"Mother, these things are specifically for you." Jiang Chen smiled.
"Chen'er, where did you get so many spirit stones to buy Spirit Nurturing Pills?" Li Huirong asked.
"Mother, I earned all of them. I picked this Fifth-tier Red Sun Fruit in the Great Desolate Mountain Range," Jiang Chen said.
"What? You went to the Great Desolate Mountain Range a few days ago?" Li Huirong was startled.
Although Jiang Chen had said he could still cultivate, his realm was weak after all. Entering the Great Desolate Mountain Range was no different from courting death.
There were not only powerful demonic beasts there, but also cultivators who entered the range. Killing people and seizing their treasures happened often in the Great Desolate Mountain Range. It was far too dangerous.
Things were a little safer in Qingyue Town. There were many people there, so few dared to run wild.
"Chen'er, don't go to the Great Desolate Mountain Range anymore, understand? If something happens to you again, what will your father and I do?" Li Huirong said worriedly.
Jiang Chen's heart warmed. He knew that his mother was worried about him. This was simply how the world worked: martial strength was revered, and the weak were prey to the strong.
Jiang Chen had entered the Great Desolate Mountain Range because he wanted to become stronger. That way, he could control his own fate and protect the people important to him.
"Mother, don't worry. I'm fine. My cultivation has already recovered." After saying this, Jiang Chen released his cultivation aura: Martial Artist Realm, Fourth Level.
"You're actually at the Martial Artist Realm, Fourth Level?" Li Huirong was startled.
She was a Martial Artist Realm, Ninth Level cultivator. Now that Jiang Chen had released his aura, she could clearly sense his exact cultivation level.
How had Jiang Chen's strength surged so much after only a few days apart?
"That's right. I'm already at the Martial Artist Realm, Fourth Level. So even if I enter the Great Desolate Mountain Range, I have a certain ability to protect myself. I won't go too deep, either. I only recovered so quickly because I encountered an opportunity," Jiang Chen said.
"I see. Since your strength reached this level in such a short time, you must have encountered quite a few opportunities. In that case, I won't ask any further," Li Huirong said in relief.
Of course, as a mother, she was delighted that her son had grown stronger.
"So, Mother, take these three Spirit Nurturing Pills. Try to enter the Martial Master Realm as soon as possible. I have cultivation resources," Jiang Chen said.
"All right. Our Chen'er has grown up." Li Huirong nodded and accepted the things Jiang Chen gave her.
All along, their family had possessed few resources. If they wanted to cultivate and grow stronger, they needed not only natural talent but also more resources.
Why did so many people want to join powerful forces?
It was because joining a powerful force gave them a chance to obtain more resources.
Why did so many experts emerge from powerful forces?
The younger generation of a powerful force was not necessarily more talented than the geniuses of a small force, yet their cultivation was much stronger.
A major reason was that powerful forces could provide abundant resources to nurture their disciples.
Resources were strength.
If one wanted to become stronger, one had to obtain more resources.
Even if someone from a humble background possessed great talent, without sufficient resources or favorable conditions, that talent could easily be buried.
"Mother, I need to make a trip to the Martial Arts Pavilion. Prepare dinner and wait for me to come back," Jiang Chen said.
"All right." Li Huirong nodded.
Now that Jiang Chen's strength had risen, he needed more powerful martial techniques.
The martial techniques sold outside were too expensive. The techniques in the Jiang Family's Martial Arts Pavilion were a better deal.
The three great families of Qingyue Town each had their own Martial Arts Pavilion. The cost of cultivating martial techniques was only one-fifth of the price charged by outside shops.
For the family's disciples, this saved a huge sum of money.
Moreover, the fees collected by the family were used for family expenses, killing two birds with one stone.
Otherwise, where would the cultivation resources provided to the younger generation each month come from?
Jiang Chen soon arrived at the Martial Arts Pavilion. This time, he intended to carefully select several martial techniques. That way, he would have more means at his disposal when facing enemies.
When Jiang Chen stepped into the courtyard of the Martial Arts Pavilion, many Jiang Family clansmen were surprised to see him appear.
What was Jiang Chen doing here?
Hadn't Liu Yun crippled his cultivation?
The others still did not know that Jiang Chen's cultivation had recovered.
The matter of Jiang Yun and his brother being beaten up by Jiang Chen had not spread yet, so many people did not know that Jiang Chen's strength had become even greater.
The Martial Arts Pavilion's main courtyard was also a training ground. Many Jiang Family clansmen cultivated there or sparred with each other to gain combat experience.
Jiang Chen had come here many times in the past.
"Jiang Chen, what are you doing here?" A fat man stopped Jiang Chen at that moment.
This fat man was Jiang Nan, the second son of Great Elder Jiang Hai. He was at the Martial Artist Realm, Third Level, and was also one of the Jiang Family's genius disciples.
It could be said that anyone who reached the Martial Artist Realm before the age of twenty could be called a genius.
Ordinary people generally entered the Martial Apprentice Realm at around fifteen.
Great Elder Jiang Hai had a poor attitude toward Jiang Chen's branch.
Earlier, when Liu Yun had compensated them with pills, Jiang Hai had coveted those pills. Completely disregarding the feelings of Jiang Chen and his father, he had said that he wanted to take them.
Family Head Jiang Tian was preparing to select a Young Patriarch. In a few years, Jiang Tian would enter secluded cultivation to attempt to break through to a higher realm.
The next family head would then be selected from among the elders.
Jiang Chen's father, Jiang Yunfeng, was the youngest among the Jiang Family's elders, and he also possessed the greatest talent. At thirty-nine, he was at the Martial Master Realm, Fifth Level.
As for Great Elder Jiang Hai, he was fifty-six years old and at the Martial Master Realm, Eighth Level.
Jiang Yunfeng was the Great Elder's strongest competitor. When selecting a new family head, they would most likely choose an elder with great potential.
Earlier, Jiang Hai had approached Jiang Yunfeng and asked him to support his bid for Young Patriarch. Jiang Yunfeng had refused, saying that he respected the decision of the current family head, Jiang Tian, and would not form a private faction with anyone.
Jiang Hai had now won over four elders. Jiang Yunfeng's refusal made Jiang Hai think that Jiang Yunfeng wanted to compete for the position of Young Patriarch and had rejected his overtures for that reason. Thus, his attitude was extremely unfriendly.
"I'm here, of course, to select a martial technique." Jiang Chen spoke indifferently.
Jiang Chen did not stop walking. Because of Great Elder Jiang Hai, Jiang Nan's relationship with Jiang Chen was poor as well.
"Jiang Chen, you're a useless cripple now. What martial technique are you here to choose? Even if you had one, could you cultivate it? Go back. This isn't a place you can come to."
"You were qualified to come here before, but now that your cultivation has been crippled, you're no longer qualified." Jiang Nan sneered.
Jiang Nan's words drew many gazes. Quite a few Jiang Family disciples whispered among themselves, mostly saying that Jiang Chen should not have come here.
Of course, many Jiang Family disciples remained silent, looking at Jiang Chen with pity.
Some time ago, Liu Yun had crippled Jiang Chen's dantian. Many people had been present and witnessed that scene.
That day had also been a disgrace to the Jiang Family. In front of so many Jiang Family members, someone had crippled the cultivation of a Jiang Family disciple. It was undoubtedly a slap to the Jiang Family's face.
Yet the Jiang Family could not resist. Once they angered the other party, the Jiang Family would be in peril.
The gap in strength was simply too great.
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