More!

Watching the young man pour him wine,

Li Hongwu smiled at General Yang. "Old Yang, young people still need to be knocked into shape."

General Yang looked strangely at Zhou Ming before him.

He found it hard to believe that this young man was the same one who had recently looked down on countless prodigies from the arena and declared, "Send someone who can fight."

Where was a Martial Artist's dignity?

Where was the pride in his bones?

After filling both their cups, Zhou Ming took a small step back.

In a clear voice, he said, "This humble one greets the two elders and wishes you fortunes as vast as the sea, lives as long as the mountains, filial children and grandchildren, keen ears, sharp eyes, and strong bodies!"

After speaking, he bowed slightly, then held out both hands before them.

General Yang was stunned by the whole display. Then he quietly asked Li Hongwu, "Old Li, what is he doing?"

Li Hongwu burst into laughter. "He wants a greeting gift. Didn't I tell you this kid is a little rascal?"

Zhou Ming straightened up, his eyes widening in disbelief. "Surely you two elders aren't meeting a junior for the first time without even bringing a greeting gift?"

General Yang tugged at his beard.

Only when pain shot through him did he realize he truly was not dreaming.

How many years had it been? Aside from Mu'er from Old Li's family, and Huang Muheng and the other one,

which junior did not tremble before him?

It was normal enough that this brat did not know him and was not afraid of him.

But directly holding out his hand to demand a greeting gift—what a rare sight!

Li Hongwu looked at General Yang beside him and laughed. "Has it been a long time since you've seen such an amusing little rascal?"

After taking a drink, General Yang said calmly, "Indeed, it is rare."

Li Hongwu smiled. "Little fellow, what gift do you want?"

Joy surged within Zhou Ming.

Good heavens, he could actually choose!

He blurted out, "Cultivation techniques, from Fifth Grade to First Rank—a complete set!"

Li Hongwu burst out laughing. "You really have the appetite of a lion."

Rubbing his hands together, Zhou Ming grinned. "You two are a Guardian of the Nation and a general, the highest-ranking officials I know. Don't tell me you can't even produce something like this?"

General Yang glanced at Zhou Ming. "I'll give you cultivation techniques for Third, Fourth, and Fifth Grade. For Second Rank, ask Old Li."

Zhou Ming immediately grew anxious. "What about First Rank?"

"Brother Zhou, there are no First Rank cultivation techniques," Huang Muheng, who stood behind the old man, explained.

Zhou Ming cried out, "None?! Then how does one cultivate?"

Li Hongwu laughed. "What are you panicking for? You're only Sixth Rank. The road ahead is long. Once you reach Second Rank, won't you find out?"

"That's true."

With that, Zhou Ming held out his hand.

General Yang took three jade slips from his robes and handed them over.

Zhou Ming promptly stuffed them into his chest, then held out his hand toward Li Hongwu.

Smack!

"Hiss!"

Zhou Ming jerked his hand back as if shocked, immediately rubbing it. Looking down, he saw that his palm had turned bright red.

"This old man will wait for you in the imperial capital. Take first place in the Earth Tier Martial Examination, and you'll have your cultivation technique. Fail, and you won't get so much as a hair."

After saying that, Li Hongwu and General Yang rose and left.

"Mu'er, come home with me!"

After walking out of the courtyard, Li Hongwu spoke indifferently.

Li Mu held Jiang Jiang's hand and said softly, "Jiang Jiang, I'm going home for a while."

Jiang Jiang nodded.

Then Li Mu shot Zhou Ming a glare, raised her little fist, and waved it at him fiercely. "I'm leaving Jiang Jiang to you. Don't you dare bully her."

With that, she hurried after Li Hongwu's retreating figure.

Once the two old men had left, Huang Muheng pulled Zhou Ming down to sit. "Brother Zhou, I have to say, where is your Martial Artist's pride? How could you grovel like that, looking like some lackey?"

As night fell,

Jiang Jiang came out of the room carrying a pot of hot tea and happened to see Huang Muheng leave in satisfaction, carrying a jade bottle.

Jiang Jiang walked to the table, took a clean cup, poured Zhou Ming some hot tea, and said softly, "You drank alcohol. It's cold tonight, so have some hot tea."

"Mm."

Zhou Ming gave a quiet grunt.

After handing him the tea, Jiang Jiang quietly sat beside him.

After a moment of silence, Zhou Ming spoke. "Aren't you going to ask?"

Jiang Jiang raised her head, looked at Zhou Ming, then gently shook her head.

She had also seen Zhou Ming's inexplicable actions earlier. He had looked like an idiot.

Yet Huang Muheng, beside him, had had excitement in his eyes.

Even when she had just come out of the room carrying tea, she had seen the way Huang Muheng left while hugging that jade bottle.

But if Zhou Ming did not say anything, she would not ask.

The two sat quietly like that. The moon did not rise, and the sky turned completely dark.

In the darkness, Zhou Ming gave a slight wave of his hand.

In an instant, specks of dazzling color lit up around them.

Colorful spirits floated around the two of them, drifting unconsciously through the air.

It was as though they stood amid a galaxy.

Looking at the scene before her, Jiang Jiang gasped, "So beautiful!"

In an instant, her body trembled slightly. Feeling the longing rising from within her body, she asked, "Yu Xi, what are these? I feel like I really need them."

Zhou Ming waved his hand, withdrawing the blood qi that had touched the spirits. The galaxy instantly vanished, and the surroundings fell back into darkness.

Zhou Ming spread open his hand and held it before her, smiling. "These little things are called spirits. They're what I caught for Brother Huang."

Jiang Jiang stared at the spirit in his hand, eager to move. "Can you let me take a look?"

Zhou Ming smiled. "These things are extremely delicate. I can catch them, but you can't. You need to release blood qi to wrap around them."

A short while later, Jiang Jiang looked at the spirit in her hand, swallowed, and asked, "You're saying it can improve a person's innate talent and comprehension?"

Zhou Ming shrugged and smiled. "Want to try it? Even if it doesn't work, this little thing won't harm you."

Jiang Jiang raised a slender brow. "Of course I have to try! I've never heard of anything that can alter a person's innate talent and comprehension. But if you cripple me, you'll have to take responsibility."

"Don't worry! I guarantee it's harmless!"

Zhou Ming raised a hand and beckoned. In an instant, a group of spirits surrounded Jiang Jiang and danced gracefully around her.

Looking at the spirits that had appeared around her, Jiang Jiang did not hesitate. She released her blood qi, wrapped them up, and absorbed them into her body.

Feeling the satisfaction rising within her, Jiang Jiang said, "More!"

All night long, Zhou Ming worked tirelessly under Jiang Jiang's repeated cries of "More!"

By the time Jiang Jiang was thoroughly satisfied, dawn had already arrived.

Once her body could no longer absorb spirits, Jiang Jiang immediately began circulating her cultivation technique to convert her blood qi.

Watching her eager appearance, Zhou Ming sighed.

He muttered softly, "Was that really necessary? I worked hard all night, and she doesn't even know how to reward me."

Around noon,

after finishing her meat, Jiang Jiang turned around and went straight back to cultivating.

Zhou Ming looked at the figure sitting cross-legged in cultivation and shook his head.

It was over!

Her talent had improved.

But she had become stupid—a cultivation maniac.

He could not understand it. During this period, he had barely seen Jiang Jiang practice, so how had she become such an obsessive cultivator after the Turbid Qi in her body had been removed?

She was not like him. Cultivation could not be achieved overnight for her, so was there any need to work that hard?

He had even wanted to ask whether anything besides her talent had changed.

After becoming an Immaculate Body, he had gained a unique innate divine ability.

What about everyone else? What would they awaken?