As Ji Wuchang walked, he pondered the Thunder Explosion Fist, a carefree smile spreading across his lips.
Ji Wuchang clenched his right fist. As he circulated his cultivation method, wisps of lightning flickered over his right hand, looking utterly mysterious!
Then Ji Wuchang frowned. The lightning was a little too weak!
To unleash the Thunder Explosion Fist's full power, he needed the support of a lightning-type Law Treasure or Law Artifact.
A pair of lightning-attribute gauntlets would be ideal!
At this thought, Ji Wuchang began searching through the memories of his previous life. Suddenly, his eyes lit up!
If he remembered correctly, the Bai Family had a pair of lightning-attribute gauntlets that were Law Artifacts.
In his previous life, Xiao Fan had visited the Bai Family, hoping to buy those gauntlets for one or two hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones.
But the Bai Family had refused, and its patriarch had even humiliated Xiao Fan!
Xiao Fan had been furious and left with a sweep of his sleeves.
The Bai Family had thought nothing of the matter, but when the grand competition ended with Xiao Fan overwhelming everyone, they were dumbfounded.
To apologize, the Bai Family had given Xiao Fan the gauntlets, thus smoothing over their unpleasant encounter.
The Bai Family had not known that those gauntlets held a hidden world within.
In his previous life, Ji Wuchang had merely heard his eldest senior sister, An Kexin, mutter that the gauntlets actually contained a heaven rank high grade combat technique.
But Ji Wuchang did not know what combat technique it was. After all, the gap between him and Xiao Fan had later grown so vast that their paths no longer crossed!
Having thought this through, Ji Wuchang could not help smiling.
Ji Wuchang was in no hurry to visit the Bai Family. After all, letting Xiao Fan hit a wall before going himself would produce better results!
Ji Wuchang lingered no longer and headed toward the Ji Family!
At the Ji Family's main entrance, Patriarch Ji Ping stood waiting with the family's elders.
Ji Wuchang had sent them a letter long ago, telling them when he would return!
"Patriarch, can Wuchang really win this year's competition on behalf of our Ji Family?"
The Ji Family's grand elder, Ji Cheng, spoke with considerable worry.
The other Ji Family elders were also quite worried. After all, this concerned how many resources the Ji Family would receive in Muye City over the next twenty years!
Ji Ping remained calm, then said, "We have no other choice. Ji Bing is only at Qi Refining, first layer, and cannot possibly match the other families' contestants!"
Ji Ping's words silenced everyone present, and they said no more!
Just as Ji Ping had said, they had no choice! Ji Wuchang was the Ji Family's greatest hope!
In truth, given their seniority, Ji Ping and the others naturally had no need to come to the entrance to welcome Ji Wuchang personally.
But Ji Wuchang was an inner disciple of the Longevity Sect. That status alone meant the Ji Family could not afford to slight him.
From far away, Ji Wuchang saw the group standing at the Ji Family's main entrance. He swept his gaze over them; nothing differed much from his memories.
"Wuchang greets the patriarch and elders!"
Ji Wuchang approached them and spoke calmly.
When Ji Wuchang spoke, Ji Ping and the others could not help letting out a breath of relief. They truly had not known how best to begin!
"It's good to have you back, good to have you back!"
Ji Ping spoke with a smile, but inwardly, he could not help sighing!
Ji Ping had always wanted to take Ji Wuchang as his adopted son. Now, hearing how Ji Wuchang addressed him, he understood his meaning.
Ji Ping had already arranged a welcoming banquet for Ji Wuchang, just as in his previous life!
After three rounds of wine and five courses of food, Ji Cheng finally could not resist asking, "Wuchang, what is your cultivation now?"
Ji Wuchang smiled faintly, his gaze sweeping over a woman nearby.
The woman was named Xiao Mei, a servant of the Ji Family. She was rather pretty.
Xiao Fan had once saved Xiao Mei's mother, doing Xiao Mei a great kindness.
In his previous life, after he arrived at the Ji Family, Ji Ping had assigned Xiao Mei to attend to him.
One day, Xiao Mei had found an excuse to go out and told Xiao Fan everything about him!
Naturally, today's conversation had been included.
A faint smile touched Ji Wuchang's lips before he said calmly, "Grand Elder, I am currently at the late stage of Qi Refinement third layer."
"With the aid of special spirit medicine, I should have some hope of breaking through to Qi Refining fourth layer!"
This answer differed somewhat from the one Ji Wuchang had given in his previous life. Back then, he had truthfully answered that he was at the perfection of Qi Refinement third layer, so he was concealing a little now.
Ji Wuchang feigned nonchalance as he glanced at Xiao Mei. Sure enough, her ears were pricked, and she was listening intently!
A cold smile crept onto Ji Wuchang's lips.
I'll let this Xiao Mei live a few more days. When we leave for the competition, I'll tell Ji Ping about her. Ji Ping certainly won't tolerate him!
Hearing Ji Wuchang's words, the Ji Family members could not help smiling.
From what they currently knew, the Wang Family's and Zhang Family's contestants were both at Qi Refining, second layer. Even if they found a way to improve, they would reach Qi Refinement third layer at most.
But if they raised Ji Wuchang's cultivation, would he not reach Qi Refining fourth layer?
At this thought, the Ji Family members all looked toward Patriarch Ji Ping and nodded slightly.
Ji Ping and the Ji Family elders had discussed this long ago. If they agreed to give Ji Wuchang the thousand-year-old ginseng, they only needed to signal their assent with a nod during the banquet!
After the banquet, just as in his previous life, Xiao Mei was assigned to attend to Ji Wuchang.
The courtyard was still the same courtyard. Besides Xiao Mei, there was another maid named Xiaohe!
Not long after Ji Wuchang and the others arrived at the courtyard, Ji Ping came, now carrying a wooden box.
"Wuchang, this is thousand-year-old ginseng, a supreme treasure our Ji Family went to every length to obtain. Once you refine it, it should take your cultivation up another level!"
Hearing Ji Ping's words, Ji Wuchang smiled and nodded. Without standing on ceremony, he accepted the wooden box from him!
"Thank you, Patriarch!"
Ji Ping nodded. He wanted to say something but found he did not know how to begin. With a sigh, he patted Ji Wuchang's shoulder and left!
Ji Wuchang knew that Ji Ping must have thought of his dead son again! Had he still been alive, he would have been about the same age as Ji Wuchang!
Ji Wuchang sent Xiao Mei and Xiaohe out. After setting up a simple defensive barrier in the room, he sat cross-legged and began cultivating!
A moment later, Ji Wuchang opened his eyes, his entire being as calm as still water.
Without the slightest hesitation, Ji Wuchang opened the wooden box and took out the thousand-year-old ginseng.
A ball of flame flew from Ji Wuchang's hand and tightly enveloped the thousand-year-old ginseng.
Under the intense heat, the thousand-year-old ginseng began to melt, gradually shrinking until it became a thumb-sized drop of yellow liquid.
Ji Wuchang's eyes burned with eagerness. Without the slightest hesitation, he swallowed the drop of yellow liquid.
Vast spiritual power exploded within Ji Wuchang, instantly making his Dantian feel swollen.
Ji Wuchang hurriedly circulated his cultivation method, guiding the immense medicinal potency into his limbs and every bone.
With a bang, Ji Wuchang felt as though something inside him had been pierced through, and his cultivation climbed steadily!
In mere moments, his cultivation broke directly through from the peak of Qi Refining, fourth layer to the peak of the fifth layer of Qi Refining.