In the blink of an eye, the sun had already set.

On the third floor of Wan Yao Hall.

Luo Xiu looked at Guan Changyun, who was wrapped in gauze like a mummy on the bed, and let out a long sigh of relief. Although his injuries were severe, even fatal, Luo Xiu had still managed to pull him back from the Ghost Gate Pass.

After stepping out, Luo Xiu's gaze immediately fell upon Su Shanyue, who was waiting for him.

"Yueyue, why haven't you gone home yet?"

Seeing that there was no one around, Su Shanyue skipped the sign language and asked aloud, "How is Chairman Guan doing?"

Luo Xiu smiled. "Don't worry. With me here, he couldn't die even if he wanted to."

A smile lit up Su Shanyue's face. "That's good."

Luo Xiu reached out and ruffled her hair. "You should head back."

"Okay." Su Shanyue nodded obediently. As she walked toward the staircase, she sighed, "I really didn't expect that old man to be so powerful. He defeated Chairman Guan with a single strike."

"I heard from my grandfather that Chairman Guan has already reached the Legendary Realm. To think that even with such strength, he was no match for that old man's first move."

Luo Xiu's curiosity was piqued. "What exactly is this Legendary Realm you're talking about?"

Su Shanyue turned her head, looking at Luo Xiu with a strange expression. "Don't tell me you don't even know this?"

Luo Xiu shrugged. "There's a lot I don't know in this world."

"Alright, well, this is what my grandfather told me," she began. "The so-called Legendary Realm is a brand-new cultivation system that comes after the Grandmaster Great Perfection realm."

"It's called the Gathering Spirit Realm."

Luo Xiu nodded, waiting for her to continue.

Su Shanyue explained, "To reach the Legendary Realm, or the Gathering Spirit Realm, there's a fundamental requirement. One must be able to absorb the Spiritual Energy of the world into the body and gather it in the Dantian, instead of cultivating inner strength like before."

"My grandfather is also close to reaching that realm. He said that simply sensing the existence of Spiritual Energy is already incredibly difficult, let alone absorbing it into the body."

Hearing this, Luo Xiu couldn't help but think of himself. I've been able to absorb Spiritual Energy since childhood, so does that mean I'm also in the Gathering Spirit Realm?

Su Shanyue, unaware of his thoughts, continued, "Moreover, Spiritual Energy is a very powerful form of natural energy. The inner strength cultivated by Martial Artists pales in comparison."

"This natural energy is extremely difficult to control. Even if you can absorb it into your body and gather it in your Dantian, you can't truly unleash its power without a Cultivation Technique."

"I think Chairman Guan lost to that old man because he doesn't have a Cultivation Technique. He couldn't unleash the true strength of the Gathering Spirit Realm."

Luo Xiu frowned. "Cultivation Technique?"

"Yes," Su Shanyue said. "Cultivation Techniques and martial skills are not the same thing; they're two different concepts."

"My grandfather said that only Martial Artists who have reached the Gathering Spirit Realm can begin to practice Cultivation Techniques. The problem is, these techniques are extremely rare. Only hidden Martial Artist families or reclusive sects possess such things."

Luo Xiu asked, "What else did your grandfather say?"

"My grandfather also said that throughout history, the Martial Artist community has always guarded its secrets jealously. It's difficult enough for an ordinary person to obtain a powerful martial arts manual, let alone a Cultivation Technique. Those are considered priceless treasures."

"In short, Cultivation Techniques are vital for Martial Artists who have reached the Gathering Spirit Realm."

"If you compare a Martial Artist to a computer, then the Cultivation Technique is the operating system."

"No matter how good a computer's hardware is, it can't function without an operating system. It would just be a decoration."

Luo Xiu laughed. "That's a very fitting analogy. I completely understand."

Su Shanyue added, "And the better the operating system, the more performance the computer can exhibit when it's running."

"It's the same for Martial Artists. The better the Cultivation Technique they practice, the greater the strength they can display."

Luo Xiu completely understood. In fact, he knew a great variety of Cultivation Techniques, all of which he had memorized from ancient texts during his idle time in the mountains. The "Qihuang Technique" he practiced was, in fact, a type of Cultivation Technique.

It was only after listening to Su Shanyue that he truly grasped their importance. For a Martial Artist who had reached the Gathering Spirit Realm, a Cultivation Technique was an absolute necessity. Without one to practice, reaching the realm was meaningless. If he had known how important they were, he would have taught one to Guan Changyun. After all, Guan Changyun was his disciple.

Amid their conversation, they arrived at the entrance of Wan Yao Hall. Luo Xiu greeted the manager, Zhou Hai, and asked him to take good care of Guan Changyun. Then, he turned to Su Shanyue. "Want to grab a bite before you go?"

"No, thanks, I still have things to do."

Luo Xiu raised an eyebrow. "Rejecting me?"

"Ah, that's not what I mean! I've been out for so long that I've completely neglected my training today. I need to go back and make up for it."

"I promised Grandpa I'd get a good ranking at the Martial Sky Grand Ceremony. If I do, he'll teach me his Fist Technique."

"Besides, every time I eat with you, I can't help but overeat, and I'm trying to lose weight."

Luo Xiu laughed. "Alright then. Drive safe."

"Mmm."

"By the way, Luo Xiu, you should come find my grandfather at the Martial Association when you have some free time. The Martial Sky Grand Ceremony is starting soon, and we need to confirm the participant slots."

"Also, my parents are coming back tomorrow."

"Okay."

After parting ways with Su Shanyue, Luo Xiu didn't head back to Sea City Riviera. Instead, he took a taxi to the Sun Family Grand Manor. It was only a little past six in the evening, so it was still early.

After what Li Zihan had told him earlier in the day, he decided to visit Sun Gaozhi and ask about the woman with the surname Luo—the owner of the Dragon Drill he was holding. He could also scrounge a meal at the Sun Family's place while he was at it. Now that Xu Qianqing had left, there was no one to cook at home. He also stuck to the principle that "gentlemen stay away from the kitchen," so he had no desire to cook for himself. His only option was to mooch meals here and there...

「The Sun Family.」

Sun Gaozhi wore a contented smile as he watched Luo Xiu devour his food, looking at him as if he were his future grandson-in-law. Sun Li sat beside Luo Xiu, continuously piling food into his bowl until he could barely keep up.

"Xiu, what on earth is your stomach made of? You eat more than a pig at every meal. I swear, there must be something wrong with your stomach."

Hearing this, Sun Gaozhi's expression darkened. "Xiao Li, don't be rude!"

Sun Li stuck out her little pink tongue.

Luo Xiu laughed. "It's fine, I'm used to it."

Sun Li tossed her head proudly at Sun Gaozhi. "See? Your Mister Luo doesn't dare to offend me. Otherwise, I'll punch him." As she spoke, she made a small fist and lightly thumped Luo Xiu on the head.

Luo Xiu nearly bit his tongue. He shot her a look. "Sun Li, you wretch, do you have a death wish?"

Sun Li remained entirely unafraid. "Are you trying to rebel?"

Sun Gaozhi watched the two bickering and shook his head helplessly. He much preferred their easygoing dynamic over a respectful and overly cautious one. It reminded him of his old comrades on the battlefield, who would spend their days roughhousing and cursing at one another.

"Old Master," Luo Xiu said, becoming serious. "I didn't just come here to mooch a meal. There's something I wanted to ask you."

Sun Gaozhi glanced at Sun Li.

Taking the hint, Sun Li tactfully left the room with the maids.

"Mister Luo, please ask."

Luo Xiu took out the Dragon Drill. "Old Master, have you ever seen this before?"

Sun Gaozhi frowned. After observing it for a moment, he said, "It looks somewhat familiar."

Luo Xiu asked, "Old Master, did you participate in the Henghai Campaign?"

Sun Gaozhi nodded.

"In that case, did you know a woman with the surname Luo? Hmm... she was probably an official."

At these words, Sun Gaozhi fell silent. He was reminded of that mysterious and formidable woman, and scenes from the past began to surface in his mind. At the same time, his memory of the Dragon Drill in Luo Xiu's hand grew clearer.

「A moment later.」

Sun Gaozhi spoke. "I remember now. This diamond is hers. I knew her; we worked together."

"Her name is Luo Ying. I think I even have a photo of her."

"Mister Luo, come with me."

"..."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.