Martial Saint with Passives

「Qi Yun Pavilion, the forbidden grounds of the back mountain」

Inside the main hall, smoke drifted from an incense burner, and all was quiet.

Sect Leader Xu Zhouzi, dressed in a simple gray Daoist Robe, sat cross-legged on the main seat, resting with his eyes closed.

”Master.”

Xu Qingshan appeared at the entrance of the main hall. He faced Xu Zhouzi and gave him a deep, respectful bow.

”Ah, Qingshan,” Xu Zhouzi slowly opened his eyes, a gentle smile appearing in their placid depths. ”You’ve come at just the right time.”

He pointed to an exquisite red sandalwood box already waiting beside him and said slowly,

”This contains some of the last rare resources from the Sect’s Treasury that can help one break through the bottleneck to the True Master Realm. Take them and give them to that boy, Jiang Che.”

He paused, his voice tinged with exhaustion.

”Right now, all the hopes of our Cangyun Sect rest on Che’er and young Qingxuan.”

However, to his surprise, Xu Qingshan did not immediately step forward to take the wooden box.

”Master,” he began slowly, a faint tremor of excitement in his voice. ”Che’er... I’m afraid... he no longer needs this.”

”Hm?”

Xu Zhouzi froze for a moment, a flicker of confusion in his eyes. ”What do you mean?”

Suddenly, a wild thought flashed through his mind.

’Could it be...?’

Xu Qingshan nodded emphatically!

”That’s right!”

His voice shot up, his face beaming with joy and pride!

”Just a moment ago, Che’er... he... he broke through to the True Master Realm!!!”

The words struck Xu Zhouzi like a bolt of lightning from a clear sky!

Even for a Great Cultivator at the Seventh Layer of the True Master Realm like him, it was impossible to remain calm after hearing this news.

”Really?!”

He strode over to Xu Qingshan and grabbed him by the shoulders, his voice cracking with excitement. ”Are you telling the truth?!”

”It’s the absolute truth!”

After receiving the confirmation, Xu Zhouzi froze for a second before bursting into uncontrollable laughter!

”Haha! Hahahaha! Good... Wonderful!”

He released Xu Qingshan and began pacing back and forth, muttering to himself.

”The heavens have blessed our Cangyun Sect! The heavens have blessed our Cangyun Sect!”

Suddenly, he thought of something, and a sharp glint flashed in his eyes!

’In that case...’

’Then I, as the Sect Leader... should also do something for this boy!’

He turned to Xu Qingshan and commanded in a solemn voice,

”Immediately! In my name, summon all the courtyard heads and Elders still in the Sect. They are to assemble at Qi Yun Pavilion for a meeting within the time it takes one incense stick to burn!”

”Not a single one... is to be absent!”

...

「One incense stick’s time later.」

Qi Yun Pavilion, inside the main assembly hall.

Led by Xu Qingshan, Yue Lingfeng, and Ye Lianzhen, every surviving courtyard head and Core Elder still within the Sect was present. Not a single person was missing.

A look of confusion was on everyone’s face.

They didn’t understand why the Sect Leader had suddenly summoned them all for such a high-level, secret meeting.

”Master,” an impatient Elder from the Precepts Hall was the first to speak. ”Why have you summoned us so urgently? Could it be... the Demons from the Demon Sect are causing trouble again?”

Sect Leader Xu Zhouzi calmly swept his gaze over everyone present before speaking slowly.

”I’ve summoned you all today because I have good news to share—news that concerns the fate of our Cangyun Sect for the next hundred years!”

Good news?

Hearing this, everyone was taken aback, exchanging confused glances.

The Sect had just suffered a great calamity, its strength crippled. Outside, the General’s Mansion was watching them like a hungry tiger. How could there possibly be any good news?

Just as everyone was feeling bewildered, Xu Zhouzi stopped keeping them in suspense.

Word by word, he announced the news that would shake the entire Cangyun Sect to its core.

”The Chief Disciple of our Yunhai Courtyard, Jiang Che...”

”...yesterday, successfully broke through the Mystic Gate and drew the Spiritual Mechanism of Heaven and Earth into his body...”

”...and has officially... stepped into the True Master Realm!”

BOOM!!!

The announcement struck everyone in the hall like a thunderbolt from a clear sky!

The entire hall instantly fell into a deathly silence!

They stared at one another, their faces masks of pure shock.

”Wha... What?!”

Situ Zhen, the head of Thunder Shock Courtyard, shot up from his seat. His eyes, wide as copper bells, were fixed on Xu Qingshan in disbelief. ”Old Xu! Is... is this true?!”

Feng Zhuyun, the head of Liufeng Courtyard, was so stunned that his teacup fell with a CLATTER, spilling tea all over the floor, yet he didn’t even notice.

’The True Master Realm... He... he actually did it?!’

Yue Lingfeng, head of Lingxiao Courtyard, also stared intently at Xu Qingshan, searching his face for even the slightest sign that he was joking.

But there was none!

Xu Qingshan’s face showed nothing but uncontainable pride!

Meanwhile, after a brief moment of shock, a look of heartfelt relief and joy appeared in the eyes of Ye Lianzhen, the head of Yanluo Courtyard.

She looked at Xu Qingshan beside her, who was on the verge of being overwhelmed by his own joy, and shook her head with a smile.

’Senior Brother Luo... did you see that...?’

”Silence!”

Xu Zhouzi’s sharp cry pulled everyone, still reeling from the shock, back to reality.

He looked at the crowd, his voice becoming incredibly solemn and earnest.

”Everyone!”

”You must all be aware of the situation with the General’s Mansion. It is no exaggeration to say that the future of our Cangyun Sect now rests entirely on the shoulders of one person—the boy, Jiang Che!”

”Today, I have a proposal.”

He stood up and solemnly cupped his fist in salute to everyone present.

”That is... to pool the entire Sect’s resources and give all of our remaining Rejuvenation Pills to Jiang Che! We must help him... in the time we have left, to advance even further!”

”Of course,” he added, ”this matter concerns your own cultivation paths, so I will not force anyone. It is entirely... voluntary.”

As soon as he said this, a strange silence once again descended upon the hall.

Everyone exchanged uncertain glances, their expressions flickering as each became lost in their own thoughts.

Rejuvenation Pills...

For True Master Realm experts like them, those pills were the only thing they could rely on to advance their cultivation!

Every year, they could only receive a measly one from the Sect’s Treasury.

And now, they were being asked to hand over all the precious Cultivation Resources they had painstakingly saved to a junior... who had only just broken through?

As everyone hesitated and the atmosphere grew awkward,

Xu Zhouzi didn’t say another word.

He simply took a Small Jade Bottle from within his robes and gently placed it on the table before him.

”As Sect Leader, I will lead by example.”

”I have three.”

Everyone present was stunned by this gesture.

Seeing this, Xu Qingshan stepped forward and said in a deep voice, ”I already gave my two pills to Che’er!”

With the Sect Leader and Xu Qingshan taking the lead, the others finally stopped hesitating.

”Sigh... Fine!”

Yue Lingfeng gritted his teeth as if making a momentous decision, took out a Jade Bottle, tipped out a single pill, and placed it on the table.

”I... have one!”

However, just as he set it down, Ye Lianzhen, who was beside him, unhurriedly took out two pills.

She glanced at Yue Lingfeng and said coolly, ”I wonder who it was that received three pills not long ago but is now only willing to part with one. So stingy!”

”I have two here, and I’m giving them both!”

”You!” Yue Lingfeng’s face flushed red, speechless at her words. Feeling like he’d been shown up, he suddenly boiled with indignation!

He gritted his teeth, stomped his foot, and slammed the entire Jade Bottle down on the table!

”Three! I’m giving all three! There, are you happy now?!”

For a moment, the tense atmosphere was broken by the two of them, leaving the others not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

With them leading the way, the remaining courtyard heads and Elders no longer hesitated, stepping forward one by one to contribute their treasured Rejuvenation Pills.

Some gave one, some gave two...

In the end, with everyone working together, they managed to gather a grand total of... twenty-three Rejuvenation Pills!

Looking at the small mountain of Jade Bottles and loose Elixir Pills on the table, Xu Zhouzi nodded slowly, a gratified smile on his face.

”Good... very good.”

”With these Elixir Pills, I’m sure... Che’er’s Cultivation can advance even further...”

Just as he was about to dismiss the meeting, he suddenly remembered something. His expression turned serious as he solemnly warned everyone present,

”One last thing!”

”The matter of Jiang Che’s breakthrough to the True Master Realm is now the greatest secret of our Cangyun Sect! All of you must keep your lips sealed. Do not, under any circumstances, reveal a single word of this to anyone!”

”This concerns the fate of our Sect for the next century! Even more, it concerns the very life of the boy, Jiang Che! If Qin Fuhu finds out ahead of time...”

”The consequences... will be unimaginable!”

”We understand!”

”Our lips are sealed!”

Inside the hall, everyone’s expression grew taut as they responded in unison!

...

「Xu Qingshan’s private chamber」

Jiang Che stared at the small mountain of twenty-three Rejuvenation Pills piled on the table.

He was completely and utterly stunned.

”This is...?”

Xu Qingshan saw his dumbfounded expression and couldn’t help but smile smugly.

”Heh... you silly boy,” he walked over and clapped Jiang Che firmly on the shoulder, his voice booming. ”These were personally procured for you by the Sect Leader!”

”This is the collective effort of every True Master Realm expert in the Cangyun Sect. They’ve pooled everything they have for you... their entire fortunes!”

”A total of twenty-three Rejuvenation Pills!”

Xu Qingshan paused, his smile widening, and added,

”Oh, right. The Sect Leader also granted you special access to a Spirit-level Cultivation Room. No time limit. You can use it as you please!”

”A Spirit-level Cultivation Room?!”

Jiang Che’s heart pounded once more!

He’d heard from Master Shen that those were even higher level than the Level A Cultivation Rooms. They were legendary, top-tier Cultivation Holy Lands that only the Sect Leader and courtyard heads were qualified to use, and even then, only for a limited time!

’I can’t believe it...’

’The Sect Leader actually gave me unlimited access?!’

Seeing his shocked expression, Xu Qingshan felt even more delighted and continued,

”Just accept it all with peace of mind! Seize this last bit of time and give it everything you’ve got! Before the selection for the Celestial Strategy Guard begins, you must push your Cultivation... even one step further!”