Three Sides Gather
Meanwhile, inside the teahouse.
Seeing that a conflict was about to erupt, the burly man with a thick beard quickly stepped forward to smooth things over. "Gentlemen! Gentlemen! Calm down! Calm down! We're all going out to make a name for ourselves, so let's keep the peace and make money!"
Out of consideration for his feelings, the others reluctantly sat down, but their gazes toward Dongfang Yueming remained hostile.
The burly man with the bushy beard turned to Dongfang Yueming and advised, "Young brother, when you're traveling, having more friends means having more options. I think you should..." He didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear: he wanted Dongfang Yueming to back down and apologize.
The local martial artists around were also waiting to see Dongfang Yueming make a fool of himself.
However, Dongfang Yueming remained calm and composed, as if everything around him was irrelevant, and walked straight towards the entrance of the teahouse.
"Boy! You're too arrogant!" A hot-tempered local martial artist could no longer contain himself and suddenly sprang up, his large, fan-like hand grabbing directly at Dongfang Yueming's shoulder!
Dongfang Yueming didn't even turn her head; she simply slapped the table casually with her backhand!
Snap!
With a sharp crack, the local martial artist felt an irresistible Mighty Strength strike him. He was hit as if by Ferocious Beast at high speed, screaming as he was sent flying backward and crashing heavily onto several tables, looking utterly disheveled!
In an instant, the entire teahouse fell silent! Everyone was stunned by this sudden turn of events!
Dongfang Yueming acted as if he had merely swatted away a fly, leaving the teahouse without pausing for a moment.
"No need to lower myself to the level of these frogs in a well," he thought to himself.
Seven days passed by in a leisurely manner.
Dongfang Yueming found a secluded inn to stay in, and apart from gathering necessary information, he devoted himself to cultivation every day.
[Points:3667]
"Not bad. In another day, I'll have enough points to upgrade [Heaven-Surging Qi Refining Method] to Perfection." He thought to himself.
Just then, an unusual commotion and commotion suddenly arose in the city, as if something big was about to happen.
Dongfang Yueming opened the window and looked out. He saw crowds of people on the street, with countless martial artists converging towards the city center.
"It seems it's time to set off for the Heavenly Splendor Dynasty."
Sure enough, not long after, the Cloudwater Sect's team appeared first in the city's central square!
Leading the group were a young man and a young woman. The man wore a bright yellow brocade robe, had a handsome face, and exuded an air of dignified elegance, with every gesture displaying a regal presence. The woman wore a light blue palace dress, possessed exquisite beauty, and had a refined and elegant demeanor, like a rare orchid in a secluded valley, captivating all who beheld her.
"It's His Cloudwater Sect Yun Han and Princess Yun Qian from the Yunshui Sect!"
"My God! These siblings actually led the team there themselves!"
"His Highness Yun Han is said to have already reached the Internal Force Realm, and his strength is unfathomable! Princess Yun Qian is even more of a prodigy, having already reached the Qi Refining Perfection at a young age, and has even condensed a superior-grade Qi Swirl Phenomenon!"
A murmur of surprise and discussion erupted from the crowd. Yun Han remained calm, his gaze sweeping across the entire scene with a hint of authority. Yun Qian, on the other hand, smiled charmingly, her eyes sparkling, attracting countless admiring glances.
Immediately afterward, the Cloud-Overturning Gate's group arrived! Leading the way was none other than Xie Ning, who had ridden the Crimson Flame Steed with such high spirits that day! He was still dressed in a cyan outfit, his expression cold and his aura imposing.
Standing beside him, diligently holding the reins of the Crimson Flame Steed, was none other than Gao Feng! His face was filled with smugness and obsequiousness, and feeling the envious glances around him, he felt even more elated. "Hmph, that fool Dongfang Ri, is he still fooling around by himself? I'm now a favorite of Senior Brother Xie Ning! Not only did I receive a reward from him and successfully break through to the Qi Refining Realm, but this time I'll even be accompanying him to the Heavenly Splendor Dynasty. My future is limitless!"
Finally, a suffocatingly cold aura spread out! The Heaven-Surging Alliance's team had arrived! Leading them was none other than the beautiful woman in purple, as lovely as an iceberg snow lotus— Qu Yutang! Her expression was indifferent, and wherever her gaze fell, it seemed as if even the air itself would freeze!
"It's Fairy Qu Yutang!"
"So beautiful! No wonder she's the pride of the Heaven-Surging Alliance!"
Another gasp of surprise erupted from the crowd.
When Princess Yun Qian saw Qu Yutang, a barely perceptible hint of hostility and resentment flashed in her beautiful eyes. The rivalry between women often happens invisibly.
The Cloudwater Sect, the Cloud-Overturning Gate, and the Heaven-Surging Alliance! The teams of the three top powers of the Cloud Water Dynasty have gathered here, creating a magnificent scene!
Led by the three forces, the mighty procession began to head out of the city, heading straight for the Heavenly Splendor Dynasty! Some ambitious rogue martial artists also mustered their courage and followed the procession from a distance, hoping to get a share of the spoils. Among them were the burly man with Dongfang Yueming had met at the teahouse that day.
Dongfang Yueming stood on the street, watching the grand scene, but his heart was not particularly stirred. He noticed an old man with a stall next to him, looking at the departing procession with envy.
"Old man, why aren't you going?" Dongfang Yueming asked casually.
Upon hearing this, the old man selling goods gave a bitter laugh, "Hehe, young brother, you jest. In my younger days, I was also impetuous and reckless, and I went to the Trial Valley once, and the result... alas, it's too painful to recall! Just the first level was as difficult as climbing to heaven! I'm already lucky to have survived."
He glanced at Dongfang Yueming and asked, "Judging from your expression, young brother, do you also want to give it a try?"
"Yes, let's go see what's going on." Dongfang Yueming nodded.
Upon hearing this, the old man at the stall couldn't help but chuckle, "Young man, this isn't the place to watch the show. Could it be... you're cramming for battle, only now realizing you need to learn some survival skills?"
"Indeed," Dongfang Yueming readily admitted. "Does the old man possess any Qi Refining Realm stage practitioners?" He thought to himself, "In terms of offense, the Major Accomplishment Crimson Flame Fist Technique is sufficient for now. But Qi Refining Realm techniques for the Qi Refining stage are truly a blank slate."
Upon hearing this, the old man at the stall showed a hint of surprise in his eyes, but still managed to pull out three slightly worn manuals from under his stall and place them in front of Dongfang Yueming: "Here, these three techniques can only be truly unleashed at the Qi Refining Qi Refining Realm. ' Surging Waves Movement Technique,' ' Cloud-Treading Steps,' and ' Shadow-Chasing Movement Technique,' each... three white crystal coins."
Suddenly, the old man at the stall let out a long sigh, his voice filled with vicissitudes and helplessness. "Alas, it's tough being a rogue cultivator! Unlike the disciples of those major sects and families, we rogue cultivators without a foundation have no systematic lineage of cultivation techniques and martial arts. The martial arts they Body Tempering Realm often have corresponding Qi Refining Realm advanced versions, which can be seamlessly connected, doubling their power, and they also complement the attributes of their own cultivation techniques perfectly. But what about us? We can only piece things together, learning a mixed and incomplete set of techniques, which greatly reduces their power. When we reach the Qi Refining Realm, we have to start from scratch to find suitable martial arts. It's so difficult!"
Upon hearing this, Dongfang Yueming's heart stirred slightly. He could somewhat understand the hardships faced by rogue cultivators.
The old man glanced at Dongfang Yueming, thinking to himself, "Judging from this kid's appearance, he's probably from some remote continent, otherwise how could he not even know such common sense?"
He pointed to the three manuals and continued, "This ' Surging Waves Movement Technique ' is best used in swampy areas, making the body move like a fish in water; this ' Cloud-Treading Steps ' excels in lightness skills, suitable for long-distance raids, making it easy to travel a thousand miles a day; as for this ' Shadow-Chasing Movement Technique,' it focuses more on small-scale movement and dodging, swift and unpredictable, making it difficult to defend against."
"I'll take them all." After hearing the introduction, Dongfang Yueming said without the slightest hesitation.
"Huh? You... you want them all?" The old man at the stall was taken aback, looking at Dongfang Yueming with some surprise. Although these three techniques were only basic martial arts for the Qi Refining Realm, to cultivate all three at the same time, and to start learning them right before leaving...