The guards who rushed out all belonged to the Myriad Artifact Pavilion, and every single one of them possessed formidable cultivation at the Spirit Profound Realm. The instant they appeared, they swiftly surrounded Liu Wuxie, Ye Linghan, and Xiao Qian.

Meanwhile, more people continued entering the hall in search of suitable alchemy cauldrons, as Eastern Emperor City housed a considerable number of alchemists.

The atmosphere instantly turned oppressive as dense, murderous intent poured out from Liu Wuxie.

"Shen Chao, what's the meaning of this?" Ye Linghan snapped coldly, glaring straight at Shen Chao. They had come as customers, yet the Myriad Artifact Pavilion actually dared treat them this way. Not to mention that they were also mentors of the Azure Flame Dao Hall.

"Linghan, I'm doing this for your own good. Brother Wei claimed that this man bewitched you, and I didn't have a choice in this," Shen Chao hurriedly explained. At the same time, he ordered the guards to clear a path for Ye Linghan and Xiao Qian to leave while restraining Liu Wuxie.

"My affairs are none of your concern. Move out of the way at once, or don't blame me for what happens next!" A sword instantly appeared in Ye Linghan's hand. She had personally invited Liu Wuxie here, so there was no way she would abandon him now.

The already tense atmosphere intensified further.

"Mentor, what are you doing here?"

At that moment, a familiar voice suddenly echoed from the passageway as Xiang Rulong hurried over. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"Xiang Rulong, what are you doing here?" Ye Linghan asked in surprise.

"I came with my second uncle to purchase an alchemy cauldron," Xiang Rulong replied. Liu Wuxie had given them time off for the day, so he had returned to his clan.

Right then, a towering figure stepped out from behind Xiang Rulong. The man had a square face and dignified features, and appeared to be in his mid-forties.

"Manor Lord Xiang, how can I help you?" Shen Chao asked, his tone changing the moment he saw the middle-aged man.

Clearly, Xiang Rulong's second uncle possessed an extraordinary identity, and he had already reached the Divine Immortal Realm.

"What's going on here?" Xiang Zicheng asked calmly.

"Someone came here to stir up trouble, and we'll resolve it shortly. Manor Lord Xiang, feel free to select whatever you need first," Shen Chao replied, directly labeling Liu Wuxie as the troublemaker.

Liu Wuxie already held a poor impression of Shen Chao. From the moment they had entered, Shen Chao had inexplicably led them into the inner courtyard. Liu Wuxie truly hadn't expected him to be this skilled at twisting facts and turning black and white on its head.

"Mentor Ye, what exactly happened here?" Xiang Rulong asked anxiously. If not for Liu Wuxie, he would've never broken through into the True Immortal Realm, and he would never forget that favor.

Xiao Qian immediately recounted everything that had happened to Xiang Rulong.

After hearing her explanation, Xiang Rulong's expression darkened instantly. The Myriad Artifact Pavilion belonged to the Eastern Emperor Pavilion, so why would they resort to such methods? Even if Liu Wuxie wasn't an alchemist, purchasing an alchemy cauldron shouldn't have posed any issue.

From that alone, anyone could easily tell that Wei Wenbin, Nangong Shan, and Shen Chao were deliberately targeting Liu Wuxie, mainly because Ye Linghan had previously refused to attend their gathering.

"Second Uncle, I only managed to break through to the True Immortal Realm because of Mentor Liu. Can you help them?" Xiang Rulong asked earnestly. He was merely a True Immortal and held limited status, so he could only ask his second uncle for help.

When Xiang Rulong had returned to the clan after reaching the True Immortal Realm, it had immediately caused a massive uproar. After all, countless experts in the manor had attempted to guide Xiang Rulong before, yet none had managed to help him achieve a breakthrough.

However, Liu Wuxie had only spoken a few words before successfully helping Xiang Rulong break through. Naturally, Xiang Zicheng was deeply shocked upon hearing it.

Xiang Rulong's father had passed away many years ago, and Xiang Zicheng had personally raised him ever since. Since Xiang Zicheng himself had no children, he had long treated Xiang Rulong like his own son.

When Xiang Zicheng's gaze landed on Liu Wuxie, he couldn't detect even the slightest trace of panic on the latter's face. Despite being surrounded by so many enemies, Liu Wuxie remained completely calm and composed. That temperament alone surprised Xiang Zicheng greatly.

"I'll purchase this cauldron. Don't continue making things difficult for them," Xiang Zicheng said.

Naturally, he hoped the Myriad Artifact Pavilion would give him face and allow the matter to end there. At the same time, he could use this opportunity to repay Liu Wuxie for guiding Xiang Rulong.

"Since Manor Lord Xiang has spoken personally, I will naturally honor your request," Shen Chao replied. He was only a steward, and if matters escalated too far, they would become difficult to resolve.

Naturally, Shen Chao held no fear toward Liu Wuxie, who lacked any significant background. However, the Xiang Manor stood among the top-tier forces in Eastern Emperor City, so Shen Chao naturally didn't dare to offend them lightly.

Xiang Zicheng directly took out thirty thousand immortal stones and tossed them toward Shen Chao before taking the cauldron for himself.

"Consider this a small token of gratitude for guiding my nephew toward his breakthrough," Xiang Zicheng said as he handed the cauldron over to Liu Wuxie.

"I'll accept the cauldron, and here are thirty thousand immortal stones," Liu Wuxie replied. He accepted the cauldron before handing Xiang Zicheng thirty thousand immortal stones in return. Liu Wuxie disliked owing favors to others. Besides, he had already obtained a Fire Spiritual Pill for guiding Xiang Rulong, so he naturally didn't feel Xiang Zicheng owed him anything further.

"Let's go," Liu Wuxie said before turning around to leave the Myriad Artifact Pavilion. This time, no one dared to step forward to block them.

A faint smile slowly rose on Xiang Zicheng's lips as he looked at the interspatial ring in his hand.

"Rulong, learn properly from this young man in the future," he said. As a Divine Immortal, he naturally saw things far more clearly than ordinary profound immortals.

By the time Liu Wuxie's group left the Myriad Artifact Pavilion, evening had already arrived.

"Wuxie, this is all my fault. If not for me, you wouldn't have gotten dragged into so much trouble," Ye Linghan said apologetically along the way. Regardless of whether it was Wei Wenbin or Shen Chao, their true goal had always been getting closer to her. Ever since she brought Liu Wuxie into the Azure Flame Dao Hall, he had become a thorn in their side.

"Forget it. Let's stop talking about unpleasant matters," Liu Wuxie replied indifferently. He remained in quite a good mood after obtaining the cauldron, and he had already tossed those unpleasant events to the back of his mind.

"I'm worried they'll continue causing trouble for you in the future," Ye Linghan said worriedly.

Nangong Shan, Wei Wenbin, and Shen Chao all served as mentors within the Azure Flame Dao Hall. That naturally meant they could easily make life difficult for Liu Wuxie later on.

If Ye Linghan had known her invitation would bring Liu Wuxie so much trouble, she definitely wouldn't have invited him to become her assistant mentor.

"I can grant their wish if they're truly courting death," Liu Wuxie replied with a cruel smile.

So what if they were Profound Immortals? Liu Wuxie still possessed methods capable of killing them. With his current strength, setting up a spiritual array powerful enough to trap Profound Immortals wouldn't be difficult. However, his top priority now remained increasing his cultivation.

Once his cultivation improved, he could slap them across the face directly. Why bother wasting effort dealing with them through complicated methods? Still, for the time being, he had to proceed carefully with every step.

As the trio passed through several shops, Liu Wuxie purchased various spiritual herbs and spiritual array materials before finally heading toward the outskirts.

"Xiao Qian, pack your belongings after we reach your home. From now on, you'll stay at the Azure Flame Dao Hall. Traveling back and forth every day will only delay your cultivation," Liu Wuxie said while walking.

"But..." Xiao Qian hesitated, clearly worried no one would remain behind to care for her parents.

Liu Wuxie didn't continue discussing the matter. They could decide everything once they reached Xiao Qian's home.

"How dare you steal from me! I'll beat you to death!"

Sounds of fighting suddenly echoed from the nearby forest just as they approached a village containing several dozen households.

A one-armed youth suddenly stumbled out from the forest, covered in blood, while clutching a string of wild fruits tightly in his hand.

"Big brother!" Xiao Qian cried out and rushed over the moment she saw the blood-covered man. Brutal wounds covered his body, seemingly inflicted by sharp weapons.

"Xiao Qian, run!" the one-armed youth shouted after spotting her.

Five youths emerged from the forest shortly afterward, all appearing around seventeen or eighteen years old.

"Your elder brother stole from me, and both of you are going to die today!" Their leader wore a vicious expression.

"I didn't steal anything from you! I picked those wild fruits myself!" the one-armed youth shouted angrily. He pushed Xiao Qian aside before forcing himself back to his feet to block the five youths.

Ye Linghan wanted to step in, but Liu Wuxie stopped her with a shake of his head. He planned to continue watching for now. Although the one-armed youth had sustained injuries, none of them were fatal. The mere fact that he managed to survive while being pursued by five people had already exceeded Liu Wuxie's expectations.

"Why are you all bullying my elder brother!" Xiao Qian shouted furiously. Naturally, she recognized the group of youths. They frequently bullied others over food, and just last month, they had beaten a man in his twenties to death over several wild fruits.

That was life at the bottom of the food chain within the celestial realm, and it proved even crueler than the mortal realm.

"I didn't expect you to become this pretty in only a few days," the leader remarked with a malicious grin while staring at Xiao Qian.

After reaching the eighth-level Heavenly Immortal Realm, Xiao Qian's figure had grown fuller and healthier. She now even carried the youthful aura of a young girl.

The five youths immediately approached Xiao Qian while completely ignoring Liu Wuxie and Ye Linghan.

Liu Wuxie appeared ordinary, while Ye Linghan had already concealed her aura. Since both accompanied Xiao Qian, the youths naturally assumed they were from poor families as well.

"If any of you dare touch my sister, I'll fight all of you to the death!" the one-armed youth roared as he shielded his younger sister behind him.

"Get lost!" the leader shouted before throwing a punch that sent the one-armed youth flying away.

Although Xiao Qian had already reached the eighth-level Heavenly Immortal Realm, she still didn't know how to utilize her cultivation properly. After all, she had never cultivated seriously before, nor had she ever experienced real combat.

"You've all gone too far!" Xiao Qian shouted angrily.

"We're not only going to bully him, but we're also going to kill him!" One of the five youths pulled out a dagger before walking toward the one-armed youth.

"Xiao Qian, run!" the one-armed youth shouted while struggling to climb back to his feet.

"I will spare him, but you'll have to accompany us for a few days," the leader said with a lecherous smile while examining Xiao Qian from head to toe.

The moment he heard those words, the one-armed youth forced himself upright again before lunging at the youth holding the dagger.

"I'll fight all of you to the death!" he roared, clearly intending to sacrifice himself to buy enough time for Xiao Qian to escape.

The dagger pierced directly into the one-armed youth's lower abdomen. At that exact moment, a terrifying surge of flames erupted from Xiao Qian's body like a slumbering beast awakening. She shouted, "Get lost!"

A faint smile appeared on Liu Wuxie's lips after seeing that scene. The reason he had refrained from intervening earlier was precisely that he wanted to stimulate the dormant energy hidden inside Xiao Qian.

Xiao Qian vanished instantly, and even she herself hadn't expected her speed to become so terrifying. She grabbed the youth holding the dagger before lifting him directly off the ground.

Then, with a casual wave of her hand, she sent the man flying several hundred meters away before hurling him straight into the forest.