Martial Saint with Passives

"Chief Disciple!"

A hint of barely concealed fervor shone in all their eyes.

After all,

Jiang Che was now the pride of the entire Yunhai Courtyard.

He was the goal they all aspired to, their spiritual pillar.

He was the very reason they could walk through the Sect with their heads held high!

"Huh? Chief Jiang’s aura... it seems to have gotten stronger again?!"

"Yeah! Why do I get the feeling... that the condensation of his Strength is like the Mid-stage of the Refining Organ Realm?"

"No way! How long has it been since the Inquiry Conference? It’s been less than half a year, and he’s broken through again?!"

After Jiang Che walked past, a few sharp-eyed disciples couldn’t help but gasp in low voices.

Their gazes, fixed on his back, grew even more reverent, as if they were looking at a living legend.

Arriving before the main hall.

Eldest Brother Xiao Mingqian was already waiting there.

Upon seeing Jiang Che, he immediately hurried over, his face a mixture of sincere joy and a wry smile.

"Chief Jiang, your Cultivation speed... it truly makes us senior brothers feel like we can’t even entertain the thought of catching up!"

Jiang Che smiled but didn’t say anything.

Xiao Mingqian then began to report on the courtyard’s recent affairs to Jiang Che:

"By the way, the number of new Force Integration Disciples applying to our Yunhai Courtyard this year is up by twenty percent compared to previous years. Here’s the list..."

"Also, regarding the Spirit Medicine resources distributed by the Sect last month, Thunder Shock Courtyard is claiming we were given one too many stalks of Red Sun Grass and are arguing about it with the Internal Affairs Hall..."

"Furthermore, a few of the affiliated Martial Arts Halls at the foot of the mountain want some people to go and provide instruction. I’ve arranged for Chen Shi to go..."

As the Chief Disciple, Jiang Che should have been the one to handle all these miscellaneous tasks.

But his heart was set on martial arts, so he had entrusted all of them to his Eldest Brother, Xiao Mingqian.

After hearing the report, Jiang Che clapped Xiao Mingqian on the shoulder and said,

"These matters, I trust you can handle them well, Eldest Brother. When you’re in charge, I have no worries. You have full authority to make the decisions! If there’s anything you can’t resolve, then come find me."

Receiving such unreserved trust from Jiang Che, Xiao Mingqian felt a warmth in his heart. Feeling that he had been entrusted with a great responsibility, he nodded excitedly.

"Yes! Rest assured, Chief. I will not fail your trust!"

...

Afterward, Jiang Che walked into his master’s meditation chamber.

Xu Qingshan was sitting in meditation with his eyes closed.

True Qi swirled around his body, his robes stirring without any wind.

Jiang Che felt a faint pressure filling the quiet room.

Xu Qingshan opened his eyes. Seeing it was Jiang Che, a smile immediately appeared on his face.

"Che’er, you’re here. Sit... huh? You’ve broken through?" He froze.

He shot to his feet and grabbed Jiang Che’s wrist.

A stream of True Qi entered and probed meticulously, Sensing again and again, before he finally said with excitement,

"You... not only have you broken through to the Mid-stage of the Refining Organ Realm, but your Root Bone has also improved?!"

Jiang Che then told his master about his trip to the Abyss of Ten Thousand Poisons, how he had obtained the Bone-Eroding Orchid, and how he used the Heaven Mending Technique to improve his Root Bone.

He only omitted the part about his Transformation into the poison-immune Black Armor Form. He also downplayed the dangers of the process.

"Good! Good! Good!" Xu Qingshan said the word three times, clapping Jiang Che’s shoulder in excitement, his eyes filled with disbelief. "So Root Bone can be improved postnatally... It seems you truly possess great fortune! This master was not wrong about you!"

Besides feeling gratified, he also gave Jiang Che a serious warning. Since a True Master Realm expert from the Demon Sect had already targeted him, the matter would certainly not end there.

With that venomous snake Xie Songnian also circling nearby, he had to be even more cautious in the future and try not to leave the protection of the Sect.

Jiang Che’s heart warmed, and he agreed to everything.

Afterward, the master and disciple delved into a deep discussion about the key principles of Cultivation in the Refining Organ Realm, from which Jiang Che benefited greatly.

Finally, Xu Qingshan did something unprecedented: he took out his treasured "Cold Spirit Tea," which he had stored for many years, and personally brewed a cup for Jiang Che.

This was the very treasure he had used in his bet against Situ Zhen, the head of the Thunder Shock Courtyard.

Jiang Che picked up the teacup. The liquid was clear and emerald green, and a refreshing chill washed over him, as if it could cleanse his very soul.

He took a small sip and felt a cool, warm current flow down his throat, instantly spreading through his limbs and bones.

It caused his Realm, which had been somewhat unstable after his recent breakthrough, to gradually solidify!

"What a fine tea!" Jiang Che couldn’t help but praise.

Looking at his prized disciple, Xu Qingshan revealed a genuine, heartfelt smile that hadn’t been seen in a long time.

...

Meanwhile, a joint investigation team formed by the Three Great Sects and the Qilin Army launched a massive crackdown on the Demon Sect.

Inside a temporary command tent, Xie Songnian was listening to reports from various parties.

He was one of the commanders of the investigation team.

"Report! Vice Sect Leader, based on the clues you provided, we discovered a Demon Sect hideout in the ruined temple west of the city. But by the time we arrived, the place was empty. We only caught a few low-level grunts from the periphery!"

Xie Songnian’s brow furrowed. He slammed his palm on the table and said with great anguish, "Alas! A step too late again! These Demon Sect whelps are too cunning! Pass down my orders: search the entire city! We must not let a single clue slip by!"

However, after his subordinate left, the anger on his face vanished instantly, replaced by a sinister smile.

Those so-called clues were, of course, all false leads he had deliberately leaked.

The purpose was to misdirect the investigation and buy time for the Demon Sect’s real plan.

Just like that, although the investigation team made a big show of it and took down a few insignificant peripheral bases,

they found nothing regarding the Demon Sect’s true core base or the whereabouts of its True Master Realm experts. In the end, the whole affair fizzled out.

...

Just when everyone thought the storm was about to pass,

an even more shocking piece of news came from the Abyss of Ten Thousand Poisons.

This news was like a bombshell, instantly setting the entire Cangzhou Prefecture ablaze!

It turned out that while conducting a deep survey of the Abyss of Ten Thousand Poisons, the Qilin Army had unintentionally triggered an ancient Restriction.

Following that, an Ancient Cultivator’s Cave Mansion, hidden for a thousand years by miasma and an Illusion Array, had spectacularly appeared!

After a joint investigation by the Qilin Army and the True Master Realm experts of the great sects,

it was confirmed to be the tomb of "True Master Bai Yi," a Great Power of the True Mastery Realm who had awed the world a thousand years ago!

What drove people even crazier was what was recorded on the stone stele outside the cave mansion.

The core of the inheritance was not a Cultivation Technique or a treasure.

Instead, it was a True Intent Brand, condensed by this Great Power with his supreme Cultivation before he passed away!

By obtaining this True Intent,

one could not only instantly gain the Great Power’s lifetime of insights and understanding about breaking through major cultivation bottlenecks,

but also receive a baptism of his power, which had the miraculous effect of remodeling one’s Root Bone!

However, the entrance to the cave mansion was sealed by a powerful Restriction.

Only Refining Organ Realm Martial Artists under the bone age of thirty could enter!

Furthermore, to obtain the final inheritance,

one had to pass the three trials set by True Master Bai Yi: "Martial Prowess, Comprehension, and Temperament"!

The moment the news broke, the elite Refining Organ Realm disciples of the entire Cangzhou Prefecture went into a complete frenzy!

...

When Jiang Che read this news in the latest issue of the *Cangzhou Wind and Cloud Chronicles*, his heart leaped!

"Remodel Root Bone!"

His current "Middle-Upper Root Bone" was good,

but compared to true top-tier geniuses,

like Gu Qingxuan and Qin Wuya with their "Upper-Upper Root Bone," there was still a gap!

’If I could raise my Root Bone to Upper-Upper...’

A fire instantly ignited in Jiang Che’s heart.

But when he thought of the risks involved, he hesitated.

After all, there was a True Master Realm expert from the Demon Sect who still had his eyes on him.

And his master had just warned him not to take any risks.

But once the thought arose, it was hard to suppress.

He even found it difficult to quiet his mind during meditation.

For someone like him, who had faced so many hardships and so much criticism because of his Root Bone, the prospect of improving it...

...was a fatal temptation!

Moreover, breaking through from the Refining Organ Realm to the True Master Realm...

...was said to be heavily influenced by one’s Root Bone.

’Although I have the Skill Proficiency Panel. Logically, there shouldn’t be any bottlenecks for me.’

’But the True Master Realm is a completely different beast from the previous realms of Qi Blood and Strength.’

’I don’t know if this system panel will fail me when the time comes.’

’Not to mention, there are also the Cultivation Insights from that True Mastery Realm Great Power on breaking through various bottlenecks!’

’That’s a priceless treasure!’

’Screw it! The worst that can happen is I turn invisible and escape! Besides, I still have the Sect Leader’s Talisman Seal on me. What’s there to be afraid of?!’

Having made up his mind, Jiang Che began to prepare the equipment, Elixir Pills, and other supplies he might need for the trials.

Although he would have to compete with all the top prodigies of Cangzhou Prefecture,

he was determined to obtain that True Intent Brand!

...

Soon, the day of the assessment arrived.