I Need to Get Stronger (Thanks to Ten Thousand Year Old Bookworm for the Alliance Leader Reward!)

A man in black armor, burly, handsome, and exuding masculine energy, strode into the great hall and was stunned by the scene before him.

An Bulang knew that this man was Ji Changwu, the Second Prince mentioned by Ji Hongxue.

Although Ji Changwu was not a cultivator, his Blood Essence was abundant, and his bones and muscles were extremely well-trained. Various Spiritual Energies were even forcibly absorbed into different parts of his body, giving him a short-term explosive power comparable to the Profound Body Fifth Layer. He should represent the peak of human martial arts.

Cultivators at the Profound Body stage possessed a sense of Qi, allowing them to absorb Spiritual Energy from heaven and earth into their bodies, refine Blood Essence, forge tendons and bones, and expand meridians. With each increase in layer, their basic physical qualities would leap forward, and their strength would naturally improve.

Those like Ji Changwu, who lacked cultivation aptitude, could only stimulate their physical potential through various other means, even forcibly absorbing Spiritual Energy into their bodies. This not only made strengthening extremely difficult but also led to various unimaginable Bottlenecks.

Therefore, Ji Changwu's ability to cultivate combat power comparable to the Profound Body Fifth Layer was very rare, achievable only by those with great ambition and perseverance.

An Bulang's evaluation of Ji Changwu in his heart significantly increased.

Facing Ji Changwu's confusion, Ji Hongxue stepped forward and patiently explained, "This is what happened, and that is what happened."

Upon hearing this, Ji Changwu's body trembled, and he didn't know what to say.

He needed time to digest this major event. The destruction of the Jade Sword Sect was enough to shake the Azure Kingdom and even surrounding countries! The appearance of the Tiger Demon Ancestor was also enough to threaten the stability of the Azure Kingdom. He pondered whether to report this major event to the Soaring Dragon Empire first.

At this moment, Ji Hongxue said again, "Second Prince, I have another important matter to discuss with you in private."

"Alright, let's go to the next room," Ji Changwu replied.

Ji Hongxue, An Bulang, and Ji Changwu entered the side hall.

When Ji Changwu heard that Ji Wuye intended to rebel, his body trembled again, and he stood there in shock.

"How could this be? Why would my royal brother do such a thing?" Ji Changwu murmured.

Ji Hongxue handed Ji Changwu a secret letter and a map with bloody writing.

Ji Changwu, breathing heavily, read through the evidence one by one and closed his eyes with a tremble.

"Alright... I will stop my royal brother's wrongdoings..." Ji Changwu took a deep breath, seemingly having made an important decision, with a look of grief on his face. Who would want to engage in fratricide unless absolutely necessary?

Seeing that Ji Changwu had decided to stop Ji Wuye, Ji Hongxue breathed a sigh of relief and said, "By the way, my royal brother also has dealings with the Other Shore Pavilion. He previously hired Killers to assassinate me. Second Prince, you should be careful too."

"Something like that happened?" Ji Changwu's brows furrowed in anger. "Hmph! He wouldn't even spare his own sister. Don't worry, Hongxue, I will definitely stop this and ensure that scoundrel Ji Wuye receives the punishment he deserves!"

Next, they discussed making arrangements for actions against Ji Wuye.

An Bulang, too lazy to listen, stood outside the door, quietly watching the clouds drift across the sky.

He knew that he now had an enemy: the Tiger Demon Ancestor of the Heavenly Origin Realm.

Having destroyed one of its avatars, it was hard to guarantee that it wouldn't come looking for him again.

"Sigh... Heavenly Origin Realm... a monster that has already begun to comprehend the Dao and can resonate with heaven and earth. Me, at the Profound Body Third Layer, I'm really not strong enough to face it..." An Bulang muttered softly.

If others heard this, they would probably think An Bulang was crazy. A cultivator at the Profound Body Third Layer contemplating the feasibility of fighting a Heavenly Origin Realm expert?

How insane would someone have to be to have such thoughts!

An Bulang's cultivation, at present, was indeed only at the Profound Body Third Layer. His ability to fight beyond his level was entirely due to the overwhelming advantage in Sorcery, combat awareness, and the purity of his Spiritual Energy, among other factors.

But no matter how powerful he was, it still had to be based on his realm. Otherwise, many advantages could not be brought into play.

"I need to cultivate diligently. Spirit Stones, I need Spirit Stones..." An Bulang desperately wanted to improve his realm.

Half an hour later, Ji Hongxue and Ji Changwu came out of the room.

"An Bulang," Ji Hongxue called out softly, a smile of intimacy appearing on her face. "Sorry to keep you waiting."

"Is everything settled?" An Bulang asked.

Ji Hongxue nodded. "I've already discussed the specifics with the Second Prince. I'll be very busy with some things in the coming period, and I'll need to make preparations before returning to the royal palace."

An Bulang didn't mind this and directly asked, "Are there any Spirit Stones here? I urgently need Spirit Stones now. I'll take them as an advance from the reward you promised me."

"This..." Ji Hongxue turned her gaze to her brother.

Spirit Stones were crystals naturally condensed from Spiritual Energy, extremely precious, and a scarce necessity for cultivators, let alone mortals. Although Prince De's Estate had considerable financial resources, it was hard to say how many Spirit Stones they actually had.

Ji Changwu, standing nearby, immediately interjected, "The Cultivator's offerings at Prince De's Estate just received ten Spirit Stones. I think that should be enough for Fellow Daoist An Bulang to cultivate, right?"

Before An Bulang could speak, Ji Hongxue crossed her arms and said, "Ten is too few, are you trying to send away a beggar?"

Ji Changwu's mouth twitched. "What beggar is that rich? Ten Spirit Stones are enough for a Profound Body Fifth Layer cultivator to cultivate for a year. Giving too many means you can't absorb them all in a short time..."

Ji Hongxue glared at him with her beautiful eyes, becoming even angrier. "You're comparing a Profound Body Fifth Layer cultivator to my An Bulang? Who is An Bulang? My savior, a cultivator with peerless talent, divine methods, and an infinitely bright future..."

An Bulang suddenly felt that this woman in red spoke very truthfully.

Ji Hongxue raised a slender finger. "Spirit Stones, I want one hundred!"

Ji Changwu immediately knelt down, on the verge of tears. "My dear aunt, even if you emptied out Prince De's Estate, we wouldn't have that many!"

"Then how many would it take to empty your Prince De's Estate?" Ji Hongxue pressed on.

Ji Changwu: "..."

"Don't worry, I'm not robbing you. I'll definitely return it to you when I get back," Ji Hongxue said seriously.

Ji Changwu took a deep breath, looked at An Bulang, then at the very serious Ji Hongxue, and gritted his teeth. "Thirty-six! That's all the inventory Prince De's Estate has. The other Spirit Stones are also needed by the offerings. I can't possibly snatch the Spirit Stones from them, can I?"

Ji Hongxue nodded with satisfaction. "Bring them here!"

And so, An Bulang obtained thirty-six Spirit Stones.

The night was deep and quiet.

An Bulang sat cross-legged on his bed, with thirty-six Spirit Stones emitting a soft green glow beside him.

The Spirit Stones contained highly dense Spiritual Energy and had a wide range of uses. They could be used to aid cultivation or serve as an energy source for certain Arrays and Dharma artifacts.

For an ordinary Profound Body Fifth Layer cultivator, ten Spirit Stones were indeed enough for a year of cultivation. This was because their bodies couldn't withstand too much Spiritual Energy, and absorbing more from Spirit Stones as a cultivation aid would be a waste.

Absorbing Spiritual Energy to condense Blood Essence, forge tendons and bones, and expand meridians required a process. It was like a water tank: to hold more water, one not only needed to pour water in but also enlarge the water tank itself during the process...

An Bulang had entered the Tribulation Crossing Realm at fifteen. Although his father had slapped him back to the Profound Body Realm, and the water in his water jar was gone, his jar remained.

Fortunately, my father didn't smash my fish tank like Sima Guang smashing the water vat, just to make space for the water...

An Bulang muttered to himself, the corners of his mouth involuntarily curling upwards. This was the only thing he could be thankful for.

When a Profound Body Realm cultivator's reservoir is full, the water overflows. But An Bulang had no worries about this problem at all.

His water tank was already very large; when full, it would be an ocean!

An Bulang turned his gaze to the thirty-six Spirit Stones beside him, his face filled with anticipation.

After absorbing these Spirit Stones, how much would his cultivation improve?

(This book has been signed! The Snail asks for everyone's votes and rewards, which will increase the book's exposure and allow it to go further. The Snail thanks you all~)