Gao Tianyu had never expected that a mysterious powerful being would intrude into his family’s secret room.
What’s more, this powerful being was a True Dragon, and if he, a mere local snake, were to meddle, the most likely outcome would be death without a burial place.
Of course, his only loss would be the risk of exposing his secret manual. Once exposed, it would be easy for others to find ways to target them.
They occupied Jiangyuan City, and they had no shortage of hidden enemies.
If their enemies got their hands on it, they would be in trouble.
He just didn’t know whether the person perusing his secret manual would expose their foundational Cultivation Technique.
And then there was the so-called reward—what use could it possibly serve?
Gao Tianyu, however, did not doubt the authenticity of the reward, for if that strong being truly had any nefarious intent toward them, such measures would not be necessary.
He directly opened the medicinal bottle in front of the Guardian Master of the Cultivation Technique Tower.
A burst of extremely potent medicinal fragrance filled the air.
“This is—”
Gao Tianyu was the first to react.
“Medicine King Elixir!”
Their family’s heritage was rather substantial, having acquired quite a few treasures.
Why was Gao Tianyu able to conquer Jiangyuan City with his formidable strength?
It was through the use of their family’s resources—a Medicine King Elixir.
The elixir allowed him to advance further within the Grandmaster Level, becoming even stronger than ordinary Grandmasters, which made him the ultimate winner.
In fact, that Medicine King Elixir was originally intended to help break through from Grandmaster to Great Grandmaster, even a half percent increase in success rate was beneficial, as the difficulty of breaking through to Great Grandmaster was extraordinarily high.
However, at that time, when the family saw the benefits of Jiangyuan City, after deliberation, they decided it was better to grasp tangible benefits than to chase the elusive Great Grandmaster Realm, and hence they used their resources.
Now, in his hands, there lay an entire bottle.
Gao Tianyu took a quick look; there were five in total.
“Five Medicine King Elixirs, given our current family resources, we would probably have to give up most of our wealth to match its value, and moreover, Medicine King Elixirs have always been priceless!”
As the name suggests, Medicine King Elixirs are all concocted by the Medicine King, and the ingredients must include at least five types.
As with the elixirs, the difficulty is in the recipes, these factors contribute to the ever-increasing value of the Medicine King Elixirs.
Ordinary Grandmasters could not buy one even if they offered all their wealth.
The Gao Family could afford it only because their heritage, even among Grandmaster-level families, was considered profound.
And affording it was one thing, acquiring it was another.
But now, to have casually obtained five!
Once things were clear, the Grandmaster guarding the Cultivation Technique Tower was also somewhat trembling.
“Family Head, these five are Medicine King Elixirs, can there be any mistake?”
His eyesight was poor and he had never seen such before, so he wanted to confirm repeatedly.
“Truly…” Gao Tianyu felt nostalgic, “Is this the standard by which ’True Dragon Crossing the River’ operates?”
The mysterious strong being had made such a grand gesture.
It’s not just about looking at the secret manuals; even if he took all the original manuals away, they would still consider it a win.
“Immediately notify, make sure the young prodigals in our family are held back for a couple of months before letting them out.”
Rather than expecting the prodigal descendants to restrain themselves, it was better to lock them up for a while.
Though it was unclear whether that person would stay long, it was better to be safe.
So, not long after, cries of anguish heard within the Gao Family.
…
After Wang Sheng transcribed the secret manuals, he did not continue to copy.
He could now use the Jade Scroll proficiently, occasionally passing a few to Liu Jian’an and the others to copy, which would benefit them too.
Isn’t there a saying?
The palest ink is better than the best memory, the Jade Scroll could help them remember the content, and copying deepened their understanding.
“I’m really being good to them!”
Thinking this, Wang Sheng directly used his Divine Thought to locate Liu Jian’an and the others.
He thought they were still out shopping, but then he saw them next to a fighting stage.
Only Liu Jian’an was on the stage, while the others were cheering for him.
Through Divine Thought, he quickly learned the purpose of the stage.
In the world of martial artists, almost every major city has such a stage where martial artists can fight.
However, generally only those below the Seventh Grade participate.
The stage was divided into primary and advanced levels, and Liu Jian’an was currently on the primary stage, which only allowed up to Third Grade Martial Artists.
Liu Jian’an was a Third Grade Martial Artist, appearing to have just stepped onto the stage.
Opposite him was a man in his twenties, also a Third Grade Martial Artist.
Seeing Liu Jian’an’s youthful face, the opponent knew he was young and felt envious, “Kid, have you been weaned yet to step up here? Don’t blame me if I make you cry, ha ha ha!”
He did not believe he would lose; it was just a milk-fed little brat.
Hearing this mockery, Liu Jian’an showed a completely different side than usual as Wang Sheng observed. He said, “At your age, still not past Third Grade, you’re not much either!”
Ordinarily, he wouldn’t say such things, very aware that his current strength came from special means.
But this person was already in conflict with them, and now being mocked, he couldn’t hold back.
“Hmph, sharp-tongued brat, you’ll suffer soon!”
The stage did not allow killing or deliberate maiming, but making the opponent suffer was still permissible.
“Hope you don’t cry out!”
The Martial Artist immediately made his move, attacking Liu Jian’an.
Liu Jian’an remembered the teachings of the few elders in the village, that regardless of the opponent, to always use full strength.
“Illusion Fist!”
Illusion Fist, a boxing technique of the Moon Sect, which could mobilize the Qi-Blood within the body and deliver punches as swift and powerful as illusions in a short span.
Boom!
Liu Jian’an’s fist collided with the Martial Artist’s fist and then—
Crack!
The Martial Artist was sent flying out, tumbling down the platform like a piece of torn cloth.
Liu Jian’an glanced at his own fist and then looked at the Martial Artist lying below the platform, seemingly surprised, then subconsciously said, “Sorry, I didn’t expect you to be so weak!”
Wang Sheng, who was originally enjoying his tea and the show, almost spit out his drink.
Was Liu Jian’an’s mouth always this venomous?
Indeed, the most damaging blows are always the truths.
The surrounding Martial Artists couldn’t help but laugh.
The defeated Martial Artist, no longer arrogant, was too embarrassed by the event. He pretended to faint on the ground and was eventually carried away by his companions.
Although the event was somewhat comical and hasty, Liu Jian’an’s strength was certainly displayed. After the farce, real challengers came up to compete with him.
Liu Jian’an welcomed all comers, keenly aware of the great opportunity to gain experience.
Thus, the scene became increasingly lively, and eventually, Wang Lingwei and the other eleven joined in.
Although their combat experience was no match for those battle-hardened Martial Artists, the solid foundation they had built up in the village enabled them to barely hold their own.
The onlookers began to notice something unusual.
“Where did these twelve kids come from? They are well-trained!”
“Yes, their basics and martial skills are quite impressive. Most importantly, they’re young. Although they appear robust, they are definitely not over fifteen years old.”
“Looking at them makes me feel like I’ve wasted my life. Are these Martial Artists trained by a major power?”
Many people envied them, especially the Loose Cultivators who had become Martial Artists by chance.
They recognized that Liu Jian’an and his group had a solid foundation incomparable to Loose Cultivators like themselves.
As dusk approached, the platform fight concluded.
Despite injuries, Liu Jian’an and the twelve were unable to hide their excitement.
They understood the benefits of traveling.
Like this platform fight, although they lost more than they won, the gains were substantial.
The group chatted and laughed, planning to head back to their inn together.
That’s when someone blocked their path.
“Young friends, you have a destiny with our Heavenly Sect. Would you consider joining us?”
As soon as he spoke, everyone nearby backed away.
The Heavenly Sect, a force that had entered Shuzhou from outside.
Their favorite thing to say was, “You have a destiny with our sect.”
Once their cultists saw a promising young Martial Artist, they would claim, “You have a destiny with our sect,” and then take them away.
The most crucial thing was that the Martial Artists they spoke to would actually follow them.
Many people knew something was off, but no one could pinpoint exactly what, so they kept their distance.
Unexpectedly, these exceptionally talented young Martial Artists had caught the attention of the Heavenly Sect.
Though the Heavenly Sect’s power hadn’t reached the Overlord Level, they were indeed stronger than Jiangyuan City’s City Lord Mansion.
Facing this situation, the onlookers felt it was a pity but no one dared intervene. After all, the Heavenly Sect was notoriously powerful and vengeful.
Liu Jian’an, being the most composed, perceived something amiss from the bystanders’ attitudes.
“We are not interested, our elders are waiting for us. Please let us pass!”
Naturally, the Heavenly Sect cultist would not step aside, surprised to encounter so many outstanding Martial Artists upon his entry into Shuzhou.
Their sect had special methods to discern details about these twelve.
At just twelve or thirteen years old, but already boasting three Third Grade Martial Artists, and the rest being Second Grade.
Such talents, if brought back to the sect, could earn him great merit, possibly allowing for his advancement—an opportunity he could not miss.
Thinking this, he activated a Secret Technique of his sect.
At that moment, a sudden fear overcame him as if something was targeting him.
He abruptly realized the backers behind these twelve might be far more terrifying than he had imagined.
He immediately tried to plead, saying, “I am from the Heavenly Sect…”
But before he could finish, he fell straight down, dead.
This scene shocked everyone, including Liu Jian’an.
He had been considering having Yun Xiao take action.
However, he soon realized that Wang Sheng had stepped in.
“Let’s go, back to the inn!”
Regardless of the situation, it was best to return first, although he wasn’t sure if they might get reprimanded.
After they left, the crowd looking at the dead Heavenly Sect cultist scattered.
This kind of thing, whoever gets involved will be unlucky.
Of course, internally they were also shocked. The backers of those children were terrifyingly strong, able to easily kill a Heavenly Sect cultist out of nowhere.
It was uncertain how it compared to the Heavenly Sect, which surely wouldn’t let this go…
(Earlier by an hour than yesterday, progress is coming along! Slowly but surely!)