Information on the Twelfth Level of the Golden Bell Shield, Divine Eagle!

Azure Sun City.

It was one of the cities under Southern Fujian Commandery, slightly larger than Pasture City and quite prosperous. Most of its residents made their living off the Grand Canal.

Azure Sun City had three great lineages.

They were Gao Family Village, Li Family Village, and Ling Family Village. The three lineages were roughly equal in strength.

Gao Family Village was located within Azure Sun City.

It covered more than a dozen li. Its village lord, Gao Yuan, wielded the Lightning Sword Technique with peerless ferocity.

The moment Village Lord Gao Yuan heard there was news of his second brother, Gao Yang, he dashed out of the village. Behind him followed a beautiful girl in purple, with skin white as snow and about fifteen or sixteen years old, as well as a middle-aged man around forty.

"Brother Lin, you have seen my second brother, Gao Yang? Where is he now?!"

Gao Yuan invited Lin Changsheng into the village hall, had him seated and served tea, then impatiently asked.

"Village Lord Gao, please restrain your grief."

Lin Changsheng spoke in a deep voice.

Gao Yang was already dead, so he simply said it outright.

"Ah? My second brother, he..."

Hearing Lin Changsheng's words, Gao Yuan revealed an expression of disbelief before grief filled his face. The middle-aged man and the girl in purple beside him also showed sorrowful looks.

"Brother Lin, my father... what exactly happened to him?"

The girl in particular trembled all over. She stepped forward, looked at Lin Changsheng, and asked with a quavering voice.

"It happened like this. Beneath Lone Wolf Mountain in Pasture City, I encountered a middle-aged man suffering from a severe poison. Knowing that he would not survive, he gave me the thirty taels of silver on him as payment and asked me to deliver a message to Gao Family Village. After he finished speaking, the poison flared up."

"I buried him where he lay and came here as agreed to inform you."

Lin Changsheng looked at the girl and spoke in a deep voice.

"Poisoned? Brother Lin, do you know what poison my second brother was afflicted with?"

Grief appeared on Gao Yuan's face as he asked.

"I know nothing about poisons, so I cannot say. At the time, his entire face was black, and black blood flowed from his wounds. He said the one who ambushed him was Sky-Piercing Harrier Ling Ziyu."

Lin Changsheng spoke in a deep voice.

"Ling Ziyu! It was him...!"

Hearing Lin Changsheng's words, disbelief appeared on Gao Yuan's face.

Ling Ziyu was the third son of the Ling Family of Azure Sun Town. A year ago, Ling Ziyu had invited his second brother Gao Yang to travel together. But why would Ling Ziyu ambush his second brother?

"This is the place where I buried Gao Yang. You can go and see for yourselves. The message has been delivered, and I have fulfilled my promise. Farewell." Lin Changsheng took out a map of Lone Wolf Mountain that he had drawn himself and handed it to Gao Yuan.

He had prepared it long ago.

When he left for Southern Fujian City, the people of Gao Family Village could use the map to retrieve Gao Yang's remains and return them to the ancestral graves.

"Brother Lin, you helped bury my second brother and have done my Gao Family a great kindness. How about staying at Gao Family Village for a few days, so that we may do our humble duty as hosts?"

Hearing Lin Changsheng's words, Gao Yuan put away his grief and spoke.

"Thank you for your generous invitation, Village Lord, but I still need to head to Southern Fujian City, so I will not impose. When you go to Pasture City, simply follow the map I gave you, and you will find the second village lord's burial place."

Lin Changsheng clasped his fists and said.

The Yin Energy Invasion was still within him. He had to hurry and find more, stronger cultivation methods to merge with the Sun-Moon Breathing Method and upgrade it into a higher-grade technique.

"Oh, does Brother Lin have business in Southern Fujian City? I wonder whether we can be of any help?"

Gao Yuan clasped his hands and asked.

In truth, he wanted Lin Changsheng to take them to find his second brother's remains, which would make things more convenient. Besides, Lin Changsheng had helped deliver the message, and they had not even had time to thank him.

"Village Lord Gao, do you know where there is information on cultivation methods for the Golden Bell Shield beyond the sixth level?"

Hearing Gao Yuan's words, Lin Changsheng's heart stirred. Gao Yuan had roamed the martial world for many years; perhaps he might have a lead?

"The later cultivation methods of the Golden Bell Shield?"

"I do know a little information..."

Gao Yuan revealed a thoughtful expression and said, "In Southern Fujian City, the Chen Family cultivates the Golden Bell Shield. I do not know how many levels of the method they possess, but it is an unpassed secret of the Chen Family..."

Gao Yuan understood this clearly.

The Golden Bell Shield had twelve levels.

At present, only the first five levels of the Golden Bell Shield circulated in the world, making them little more than common goods found everywhere.

As for the sixth level and beyond, they were all unpassed secrets of lineages, difficult for outsiders to obtain.

"The Chen Family of Southern Fujian City. Good, many thanks, Village Lord. We shall part here."

Hearing Gao Yuan's words, Lin Changsheng's heart stirred. This trip to Gao Family Village had not been in vain. He had obtained information about the later cultivation methods of the Golden Bell Shield. So long as the Chen Family had them, there would definitely be a way to get his hands on them!

"Since Brother Lin insists on leaving, it would not be proper for me to press you to stay. Brother Lin, please wait a moment!"

Helpless, Gao Yuan instructed his third brother Gao Jin to prepare some traveling expenses.

Outside Gao Family Village, the Gao Family had servants lead over a pure white horse. A bundle was tied to its back as Gao Yuan said to Lin Changsheng, "Brother Lin, you helped bury my second brother, and my Gao Family has no way to repay you. Southern Fujian City is a long journey away, so please accept this horse as transportation!"

"Village Lord Gao, you are too courteous. I have already taken the second village lord's thirty taels of silver as payment. How could I accept anything more from you?"

Lin Changsheng modestly waved his hand.

"Brother Lin, please do not stand on ceremony. If you do not accept it, my heart will not be at ease!"

"If you return in the future, I hope you will visit Gao Family Village!"

Gao Yuan spoke in a deep voice.

"Since the village lord is so sincere, then I will accept it without further refusal."

Seeing Gao Yuan's insistence, Lin Changsheng no longer declined. He immediately took hold of the horse and bid Gao Yuan farewell.

He had never ridden a horse before. This journey was just the right chance to practice.

"Big Brother, the Ling Family and our Gao Family do not share some life-and-death feud. Why would that Ling Ziyu ambush Second Brother? Could it be...?"

Beside Gao Yuan, his third brother Gao Jin watched Lin Changsheng's departing back, his eyes filled with contemplation as he spoke.

"Third Brother, where has your mind gone? Brother Lin is not strong enough to harm your second brother! Besides, even if he had acted, why would he come to Gao Family Village? Would he kindly bury your second brother too?!"

Gao Yuan sighed, then added, "Next, we will head to Pasture City and bring your second brother's remains back for burial! As for the grudge with the Ling Family, we will investigate it slowly afterward. Since your second brother was poisoned, we can find clues from his remains!"

"We must find the murderer. We cannot let your second brother die with eyes that cannot close!"

"Yes, Big Brother!"

Gao Jin nodded.

"Ziyue, you will come with your uncle to Pasture City as well!"

Gao Yuan glanced at the purple-clad girl in the distance, whose eyes were rimmed red, and said.

The girl in purple was Gao Yang's only daughter, Gao Ziyue.

"Mm."

Gao Ziyue nodded.

"Hyah!"

Clatter, clatter, clatter!

On the main road, hoofbeats thundered as a lone rider galloped toward them.

A young man in green sat atop the horse, gripping its mane with both hands and clamping its belly tightly between his legs. A black saber and a cloth bundle were strapped to his back. It was Lin Changsheng.

Along this journey.

For the first two days, he had not known how to ride very well, so his speed had been slow. Later, he gradually picked up the pace.

After eight days, he finally caught sight of Minnan Commandery City.

His cultivation had also reached its peak from continuously consuming Blood-and-Qi Pills, unable to advance any further.

[Cultivation: First-Class Realm (12499/12500)]

I wonder whether finding a new cultivation method to merge in can allow me to advance into the Martial Grandmaster Realm?

Lin Changsheng secretly thought. His heart was filled with anticipation for the Martial Grandmaster Realm.

"This Divine Eagle has been circling above my head all this time!"

Suddenly, Lin Changsheng spotted a black Divine Eagle constantly circling overhead, and his gaze turned cold.

He remembered this Divine Eagle. It had followed him all the way and circled above his head for five days!

"I've finally caught my chance!"

Just then, Lin Changsheng noticed that the Divine Eagle was gradually flying lower, about forty-some zhang above the ground—within bowshot!

He immediately took the Iron-Tire Bow from the saddle, drew it and nocked an arrow. The force of a First-Class Realm peak expert surged into it, and the feathered arrow flashed like lightning, shrieking as it tore through the wind and pierced the Divine Eagle in the sky!

"Screech!"

The Divine Eagle gave a miserable cry and fell downward!