C7 Mutant

Nine times! A single Body Solid Pill had unleashed a surge of abundant spiritual energy nine separate times. Despite this, Xu Tianzhi still hadn't managed to unlock the Divine Palace Acupoint. The odds were less than one in ten thousand, and "luckily," those odds had befallen Xu Tianzhi.

Nine times he had been lifted by boundless hope, only to have reality shatter it each time. After such a rollercoaster of emotions, Xu Tianzhi's gaze was tinged with a numb sense of despair.

Gradually, determination returned to Xu Tianzhi's eyes. "No, I have to find a way to advance to the Body Quenching Realm! I can't let my family down."

While Xu Tianzhi was still reeling from the setback, in the distance, several figures clad in black soared through the night sky. Against the backdrop of the moonlit night, their high-flying silhouettes resembled great fish leaping through the sea, albeit at a speed many times greater.

Soon, these shadowy figures arrived at Xu Tianzhi's doorstep.

"Xu Tianzhi." An icy voice penetrated from outside.

"Who's there?" Xu Tianzhi furrowed his brow, not recognizing the voice.

With a loud "Bam!" three men in black burst into the room, their cold gazes fixed on Xu Tianzhi. "We are from the Elder Council's Enforcement Team," they stated icily. "You have been summoned to the White Tiger Hall."

The mention of the White Tiger Hall sent a jolt of alarm through Xu Tianzhi. It was a place where disciples were taken for punishment after serious infractions. Being called there spelled trouble.

"Senior Brother, what have I done wrong?" Xu Tianzhi mustered a weak smile and inquired.

"We're just here to escort you. You'll find out once we arrive," replied the enforcement officer, his tone as cold as his gaze.

Being part of the enforcement team meant a minimum cultivation at the Foundation Stage. Sensing the formidable presence emanating from the three black-clad figures, Xu Tianzhi abandoned any thoughts of resistance or escape.

Upon entering the White Tiger Hall, Xu Tianzhi found the elders of the Hero Sect's various halls seated in solemn attendance. In the central seat was a middle-aged man in white, sporting three tufts of beard – none other than Taoist Priest Huayang, whom Xu Tianzhi had glimpsed on his first day with the Hero Sect. A legendary figure, Taoist Priest Huayang was rumored to be at the late stage of Integration.

Advancing beyond the Foundation Stage is notoriously challenging! The Foundation Stage serves as a distinct watershed in a cultivator's progress. To reach the late stages of Integration is to become an exceedingly rare and formidable master among one's peers.

Besides Sect Master Taoist Priest Huayang, there were a handful of elders at the Divinity and Transcendency Stages. These masters, seated in stillness, exuded an aura so powerful that when Xu Tianzhi entered the White Tiger Hall, he felt compelled to suppress his breath for fear of disturbing them.

Upon noticing Xu Tianzhi's arrival, Taoist Priest Huayang fixed him with a piercing gaze. Xu Tianzhi shuddered under that scrutiny, feeling as though the gaze were a sharp blade capable of penetrating his eyes and reaching into his very soul.

Xu Tianzhi bowed respectfully and addressed the gathered leaders. "I pay my respects to the Sect Master and the esteemed elders," he said, acknowledging the authority before him.

Taoist Priest Huayang gave a slight nod and spoke, "Xu Tianzhi, you have been with our Hero Sect for thirteen years, yet you remain at the Spiritual Movement Stage. Elder He from the Law Hall has expressed doubts about your suitability for further cultivation. After deliberation, we have decided that you should leave the mountain tomorrow."

The decree echoed in Xu Tianzhi's mind: "Leave the mountain tomorrow." The words reverberated, each repetition a hammer blow to his crumbling inner world. The resolve he had just fortified lay in ruins.

Stripped of his status as a Hero Sect disciple, Xu Tianzhi would descend the mountain as a mere mortal, barred from the cultivators' realm within the secular world.

Despite twelve years of consuming countless pills, including a Body Solid Pill, he had failed to advance to the Body Quenching Stage. Bereft of the sect's resources, his prospects for breakthrough were bleak.

Xu Tianzhi was painfully aware that his affiliation with the Hero Sect had shielded his family's business from troubles. After all, most sect disciples were destined for influential roles within the military and political spheres, ascending through merit to the ranks of the elite. Few would dare cross a family with such promising connections.

However, if Xu Tianzhi were to lose his status as an apprentice of the Hero Sect, it's likely those people would demand the Xu family pay a steep price, including interest!

"Sect Master, please consider my father..."

"Silence! If it weren't for your father, you would have been sent down the mountain long ago!" Taoist Priest Huayang cut Xu Tianzhi off as soon as he began to speak.

It was common knowledge that a significant portion of the Xu family's vast wealth had ended up lining Taoist Priest Huayang's own pockets. Naturally, he had no desire to bring up such a topic in front of the other elders.

"Sect Master, Sect Master, even though I haven't advanced to the Body Quenching Stage, I've mastered a third-level array formation!" Xu Tianzhi exclaimed.