"What? You want to break through to the fifth level?!"
Shangguan Liuyun felt as though he might still be dreaming. Everything he had heard and seen today was simply too unbelievable!
The Flower Cultivation and Leaf Nurturing Art was a Cultivation Method passed down through their Lineage for generations. No one understood its difficulty better than he did.
Back when he had cultivated this method, he had begun at the age of twelve. By the time he reached the fifth level, he was already twenty. There was no need to mention how many precious medicinal herbs had been consumed along the way; the time alone had been staggering.
Yet, counting it all up, had it even been half a month since Li Yan obtained this Martial Arts technique?
Half a month equaled ten years of his bitter cultivation. Shangguan Liuyun felt as if the sky had fallen!
Only after quite a while, once he had finally digested the news, did Shangguan Liuyun draw a deep breath and address the question Li Yan cared about most.
The Flower Cultivation and Leaf Nurturing Art was famously difficult to cultivate. It was a true case of building up slowly before bursting forth, but the difficulty differed depending on one's cultivation level.
And that difference began at the fifth level.
"The fifth level of the Flower Cultivation and Leaf Nurturing Art is called the Mystic Gate of Life and Death, like the first time a plant blooms."
"Only by successfully blooming that first flower can one proceed. Otherwise, no matter how one cultivates, one will remain a plant full of green leaves."
"At this stage, the resources required are beyond imagination. But if you break through successfully, your realm will rise in succession."
"Take Feiyun and me as examples. When I broke through to the fifth level, I secluded myself for a month. Afterward, my realm soared directly from the fourth level of the Qi Condensation Realm to the eighth level. Feiyun reached the peak of the seventh level."
"However, the more energy you accumulate, the greater the impact on your body when it erupts. If you cannot endure it, you should understand the consequences."
Li Yan naturally understood. He still had not forgotten the agony of breaking through the third level.
But looking at it from the other side, only such risks could yield sufficiently generous rewards.
The greater the wind and waves, the more valuable the fish. Besides, his enemies were powerful as well.
If he could raise his strength to the Meridian Opening Realm before making a move against Huang Lingyan, he would have a greater chance of killing him on the spot.
Besides, his advantage was far greater than anyone else's.
As long as he had Experience Points, breakthroughs would not be difficult.
After discussing a few more matters with Shangguan Liuyun, Li Yan left the Shangguan residence.
Tomorrow was the day Dongjiang City was to hand over Shangguan Xiyun. The most important matter now was getting Shangguan Xiyun out safely.
Watching Li Yan's departing figure, Shangguan Liuyun turned toward Shangguan Feiyun's room. After closing his eyes in thought for a moment, he opened them again, a resolute gleam flashing in their depths.
At the same time, within the City Lord's Mansion, cold air swirled around Huang Lingyan, his face deathly pale.
Breaking through to the Energy Gathering Realm was indeed no simple matter.
Even after exhausting the foundations he had accumulated over the years, he was still just short. His North Wind Chilling Art was only a hair away from breaking through to the eighth level, yet that hair was like a heavenly chasm.
But it was not without gains!
At this moment, he had taken another step forward. He was now considered to be at the Half-step Energy Gathering Realm.
If he faced Shangguan Liuyun again, Shangguan Liuyun would certainly be no match for him.
As long as he could restrain Shangguan Liuyun, the Shangguan Family's destruction would come in an instant.
The reason he had yet to act was to keep applying pressure to Shangguan Liuyun, gradually uncover all the businesses controlled by the Shangguan Family, then swallow them together with the merchants behind them.
Otherwise, even if they swallowed the Shangguan Family, once all the shops under its control collectively shut down, Dongjiang City would inevitably descend into chaos.
Everything awaited tomorrow.
Early the next morning, the cries of street vendors were unusually absent, and many shops had not opened their doors.
The city's residents had gathered at the city gate early.
Before long, Xu San stepped out from the crowd and shouted to all the residents, "Why we have gathered here, I believe everyone knows the reason."
"We have given the Shangguan Family a long time, yet they have remained unmoved."
"They simply do not take the lives of us Dongjiang City residents seriously!"
The moment Xu San opened his mouth, he viciously slapped a huge accusation onto the Shangguan Family's head.
Hearing this, the people below revealed looks of resentment one after another.
They were merely ordinary folk who wanted to live their modest lives. Why was someone determined not to let them live in peace?
"Damn Shangguan Family! Why are they trying to harm us?!"
"Not a single one of these martial world people is any good!"
"Drive them out of Dongjiang City! Make them get out!"
Seeing the crowd's emotions gradually intensify, Xu San nodded in satisfaction, though his gaze fell upon a white-robed scholar beside him.
Liu He nodded at Xu San, signaling him to continue.
"To stay alive, we can only save ourselves."
"Everyone, this White Scholar, Liu He, is here to help us!"
Everyone turned their gaze toward Liu He. Liu He cupped his fists to the crowd and said, "Everyone, I am Liu He, known in the martial world as the White Scholar. In truth, I am merely a scholar who loves to uphold justice."
"I learned the entire sequence of events from Elder Xu. Matters of the martial world truly should not drag innocent common folk into them."
"Since everything began because of the Shangguan Family's Third Miss, then let it end with the Third Miss!"
As he spoke, the sound of a carriage came from behind the crowd. Shangguan Xiyun, who had been abducted for many days, finally appeared.
Although her clothes looked somewhat filthy, she did not seem to have suffered any external injuries.
She did not say a word, merely glaring at all the surrounding residents with a face full of hatred.
"Third Miss, for Dongjiang City's safety, Liu He begs your pardon."
Liu He cupped his fists toward Shangguan Xiyun.
"Pah!"
Shangguan Xiyun glared furiously. "Do you think that putting on a scholar's robe lets you disguise your beast-faced, human-hearted nature?"
"My Shangguan Family has taken root in Dongjiang City for so many years. The businesses and shops under us cover Dongjiang, so ask yourselves honestly: what prices do our shops charge? Have we ever cheated or schemed against any of you?"
"Because of my Shangguan Family's trade routes, Dongjiang City became as prosperous as it is today."
"My Elder Brother painstakingly managed everything, thinking of people like you at every turn. And what did he receive in return?"
"You heartless, wolf-hearted creatures, are you worthy of the Shangguan Family's kindness?"
"Pah! You are not worthy!"
Shangguan Xiyun's tear-choked rebuke made quite a few of the gathered residents lower their heads.
Was what Shangguan Xiyun said true?
Naturally, it was true. Without the Shangguan Family, Dongjiang City would not merely have failed to become as prosperous as it was today; it would likely still be troubled each year by not having enough food to eat, just as it had been in the past.
The Shangguan Family had changed everything, yet now they were repaying kindness with enmity.
Some matters could not be laid bare, because once laid bare, certain people's true nature would be exposed.
"Third Miss!"
Sensing that things were going wrong, Xu San immediately raised his voice and shouted, "Though the Shangguan Family has helped Dongjiang City, it has also earned enormous sums of money from Dongjiang City. Is that not true?"
"It is merely a merchant's business. Why speak of it as though it were so noble and lofty?"
"Besides, why should the affairs of you martial world people drag ordinary folk like us into them? We only want to work properly and live our modest lives. That is all."
That was all? That was all!
The residents who had just begun to waver now returned to Xu San's side.
That was right. They were not martial world people. All they wanted was their own modest lives. Why was someone determined not to let them have their wish?
They were already suffering so much. Could no one just let them go?
Just then, a figure soared into the air. Shangguan Liuyun landed atop a roof, coldly watching everything below.
"Elder Brother!"
Upon seeing Shangguan Liuyun, the tears Shangguan Xiyun had desperately held back finally fell.
"Yun'er, don't cry. They bullied you, and Elder Brother will make them pay." As he spoke, Shangguan Liuyun's gaze swept over every resident present before finally settling on Xu San.
"From today onward, every shop under the Shangguan Family will close immediately. All merchants working with the Shangguan Family will no longer come to Dongjiang City."
"Since all of you believe my Shangguan Family has earned your money, then we will not earn it anymore!"
Before you continue