Armory Selection, Century Ginseng Pill! [Thanks to Pudding 50 Cents for the Alliance Leader]

Difficult, incredibly difficult.

The armory guard looked at the spoiled brat before him with resignation.

How could the Gang Leader have taken in such a thing?

He had seen plenty of people throwing their weight around, but never anyone this arrogant!

But unfortunately, he was getting a front-row seat today.

"Elder Jiang, you are a veteran of the gang; don't make things difficult for us!"

Ye Li furrowed his brows and said, "Hurry up and let me in. By blocking me here, you aren't just slapping my face—you are clearly slapping the backside of my master himself!"

"Do you want the people outside to know that the Master's own closing disciple isn't even allowed into a mere armory?"

"What do you mean by the gang's armory? At the end of the day, it is the Master's armory. If you won't let me in, could it be that you are planning a rebellion?"

Following Ye Li's lead, the group of core disciples around him chimed in, their various exhortations and threats washing over the guard like a tidal wave.

Under the pressure of public opinion, the elder guarding the gate sighed helplessly.

He had done his best to block him, gone through the motions, and said his piece; even if the Gang Leader blamed him later, he had his justifications.

Resigned, he handed over an iron token and said, "Sigh, Brother Ye, here is the token. You may choose two techniques from the bottom three floors of the armory, but you can only take two."

"Understood, understood! Many thanks, Elder Jiang."

Once granted permission, Ye Li's expression changed completely.

Like a monkey entering a peach orchard, he grinned as he took the token, then walked into the armory with light, brisk steps.

The entire armory consisted of five floors; the higher the floor, the more profound and powerful the techniques.

However, the techniques and martial skills on the fourth and fifth floors required the Post-Heaven Realm and the use of true energy to practice. Ye Li, currently in the Body Tempering Realm, couldn't go up, nor did he care to.

The entire armory was a solemn, enclosed tower-like structure, permeated with the scent of rust.

Bronze lamps were embedded in the stone walls, and one could only see by the flickering light.

The air inside was stagnant and empty; the echoes of Ye Li's footsteps on the bluestone floor broke the silence.

The first floor was the most spacious. Hanging densely from the sandalwood shelves arranged in a ring were not books, but cold iron plates.

Each iron plate was engraved with the name of a technique and a brief summary.

These labels explained the techniques, and after taking the corresponding iron plate, one could obtain the original copy from the guard.

Iron Thread Fist, Eaves-Leaping Wall-Walking, Formless Movement Technique, Vajra Hand... they were numerous and varied.

Regardless of how grand their names sounded, they were essentially goods that could be bought on the market for a few dozen taels.

They did not involve the circulation of blood and flesh, being merely simple combat techniques.

After glancing at them twice, Ye Li ignored them and stepped up to the next floor.

The space on the second floor was slightly smaller, and the number of iron plates had plummeted to about three or four hundred.

The quality of the techniques and martial skills had clearly improved by a grade.

Ye Li scanned them, his gaze narrowing as he saw a familiar iron plate: Nine Chapters Fist Manual!

"It seems Instructor Feng didn't give me mere street-tier goods back then."

Ye Li couldn't help but sigh with emotion, but upon remembering that mastering this technique could lead to the perfection of Clear Force, he felt relieved.

He did not linger, but continued upward, heading straight for the third floor.

The third floor was deeper and quieter, with the number of iron plates reduced to a few dozen.

Once here, Ye Li's spirit lifted. He slowed his pace and began to search in earnest.

Wild Ox Force, Ten Sleeve Arrow Solutions, Lost Track Ghost Step, Mysterious Shadow Divine Fist, Star-Shifting Nine-Palace Step...

Ye Li flipped through the iron plates one by one.

Compared to the first and second floors, this third floor contained not only movement techniques but also internal arts like Azure Dragon Force that could be practiced up to the Body Tempering Realm!

As for the martial skills, if the first floor's techniques were merely ordinary combat methods, and the second floor's Nine Chapters Fist Manual could be practiced up to the Clear Force, then the martial skills on this third floor could be used to break through to the level of Hidden Force!

The quality of the manuals on the third floor—whether regarding the circulation of blood and energy, the tempering of the body, or the application of force—crushed those below.

Ye Li followed the iron plates, examining them one by one.

It took a full stick of incense's time before he had thoroughly browsed all the iron plates on the third floor.

Exhaling in satisfaction, Ye Li recalled the contents of the techniques in his mind. After careful consideration, he took two iron plates from the shelf and headed downstairs.

Walking to the first floor, he pushed open the armory door and handed the iron plates to the guard, saying with a polite smile, "Sorry for the trouble."

The guard glanced at the brat speechlessly and looked at the iron plates in his hand, his brows subconsciously knitting together.

The first iron plate was a high-level movement technique, Star-Shifting Nine-Palace Step; there was nothing special about that.

The problem was the second iron plate: it was a technique that could temper blood and flesh!

"What does this brat want with more techniques? Isn't the Azure Dragon Force enough for him to practice?"

The guard was about to offer a few words of advice, but recalling Ye Li's arrogant attitude earlier, he withdrew the thought and said, "Fine, wait a moment. I'll go get the techniques for you."

A moment later, Ye Li, satisfied, clutched two thumb-thick books and said to the disciples beside him, "Brothers, don't follow me anymore. I'm going to cultivate. Master said he won't hold the Apprenticeship Banquet until I break through to the middle stage, so don't hinder my progress."

After dispersing the crowd, Ye Li hurried back to his courtyard in high spirits.

Just as he stepped through the gate, he saw a man in his early forties with a simple, honest face but sharp, steady eyes standing there with his hands cupped!

"Young Master Ye has returned."

The man grinned, revealing neat white teeth, "This subordinate is Li Liang. I have been ordered by the Gang Leader to come and await your instructions. Young Master can just call me Old Liang!"

"Li Liang?" Ye Li looked at the man who had reached the perfection of Body Tempering. Is this guy the bodyguard Master sent?

"Then I'll be troubling you from now on, Brother Liang."

Ye Li said sincerely, then looked at the pile of gift boxes arranged in the courtyard: "This is..."

"These are congratulatory gifts and calling cards sent early this morning by the various noble families and gang managers in the city. Since you weren't here, I didn't dare to touch them, so I just piled them here. Would you like to accept them, or..."

"Good, gifts are good! These must be accepted!"

Ye Li's eyes lit up instantly: "Then please, Brother Liang, collect these gifts and arrange them by category."

"Put the gold and silver in one pile, the medicinal pills in another, and the calling cards in a third..."

Old Liang acknowledged the order and immediately began to organize them with nimble hands.

A short while later, Li Liang handed a clearly written list to Ye Li.

On the list, there were thousands of taels of gold and silver, and over a hundred bottles of various pills for increasing cultivation, tempering muscles and bones, and healing or replenishing qi—all of them rare, high-quality goods on the market.

However, when Ye Li's gaze swept to the end of the list, his pupils suddenly constricted! He was hooked by one specific item.

One Century Ginseng Pill!!!

The so-called Ginseng Pill is refined from ginseng essence grown in veins of the earth. Consuming it can increase cultivation, replenish blood and qi, and polish the flesh.

Precious!

Unprecedentedly precious!

The medicinal power of a single pill is easily worth a hundred or eighty Body Tempering Pill!

This kind of item has a certain effect even for those in the Post-Heaven Realm; it is a treasure capable of saving lives.

Which brother is so generous as to use this as a stepping stone?

When he saw the name on the calling card, Ye Li smiled with relief:

"It aligns perfectly with my intentions! Today is the day I officially break into the middle stage of Body Tempering!"

Name: Ye Li

Realm: Body Tempering Initial Stage (768/1500)

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