Chen Xia counted on his fingers that four hundred years had passed since he entered prison. If no additional punishment was added, he was probably about to be released from prison. Thinking of this, Chen Xia couldn't help sighing, as if beheading Qiong Qi was just yesterday and still vivid in his mind. This was the culprit that caused Chen Xia to be imprisoned for five hundred years.
Fortunately, Chen Xia had always been a generous person, so he didn't hold it against Qiong Qi. He also hoped that Qiong Qi would be more cautious in his next life.
The Sword Sea was of no benefit to him now. The sea beasts didn't dare clash against him anymore, and the sword intent in the waves was of little use.
The ordinary flying swords in his body had absorbed the sword intent over the past four hundred years and had all been promoted to spirit swords. For the spirit swords to be promoted to dao swords again, absorbing sword intent was not enough.
They also needed sword heart.
This was the fundamental difference between dao swords and spirit swords.
Chen Xia couldn't possibly create sword hearts for over two million flying swords, at least not within this five hundred years.
So the bored Chen Xia could only kill time in prison, propping his head daily to play chess and drink tea, occasionally looking through the Life Skills book in his mind, hoping to gain insight into one or two more techniques.
His magic power was now at 30. He had unlocked Divine Clarity Cave Brightness, which basically meant his eyesight was a bit better, able to see through some hidden existences.
To further upgrade his talent, Chen Xia would need to increase his magic power to five hundred, which would be a significant qualitative change.
By then, Chen Xia could gain insight into one or two more techniques from the Life Skills book.
But Chen Xia was also hesitant. For now, his stat distribution was too scattered, dividing points between strength, magic power, and luck.
Chen Xia also discovered that the initial few dozen points provided the biggest boost.
This was probably because it was going from nothing to something, so the change was the most dramatic.
The points added later were less effective. He had to accumulate them slowly until reaching a certain amount before being able to cause a qualitative change through quantitative change.
For example, for Chen Xia to reach the level of moving mountains with his strength, he would need to allocate a thousand points.
After careful consideration, he decided to save these points for now and eventually allocate them all to luck.
The reasoning was simple. Others could also have strength and magic power, but not luck.
If they didn't have luck, then they really didn't have it.
Chen Xia let out a sigh and changed which hand he propped his head up with. At the same time, he used his sword intent to make another mark in the prison.
This represented another year passing.
Only ninety-nine more years remained.
Get ready, my disciples. Your emperor will return soon!
Since the new batch of probation disciples arrived, the originally quiet area became lively again with visiting cultivators coming and going.
This batch of probation disciples was the largest in history. Originally eight hundred, another hundred had trickled in for a total of nine hundred, comparable to the combined number of the previous two batches.
Although plentiful in number, these probation disciples were not the best quality. There was only one Great Emperor seedling, who was an unknown figure among Great Emperor seedlings.
Such seedlings without reputation were usually at the bottom among Great Emperor seedlings.
The lack of fame meant no accomplishments and thus no strength. Simple deduction.
The rest did not include any prominent figures among the supreme races or mythical races either, all ordinary.
Yet despite being ordinary, they were full of confidence.
Some ancient races were even ambitious, hoping to accomplish great things and clearly had not been whipped into shape by the sect yet.
The regular supreme races were even more arrogant, acting with the air of standing above all mountains.
The worst was a man with a purple cloud crown who, just three years after arriving, asked a question to the little elder.
"Who were the Great Emperor seedlings from the previous batch? Were they powerful?"
The little elder frowned, confused why he would ask this.
"Why do you ask? Don't tell me you want to compete with the previous batch's Great Emperor seedlings?"
The purple cloud crown man shook his head and chuckled, "Of course not now. After all, they have a few hundred to a thousand years more cultivation than me. But once I become a formal disciple, I will certainly vie for a position."
When the man in the purple cloud crown said this, his expression and tone were very plain, as if he was talking about something reasonable and natural.
The little elder looked up and rubbed his forehead. "I thought it was raining from the sky, but turns out you're giving me a speechless moment. "
The man with the purple cloud crown remained expressionless, just as plain, and cupped his fists. "What I said is true, not boastful words, but genuine confidence. Please enlighten me, little elder."
The little elder crossed his arms over his chest and narrowed his eyes. This was the first time he had seen such an arrogant disciple who dared to ask about the previous batch's Great Emperor seedlings after only three years.
He really considers himself a second Chen Xia?!
"If the elder answers, there will naturally be a gift of thanks." As he spoke, the man in the purple cloud crown took out a white jade box from his sleeve and handed it to the little elder.
The little elder pursed his lips slightly, wrinkles rising to reveal a smile. He replied,
"There were three Great Emperor seedlings last batch, but you can consider it two people. One was Emperor Capital, the other was Qiu Li. Both were very decent seedlings. If you want to fight them, you're far from qualified."
"I will work hard." The man in the purple cloud crown simply answered this, clearly not worried at all about his talents and believing that effort alone would be enough.
"What about the third person?" He curiously asked another question.
The little elder's eyebrows twitched. "I didn't mention that one. Don't ask. It's not something you should know."
"Alright." The man in the purple cloud crown quickly responded. He felt this third person must have committed some huge mistake to not even be mentioned.
The little elder was somewhat irritated, feeling this man in the purple cloud crown was trying to get him in trouble.
Currently in the Blue Sky Sword Sect, no one spoke of Chen Xia's notoriety, both because there really wasn't much to say and to avoid retaliation from Chen Xia.
After all, this was someone capable of borrowing thirty thousand spirit stones to buy Qiong Qi's head.
And the thirty thousand spirit stones still hadn't been paid back.
Looking at it that way, whatever outrageous thing Chen Xia did seemed perfectly reasonable.
Just thinking about possibly having his head lopped off for discussing Chen Xia made the little elder involuntarily glare harshly at the man in the purple cloud crown twice.
Confused, the man quickly held out the white jade box and cupped his fists.
"Thank you for enlightening me, elder."
"Alright, alright. Go on now." The little elder impatiently waved his hand.
"Disciple has one more matter to discuss." The man in the purple cloud crown took out an even larger white jade box from his sleeve to stop the little elder.
The old man nodded. "What is it?"
The man inquired, "If I fought Li Yang in a duel, who would have better odds?"
Li Yang was the only Great Emperor seedling this batch.
"Of course it would be the Great Emperor seedling." The little elder answered without thinking.
"Not necessarily." A trace of a mysterious smile emerged on the man's lips as he grinned. "I have confidence in taking first place among the probation disciples this batch. As long as elder provides some support..."
"Stop!" The little elder directly interrupted him. "No matter what ideas or means you have, as long as you want to be first among the probation disciples this time, I cannot cooperate with you."
"Why not?" The man in the purple cloud crown was truly puzzled.
"You'll understand in the future." The little elder only responded with this before hurriedly leaving, not wanting to interact with this ill-omened fellow any further.
Still thinking of taking first place. Having his head lopped off is more likely!
Time always slips by unnoticed.
Zhang DaoMing's Alchemy Association was almost disbanded. The four of them were now spending more than they earned, staring at each other helplessly. No one had any money left.
"How much longer until Chen Xia comes out?" Pi Hu's voice was somewhat choked, lacking his former aloofness and stubbornness.
The reason was simple.
He was broke.
Zhang DaoMing sighed. "Soon, just fifty more years. Let's hang in there a bit longer. By then, even if he doesn't concoct pills, the money he returns will be enough."
"Will he really return the money?" Pi Hu asked again in a choked voice.
Things were fine until he said this, then everyone fell silent.
Would he really return it?
No one could say for sure.
After all, even if Chen Xia didn't repay them, what could they do?
The four were filled with silence for a time. It looked like they wouldn't sleep well tonight.
Zhang DaoMing had founded the Alchemy Association in hopes that Chen Xia would refine dao pills to make a name for himself and pave his own path in alchemy.
But unexpectedly, not only were no dao pills refined, but they had been swindled out of ten thousand spirit stones by Chen Xia.
They really miscalculated badly.
From that day on, Zhang DaoMing, who was originally kind and simple, decided that he would never lend money to others again.
Even if it was his father who came, he still wouldn't lend any!
On the 470th year in prison.
Chen Xia finally got a visitor, it was a formal elder, holding a pitch-black ring, and handed it to Chen Xia.
"As a punishment from the sect, after you get out of prison, you still have to wear this ring. It can restrict your actions and prevent you from killing your fellow sect members again."
The elder explained righteously.
Chen Xia frowned, "There is such logic?"
The elder nodded, "Locking you up for only 500 years is already very merciful. After that, wearing this ring is just to restrain your actions."
"In Cangtian Sword Sea's many years, there are really not many people who have worn the restrictive ring. You really have skills."
This was what the elder thought.
After all, if Chen Xia didn't have skills, he probably wouldn't have been imprisoned at all, and would have been cremated directly with Qiong Qi.
But he killed Qiong Qi and didn't die himself, that was the real skill.
When Chen Xia heard that not many people had worn it, he was immediately motivated. So it turns out it's a limited edition.
The elder threw the ring out, "You can just wear it on your foot, normally cover it up a bit, it won't actually be too noticeable."
"This is to punish you. As long as you restrain your actions afterwards, the ring will naturally be taken back."
After he finished speaking, he flashed out of Sword Sea, leaving only the ring behind.
Chen Xia picked it up and looked it over. It looked like an ordinary pitch-black ring.
But thinking that this pitch-black ring could prove he had taken Qiong Qi's head, Chen Xia directly wore it on his own hand, openly displaying it.
Not ashamed, but proud indeed.
He stood at the prison door, looking up at the giant sword hanging in the sky, and smiled slightly.
Soon.
Just 30 more years.