The Demonic Cultivator In Zombie World

Chapter 247: Being Seen as Low-level invites Disdain

At the summit of Scorpio Peak, Bai Jinkun, overflowing with excitement, raised his wine cup.

"Hahaha! Thank you all for coming to Scorpio Peak!"

Chu Xuan, Wan Ying, and two other Golden Core cultivators sat among the guests, all raising their cups in return, "Congratulations to Senior Brother Bai on advancing to the late Golden Core stage!"

A seductively dressed female cultivator tilted back her pale neck and downed her drink in one gulp, exclaiming, "For someone as frugal as Senior Brother Bai to bring out the Drunken Immortal Brew, I must drink a few more cups today."

Bai Jinkun laughed heartily, his spirits high, "Drink, drink, drink! I am the host today! Let's enjoy ourselves to the fullest, no leaving until we're all drunk!"

An elderly cultivator with white hair smiled and said, "Junior Brother Bai's talent is the best among us. Advancing to the late stage of the Golden Core is only natural for him! Truly, it makes me envious."

He, the eldest disciple under the Myriad Souls Elder, had been stuck at the fifth level of the Golden Core for a long time. He often had to carry out missions and rarely had time to settle down and cultivate. Now with his lifespan running out, he feared he might die at this stage.

Watching Bai Jinkun, who was in the prime of his life and powerful in magic, he couldn't help feeling jealous, wishing he were the protagonist of the banquet.

The seductive female cultivator suddenly said, "Why isn't Third Senior Brother here? Even if he has some grievances with Senior Brother Bai, he should at least send a gift at a time like this."

Bai Jinkun's smile faded slightly, and he just snorted coldly, "If he doesn't want to come, then let him be."

Chu Xuan took all this in silently, just making a few polite remarks with the others, without saying much. After all, as a mere first-level Golden Core cultivator, he was the weakest among all the Golden Core cultivators in the Myriad Souls Sect. As long as he didn't draw attention to himself, nobody would notice him.

However, he made a mental note of those present. The seductive woman was named Zhong Yan, a mid-level Golden Core cultivator and the ninth disciple of the Myriad Souls Elder, rumored to have an ambiguous relationship with the Elder.

The white-haired elder was Fu Peng, the Elder's eldest disciple. Wan Ying, now going by Wan Ying, was the twelfth disciple of the Elder. There was also talk of a Third Disciple, Cao Mo, who had a known rivalry with Bai Jinkun and had even fought him openly; he did not attend the banquet.

After chatting for a while, Bai Jinkun, slightly tipsy, turned his gaze to the quiet Chu Xuan. "Junior Brother Lin... hic... Why hasn't your cultivation progressed at all? If this continues, the master is going to be furious."

His face bore a hint of mockery. Zhong Yan and Fu Peng also smiled, but their laughter was not kind. The Myriad Souls Elder had already reprimanded Lin Fan once. If there was no room for progress, the outcome might not be very pleasant.

Chu Xuan gave an awkward smile, "My talents are modest, and despite diligent practice, I have not yet grasped the essence of the path. Do you, Senior Brother Bai, have any advice to help junior brother out?" he asked tentatively.

Bai Jinkun seemed to sober up instantly, shaking his head repeatedly, "Well... I hardly have time for my own cultivation, so there's no chance to guide a junior brother."

"Junior brother should just focus on his own practice," he added with a cough. His amusement was evident when he saw that Lin Fan had not made any progress, especially when he compared it to his own rapid advancement. He certainly had no intention of generously helping such a junior brother.

The Myriad Souls Sect was not a righteous sect, and the relationship between the Myriad Souls Elder and his disciples was not a typical mentor-disciple relationship. Everyone was essentially out for themselves, and there was little concern for the well-being of others.

As the night deepened, the banquet finally concluded. Chu Xuan returned to Black Evil Peak, his expression indifferent.

"Being seen as low-level invites disdain," he mused. "And that, in turn, can lead to numerous troubles..."

"Being at the first level of the Golden Core is indeed insufficient; I should strive to advance to the second level." Shaking his head, Chu Xuan continued his closed-door cultivation and returned to Blue Star to practice.

...

On Mystic Azure Star, in the Southern Wilderness, True Master Tiancang had searched extensively but was left confused.

"The Heavenly Seal Sect is long gone," he lamented. "And this He Liang is even more elusive. There was indeed a He Liang in the Hundred Refinements Sect in the past... but he fell at the hands of demonic cultivators. This He Liang from the Heavenly Seal Sect seems to be a fabricated identity."

True Master Tiancang sighed deeply. With the Heaven Shaking Divine Sect growing restless, he had used the excuse of patrolling Mystic Azure Star's defenses to search the Southern Wilderness. During this time, he also employed divination using He Ze as a medium but still failed to locate He Liang's whereabouts.

"Could he have died on the extraterritorial battlefield?" he wondered regretfully. "What a pity... what a pity..."

He Liang, possessing a spirit suitable for alchemy, might have even surpassed Zhao Qian in talent. Finding him could have meant the creation of elixirs that might extend his life by decades.

"No matter, I cannot stay here too long," he resigned. "But this He Ze's soul is quite peculiar; having devoured numerous living souls, it has become a Ghost Commander, incredibly swift. He might be worth cultivating in the future, refined into one of my own ghosts."

Unable to find what he sought, True Master Tiancang had no choice but to leave...

Three years had passed on Blue Star.

Outside the stone chamber, Zhu Jie respectfully announced, "Elder Lin, the Ancestor has sent a new task!"

The heavy stone door of the cultivation chamber thundered open as Chu Xuan strode out, his brow furrowed. "It's only been a little over three months; why is there another task already?"

Three years on Blue Star equated to just over three months on Mystic Azure. It hadn't even been a year since he last completed a task for the Myriad Souls Elder.

According to the rules set previously, he was supposed to have a year of rest after each task. Why was the Elder sending another task so soon? His peaceful cultivation was constantly being interrupted.

Zhu Jie whispered, "It seems a few youngsters from the righteous sects have intruded into the Yin Soul Mountain Range. Elder Bai Jinkun has spotted their traces. All other Golden Core elders are in seclusion, so the Ancestor has asked you to assist Elder Bai in capturing these youngsters from the righteous sects."

Chu Xuan's frown deepened. Indeed, appearing too weak on the surface also had its drawbacks; all sorts of trivial matters ended up being his responsibility.

"It seems I need to take control of the Myriad Souls Sect myself to avoid future troubles," he thought, although his expression revealed none of these thoughts. Slightly displeased, he commanded, "Call Wang Hu and the others over."n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Zhu Jie replied respectfully, "Apart from those who must guard our assets, all other Foundation Establishment cultivators from Black Evil Peak are here. Wang Hu and the others are waiting outside."

Chu Xuan nodded, "Good, well done."

Wang Hu and his group were Foundation Establishment cultivators from Black Evil Peak. Chu Xuan only needed to oversee the operation to capture the young cultivators from the righteous sects; the actual work would naturally fall to the Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Shortly afterward, Chu Xuan led Wang Hu and the others to Scorpio Peak to meet with Bai Jinkun.

"Hahaha, Junior Brother Lin, you finally made it," Bai Jinkun greeted him with a laugh. "Eh, your aura seems a bit stronger. Did your realm increase?"

Chu Xuan nodded, "I've had some insights recently and managed to break through to the second level of the Golden Core."

Bai Jinkun nodded, "Not bad, not bad." While he spoke politely, it was clear he didn't take Chu Xuan seriously. Advancing from the first to the second level of the Golden Core over so many years indicated to Bai Jinkun that Chu Xuan's talents were mediocre. He didn't see Chu Xuan as his equal.

"Now that your men are here, let's set off," Bai Jinkun said with a sly grin. "We can't let those youngsters from the righteous sects come and go as they please."