Fire Kylin Pearl

"Oh?"

Qin Jiu heard this.

He did not reveal any particular expression.

He did not know at this moment whether the other party was speaking with intent or merely mentioning it in passing. If it were the former, then what would be the attitude of the Mystic Firmament Sect—no, of Zheng Dahai and these two men?

Qi Yuan saw his calm, unruffled demeanor.

He took another deep look at him.

"Our sect and the Divine Fist Sect have had constant friction for hundreds of years, and the rivalry between our disciples has never ceased. One must fight for three parts of reason even when in the wrong, and fight to the end when in the right. Since your family resides in the Inner City, and with Elder Zheng and us staying here, the Divine Fist Sect will inevitably try to make an issue of it."

"And the reason I specifically sought you out..."

"In truth, it is because Elder Zheng instructed me. Although you have not yet registered with the sect, the moment you held the Mystic Firmament token, you became an inner disciple. If you encounter the Divine Fist Sect, you must never retreat and lose face for our sect."

As he spoke to the end.

His expression became extremely serious.

"Whenever the reputation of the sect is involved, disciples may bleed and lose their heads, but they must never diminish the majesty of the sect."

"I hope you will keep this in mind, Junior Brother."

"Understood."

Qin Jiu nodded solemnly.

Seeing this, Qi Yuan's expression softened, and he said, "There is one more thing."

"This morning, three Willow Tendon experts from the Divine Fist Sect hurried out of the city and entered Songshan. Elder Zheng has already pursued them, and since our Divine Guard Army has not yet arrived, there are only Senior Brother Jinghua and myself, both at the Internal Strengthening level, currently in the Qin Mansion. You must send men to watch the movements of the Divine Fist Sect disciples in the city to avoid being taken advantage of."

"Elder Zheng has gone out?"

Qin Jiu was startled.

But he quickly reacted.

Those three from the Divine Fist Sect must have been heading for that so-called rare treasure, and Zheng Dahai likely pursued them for fear that something might go wrong there.

Indeed.

At this moment, Qi Yuan nodded.

"Since you have entered the inner sect, there is no harm in me telling you this, but remember not to spread it."

"This Songshan County is named after Songshan, a mountain range that stretches endlessly, and within the mountains lies the Earth Vein Qi. This vein was altered by people of a great sect using powerful means and the turbid qi of Demons, condensing it into a Land of Fortune that contains a rare treasure. On the day this treasure takes form, strange phenomena appear in the sky."

While speaking.

Qi Yuan raised his hand outside the pavilion and caught a snowflake.

Then he pressed his fingers together and crushed it.

"The fact that snow falls in the Songshan region in the seventh month is due to this rare treasure. However, according to Elder Zheng's estimation, it will still take a year or two of nourishment before the treasure is born."

"He went out to pursue them."

"Because he is afraid those people will destroy that precious land."

"What kind of treasure is it?"

Qin Jiu asked curiously.

Qi Yuan shook his head: "It is currently unknown, but Elder Zheng once said that this treasure is related to the condensation of True Qi and is extremely precious."

"Condensing True Qi?" Qin Jiu asked in confusion: "Senior Brother Qi, although I have no master, I know that after breaking through to Internal Strengthening through the Three Refinements Meridian Clearing, one can practice secret techniques to cultivate internal organ power, and then internal force can transform into qi, breaking through to the Willow Tendon level above Internal Strengthening."

"Could it be that the transformation of internal force into qi requires external objects?"

Three Refinements Meridian Clearing.

This realm connects all the meridians of the body, allowing internal force to fill the entire body's meridians. When martial arts are performed, the power is more than ten times that of a Bone Forging master.

After breaking through to Internal Strengthening.

One can use internal force to nourish the internal organs, prolonging life and keeping the body strong and vigorous.

As for the martial arts realm after Internal Strengthening.

Qin Jiu only knew a few fragments about the Willow Tendon level; he could not find other information even after searching the whole county, so he was very confused.

"It is normal for you to have this question, Junior Brother."

Qi Yuan pondered: "The transition from Internal Strengthening to Willow Tendon does indeed only require secret techniques to cultivate secret power to transform internal force into qi. However, the Willow Tendon realm is extremely special; it concerns the foundation of martial arts and is also the key to becoming a Grandmaster in the future."

"The reason it is so important lies in the True Qi."

"Among all martial arts in the world, those that imitate forms are the best; hence, martial arts are divided into lower, middle, and upper grades. The True Qi of the Willow Tendon realm also has quality distinctions. The higher the quality, the greater the hope for Condensing Qi into Pill in the future. Moreover, the level of quality also determines one's strength when fighting others."

"However, except for those with extraordinary talent."

"The vast majority of martial artists have True Qi of the lower three grades after breaking through to Willow Tendon. If they want to improve the quality, they can only rely on external objects to condense it."

"So that is how it is."

Qin Jiu's expression shifted slightly.

If the exotic treasure nurtured by the ley lines of Songshan was truly related to this.

What kind of monumental treasure must it be?

After all, the mere fact that its formation could trigger such celestial phenomena...

"Junior Brother is currently only at the Three Refinements level."

"There is no need to think so far ahead."

Seeing him lost in thought, Qi Yuan could not help but offer a reminder.

Far?

Upon hearing this, Qin Jiu did not refute him. For a normal martial artist, the Three Refinements Meridian Clearing indeed required time to grind through.

After all, it involved the meridians of the entire body.

No matter how cautious one was, it was never too much.

But he was different.

Possessing Withered Wood Meets Spring, for anything related to physical improvement, Qin Jiu could simply brute-force his way through without any fear of harming himself. The path that took others three years, or even over a decade, could be traversed by him in a mere few months.

Not long after.

Qi Yuan took his leave.

Qin Jiu sat alone in the pavilion, quietly activating Ghost Illumination.

Baili Clan... prodigy...

Recalling what Qi Yuan had said earlier, he shifted his focus, sweeping from the Inner City to the Outer City, and finally, he truly found a wisp of black radiance.

West of the Outer City.

Inside a four-courtyard residence.

Several figures with extraordinary auras gathered. The woman at the lead held a bright silver six-harmony spear and was clad in silver-white armor. Her brows were sharp, and she looked imposing and heroic.

"People of my Baili Clan should not die in Songshan County without a sound. Speed up your investigation. Find out everywhere those two outer sect disciples and Baili Ce went and whom they met after entering the city. Do you hear me!"

"Senior Sister Baili, we have yet to be initiated into the Divine Fist Sect. Without that status, many factions in the city do not welcome us, and the Demon Suppression Bureau is watching..."

"Useless!"

The woman's willow brows stood on end as she scolded, "In this county, my Divine Fist Sect is the law of the Great Zhou. Which faction would dare to question your identity? Do not make excuses for your own incompetence."

"This young lady only cares about results."

"If you have nothing by sunset, then just get lost."

Qin Mansion, East Wing.

After hearing their conversation, Qin Jiu frowned slightly. He first deactivated Ghost Illumination, then looked toward the doorway.

The next moment.

The figure of Qin Xuanzhou walked in.

"Reporting to the Patriarch."

He walked up to Qin Jiu and bowed slightly, "Qin Jingzheng sent someone to deliver a Fire Kylin Pearl."

"Fire Kylin Pearl?"

"This is a special fourth-rank spirit beast king core. If an ordinary person carries it, they will be immune to cold and heat, free from all illnesses, and it will nourish their complexion and prolong their life. If a martial artist consumes it, it can internally strengthen their blood and qi, nourish their physique, and has the miraculous effect of Bone Forging. Qin Jingzheng said that the three of them pooled their resources to exchange for it at the Demon Suppression Bureau, specifically as a gift for the Old Madam."