"Tian'er!"
Li Rou frowned slightly; her son’s self-willed behavior displeased her.
"What conditions? Name them." Li Jie looked at Duan Lingtian and asked.
As long as Duan Lingtian was willing to accept the challenge, he would agree to any terms, provided they weren't too outrageous. This was a golden opportunity to avenge his brother, Li Xin, and he was not about to let it slip away.
"My condition is simple: a one-month delay. We shall fight in one month's time... If you aren't willing, or if you don't have the guts, then forget it. I’ll just act as if you never came here and never challenged me in the first place."
Duan Lingtian’s expression was calm, as if he were certain Li Jie would agree.
"Fine, I’ll give you one month. I just hope you won't be a cowardly turtle when the time comes!"
Li Jie didn't hesitate for a second, agreeing immediately, a cold sneer appearing at the corner of his mouth. Did this Duan Lingtian really think he could defeat him in a month?
After Li Kun and Li Jie had left, Li Kun frowned. "Xiao Jie, that Duan Lingtian is deliberately stalling for a month. Could it be that he’s confident he can defeat you by then? Was it a bit rash of you to agree to his conditions just now?"
"Father, trash is trash. Even if he has finished tempering his body, he is only at the First Level of the Body Tempering Realm. Give him another month, and he still might not even reach the Second Level of the Body Tempering Realm." Li Jie smiled confidently.
"But..." Li Kun wanted to say more, but Li Jie interrupted him.
"Father, is it Duan Lingtian’s 'Crushing Fist' that you’re worried about? You can set your heart at ease. Even if his Crushing Fist is a profound-rank martial skill, and even if he manages to reach the Second Level of the Body Tempering Realm in a month, do you really think he can close the gap between us with just that move?"
The gap between the Third and Fourth Level of the Body Tempering Realm was a watershed; the difference in strength between the two was over a hundred catties. That was not to mention the distance between the Second and Fourth Levels.
"It is Father who is overthinking. Your brother’s injury has clouded my judgment." Li Kun listened to his son's logical analysis and nodded with a smile. His eldest son had always been his pride; he had never let him down.
***
After the father and son had left, Duan Lingtian felt his mother’s gaze fixed upon him, filled with displeasure.
"Mother, don't worry, I have it under control!" Duan Lingtian spoke first.
"Tian’er, I’ve seen the changes in you, but you shouldn't be so overly ambitious! That Li Jie is the recognized genius of the younger generation, the one the family is heavily investing in, and the strongest among all our clan's Fourth Level Body Tempering Realm martial artists! He is not someone his brother, Li Xin, could ever compare to." Li Rou sighed softly.
"Mother, I know all of that. Please, just trust me, will you? I will definitely win. I won’t make you lose face!" Duan Lingtian looked at Li Rou with a sincere expression.
"You silly child, I’m not afraid of losing face. I’m worried about you. I don't want you to be like you were a few days ago, almost leaving me forever..." As she spoke, Li Rou’s autumn-like eyes turned slightly red. The incident from a few days ago seemed to cast a lingering shadow over her heart.
"Mother, I promise, I will never make you worry about me again!" Duan Lingtian vowed solemnly.
"Very well, I believe you. If you need anything this month, just tell me." Li Rou nodded gently, struggling to force a smile.
"Mother, I need you to help me buy some more herbs, the same kind as last time. Also, I need some silver."
After obtaining some silver from his mother, Duan Lingtian left the main estate and walked out of the Li Family compound. This was his first time going out since arriving in this world.
The market in Qingfeng Town was divided between three families, including the Li Family, separated by three bustling streets. The Li Family market was situated to the north, near their estate. As soon as Duan Lingtian stepped into the market, he was greeted by the cries of street vendors, and the stalls on both sides were filled with a dazzling array of strange ornaments and goods.
For a moment, Duan Lingtian felt as if he had returned to the ancient times of his previous life—a sight he could only ever see on television back then.
As he walked, he looked around curiously. When he reached the entrance of the Li Family weapon shop, he paused to look at the orderly display of weapons, hesitated for a moment, then changed direction, leaving the Li Family market and heading into the Chen family market to the southwest.
The Chen family was one of the three major families in Qingfeng Town, standing on equal footing with the Li and Fang families. The three families maintained a delicate balance of power, constantly keeping each other in check. While there was constant friction behind the scenes, everything remained calm on the surface, as no one wanted to be the first to start a conflict.
Upon entering the Chen family’s weapon shop, someone immediately approached him. "Sir, what kind of weapon are you looking for?" the man asked with a smile.
"I’m not buying weapons. I just want to purchase some materials from you," Duan Lingtian replied, shaking his head.
*Not buying weapons, only materials?* The man was startled. Could this young guest be backed by a prestigious Alchemist? In the Yunxiao Continent, Alchemists—unlike the blacksmiths in the shop—held a status no lower than that of pharmacists. Every Alchemist was someone that various powers would fight tooth and nail to recruit! The weapons forged by blacksmiths were mere common steel, while those crafted by Alchemists were "Spirit Weapons," capable of amplifying attack power.
In Qingfeng Town, each of the three major families had a pharmacist, but not a single Alchemist. This showed just how rare they were.
"Sir, please tell me what materials you need, and I will prepare them for you immediately."
Duan Lingtian noticed the man’s attitude had suddenly shifted, a hint of reverence creeping into his tone. He guessed the reason but did not point it out. He wasn't buying these materials for alchemy. Although he, as the Samsara Martial Emperor, had inherited all the knowledge and memories regarding crafting, one had to at least reach the Condensing Pill Realm and cultivate Origin Force to become a true craftsman. The same applied to ranked pharmacists; without Origin Force, one could not condense pill fire or refine medicine.
Duan Lingtian listed nine materials in one breath. These were items he intended to use for Inscription.
Inscription was an extremely rare art in the modern Yunxiao Continent, usually applied to personal items or weapons. Inscribed objects would carry a strange "power." These powers were diverse and unpredictable, and once released, the inscription would be consumed entirely—much like the bombs from his previous life; once they exploded, they were gone.
From the memories of the Samsara Martial Emperor, Duan Lingtian knew that the art of Inscription had reached its peak during the era of the Martial Emperor’s second life. In that era, the Martial Emperor had greedily mastered all the practical techniques of Inscription. Before every reincarnation, his *Three Lives Samsara Sutra* required his soul to sleep for ten thousand years. Now, ten thousand years later, the art of Inscription had gradually declined for various reasons. Inscription Masters had become highly sought-after figures, their status far surpassing that of pharmacists and Alchemists.
The nine common materials Duan Lingtian was buying were for a low-level inscription.
"Sir, here are the materials you requested. That will be seven taels of silver in total."
The shop assistant quickly prepared the items. After respectfully seeing Duan Lingtian off, he hurried toward the Chen family estate. He had to report the possible presence of an Alchemist in Qingfeng Town to the family head immediately, lest the other two families get there first!
"Money really doesn't last long... The twenty taels Mother gave me are already nearly half gone." Duan Lingtian shook his head and took a shortcut back to the Li Family estate.
Passing the intersection of the three families' markets, Duan Lingtian noticed a crowd gathered by the roadside, pointing and whispering. Driven by curiosity, he squeezed his way through.
He saw a girl dressed in mourning clothes kneeling on the ground, her long hair obscuring her face. Judging by her figure, she was no more than fifteen. In front of her lay a sign with blood-red characters: *Selling myself to bury my mother.*
Duan Lingtian didn't expect to encounter a scene he’d only ever seen on television. As a former king of soldiers, his keen intuition allowed him to clearly sense the profound grief radiating from the girl.
"Tsk, tsk... Not a bad figure, little girl. Look up and let me have a look. If you’re pretty, I’ll buy you as a personal maid," a pot-bellied man in expensive silk, oozing the aura of an upstart, leered at the kneeling girl.
"That’s right, you won't even lift your head. Who would dare buy you?" someone chimed in.
"I will only lift my head for a benefactor willing to help me bury my mother," the girl replied. She still didn't look up, her voice sounding like a golden oriole, yet filled with stubbornness.
"The voice is nice, but since you won't look up, you must have an ugly face. I..." The pot-bellied man hadn't even finished his sentence when Duan Lingtian, unable to stomach the sight, let out a cold snort.
"I’ll give you ten taels of silver. Go bury your mother properly." Duan Lingtian walked up to the girl and said softly.
"Thank you, Young Master." The girl’s body trembled slightly. She slowly lifted her head and used her delicate hands to brush back her long hair.
Her face was clean and fair, slightly immature, and completely devoid of makeup, revealing a natural beauty. Beneath curved willow-leaf eyebrows, a pair of beautiful autumn-like eyes held a mix of grievance and strength, truly a sight to stir pity. Her nose was elegant and straight, her lips round and alluring—it was enough to make anyone want to lean in and kiss her right then and there.
Duan Lingtian had initially shared the pot-bellied man’s assumption that she wouldn't look up because she was hideous. Who could have imagined she was such a beauty? Paired with her exquisite figure, she stood tall and graceful. One could only imagine that she would grow up to be a stunning woman.
The men around them gulped, their eyes filled with greed.
"He only offered ten taels! I’ll offer twenty! You can just come follow me from now on," the pot-bellied man drooled, eager to outbid him.
"I’ll offer thirty!" someone else shouted.
"Fifty!"
"Sixty!"
Seeing the crowd scramble to bid, Duan Lingtian stood by coldly. If the girl chose the highest bidder, he would simply leave—such a person would not be worth his help.