Liu Zhenxiong remained noncommittal towards Xu Ming's demeanor. It was normal for there to be minor friction among disciples, and he had no desire to waste time on such trivial matters.

"Ouyang Hao was injured and repelled by Chu Xuan. Once again, the Divine Star Sect will undoubtedly conduct a thorough investigation of the Peace Market and its vicinity. During this period, you all must hide well. Without my orders, stay in the secret chambers and do not come out," Liu Zhenxiong commanded sternly.

"Yes," the disciples nodded in agreement.

...

Ten days later.

As expected, cultivators from the Divine Star Sect arrived at the Peace Market to investigate Ouyang Hao's whereabouts. The group was notably large, including three Foundation Establishment stage elders and more than ten Qi Refining stage disciples.

These cultivators turned Peace Market and the surrounding area upside down. Even the local cultivators dared not venture onto the streets, fearing the wrath of the Divine Star Sect cultivators.

The investigation continued for three days. Even Wu Teng, a Foundation Establishment stage cultivator from the Wu family, was brought in for questioning. However, despite their efforts, they discovered little substance and left in a huff.

Wu Teng returned to the Wu family estate and immediately sought out Liu Zhenxiong.

Liu Zhenxiong was puzzled. "Brother Wu, it was just Ouyang Hao getting injured. Yet, the Divine Star Sect spent three full days investigating here."

"Injured? He's missing! It's as if he's dead. Which disciple from your Infinite Sect was responsible for this?" Wu Teng responded irritably. "To think someone dared to kill a person favored by the great elder of the Divine Star Sect?"

"Missing?" Liu Zhenxiong exclaimed in surprise.

Wu Teng sighed, "If it weren't for Ouyang Hao's disappearance, would they have dispatched three Foundation Establishment stage elders and over a dozen Qi Refining stage disciples to investigate? If not for my extensive experience, the Wu family estate might have been turned inside out."

Liu Zhenxiong scratched his head, perplexed. This was not as he had imagined. He had always thought that Chu Xuan had merely injured Ouyang Hao, who, knowing he was no match, had fled. But now, it seemed that was not the case.

Chu Xuan had outright killed Ouyang Hao and even taken his body!

This revelation made him realize he had underestimated Chu Xuan. Chu Xuan's true realm might very well be the ninth level of Qi Refining!

"Brother Liu, I can't handle this much longer. You must inform your disciples not to cause any more trouble. I have always served as a secret informant for the Infinite Sect, passing on information about the Divine Star Sect. I cannot withstand their repeated investigations. If it comes to it, you'll have to leave and find another place," Wu Teng said helplessly.

Liu Zhenxiong nodded repeatedly, "Alright, Brother Wu, rest assured, I will certainly speak to them."

He returned to the courtyard where he resided and overheard Chen Ge, Wei Hua, and others discussing in low voices.

"Ouyang Hao is dead!"

"It's said that he disappeared, not died."

"What's the difference between missing and dead? Didn't the Divine Star Sect dispatch three Foundation Establishment stage cultivators to investigate?"

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"Who killed Ouyang Hao, could it possibly be Senior Brother Chu Xuan?"

Seeing Liu Zhenxiong return, several disciples quickly rose to greet him.

Liu Zhenxiong sighed lightly, "You all know already?"

Chen Ge nodded, "The news is buzzing everywhere. Even though we stayed within the estate, we learned of it from the servants of the Wu family."

Liu Zhenxiong smiled helplessly, "It seems Ouyang Hao is indeed dead. It appears I still underestimated Chu Xuan's strength; he must have been the one who killed Ouyang Hao and even took his body away."

Wei Hua, Bai Feng, and the others' eyes widened in shock. Chu Xuan's stature in their hearts instantly soared, nearly reaching the same level as Liu Zhenxiong.

Ouyang Hao had slain so many Qi Refining stage disciples of the Infinite Sect. They harbored both hatred and fear towards Ouyang Hao. Now that Chu Xuan had avenged those fallen disciples, their hearts swelled with joy, a most natural reaction.

Xu Ming's expression, however, was less than pleased. He felt the gap between himself and Chu Xuan widening further.

Unable to contain himself, Chen Ge asked, "Uncle Master Liu, why not ask Senior Brother Chu to join us too? Having him with us would surely be reassuring."

Liu Zhenxiong replied helplessly, "I wish I could, but he refused. Now, I regret not insisting more firmly on him staying."

"Ah?" Chen Ge and the others were shocked. Chu Xuan was too audacious. Even a personal invitation from Liu Zhenxiong was declined?

Liu Zhenxiong continued, "Chu Xuan knows that resources are scarce. If I were to favor him with more cultivation resources, it would inevitably lead to discord among the disciples. So, he simply chose not to join, intending to rely on his own strength to attempt the Foundation Establishment stage."

At these words, Chen Ge, Wei Hua, Bai Feng, and the others fell silent, even moved by his decision.

Chu Xuan! Senior Brother Chu! How selflessly he acts!

Xu Ming's face flushed with shame. He had once viewed Chu Xuan with such hostility, yet Chu Xuan had been considering their well-being all along.

"More words are of no use; you should focus on your cultivation. I still need to continue investigating the whereabouts of our two elder ancestors," Liu Zhenxiong sighed.

The disciples nodded in agreement. The Golden Core period ancestors of the Infinite Sect had met various fates—some had died in battle, some had surrendered, but two had escaped.

Liu Zhenxiong had never ceased in his efforts to track them down. If they could find these Golden Core ancestors, their safety would be far more secure. If necessary, they would quietly leave Yu Country and find a remote place to re-establish the Infinite Sect. As long as a Golden Core ancestor was with them, there was still hope.

Within the cave, Chu Xuan exhaled a turbid breath and opened his eyes. The blood beads he had brought with him were nearly completely assimilated. He could feel his dantian was incredibly swollen, having reached its limit.

Yet, despite this, there was still no sign of the Spiritual Qi liquefying—a clear indicator that he was not an exceptional genius. Without consuming a Foundation Establishment Pill, it would be challenging to truly make that leap.

"Everything is in hand; it's time to leave," Chu Xuan murmured as he organized the spiritual medicines in his storage bag with a slight nod. He had not acquired these medicines from Peace Market.

For caution's sake, he had used his flying sword to travel to a farther place, purchasing them in another market frequented by solitary cultivators. He even refrained from using the more powerful Divine Star Flying Sword, opting instead for the lower-grade one he had before.

Chu Xuan took out the Blood Mirror. The mirror's surface rippled with spiritual light, reflecting the scenes of the Blue Star. He connected his mind to it, and his body was immediately absorbed.

The world spun around him, the scenery shifting in bizarre and peculiar ways. When clarity returned, he found himself standing on the rooftop of the Haotai Hotel.

"Roar!" Hardly had he steadied himself when an excited growl echoed from nearby.

Swoosh!

Hu rushed over in a swift stride and knelt before him like an affectionate puppy.

Chu Xuan smiled and patted his head, "How have things been during my absence?" After a brief mental exchange with Hu, he nodded in satisfaction. Excellent.

Four months had passed on Blue Star. Throughout this time, no one dared approach the Haotai Hotel. Hu had remained diligently on guard, venturing out only at set times to forage, never straying from the hotel.

During these four months of foraging, Hu had successfully advanced to a level eight corpse soldier. The six ordinary corpse soldiers and two dogs he led had shown significant growth. The medicinal garden behind the hotel thrived, and the various spiritual plants flourished. Some of the plants could already be used in medicine, provided the age requirement was not too strict.

Of course, Chu Xuan's primary focus was still on the Life Soul Flower. He approached the Wolf King, who was on the brink of death, its body emaciated. Yet, because Hu fed it a piece of zombie flesh daily, it clung to life.

"Not bad, it's about to bloom!" Chu Xuan expressed his delight.

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