Dragon Blood Carp

Hong Jingcheng looked surprised. "One month?"

"That's right, that is exactly what Wang Jin told me."

Wei Bo looked certain. "I didn't believe it at first either, but when I went to the Firewood Gang headquarters half a month ago, I asked around. This matter had already spread throughout the Martial Arts Arena; many people know about it."

Having said that, Wei Bo couldn't help but add, "If he really used only one month to reach the first stage of Boiling Blood, then taking over two months to reach the second stage makes perfect sense."

Hong Jingcheng's eyes flickered as he muttered to himself, "Truly incredible. If he maintains this speed of cultivation, wouldn't he become a core member before long?"

Wei Bo gave a wry smile in agreement. "That guy is a real glutton for punishment. I've never seen anyone train as hard as he does. Aside from sleeping, he spends the entire day training. That must be the reason he was able to reach the second stage of Boiling Blood so quickly..."

Seeing Hong Jingcheng's solemn expression, Wei Bo asked, "Brother Hong, you asked about him specifically—do you suspect he is hiding some kind of secret?"

"Not at all."

Hong Jingcheng shook his head and said, "I just find his speed of cultivation astonishing."

Hong Jingcheng wouldn't pay much attention to someone at the second stage of Boiling Blood.

With his current cultivation at the peak of the seventh stage of Boiling Blood, dealing with Shen Mu would be as simple as crushing an ant.

Even if Shen Mu's cultivation speed were twice as fast, in his eyes, he would still be nothing more than a slightly stronger ant.

Wei Bo sighed with emotion. "But it is rare to see someone as hardworking as Brother Shen. I heard that when he was tempering his body at the headquarters, he did it almost like he was self-mutilating. Many people were deeply impressed..."

Wei Bo then changed the subject and laughed, "Brother Hong, surely you aren't worried that he might catch up to you one day, are you?"

"The only reason he is still progressing rapidly is that he hasn't finished spending the silver he earned from catching Origin Cicada. Once he runs out of money, his cultivation will naturally slow down."

Upon hearing this, Hong Jingcheng couldn't help but agree.

Just as Wei Bo said, once Shen Mu spent the silver he earned from catching Origin Cicada, what use would his diligent body tempering be?

Without beast meat to enhance his blood energy, the speed of his cultivation would naturally slow down.

The silver he had earned through Origin Cicada was already enough to carry him to the ninth stage of Boiling Blood.

He only needed to stay in Emerald Cloud Valley for another year and go through another round of catching Origin Cicada, and he would have enough resources to attempt the ninth-grade Bone Cleansing.

By then, what would Shen Mu have to catch up to him?

Hong Jingcheng shook his head, wondering how he could have thought someone at the second stage of Boiling Blood could pose a threat to him.

He looked at Wei Bo and instructed, "Prepare the carriage and send Miss Han Yan back."

Wei Bo gave a mischievous grin. "You got it."

Shen Mu was unaware that revealing his second-stage Boiling Blood cultivation had aroused Hong Jingcheng's wariness.

At this moment, he had just left Emerald Cloud Valley and was on the road to Cloud Dragon County when he encountered an acquaintance.

"Brother Shen!"

The person recognized him from quite a distance away, waving at him while running over at a fast pace.

"Luo Tao?"

Shen Mu was taken aback. When he saw the Firewood Gang uniform Luo Tao was wearing, he understood everything.

"I didn't expect you to have reached the first stage of Boiling Blood as well."

As Luo Tao approached, Shen Mu said with a smile.

"Heh heh."

Luo Tao scratched his head, wearing a simple, honest smile.

After more than three months of body tempering, he had finally reached the first stage of Boiling Blood. His frame, once full of fat, had become sturdy through the tempering, standing as imposing as a mountain.

"Brother Shen, what are you doing here?"

Luo Tao asked curiously.

"I just reached the second stage of Boiling Blood, so I took leave to register at the Firewood Gang headquarters and buy some beast meat while I was at it."

Shen Mu laughed.

"Second stage of Boiling Blood?"

Luo Tao's eyes widened in disbelief.

He had only just reached the first stage of Boiling Blood; he hadn't expected Shen Mu to have already reached the second stage.

"Brother Shen, your cultivation speed is just too fast."

Luo Tao said with a hint of envy in his eyes.

He had thought he was finally catching up to Shen Mu, but now the gap between them was only growing wider.

If you knew that I could break through to the third stage of Boiling Blood as soon as I finish my registration, wouldn't you just want to give up on life? Shen Mu thought to himself, though he smiled and said, "By the way, why are you here..."

Before he could finish, Shen Mu realized, "Did you also choose to become a Guardian in Emerald Cloud Valley?"

"Hehe, I saw that Brother Shen chose Yuan Mulberry Hall, so I chose it too..."

Luo Tao chuckled and took a wooden token from his bosom: "Here, this is my Guardian token."

Shen Mu took the token and glanced at it, his expression turning complex.

The token in Luo Tao's hand was marked Grade C, Number Nine.

This meant that Luo Tao was replacing Yuan Wenxuan's former position, also under the command of Hong Jingcheng.

If he could, Shen Mu would have preferred Luo Tao to join Firewood Hall; although the salary was lower, it was safer.

While Hong Jingcheng appeared kind on the surface, he would strike ruthlessly if anyone touched his interests.

It had taken Luo Tao three months to reach the first stage of Boiling Blood, and his family didn't have much silver to supply him with cultivation resources. Without a stroke of luck, it was almost certain he would never become a ranked martial artist.

But it was too late now; Luo Tao had already accepted the position of Guardian.

Besides, with the windfall from the Origin Cicada in the future, Luo Tao might actually have a slim chance of reaching the ranks.

"Brother Shen, we'll be able to see each other often from now on."

Luo Tao put away his token with an excited face and a wide grin.

Ever since Shen Mu had left, Luo Tao had trained even harder in body tempering, all for the sake of one day holding the same position as Shen Mu.

Now, he had finally gotten his wish.

Looking at Luo Tao's naive expression, Shen Mu shook his head inwardly.

Emerald Cloud Valley was not as simple as it seemed.

Furthermore, he was about to reach the third stage of Boiling Blood; he estimated he could leave Emerald Cloud Valley in another half a year.

"Now that you've reached the first stage of Boiling Blood, you must practice the Army-Breaking Saber Technique to temper your body from here on out. You cannot slack off in the slightest."

Shen Mu said with a serious expression.

If not for the episode with Zhou Xuan that made Shen Mu realize Hong Jingcheng's true colors, Luo Tao becoming a Guardian might not have been a bad thing.

This guy had no guile; he would probably be sold by someone and still be counting the money for them...

Yet, Shen Mu couldn't tell him about these things, or else a few words from someone else would make Luo Tao spill all his secrets.

"Brother Shen, don't worry, I will definitely train even harder and strive to catch up to your footsteps soon!"

Luo Tao said with a earnest face.

Catch up to me?

Shen Mu couldn't help but be amused.

At your current speed of cultivation, I reckon in a few years, you won't even be able to see my back, let alone catch up.

Shen Mu laughed in spite of himself: "Alright, you head to Emerald Cloud Valley; I have business to attend to in the city."

"You got it."

Luo Tao nodded with a smile: "See you in Emerald Cloud Valley then!"

After bidding farewell to Luo Tao, Shen Mu continued walking toward Cloud Dragon County.

Before he even reached the city gate, Shen Mu saw a crowd gathered under the city wall, with even more people flocking toward it.

Shen Mu's heart stirred, and he quickened his pace to join them.

Unfortunately, there were too many people gathered, and Shen Mu couldn't squeeze his way in.

"Excuse me, sir, what happened? Why are so many people gathered here?"

Shen Mu asked an elderly man beside him.

"What else could it be? Someone fished a Dragon Blood Carp out of Dark Night Lake, and everyone wants to see what a Dragon Blood Carp looks like."

The old man craned his neck, peering inside while speaking to Shen Mu.

Dragon Blood Carp?

Shen Mu was stunned upon hearing this.