A fifth-grade martial artist's aura surged out of the meeting hall. Jiang Liu was so intimidated that he hurriedly retreated several steps, only stopping after he felt he could withstand it.
Jiang Liu looked at the guards standing at the entrance as if nothing had happened and felt impressed. It seems these two aren't weak either! At the very least, they're stronger than me.
When he realized that even two random guards were stronger than him, Jiang Liu's heart, which had grown somewhat inflated after breaking through to second-grade martial artist, instantly cooled down considerably.
Jiang Liu hurried forward and said to the guards, "Could you two please announce me? Tell them Jiang Liu is requesting an audience!"
The guard standing on the left looked at Jiang Liu with amusement and said, "The hall master is furious right now. Are you sure you want to go in?"
Jiang Liu cupped his hands with an expression of facing certain death. "Sorry for the trouble, brothers. Please announce me!"
"All right! Since you want to go in there and get chewed out, I'll go in and announce you!" After saying this, the guard on the left entered the hall. A short while later, he came back out and called Jiang Liu inside.
The moment Jiang Liu entered the hall, he felt it shrouded in a solemn atmosphere. He hurried forward and saluted Master Lin. "Master Lin!"
When Master Lin saw Jiang Liu enter, he did not continue raging. He merely looked at Jiang Liu and asked, "Why aren't you focusing on cultivation? What brings you here?"
Jiang Liu hurriedly replied, "Master Lin, I've reached Entry Grade!"
"Oh? You reached Entry Grade? That was pretty fast!" Master Lin said casually. Then he realized what Jiang Liu had said and exclaimed in disbelief, "What? You've already opened your dantian and reached Entry Grade?"
As soon as Master Lin finished speaking, his figure flashed forward like lightning. He grabbed Jiang Liu's arm and guided his vital energy into Jiang Liu's meridians, sending it toward his dantian.
The vital energy inside Jiang Liu's dantian immediately surged out as if reacting instinctively, expelling the invading vital energy.
"Don't circulate your energy!" Master Lin said.
Jiang Liu immediately controlled his restless vital energy and calmed it down, returning it to his dantian.
When Master Lin's vital energy reached the vicinity of Jiang Liu's dantian, he sensed its size. This kid's talent really is monstrous. His newly opened dantian is already so large! He then withdrew his vital energy, not daring to enter Jiang Liu's dantian to investigate, afraid that he might accidentally injure Jiang Liu.
"Good! Hahaha! I never expected you to open your dantian successfully in just one month! Which attribute did you choose for your Entry Grade?" Master Lin asked happily.
Seeing Master Lin smile, everyone in the hall also let out a sigh of relief. They began laughing and chatting, and the atmosphere in the hall immediately relaxed.
"All right! Quiet down and let Jiang Liu speak." Master Lin stopped them from continuing their discussion.
"Master Lin, I'm most compatible with the wind attribute!" Jiang Liu replied.
"Wind? I remember the Technique Hall has a Mystic-grade wind-attribute heart method. Did you go and find it?" Master Lin asked, recalling it.
Jiang Liu hurriedly took out the manual. "Master Lin, I brought the wind-attribute heart method and Wind Walk!"
Master Lin smiled when he heard this. "You're quite clever. The moment you tested as wind-aligned, you rushed off to exchange for a heart method yourself."
"You've got your heart method and technique now. If there's nothing else, go back," Master Lin said, waving his hand.
"All right, Master Lin. I'll take my leave first!" Jiang Liu cupped his hands and saluted Master Lin, the various leaders, and the stewards in the hall before turning and leaving. However, when he saluted Lin Hai, he saw Lin Hai winking at him, though he had no idea what it meant.
After Jiang Liu returned to the small courtyard where he lived, he recorded the two manuals into the system.
Auxiliary System: Name: Jiang Liu Realm: Martial Artist (Second Grade 352/1000) Alchemy (Beginner 45/100) Medicine (Not Initiated 0/50) Heart Method: Five Elements Heart Sutra (Ungraded, Not Initiated 374/500) Lightning Guiding Art (Yellow Grade, Low Rank, Not Initiated 95/100) Thunderclap Art (Yellow Grade, Low Rank, Not Initiated 95/100) Storm Art (Mystic Grade, Low Rank, Not Initiated 94/200) Frost Art (Yellow Grade, Low Rank, Not Initiated 94/100) Techniques: Wind Walk (Mystic High-Grade, Minor Achievement 860/3200) (Trait: Evasion) Whirlwind Kick (Mystic Grade, Mid Rank, Not Initiated 0/60) Mountain Splitter Palm (Mystic High-Grade, Not Initiated 0/80) Tiger Subduing Fist (Mystic High-Grade, Minor Achievement 130/1600) (Trait: Tiger's Dread)
Jiang Liu stared at the Data Panel, feeling that something was off. Then he realized it: this movement technique was twice as difficult to train as a fist technique! He had not felt much of it during Body Refinement because he had possessed so few techniques.
Now that he needed to cultivate a heart method as well, the pressure of cultivation had suddenly arrived. No wonder combat power was so difficult to increase.
Jiang Liu had only practiced Mountain Splitter Palm twice when Lin Hai came over.
The moment he entered and saw Jiang Liu diligently cultivating, Lin Hai thought, As expected, even geniuses have to work hard. Otherwise, they'll quickly become lost among the masses all the same.
"Brother Jiang, take a break! Your big brother has something to tell you." Lin Hai looked at Jiang Liu as he spoke.
After Jiang Liu finished a set, he ceased circulating his energy and asked, "What's the matter, Brother Hai? Tell me!"
"The house you used to live in, in West City—have you gone back there recently?"
"West City? No, I haven't. What happened?"
"Oh, good. If you haven't gone back, don't return there for the time being either. I came especially to remind you since I knew you used to live in West City," Lin Hai advised.
"Thank you, Brother Hai! Did something happen in West City?" Jiang Liu asked in confusion.
"West City has begun falling into chaos, and there are signs of it spreading into our territory in South City. The hall master was furious about this just now and has ordered us to impose martial law!" Lin Hai sighed.
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