Chapter 22: The Price of Transgression

Yuan Shanxiang’s eyes looked as if they were about to spit fire at Qin Haoxuan. If looks could kill, Qin Haoxuan would have died a thousand times over. He roared, “Heaven’s calamities can be survived, but the calamities you bring upon yourself are inescapable! I don’t care what demonic arts or magic treasures you used; today, you will be torn to pieces to atone for your crime!”

His right hand fumbled in his robes and produced a Spiritual Talisman. It was a piece of cyan jade, about two fingers in size, with a faint luster and covered in mysterious, profound runes.

A scorching aura emanated from the talisman, filling the confined space of the Lava Cellar.

This talisman contained a sealed spiritual attack called “Raging Flame.” Its power was countless times stronger than the most basic Fireball technique. By simply infusing enough spiritual energy, it could be activated, unleashing a blast equivalent to the full-power strike of a Sixth-Leaf Spirit Sprout expert. It was powerful enough to blast a large tree into dust. Even a Fifth-Leaf cultivator like Yuan Shanxiang could not escape such an attack unscathed. Qin Haoxuan, even if he were made of bronze and iron, would surely be annihilated by its power.

Everyone present, except for a newcomer like Qin Haoxuan, knew the value of a Spiritual Talisman. This one, equivalent to a Sixth-Leaf expert’s strike, would take an ordinary menial disciple at least two years of scrimping and saving to afford, and that was only if the harvests were good.

In the eyes of the weaker menial disciples, possessing a Spiritual Talisman was like having an extra life. To use it so casually was an incredible luxury.

Even the two enforcers watching from behind the iron door felt a pang of regret. They sighed inwardly; this Yuan Shanxiang was truly intent on murder. He was probably betting more than half of his entire net worth on this one move.

But the enraged Yuan Shanxiang felt no regret. If he had more talismans, he would have used them all without hesitation, just to blast Qin Haoxuan into smithereens.

Just as he was about to infuse his spiritual energy to activate the talisman, an intense sense of crisis washed over Qin Haoxuan. He focused his mind, staring intently at Yuan Shanxiang, preparing to use his Spiritual Sense Assault again. However, Yuan Shanxiang was ready this time, his mind on high alert as he desperately poured spiritual energy into the talisman.

Qin Haoxuan could almost see the spiritual energy flowing within Yuan Shanxiang’s body, nearing the point of activation. In a panic, he let out a great roar. The golden light in his mind flickered, and he shot another strand of it toward Yuan Shanxiang. This time, the prepared Yuan Shanxiang did not freeze completely, but he still faltered for a moment.

That moment was all Qin Haoxuan needed. He charged forward, heedless of the danger.

The sense of peril from the talisman was even stronger than what he had felt from the Myriad Slashing Blades. He had to destroy it at all costs.

As long as the talisman was gone, the crippled Yuan Shanxiang would be no threat to him. Although cultivators had strong regenerative abilities, he could just beat him up every day, adding new injuries to old ones. Then he would have no way to get revenge.

Yuan Shanxiang snapped out of his daze and saw Qin Haoxuan charging at him, his hand just inches from the talisman. If he was any slower, it would be snatched away. Yuan Shanxiang, who had held the upper hand in both strength and psychology, finally panicked.

His killing intent intensified. He had to protect the talisman and use it to eliminate Qin Haoxuan, no matter the cost. Otherwise, he would be a source of endless trouble in the future.

With his broken legs, he couldn’t move. Facing Qin Haoxuan’s charge, he didn’t even have time to activate the talisman. He could only throw himself backward, abandoning all pretense of being an expert and rolling on the ground in a most unsightly manner. The pain from his broken bones was excruciating, which only strengthened his resolve to kill Qin Haoxuan.

Qin Haoxuan was not the strongest opponent he had ever faced, but he was the most terrifying. The boy was ruthless, having broken both his legs and one of his arms. If he had woken up a moment later, his other arm would have been broken as well.

He could imagine that if they were in the wilderness with no one around, Qin Haoxuan wouldn’t have just broken his limbs; he would have slit his throat to eliminate any future threat.

Qin Haoxuan’s desperate attempt to snatch the talisman, along with his “demonic art” that could stun people, made Yuan Shanhu tremble with fear.

Right now, Qin Haoxuan was still a mortal who had only shattered his seed two days ago, yet he had defeated a Fifth-Leaf Spirit Sprout expert.

In the cultivation world, no matter what methods were used, victory was strength. But in any case, for a mortal who had just begun cultivating to injure a Fifth-Leaf expert was, in itself, an incredibly terrifying thing.

Unfortunately for Yuan Shanxiang, even the heavens seemed to pity the “weaker” Qin Haoxuan.

As he rolled, he slammed into a sharp, protruding rock, which struck him right on one of his broken bones. The intense pain caused him to falter for an instant. In that instant, the relentless Qin Haoxuan was upon him, pinning him to the ground and striking repeatedly at his broken limbs.

Even as a Fifth-Leaf expert, Yuan Shanxiang was still flesh and blood. Overwhelmed by the pain, he lost his grip on the talisman, and Qin Haoxuan snatched it away.

Having lost his final trump card, Yuan Shanxiang was both furious and terrified. He gathered all his remaining spiritual energy and slammed his palm into Qin Haoxuan’s chest. With a few muffled thuds, Qin Haoxuan was sent flying, several of his ribs broken, a mouthful of blood spraying from his lips.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone present, Qin Haoxuan, a mortal, had fought a Fifth-Leaf Spirit Sprout expert to a standstill, both ending up heavily injured. The scene was deeply shocking to all who witnessed it.

Looking at the heavily injured Qin Haoxuan in the distance, Yuan Shanxiang, with two broken legs and a broken arm, was filled with spiritual energy and boundless hatred, but he couldn’t move. He had no way to finish him off. His only hope had been the talisman, but it had been snatched away in such a brutal fashion.

Painful! But the pain was the price for getting what I wanted.

“Pah!”

Qin Haoxuan defiantly spat a mouthful of bloody saliva onto the ground. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he smashed the talisman on the floor. Although it was a great treasure, it was also the only thing in the Lava Cellar that could threaten him. Destroying it was the safest option.

Seeing the talisman reduced to fragments, everyone—from the prisoners in the cellar to the two enforcers behind the door—felt a sense of fear towards Qin Haoxuan. He was decisive, ruthless, and was not blinded by short-term gain.

A single thought flashed through their minds: Never, ever offend Qin Haoxuan!

At that moment, Yuan Shanxiang saw the group of prisoners in the corner. An idea struck him, and he shouted, “Whoever kills him, I’ll give you three Spiritual Talismans when I get out!”

Three Spiritual Talismans!

Great rewards make for brave men. For any of them, that was a massive fortune.

But the prisoners looked at the heavily injured Yuan Shanxiang, then at Qin Haoxuan, who also had several broken ribs. They looked at each other, but no one dared to move.

A Fifth-Leaf cultivator had been beaten so miserably by him. Even though he was injured now, who knew what other tricks he had up his sleeve?

Compared to three precious talismans, their lives were more important.

Qin Haoxuan just sneered. “Kill me? You still have time to think about me? You should be thinking about how you’re going to explain this to the sect. According to the rules, you will have your cultivation crippled and be turned into an idiot before being thrown out of Taichu.”

Hearing this, Yuan Shanxiang felt a chill run up his spine. If he had killed Qin Haoxuan, he could have framed the dead man for anything. But now that he was still alive… he was probably…

At the thought of the strict sect rules, his vision went dark. The combination of his injuries and the mental blow caused him to faint.

The news of Qin Haoxuan’s exploits in the Lava Cellar—bullying the strong, beating more than a dozen Spirit Sprout disciples, and fighting a Fifth-Leaf expert to a draw—was vividly spread by an old-timer who was released that afternoon.

“Did you hear? In the confinement cell, Qin Haoxuan fought Yuan Shanxiang, who went in to cause trouble for him. They both ended up heavily injured, and Qin Haoxuan even had a slight advantage!”

“How is that possible? Yuan Shanxiang is a Fifth-Leaf disciple! Among us in the Spirit Field Valley, his cultivation is outstanding. I heard he might even have a chance to become a true inner sect disciple after the final selection in three months.”

Having injured the Third-Leaf Yuan Shanhu had already made Qin Haoxuan famous. Now, the even more shocking news that he had defeated the Fifth-Leaf Yuan Shanxiang left everyone speechless.

The Taichu Sect was usually a peaceful place. This sudden bit of gossip instantly became the number one topic of conversation.

The news soon reached the ears of Xu Yu and Li Jing.

A mere mortal who had just begun cultivating had fought a Fifth-Leaf cultivator to a draw?

If it were anyone else, Li Jing wouldn’t have believed it. But hearing that it was Qin Haoxuan, he believed it completely. Seeing the furious and anxious reaction of Zhang Kuang, who had also just heard the news, he immediately guessed that he was involved.

“It must be Zhang Kuang’s doing!” Xu Yu said anxiously. “No! I have to go to the Lava Cellar to check on Brother Haoxuan…”

Li Jing stopped the frantic Xu Yu. With a gentle smile, he said, “Junior Sister Xu, it won’t do any good if you just go there like this. Why don’t we think of a plan?”

Although she didn’t like Li Jing in the slightest, remembering that he had helped her in the Discipline Hall, and since she had no better solution, Xu Yu stopped and listened patiently.

“I am sure this has something to do with Zhang Kuang. Otherwise, why would a Fifth-Leaf cultivator pick a fight with Junior Brother Qin for no reason? I’ve also heard rumors that Zhang Kuang was looking for someone to deliberately break the rules to get sent into the Lava Cellar to deal with him.”

At Li Jing’s words, Xu Yu became even more anxious. Her guess was now confirmed. Given the history between Zhang Kuang and Qin Haoxuan, he wouldn’t rest until Qin Haoxuan was dead. He would probably send more people to the Lava Cellar to deal with him.

Seeing that Xu Yu had taken the bait, Li Jing was secretly pleased. As long as he could pull her to his side, Zhang Kuang, even as a Purple Seed, would be no threat. Although Xu Yu was not interested in power or factions, she was still an Unsurpassed Purple Seed with limitless potential. With her support, his own path to becoming Sect Master would be much smoother. His smile became even warmer.

Li Jing paused, then said deliberately, “I am sure Zhang Kuang will not let this go. The best way to handle this now is to do what he did. Junior Sister, you could also find a strong helper to get sent into the Lava Cellar to protect Junior Brother Qin.”

Li Jing’s suggestion was a good one, but ever since she had been tested as a Purple Seed, although many had tried to curry favor with her, she had ignored them all. As a result, she was still alone, unlike the other two Purple Seeds who were always surrounded by followers.

She wanted to send someone in, but she had no one to send, and she didn’t know anyone in the Discipline Hall. There were thousands of confinement cells on Reflection Peak; there was no guarantee they would be assigned to the Lava Cellar.

Li Jing, an expert at reading people, saw her dilemma and smiled. “Don’t worry, Junior Sister. Your business is my business. You have been busy cultivating and haven’t had much time to socialize. I have a few righteous friends, one of whom is in the Discipline Hall. If I ask them for help, they can surely send a reliable person to protect Junior Brother Qin.”

“Thank you, Senior Brother Li, for your help. If Brother Haoxuan can get out safely, I will surely repay you,” Xu Yu said, her worried expression softening slightly. She gave him a polite, charming smile. For a moment, her uniquely feminine charm made even Li Jing, who had seen many beauties, feel moved. She wasn’t a peerless beauty, but she had a timeless quality and a tranquil temperament that many women lacked.

Li Jing couldn’t help but curse himself. How had he not seen that she was a girl before? He had even offended her. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have to go to such lengths now. The way she called Qin Haoxuan “Brother Haoxuan,” their relationship was clearly very close. He would have to put his plans to deal with Qin Haoxuan on hold for now. After he had secured Xu Yu on his side, he could reconsider.

“Don’t worry, Junior Sister. Leave this matter to me,” Li Jing promised, then quickly took his leave. He had to act fast. If anything happened to Qin Haoxuan in the Lava Cellar, his plan to win over Xu Yu would be delayed.

Watching Li Jing leave, Xu Yu turned and walked towards the Discipline Hall. What Yuan Shanxiang had done was something even Zhang Kuang could not defend. Since he had dared to cause such trouble, he would have to face the consequences. He would have his cultivation crippled and his mind wiped. The rules of the Taichu Sect were not just for show.