Whenever a cultivation technique landed in Yi Tianxing's hands, he never hesitated—he would always place it into the Scripture Pavilion. No exceptions. Only by spreading techniques could the overall strength and foundation of the faction grow. The more people who became strong, the more powerhouses would emerge, and the stronger the village would become.
He wasn't joking around.
"Master, this old servant has long since thought this through. Now that the world has changed, only in your hands can cultivation techniques and martial skills unleash their greatest value. You saved my life—these are the only things I have that can even begin to express a sliver of my gratitude," said Cao Zhengchun, his face free of hesitation or pain. Years of experience had taught him the importance of choosing wisely.
"Tiangang Child Technique, Vajra Body-Protection Divine Gang, Ten Thousand Rivers Return to the Sea, Tiangang Sword Finger—these are all solid techniques and martial arts. Are you truly willing to offer them to me?" Yi Tianxing asked as he opened the wooden box handed to him. Inside were four jade tomes. He picked them up one by one and gave them a quick look—they were all indeed excellent.
The Tiangang Child Technique cultivated Tiangang Righteous Qi, known for its fierceness and dominance.Once mastered, its power was immense. But the technique had one strict requirement: one had to remain chaste. Losing one's virginity meant breaking the technique, and even the accompanying visualization diagram was titled the Tiangang Righteous Qi Pouch Visualization Diagram. This "pouch" was the vessel for all that pure, sealed, and aggressive righteous energy—uncontaminated, unyielding, and overwhelmingly forceful. But if chastity was lost, it was like piercing a pinhole in the pouch, causing the energy within to leak out.
Once that happened, the once-dominant energy would vanish, and most of the practitioner's cultivation would be lost.
However, since Cao Zhengchun was a eunuch, this particular weakness didn't apply to him. For him, the technique was a perfect match. What was a flaw for others didn't even exist in his case.
This technique was also a top-tier Divine Sea Realm foundation technique.
The others were equally excellent.
Normally, such high-level techniques would be kept under tight wraps, guarded like family treasures. No one would dare let others even catch a whiff of them.
"I have already made up my mind," Cao Zhengchun said with firm resolve.
"Very well. I'll accept these four techniques and place them directly into the Scripture Pavilion. Since you've offered four, you'll be allowed to choose four techniques of equal tier from the Pavilion in the future—or you can trade them for contribution points when the system is fully established."
Yi Tianxing would never be stingy with those who offered techniques. His principle was one-for-one. You hand one in, you can pick another of the same level in exchange—or convert it into contribution points.
The contribution system wasn't fully fleshed out yet, but it was definitely the direction he was aiming for.
"Yes, Master!!"
Cao Zhengchun still stubbornly addressed Yi Tianxing as "Master." That part of him was unwavering, and Yi Tianxing could only shake his head with a helpless smile. He didn't object—for now.
"Let's go. I'll lead the way. Everyone, follow me back to the village. There's hot food and clean water waiting. It's not far from here, and I've already cleared a path. Just follow me closely and there won't be any issues."
Without hesitation, he turned and took the lead.
This time, they were heading back, so the journey was faster. With the road already cleared, walking was easy. The original distance hadn't been that far to begin with. Plus, no one wanted to linger in this terrifying jungle. Each person supported the next as they hurried behind Yi Tianxing. Cao Zhengchun, meanwhile, moved instinctively to the back of the group to guard against unexpected threats.
That unconscious gesture revealed his seasoned nature.
They made it back swiftly—soon, the forest opened up, and they returned to Xuanhuang Village.
When Huang Chengyan and the others saw Yi Tianxing return with such a large group of survivors, they were visibly shocked. To bring back so many people in such a short time was astounding.
After handing over the newcomers to Huang Chengyan and the rest, Yi Tianxing didn't linger. He immediately turned and headed back into the forest.
There was no delay.
He trusted that Huang Chengyan would handle everything perfectly. There was no need for him to micromanage. What mattered more was continuing his journey to other villages. This detour had been a fortunate surprise, but it wasn't enough to alter his plans.
Still, this unexpected harvest brought new vitality to Xuanhuang Village.
To a certain extent, it alleviated their population crisis.
Returning to the previously carved-out path, he pressed forward again.
With his Tang Dao, he resumed hacking a path through the jungle. Any plant in his way was chopped down—he wouldn't walk around them. Through sheer force, he carved a road through the near-primal forest.
"Hmm? A strange fragrance—could there be a spiritual herb nearby?"
As he slashed forward, a fragrant breeze drifted in from an unknown direction. The scent was crisp and clear, and Yi Tianxing immediately caught it with his keen nose. An instinctive thought surfaced in his mind.
He wasn't surprised to find spiritual herbs in such a forest.
The more primitive the jungle, the higher the chance of encountering rare spiritual medicines.
Just the thought of it made his heart race with excitement. He quickly stopped walking and focused on the scent wafting intermittently through the air. It was incredibly alluring—but he couldn't yet tell if it came from a spiritual herb or a type of fruit.
"I need to find out what it is."
Following the direction of the scent, he moved step by step. Before long, he saw a fruit tree up ahead. It wasn't very tall—about two meters. On its branches hung clusters of green fruit, each about the size of half a fist. The scent clearly came from them, and they looked nearly ripe. There were about a hundred fruits—not too many, not too few.
They radiated an aura of rich spiritual energy.
"What kind of spiritual fruit is this?"
Even an idiot could tell this was no ordinary tree—it was a true spiritual treasure. But he had never seen or heard of it before.
"Essence-Nurturing Fruit Tree," the Wordless Heavenly Tome revealed the answer when Yi Tianxing pulled it out without hesitation. "Grows only in areas rich in natural energy. Extremely rare. Its fruit contains immense spiritual essence and can boost cultivation, strengthen one's foundational vitality, and build a strong spiritual base. Effects include consolidating one's foundation and forming a Dao base. Mild in nature. Can be used to refine pills or brew spiritual wine. Grade: Top-grade Profound Rank."
It turned out to be the Essence-Nurturing Fruit, gentle in nature, capable of rapidly enhancing one's cultivation and true qi. It was especially beneficial for building one's spiritual foundation. A rare spiritual fruit indeed—of the top tier within the Profound Rank.
Spiritual herbs were graded from highest to lowest as follows: Divine, Immortal, Heaven, Earth, Profound, Yellow, each divided into Low, Middle, High, Top—a total of six ranks and twenty-four grades.
The classification was based on how long the herb had grown.
Yellow Rank herbs maxed out at 100 years:
Low: under 10 years
Middle: under 30
High: under 70
Top: 100 years
Profound Rank herbs maxed out at 1,000 years:
Low: under 100
Middle: under 300
High: under 700
Top: 1,000 years
Earth Rank herbs: up to 3,000 years
Heaven Rank: up to 6,000
Immortal Rank: up to 9,000
Divine Rank: 10,000+ years with no upper limit—considered innate spiritual roots, capable of reversing natural order, giving birth to miracles, and even bringing the dead back to life.
To be classified as Top-grade Profound Rank, the Essence-Nurturing Fruit had taken over a thousand years to bloom and mature. It was a millennium spirit fruit.
"This is a thousand-year spiritual fruit. Not quite mature yet—but extremely close."
Yi Tianxing took a deep breath, his face growing solemn.
It wasn't excitement that filled him, but caution. He didn't dare step closer.
Whenever a spirit herb or fruit was about to mature, powerful beasts would often lurk nearby to guard it—waiting for the moment of ripeness so they could consume it and gain a massive boost in power. A fruit like this couldn't possibly exist without something terrifying guarding it.
Yet... he felt nothing. No dangerous auras. No beastly presence. Everything seemed normal.
But Yi Tianxing refused to believe it was truly safe.
Too quiet.
It was deathly quiet. No insects. No birds. Not a sound.
Retreat.
Step by step, he slowly backed away, heart pounding with alertness. Once he was far enough, he turned and left the area without hesitation, continuing forward along the path he'd previously cleared—without a moment's delay.
As he departed, deep in the shadows, a pair of eyes seemed to watch his back before disappearing into nothingness. Not even a trace of aura remained, like it had never been there.
"Unless I reach a certain level of strength, I absolutely cannot approach that area."
As he hacked his way forward, he made the silent decision in his heart. That place was far too eerie, far too silent—and that was exactly what made it so terrifying.
Not even insects dared make a sound. Nothing lingered near that fruit tree.
If he'd let his desire get the better of him and rushed forward to pick the fruit, he might have died under that tree.
He couldn't deny—he had felt the urge to do exactly that.