Chapter Sixteen: Unveiling the Grand Gift Package

Chen Xuan dashed deep into the dense forest, pushing his speed to the utmost. Yet, compared to those skilled in lightness techniques, his pace was clearly insufficient. The group pursuing him kept closing in relentlessly.

He relied entirely on his Iron Cloth skill for defense, enduring blow after blow as he ran. Without this skill, he would have been torn to pieces long ago. Even though his mastery of Iron Cloth was exceptional, after so many fierce attacks, his whole body ached with sharp, fiery pain, and several sword wounds had pierced his skin.

Still, with a fearless and tenacious fighting style, he managed to take down seven or eight disciples of the Cui clan. Each time he killed one, the others screamed in anguish and grew more frenzied, as if every victim were a person of high status.

By now, at least more than ten disciples had fallen by his hand. Yet Chen Xuan cursed silently. He knew that if this continued, his fate was sealed. Once surrounded, even Iron Cloth could not protect him. Moreover, a few elders from the opposition hadn’t yet arrived—if they joined the fray, it would truly be a path to death.

While running, he racked his brain for a way out. Suddenly, the roar of flowing water came from ahead. His eyes flickered; he sprinted toward the sound and soon reached a cliff dozens of meters high. Looking down, he saw a raging river rushing beneath the moonlit night, shimmering with scattered glimmers.

“Damn it, no time to hesitate. Even if it’s a sea of fire, I have to jump!” Chen Xuan cursed again, glanced back at the pursuers, gritted his teeth, and leapt off the cliff.

“He’s jumping! Kill him quickly!” shouted the many Cui disciples chasing him.

Whizz! Whizz! Whizz! Flying knives, poisoned darts, needles, and iron caltrops rained down like raindrops on Chen Xuan’s body. Yet, as before, the attacks only caused sharp pain upon impact, leaving him largely unharmed.

Splash!

A huge wave erupted below as Chen Xuan’s body plunged into the river. Under the cover of night, he swam swiftly toward the distance.

“Damn it, is he dead?”

“We cannot let him escape—alive or dead, he must be found!”

“Remember his appearance: bald head, bluish arm—tear him to pieces!”

The Cui disciples gritted their teeth in fury, then quickly turned back toward where Cui Qingzheng had fallen.

Cui Qingzheng’s orifices bled, eyes wide open, nasal bone sunken. His face was a bloody mess, and his lower body equally so, with blood and urine mingling in a foul stench. He never imagined such a death awaited him.

“Young master!” mourned the group.

Soon, the experts chasing the Second Elder, Fourth Elder, Sixth Elder, and others arrived with a howling wind, swiftly landing here.

“Qingzheng!” The middle-aged man in a blue robe at the forefront narrowed his eyes, crying out in grief. The others wore shocked expressions.

“Who did this?”

A middle-aged man with a three-strand beard barked.

“It was... a disciple of the Five Poisons Sect, easy to recognize—bald, with a bluish right hand, mastered a profound Horizontal Training technique,” a Cui disciple quickly reported.

“Where is he now?”

“He jumped off the cliff—reckless.”

The disciple answered swiftly.

“Damn him! I want him torn to shreds—such a vicious killing technique!”

The man in blue wailed.

“This killer monk who practices Horizontal Training—is he a Shaolin traitor?” a red-faced middle-aged man asked nearby.

“This matter isn’t over. We must go to Shaolin immediately for clarification. Our young master of the Cui family cannot die in vain. Issue a wanted order!” the blue-robed man ordered furiously.

They lifted Cui Qingzheng’s corpse and swiftly left.

This time, the three great orthodox families of Yunzhou united to attack the Five Poisons Sect. To wipe them out once and for all, they had contacted many sects and clans, including Shaolin and Wudang—the two leading orthodox powers.

Among the Shaolin visitors was Master Beiku from the Damo Institute—not the head, but a monk of boundless Buddhist power, known for his chivalry. Without a clear explanation from him, the Cui family would not rest easy.

...

Time passed swiftly through the night.

At dawn, Chen Xuan, having barely managed to dry his clothes, hurriedly dressed again inside a cave.

After jumping into the river, he had escaped unharmed. Fearing further pursuit, he had hidden in the cave overnight, fortunately without incident.

Dressed, he stepped outside and gazed into the distance. Not far ahead, vague buildings appeared, separated by low hills—this must be the extent of Qingxia Town.

Qingxia Town covered a wide area; it was not a single district but a region surrounded by tall mountains and dense forests, ideal for hiding and ambushes. The three great orthodox families, along with various sects and clans, aware that the Five Poisons Sect had reinforcements coming, all sought to seize the town early for a strategic advantage.

From last night’s events, the Five Poisons Sect and the various left-wing factions seemed to be in a dire situation. Otherwise, the Cui family would not have dared to set ambushes outside the mountains so boldly.

However, none of this concerned Chen Xuan much. Once he entered Qingxia Town, his mission would be complete. He would gain experience points and could return to the sect without reproach.

After all, so many had died in the ambush—sixty to seventy percent. That he survived was a feat and might even earn him rewards within the sect.

“No matter. First, head to the town,” Chen Xuan said, setting off at once.

His injuries from the previous night had fully healed during his rest. With mastery of Iron Cloth, not only was his defense remarkable, but his healing ability far surpassed ordinary people.

Yet, the Cui family remained a great threat.

Judging from last night, the young master he had struck down seemed to have a significant background. The Cui clan would likely continue hunting him.

Moving swiftly and stealthily, Chen Xuan arrived near noon at a village ahead.

But the whole village was eerily silent. When he landed, he saw no one around. Every house was tightly shut, not even a whisper of conversation.

Chen Xuan frowned. Could the villagers have fallen victim to some poison?

He advanced, hoping for a “mission complete” prompt, but after walking a long way, none appeared.

Opening his panel, he pondered.

“Could it be the mission only counts as complete after meeting other leftist factions?”

The mission clearly stated: [Within three days, proceed as a disciple of the Five Poisons Sect to the meeting place]. It seemed this “meeting” meant an actual encounter.

Suddenly, a flash of blue light passed before his eyes.

Popularity +35

“Huh?”

Chen Xuan’s eyes lit up with surprise and delight. His popularity had suddenly increased dramatically—an unexpected boon.

Looking again at the panel, he saw the popularity and luck columns had all changed.

Popularity: Newcomer to the Jianghu (6/140) (Every 5 points of popularity grants 1 point of luck)

Luck: 21 (With 20 luck points, a grand gift pack can be opened)

“Popularity rose from obscurity to newcomer, and luck instantly reached 21 points—that means I can open the grand gift pack!” Chen Xuan rejoiced and looked down.

Sure enough, the gift pack section had changed.

Current grand gift pack: Available to open (Consumes 20 luck points).

Excited, Chen Xuan clicked to open it.

Flash!

Luck immediately dropped by 20 points, down to 1. Then a faint golden light appeared, forming an exquisite box. After spinning violently, it burst open with a bang.

[Experience +180]

[Luck +1]

[Inner Power Fusion Pill +1]

[Great Art of Power Transformation +1]

[Eight Steps to Chase Cicadas +1]