Lu Ming took the jade slip and looked at it, unable to hide his surprise. "This is... divine ability jade?"
Divine ability jade was used specifically to record divine ability techniques, but ordinary Lower and Middle Divine Abilities received no such treatment. At the very least, a technique had to be an Upper Divine Ability to be recorded this way.
Lu Ming briefly sensed it but could not probe any further. All he could make out was the name of the divine ability technique recorded within the jade and some basic information.
"Sun-Shining Golden Flame Banner? It seems to be an Upper Divine Ability that gathers sun-shining fire Qi and condenses and refines it into a banner? It sounds rather like refining a divine ability weapon." Lu Ming was somewhat surprised. Divine ability techniques like this were quite rare, but it seemed to contain only the method of refining it, with no method of using it.
"My requirement is that you cultivate this Upper Divine Ability, the Sun-Shining Golden Flame Banner," Zhou Xuan said.
Lu Ming was stunned. Was there really such a good deal in the world? In exchange for teaching him the Dao of Alchemy, Zhou Xuan wanted to give him an Upper Divine Ability? Listen to that—did it make any sense?
"Please make yourself clearer, Market Master. What exactly must I give in return for all these benefits?" Lu Ming asked with a wry smile.
Hearing this, Zhou Xuan gave him an appreciative look. To remain clearheaded in the face of such temptation already put him above many young people.
"My requirement is that you cultivate this Upper Divine Ability to the Major Accomplishment Realm before the Black Rain Season arrives."
"Before the Black Rain Season arrives?"
Lu Ming did the math. There were less than six months left before the Black Rain Season broke out. Cultivating an Upper Divine Ability to the Major Accomplishment Realm in such a short time? That was no ordinary challenge.
After all, an Upper Divine Ability was not comparable to a Middle Divine Ability. To even qualify to cultivate one, a person first had to condense a Divine Ability Dharma Mark and become a Great Divine Ability Practitioner. Upper Divine Abilities consumed a tremendous amount of Primordial Qi, and someone in the Bone Refining Realm simply could not sustain them.
Take his father, Lu Qingyan, for example. He had cultivated the Thunderfire Whip for so many years and had only just reached the Major Accomplishment Realm, having forced his way there through sheer time.
To cultivate the Sun-Shining Golden Flame Banner to the Major Accomplishment Realm within six months, even someone with Lu Ming's talent would probably have to devote a great deal of effort and time.
"It's not as if you'd be giving nothing in return. I imagine you noticed that this Upper Divine Ability has only a refining method, but no method of activating or using it. In other words, you'd have to spend half a year cultivating it painstakingly, while putting up with the fact that it can bring you no real benefits or improvement," Zhou Xuan said.
Lu Ming frowned slightly. Cultivating other divine abilities would at least increase his combat strength, but cultivating the Sun-Shining Golden Flame Banner would be pure unpaid labor. It really was hard to feel motivated.
To put it simply, Zhou Xuan was offering to teach him the Dao of Alchemy in exchange for half a year of painstaking cultivation of the Sun-Shining Golden Flame Banner.
That made Lu Ming hesitate. His time was precious too.
"Couldn't you give me the method of using this Upper Divine Ability as well?" Lu Ming asked.
"I can't. It's not that I won't give it to you, but that I don't have it either," Zhou Xuan said frankly.
"Then what do you need me to do in the end, after having me cultivate this Sun-Shining Golden Flame Banner? And why does it have to be when the Black Rain Season breaks out?" Lu Ming pressed. Zhou Xuan was being so mysterious that he presumably had a great deal in mind.
"It's a necessary part of an important person's plan. To be precise, this Sun-Shining Golden Flame Banner is one component of an extremely high-grade Great Divine Ability Restriction. As for its exact purpose, I can't tell you for the time being." Zhou Xuan remained frank.
"An important person? A plan?" Hearing such words, Lu Ming felt a chill for no apparent reason. He could not shake the feeling that he would be dragged into something very troublesome, so he immediately began considering a refusal.
"I know what worries you, but while I don't think a person should belittle himself, neither should he think too highly of himself. There are some things you wouldn't even qualify to get involved in, however much you wanted to," Zhou Xuan said with a faint smile.
"Besides, there's no need to hurry to refuse. This is a fated opportunity and a path to the heavens. I think it's something you need."
"A path to the heavens? Why would I need it?" Lu Ming looked at him in puzzlement.
"Because the Thunderfire Hall has a hidden danger that keeps you from sleeping and eating in peace."
Lu Ming frowned slightly. "The threat that keeps our Thunderfire Hall from sleeping and eating in peace? What is it?"
Zhou Xuan said calmly, "The Fifth-Tier Divine Ability Hall, the Great Golden Crow Hall, of course. You've made enemies of them, and there's also the grudge over Zhang Yue. Aren't you worried that as the Thunderfire Hall rises higher and higher, the Great Golden Crow Hall will turn its true attention to you? If one day the Great Golden Crow Hall's Divine Ability Grandmaster decides you pose even the slightest threat, a casual move from him would wipe out all the momentum behind the Thunderfire Hall's rise."
"Qingyuan Market has rules, but not many, and they place hardly any restrictions on a Divine Ability Grandmaster. Perhaps you still don't understand what a Divine Ability Grandmaster represents in the Great Luo Domain."
Lu Ming fell silent, his gaze growing somewhat dark. Zhou Fuling watched him covertly from the side and saw a fierce light flickering once more in the depths of the young man's eyes. That fierce light was not directed at them, but at the Great Golden Crow Hall. She had no doubt that if this boy had the strength to stand against the Great Golden Crow Hall, he really would go there and kill until blood flowed like a river, stamping out any future trouble.
Clearly, Zhou Xuan's words had struck upon a worry deep in Lu Ming's heart. Perhaps it was not just him-even Lu Jin and the others knew of this hidden danger.
Although the Great Golden Crow Hall was far from Qingyuan Market and news of what happened here was unlikely to reach it, what if it did?
The Thunderfire Hall was not yet worth worrying about, but later, as Lu Ming gradually revealed his talent and distinguished himself more and more, what would the Great Golden Crow Hall's Divine Ability Grandmaster think?
Perhaps he would bear them goodwill, but what if he bore them ill will?
Could the Thunderfire Hall withstand a Grandmaster's ill will?
Lu Ming really did not dare take that gamble.
So if he could secure a safeguard for the Thunderfire Hall, that would be best.
Hadn't Lu Ming revealed his talent at the hall gathering precisely to attract some favorable attention, then use it as leverage to draw on more power and add a little more to his family's hand for their safety?
And as things stood, that effort had been quite successful.
After all, it had indeed attracted the attention of Zhou Xuan, a powerful expert with a backing.
Lu Ming took a deep breath and asked, "Market Master, can that important person ensure that my Thunderfire Hall rises without trouble?"
"At the very least, if she gives her word, no Divine Ability Grandmaster will be able to make a direct move against the Thunderfire Hall. You'll have more time to grow," Zhou Xuan said.
"Why was I chosen?"
"Because the person cultivating this Upper Divine Ability must have talent, and there are also requirements regarding age and gender. He must still have innate yang Qi in his body that has never been watered by yin Qi. You understand, don't you?" At this, Zhou Xuan gave Lu Ming a half-smiling look.
Beside him, Zhou Fuling spat in embarrassment, her face slightly red.
Lu Ming felt a little awkward. However nicely Zhou Xuan put it, he was really talking about a virgin's body, wasn't he? Good grief, he could even see the pure yang Qi I've nurtured for more than ten years.
"I understand. Could you allow me to go back and discuss this with the elders in my family before giving you an answer, Market Master?"
The offer of instruction in the Dao of Alchemy did not particularly tempt him, but the protection for the Thunderfire Hall that Zhou Xuan had mentioned had moved him.
Ever since the matter with Zhang Yue, Lu Ming had often seen Lu Jin sitting on the roof of the ancestral hall late at night, lighting his pipe and drawing on it one puff at a time. Only after everyone in the family had gone safely to sleep would he return to his room.
Lu Ming knew that this was a string drawn taut in the heart of the ever-cautious old man.
"Of course. After all, you'll have to wait until you become a Great Divine Ability Practitioner before you can cultivate the Sun-Shining Golden Flame Banner. But I should also warn you that the important person has chosen more than one promising candidate. If you ultimately fail to satisfy her, I'm afraid the protection you want won't be possible," Zhou Xuan said with a nod.
Lu Ming respectfully handed back the purple jade, took his leave, and departed.
Zhou Fuling watched him leave and asked curiously, "Will he agree?"
"It doesn't matter. He isn't the only promising candidate, and Her Highness won't really place all her hopes on us alone. She should have made other preparations. We're merely a backup to fill a gap," Zhou Xuan said indifferently.
Zhou Fuling muttered, "Qingyuan Market is only a small Black Rain Zone. Why would Her Highness go to such lengths to scheme for this place?"
"There should be something else mysterious about the Black Rain Zone here. As for the details, perhaps we won't know until Her Highness arrives."
"All right."