Chapter 264: Chapter 224: 2 Years Later, a New Tier 2 Demon Beast

While the Martial Artists in Broken River Castle trained until they were drenched in sweat, and the Grand Martial Artists circulated the Spirit Storage Technique with bated breath, Lu Zhao had quietly returned to the Artifact Refining Chamber.

The organization of the mortal Martial Artists into squads, their basic training, and the instruction in the Spirit Storage Technique had all been properly arranged. Zhao Xiaoshu was there to supervise, so Lu Zhao didn’t need to expend any more of his Heart Spirit on the matter.

He only needed to wait for the Martial Artist squads, scattered throughout the forests of the Wilderness, to send back reports. Then, the Cultivator squads would go out to verify them.

However, Lu Zhao still had no intention of beginning his cultivation. He had more important things to do. He planned to use the next several months to craft a batch of Tier One Lower Grade Sword Box Puppets, Long Blade Puppets, and an even greater number of Non-Tiered Puppets.

These would be the crucial force for venturing deeper into the Wilderness and expanding the search perimeter in the future.

「Two months later.」

The door to the Artifact Refining Chamber slowly opened, and Lu Zhao emerged. The Storage Bag at his waist was bulging, packed with fifteen Tier One Sword Box Puppets, fifteen Tier One Lower Grade Long Saber Puppets, and a full five hundred Non-Tiered Puppets.

Zhao Xiaoshu was already waiting outside. Seeing Lu Zhao, he immediately bowed. "Senior."

Lu Zhao gave a slight nod and handed over the Storage Bag. "Everything’s in here. Fifteen each of the Entry Tier Sword Box Puppets and Long Saber Puppets, and five hundred Non-Tiered Puppets."

"As we planned, distribute the Entry Tier Puppets to the Grand Martial Artists. If there are any left over, store them with the Non-Tiered Puppets. You’ll keep them as reserves for now."

"Yes! I understand!" Zhao Xiaoshu accepted the Storage Bag, feeling the fluctuations of Spiritual Power from within. He couldn’t hide his excitement. ’This is a sign of trust in my abilities.’

Having given his instructions, Lu Zhao said no more, turned, and headed straight back to his abode.

The heavy stone door slowly swung shut, sealing off the noise from the outside world.

He sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion. The dense Spiritual Qi within his abode flowed like a gentle stream, slowly nourishing his Heart Spirit, which had been somewhat drained from the continuous Puppet Refining.

A month of quiet cultivation passed in a flash.

By the time Lu Zhao’s aura returned to its peak, Zhao Xiaoshu had finished the final organization of the Martial Artist squads. He had also checked on the Grand Martial Artists’ progress in cultivating the Spirit Storage Technique.

The results, however, took Zhao Xiaoshu by surprise. Not a single one of the ten Grand Martial Artists had fallen behind; all of them had successfully reached the Entry Level with the Spirit Storage Technique!

What was even more astonishing was that four of them had progressed far beyond expectations. The refinement of their Spiritual Souls was already approaching the threshold of a First-Layer Qi Cultivation Cultivator.

’Senior’s judgment is as sharp as ever,’ Zhao Xiaoshu thought. ’The willpower and potential of these top-tier mortal warriors truly can’t be underestimated.’

He handed fourteen Tier One Lower Grade Puppets to the ten Grand Martial Artists. "The ten of you will form a special squad. You will elect a captain from among yourselves."

Zhao Xiaoshu’s gaze swept across the ten weathered faces before him, and his tone grew serious. "Fundamentally, your mission is no different from that of the ordinary Martial Artist squads. You will still venture deep into the Wilderness to track Tier Two Demon Beasts. But there is one key difference."

He paused, his voice heavy with emphasis. "The reports you send back will no longer be subject to a secondary verification by a Cultivator squad!"

"You alone will be responsible for its authenticity and value! This means your judgment will directly determine the success or failure of subsequent operations and could even influence the decisions of our Senior. This is a grave responsibility. You must be cautious!"

The ten Grand Martial Artists all tensed at his words. They exchanged glances, each seeing shock and a trace of indescribable excitement in the others’ eyes.

’No more verification by Cultivators! What did this mean? It meant the lofty Lord Commander truly recognized their abilities! He recognized their value as mortal Martial Artists! This was an unprecedented level of trust!’

A wave of heat rushed through their chests, and the ten battle-hardened Grand Martial Artists felt their eyes sting. Luming Mountain, especially, balled his fist in a salute, his voice carrying a barely perceptible tremor. "Thank you for your trust, Immortal Master! We will give our all and prove worthy of this task!"

The other nine followed suit, saluting in unison. Their voices were low but filled with power. "We will not fail this trust!"

Zhao Xiaoshu saw the fire in their eyes and was moved himself. He waved a hand. "Don’t thank me. These were the Senior’s arrangements. Just remember, returning alive with accurate intelligence is the best way to repay him."

Half a day later, a heavy side gate of Broken River Castle creaked open. Squads of Martial Artists streamed out, flowing like rivers into the vast ocean of trees and quickly vanishing into the verdant expanse.

Among them, the squad of ten Grand Martial Artists—each carrying a Sword Box on their back and holding a Long Saber Puppet—walked with exceptionally steady steps and sharp, piercing eyes.

As the silhouette of the last squad vanished into the trees, all of Broken River Castle seemed to grow a little quieter.

Inside his abode, Lu Zhao took out a Water Jade Green Radiance Pill and swallowed it. The pill dissolved the moment it entered his mouth, transforming into a pure, gentle stream of Spiritual Power that flowed into his Dantian.

He closed his eyes and began to slowly circulate the True Water Spirit Transformation Skill, absorbing the Medicinal Power. The dense Spiritual Qi in his abode seemed to be drawn in as well, gathering toward him in fine wisps.

Time slipped by in silent cultivation. Days turned into nights, seasons came and went.

「Two years passed in the blink of an eye.」

On this day, Lu Zhao was deep in meditation, refining the Medicinal Power of a freshly consumed Water Jade Green Radiance Pill, when the Restriction outside his stone door suddenly rippled. A pale cyan Jade Scroll flew quietly inside, landing softly in a corner of the chamber.

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