Chapter Fifty-Six: The Second Generation of Immortal Magnates

During the battle, Xu Chen deliberately restrained his speed, only moving about ten percent faster than usual.

Even so, among those of the same level, he was already considered swift.

Though he held the upper hand, Xu Chen had exhausted all his techniques and still could not defeat Bai Ningxue.

They fought for two hours before Bai Ningxue finally withdrew.

"In a few months, I'll come looking for you again," Bai Ningxue's voice remained cold as ever.

"Alright, but next time, shouldn't my compensation be a little higher?" Xu Chen replied with a smile.

"Fine."

As the illusory world shattered, Xu Chen's consciousness returned to his body.

At the Hall of Miscellaneous Affairs, Xu Chen collected his reward of three thousand spirit coins. Just as he was about to leave, Chief Steward Bai called out to him.

"Brother Xu, anyone who can spar with that elder's disciple must be quite formidable."

"I have a task here. I wonder if you're interested." Chief Steward Bai extended a hand and tapped lightly in front of Xu Chen.

A watery screen appeared before Xu Chen.

"A bodyguard? Who am I to protect?"

The mission displayed on the screen was to accompany someone to the Trial Realm in the capital of Leizhou. Normally, he would not need to fight, but if there was any danger to life, he had to ensure the client could crush their escape talisman and flee.

"An offspring of an immortal noble, also a disciple of one of the sect's elders."

"Thirty thousand spirit coins per month. The assignment will last from two months to half a year, depending on his mood."

"If the person you're protecting dies and you survive, you'll become a target for his family," Chief Steward Bai explained.

Hearing the monthly reward of thirty thousand spirit coins, Xu Chen's eyes widened in astonishment.

"Why did this job fall to me?"

At this, Chief Steward Bai couldn't help but smile.

"That noble doesn't want to lose face, so he wants someone highly skilled but not widely known to accompany him."

"And how are you sure I'm strong enough?" Xu Chen had already decided to accept.

"If your sparring partner had beaten you, she wouldn't have come back for a second match."

"From this, I can infer that Brother Xu's strength is considerable," Chief Steward Bai said, looking Xu Chen up and down.

Indeed, anyone considered a friend by such an important figure would not be simple.

"I'll take the job. When do we depart?"

Once he entered the Body of Treasure realm, whether for alchemy, forging, or cultivation resources, he would need a vast amount of spirit coins. He couldn't rely on his parents forever, so he had to prepare in advance.

"In a month. That young lord's blood refinement technique has reached a bottleneck. He needs a month to break through."

"We'll leave after that."

"I'll wait for your notice."

Back home, Xu Chen looked over the various blood refinement techniques he planned to cultivate.

"Since I'll be acting as someone else's bodyguard, I should first learn a protective art."

Xu Chen picked up the jade slip for the Earth-Listening Thousand Phantasms Blood Refinement Technique and pressed it to his brow.

Earth-Listening Thousand Phantasms was a technique that enhanced hearing, one of the most specialized blood refinement methods.

In the cultivation chamber, Xu Chen sat cross-legged, circulating his robust blood energy through the meridian paths outlined in the technique.

By using his blood energy to strengthen his hearing, he could send a thread of force silently into the earth, sensing its vibrations.

At mastery, he could perceive everything within sixty feet—birdsong, insect chirps, the fall of leaves, the whisper of wind—nothing could escape his ears.

A month slipped by unnoticed.

Xu Chen attained entry-level mastery of Earth-Listening Thousand Phantasms. In the Sacred White Space, a new wooden door appeared.

"Still this shabby wooden door. It must reflect the quality of my own cultivation," Xu Chen muttered as he pushed the door open. Like last time with the Wind-Stepping Technique, the avatar beyond was vacant-eyed and soulless.

"Strength of seven tigers—far too weak," he commented, closing the door. Instantly, the avatar received the order to attack Xu Chen.

With a casual palm—he hadn't even used full strength—the avatar was slain, sent flying a dozen feet away.

The avatar's soul was drawn into an unknown space.

Within a secluded mountain valley, a group of youths in coarse clothing were practicing lightness skills. Xu Chen had possessed the body of one of these boys.

By day they trained in movement, by night cultivated their internal arts.

"Earth-Listening Thousand Phantasms is top-tier for eavesdropping in the martial world."

"You lot, give it everything you've got. Master this, and our lord will reward you handsomely."

"From now on, whoever breaks through the first stage fastest will get ten taels of gold."

Xu Chen quickly realized that the boy he possessed was a deathsworn assassin trained by a powerful faction.

As time passed, the boy's talent became apparent. In just a year, he mastered Earth-Listening Thousand Phantasms to the unity of form and intent.

By then, he had already become the leader of his cohort of deathsworn.

The world shattered. Xu Chen returned to himself.

A torrent of insight flooded his mind.

"Were all those worlds I experienced real, or just something conjured up by my golden finger?"

Each felt far too vivid to be mere illusion.

"Never mind, I should focus on absorbing these insights."

Returning to his body, Xu Chen sat cross-legged on his bed and began cultivating Earth-Listening Thousand Phantasms with his blood energy.

The next day, as Xu Chen was practicing as usual, his disciple token vibrated.

"Perfect timing."

At the Hall of Miscellaneous Affairs, Xu Chen was immediately led by Chief Steward Bai to a tea room.

After all, in the tea room, before Xu Chen could see the person's face, a sharp voice pierced the air.

"Chief Bai, let me see if your recommendation is really worth thirty thousand."

The man turned, and his eyes met Xu Chen's.

"Junior Brother Xu?"

"Senior Brother Li?"

Li Chengfu immediately stood up, sizing Xu Chen up and down.

"I haven't seen you in a while, Junior Brother Xu, but I didn't expect you'd improve so much," Li Chengfu said, clearly sensing the surging blood energy emanating from Xu Chen.

Regardless of actual fighting strength, just this blood energy alone put Xu Chen at the top of his cohort.

"If you want someone with both skill and a low profile, you can't go wrong with Brother Xu," Chief Steward Bai said, her eyes sparkling with a hint of charm.

Hearing this, Li Chengfu's eyes lit up.

"Junior Brother Xu, let's set out now and head straight to the teleportation array!"

Li Chengfu led Xu Chen to the sect's teleportation hall, and they were transported to the capital of Leizhou.

It was only upon arrival that Xu Chen learned the teleportation array cost at least a thousand spirit coins per use.

As soon as they left the teleportation hall, several powerful cultivators—whose auras Xu Chen could not discern—were waiting.

"Young Master," four of them bowed deeply.

"Scram, scram, go cool off somewhere else," Li Chengfu said impatiently, waving them away.

He led Xu Chen to a luxurious beast-drawn carriage waiting nearby.

"There's a spatial array inside this thing."

From the outside, it looked like an ordinary carriage, but inside it instantly transformed into a lavish, sprawling suite.

"Junior Brother Xu, how many times have you sparred with Senior Sister Bai?"

As soon as they sat down, Li Chengfu couldn't help but ask.

"Twice," Xu Chen answered truthfully.

"That impressive!" Li Chengfu was astonished.

"It's nothing special."

"By the way, Senior Brother Li, judging from your blood energy, you haven't surpassed nine tigers' strength. Why are you going to the Trial Realm?" Xu Chen asked curiously.

"My family suddenly imposed a new rule: even at the blood refinement stage, one must shed blood personally and independently slay a hundred blood refinement realm aliens."

"I don't know why they've made such a rule, but it's better to comply than not."

"Oddly, many of the prominent families in Leizhou have started imposing similar requirements."