C3 I Smashed Your Milk Pot!

As Lin Xiuxiu's mind wandered, Ye Chen seized the opportunity.

He recognized this as his moment to shine.

If he could impress Lin Xiuxiu now, perhaps he could forge an even closer bond in the future, paving the way for brighter days ahead.

Ye Chen strode up to Lin Xiao, cocking his fist with a taunting smirk. "Who are you? Why have you kidnapped my young lady? You have but a single breath to answer."

Boom!

Lin Xiao, having recently attained the Foundation Stage, landed a punch squarely on Ye Chen's dantian, shattering it completely.

"A fiend from the demonic path!"

Lin Xiao's expression remained stoic—he had waited two lifetimes for this moment!

But merely crippling Ye Chen's cultivation wasn't enough; Lin Xiao intended to obliterate him. Suddenly, a flying sword swooped in, forcing Lin Xiao to dodge. Still, the sword managed to slice through the strands of hair on his cheek.

"Ye Chen!"

Chung Tong retracted his flying sword, staring at Lin Xiao in astonishment.

He couldn't believe that his early Foundation Stage powers were insufficient to dispatch a mere kidnapper with one stroke.

After taking Ye Chen's pulse, Chung Tong's complexion turned ashen. "You're ruthless, completely destroying his cultivation base."

Ruthless?

Lin Xiao remained silent.

This act was trivial compared to Ye Chen's history.

Lin Xiao made a mental note of Chung Tong.

Granted a second chance at life, he had vowed never to be bullied again.

Chung Tong had cut his hair...

Lin Xiao wondered if there were others like him, reborn in this world. Many might opt for discretion, seeking stability and a chance to alter their destinies.

But not Lin Xiao.

He needed to release the anguish that tormented him.

He had been a nobody in his past life.

If this life was to be a continuation of that, he'd rather escape the cycle of rebirth altogether.

Currently, Chung Tong's cultivation level matched Lin Xiao's, yet Lin Xiao was no match for him.

Cultivators like them drew upon the Spiritual Qi of Heaven and Earth for their practice.

Those blessed with a spiritual root could cultivate at a rate several times faster than their peers.

Chung Tong was a cultivator with a low-grade earth spiritual root.

Though his talent was modest, he could take on multiple opponents without spiritual roots at the same cultivation level.

Moreover, the quality of one's spiritual root is indicative of their innate talent, and it ultimately determines how far they can progress on the path of spiritual cultivation.

Lin Xiao was devoid of a spiritual root...

Chung Tong's early advancement to the Foundation Stage, his acceptance into the Inner Sect, and being taken under Elder Leng's wing were no mere coincidences.

"Quickly, take Ye Chen back to rest. I'll request Elder Leng's assistance," urged Lin Xiuxiu with urgency.

"Junior Sister Lin, allow me to handle this matter for you," Chung Tong eagerly offered, hoping to impress Lin Xiuxiu.

"The priority is to save Ye Chen. With his dantian shattered, it's uncertain if there's a chance for recovery," Lin Xiuxiu dismissed with a wave of her hand.

"So we're just going to let him off the hook? We don't even know his identity. Let me remove the black cloth from his face..."

"I said that won't be necessary!"

Lin Xiuxiu shot Chung Tong a stern look, which frightened him into silence. With no other option, he carried Ye Chen away.

"I won't let you off so easily," Lin Xiuxiu declared, casting a lingering gaze at Lin Xiao before turning to leave the dilapidated house.

Once everyone had departed, Lin Xiao breathed a sigh of relief and slumped to the ground.

He couldn't afford to let his guard down.

Lin Xiuxiu now knew his face, his identity, yet she remained silent and restrained Chung Tong from taking action. Lin Xiao found it baffling.

But Lin Xiao was aware that, eventually, this woman would spell trouble.

As for Qin Hao, a return was out of the question.

Qin Hao clearly intended to make Lin Xiao the fall guy.

With both Lin Xiuxiu and Lin Xiao still alive, Qin Hao was bound to be restless.

After all, everyone knew Lin Xiao was Qin Hao's man.

...

At Moon Worshipping Peak, where Elder Leng resided.

Ye Chen let out a feeble sigh, "Miss, I won't let him get away with this! I'll find out who he is, no matter what! Why didn't you let Senior Brother Chung remove his black cloth?"

"Focus on your recovery and don't speak. I'll get to the bottom of this. Elder Leng will be here soon to treat you," Lin Xiuxiu reassured him.

Turning to Chung Tong, Lin Xiuxiu pulled him aside, "Senior Brother Chung, there's someone I need information on. I want to know everything about his daily life."

Chung Tong assured her, "Junior Sister Lin, feel free to ask me anything. If it pertains to the sect, I'm well-informed about most matters."

"Do you know Lin Xiao?"

As Lin Xiuxiu spoke, she quickly shook her head, "You might not be familiar with him. He's just an Outer Sect disciple, not someone a Foundation Stage expert like yourself would typically notice."

Lin Xiao?

Chung Tong chuckled, "Oh, I'm quite familiar with him. Moon Worshipping Peak is governed by Elder Leng, and it's home to mostly Inner Sect disciples, a large number of whom are female cultivators. In fact, our peak has the highest concentration of female cultivators in the entire sect, and yes, they all know Lin Xiao.

"Junior Sister Lin, the sect has strict rules. Even if a master takes a liking to you early on, you can't reside on Moon Worshipping Peak unless you're at the Foundation Stage and an Inner Sect disciple. Your presence here today is an exception since Ye Chen's dantian was damaged. So, it's understandable that you're not aware of these details."

"He's that much of a womanizer?" Lin Xiuxiu frowned, clearly displeased.

"Womanizer?"

Chung Tong laughed, shaking his head, "Does he even have what it takes? He's nothing more than a feeble Qi Training Third Layer practitioner.

That guy, unless the female cultivators of our peak have lost their sight, wouldn't stand a chance. Do you really think an Inner Sect disciple would be interested in someone at his level?"

"What are you implying? That women who are interested in him are somehow inferior?" Lin Xiuxiu shot Chung Tong a sharp look.

"You..."

Chung Tong sensed something off about Junior Sister Lin today, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. He offered an awkward chuckle and said, "Junior Sister Lin, I didn't mean to offend. My apologies for not making myself clear.

"Lin Xiao is actually the lackey of Qin Hao from the Outer Sect. Qin Hao has been infatuated with a female cultivator since childhood who resides at our peak. Sadly, though her talent is modest and she lacks a spiritual root, she started cultivating much earlier than Qin Hao and has already reached the Early Foundation Stage. She's almost on par with me. Qin Hao pines for her but doesn't dare to approach our peak, so he sends his lackeys to loiter around, delivering messages and such."

Lin Xiao is inherently kind-hearted and always quick to smile—a truly good-natured person who's shy and easily amused. That's why many of the female cultivators at my peak frequently have him run errands within his capabilities, such as venturing out of the sect to purchase daily necessities and then fetching them from the base of the peak. Honestly, the guy is a pushover, doing whatever these women ask without complaint, scared of this and that, never daring to say no. I'd wager he's terrified of getting roughed up by those Inner Sect female cultivators."

"Is he really that gentle and timid?"

Lin Xiuxiu found herself at a loss. She had heard bits and pieces about Lin Xiao before, but she hadn't expected him to be even more amiable than she'd imagined, a stark contrast to the person she met today.

...

Two days went by.

Lin Xiao scrutinized the items in his inventory and was astounded to discover a pill capable of awakening one's spiritual root!

Beyond the common gold, wood, water, fire, and earth elements, there were spiritual root pills for wind, rain, thunder, and lightning—elements he had never even laid eyes on before. These particular pills were still locked, but he could access the metal, wood, water, fire, and earth ones. The low-grade required ten Merit Points, while the nonsuch demanded a hefty hundred. With that many points, he could advance to the Middle Period of the Foundation Stage.

"I definitely need a spiritual root. It's essential for being unbeatable among my peers. With a supreme spiritual root, taking on Chung Tong would be a breeze."

Lin Xiao longed for a supreme spiritual root, but the thought left him sighing.

"System, you've got the wrong guy. If you expect me to play the good Samaritan, you might as well kill me..."

Lin Xiao would forgo everything rather than continue being the doormat he once was.

Back in his previous life, he was constantly intimidated by the female cultivators from Moon Worshipping Peak, especially the one Qin Hao fancied. They'd boss him around for trivial matters.

"Can't win her over yourself, so you send me to deliver messages? She had me toiling away, moving flowers and tending grass. Now, if you're going to disappoint me again, don't expect any mercy from me!"

Lin Xiao hated being taken advantage of!

If Qin Hao was going to use him, he was determined to even the score!

Without realizing it, Lin Xiao found himself at the base of Moon Worshipping Peak.

Upon his arrival, a flock of excited admirers swarmed around him.

"Isn't that Xiao Er?"

"Xiao Er, come over here and let your sister have a look."

"Little Xiao, fetch some long worms for my Golden Flame Bird, will you?"

"It's been ages since my tiger-headed dog had a meal."

Lin Xiao remained unfazed, his composure so unsettling it struck fear into those around him.

With no women in his heart, his sword would unsheathe with divine ease!

His gaze swept the crowd until it settled on a striking woman with delicate features, fair skin, and exceptionally long legs.

"Take your eyes off me. You don't usually look at me like that, and I don't like it," the woman said coldly, treating Lin Xiao as if he were no more than a pet dog.

Her name was Hsu Qingqing, the female cultivator pursued by Qin Hao. Rumor had it they had grown up together. Hsu Qingqing was a few years Qin Hao's senior, had started cultivating earlier, and thus had entered the Inner Sect before him. She was at the early period of the Foundation Stage and lacked a spiritual root.

Her strength was comparable to Lin Xiao's. Should they come to blows, he might not be at much of a disadvantage.

In her hands, Hsu Qingqing cradled a jug of beast milk.

Since childhood, she had suffered from a cold constitution and relied on fire dragon beast milk to purge the chill toxin.

She made sure to have a jug ready each month, for forgetting to drink it even once could mean death.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Ignoring her warning, Lin Xiao didn't avert his eyes; instead, he strode toward Hsu Qingqing.

"You want me to look away? Are you here to pass a message? Tell Qin Hao that only if he makes it to the Inner Sect will I consider marrying him. He should focus on his cultivation. After all, we're betrothed; he can't escape that," Hsu Qingqing said, her eyebrows arched, oblivious to Lin Xiao's intentions.

Quick as a flash, Lin Xiao grabbed the jug from her grasp and hurled it to the ground, where it shattered, splashing the milk in all directions.

Lin Xiao seethed with anger, thinking, "You dare to command me? I'll shatter your milk pot!"