"How dare you! Who are you?" The four knights behind Clayde leveled their spears and shouted.
Howard's expression remained unchanged. "I am his father, Howard Lance. I do not agree to Andrew joining the Frey Clan."
Clayde waved his men down and looked at Howard. "I know you, Howard Lance. You were quite famous in White River City back then. My name is Clayde, captain of the Frey Clan's guards. Howard, I've heard of you. With your talent, becoming a High-Level Warrior would have been easy if you had a battle qi secret manual. Yet you're still a Sixth-level Warrior, and I'm afraid you may never break through in this lifetime. Now your son Andrew has even greater talent than you. Do you want him to end up like you, going no further than rank six?"
Clayde's words checked Howard's momentum. He did not know how to voice the words he had prepared. Deep down, he agreed very much with Clayde and began to hesitate.
Seeing this, Andrew said loudly, "Lord Clayde, thank you for thinking so highly of me, but I don't need to consider joining the Frey Clan."
Clayde asked, "Why? Because your father objects?" Howard also looked at him, waiting for his answer.
Andrew shook his head. "Even if my father agreed, I wouldn't accept. To me, freedom is just as important as becoming strong. If I abandoned my freedom for a battle qi secret manual, life would lose its meaning even if I became strong. So I will not join a noble clan."
Seeing his determination, Clayde knew his mind was made up and did not press him further, though he felt some regret. "What a pity." Behind him, the four masked knights looked at Andrew with complicated expressions.
Beside them, the grand elder suddenly laughed. "Well said, young friend. Freedom and strength are equally precious. To understand this at such a young age, perhaps you may one day become one of those legendary powerhouses. If you don't mind, young Andrew, would you care to have a chat with me?"
The grand elder's laughter broke the tense atmosphere, and Andrew breathed a sigh of relief. After all, he had refused someone far stronger than himself. Fortunately, Clayde was broad-minded. Someone petty might have ordered him and his father seized on the spot.
"When an elder extends an invitation, how could a junior dare refuse?" Andrew said humbly.
The grand elder nodded, then said to Clayde, "Captain Clayde, let us proceed with our trade as previously discussed. Gleiter, take Captain Clayde to complete the trade."
After Clayde and his party left, the grand elder led Andrew into a stone building. This was the grand elder's residence, built at the very center of the Keli Tribe, and its status was far from ordinary. Howard wanted to follow, but the barbarians stopped him, leaving him no choice but to give up.
"May I ask what instructions you have for me, Grand Elder, bringing me here?" Unsure of the other party's intentions, Andrew sounded him out.
The grand elder smiled, the wrinkles on his face bunching together. "Don't be impatient. I invited you here because I wish to make a trade."
A trade? Andrew was puzzled.
The grand elder continued, "Heaven truly favors humans. Not only has it given you fertile land, but it has also given you extraordinary talent. Powerful individuals emerge endlessly among humans. By comparison, heaven has been so unkind to barbarians."
Unable to work out his intentions, Andrew replied, "You needn't feel that way, Grand Elder. Every gain comes with a loss. Barbarians have their own advantages. For instance, barbarians don't need battle qi secret manuals. As long as they comprehend power, they can become High-Level Warriors."
The grand elder shook his head. "There is some truth in what you say, but barbarians aren't very intelligent. Far too few can comprehend power."
Andrew said, "Baru seems quite intelligent to me. He may well become a High-Level Warrior someday. Anyway, what trade did you mean, Grand Elder? You should know that I'm only a child. I have nothing."
The grand elder stared at him, wisdom shining in his eyes. "Child, what you possess is your future. That is your greatest wealth, and it is also the subject of our trade today."
My future?
Andrew understood at once. "You have your eye on my talent, Grand Elder?"
"That's right." The grand elder stood and took a booklet from the top of a nearby stone shelf. "You are very clever, and your talent far exceeds that of ordinary people. But those things alone wouldn't amount to much. I have lived a hundred years and seen countless geniuses, yet few became powerful. What I value most is your resolve, your maturity, and your wisdom. These are important conditions for your survival. Only by staying alive can you go far and become stronger."
People grow shrewder with age, and ghosts grow craftier. That saying really is true, Andrew thought. Even a barbarian who lives long enough gains wisdom far beyond that of ordinary humans.
"I understand what you mean, Grand Elder. You hope that after I become strong, I will repay the Keli Tribe. Then may I ask what you're offering?"
"This!" The grand elder handed Andrew the booklet. At a glance, Andrew's heart began racing involuntarily. Four large characters were written on its cover: Rushing Thunder Secret Manual.
"This is a battle qi secret manual?" Andrew's hands trembled as he looked at the grand elder.
The grand elder smiled, finally seeing Andrew lose his composure. "That's right. This is a battle qi secret manual I happened to obtain when I was young. If barbarians could cultivate using battle qi secret manuals, you would never have had a chance at it."
With the grand elder's confirmation, Andrew sighed in relief. He had not been disappointed after all. What delighted him most was that this manual was actually lightning-attributed, and he happened to have talent in that very element!
Generally speaking, apart from bloodline manuals such as the Dragonblood Secret Manual in the original story, anyone could cultivate using battle qi secret manuals. Even without the corresponding talent, they could still cultivate battle qi. However, its power would be reduced. For example, someone with Wind Element talent who cultivated a Fire Element manual could only unleash eighty percent of its power. Their cultivation speed would also become extremely slow.
From the earlier test, Andrew knew that his talent in Fire Element and lightning was considerable. Who would have thought he would now be holding a lightning secret manual! Was this the treatment a protagonist received?
"All right, I agree!" Andrew closed the manual and declared clearly, "Today, I make this promise to you, Grand Elder. If I, Andrew Lance, achieve success in cultivation, I will repay the Keli Tribe to the best of my ability!"
The grand elder nodded slightly. "I believe you. You possess the heart of the strong. Someone like that would never go back on his word. All right, our trade is complete. You may leave. You are welcome to visit the Keli Tribe in the future!"
Andrew put away the manual and bowed solemnly to the wise old man. "Take care, Grand Elder!"
The moment he emerged, Howard grabbed him.
"Andrew, what did the Keli Tribe's grand elder want with you?"
Andrew smiled, his smile exceptionally bright. "Nothing much, Dad. It's a good thing. Come on, let's go back."
Howard did not understand, but he knew that his son had always had a mind of his own, so he asked no further questions. The two returned to their campsite, one following the other.
As soon as he returned to his lodgings, Andrew eagerly opened the manual and began studying it voraciously. He had been looking forward to battle qi for a long time. Previously, he had planned to venture out after becoming a Sixth-level Warrior and rank-six mage to see whether he could obtain a secret manual. He had never expected that an ordinary trip would bring him the battle qi secret manual he had dreamed of, and a lightning-attributed one that matched his talent at that. What good luck.
I wonder what talent Dad has. Still, whether he has a lightning affinity or not, he can cultivate using this manual. I'll give it to him once we're home.
Andrew sat cross-legged in the tent and soon entered a cultivation state. In fact, these so-called battle qi secret manuals were all quite straightforward. They merely explained how to absorb the elements between heaven and earth, how to accumulate battle qi, techniques for using it, and some ultimate moves and the like. There was nothing particularly profound. Yet without reading a manual, no one could think of even these things. Even if only a sheet of paper stood in the way, others could not pierce it.
In less than two hours, Andrew condensed a wisp of battle qi inside his body. This also meant he had taken his first step in battle qi cultivation; from then on, it would be a matter of patient effort. With his aptitude, he would face no real obstacles before becoming a Warrior of the Seventh Rank.
This Rushing Thunder Secret Manual is probably just a low-grade manual. I remember that in the original story, the Dragonblood Secret Manual even explained "force," but this manual has nothing of the sort. Following its methods, the Ninth-level Warrior is the limit. There isn't any description of the Saint-level.
Andrew memorized the manual and speculated to himself. In fact, his thoughts were quite close to the truth. Warriors at the Peak of the Ninth Rank or above could compile so-called battle qi secret manuals based on their own experience, because their comprehension of power had already reached its limit. Among these, manuals compiled by Saint Warriors would include introductions to the Saint-level. This Rushing Thunder Secret Manual had been compiled by a warrior at the Peak of the Ninth Rank and contained no insights into the Saint-level.
Having obtained a manual and gained experience, Andrew had reaped considerable rewards from this trip. Soon, both sides completed their trade, and the party set off on the return journey. As they crossed the grasslands, many magical beasts still harassed them. With these beasts to practice on, Andrew gained even more combat experience and grew faster. What pleased him most was that in just three days, he cultivated rank-two battle qi.
It seems the stronger one's spiritual power, the faster one cultivates battle qi and magic. My rapid progress means my spiritual power far exceeds other people's. Andrew guessed that, having lived two lives, his spiritual power must be much stronger than that of ordinary people.
The party of several dozen returned safely to Maple Forest Town, but a lingering worry weighed on Andrew's heart. Matthews and his six companions also took up residence in Maple Forest Town. On the day they returned, Janice brought Ling'er to welcome father and son. Andrew noticed that the look Matthews gave Janice then was terrifying, his eyes filled with lust, cruelty, and destruction!