Cultivation, Second Layer; Fourth Grade Minor Grandmaster

Inside the Stone House.

Mu Ye was enveloped in a pale blue water shield. Through the flowing curtain of water, he could vaguely see light gushing continuously from the area around his kidneys.

Spiritual Energy rapidly gathered around him, forming a faint current that circled the water prison.

A moment later, as the talisman paper gradually lost its luster, the water prison slowly disappeared.

Mu Ye opened his eyes, feeling the Spiritual Power flowing smoothly through his body, no longer blocked.

"Wait, how did I reach the Qi Refining Second Layer?"

"Did I just break through the bottleneck?"

"I kept opening Divine Apertures... and the bottleneck just disappeared?"

Mu Ye scratched his head, puzzled. He didn't understand.

He had been stuck at the Qi Refining First Layer for a long time and had thought it would take at least a year or two to advance.

Who would've thought... a few months of gaming, and he'd broken through.

Mu Ye was certain it had something to do with cultivating the Divine Aperture Secret Martial Art.

"Now that the Divine Apertures in my kidneys are fully open, I've gained more than two hundred Divine Apertures. That means I'm officially a Fourth Grade Minor Grandmaster."

Mu Ye was quite excited.

After opening the Divine Apertures in his torso, he could use all sorts of secret martial arts as if they had a source within him.

Opening any organ's Divine Apertures improved a Martial Warrior's overall strength. But once all the Divine Apertures in an organ had been opened, they granted additional, more powerful abilities.

Once the power behind a secret martial art had a source within the body, using it became as easy as a fish in water, allowing it to break through its limits.

It produced true Gang Qi.

According to the Divine Aperture Secret Martial Art, the torso was where humans stored their innate energy. That was why this kind of Gang Qi was also known as Innate Gang Qi. Once a secret martial art had Innate Gang Qi, the Gang Force carried by a punch or kick could truly melt gold and reduce bones to ash.

Mu Ye clenched his fist and slowly raised it.

As the power of the Divine Apertures hidden in his kidneys surged forth, it flowed through his limbs under the guidance of the cultivation method.

Scorching flames gathered around his fist, forming a faint fist seal as they hissed and crackled.

Mu Ye had no doubt that a few punches from that hidden power would be enough to blast the Red Flame Stones out of Qinghe Mine.

In terms of sheer effectiveness, secret martial arts at this level were no weaker than the spells Steward Xu had used. They might even be a little stronger.

If a Cultivator took a hit, that terrifying Gang Force could destroy his body in an instant.

Actually, Cultivators weren't physically weak. They could extend their lifespans, and Spiritual Power nourished their bodies year-round.

Even without deliberately training their bodies, their physical condition was still better than that of ordinary people. Their organs were in better shape, too, so killing a Cultivator wasn't easy.

Once they reached Foundation Establishment, ordinary blades and swords could barely even wound their skin.

But the Divine Aperture Secret Martial Art followed a body-tempering path, unlocking the body's hidden Divine Apertures. Once cultivated to its highest level, its power was just as formidable.

"After the Divine Apertures in the torso organs enhance them... the power of any secret martial art will increase..."

"Fourth Grade. So this is what Fourth Grade means..."

"Now that I'm at the Qi Refining Second Layer, the power of all my spells will increase. The same boost will carry over to my character..."

Mu Ye waved his hand. Spiritual Power flowed through his fingertips, and several streaks of green light flew out of his Storage Bag, circling around him like green snakes and shining with an intimidating gleam.

"After gradually getting used to this Magical Artifact over the past few days, I've finally mastered it now that I'm at the Qi Refining Second Layer."

"A few Green Peak Needles..."

These First-Order Magical Artifacts were much more useful than First-Order spells.

They were powerful and didn't consume much, but they had one drawback: they burned through money, through Spirit Stones.

All these Magical Artifacts had limited durability. Use them too much, and they broke.

"I wonder if it's because I opened the Divine Apertures in my arms... Spiritual Power flows so smoothly through them..."

"Using Object Manipulation Technique to control a Magical Artifact feels incredibly fluid. I can control it much faster, too."

Magical Artifacts were rare, so Mu Ye played around with them every day, practicing whenever he had some free time.

Mostly because using the things was pretty cool.

The Green Peak Needles shot out faster than bullets, and with good control using Object Manipulation Technique, he could change their direction at any time, making them impossible to guard against.

A Cultivator of equal strength could still defend against them, but if his opponent was weaker, they would be killed in an instant.

But against a stronger Cultivator, these Magical Artifacts weren't quite enough. They were also much easier to defend against.

"If I could spend money to bring this thing into the game world, it'd be an incredible weapon... I could kill a Fourth Grade Minor Grandmaster instantly. I might even be able to take on a Fifth Grade."

Mu Ye got a little carried away thinking about it.

"Forget it. I should get the crucial information about the Seven Absolutes Demon today... I'd better enter the game first..."

Mu Ye lay down on the stone bed and entered the game.

Zuixiang Pavilion.

Mu Ye turned into a Brothel Patron and walked inside with practiced ease.

The two young attendants at the entrance greeted him with utmost respect.

A pale-faced young master in fine clothes behind him was taken aback. He asked, "Today, you're charging everyone an entrance fee to see Miss Yuanshuang. Who is that fellow? Why didn't you charge him?"

"You're asking who he is?" The attendant on the left smiled. "Even our head manager at Zuixiang Pavilion has to pay to sleep with him. How could we charge him?"

"Huh?" The young master was stunned.

A servant beside him whispered, "I heard he's been Zuixiang Pavilion's most famous libertine these past few days... No one knows where he came from. They call him Ji Yaodao. He's not only debonair, but also skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Most importantly..."

"Most importantly, what?"

"So many of the girls at Zuixiang Pavilion are completely smitten with him..."

The young master sucked in a sharp breath.

When had Taiping City produced a Brothel Patron like this?

"I heard a lot of widowed, wealthy ladies in Taiping City want to invite him over to their homes..."

"When he comes to Zuixiang Pavilion, he's not like the rest of us. He doesn't need money at all."

"How could he not? When my aunt heard about him, she secretly sent her maid to find out more. Unfortunately, he's so elusive and mysterious, like a divine dragon whose head and tail are never seen. Ordinary people can't even find out where he is... And somehow, the more mysterious he is, the more people he attracts..."

The young masters who rarely visited Zuixiang Pavilion stared in astonishment.

By then, Mu Ye had already reached the third floor.

The third floor was Zuixiang Pavilion's Yunjian Pavilion. White clouds drifted through the mist, which curled around the room. Painted screens hung like waterfalls, and all manner of rare treasures, pearls, and elegant vessels filled the place. It gave the illusion of a celestial paradise and a hall of riches.

The Zuixiang Pavilion girls, dressed in gauzy skirts with lovely faces, moved through the clouds so lightly that their steps seemed to leave no trace. They truly looked like fairies.

"I've got to give them this: the atmosphere is perfect."

Mu Ye praised it inwardly.

Even Tianxiang Pavilion in Qinghe Market didn't go this far.

Looking around, he spotted quite a few familiar faces.

The first was naturally Feng Wuque. He wore a smile, but his face was pale, with a hint of gloom hidden in his eyes.

From his breathing, Mu Ye could tell that he seemed to have suffered some serious internal injuries.

As for the others, Mu Ye couldn't make out much.

The young leader of the Chishui Gang, the young sect leader of Nanyue Blade Sect, officers from the Taiping Prefecture government, wealthy young masters from merchant associations... They had all come in droves.

"Oh..."

Suddenly, Mu Ye spotted a familiar figure.

He was another young master, dressed in a white robe and holding a wooden fan. His features were as fine as jade, giving him the air of a refined young gentleman.

He was even more handsome than the Brothel Patron, though not as tall.

"Could that... be Shen Qingchan?"

Mu Ye recognized her immediately.

After what happened at Feng Mansion, Shen Qingchan occasionally came to the Divine Fist Martial Hall to ask for pointers. Every day after visiting Zuixiang Pavilion, Mu Ye would switch back to his Ranger routine and go practice at the Divine Fist Martial Hall. He had run into her several times. They would practice and chat together, but nothing more.

Her Favorability had climbed to 59, then gradually settled there.

"Why dress up as a man and come here?"

Mu Ye was puzzled.

The courtesan was choosing a lover. What could a young woman like her do here?

Just then, a beautiful, elegantly dressed woman stepped onto the raised platform at the front. She said in a graceful voice, "Gentlemen, today is the day Miss Yuanshuang of Zuixiang Pavilion opens her doors to suitors. I'm sure you've all come here for our Miss Yuanshuang. You all know the rules, so I won't repeat them. Miss Yuanshuang is the most outstanding girl in Zuixiang Pavilion. I'm sure you've all seen her beauty in many illustrated books. Besides that, she excels at both calligraphy and painting and is skilled in the zither and flute. I won't go into detail..."

"To become our Miss Yuanshuang's favored guest, you need only meet two conditions."

The beautiful woman smiled and scanned the crowd below. Her gaze lingered for a moment on the tall figure. When she saw him raise an eyebrow, she trembled slightly, her heart fluttering.

But she was exceptionally composed and quickly looked away.

"Tsk..."

Watching this, Mu Ye chuckled.

The Brothel Patron really was something. Not only was he impressive, he was a lot of fun.

Walking through Jianghu felt like stumbling into a moderator's protagonist—a walking battering ram, a trump card against women.

"What are the requirements? Is it money? How much? A hundred thousand coins? A million? I have more money than I can spend!"

"I hail from Heluo Academy, and I'm skilled in calligraphy and painting, too. This Chick Pecking Rice Painting once made me famous at the academy. Perhaps Miss Yuanshuang and I are fated to meet."

"Miss Yuanshuang is peerlessly beautiful. Those of you with ugly mugs should stop embarrassing yourselves. She'd never pick you..."

"Bullshit. Miss Yuanshuang is a woman of great talent. She'll definitely value a man's character and ability... She won't care whether you're handsome..."

"..."

The crowd below argued noisily.

The beautiful woman smiled and raised a hand.

"Everyone, there's no need to argue. First, let me tell you about the first condition."

"Bring the painting!"

Two maids walked over, carrying a scroll.

"Please have a look, everyone."

One maid stood still while the other unrolled the painting.

The scroll was incredibly long. It depicted the streets of Taiping City, including the mansions of the great families and the entrances to the martial arts halls. Even the peddlers' faces were drawn with lifelike detail, and the steamed buns seemed to give off an enticing aroma right through the painting.

More strangely, as the scroll slowly unrolled, the people in the painting—even the sun in the sky—moved. The streetscape kept changing, from sunrise to sunset. By the time the scroll had been unrolled to the bottom, the daytime scene had turned into night.

It was like a moving Along the River During the Qingming Festival.

The guests watched in rapt fascination, their minds shaken.

Mu Ye was stunned, too.

What incredible painting!

After half a month of practicing his skills, and with the Brothel Patron's exceptional talent, he had already reached quite a high level in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting.

[Painting: 45/100 (Outstanding)]

These skills didn't have levels. A score of 100 was the highest.

At this level, an ordinary person could make a living selling paintings on the street.

But as the light from the platform shone over the scroll, its technique revealed one beautiful scene after another. This was truly an impressive technique!