Mr. Gu Ji

Cloud Martial Extreme Strength Nineteen Forms was merely a secret manual. It was precious, to be sure, but if Hengyun Sect wished, it could print as many copies as it wanted.

But for many small lineages and unaffiliated martial artists, it was hard to obtain!

Wu Yuan did not know the price of twenty Supreme-grade Body Tempering Pills, but he estimated they were worth at least five thousand taels of silver.

And these two gifts weren't considered valuable?

Spirit Condensing Pill? Immortal treasure? Wu Yuan wondered to himself.

Even someone of Gao Yu's status spoke of it so solemnly? Just how valuable was it?

Most importantly, what had Wu Yuan just heard? The Patriarch had collected it from an Immortal's Ruins?

"Senior, what are these Immortal's Ruins you mentioned? Could it be that immortals really exist in this world?" Wu Yuan couldn't help asking.

A First-rank Martial Artist represented the limits of the human body.

Heavenly Ranking Experts broke through those limits and were known as Land Immortals. Though Wu Yuan had never truly reached that level in his previous life, he had a vague idea of what it meant.

Real immortals? Gods?

"Haha, that's hard to say." Gao Yu smiled. "The Thirteen Prefectures of the Central Land are vast and boundless, and the Three Overseas Prefectures are even more extraordinary. They're more than a hundred times the size of Jiang Province. The world is filled with wonders, and there are many marvelous places beyond the imagination of ordinary martial artists!"

"All I know is that many mysterious regions capable of producing Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures are called 'Immortal's Ruins' by the outside world. They're filled with danger, and only the top experts are qualified to enter."

"But where are those places? How does one get in? I don't know," Gao Yu said.

The information he had shared was, in truth, confidential. Ordinary people had no right to learn of it, and even many Third-class and Second-class Experts knew nothing about it.

Everyone present, however, was part of Hengyun Sect's inner circle.

He was certain Wu Yuan would become one of Hengyun Sect's inner-circle members in the future.

"Mysterious regions that produce Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures?" Wu Yuan's heart stirred. The Spirit Liquid he used was unquestionably extraordinary.

A wondrous substance like that surely couldn't be produced in an ordinary place.

"Protector, what does this Spirit Condensing Pill do?" Wu Yuan asked. "And how should it be used?"

Every treasure had its proper method of use.

Used incorrectly, it could bring disaster instead of fortune!

Huan Xinyan also looked at Gao Yu curiously. Even the middle-aged man in hemp clothes, who had kept his eyes lowered, shifted his brows slightly.

"There are many Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures in this world, but most of them target the body," Gao Yu said. "Things like the West Kunlun Mountain Snow Lotus, Ancient Immortal Dew, and Earth Core Berry, as well as our Hengyun Sect's most famous Cloud Spring Blood, all belong to this category."

"These treasures target the Lower Dantian Palace. Their effects on the Middle Dantian Palace are slight, so they hold little appeal for Earth Ranking Grandmasters."

"A very small number of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures have miraculous effects on the Middle Dantian Palace and even the Upper Dantian Palace."

"This Spirit Condensing Pill is an extraordinary treasure that specifically acts on the Upper Dantian Palace!" Gao Yu said solemnly.

"Targets the Upper Dantian Palace?" Wu Yuan's eyes lit up.

He knew that in his previous life, the Human Federation had used countless technological methods, yet none could help a Grandmaster open the Upper Dantian Palace.

"Of course, the Spirit Condensing Pill is wondrous, as I said."

"But the Upper Dantian Palace is so mysterious. According to Hengyun Sect's records, many top experts and even Earth Ranking Grandmasters have taken the Spirit Condensing Pill with no obvious results. Most only felt a little more alert," Gao Yu said with a sigh. "The Hall Master believes that if you awaken the 'Aperture' of your Upper Dantian Palace, this item might have an extraordinary effect on you!"

"For someone who recognizes its value, even hundreds of thousands of taels of silver couldn't buy a single pill."

"There are ten pills in this jade bottle," Gao Yu said, pointing to it.

"Ten thousand taels each? And there are ten of them in the bottle?" Wu Yuan's face filled with astonishment.

Didn't that mean...

This little white jade bottle was worth several million taels of silver?

One gold tael could be exchanged for ten silver taels.

These Spirit Condensing Pills were truly worth their weight in gold!

"Haha, don't be surprised. 'Worth its weight in gold' is just a saying. The finest Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures are usually traded for other treasures. How could their value truly be measured in gold and silver?" Gao Yu smiled. "Take our Hengyun Sect's Cloud Spring Blood, for example. It's only supplied to elite disciples and the sect's higher-ups for cultivation. It isn't sold to outsiders!"

"Gold and silver? You can't eat or drink them, and they can't directly increase your strength."

"For a nation or a sect, the most important thing is to continually cultivate top-tier martial strength," Gao Yu said with a sigh. "With strong martial power, why worry about a lack of money?"

"Without martial power, even a mountain of gold and silver will be lost!"

Wu Yuan nodded slightly.

Whether banknotes, gold certificates, or physical gold and silver, they were all essentially universal equivalents, debt certificates, and tokens of trust. They had little value in themselves.

Their existence depended on stable order!

And stable order depended on martial power!

Take the banknotes and gold certificates issued by Stellar Tower. The hundred sects and nations across the world accepted them because they trusted Stellar Tower's thousand-year reputation.

"The method of taking it is simple. Take it orally while your mind is calm," Gao Yu continued. "Take two pills at a time. After each dose, meditate for several days and try to keep your emotions steady. Leave at least half a month between doses. If you feel anything unusual mentally, wait longer before taking more."

"This disciple understands," Wu Yuan said respectfully.

He accepted the white jade bottle.

By then, all the meeting gifts had ended up in Wu Yuan's hands.

"Wu Yuan, according to the sect's rules, my Finance and Engineering Hall applies for special recruitment. But every disciple entering the sect, even a Supreme Elder's disciple, must first be verified by the Teaching Hall. So you'll have to go to Nanmeng Prefecture, have your strength verified by Nanmeng Martial Academy, and only then proceed to the sect," Gao Yu said. "Nanmeng Martial Academy is one of the Teaching Hall's three advanced academies and is authorized to conduct verifications."

Wu Yuan nodded.

He understood now. The Teaching Hall handled organizational affiliations and personnel evaluations, but it couldn't decide whether the other four halls could submit applications.

Wu Yuan didn't find the procedure cumbersome. Each of the sect's five halls had its own duties, and they supervised one another. That was the best way to keep any one hall from monopolizing power.

It also showed from another angle that Hengyun Sect was a "mature" martial arts sect!

A Heavenly Ranking Expert might found a powerful sect or even a nation and enjoy a brief period of prosperity. But without a sound system to maintain it, once that expert passed away, the sect would inevitably decline and eventually perish.

"You don't need to worry too much. Just show your strength normally, and remember not to use the 'Force Extreme' technique," Gao Yu instructed. "Meanwhile, to ensure your safety..."

"The sect will arrange for an expert to protect you at all times."

"The Li City City Guard Army will send an elite squad of ten men, all Third-class Experts, to protect you until you enter the sect," Gao Yu said.

Wu Yuan nodded.

Ten Third-class Experts?

Well-trained soldiers working together as a squad wouldn't fear a Second-class Expert and might even kill one.

That was quite a generous arrangement!

After all, most specially recruited disciples eventually became Second-class Experts at best. Hostile forces didn't have enough resources to target every one of them individually.

Just as Wu Yuan thought that was all there was to it—

"This is only the protection everyone can see," Gao Yu added. "In secret, my Finance and Engineering Hall has also arranged for an expert."

"Mr. Gu Ji." Gao Yu looked toward the middle-aged man in hemp clothes.

Whoosh!

The middle-aged man in hemp clothes rose to his feet, his eyes still lowered. His voice was calm. "Gu Ji, by order of the Hall Master, will personally protect specially recruited disciple Wu Yuan. As long as I live, Wu Yuan will want for nothing!"

"Thank you, Mr. Gu Ji." Wu Yuan bowed slightly.

A death warrior!

That was Wu Yuan's initial assessment.

And at last, Wu Yuan understood what made Gu Ji so unusual: he was ordinary!

Ordinary looks, ordinary height, ordinary clothes, an ordinary voice.

He had been sitting off to the side.

If Wu Yuan hadn't been keenly aware of his surroundings, he would almost have forgotten he was there.

"Young Master, you can simply call me Steward Ji or Uncle Ji." Gu Ji still kept his head lowered. "Starting today, I'll be your newly hired steward. In a little while, I'll change into clothes more suited to my position."

"At the same time, I hope Young Master will forget that I know martial arts."

"I am Young Master's last line of defense. Unless you are cornered or your life is in danger, I will not act," Gu Ji said calmly. "Only what remains hidden can serve as a trump card!"

"Wu Yuan will remember, Uncle Ji," Wu Yuan said, adjusting to the new form of address at once.

Gu Ji nodded slightly, took a single step, and stood behind Wu Yuan.

Though he was still wearing hemp clothes, his entire bearing had changed.

Before, he had seemed like a farmer, utterly unremarkable and quiet. Now, he seemed shrewd and worldly, with a touch of refinement.

The one thing that hadn't changed was that Gu Ji had shown no sign of knowing martial arts from beginning to end.

Even Wu Yuan had to watch him closely to notice anything unusual.

Gu Ji's transformation surprised even Huan Xinyan.

But how strong was Gu Ji? Gu Ji said nothing, Wu Yuan didn't ask, and Gao Yu didn't explain.

"Wu Yuan, do you have any other concerns or requests?" Gao Yu asked, looking at him.

Normally, there was no need to ask again.

But Gao Yu respected Wu Yuan greatly.

"This disciple is mainly worried about my family and clan," Wu Yuan said. "Could you arrange a little more protection for them?"

Wu Yuan himself wasn't afraid.

But after the last assassination attempt, he couldn't honestly say he wasn't worried about his family!

Still, Wu Yuan knew he would sooner or later have to venture out into the world. He couldn't stay by his family and clan's side at all times.

That was also an important reason he had chosen to join a power.

"Haha, that's a small matter. I'll speak to the Prefect again," Gao Yu said with a smile. "Besides, specially recruited disciples like you are given the right to live in a medium-sized residence in the eastern part of the city. It'll be more than spacious enough for your family, and you can bring along a few reliable clan members as well."

"The eastern district is a key area protected by the City Guard Army, and the Nanmeng Army also patrols and stations troops there regularly."

"Even Second-class Experts wouldn't dare cause trouble in the eastern district," Gao Yu said solemnly. "Once you become a First-class Expert, you'll be able to bring your family straight to the Sect Headquarters, where it's even safer. My own family lives at the Sect Headquarters."

"Thank you, Protector," Wu Yuan said gratefully.

"You don't need to worry about any of that," Gao Yu said with a smile. "The higher your talent and the stronger you become, the more the sect will take care of little matters like this."

"All you need to do is cultivate! Strive for the pinnacle of martial arts!"

Wu Yuan nodded.

This kind of treatment was just like that of a top scientist in his previous life: all he had to do was focus on research, and the Federation would take care of everything else.

"Good. I've already informed the Prefect's Mansion about your special recruitment, and word will spread quickly," Gao Yu said. "Prefect Jiang will make the arrangements. If you need anything, go directly to him. Once everything is settled, head to Nanmeng Martial Academy as soon as possible."

"Understood." Wu Yuan nodded.

Li City and its surrounding area spanned several hundred li and had a population of over a million, with more than a dozen counties under its jurisdiction. By any measure, it was a large place.

But news traveled very quickly among the upper classes.

In just one day, nearly every prominent figure in Li City knew that Wu Yuan, a disciple of the Prefectural Sect Martial Academy, had received special recruitment by the sect.

He would enter Cloud Martial Hall directly!