Harvest

Less than a month remained before the biennial gathering of the Single Attribute Four Great Clans.

Star Luo Empire.

Dragon Rise City in the north, Windy City in the south, and a mountain village somewhere in the south.

The patriarchs of the Defense Clan, Breaking Clan, and Speed Clan led a small number of their clansmen and set out one after another for Heaven Dou City in the Heaven Dou Empire.

Meanwhile, Tai Tan, patriarch of the Strength Clan and host of the gathering, was still in Gengxin City.

The first forging room on the fifth floor of the Blacksmith Association.

"Cough, cough, cough!"

A burst of coughing rang out.

As the smoke dispersed, it revealed three soot-covered figures.

"Damn it, the last one failed. We were so close!"

"Enough complaining. If I hadn't separated the Super Concentrated Gunpowder in time, the three of us would already have been blown to pieces."

"What a pity. Still, at least we successfully made one."

As he spoke, Tang San took out an object.

It was a golden lotus with what seemed to be a ruby embedded in it. Dazzling and radiant, it looked like an exquisitely crafted work of art.

The moment it appeared, it immediately drew the attention of all three people present.

Lou Gao stared obsessively at the golden lotus and said:

"It is truly hard to believe. If I had not witnessed the power of Super Concentrated Gunpowder with my own eyes, I never would have believed that such a tiny lotus could be an unparalleled hidden weapon."

Hearing this, Tang San replied:

"Elder Lou, don't you know that the more beautiful something is in nature, the more dangerous it tends to be?"

"The Buddha's Fury Tang Lotus is so beautiful, so naturally, the killing intent hidden within it is no small matter either."

Tang San was in a fairly good mood at the moment.

Although an error had occurred at the very last moment of making the second Buddha's Fury Tang Lotus, causing all their previous effort to go to waste.

Turning what should have been a perfect result into something less than satisfactory.

No matter what, the three of them had ultimately succeeded in creating one Buddha's Fury Tang Lotus.

"Elder Tai Tan, I believe that after the other three clans of the Single Attribute Four Great Clans witness the power of the Buddha's Fury Tang Lotus, they should not refuse recruitment into our Tang Sect."

As Tang San said this, he caught sight of Tai Tan's expression abruptly changing. Tai Tan slapped his forehead and said:

"Oh no! We spent over three months here, and there isn't even a full month left until the gathering of the four clans."

"Chief, and you too, fatty, stop standing around. Hurry up and pack. If we ride at full speed, we might still make it in time."

After saying that, Tai Tan saw that neither of them had reacted yet. He immediately stopped caring about anything else, put away the Buddha's Fury Tang Lotus, tucked Tang San under his left arm, grabbed Lou Gao with his right hand, and ran outside.

"Only level twenty-five?"

Lin Rong sensed that Ma Hongjun's current Soul Power Level had not reached the level he expected.

Ma Hongjun's Second Soul Ring came from a Crimson Sun Bird with a cultivation of just over eight hundred years. At the very least, it should have provided him with a little over two levels of soul power.

Before absorbing the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower, Ma Hongjun had been at the peak of level seventeen, which could barely be counted as level eighteen.

That meant that, excluding the two levels of soul power provided by the soul ring, the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower had only raised Ma Hongjun's soul power by five levels.

Although in the original work, Ma Hongjun's soul power had also risen by five levels after absorbing the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower.

That had been from level thirty-one to level thirty-six, far exceeding Ma Hongjun's current five-level increase in sheer amount.

Could it be because Ma Hongjun had absorbed the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower five years earlier than in the original work?

As a result, more of the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower's medicinal power had gone toward improving his aptitude during absorption rather than raising his Soul Power Level.

"My lord." Ma Hongjun noticed that something was off about Lin Rong's expression and asked:

"Is there something wrong with me?"

"Nothing." Lin Rong looked at Ma Hongjun and solemnly instructed him:

"Hongjun, cultivate diligently from now on and strive to break through to level thirty as soon as possible. When that time comes, I have an important task for you."

Ma Hongjun was somewhat confused by this, but he obediently answered:

"Yes, my lord. I will definitely cultivate diligently."

He had only just turned eight and was already a level twenty-five Soul Grandmaster.

Therefore, Ma Hongjun was fully confident that he could break through to level thirty by the age of nine, and his reply was brimming with confidence.

Seeing this, Lin Rong nodded in satisfaction, then turned his gaze toward Xu Pan and instructed:

"Captain Xu, in the days ahead, study more military strategy, as well as the various basic matters that need attention in the army. Do you understand?"

Xu Pan was still immersed in the joy of breaking through to Soul Emperor. His soul power had originally been at level fifty-eight, and after absorbing the Nine-Rank Purple Ganoderma, he had unsurprisingly broken through to level sixty.

Thus, after receiving permission, Xu Pan led three squads of guards to Sunset Forest to obtain his own Sixth Soul Ring, as well as Ma Hongjun's Second Soul Ring.

Now that Lin Rong had suddenly called on him, Xu Pan snapped awake and hurriedly replied:

"Yes! This subordinate understands!"

Only after answering did Xu Pan begin to consider why the Duke had asked him to do this.

Military strategy. An army.

These two words echoed through Xu Pan's mind. He glanced at Ma Hongjun from the corner of his eye and vaguely seemed to understand something.

"Alright, there's nothing else for you two to do here. You may leave!"

Lin Rong waved them away, then sat in the seat of honor and rubbed his head.

After absorbing the Aromatic Silk Beauty and Eight Petal Immortal Orchid, Old Butler's Soul Power had not risen to the expected Rank 90, but instead reached the peak of Rank 89.

Though he had anticipated it, Lin Rong still felt somewhat disappointed.

Without using the power of the Immortal Grade Medicinal Herbs to overcome this final hurdle, it would likely take another half year to break through using the residual medicinal power in his body.

The thought that he would have to wait another half year before gaining the combat power of a Titled Douluo left him endlessly frustrated.

Half a year was enough time for him to break through to Rank 30.

Lin Rong was now seven years and eight months old, with Soul Power at Rank 27.

Already born with all eight meridians open, he had undergone the marrow-cleansing and body-refining brought about by breaking through Mind Empty, Body Transforms Itself, further increasing his cultivation speed.

The Life Pulse skill of the External Soul Bone, Heart of the Banyan Wood.

While increasing Lin Rong's total Soul Power by fifty percent, it had also slowed his cultivation speed.

However, the increase in cultivation speed brought by the marrow-cleansing and body-refining was enough to offset the portion that had been slowed.

Thus, Lin Rong's current cultivation speed was finally the peerless aptitude that someone born with all eight meridians open ought to possess.

In the main hall.

Other than Lin Rong, there was no one else.

Having grown accustomed to Old Butler being at his side, he truly felt a little unaccustomed to it now.

Because Old Butler had failed to break through to Rank 90 in one go and felt that he had let down the young master's expectations, he had, in a rare move, set aside the affairs of the Duke Mansion and entered secluded cultivation.

"Forget it. Those in high positions must always grow accustomed to loneliness."

"I'd better cultivate. The sooner I break through to Rank 30, the sooner I'll get to see the complete form of the Nine Bend Vine Dragon."