Gate-Breaking Pill

A large hand weakly patted the ground, then picked up a bottle of powder.

Jiang Yuan poured all the white powder into his mouth. A warm feeling spread from his stomach, dispelling the weakness throughout his body.

After a long while, Jiang Yuan's physique returned to its slender form, no longer the burly man he had been. This meant Jiang Yuan had regained normal control over his physical body.

This was Rejuvenation Powder, which Jiang Yuan had kept on hand just in case.

He hadn't expected it to actually be useful.

Rejuvenation Powder was used to restore the bodies of Martial Artists who failed to break through the Hua Jin Heavenly Gate.

Jiang Yuan sat cross-legged on the ground, recovering his body.

The mouthful of fresh blood he had just spat out represented thirty percent of his Qi and Blood.

As Jiang Yuan slowly recovered his Qi and Blood, he pondered why his breakthrough had failed.

Logically, with his past breakthrough experience, his current attempt should have been foolproof.

Jiang Yuan couldn't figure it out. He sat meditating in the room for a long time until his breathing had completely stabilized. Only then did he slowly stand up and head to the Escort Agency's library.

A place akin to a library, where perhaps Jiang Yuan could find the answer he sought.

Because Jiang Yuan felt he no longer needed the breakthrough experience recorded on paper, he didn't search the library for such records, nor did he consult any Hua Jin Escort Hands.

This was what led to his current predicament.

The library was quiet, so quiet that one could hear a needle drop.

Jiang Yuan quietly stood by a bookshelf, holding a book and flipping through its pages.

Jiang Yuan was quite familiar with the library. He had come here before to search for information about the Sin Heart.

Jiang Yuan put down the book, his brow furrowed slightly.

All the information on advancing to Hua Jin was the same as he had expected. The only difference was that to advance to Hua Jin, one had to find and swallow a Gate-Breaking Pill.

Only by swallowing the Gate-Breaking Pill would one be qualified to attempt to break through the Hua Jin Heavenly Gate. Otherwise, no matter what, one would not be able to even touch the Hua Jin Heavenly Gate.

And the Gate-Breaking Pill could only be refined by major powers who possessed its formula.

This was also why most rogue cultivators outside were stuck at the Qi and Blood stage, with few high-level Martial Artists.

Gate-Breaking Pill...

What exactly was this?

Jiang Yuan felt it was absurd. According to his cultivation memories from his First Life, one could break through the Hua Jin Heavenly Gate without any external aid. But now, a pill was required. Why was this?

The martial arts system in the simulated life was identical to the real one, except for this Gate-Breaking Pill.

Jiang Yuan rubbed his temples slightly, feeling a bit dejected.

His disciple was even more advanced than Jiang Hao from his First Life, yet he was unable to break through the Hua Jin Heavenly Gate because of a special pill.

Jiang Yuan stopped pondering why the current martial arts required a Gate-Breaking Pill to break through the Hua Jin Heavenly Gate. Instead, he began searching for the pill itself.

As a major power in Haiyuan City, the Zhenyuan Escort Agency naturally had a supply of Gate-Breaking Pills.

"Hmm? It requires Special Merit Points?"

"Yes, your normal Merit Points are sufficient, but you don't have any Special Merit Points."

Jiang Yuan's brow furrowed slightly. Special Merit Points could only be earned after completing an escort mission.

Jiang Yuan had been taking on ordinary commission tasks these days, but he hadn't participated in any of the agency's escort missions.

The main reason was that most escort missions were time-consuming and covered long distances. Jiang Yuan feared that if he left the Zhenyuan Escort Agency, the person lurking in the shadows would make a move.

Although Jiang Yuan wasn't afraid of ordinary opponents, he feared the other side sending more and more powerful individuals. While Jiang Yuan was strong, he couldn't withstand an endless stream of enemies.

However, now that the mysterious force lurking in the shadows had gone silent, perhaps he could undertake an escort mission?

The agency's regulations stipulated that Escort Hands must complete one escort mission per year. Each mission could take anywhere from one to several months.

He could take this opportunity to complete his mandatory annual escort mission.

As Jiang Yuan was contemplating this, a slightly reverent voice suddenly came from beside him.

"Brother Jiang?"

"Hm?" Jiang Yuan turned around and saw Li Quan approaching him.

"Thank you again, Brother Jiang, for saving me that day!" Li Quan said, his face full of gratitude. He even bowed deeply to Jiang Yuan.

Jiang Yuan quickly helped Li Quan up.

"We're all from the same agency, it's nothing."

"Great kindness needs no words! If you ever need my help, Brother Jiang, please don't hesitate to ask!"

"I'll keep that in mind. Have the people from the Fengxing Family left?"

"Yes, and thank you, Brother Jiang! It's just that I don't know why Feng Pan disappeared inexplicably..."

Li Quan sighed slightly. The Fengxing Family was missing one person, and the Hua Jin experts leading them were also quite puzzled. However, Feng Pan wasn't close to him, so Li Quan didn't dwell on it.

Li Quan was now completely impressed by Jiang Yuan, not only because of Jiang Yuan's formidable strength but also because Jiang Yuan had saved his life once.

If Jiang Yuan hadn't intervened, Feng Yao would have fallen into Chu Yun's hands.

The Fengxing Family obviously couldn't come to Haiyuan City for revenge, and Feng Yao wasn't part of the escort agency, so the agency wouldn't help her.

Unless she sought out Wenzhao, relying on the relationship between the Fengxing Family and Wenzhao.

But by then, it would have been too late.

"Brother Jiang, are you looking for a Gate-Breaking Pill?" Li Quan's eyes landed on the pills the staff were about to put away, and he was momentarily stunned. He then said with great admiration, "I didn't expect Brother Jiang to have cultivated his Qi and Blood to the point where it can no longer advance so quickly!"

Jiang Yuan's progress speed was truly astonishing, but with the example of Jiang Yuan's Qi and Blood defying Hua Jin, Li Quan wasn't as surprised.

After some thought, he took out his identity token from his pocket, said something to the staff, and then shoved a bottle of pills into Jiang Yuan's embrace.

"Huh? Brother Li, what are you doing?" Jiang Yuan was taken aback.

"Brother Jiang, I have a spare Special Merit Point that's of no use to me. I'd like to gift it to you. Please accept it if you don't mind."

Since Li Quan had said this much, Jiang Yuan naturally had no reason to refuse and accepted the pills.

"Consider it a favor I owe you," Jiang Yuan said earnestly, tucking the porcelain bottle into his embrace.

"Brother Jiang, you saved me and Sister Yao before. I'm grateful enough..."

The two exchanged pleasantries for a while longer before Jiang Yuan returned to his courtyard.

He took out the Gate-Breaking Pill and opened the bottle. A dark, unremarkable pill rolled into his hand.

[Detected Sin Heart (partial). Extract?]

Just as Jiang Yuan was about to pick up the pill to examine it, the simulator's notification chimed in his ear.

What?!

The Gate-Breaking Pill contained the Sin Heart he had been longing for?

"How much can be extracted?" Jiang Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly as he murmured in a low voice.

[Currently extractable: Sin Heart * 0.32]

Jiang Yuan pondered for a long time and decided not to extract it.

Less than one Sin Heart was useless to him; it would be better to use it to break through his realm.

However, he had just failed his breakthrough today. Although his Qi and Blood had recovered, his foundation had not fully healed and required a few days of rest.

Jiang Yuan closed his eyes slightly, gradually entering a state of meditation.

In the Wang Family's vast ancestral mansion.

The once magnificent, ancient, and sacred ancestral mansion was now filled with the scent of blood.

A man with his upper body bare was prostrate on the corpse of an old man, his head bowed low.

The old man had white hair and a youthful complexion, exuding an extraordinary aura. However, several bloodstains marred his face.

If anyone saw him, they would undoubtedly recognize this old man as the ancestor of the Wang Family of Haiyuan City, a top expert at the peak of Hua Jin.

The bare-chested man spat.