Chapter 100: The Powerful Storage Bag

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The opportunities and deadly struggles within the secret realm had hastened Xu Xuan’s rise to his present level: he had thoroughly mastered the Nine Dragon-Snake Transformations and even created the legendary tenth transformation.

After comprehending and creating the tenth transformation, Xu Xuan had to think about naming it. Even the remnant soul of his past life became interested in this, watching him with a faint smile.

Xu Xuan pondered for a long while, and once again the memory surfaced of that instant when Yu Qin had been injured and he had been seized by overwhelming fury.

Rage... it began in the heart, then in the blink of an eye consumed the entire body. If the world should strike my reverse scale, it will have to endure my earth-shattering wrath.

A light of unprecedented brilliance erupted in Xu Xuan’s eyes, as though a flame hotter than the sun itself were burning within them.

At that moment, he seemed truly transformed into the ancient fiery dragon, transcending the mortal body and looking down upon all living things.

“So you have decided on a name for the tenth transformation?” The remnant soul of his past life carried a touch of expectation and urgency.

“The tenth transformation is the metamorphosis from serpent to dragon. Since it is born of fury, calling it ‘Dragon Rage’ is entirely fitting.”

Amusement shone in Xu Xuan’s eyes.

Dragon Rage.

The remnant soul of his past life nodded repeatedly. It was imposing enough, and perfectly suited to its essence and power.

“But the Nine Dragon-Snake Transformations use a one-character style for each transformation...” the remnant soul said, still a little uncertain.

“Then let it simply be called the ‘Rage’ formula.” Xu Xuan took a deep breath, and a peculiar glimmer suddenly flashed in his eyes. “Besides, I have a strange feeling. The ‘Rage’ formula I have comprehended now may only be the beginning of Dragon Rage. I keep sensing that there is still vast room for development beyond this.”

Dragon Rage, the Rage formula. By Xu Xuan’s present intuition, the latter should only be a part of the former.

“Heh, I rather look forward to seeing your true strength when you fully step into the tenth transformation. Judging from the way things are going, the tenth transformation created through a fire-aligned body will far surpass what I knew in my past life.”

There was a note of relief in the remnant soul’s voice.

The Rage formula had already surpassed the power of the tenth transformation from his past life. From this moment onward, Xu Xuan would break free of that shadow and walk a path of his own.

After that, Xu Xuan withdrew from the realm of consciousness and repeatedly refined and perfected his own tenth transformation. Though he had left the shadow of his past life behind, the fact that he could so quickly create a tenth transformation was due not only to his own comprehension and luck, but also to the insights and vast memories left to him by that former life. These laid the foundation that placed Xu Xuan above ordinary men.

Meanwhile, time remaining in the secret realm grew shorter by the day.

In the blink of an eye, only three days remained.

Xu Xuan’s comprehension of the tenth transformation had essentially reached completion; all that remained was the right chance to break through.

That day, he left the secluded place where he had been cultivating and returned to the shattered cliff wall, the location of the secret realm’s entrance.

Just as he arrived, he encountered a tall, broad-shouldered red-haired man carrying a giant sword on his back.

“Stop right there!”

Jiang Hong’s giant sword gave a slight tremor in his hand. His gaze was cold and sharp, and a fierce aura emanated from him.

Xu Xuan halted, his expression odd. What was this fellow thinking? He had failed to win the girl’s heart, and now he wanted to take it out on someone else?

“What do you want?”

Xu Xuan folded his arms across his chest, his upright and well-proportioned frame standing steady in place without the slightest hint of retreat.

“Brat surnamed Xu, from today on, stay away from Junior Sister Yu, or don’t blame me for being rude.”

Jiang Hong’s spiritual power stirred faintly within him, releasing a fierce and powerful sword aura that pressed in on Xu Xuan. It was far more frightening than that of ordinary cultivators.

“Stay away? Who do you think you are, ordering Xu around?”

Anger rose in Xu Xuan’s heart.

Jiang Hong’s behavior was utterly baffling. He was overbearing and rude, laying all his failure at another person’s feet.

“Just a mere body-tempering mortal dares to oppose me? You’re simply tired of living! Even if you reach the level of a martial cultivator, you still wouldn’t amount to anything in my eyes.”

Jiang Hong’s eyes bulged as he glared, and that dreadful pressure of spiritual force caused Xu Xuan’s qi and blood to momentarily stagnate.

This Jiang Hong was a sword cultivator at the fifth level of Qi Refinement.

Compared with the likes of Wan Fushan and the others from before, Jiang Hong was stronger by far, not just by one or two degrees.

Xu Xuan could not be bothered with him. With a cold snort, he turned and left directly. Yet he also had to admit that, before stepping into the tenth transformation, there was an enormous gulf in strength between him and Jiang Hong.

“This kid is no simple matter. He can actually ignore my spiritual pressure.”

Watching Xu Xuan’s departing back, Jiang Hong clicked his tongue in secret. Recalling Xu Xuan’s astonishing performance in the great hall at the lake’s center, his expression kept shifting between dark and clear.

He returned to the camp of the Sword Sect, where Yu Mo’s graceful and delicate figure appeared in his mind.

“Senior Sister Yu.” Jiang Hong hurriedly bowed.

“You and Xu Xuan of the Wind Feather Gate seem to have some conflict,” Yu Mo said. Her voice was like the ethereal rain of autumn, calm and cleansing, making others unconsciously settle down.

“Yes! I must teach him a proper lesson.” Jiang Hong ground his teeth. “Junior Sister Yu is such a pure and kind girl, yet this boy has deceived her feelings. How can such a thing be allowed?”

Deceived her feelings?

Yu Mo was slightly taken aback, and the other Sword Sect disciples came over smiling, eager to watch the commotion.

“Heh, Jiang Hong, it’s obvious you’ve fallen for Junior Sister Yu yourself and just aren’t capable enough.”

One Sword Sect disciple jeered.

“Hahaha, in terms of build and weight, your big frame does beat that kid. But if we’re talking looks, figure, and bearing, you’re nowhere near as popular with girls as he is. Tsk, tsk. If Senior Brother Nie went instead, there might still be a contest.”

The Sword Sect disciples clearly did not think highly of Jiang Hong.

After all, any clear-eyed observer could tell that Junior Sister Yu Qin of the Wind Feather Gate probably already had someone in her heart.

“Hmph.”

Nie Han gave a light snort and opened his eyes from his cross-legged cultivation. Several Sword Sect disciples shivered, realizing they should not joke about Senior Brother Nie.

Still, after hearing what the others were discussing, Nie Han also rarely revealed a trace of curiosity and listened from the side.

“Jiang Hong, this Xu Xuan of the Wind Feather Gate is absolutely no ordinary person. Whether it is his performance in the serpent cavern or the potential he unleashed at the critical moment in the lake hall, it all shows his promise. You had best not make a bitter enemy of him. Matters of the heart cannot be forced,” Yu Mo advised.

“No. My admiration for Junior Sister Yu is something I cannot let go of. When I was in such agony that I wished for death, she descended like a celestial maiden and saved my life without asking for anything in return. It is rare in a lifetime to meet such a girl who can so stir the soul. If I can win her, I will hold her in the palm of my hand and cherish her dearly. I will never let that boy deceive her feelings.”

Jiang Hong’s eyes shone brightly, clearly having made up his mind.

“We support Senior Brother Jiang! Bring the beauty home!”

“That kid is only a body-tempering mortal, at best a mediocre martial cultivator. How could he be a match for Senior Brother?”

The Sword Sect disciples shouted their support one after another.

Yu Mo let out a soft sigh and glanced at Nie Han beside her. “If he keeps this up, he may not gain anything at all.”

“Gain nothing?” Nie Han sneered. “He may very well lose utterly.”

“You really think so? But Jiang Hong is no weakling either; his cultivation is far stronger than Xu Xuan’s.”

Yu Mo found it somewhat unbelievable. She had already thought she was overestimating Xu Xuan, but Nie Han’s words surprised her even more.

“Xu Xuan first caught my attention only slightly during the initial bandit suppression. The second time, in the battle against the demonized bat king, I deeply felt his potential and fighting spirit. I am afraid he is the strongest opponent I have ever encountered in my life.”

A trace of admiration appeared on Nie Han’s marble-cold face.

Strongest opponent.

Yu Mo’s brows furrowed slightly. She understood Nie Han’s pride and arrogance; for him to speak in such terms was truly rare.

“And the third time, in the final struggle in the lake hall...” Nie Han suddenly drew a deep breath. On his face appeared a strange and indescribably solemn expression. “At that moment, I felt a strong sense of unease and dread. There was a power hidden within him that made my heart tremble. Had it not been for him, I would never have been able to obtain that ancient sword so easily in the end.”

“What? He actually made you feel fear?”

Yu Mo was finally shaken. Her beautiful face was filled with astonishment and disbelief.

Nie Han was exceptional in both strength and will; he could make any cultivator of his generation feel the weight of his presence. Yet now, a boy of no renown had actually made him feel uneasy and afraid.

“Perhaps it was only an illusion, but his future achievements are certainly beyond estimation.”

After a brief pause, Nie Han spoke with absolute certainty.

Yu Mo fell into thought, her gaze occasionally drifting toward Xu Xuan, who was sitting cross-legged within the Wind Feather Gate’s area, chatting and laughing with Yu Qin.

“And there is one more secret...” Nie Han said abruptly.

“A secret?” Yu Mo withdrew her gaze.

“I can now be completely certain that the person who slew the Blood Bandit chieftain that day was either Yue Feng or Xu Xuan!”

A cold light flashed in Nie Han’s eyes as he spoke with unwavering conviction.

“The one who killed the Blood Bandit chieftain... it was actually him!”

Yu Mo’s normally placid heart, as clear and untroubled as autumn waters, was once again set into turmoil, and she nearly cried out in shock.

...

Xu Xuan returned to Yu Qin’s side and sat down to cultivate quietly. Under the guidance of that mysterious spiritual force, the circulation of his qi, blood, and spirit within his body flowed in an inconceivable manner.

Within the lake hall, one breakthrough had brought him to the peak of the ninth transformation, and another had temporarily carried him into the realm of half a step into the tenth. These various opportunities had allowed Xu Xuan to fully grasp the method of breaking through to the tenth stage.

Reaching the tenth stage had become only a matter of time.

In the final days, everyone was seizing every moment to cultivate.

Perhaps aided by that spring-eye spiritual liquid, Xu Xuan’s physique had undergone a dramatic transformation, and he was now only a hair’s breadth away from the tenth breakthrough.

“Junior Sister Yu, that Scarlet Serpent Fruit is extremely important to me. When we return, I hope to obtain it, even if I have to give up that demonized infant bat.”

Xu Xuan spoke to Yu Qin.

He did not want the secret of the Memory Star Sea to be exposed. The ability to seize objects from the outside world out of thin air was no small matter, and it was also one of the reasons he had been able to relinquish the ancient sword in the lake hall at that time.

“Senior Brother, rest assured. I will help you.”

Yu Qin was somewhat better than she had been in the previous days, when she had been downcast and unhappy, and a faint smile appeared in her clear eyes.

Just then, Xu Xuan vaguely heard a voice from behind him.

“Senior Brother Jiang, you obtained a storage pouch. Can you open it?”

Yue Feng asked in a low voice for guidance.

Within the lake hall, those skeletal remains were all terrifying beings at the Condensed Core level.

There had originally been three storage pouches in total. Senior Brother Jiang and Yue Feng each obtained one, while the third was lost amid the chaos.

“I can’t open mine either. The Condensed Core level is, in the Huanglong City region, almost confined to legend. Storage pouches used by such powerhouses of legend are beyond both artifacts and spiritual implements in material and grade. With our meager spiritual power, they are indeed troublesome.”

Senior Brother Jiang said indifferently.

“True enough. The Condensed Core level is simply too high. For us Qi Refinement cultivators, even controlling spiritual implements is extremely difficult...”

Yue Feng sighed, wearing the helpless look of one who possesses treasure yet lacks the key to unlock it.

He could not open the storage pouch now, and once he returned to the sect, it would surely be taken by his elders.

A storage pouch that even a fifth-level Qi Refinement cultivator could not open?

Xu Xuan’s face showed a faint trace of surprise. This result was somewhat unexpected.

One chapter complete. I am currently adjusting my fast-food state back upward. Summoning next month’s monthly votes here—if this can surge onto the new-book monthly rankings, there will definitely be a huge eruption.