The three major weapon techniques practiced by the direct disciples of the Zhenyuan Escort Agency were the Tiger Roar Saber Technique, Dragon's Roar Spear Technique, and Phoenix Cry Sword Technique.
These three martial arts were known as the Three Absolute Martial Arts, and they had become famous as the escort agency's people traveled the land on escort missions.
Though the three weapon techniques and the Ten Directions Fist were all merely foundational techniques, as the signature arts of the Zhenyuan Escort Agency, they were naturally far from ordinary.
The original owner had spent several years on the Phoenix Cry Sword Technique before barely managing to enter the beginner stage, which was enough to show how extraordinary the Phoenix Cry Sword Technique was.
Yet after only one night, Jiang Yuan's understanding of the Tiger Roar Saber Technique had already surpassed his understanding of the Phoenix Cry Sword Technique.
Part of it came from the saber mastery he had accumulated over an entire lifetime in the Second Life, while part came from the incisive annotations Wenzhao had written in the martial arts manual.
Before long, Jiang Yuan believed that his Tiger Roar Saber Technique would reach minor mastery.
If others learned of it, they would surely praise him as a genius.
For once, Jiang Yuan did not open the simulator to grind the First Life.
He had already redeemed [Hardworking and Enduring] and [Fist and Foot Combat Skill] this month.
Jiang Yuan deeply suspected that the simulator had calculated everything beforehand. His Points were just enough to redeem the rewards refreshed in the Mundane World.
[Hardworking and Enduring]: You are naturally hardworking and enduring. Your endurance increases.
[Fist and Foot Combat Skill (Mundane World)]: Old instructor Zhang San's lifetime of skill in unarmed combat. (Does not include cultivation methods or techniques.)
[Hardworking and Enduring] was a talent-type reward. Jiang Yuan's month of day-and-night cultivation had also benefited from this talent, improving his endurance and allowing him to persist in training more easily.
The Fist and Foot Combat Skill, meanwhile, came as a blur of memories. Unlike the Severing Gate Saber, it did not transform even his muscles, but was more like martial experience.
It was as though he had muddle-headedly lived through decades of combat, and his unarmed combat skill had risen considerably.
Both were quite practical.
And the rewards available after clearing a stage were far better than those available before clearing it.
Jiang Yuan still coveted the First Life greatly.
It was just that, for the time being, he had no way to deal with the First Life.
As he thought about it, Jiang Yuan wanted to open the Third Life.
The Third Life...
[Required to generate Third Life simulated life: Points *200]
!
Jiang Yuan's expression changed drastically. He had not saved the Points needed to generate a simulated life.
Instead, he had spent them all redeeming rewards.
The corner of Jiang Yuan's mouth twitched. He rubbed his head, feeling somewhat helpless.
But now that Jiang Yuan had broken through to the Late Qi and Blood Stage, he was qualified to accept escort agency missions and had the right to leave the agency.
That meant he was qualified to hunt anomalies, and had a reason to remain outside for long periods.
Jiang Yuan licked his dry lips and sensed the immense energy contained within his chest.
This month of grinding the First Life had not been without gains.
He now possessed an absolute trump card—his supreme strange bone, the Great Sun Blazing Fire Bone.
After dying so many times, Jiang Yuan had at least learned how to completely unleash the power of the strange bone in his chest. This power was also what gave him the confidence to hunt anomalies.
The power in his chest utterly surpassed Jiang Yuan's understanding. He only knew that it came from the Great Sun Blazing Fire Bone, and its sheer enormity was enough to make his heart tremble.
It was precisely because Jiang Yuan had learned to fully unleash the strange bone's power in the First Life, yet even such power had still been unable to stop the white-clothed boy, that he had fallen into despair.
He changed into the uniform of an official escort agency disciple—a uniform for an Escort Hand.
He wore an exquisitely made grayish-white robe beneath a pitch-black outer jacket, embroidered simply with a dragon, phoenix, and tiger. It made him look rather dashing.
Jiang Yuan patted down his clothes, then headed out and entered the mission hall.
This was where all the missions the escort agency could accept were posted. Naturally, official escort assignments were among them.
But the escort agency also took other jobs. So long as one paid, one could hire the agency's people. Besides commissioned tasks, there were also missions assigned by the escort agency itself.
He had heard that this system had been learned from the sects in the south, and its results were quite good.
Still, for a newcomer like Jiang Yuan, it was best not to accept an escort assignment yet. He should first take a few missions to gain experience.
Jiang Yuan stood before the wooden platform, looking at the tokens hanging on the wall.
Each token represented a mission, and they were updated daily.
Though the rewards for some missions on this wall could not compare to escort assignments, the rewards for difficult missions were no less generous than those of an escort assignment.
Jiang Yuan examined them carefully.
The First Life had been temporarily set aside. Opening the Third Life was the top priority.
But he needed to save a full two hundred Points, while the anomaly he had killed before had only given him thirty Points.
Opening the Third Life was a long road with a heavy burden.
Jiang Yuan stood there looking for a long while before finally reaching for a token in the middle.
"Jiang Yuan!"
His outstretched hand paused. Jiang Yuan turned his head in confusion and looked toward the speaker.
The original owner had been solitary and arrogant by nature. Someone in the escort agency was actually taking the initiative to greet him?
He looked over and saw a young woman dressed in the same uniform as him.
Her skin was white as frost and snow, tinged with a faint blush. Her almond-shaped eyes shimmered with moisture, while her glossy black hair was arranged in a side bun.
What a pretty young woman. The official disciple uniform further brought out her heroic air.
Jiang Yuan nodded, his emotions barely stirring, and said flatly, "Hello."
"Senior Brother Jiang, you've become an official disciple too! What perfect timing! I just broke through as well. We can take missions together!" The young woman smiled warmly.
"May I ask... who are you?"
The smile at the corner of the young woman's lips froze. Then she puffed out her cheeks and said, "Senior Brother Jiang, have you forgotten? Three years ago! You rescued me and brought me back to the escort agency!"
Jiang Yuan searched through his memories and finally learned who this young woman was. It seemed he had formed some karmic connection with her three years ago.
Back then, he had indeed seen a little girl unconscious by the roadside and casually brought her back to the escort agency. After handing her over to the agency, he had never asked about her again.
So Yin He was that little girl from three years ago?
She had cultivated to the Late Qi and Blood Stage in three years. Her talent was rather impressive.
Jiang Yuan's furrowed brow relaxed slightly. He nodded at Yin He, then said, "So it's you. Congratulations on your breakthrough."
He stopped looking at her, turned around, and removed that token from the wall.
"Report back here once you've completed it."
A lazy voice rang out. Jiang Yuan looked over and saw an old man seated in a bamboo chair.
Jiang Yuan cupped his hands toward the old man in respect.
He had no idea whether the old man saw it.
"Senior Brother Jiang! Senior Brother Jiang! Take me with you!" Yin He chattered at his side, making Jiang Yuan somewhat annoyed.
Jiang Yuan did not want to pay Yin He any attention.
What junior sister? She would only slow the speed of my blade, all right?
But Jiang Yuan answered Yin He with a smile, saying a few polite words that made her smile bloom.
Jiang Yuan secretly wondered whether his looks in this life were simply too outstanding. This girl seemed to be actively throwing herself at him.
The two agreed to meet at dawn the next day and head to Qihe Village together for the mission.
In truth, Jiang Yuan had never had any intention of bringing Yin He along.
What a joke. He was going there to hunt anomalies, and would most likely have to reveal his trump cards. Why would he bring along a stranger?
He was not tired of living.
Still, Jiang Yuan found it strange that none of those novel plots had occurred, where some godlike foppish young master appeared to fight over a beauty.
Wait! Wasn't he himself a foppish young master?
Jiang Yuan shook his head, clearing away the chaotic thoughts in his mind.
The two parted with smiles.
What Jiang Yuan did not see was that after separating from him, Yin He naturally left the escort agency. She wandered through the vast Haiyuan City as though at random before eventually entering a small courtyard.
Faint, nearly inaudible sounds drifted out from within the courtyard.
"Qihe Village, mission for one to three people. Collect Heart of the Black Wolf. Reward..."
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