I proved immortality through the imperial examination.

Chapter 28 is out of drafts.
Qian Ming was utterly dejected and couldn't stop sighing.

Xue Xiang offered a few words of comfort, saying, "Master Qian speaks so highly of this Breath of Wind Sword Technique, and something suddenly occurred to me."

A low-level cultivator challenges a high-level cultivator. If the low-level cultivator possesses a powerful cultivation technique, can they defy fate and defeat the high-level cultivator?

Qian Ming rubbed his face. "Of course, the art of Qi cultivation has been around for so long that its civilization is already extremely prosperous."

Countless exceptionally talented individuals have devoted their entire lives to creating numerous brilliant martial arts techniques.

Top-tier martial arts techniques naturally possess the remarkable effect of allowing one to defeat enemies at a higher level.

Take the Breath of Wind Sword Technique for example. It can be activated at the third level of Qi Refining. If someone at the sixth or seventh level of Qi Refining is not careful during a surprise attack, they can be killed with a single sword strike.

Of course, everything has its advantages and disadvantages.

This Breath of Wind Sword Technique, once unleashed, shakes the three Purple Mansions, consuming spiritual energy too quickly.

If a low-level cultivator cannot kill the enemy in one strike when using this sword technique, their spiritual energy will be exhausted, and they will inevitably be killed by the enemy.

Besides, Xiao Xue, I'm not trying to spoil your fun just because I failed in my cultivation.

To master this sword technique, extremely certain conditions must be met. I urge you to think carefully.

"Thank you for the reminder, Master Qian."

Xue thanked him, chatted for a few more minutes, and then took his leave to go home.

Upon returning home, he informed Xue's mother that there was an urgent matter at work and he would not be able to return home for a short time.

He also instructed Liu Mei to seek help from Si Zhou if anything happened.

Although Xue's mother and Liu Mei were worried, they knew that Xue Xiang was employed by the imperial court and subject to its control, so they could only pack his change of clothes.

Half an incense stick later, Xue Xiang arrived at the alchemy room of Jiahe Trading Company.

This is a secret room located about ten feet underground. Through ingenious design, ventilation, lighting, security, and privacy are all taken into account.

Xue Xiang sat cross-legged and, after calming his mind, took out the Nebula Box, the Spirit Stone, and the statue of Kang Guangling.

As the phrase "to learn and practice what one has learned" was recited, the sacred image once again flew out in clear light and surrounded him.

Xue Xiang activated the Spirit Guiding Technique, and the spiritual threads transformed into spiritual power, surging into his body.

At the same time, Xue Xiang began to follow the essentials of the Breath of Wind Sword Technique, tracing the various acupoints within his body.

He cannot yet release his spiritual energy to the outside world to formally practice the Breath of Wind Sword Technique, but he can still temporarily circulate his spiritual energy according to the key points of the Breath of Wind Sword Technique.

Moreover, the more proficient he becomes in this process, the more beneficial it will be for his later swordsmanship training.

As time passed, Xue Xiang gradually reached a state of complete absorption in the world around him.

…………

On the 23rd day of the first lunar month, at the headquarters of Yunmeng Times on Tongkang Road.

Li Shaobai stood in his private apartment, looking out the window at the bustling street, humming a country tune.

Suddenly, the door was pushed open, and his two henchmen, Wang Pang and Lu Zhang, walked in.

"Congratulations, Your Excellency!"

"Your Majesty's divine might is so great that once you enter Yunmeng, the winds rise and the clouds surge, turning a deadly situation into a life-or-death one. Your merit is immeasurable."

The two men played along, and Li Shaobai found it very pleasing to the ear.

"I sent you back to Yong'an to investigate the situation, not to practice your verbal skills. How is it going over there?"

"The master's superhuman skills have enabled the Canaan Morning Post to simultaneously serialize 'The Mortal World,' and now the sales of the Canaan Morning Post are soaring. President Wang has publicly stated that the Canaan Morning Post needs ten Li Shaobais."

"Furthermore, our distribution channels have already covered all six cities of Canaan, and distributors are enthusiastically signing up. Your Excellency's decisive increase in borrowing has created such a great situation; only someone with a broad mind and profound vision could accomplish this."

"........."

Li Shaobai said with delight, "Speaking of which, I really have to thank Xue Xiang."

Although, this kid is a troublemaker.

But no matter how you look at it, he is my benefactor.

Haha, where is that kid now?

Wang Pang said, "In the past, on Jiufen Mountain, this kid was the one who had the most news and made the biggest commotion."

As the saying goes, it's not that you don't know the goods, it's that you don't compare them. With the elder's intervention, this kid was immediately crushed in the dust.

I heard that Jiufenshan didn't even stay there anymore; he went home and cried under the covers.

"Hahaha……"

The three of them burst into laughter.

Knock knock, there was a knock on the door.

"Enter!"

"Sir! We're out of manuscripts." Zhou Mengyu stood there with a poker face.

"What nonsense! What do you mean you're out of manuscripts?"

"The manuscript for 'The Mortal World' is gone."

"Go write your own article! The article is on my face? That's ridiculous."

"Feng Bai said that he only received these manuscripts, and there were no more after that."

"what!"

Li Shaobai was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, almost jumping up, "What nonsense are you talking about? Wasn't 'The Mortal World' written by Feng Bai? What do you mean he only got these manuscripts?"

“I asked him, and he said he never said he wanted to see Jiangnan.”

Zhou Mengyu felt inexplicably happy.

Li Shaobai was stunned.

He personally witnessed Xue Xiang bring Feng Bai to the Dong Family Garden and personally admitted that Feng Bai wanted to see Jiang Nan.

In addition, Feng Bai has been consistently contributing articles during this period, leading to a steady increase in sales for both Canaan Morning Post and Yunmeng Times.

Li Shaobai was convinced that Feng Bai wanted to see Jiangnan.

"That's impossible. I'm certain that Xue Xiang contacted that guy surnamed Feng in private and asked him to deliberately stop writing to annoy you, sir."

Wang said loudly.

Lu Zhang clapped his hands and said, "That must be it. We absolutely cannot have any problems seeing Jiangnan, otherwise, we're all doomed."

Xue Xiang's knife was aimed straight for the adult's lower back.

How much cunning can beasts possess?

Li Shaobai sneered, "Go and call Feng Bai over. He dares to betray his own people; I won't let him get away with it."

Before long, Feng Bai arrived.

Li Shaobai, his face dark, demanded, "What conditions did Xue Xiang offer you? Tell me, and I'll double the amount."

If anyone dares to be ignorant of propriety and fail to grasp the times, then the glorious laws were established for people like you!

Feng Bai cupped his hands and said, "My lord, even if you gave me a hundred lives, I would not dare to impersonate the author of 'The Mortal World'."

I really don't want to see Jiangnan. I'm just responsible for rewriting manuscripts. If I could write "The Mortal World", why would I need to work as an editor at a newspaper and earn so little money?
My profession is storytelling. If "The Mortal World" were my own work, I would have already held a solo performance in the biggest venues.

Earning a spirit stone after a match isn't uncommon.

Li Shaobai was stunned, and his defenses crumbled.

Because what Feng Bai said makes sense.

been played!

"Could it be that Xue Xiang wants to see Jiangnan?"

After muttering to himself, Lu Zhang shook his head again, "Impossible. The mountains, rivers, and human relationships in the book could not possibly have been written by someone his age."

I understand. The man surnamed Xue has hidden Xiangjian Jiangnan away, and he's hiding him very well.

Old Feng is merely a smokescreen he's using in public.

"That's all nonsense, what should we do now!"

Li Shaobai was furious.

Lu Zhang was quick-witted. "Either we ask the Xue family for help, or we find another way."

"I would go and beg Xue Xiang? Dream on!"

Li Shaobai disliked Xue Xiang ever since Xue Xiang started the Yunmeng Times.

He never expected that Xue Xiang would achieve such great success, making him look like a clown in comparison.

After taking over the Yunmeng Times, he thoroughly mocked Xue Xiang, venting his anger.

Now, asking him to beg Xue Xiang is absolutely impossible.

"Then we'll just have to continue 'The Mortal World' ourselves. Don't we have more than a dozen writers on our team? If we can't create our own success, can't we at least continue the story? Anyway, 'The Mortal World' is already quite popular, and it's unlikely that readership will drop so easily."

As Lu Zhang spoke, his thoughts became clearer and clearer. "Let a dozen or so people produce their drafts every day, and we'll see whose plot is the most exciting. Then we'll choose whose draft to continue 'The Mortal World'."

Feng Bai hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

Li Shaobai chuckled and said, "That's right, that really is a good idea. If we talk about it, isn't it just a story or legend?"

He immediately gave the order, commanding Wang Pang and Lu Zhang to make arrangements as soon as possible.

(End of this chapter)