Bountiful Harvest, Meeting Chen Linger as Promised

In the second courtyard, Wang Xuance wore a strange expression. He remained silent for a long while, then sighed as he watched the strange phenomenon above his head gather and disperse.

"A single martial meet gave rise to so many troubles. Even I only escaped death by sheer luck!"

Had he not, in the heat of battle, pushed all the True Martial Qi he had accumulated into the Great Arm Scripture, Wu Shan's all-out sword strike would likely have nailed him to the ground long ago.

He would have become nothing more than a corpse lying on the earth!

"The Great Arm Scripture's consumption of True Martial Qi is even more tyrannical than the Dragon Elephant Grand Stance's. All 1,220 strands were completely exhausted, yet it only advanced a little over halfway!"

A flash of insight crossed his mind—the words spoken by the white-robed youth when he had appeared.

"Qilian Mountain War Immortal Martial Art..."

For no reason at all, he had mastered the supreme martial art of a great sect. He had already violated countless taboos.

According to Wang Xuance's own plan, he should have developed quietly until he had reached a certain stage, then struck out with an iron fist.

Who would have thought that during one Six Schools Martial Meet, he would spend nearly the entire time in the limelight? It had truly gone against his original intentions.

Wang Xuance could not help but smile bitterly. He truly felt as if countless overlapping shadows stood before him, tangled and chaotic.

His weak self seemed like a chess piece in the game of great figures, at the mercy of others, powerless to act.

"Strength... I still need greater strength. I am still far too weak..."

The old man in black robes had left him utterly unable to fathom his intentions.

"Wait until I become a Martial Practitioner? What is he planning, or does he have some other purpose?"

How could such a powerful existence save him out of kindness for no reason at all, even going so far as to conceal matters for him?

After turning the matter over and over in his mind, Wang Xuance still could not grasp the slightest clue.

"Forget it. There is no use overthinking it. Once my martial cultivation reaches a certain level, these strange mysteries shrouded in clouds and mist will naturally see the clouds part and the sun emerge!"

With his thoughts cleared and his mind settled, Wang Xuance summoned his Martial Dao Template.

[Wang Xuance]

[Martial Dao Aptitude]: Low-grade bone structure.

[Dragon Elephant Grand Stance]: 100/3000 (Beginner).

[Tortoise-Snake Great Stance]: 0/6000 (Mastery).

[Crane Form Grand Stance]: 0/6000 (Mastery).

[Vajra Fist]: Fist technique perfected.

[Great Arm Scripture]: 1220/2000 (Beginner) Copper Flood Dragon Realm.

[True Martial Qi]: Eight hundred and sixty strands.

"Rewards naturally follow risks. This Six Schools Martial Meet was far more dangerous than the previous ones, but it has also brought a qualitative leap in my martial cultivation!"

"Although the perfected Vajra Fist is merely a Mortal-tier martial art, combined with the strength of the Three-Knock Blood Pass, it is enough to crush most martial men below the Martial Practitioner realm!"

With a sweep of his sleeve, Fist Aura burst forth. In an instant, tyrannical force enveloped everything within thirty feet around him, leaking out with the heavy, fierce might of a torrential downpour.

The ground could not withstand it and cracked repeatedly. Then, with a thunderous collapse, it sank several feet. The granite slabs covering it shattered into specks of dust.

Seeing that his strength had already undergone a qualitative transformation, Wang Xuance nodded in great satisfaction.

"Not bad. With only a slight activation of my Fist Aura, without even using a move, I can already wield such strength!"

"I was once somewhat wary of martial men who had condensed Essence of Blood and Qi. Now it seems they are nothing special after all!"

The tall youth could clearly sense that the mountain-toppling, sea-overturning force carried within his Fist Aura was no longer something martial men below the Martial Practitioner realm could withstand.

Ordinarily, unless one possessed high-grade bone structure in martial aptitude, it was absolutely impossible to cultivate a martial art to perfection before stepping into the Martial Practitioner realm.

Even if that martial art was only of Mortal-tier grade!

First, the power of one's blood and qi would be insufficient to sustain it. Second, without powerful bone structure and abundant medicinal herbs to advance one's martial cultivation, one could never accumulate enough foundation to push a martial art to perfection.

As for Wang Xuance, he alone cultivated three stance arts. Such a thing was unprecedented through the ages and could not be judged by common reason.

At the same time, he relied on the overwhelming might of True Martial Qi to make up for his deficiencies in bone structure and medicinal herbs.

Only through all these opportunities had he established the incomparably formidable martial cultivation he possessed today!

The Great Arm Scripture's enhancement of his strength, in particular, far exceeded his imagination.

His mind sank into his dantian. A jade-green dantian pearl no larger than a fist crouched atop the sea of qi like a tiger crouching and dragon coiling.

The two flood-dragon heads carved upon the pearl opened their bloody mouths, swallowing and exhaling blood and qi. With every intake and exhale, they increased his blood and qi by a trace. It appeared insignificant, but as days and months piled up, its effect on the growth of his blood and qi would increase day by day!

"Qilian Mountain War Immortal Martial Art... Its mysteries seem to surpass even what I imagined!"

Just as he was growing familiar with his soaring strength, within the Military Governor's Office in the outer city—

General Li sat rigidly on a wooden chair, his expression incomparably cold. Within the hall, only two elderly men sat on separate wooden chairs, sipping tea with differing expressions.

Wisps of tea vapor drifted and curled together with the burning sandalwood smoke from the purple-bronze incense burner, chaotically entwined like tangled threads.

The silent atmosphere was broken by General Li's sigh.

"Many thanks to you, sir, for acting this time. Otherwise, if the object used to suppress the artifact had been stolen, I fear my eldest senior brother would be the first to trouble me once he emerged from seclusion!"

The frontier general, ever iron-blooded and ruthless, one who had always built his standing upon decisive slaughter, was lowering his head to offer thanks for the first time.

Hearing this, the old man in dark robes raised his long brows slightly. He blew away the tea foam and chuckled, waving a hand.

"General Li, you are too serious. You and Elder Sword were each held back, while the other elders stationed in the outer city were trapped by formations."

"The fact that no elders were killed is already a tremendous blessing!"

"As the only person in the city who was not held back, it was naturally my duty to act."

"It is only... who could have imagined that Qilian Mountains would dare dispatch so many people at once, actually intending to steal the Autumn Killing Black-Yellow Drum!"

At this, General Li's iron brows shot up, his face brimming with murderous intent. His broad yellow robe and fur cloak swelled in an instant into a perfect circle.

The temperature throughout the hall turned much colder!

"What audacity! Demon Sect members actually dared covet a frontier stronghold's heavy artifact. They are truly seeking their own deaths!!"

Crack!

The sandalwood chair, which blades could not scar and water or fire could not destroy, was crushed to powder beneath General Li's hand. Sharp splinters scattered across the floor.

Though the anger in his heart was immense, General Li ultimately let out a helpless sigh.

"Though I am the frontier stronghold's military governor, the authority to deploy troops has always remained in the hands of those cowardly fellows in the inner city."

"Hmph. A pack of people drowned in wine, women, wealth, and indulgence. They merely rely on the towering glory accumulated by their ancestors—mediocre good-for-nothings!"

The two old men exchanged a knowing glance, then shook their heads with soft laughter.

Then General Li changed the subject and rose to his feet.

"Sir, every participating disciple in this martial meet has been wiped out. What should we do? Those martial school people will not be so easily placated!"

"After all, the talents of those disciples were plain for all to see. It is truly regrettable that they died such unnatural deaths."

As soon as he finished speaking, the hall sank into silent stillness once more. The situation seemed exceptionally difficult, and for a time, none of them could offer a good solution.

"Forget it. It is nothing more than a dispute over benefits. How many of those old fellows truly cherish their disciples? We can simply hold another one three years from now, and my Military Governor's Office can offer some additional benefits!"

General Li pondered briefly upon hearing this, then could only nod in agreement.

"Then let us follow your method, sir! Oh, right..."

In the courtyard, Wang Xuance, who had gradually grown familiar with the tremendous advance in his martial cultivation, held a feathered arrow in his hand and sank into thought.

Attached to the arrow was an invitation from Chen Linger of the Chen Clan. Six days later, at dawn, they were to meet at Sunset Slope outside the city and explore an ancient cave dwelling together.

Although his strength had greatly increased, exploring an ancient cave dwelling whose circumstances he knew nothing about, with dangers emerging one after another within it, could not be called anything but perilous.

Yet when he thought of how she had seized his weakness and forced him into such restraint, a cold killing intent involuntarily arose in his heart.

Back then, in order to accumulate True Martial Qi, he had left the city to hunt sand bandits. Yet those three men had actually been disciples of the demonic path.

He had seen the Demon Sect's strength with his own eyes. Although the white-robed youth had seen through his identity, only a few people knew of it.

So long as he remained within the city, he would naturally be safe enough. White Light City was, after all, a major city of Blue Orchid Continent, and there were certainly many people whose martial cultivation reached the heavens.

Wang Xuance did not need to think to know that a situation like this one had only happened once. Such a scene would never be repeated.

But if Chen Linger were to spread throughout the city the matter of his killing demonic path members and obtaining Demon Sect martial arts, that would be a different matter entirely.

The human heart was unfathomable, and human nature even more wicked.

Now, he could only brace himself. Though he knew the mountain held a tiger, he had no choice but to walk into the tiger's mountain.

"Since there are still six days left, I will first cultivate both stance arts to perfection as well. Let us see whether I can successfully condense Essence of Blood and Qi. That will count as another layer of protection!"

With his plans decided, Wang Xuance calmed his mind. Closing his eyes, he slowed his breathing and began to regulate it. His entire body exuded a killing aura like a drawn blade.

Threads of coolness flowed through his heart, and he gradually entered a state of seated meditation.

Medicine King Shop, underground secret chamber.

Chen Linger's cheeks were flushed crimson. Red radiance flowed continuously across her body, and she was drenched in fragrant sweat, panting softly.

The aura around her rose and fell, as though she stood at the threshold of breaking through, yet she had been unable to advance for a long time.

After several successive impacts, cracks spread across her skin like shattered porcelain. In only a short while, blood flowed profusely, a miserable sight to behold.

Thump!

A low drumbeat sounded from within her body, as faint as a mosquito's hum, almost impossible to hear.

Yet to the young girl's ears, it was no less than thunder exploding at her side.

"Hoo..."

She exhaled a ring of white turbid air. Unlike the ordinary foul stench, it was instead filled with a sweet fragrance. The girl slowly opened her eyes and sighed helplessly.

"I failed again. Why can't I break through the Three-Knock Blood Pass? The medicinal herbs worth hundreds of silver have never been lacking, so why can I not break through?"

"Must I truly rely on that legendary item?"

"But my branch of the eldest line has already reached a life-or-death juncture, and my brother still has not emerged from seclusion!"

Her moth brows drew together, and two streams of clear tears rolled from her eyes. Beneath her snowy skin and incomparably lovely features, they added a touch of pitiful tenderness.

Her expression was despondent, without the slightest trace of the pride that a descendant of the Chen Clan's eldest line should possess. All she had was despair and helplessness.

"I can only place my hopes on that cave dwelling... I hope you will not disappoint me..."