

“Patriarch!”

At last, the array was broken, and members of the Luo family rushed in. Seeing their headless patriarch, terror swept over them. With their ancestor gone, Xu Mao dead, how long could the alliance of the three families endure?

...

News of the attack on the Luo family’s tower ship spread swiftly throughout the region.

Especially within the Hanhai Immortal Sect, where the steward Xuanji Zi listened to his subordinates’ reports, his brows furrowed.

“It’s said someone infiltrated the tower ship and assassinated the Luo patriarch.”

“Zhou Shun, Zhou Shun...” His first suspicion fell on Shen Yan, but after careful analysis, Xuanji Zi dismissed the idea.

If Luo Ruoqin’s death was indeed Shen Yan’s doing, it meant Shen Yan possessed extraordinary strength. But why would a cultivator of such power risk his life for a mere spirit spring?

“That’s right—he’s gravely injured. How could he possibly kill Luo Ruoqin?”

As the steward assigned to oversee this territory, Xuanji Zi knew Luo Ruoqin’s abilities well. Even at peak Qi Refining, without extraordinary measures, he would not be easily defeated.

“Therefore, Zhou Shun’s sword must have severely wounded Luo Ruoqin, providing an opportunity for another to strike.”

In this headless murder, those with vested interests were naturally the prime suspects. Who was responsible? The Luo family’s rivals? Or those other formidable elders?

Xuanji Zi analyzed the situation, initially suspecting Shen Yan, but then shifting his doubts elsewhere. Muttering to himself, he finally made a decision and rose to depart.

“Though I don’t know who did it, it doesn’t stop me from making a gesture of goodwill!”

...

Elsewhere, Shen Yan was examining his spoils.

“Four hundred thousand low-grade spirit stones, an exceptional artifact, and a cultivation manual.”

He poured the spirit stones directly into his storage pouch. The artifact was a pair of boots, identical to those worn by Yang Yun before, capable of doubling the wearer’s speed.

After stowing away the stones and boots, Shen Yan turned his gaze to the cultivation manual:

“Zhoutian Gang Qi Formula, a Qi Refining body-tempering technique. Mastery brings one to mid-stage Qi Refining, great mastery to late-stage, possibly even to peak completion!”

“Indeed, those who kill and loot wear golden belts! Pity—such deeds cannot be frequent.”

Besides spirit stones, artifacts, and the manual, there were other treasures: artifacts, pills, talismans, jade slips of techniques. Truly, the wealth of a clan’s supreme leader was astounding.

But Shen Yan found it reasonable—a cultivation family with centuries of history would accumulate vast riches. With such a legacy, their fortune was only natural.

“A bountiful harvest!” Safely storing his gains, Shen Yan began to study the Luo family’s Zhoutian Gang Qi Formula. Immersing his mind, he quickly grasped the entire manual.

“Upon perfection, if the subsequent technique is obtained, one can forge the Zhoutian Gang Qi Body!”

Yet, as he finished reading, Shen Yan frowned slightly. The Zhoutian Gang Qi Formula, rare among body-tempering arts in the cultivation world, intrigued him deeply.

As Shen Yan silently delved into the formula, the array he had set outside the island was suddenly triggered.

...

“Hm?” Shen Yan opened his eyes.

“Xuanji Zi returns?”

He carefully put away the Zhoutian Gang Qi Formula and stepped out onto the island, bowing in greeting.

“Honored steward, your presence brings glory to my humble abode!”

Shen Yan welcomed him into Azure Lotus Island.

Xuanji Zi, observing the unremarkable yet subtly changed island and the gray-haired youth before him, could not help but sigh inwardly.

“Fellow Daoist Zhou, now that you’ve obtained this spiritual land, according to Hanhai Sect rules, you must pay a hundred spirit stones every ten years. The sect’s summons could arrive at any time—do be prepared.”

Shen Yan nodded quietly. “I understand, thank you for the warning, elder.”

“As long as you understand, that’s well and good.” Seeing Shen Yan’s calm acceptance, Xuanji Zi nodded approvingly, then shifted the conversation.

“That sword technique you used to injure Luo Ruoqin—may I ask its origin?”

Shen Yan was taken aback. Xuanji Zi was clearly not a sword cultivator; why ask about this?

Noticing his hesitation, Xuanji Zi cleared his throat.

“To be candid, my term as steward is almost at an end.”

“Oh?” Shen Yan raised his brows in surprise. “May I ask where you will be promoted, honored steward?”

Xuanji Zi shook his head. “Promotion? After returning to the sect to report, I’ll simply enjoy my remaining years in peace.”

He looked again at Shen Yan. “We’ve built some rapport, so there’s something…”

He paused, not continuing.

Shen Yan understood his meaning. “Please advise, honored steward.”

With that, he handed over a storage pouch.

“Ah, this is unnecessary!” Xuanji Zi protested, but still accepted the pouch.

“After I depart, my successor will be a Core Formation candidate from Hanhai Sect, named Yang Zheng. He’s a sword cultivator!”