Time slipped by, and a month vanished in the blink of an eye.

Over the past month, Ning’an Prefecture had been anything but peaceful, caught in a tempest of turmoil.

Malevolent members of the Blood River Sect had run rampant, annihilating two third-rate factions and slaughtering them to the last person. The stench of blood lingered for days. Meanwhile, masters from the Cyan Flood Dragon Alliance and the Danxia Sect clashed fiercely on the Qinglin River. Their battle churned the waters and ravaged the shores, bringing disaster to many commoners living along the banks.

Yet, the most hotly debated topic on every street corner, in every teahouse and tavern, was the widely-known dueling agreement between the Iron Sword Sect and the Jingwu Bureau.

A month prior, the Iron Sword Sect’s True Inheritor, Xiong Lie, had single-handedly stormed the Jingwu Bureau’s Government Office. He defeated three Peacekeeper Envoys in a row, ultimately forcing Vice Governor Sun Siniang, the "Female Demon," to personally intervene and agree to a duel in one month’s time.

News of the event had long since spread like wildfire throughout Ning’an.

Xiong Lie’s reputation soared because of this battle. For a time, his fame was completely unrivaled.

The Iron Sword Sect seized this golden opportunity to reverse its recent decline, proving to all that a top-tier sect was still a top-tier sect. Their foundations remained deep, and their tiger-like might was not to be trifled with.

Their True Disciple, Xiong Lie, was the most powerful proof of this.

Rumors even swirled that, given the strength and potential Xiong Lie had displayed, he had a strong chance of challenging for a spot among the "Ning’an Ten Heroes"—the highest honor for the prefecture’s younger generation—as soon as he successfully condensed the Earth Fiend.

When the Han Family heard the news, they felt utterly vindicated. Many family members couldn’t hide their delight and worked tirelessly behind the scenes to fan the flames, elevating Xiong Lie’s reputation even further.

The humiliation of Chen Sheng forcing his way into their home a month ago and taking their clan’s most precious treasure seemed to be washed away in that moment.

Although they hadn’t recovered the Hundred-Year Earth Heart Lotus, seeing the Jingwu Bureau utterly humiliated was satisfaction enough for many in the Han Family. Besides, they knew the current Han Family lacked the power to protect such a Spiritual Object anyway.

Li Xuanche was delighted when he heard the news. He even went out of his way to find Xiong Lie and thank him in person. He solemnly reminded Xiong Lie that the one-month deadline was approaching and that the Jingwu Bureau would likely send Chen Sheng—the very man Li Xuanche hated to the bone—to face him. He warned Xiong Lie not to be careless or underestimate his opponent.

However, Xiong Lie merely offered a noncommittal smile at Li Xuanche’s well-intentioned warning, not taking it to heart.

He had, of course, heard of Chen Sheng. But at the end of the day, Chen Sheng was just a Martial Master who had recently broken into the Innate realm. Even with a victory over Zhan Fusheng to his name, it wasn’t enough to warrant Xiong Lie’s serious consideration.

’Even if he used the Earth Core Lotus Seeds to brute-force an increase in his cultivation, can a mere Elixir truly compensate for what really matters on the path of the Martial Dao? Foundation, Martial Techniques, experience, talent... these things can’t be bought.’

He, Xiong Lie, had trained bitterly for years, enduring countless hardships. He was confident that among those in his realm, he had few rivals.

Seeing this, Li Xuanche knew better than to press the issue and simply offered a few more words of flattery.

In all honesty, he also believed Xiong Lie’s odds of winning were far higher than Chen Sheng’s.

After careful deliberation, he had even secretly placed a heavy bet at a well-known gambling den in Ning’an Prefecture: ten Elemental Crystals on Xiong Lie to win. He intended to not only vent his frustrations but also make a handsome profit.

In stark contrast to the triumphant mood at the Iron Sword Sect, recent days had not been easy for the Jingwu Bureau.

All sorts of unfavorable rumors were spreading about the Government Office, taking a considerable toll on the Jingwu Bureau’s reputation.

Everyone in the bureau, especially those who had witnessed Xiong Lie’s rampage firsthand, was simmering with suppressed rage.

Some Peacekeeper Envoys stationed in outlying towns even heard the news and volunteered to return to the Prefecture City to fight Xiong Lie and reclaim their honor.

However, all of these formal requests were jointly rejected by Vice Envoy Sun Yuzhi and Governor Nie Xuanfeng.

Their reasoning was simple: an agreement for a duel in one month had been made and must be honored.

If they were to fight him sooner and win, that would be one thing. But if they lost again, the Jingwu Bureau’s reputation would be shattered completely.

Besides, in their private assessment, none of the volunteers had a better chance of winning than Chen Sheng, who was still in seclusion. Comparing the options, it was naturally better to stand down and wait for him to emerge from his training.

For this very reason, Chen Sheng’s name became a source of controversy within the Jingwu Bureau.

Many who were either uninformed or simply looking for a scapegoat blamed him entirely for the incident. ’If he hadn’t forcibly taken the Han Family’s Spirit Medicine, why would the Iron Sword Sect have come looking for trouble?’

’Why would our Government Office have had to suffer three straight defeats and lose all face?’

’And most importantly, after causing all this trouble, Chen Sheng just decided to lock himself away in seclusion!’

To some, this was no different than cowardice, a blatant retreat from the impending battle. It was only out of respect for their superiors’ orders that these rumblings of discontent were temporarily suppressed.

...

Jingwu Bureau, in a secret underground cultivation chamber.

[Six Extremes Golden Bell Technique, Minor Achievement (489/500)]

[Basic Knife Technique, Perfection (1653/2000)]

[Fishing Toad Force Secret Technique, Perfection (389/2000)]

[Demon-Suppressing Triple Extremes Saber, Perfection (586/2000)]

Chen Sheng slowly opened his eyes, which had been shut for a month. A golden glint flashed deep within his pupils before vanishing, leaving them calm and still.

He then let out a long, slow breath of turbid air. His aura was deep and resonant, and the True Qi throughout his body flowed in perfect harmony. He had reached the peak of the Chaoyuan realm.

After a month of arduous cultivation, he had completely refined and absorbed the immense Spiritual Power contained within the sixteen Earth Core Lotus Seeds.

His cultivation was now firmly at the peak of the Chaoyuan realm, just one step away from Perfection. His overall strength had undergone a heaven-and-earth-shaking transformation and was far beyond what it had been a month ago.

In fact, he had already refined the last lotus seed two days ago. He had only remained in seclusion to further consolidate his new realm and bring his explosive surge of power under perfect control.

Thanks to his Celestial Book’s Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Evil ability, Chen Sheng knew everything about the turmoil in the outside world.