One Year Later

Having become a Second-Class Guard, Mo Tang's compensation had doubled outright.

Moreover, the cultivation resources he could claim each month had changed considerably. For example, he could now receive three Dark Wind Grass plants from the clan every month, as well as one First Grade Recovery Pill and one First Grade Qi Replenishing Pill...

One Dark Wind Grass plant could provide 4 Energy Points. Since the Recovery Pill was a healing medicine and only First Grade, it could only provide 2 Energy Points, half that of the Dark Wind Grass.

The Qi Replenishing Pill, however, was quite good. Since it helped Dou Zhe recover Dou Qi, it contained a fair amount of energy and could be exchanged for a full 5 Energy Points.

But Mo Tang still needed to keep some of these pills for his own use, so he certainly could not absorb them all... Still, he now had a fixed monthly Energy Point income, and that was what mattered most.

Adding his monthly salary of 150 Gold Coins and the extra earnings from escorting Trade Caravans, after becoming a Second-Class Guard, he could bring in roughly three to four hundred Gold Coins each month—the price of another Dark Wind Grass plant.

This way, Mo Tang could accumulate roughly 20 Energy Points every month. Over a year, that would be 240 Energy Points, enough to raise him six levels during the Dou Zhe stage!

Although that speed was still nothing compared to people like Xiao Yan and Nalan Yanran, in the eyes of ordinary people, it was more than enough to be considered genius-level.

And so, after a peaceful year had passed.

Mo Tang's strength had gradually risen to that of a Five-Star Dou Practitioner, costing him a total of 184 Energy Points.

He had accumulated 240 Energy Points over the year. After spending 184 to raise his cultivation to Five-Star Dou Practitioner, he used 16 of the remaining 56 to upgrade his cultivation technique, Thunderous Qi, to the Grand Completion stage, and 32 to raise Triple Blade Qi to the Perfection realm.

His attributes had also become:

Name: Mo Tang Level: Five-Star Dou Practitioner ↑

Cultivation Technique: Thunderous Qi (Grand Completion) ↑

Dou Skill: Triple Blade Qi (Perfection) ↑

Available Energy Points: 8 (Low Level)

After Triple Blade Qi reached Perfection, Mo Tang discovered that he could directly slash out three streams of Dou Qi. This change caused a qualitative leap in his combat strength!

As his strength increased, so did his status.

A Five-Star Dou Practitioner was absolutely captain-level even among Second-Class Guards. Furthermore, Mo Tang was a trusted subordinate personally promoted by Commander Mo Ran. At this point, he was the object of envy and jealousy throughout the entire Guard Squad.

On a broad road, seven or eight carriages moved slowly forward. The blazing sun hung high in the sky, its scorching rays soaking the guards around the carriages in sweat. Irritated shouts and curses rang out continuously along the road.

Mo Tang wore a green guard uniform and carried his Sharp Spirit Blade in hand. His gaze swept over the surroundings like an eagle's, completely ignoring the blazing sun overhead.

A burst of hoofbeats sounded. Under Mo Tang's sharp gaze, a thin middle-aged man approached him, drenched in sweat and looking like a salted fish dried under the sun. Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he said, "Brother Mo Tang, the weather is too hot. I think quite a few people are reaching their limit. Why don't we find a place to rest, avoid the noon sun, eat something, and continue after a break?"

The newcomer was none other than Chen Lin, once the manager of Iron Refining City's East Twelve Districts.

But now, he had become a proper Trade Caravan manager for the Mo Clan, controlling a profitable medicinal-herb trade route.

This man had always been good at ingratiating himself. After getting on Mo Ran's good side and with his connection to Mo Tang, he had successfully crawled out of the mud pit that was East Twelve Districts and joined the Mo Clan's Trade Caravan.

Over the past year, Mo Tang had become a Guard Squad captain, while Chen Lin had become a genuine Trade Caravan manager. Both had climbed another step on their respective paths.

Mo Tang silently looked at the eager eyes around him. After pondering briefly, he said, "I can't make that decision right now. I'll go ask Lord Mo Ran."

This Trade Caravan escort mission was different from the usual ones. Mo Ran, the commander, had actually joined the caravan in secret, and it made Mo Tang sense a trace of danger...

"Alright, alright." Chen Lin nodded with a smile.

But then he leaned closer and lowered his voice. "Brother, why did that lord join our Trade Caravan? Give your older brother a hint, or I just can't put my mind at ease..."

Mo Tang's eyes narrowed, and his gaze swept over Chen Lin like a sharp blade. He said solemnly, "I don't know anything! But I do know one thing: don't ask about things you shouldn't know. That's how you live longer!"

Chen Lin jumped in fright and hurriedly slapped his own mouth twice. "Yes, yes, yes! My fault, my fault! Look at this rotten mouth of mine—it deserves a beating!"

Just as Mo Tang turned his horse around to head toward the rear, he discovered that the vehicles ahead had suddenly stopped. Faint sounds of shouting and cursing could be heard as well.

Frowning, Mo Tang was about to send someone to ask what had happened when a Gale Family guard rushed over from the front and reported urgently, "Captain, someone has blocked our path ahead for no reason."

Mo Tang's expression changed. He said sternly to Chen Lin, "I'll go take a look. Go find the commander!"

"Alright... alright..." Chen Lin was already stammering.

Mo Tang quickly reached the front of the caravan and saw that, at some point, a huge boulder had been placed in the middle of the road, blocking more than half the path.

Beside the boulder sat a man in gray robes. Though his true face could not be seen, Mo Tang could tell that the gaze beneath his black hood seemed to carry ill intent.

"Who are you? Why have you blocked our way?"

Mo Tang swept his eyes over the Gray-robed Man and asked in a low voice.

"You people... are from the Mo Clan, aren't you?"

The Gray-robed Man's gloomy voice slowly rang out.

Mo Tang's eyelids twitched, and the bad feeling in his heart intensified.

The other party was clearly ill-intentioned. To be safe, Mo Tang directly waved an arm behind him. Dozens of guards immediately drew the weapons at their waists and glared hostilely at the mysterious Gray-robed Man whose background they did not know.

"Heh, looks like I found the right people."

Seeing Mo Tang's reaction, the Gray-robed Man smiled faintly. He ignored the blades and swords before him and began walking slowly toward the caravan.

The killing intent in Mo Tang's eyes deepened. He grabbed a bow from a guard beside him, nocked an arrow, pulled the bow to its full draw, and released. The arrow became a fierce gust of wind, shooting craftily toward the Gray-robed Man's throat.

The arrow carried a shrieking sound that crushed the heart as it tore through the air. Yet when it came within a meter of the Gray-robed Man, a layer of blue energy suddenly appeared out of nowhere, directly blocking the arrow outside his body.

"Da Dou Shi!"

Mo Tang's expression changed drastically at the sight, and he could not help crying out.

The strongest person in their Trade Caravan was only Mo Ran, who had just broken through to Nine-Star Dou Shi.

The opponent was actually a Da Dou Shi. It seemed that the entire Trade Caravan would be impossible to protect today!

"Fire!"

With a sharp shout, Mo Tang immediately retreated and ordered all the archers to shoot.

There was no choice. As a Five-Star Dou Practitioner, he probably could not even withstand a single move from the other man. Charging forward now would be courting death!