First Battle

Bandit panicked at the sudden attack and immediately circulated the Origin Energy within his body. But suspended in midair, he could barely move and was powerless to resist Jia Lie Jun's ambush. Jia Lie Jun's fists struck Bandit squarely in the chest, sending him flying backward. He rolled across the ground and spat out a mouthful of blood.

"You little brat, you dare injure me? You must be tired of living!" Bandit roared viciously at Jia Lie Jun, fury blazing in his heart.

Jia Lie Jun was delighted that his ambush had succeeded. But when he saw that Bandit had only spat blood and was not seriously injured, his joy immediately faded, and his heart sank. When his strike had landed, it had felt as though he had hit something exceptionally hard. The sound had been that of metal colliding with a fist, rather than flesh taking a blow. He immediately understood that Bandit had placed a Heart Protection Mirror over his chest. However, Jia Lie Jun was not afraid. He sensed Bandit's cultivation to be at the late Earthly Origin Realm, while he himself was at the early Earthly Origin Realm. Though they were separated by two minor stages, his Spiritual Power keenly detected that Bandit's Origin Energy was not as abundant as his own.

Faced with the coming battle, Jia Lie Jun felt slightly excited. This was the first real battle of his life, and he was someone who greatly enjoyed excitement.

"Brat, hand over every valuable on you, and I can spare your life. Otherwise, don't blame me for showing no mercy," Bandit threatened fiercely.

"Enough. Stop talking nonsense." As Jia Lie Jun spoke, he activated a combat technique and stomped down hard. The immense force punched straight through the wooden floorboards. Borrowing the recoil from the ground, he shot toward Bandit. Bandit immediately assumed a counterattacking stance, drawing upon the Origin Energy within him as green Origin Energy covered both fists. Their fists collided. With a crack, the sound of breaking bones rang out from the point of impact. Both men were flung backward at the same time, smashing into the walls and spraying blood from their mouths. Ignoring the pain in his body, Jia Lie Jun steadied himself. One hand formed a fist while the other stretched forward, its fingers bent into a claw. Origin Energy burst from his palm, and a powerful suction force radiated from it. Bandit's body immediately flew uncontrollably toward Jia Lie Jun. Jia Lie Jun's other fist, carrying powerful wind pressure, slammed toward Bandit's abdomen. A tiny vortex condensed atop the fist, its fierce twisting suction shredding Bandit's clothing around the abdomen to pieces along with strips of flesh. Blood immediately poured from Bandit's abdomen, filling the once-fresh air with a faint stench of blood.

The fierce sounds of battle eventually woke the guests. When they opened their doors, they saw a man covered in blood smash through a room's door and fly out amid splinters. Right afterward, a young man with blood at the corner of his mouth, a savage aura around him, and an immature face slowly walked from the room. He came before Bandit and looked down at the man lying on the ground, barely clinging to life. His bloodshot eyes were filled with viciousness. Jia Lie Jun withdrew a longsword from his Universe Bag, and its tip lightly swept across Bandit's throat, leaving behind a line of blood. A massive amount of blood immediately sprayed from Bandit's neck.

Jia Lie Jun bent down and took the Heart Protection Mirror and Universe Bag from Bandit's chest. He rose and glanced indifferently at the onlookers. The moment they saw him looking their way, the people in the inn scattered like startled birds and beasts.

Back in his room, Jia Lie Jun panted heavily. His entire body was already drenched in sweat. Killing someone for the first time still weighed on him psychologically. After all, he had been a fine young man raised under the red flag. But since he had come to this world, he would have to slowly get used to it.

After moving his hand a little, Jia Lie Jun bared his teeth in pain. Opening the Universe Bag he had seized, he was greatly disappointed to find only a pitiful few Yang Yuan Stones inside.

In the days that followed, Jia Lie Jun lived a very steady life. During the day, he went to the Curio Building to study the inscription of rune patterns with Master Yan. At night, he cultivated the Divine Movement Chapter. He also discovered a Spiritual Millstone within the Ancestral Stone's space. The first time he used the Spiritual Millstone, the pain was so intense that he fainted. Though he had to endure tremendous pain each time he used it, the gains were enormous. During this period, his cultivation also advanced greatly, reaching the late Earthly Origin Realm.

"Wrong, wrong. You carved this part incorrectly. Jun'er, there cannot be the slightest mistake when inscribing rune patterns, and it must be completed in one go. Otherwise, all your prior efforts will be wasted." In a tightly shut room on the second floor of the Curio Building, Jia Lie Jun was inscribing rune patterns under Master Yan's guidance. Over the past two months, Jia Lie Jun had not succeeded even once. He had truly suffered defeat after defeat.

Inscribing rune patterns required immense patience. Simply memorizing the complex designs was extremely taxing. Not to mention that they had to be completed in one continuous effort. Though Jia Lie Jun's Spiritual Power was powerful, it was still insufficient to support him through the inscription of a one-seal rune pattern. After every training session, his Spiritual Power would be utterly exhausted. Fortunately, Master Yan cared deeply for Jia Lie Jun and would bring out medicinal herbs that nourished Spiritual Power each time.

"Jun'er, which level of the Divine Movement Chapter have you cultivated to?"

"The third level," Jia Lie Jun replied.

"Haha, good! You reached the third level in just two months. I truly did not misjudge you. Jun'er, your talent is the greatest I have seen in my life," Master Yan said with a hearty laugh.

"Not at all. It is all thanks to Master's excellent teaching."

"Enough, you brat. Stop flattering your master. Still, you must not become arrogant or complacent," Master Yan said with a laughing scold.

"By the way, Master, I want to enter seclusion for a few days and attempt to break through to become a One-Seal Rune Master."

"Good, I agree. Your Spiritual Power has been extremely restless these past few days. There are indeed faint signs of a breakthrough."

Early the next morning, Jia Lie Jun rode out of the city on horseback. His destination was Qingyang Town. His Spiritual Power was on the verge of breaking through, and he needed a Seal Condensation Method. However, he did not intend to use the Seal Condensation Method Master Yan had taught him to condense his Natal Spirit Talisman. He had a better choice: the Ancient Vortex Rune Seal, which possessed an absorption attribute.

Qingyang Town, Trading Market.

Jia Lie Jun strolled through the bustling streets, searching everywhere for the entrance to the Underground Exchange. After searching for most of the day, he finally discovered an extremely concealed passage in a dark corner. He took a mask and a bamboo hat from his Universe Bag, put on the mask, and used the hat to cover his head before entering.

As he stepped into the dim corridor, Jia Lie Jun saw several passersby and several people wearing bamboo hats. He quickly followed them. At the very end of the corridor, he turned right and a vast underground market came into view.

Jia Lie Jun walked through the market, concentrating as his gaze continually swept across the stalls, as though searching for something. Suddenly, he stopped before one stall. A piece of Ancient Wood covered in moss entered his sight. Jia Lie Jun carefully released his Spiritual Power to envelop the Ancient Wood. The moment his Spiritual Power came into contact with it, the Mud Pill Palace within his mind gave a slight tremor.