"Oh, right, leave the Meridian Opening Pill behind."
Eager to rush back, treat his injuries, and call for backup, Chu Xiaochen pulled out the jade bottle containing the Meridian Opening Pill and tossed it toward Ling Yun.
"Young Master Chu, remember to mention my name when you get home. My name is Ling Yun—*Ling* as in towering ambitions, and *Yun* as in clouds scraping the skies."
Not daring to answer back, Chu Chen memorized the two words "Ling Yun" and fled without looking back.
Ling Yun looked toward Ning Xiaodong, who was struggling to get to his feet beside him, and raised the jade bottle in his hand. "Do you still dare to take it?"
"I do!"
Ning Xiaodong’s gaze was utterly resolute.
He was no fool. Once he took this jade bottle, Chu Chen’s revenge would surely involve him as well.
"Good, I'll give it back to you!"
Ling Yun tossed the jade bottle to Ning Xiaodong and turned to leave.
Ning Xiaodong caught the jade bottle and limped along behind him, step by step.
"Brother Yun, this must be your first time at the All-Treasure Hall. I can be considered a senior disciple of the outer court—if you want to buy anything, I can show you the way."
Ling Yun slowed his pace a fraction. "Brother Ning, the Chu Family will be sending people here soon. Aren't you afraid of danger if you follow me?"
"Brother Yun, to be honest with you, I've endured those bastards for a long time," Ning Xiaodong said. "Just because I outranked Chu Tianyang and took eleventh place in the last River and Mountain Rankings tournament, these Chu Family members bully me every single time they see my cultivation decline. It's not like I didn't fight back, but every time, they beat me half to death. But now? This daddy won't put up with it anymore! At worst, it's just death!"
By the end, a fierce and resolute glint flashed in Ning Xiaodong's eyes.
Ling Yun said, "Brother Ning, reality might not be quite what you think. I'm just a martial artist from Canyan City with no background whatsoever."
Hearing this, Ning Xiaodong’s face immediately showed a trace of surprise.
Just moments ago, seeing Ling Yun's overwhelming dominance as he ruthlessly trampled Chu Chen, he genuinely believed Ling Yun must possess a formidable background. A look of shame quickly surfaced on Ning Xiaodong's face. Ling Yun dared to show no fear of the Chu Family despite having no backing at all, yet he, Ning Xiaodong, had cowered and cringed for so long!
"Brother Yun, your courage is truly admirable. If Brother Yun doesn't mind, I am willing to face this matter together with you. At worst, the two of us brothers die side by side. Having Brother Yun accompany me on the Yellow Springs Road won't be lonely at all, haha!"
By the end of it, Ning Xiaodong felt an extraordinary lightness wash over him. The youthful blood in his veins had been ignited; his spine straightened until he stood like a javelin. "So what if it's the Chu Family? I, Ning Xiaodong, would rather die than submit!"
Ling Yun saw a light ignite in Ning Xiaodong's eyes—no, not just light, but a sharp, piercing edge.
"Brother Ning, congratulations."
Ning Xiaodong had attained sudden enlightenment, shattering his inner demons and elevating his state of mind. Once his physical ailments were resolved, his cultivation would undoubtedly advance by leaps and bounds.
"Brother Yun, thanks to you." Ning Xiaodong cupped his fists in return. Clearly unwilling to dwell further on his personal transformation, he asked, "Brother Yun, what do you want to buy? I'll take you there."
"I want to buy a few image-recording stones. Sorry to trouble you with the lead, Brother Ning."
"Image-recording stones?" Ning Xiaodong hadn't expected Ling Yun to be after such niche items. "Brother Yun, image-recording stones are unpopular goods. Follow me this way."
The two arrived at the section selling image-recording stones. Everything here consisted of various bizarre and unusual oddities. However, upon seeing the price tag on the image-recording stones, even Ling Yun couldn't help but curse the Tianxuan Martial Academy for being outrageously greedy.
Ten thousand spirit stones for a single piece! That was a full twofold more expensive than in Canyan City!
There was no helping it; he urgently needed the thing right now. Besides, Ma Mingyang had left him fifty thousand spirit stones of illicit money anyway. He wasn't short on cash!
Open-handed and lavish, Ling Yun bought five pieces, leaving Ning Xiaodong dumbfounded all over again.
Fifty thousand spirit stones! The monthly stipend of an outer court elder was only five thousand spirit stones!
Stowing the image-recording stones away, Ling Yun stepped forward to leave. Suddenly, as he passed by a display counter, the tiny cyan tree within his body stirred with an unusual fluctuation.
Ling Yun couldn't help but look at the items placed inside the counter. A basin-sized black disc ornament sat there. While the surrounding items all had price tags, this black disc bore none at all.
"Manager, please let me have a look at this ornament." Ling Yun pointed at the black disc.
The manager was a middle-aged man with a round face, small eyes, and a protruding belly. Seeing that Ling Yun was interested in the black disc, he narrowed his sleepy-looking eyes and walked over. "Little brother, this is an ancient trinket unearthed from the Primordial Secret Realm. It's what our shopkeeper uses to anchor the store—it's not for sale!"
"This pitch-black piece of junk is supposed to anchor the store?" Ning Xiaodong stepped forward and spat at the manager, "Fatty Liu, don't think you can pull the wool over my Brother Yun's eyes just because he looks like a newcomer. If you can't make the call here, drag Shopkeeper Wu out to talk."
"Hah, look who it is. If it isn't the great genius Ning." Fatty Liu gave Ning Xiaodong a mocking, sidelong glance, then turned back to Ling Yun. "Little brother, this black disc really isn't for sale. If you're interested, though, I can let you examine it from afar. How about that?"
"Very well, I had that very intention. Sorry to trouble Manager Liu to fetch it for me."
Fatty Liu took out the black disc and handed it over to Ling Yun.
Ling Yun took the black disc. Upon contact, it felt somewhat warm and soothing, without a shred of coldness, nor could he discern what material it was made of. But the very next moment, a scene unfolded that left Ling Yun completely slack-jawed.
The black disc shattered right in his hands. Just like the spirit-testing stele before the mountain gate, it crumbled into dust.
"Ah, this..." Ning Xiaodong stood right beside Ling Yun, watching helplessly as the black disc broke the instant Ling Yun took hold of it.
"Fu—!" Ning Xiaodong instantly blew his top, turning his fire on Fatty Liu. "Fatty Liu, you sly bastard, playing dirty and trying to frame people for extortion!"
"..."
Fatty Liu was equally dumbfounded. The black disc was indeed not for sale; the shopkeeper had placed it here with repeated strict warnings—not to be sold, only viewed. Yet now, the black disc had shattered into dust.
Thinking of the shopkeeper's terrifying methods, dense beads of sweat broke out across Fatty Liu's forehead. He lunged forward and grabbed Ling Yun on the spot.
"Fatty Liu, what are you trying to pull? You really want to extort someone?!" Ning Xiaodong rushed forward, trying to pry Fatty Liu loose.
With a ferocious expression, Fatty Liu roared, "Useless Ning, he smashed the black disc! This matter won't slide even if your master comes in person! Get lost right now, or this daddy will beat you to a pulp!"
"Fatty Liu, you—"
"Brother Ning, step aside for a moment!"
Recovering from the shock of the sudden turn of events, Ling Yun realized what had happened: the moment he took hold of the black disc, a devouring force had abruptly surged from the tiny cyan tree. Following that, he had sensed the weak aura of the female fiend within the cyan tree. Evidently, absorbing the energy from this object was going to wake her up ahead of schedule.
With their three agreements in place, he wondered what the first task the female fiend would demand of him would be. Ling Yun felt entirely unprepared for it right now.
"Kid, you smashed our store's anchor treasure. Now come with me to the back room to see the shopkeeper." Fatty Liu dragged Ling Yun toward the inner quarters.
Ling Yun offered no resistance; after all, he had indeed broken someone else's property. As long as the shopkeeper's demands weren't too outrageous, he was prepared to offer appropriate compensation.
Arriving at the back, they found a quaint little courtyard that blended rustic seclusion with quiet elegance. The owner of the courtyard was clearly a person of refined tastes.
"Shopkeeper, some punk smashed our black disc. I've brought him to you," Fatty Liu called out toward the interior.
The door swung open automatically, and Fatty Liu dragged Ling Yun inside. Stepping into the inner hall, Ling Yun looked at the face resting and meditating on the bamboo chair. He was startled into a cold sweat, then violently whipped his head around to glare at Fatty Liu, who was still holding onto him!
The man lying on the bamboo chair looked utterly identical to Fatty Liu. Not even twins could possibly resemble each other this much. Round baby fat face, small eyes, and the exact same protruding belly. Ling Yun had never believed that two completely identical people could exist in this world.
Fatty Liu dropped to his knees with a thud, his voice laced with tears. "Shopkeeper, I didn't do anything wrong! Please don't turn into my face again, I... I'm scared..."
Once upon a time, Fatty Liu had accidentally broken an ancient artifact. The shopkeeper hadn't said a word, but that very night, he transformed into Fatty Liu's appearance and paid a visit to a pleasure house. As a result, Fatty Liu was beaten so badly by his wife the next day that he was bedridden for half a month.
"Hah! Fatty Liu, don't be so nervous. This shopkeeper just thinks turning into your face is quite fun."
Wu De opened his small eyes, smiling as he looked at Ling Yun. "Little brother, so you're the one who smashed my black disc?"
Ling Yun cupped his fists, speaking with absolute sincerity. "Shopkeeper, I am truly sorry. Please name a figure for the compensation."
"Hehe..." Wu De suddenly wore an inscrutable smile. "Little brother, what do you think of this transformation art of mine?"
Ling Yun glanced at Fatty Liu, then back at Wu De, and exclaimed in wonder, "Miraculous beyond compare!"
This art of transformation was quite literally a top-tier configuration for murder and pillaging!
Wu De asked, "Then are you interested in learning it?"
"Ah, this..." Ling Yun was caught completely off guard. But such a miraculous transformation technique—if the other party was willing to teach him, there would undoubtedly be conditions attached.
"Little brother, let's make a deal. Ten days from now, you accompany this shopkeeper to the Primordial Secret Realm. Not only will the compensation for the black disc be waived, but this shopkeeper will also teach you this transformation art. How about it?" Wu De stated his terms.
Ling Yun mused quietly. Ten days from now would be the third day of the River and Mountain Rankings tournament; the timing itself was fine. It was just that the other party wanted him to go along to the Primordial Secret Realm, and judging from what Fatty Liu had said earlier, that black disc seemed to have originated from the Primordial Secret Realm as well.
It appeared that whatever Wu De wanted him to do in the secret realm was mostly likely connected to the black disc.
"Little brother, the Primordial Secret Realm holds countless rare treasures. This shopkeeper's transformation art was also unearthed from the Primordial Secret Realm." Wu De continued, "As the saying goes, great fortunes are sought within dangerous perils. Little brother, if you travel with me this time, who knows, you might just encounter a supreme opportunity. Furthermore, this shopkeeper can guarantee that as long as I draw breath, I will ensure your safety."
Wu De's words were laced with temptation.
Ling Yun thought for a moment. "Very well, since the shopkeeper puts it that way, seven days from now, I shall journey to the Primordial Secret Realm together with the shopkeeper."
"Good, it's a deal—"
Before Wu De's voice could fade, a barrage of curses echoed from outside the courtyard: "Ling Yun, get out here and die!"
Ning Xiaodong rushed through the door in a panic and said to Ling Yun, "This is bad, Brother Yun! The Chu Family has come looking for trouble!"
Unfazed, Ling Yun calmly asked, "Who's leading them?"
"It's Chu Tianyang's biggest lackey in the outer court—Zou Gou!"
Not seeing the main target, Chu Tianyang, arrive, Ling Yun felt a slight trace of disappointment. However, since Chu Tianyang's lackey had come, flushing out the master himself wouldn't be difficult.
With that, Ling Yun cupped his fists toward Wu De. "Shopkeeper, I have some personal business to attend to, so I must take my leave."
"Hah!" Wu De rose from the bamboo chair, waving a tattered cattail fan that had only three leaves left. "Little brother, let's go. This shopkeeper will accompany you outside to see what's going on."
Ling Yun walked in front, with Wu De and Ning Xiaodong following behind as the three stepped out into the courtyard.
Three short-statured youths in yellow robes stood in the courtyard, radiating murderous intent. Ling Yun swept his gaze over the three of them and asked, "Which one of you is the big lackey? Step forward and speak!"
"Kid! You're courting death!" The slightly taller yellow-robed youth, Zou Gou, stepped out, staring coldly at Ling Yun. "You're the Ling Yun who dared to break Young Master Chu Chen's legs?"
Ling Yun smiled faintly. "Guilty as charged. May I ask what instructions Chu Tianyang has for me?"
"The Second Young Master ordered me to break your legs, and then make you crawl to the Chu Mansion to beg for forgiveness."
The Chu Mansion was the outer court stronghold of the Chu Family disciples, and could be considered the largest faction among the outer court disciples.
"Heh, do members of the Chu Family all have such a fetish for breaking people's legs?" Ling Yun mocked. "Is it because they used to be so pathetic, kneeling too many times, that they need everyone else to kneel when talking to them just to feel a shred of superiority?"
"Hah! Little brother, you hit the nail on the head!" Wu De chuckled, waving his tattered cattail fan. "Three hundred years ago, the Chu Family was nothing at all. It was only because their ancestor, Chu Xiaobu, successively recognized three foster fathers that the Chu Family managed to secure their current standing in the Cangfeng Prefecture."
"That makes them three-surname house slaves, haha!" Ning Xiaodong added insult to injury.
"Fatty Liu, Useless Ning, do the two of you want to die as well?!" Zou Gou's robes billowed without any wind as the one hundred and eight meridians within his body surged, unleashing the true Qi of the Tenth Layer of Meridian Opening Realm.
"Damn it!"
"Does Wu De here mean nothing to you?"
Annoyed, Wu De flicked the tattered cattail fan in his hand, and a gale of wind and thunder instantly swirled around it. The aggressively charging Zou Gou was sent flying straight backward, crashing directly through a three-meter-high earthen wall.
"Wu... De..." Ning Xiaodong was dumbfounded, his jaw hanging open. Panicking earlier, he had all along assumed the person standing beside him was Fatty Liu.
Rumors said that Wu De's Thousand Illusions art was unimaginably miraculous, and today he had finally witnessed it firsthand. If Wu De hadn't spoken up, he would never have known for as long as he lived that this 'Fatty Liu' was actually a disguise worn by Wu De.
"Sh... Shopkeeper Wu!"
Seeing this, the other two yellow-robed youths instinctively took several steps back. Wu De was an eccentric existence in the outer court. Rumors had it that he used to be idle and lazy, indulging in eating, drinking, gambling, and whoring—looking nothing like a righteous cultivator. Yet, absurdly, Wu De held high seniority; he was the junior grand-uncle of the previous generation's academy head, and rumors even whispered he was the illegitimate son of the generation head before that.
In short, Wu De's status was exceptionally unique. Thus, before the old academy head passed away, he had arranged for a storefront to be opened for Wu De at the All-Treasure Hall, providing him with a livelihood so he could support himself and stop roaming outside causing trouble that would ruin the Tianxuan Martial Academy's reputation.
Nowadays, the higher-ups of the sect got a headache just hearing the name 'Wu De'.
Zou Gou crawled out from the pile of rubble looking battered and bruised. Looking at Wu De, who was still wearing the disguise of 'Fatty Liu', he said, "This subordinate Zou Gou had no idea he was offending Shopkeeper Wu. Please forgive me, Shopkeeper Wu. But this Ling Yun is someone the Chu Family wants. I ask Shopkeeper Wu to please grant us some convenience."
Wu De curled his lip. "Hah! Trying to scare this shopkeeper by pulling out the Chu Family!"
"This subordinate wouldn't dare!" Zou Gou lowered his head. "In that case, this subordinate will take his leave."
Zou Gou waved his hand, preparing to lead the other two youths away.
"Wait a moment!" Ling Yun called out, then turned to Ning Xiaodong. "Brother Ning, please help me prepare a brush and a sheet of Xuan paper."
The real Fatty Liu, quick-witted and fast-handed, retrieved a brush, ink, and Xuan paper from the room.Ling Yun took up the brush, casually brushed down the character 'Plum' (Li), and tossed it toward Zou Gou.
"Give this to your master!"
"I imagine when he looks at it, he'll have a completely different realization!"
***
After refining the Nine Apertures Golden Pill, Ye Mengyan didn't wait for Cao Su and rushed over at the earliest opportunity.
Although Zhao Wuji still wore his golden robe, his pale complexion robbed him of his former majesty.
"Greetings, Master. Mengyan has successfully refined the Nine Apertures Golden Pill." Ye Mengyan prostrated herself in a bow.
"It took you a whole day, not bad." Zhao Wuji nodded and beckoned. "Mengyan, come closer and let your master see your progress."
Stepping close, Ye Mengyan released the aura of her cultivation.
"First Layer of Meridian Opening Realm?"