Seeing that Xu Baocai had come knocking, Bai Xiaochun suddenly stood up.
"They got here so fast…" Hesitation flashed in his eyes. Even though he had spent the past six months preparing, he still felt it wasn't enough. Ideally, he had planned to wait until reaching the fourth level of Qi Condensation to ensure his safety.
But now that the other party had arrived with seven or eight people, Bai Xiaochun knew he couldn't avoid this anymore. He gritted his teeth hard.
"This is it!" He took a deep breath, threw on seven or eight layers of fur coats, strapped his backup cauldron for cooking spirit rice on his back, then nervously pushed open the door and stepped outside.
Almost at the same time, Zhang Dapang and the others were already standing in front of the kitchen's main gate, wielding kitchen knives and ladles, facing off fiercely against Xu Baocai and his group.
"No wonder I heard crows cawing this morning—turns out it was you lot from the Supervisory Office, those scum who know only how to squeeze fellow disciples, coming here to make trouble!" Zhang Dapang snorted coldly, standing like a small mountain, his voice booming through the surroundings.
"Zhang Dapang, others may fear your kitchen crew, but our Supervisory Office doesn't. We received a complaint from Junior Brother Xu and came here today to exercise our supervisory authority. You dare resist?" One by one, the Supervisory Office lackeys spoke with arrogant expressions. Though dressed as outer sect servants, the cuffs of their robes bore the character '监' (Supervisor), symbolizing their unique status and authority.
One burly man among them stood out—broad-shouldered, exuding the pressure of a third-level Qi Condensation cultivator. His cold gaze passed over Zhang Dapang and ignored the others completely.
"Bullshit. Chasing down my junior brother is justified now, huh?" Zhang Dapang sneered. With a wave of his right hand, the large black cauldron behind him suddenly floated up on its own, radiating power. The aura startled everyone around the burly man, making them pale slightly, though the man himself narrowed his eyes and raised a small flag with a spell gesture. Mist began to swirl out, and within the fog, one could faintly hear the roars of wild beasts.
Just as things were about to erupt, Xu Baocai spotted Bai Xiaochun exiting his hut. Old and new hatred surged in his heart, and he roared:
"Bai Xiaochun!"
As he shouted, Xu Baocai launched himself forward, swinging his hand to send his wooden sword flying with a whoosh.
Zhang Dapang and his group's expressions changed as they prepared to intervene, but the burly man from the Supervisory Office sneered and moved to block them.
Yet before Xu Baocai could get close, Bai Xiaochun, eyes bloodshot, also let out a loud shout.
"Xu Baocai, you've gone too far—I'll fight you with everything I've got!"
Bai Xiaochun's heart was pounding. He had never fought anyone before, let alone dueled with a cultivator. His nerves were so tight he was almost delirious. Shouting to give himself courage, he unleashed the full power of his third-level Qi Condensation, pouring all his spiritual energy into the wooden sword in his hand. He pointed at Xu Baocai.
The wooden sword buzzed. The two silver lines hidden on its multicolored surface briefly flashed, causing the sword to suddenly enlarge and radiate a sharp, chilling light as it shot straight at Xu Baocai.
The speed and power of the attack shocked everyone—Zhang Dapang, the Supervisory Office men, all gasped. What stunned them even more was the sword's deadly sharpness, its presence oppressive and dangerous.
Xu Baocai hadn't even gotten close before being shaken by Bai Xiaochun's aura. This was not the same weakling he remembered from months ago. His savage expression and desperate stance made Xu Baocai hesitate.
Then his eyes widened in disbelief.
The speed of the sword—almost a white streak—and its pressure were things he'd only seen in battles between inner sect disciples. Panic set in.
With a loud crash, Bai Xiaochun's wooden sword clashed with Xu Baocai's. Xu Baocai's sword trembled violently and instantly began to crack from the tip, shattering completely into countless splinters.
Bai Xiaochun's sword didn't slow down. It streaked past, forcing Xu Baocai to dodge with all his might. He narrowly avoided the attack, which then struck a nearby tree.
Boom!
The tree was split almost in half and crashed to the ground, raising a cloud of dust. Blood spurted from Xu Baocai's right arm as he screamed in pain and retreated quickly, pale-faced.
If Bai Xiaochun had been more adept at controlling weapons, that strike could have easily ended Xu Baocai's life!
"Third level Qi Condensation? Impossible! This can't be!" Xu Baocai looked at Bai Xiaochun as if he had seen a ghost. For the sword to have such power, the wielder had to at least be at the third level. He couldn't comprehend how Bai Xiaochun had become so terrifying in just a few months—it shattered everything he believed in. It was like a nightmare.
Even the burly man and others from the Supervisory Office inhaled sharply. Their eyes on Bai Xiaochun turned grim.
"To transform spiritual energy into blade light and make it radiate outward—this is a sign of mastering the Purple Qi Cauldron Control technique to the level of 'light as heavy'—a true divine ability." The burly man looked at Bai Xiaochun with a hint of dread.
Zhang Dapang and his group were also stunned. They had sensed Bai Xiaochun's breakthrough to the third level, but they didn't know he had reached the "light as heavy" state of mastery, turning the blade into a real killing weapon.
Even Bai Xiaochun himself was stunned by the sword's power. He stared dumbly at the fallen tree, then at the pale Xu Baocai, and suddenly burst out laughing.
"Xu Baocai, so you're this weak, huh? Eat my sword!" Full of excitement, Bai Xiaochun realized he was far stronger than Xu Baocai. He laughed confidently and charged.
Xu Baocai shivered under his gaze. Seeing Bai Xiaochun rushing toward him, laughing wildly, he was overwhelmed by fear and scrambled to escape.
But before he could flee far, Bai Xiaochun caught up. Remembering how Xu Baocai had hunted him and all the suffering he'd endured in training, Bai Xiaochun channeled all his bitterness into raw fury. He lifted his leg and kicked hard.
"Still want to chase me down?!" Bai Xiaochun shouted, following up with a punch to Xu Baocai's eye. Xu Baocai cried out and fell. He tried to fight back, but his second-level Qi Condensation meant nothing now.
"You messed with me—time to pay!" Bai Xiaochun pounced, biting down, kicking and punching, with such ferocity that Xu Baocai screamed endlessly.
Bam! Bam! The sounds of blows echoed through the courtyard. Everyone—supervisors and cooks alike—watched in stunned silence. They looked at Bai Xiaochun, now pummeling Xu Baocai with wild glee, and shuddered inwardly.
Tears streamed from Xu Baocai's face. His heart was filled with despair. He refused to believe Bai Xiaochun had become so strong in just a few months. Especially that sword technique—it required years, if not longer, to master. To him, Bai Xiaochun had clearly come from a powerful background and was just a cunning fraudster pretending to be weak from the beginning.
The worst part was—he'd actually fallen for it.
Crushed by the weight of reality and grief, Xu Baocai passed out.
Only then did Bai Xiaochun stand up, brushing the dust off his robes. He summoned the wooden sword back into his sleeve and struck a pose—hands behind his back, face calm—as if he were a lonely master above the fray, trying to hide his excitement.
The burly supervisor gave Bai Xiaochun a deep, complicated look. His expression shifted multiple times before he finally cupped his fists.
"Junior Brother Bai, you've hidden your strength well. I respect that." He said flatly, then turned and left without another word, carrying the unconscious Xu Baocai with him.
Once they had gone, Zhang Dapang and the others surrounded Bai Xiaochun. Their smiles weren't just friendly—they were full of admiration. Though the Supervisory Office was still the enemy, they had personally seen how hard Bai Xiaochun had worked over the past months.
"You brat, not bad. That half-year of hard work wasn't wasted!" Zhang Dapang clapped him on the shoulder.
"Of course not. When I go all in, even I get scared of myself," Bai Xiaochun said proudly, lifting his head like a rooster strutting its feathers, making everyone around burst into laughter.