“Senior Brother Dong is breaking through to the Divine Storage Realm. He might have use for these Red Jade Fruits, so I took the liberty of bringing them to you.”

“There’s no need.”

Dong Chuo said indifferently:

“My Dong Family is backed by the Yunlei Commerce Association, and both of my older brothers are in the Mountain Courtyard. I am not lacking for these few resources.”

“Since you bought them with your own hard-earned silver, you should keep them for yourself.”

“This… Yes…”

Ding Lu opened her mouth, wanting to say something more, but in the end, she obediently closed it.

Her family’s fortunes had been on the rise for the past two years, but they still lacked a powerful Martial Artist to act as a patron.

Her first target, naturally, was to win over Chen Cheng, but unfortunately, he was unwilling to accept.

She could only settle for the next best thing and try to curry favor with Dong Chuo, but it was obvious that this path was also closed to her.

After leaving Dong Chuo’s private courtyard.

She hesitated at the gate for a moment, then immediately went to another private courtyard.

She knocked on the door.

A moment later.

The door was opened from the inside, and Ning Chong’s cheerful voice rang out:

“Junior Sister Ding, what brings you here? Come, come, whatever it is, come inside and have a seat. I was just getting bored all by myself.”

…

「Guan Lan Pavilion.」

Chen Cheng used his Profound Iron Dagger as a kitchen knife. He immediately prepared the Golden Flesh Carp, stewed it, and ate the entire thing, completely destroying all evidence of the “corpse.”

Previously, a Treasure Fish like this would have taken him two or three days to eat. Firstly, his body couldn’t handle such a potent tonic all at once, and secondly, his digestion and absorption speed were limited.

But things were different now.

His physical constitution had improved dramatically, and his Gastric Strength had greatly enhanced his digestive and absorptive capabilities.

A Treasure Fish like this could now be finished in a single meal, and he could digest and absorb it extremely quickly.

He could clearly feel new Blood Qi being rapidly generated in a very short amount of time.

It was roughly equivalent to nearly three days of his own bitter cultivation.

The reason it was less than three days was that a small portion of the “nutrients” had been absorbed by his Tai Chi Qi.

But even so, in theory, if he could just catch nine more Golden Flesh Carp and eat three or four a day, Chen Cheng could condense his Ninth Pillar of Blood Qi within two or three days.

However, theory was not reality.

These Golden Flesh Carp were extremely rare. Even if he exchanged for them at the General Affairs Hall, he would have to wait two or three months to get them.

Most Innate, naturally occurring resources were like this. They were difficult to obtain immediately after exchange.

In comparison, Acquired, artificially produced resources could be obtained immediately upon exchange.

For Chen Cheng, being able to use artificial resources without any reservations was, in itself, an advantage.

…

「Sword Pavilion, the Ancient Stele Forest.」

Fourth Elder Yuan Feiche sat cross-legged on the ground, silently contemplating the countless stone steles that stood like a forest around him.

There were no words on the steles, only battle scars left by various weapons.

These scars seemed chaotic, but they actually contained a certain indescribable rhythm.

After a long while, Yuan Feiche slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air and shifted his gaze away from a stele covered in saber marks.

In the distance, a disciple carrying a seven-foot Horse-Cutting Saber on his back ran over quickly.

“Master, news of the defeat at Whale Hook Pass has arrived… Yun Zhan was hit in the heart meridian by a stray arrow and died on the spot.”

“Is that true?”

Yuan Feiche’s eyes suddenly widened, and an irrepressible excitement surfaced in their depths.

“Absolutely true.”

The disciple lowered his voice and said:

“But strangely, Yun Shuanglin’s whereabouts are unknown. I wonder if this will introduce any complications?”

“Heh…”

Yuan Feiche sneered:

“With Yun Zhan dead, who besides me could be the next Pavilion Master of the Sword Pavilion? A mere slip of a girl, does she really think she can escape my grasp?”

“You are right, Master.”

The disciple paused, then asked again:

“Yun Shuanglin previously recommended a newcomer who is currently in the Outer Sect… Should we get rid of him?”

“No rush.”

Yuan Feiche said calmly:

“Yun Zhan was the Pavilion Master’s favorite disciple, and he died fighting for the country. Moreover, he served in an official capacity for many years, held a high position with great power, and had deep connections…”

“Right now, I just want to wait quietly for the Pavilion Master to abdicate. There’s no need to stir up trouble over some insignificant little character.”

“Understood.”

The disciple thought for a moment, then added:

“Actually, to get rid of that brat, we might not have to do it ourselves…”

“Don’t you get clever on me!”

Yuan Feiche’s expression turned cold as he rebuked him sternly:

“Before I take over as Pavilion Master, you are not to do anything. Don’t go looking for trouble for me!”

“Un-understood…”

The disciple trembled violently, feeling as if an invisible mountain was crashing down on him.

It was a sudden sense of spiritual pressure, yet it triggered a stress response in his physical body: trembling, sweating, suffocating, and goosebumps crawling all over his skin.

…

「Fist Pavilion, Geothermal Valley.」

A man over three meters tall with abnormally bulging muscles slowly emerged from a pool of medicinal bath that seethed like boiling water.

Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the valley, falling upon his body.

Every inch of his skin reflected a glow like red-hot metal. Wisps of white steam rose from his body, making him look like a colossal steel beast that had just emerged from a furnace.

“Third Brother.”

Dong Chuo held a black-colored long robe with both hands and offered it to him.

But Dong Zhou didn’t take it, letting the mountain wind surge through the valley and blast against his body. After a long while, he finally spoke:

“What? Out of resources again?”

“Yes…”

Dong Chuo nodded and said in a low voice:

“Two newcomers who have the potential to grow quickly suddenly appeared in the Outer Sect. I gave away seventeen Blood Jade Fruits in one go.”

“Mm, I’ll get you some other resources in a bit.”

Dong Zhou said calmly:

“You don’t need to be stingy. For anyone who might threaten our position, just add the ‘ingredients’ and send them out.”

“Understood.”

Dong Chuo smiled and said:

“That idiot with the supreme-grade physique was endlessly grateful to me after eating the doctored Blood Jade Fruits. He has expressed several times that he wants to follow me. I plan to string him along for a few days before taking him in as a dog.”

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.