Growing stronger, visitors from Great Black Mountain

Cao Family Alley was one of the foremost antique trading hubs in Baofan District, and even in all of Yunhai.

Of course, that was only on the surface.

Behind the scenes, Cao Family Alley dealt in everything from mountain goods to burial artifacts.

That was also why Cao Ying had made a name for himself among treasure seekers.

He came from Cao Family Alley, bore the surname Cao, and had his name recorded in the family genealogy. Those alone were gilded signboards, and coupled with his considerable abilities and quick wits, they had earned him his present strength and standing.

This time, he had returned from the mountains.

He had two main goals: first, reclaim what belonged to him; second, make Cao Family Alley bigger and stronger, securing more profits safely.

But neither sounded simple, and both were even harder to accomplish.

Years ago, he had chosen to leave Cao Family Alley. From that moment on, although his name remained in the Cao family genealogy, the family had long since stopped acknowledging him as one of their descendants.

Now that he wanted to return, he had to gain the Cao family's recognition all over again.

The greatest obstacle was the second branch of his generation-the branch of Cao Yuan, the Cao family's current young head.

How could they possibly agree to let him return, burn incense to honor the ancestors, and enter the ancestral hall again?

Wouldn't that just be asking for trouble?

Originally, Cao Ying had planned to win over local forces in Baofan District or other Qi Refiner factions in Yunhai, combine them with his own people, and face Cao Yuan in an open contest.

But after Lu Ding appeared, and after he learned about the forces behind Cao Yuan...

Cao Ying suddenly figured it out.

Wasn't Cao Yuan only so badass now because he had his brother and mother backing him?

One was a veteran Bureau 749 investigator who had previously vanished, his fate unknown, then returned in force after Cao Ying left.

The other had gone abroad for over a decade, then recently returned with a foreign financial consortium and established a presence in Yunhai.

The two supported Cao Yuan with money and influence, respectively.

But Cao Ying had nothing except himself. His father didn't love him, and his mother was dead. He had originally belonged to the eldest branch, but a lone tree could not hold up the sky, and he had been forced deep into the mountains to become a treasure seeker.

Now, although his influence fell short of Cao Yuan's, he was not the least bit intimidated when it came to money.

So what if Cao Yuan had a mother rolling in wealth?

"Your brother's a badass? Then I'll just find someone even more badass than him."

His eyes shifted as he carefully mulled it over.

Lu Ding simply didn't know what he was thinking. If he had, he would definitely have replied:

"Say no more. You provide the resources, and I'll do the work. Brother or father, it makes no difference. Give me enough heavenly materials and earthly treasures, and even if the King of Heaven himself shows up, I'll hold him off for you."

Of course, that was provided Cao Yuan's brother wasn't outrageously powerful.

Evening arrived.

It was time for Lu Ding to get active again.

After returning from the Five Viscera Life Society, he had slept comfortably until nine that evening.

He got up and stretched, hearing a continuous series of cracks and pops throughout his body.

Lu Ding instinctively picked up his phone, unlocked it, and went to check it, only to find a message the Bureau 749 App had sent toward evening.

It said the cleanup at Dinghao Residential Complex was complete. Because he had handled this Yin Domain Overlap cleanly and efficiently, averting the risk of mass civilian casualties, the higher-ups had decided to award him 150 contribution points and two million in cash.

That was undoubtedly wonderful news for Lu Ding.

The money didn't really matter. He still had plenty on hand. What mattered were the contribution points.

With these 150 added to what he already had, Lu Ding now had over two hundred. At last, he could exchange them for heavenly materials and earthly treasures. With the Ghost Festival approaching, he had to hurry and strengthen himself to face any unexpected incidents.

He opened the exchange section of the Bureau 749 App.

The dazzling array of heavenly materials and earthly treasures truly made his eyes swim.

[Disemboweled Buddha Bud]

[Price: 80 contribution points per portion]

[A stone Buddha gained spirituality, cultivating its stone into flesh and nurturing vitality. Can be used for Spirit Kindling and Aperture Opening, or its medicinal potency can be concentrated to expand and develop the Spirit Sea.]

He had the points. Bought. He would have a taste and see what it was all about.

[Fallen Spirit Sand]

[Price: 70 contribution points per portion]

[A specialty of the Spirit-Sitting Cloud-Swallowing Formation, a feng shui formation. Can be applied externally to strengthen the body or taken internally to expand and develop the Spirit Sea.]

He had the points. Bought. He would have a taste and see what it was all about.

[Full Moon Dew]

[Price: 80 contribution points per portion]

[Essence descending from the heavens during the full moon, collected through a secret method. Can cleanse the soul; its primary effect is expanding and developing the Spirit Sea.]

He checked his balance. There wasn't much left, but it was enough. Lu Ding gritted his teeth. Better to spend it and eat than hoard it. Bought. He would have a taste and see what it was all about.

The moment he pressed pay...

Lu Ding's balance instantly dropped to zero.

It hurt. Those were his hard-earned points, and now they were all gone in one go. Ten contribution points for joining Bureau 749, twenty for Old Lady Black, fifty for the fire-molting living corpse, and 150 for this Yin Domain Overlap-230 in total, all gone!

"I hope the effects don't disappoint me!"

Soon, Bureau 749 sent someone over with a cardboard box.

He opened it to find a box and two bottles inside, none of them large.

The box held the disemboweled Buddha buds. He opened it and found only ten in total, about the size of Zhuyeqing tea leaves and fairly similar in appearance, except they were dark gold, with no fragrance or golden glow.

They looked utterly unremarkable.

As for the full moon dew and fallen spirit sand, one was a thick, silvery-white liquid with a faint jasmine-like fragrance, while the other was pale yellow sand that smelled of roasted chestnuts. Together, they probably amounted to around two hundred milliliters.

This...

"This is way too little!"

There was so little that Lu Ding felt as though he had thrown his contribution points into the water. So little that he didn't even know how to consume it.

He looked around.

Picking up a teacup in the room that had never been used, Lu Ding first poured in the full moon dew and fallen spirit sand, then stirred them together. Nothing happened. It was just like mixing cement at a construction site.

Only after he tossed in the disemboweled Buddha buds...

Did the contents of the cup begin bubbling, white foam churning endlessly.

Lu Ding frowned and hurriedly called the dispatch department.

Sounding very uncertain, he asked, "Disemboweled Buddha buds, fallen spirit sand, and full moon dew. Can those three be taken together?"

The person on the other end answered without the slightest hesitation, "Yes. As long as there are no special notes attached, heavenly materials and earthly treasures can all be mixed together for use."

That was what they said.

But looking at the cup spilling foam, Lu Ding still had his doubts and wasn't sure.

Whatever.

He hung up and downed it in one gulp.

Surging medicinal power instantly exploded inside Lu Ding, coursing through his limbs and bones before charging straight into his Spirit Sea. Rumbling rang out as spiritual qi from heaven and earth was drawn over, mixing with the medicinal power to overhaul his Spirit Sea with sweeping strokes.

As his Spirit Sea expanded and the quality of his spiritual liquid improved...

Lu Ding's cultivation realm rose rapidly as well.

A day passed in the blink of an eye.

Here, Lu Ding was still cultivating.

Elsewhere, the people from Great Black Mountain had finally arrived.

At the Four Seas Group branch office.

Xie Shunan sat in her office wearing gloves, turning over a jade gourd of simple design but excellent quality in her hands.

After the incident with Ye Xuan and the elderly man surnamed Huang...

She had kept searching for a gift she could offer Lu Ding as an apology, as a token of the Four Seas Group's sincerity.

At last, her efforts had paid off, and Xie Shunan had purchased this Baleful Qi-Nurturing Gourd.

She had only just received it today.

She hadn't yet had time to verify the gourd's wondrous properties.

The office door was suddenly smashed open, and several figures with formidable auras barged in.

"Oh? A Baleful Qi-Nurturing Gourd? You've even got something this good?"

The young man raised his hand, and a powerful suction instantly snatched the gourd from Xie Shunan's hands.

She rose, her expression grave. "Dragon Claw Hand?"