- In Marvel: I Start by Marrying Scarlett Witch [Complete]
- MWM Chapter 223
A month after entering this new world.
“Collect!”
With a flick of his fingers and a chant, Leo summoned the completely refined Red Spirit Fire Pearl back into his dantian.
Xiaozhushan’s treasure-refining method, known as the Jiayin Nine Strikes Lesser Treasure Technique, was a superior Daoist technique for refining magical items.
At first, Leo struggled to refine the Red Spirit Fire Pearl due to his limited true elemental energy and unfamiliarity with spells, resulting in a very slow progress.
However, as time passed, his true energy grew stronger, and he became more adept with spells, allowing the refinement process to speed up.
Today, at long last, Leo had fully refined Li Qingfeng’s Red Spirit Fire Pearl, making it his own magical treasure.
“Go!”
With another incantation, Leo pointed at the stone table in the courtyard. The Red Spirit Fire Pearl shot out from his dantian, transforming into a streak of red light that struck the table.
*Boom!*
The stone table shattered into powder with just one hit from the Red Spirit Fire Pearl.
“Burn!”
With a twist of his hand, the pearl flew over the lotus pond, releasing blazing flames that, in mere moments, evaporated all the water in the pond.
“Not bad. Let’s test its flying speed.”
Satisfied with the power demonstration, Leo nodded and used Apparition to vanish from the courtyard.
While he wasn’t particularly thrilled about the offensive power of the Red Spirit Fire Pearl—according to Li Qingfeng’s memories, even a Core Formation cultivator like Daoist Qingzhu would only wield it with power similar to his Ten Rings—he was most interested in its flying capabilities.
Even a Foundation Establishment cultivator could fly with their own magical treasure, and the speed wasn’t slow.
Currently, Leo didn’t know any flight magic. His options were limited: he could use the Ten Rings, but their flight speed was so slow that he could run faster on foot. Alternatively, he could rely on his Patronus to carry him, which was faster than the Ten Rings but still not ideal.
At a deserted riverside outside the city, Leo reappeared. He cast the spell once more, summoning the Red Spirit Fire Pearl, but this time it didn’t burn anything. Instead, it expanded to several times its original size.
Leo hopped onto the Red Spirit Fire Pearl, chanting the flight spell, and in an instant, the pearl carried him off, transforming into a streak of red light that shot through the air.
“This speed… it’s breaking the sound barrier.”
Sitting cross-legged on the pearl, Leo quickly calculated its maximum flight speed.
After finishing his test, he stored the Red Spirit Fire Pearl back in his dantian and prepared to Apparate back to his home in the city to continue refining the two treasures he had taken from the demonic cultivator and build up his true elemental energy.
However, before he could cast the spell, an eerie, malicious laugh echoed from afar.
“I’ve waited five days, and you, little Daoist, have finally shown yourself!”
Leo frowned and looked in the direction of the voice. In the distance, a luxurious palanquin, carried by eight muscular men in black armor, flew through the air toward him.
The sinister voice had come from within the palanquin.
“Who are you? I don’t believe we’ve met,” Leo asked as the palanquin stopped in front of him. He had a strong suspicion about the stranger’s identity.
He didn’t know this person, but it was likely connected to the demonic cultivator who had escaped a month ago.
“I am Elder Nantong of the Xuanyin Sect. You may not know me, but you surely recognize my pitiful disciple whose treasures you stole.”
The black curtain of the palanquin lifted, revealing two shirtless men. Both had pale skin and handsome features, with the taller one speaking and the shorter one glaring at Leo.
The shorter man was exactly who Leo had expected—the demonic cultivator who had fled a month ago.
“Master, that’s him! He’s the one who stole my treasures! You must avenge me! I can still sense my Blood Evil Banner and Blood Nails on him.”
The shorter demonic cultivator gritted his teeth at first but then adopted a coy, simpering tone as he complained to his master. The sight made Leo cringe.
“It seems this Daoist brother killed my family in the mortal world and later tried to kill me. Taking his treasures as compensation doesn’t seem unreasonable, does it?”
The Xuanyin Sect, originally known as the Tianyin Sect, was a demonic sect specializing in the art of harvesting yin energy, indulging in forbidden techniques. They were once one of the strongest demonic factions.
However, after their ancestor, the Demon of a Hundred Desires, enraged the Emei Sect’s master, White Brow, the demon was hunted down and killed at the sect’s mountain gate. Most of the sect’s disciples were also slain by the Emei sword cultivators.
The surviving members fled to the Golden Star Gorge in the South Sea, renaming themselves the Xuanyin Sect.
All this information flashed through Leo’s mind. He knew that anyone with the title of “Elder” would be at least a Core Formation cultivator, comparable to Daoist Qingzhu. It would be best to avoid conflict if possible.
“If you’re willing to settle this peacefully, I can return your disciple’s two treasures.”
“No way, Master! I want not only my treasures back but also his! I want to use his flesh and cultivation to restore my Blood Evil Banner!” the shorter demonic cultivator shouted arrogantly, assuming Leo was scared.
He had paid a hefty price—both physically and in terms of his cultivation—to bring his master here. Merely reclaiming his two treasures would feel like a loss.
“Look, my adorable disciple refuses to let this go. Besides, you’ve made me waste five days waiting outside the city. Unless you’re willing to join the Xuanyin Sect as my disciple and serve me for ten years, I will not only reclaim my student’s treasures but also refine you into a treasure for him.”
The taller demonic cultivator grinned wickedly, clearly convinced that Leo was helpless.
From his perspective, Leo was merely a Foundation Establishment cultivator. How could he possibly stand a chance against a Core Formation demon who had cultivated for 400 years?
If it weren’t for Leo hiding in the mortal city, the elder would have captured him five days ago.
Although demonic cultivators were notorious for their ruthless behavior—sometimes even massacring villages to craft demonic artifacts—they rarely dared to cause trouble in major cities.
It wasn’t because they feared mortal authorities but because being too brazen could provoke righteous cultivators into hunting them down.
The fate of their ancestor, the Demon of a Hundred Desires, was a prime example. After using a mortal city for a blood sacrifice, he was pursued for seven days and nights by White Brow and utterly destroyed without even a chance for reincarnation.
Moreover, many mortals in cities had connections to righteous sects, fringe sects, or even demonic sects. Some towns might even have disguised cultivators undergoing training, and it wasn’t uncommon for Core Formation or Nascent Soul cultivators to be present.
Therefore, it was an unspoken rule among the righteous, fringe, and demonic sects not to fight openly in mortal cities.