Chapter 171 - 106: Talents of the Mansion, Heroes of the State, Prodigies on the Juvenile Dragon Stele, Righteous Men of Old, A Promise Worth 1000 Gold

Chapter 171: Chapter 106: Talents of the Mansion, Heroes of the State, Prodigies on the Juvenile Dragon Stele, Righteous Men of Old, A Promise Worth 1000 Gold

With another two years of his personal instruction, couldn’t you achieve it naturally?

But Ye Ningzhi clearly thought otherwise.

She had looked into Ji Xiu’s background. To rise from a simple Groom to this level in just three months... If he were one of the Prefecture City’s Nobles, it might have been possible by stuffing himself with pills.

But for him to suppress someone like her to this degree... She was a noble lady from a Grand Lineage, a direct disciple of her school, who had been tempering her sinews and forged her bones from a young age in an effort to shatter the Great Limit.

Even one of the so-called Heroes of the State could never accomplish that in such a short amount of time.

If that was the case,

then why couldn’t he be like one of those legendary prodigies whose names were etched upon the Juvenile Dragon Stele? Why couldn’t he become a future candidate for a Title!?

Someone of that caliber could probably even grasp the truth of a Martial Saint’s Inheritance or the hidden treasures of a Human Immortal, to say nothing of...

a Secret Martial Dao that specialized in the Qi Dao!

"Senior Brother Ji, here are the Demon Pills from three Centennial Demons and the Heart Essence Blood from a dozen other types of demons. I’ve gathered them all, just as you instructed..."

"Well done. Do you want any silver for it?"

"No, no! As long as I can stay by your side and comprehend the truth of the Martial Dao, I wouldn’t care about a few silver taels. Even if it were Red Gold, I wouldn’t hesitate!"

"Oh? You’re that generous..."

"In that case, if I manage to comprehend this ’Secret Martial Dao’ of the mountains, how about I allow you to observe?"

"Thank you, Senior Brother!"

As they neared Anning County under the setting sun, Cai Ling’er listened to the pair’s back-and-forth. Seeing Ye Ningzhi’s eyes brimming with absolute trust, she couldn’t help but purse her lips.

’One’s got the nerve to boast, and the other’s got the nerve to believe it. What a pair.’

"Hmph!"

She’d just have to wait and see. What could one of them possibly teach, and what could the other possibly learn!

...

The moment Ji Xiu rode the Spirit Deer into Anning County, he came face-to-face with a large procession of Martial Artists preparing to leave.

The leaders of the group included major figures like Di Yuan of the Post House and Feng Zhengming of the Wind and Cloud Association. There was also the rather famous Pill Master, Xu Li, along with the Martial Artist guards from the merchant ship, many of whom were masters of Skin Refining.

When they saw Ji Xiu, their eyes widened in surprise, despite the rumors they’d heard. This was especially true when they noticed who was following him: Cai Ling’Er and Ye Ningzhi, two noble ladies with considerable reputations in the circles of the Prefecture City’s Grand Lineages.

’They never would have thought it.’ These were proud young women, direct heiresses of their families, whom many in the Prefecture City had placed on lists of unattainable beauties—"high branches" to be admired from afar.

Yet here they were, just as the rumors claimed, acting completely submissive toward this local powerhouse. Seeing it in person was still difficult to believe.

However, Di Yuan had always prided himself on his composure, and the surprise in his eyes vanished in a flash.

His expression immediately shifted to an eager smile as he stepped forward, ready to clasp Ji Xiu’s arm in a show of camaraderie.

"Boss Ji, what a coincidence!"

"Just a short while ago, I paid a visit to your residence, hoping to see for myself what a young hero like you was really like. I was quite disappointed to hear you weren’t home. I never expected to run into you here..."

Before he could finish, a Spiritual Talisman in his sleeve began to tremble, pointing directly at a pocket in Ji Xiu’s robes. His words came to an abrupt halt, and he stared at Ji Xiu, stunned.

At the same time, the Great Pill Master Xu Li, who stood behind him in a wide-sleeved robe, also looked toward Ji Xiu, his gaze sharpening.

"Young friend..."

"Forgive my intrusion."

"On your recent trip to the Earth Dragon Cave, did you happen to acquire some manner of ’Earth Treasure’ or Spiritual Object?"

"Something like... a Jade Marrow Cold Lotus, which can be used in medicine to cure persistent, grave illnesses?"

Ji Xiu frowned.

Behind him, Cai Ling’er thoughtfully stepped closer and whispered:

"You’ve been cooped up in the county, so you wouldn’t know, but right now, skills and arts are flourishing in the Prefecture City. All trades are thriving, and all sorts of strange and varied methods have appeared."

"Take Pill Master Xu Li, for instance. If he wants to find an Earth Treasure in the Earth Dragon Cave, how do you think he’d do it? Obviously, he has his ways."

"The Human Immortal Martial Dao has its ’Secret Pills’ as a peripheral art. Similarly, Immortal Techniques include ’Talismanic Techniques’ used for protection and as a Guardian Dao."

"Talismans don’t just grant Practitioners with low-level Dao Skills and weak Divine Souls the ability to engage in Magical Combat; they have other peculiar uses as well."

"Take right now, for example. Xu Li, Di Yuan, and their group... they’re most likely carrying a specialized ’Spiritual Talisman’ designed to seek out the Spiritual Mechanism of an Earth Treasure."

"If they come within a hundred meters of a Spiritual Object, the talisman will give a faint response. The closer they get, the stronger the sensation."

"This technique, I’ve heard, was adapted from the Divine Techniques of the so-called ’Skill Dao’—a practice that comes from the Outer Dao. They refined it into a skill to create Talismans for Practitioners."

"But Talismans are usually extremely expensive. They’re a product of the Outer Dao, after all. By the time they cross the ocean to reach the Great Xuan, even if the base cost isn’t high, the scarcity of Talisman Masters drives up the price. Supply and demand... you get it."

"That’s why people in the Prefecture City from lesser families, without enough wealth, can’t afford to use these things."

Cai Ling’er, who had dabbled in all sorts of unorthodox practices, spoke with the familiarity of an expert. Her understanding was profound, and she had instantly picked up on the clues from the subtle shifts in everyone’s expressions.

Er.

’A Spiritual Talisman?’

Hearing about such a fantastical item, Ji Xiu couldn’t help but let the corner of his mouth twitch.

’So it’s a spiritual medium, adapted from the Magic and Divine Techniques of the Skill Dao...’

It certainly sounded similar in principle to the Spiritual Sense he’d gained from comprehending ’Mountain and Sea Search’!

Its effect was drastically weaker, of course.

But if this group got lucky, and if he hadn’t gone Mountain Hunting today, it was entirely possible they would have beaten him to the Earth Treasure and the Secret Inheritance!

’Even with my Innate Wisdom, I never expected to see the Great Xuan version of "the rich pay to win, the poor get lucky"!’

Ji Xiu grumbled internally.

Just then, Ye Ningzhi silently stepped in front of him. Her expression hardened as she spoke in a cold, clipped tone: