Normally, when a person's Yuan Force is depleted, it would take at least three to five days of recovery before they could be fully restored. Mobile reading please: à.1κ .O Text version first release

However, Ji Changkong only allowed himself to enter a state of selflessness for one night, and by the next morning, he discovered that the Yuan Force within him had become full once more.

Not only that, but he felt that the Yuan Force he had regained seemed even more profound than before...

When Ji Changkong stood before Ji Wanyun and Ji Yusheng, radiating vitality, both were visibly startled. Ji Yusheng stared intently at him, perplexed. "Changkong, are you alright? This state of yours is a little abnormal!"

"Grandpa, rest assured, I am perfectly fine." Ji Changkong grinned and then said to Ji Wanyun, "Aunt, I will accompany you to the Jia family today."

"What are you going for?" Ji Wanyun let out a soft laugh and shook her head. "Your Second and Third Grand-uncles and I are going to the Jia family today just to explain things clearly. Those strange flowers and exotic herbs you brought back from the Cloud Dream Marsh are more than enough to leave the Jia family speechless; you don't need to get involved."

"Right, Changkong, how did you manage to find those strange flowers and exotic herbs in the Cloud Dream Marsh? Many of those things seem to grow only in the Poison Dragon Pool—how did you obtain them? And that Black Jade Yuan Crystal, what exactly is going on with that?" Hearing Ji Wanyun mention it, Ji Yusheng hurriedly pressed for answers.

"The hegemon of the Cloud Dream Marsh, the Heavenly Ape Wyvern, has a good relationship with me. With it around the Poison Dragon Pool, no ferocious beasts dare to harm me. I collected these things near the Poison Dragon Pool. As for the Black Jade Yuan Crystal, the Heavenly Ape Wyvern retrieved it for me from the bottom of the pool." Being completely open with the two people dearest to him, Ji Changkong narrated the entire sequence of events frankly.

"What?!" Ji Yusheng jumped in alarm, exclaiming, "You became familiar with that ferocious beast, the Heavenly Ape Wyvern? Changkong, you aren't joking, are you? That Wyvern has always been bloodthirsty and tyrannical; anyone who dares enter its territory in the Poison Dragon Pool is ruthlessly torn to shreds without hesitation. How could you possibly have a good relationship with it?"

"I don't know either, but the point is, it has never harmed me!" Ji Changkong shrugged by way of explanation. "When I went to retrieve the Thousand-Year Purple Gold Toad's saliva for Aunt, it was because of its help; otherwise, I certainly wouldn't have been able to collect the saliva."

When Ji Yusheng heard this, his face was filled with doubt, and he kept repeating, "Strange, truly strange. Why would it not harm you?"

"Oh, right, I almost forgot you mentioned it."

Ji Wanyun smiled beautifully, went back inside, retrieved a small purple-gold vest, and handed it to Ji Changkong. "This little vest is made from the skin of the Thousand-Year Purple Gold Toad. Wear it beneath your clothes. I tested it; the skin is impervious to water and fire, and even ordinary swords cutting against it do no harm. It's also light, so wearing it will definitely be of great benefit to you."

"Thank you, Aunt." Ji Changkong was not modest; he first took off his long robe and slipped the purple-gold vest underneath.

"I also carefully stored the Thousand-Year Purple Gold Toad's eyes, tendons, and teeth. Take them with you when you venture out in the future. If you ever reach Azure Rock City, you can take these items to the Spirit Treasure Pavilion and exchange them for some special Yuan Stones useful to you, or perhaps rare metals for tempering divine weapons." Seeing him put the purple-gold vest on beneath his clothing, Ji Wanyun finally said with a smile.

"Third brother, are you ready?" Ji Yuxing's voice suddenly drifted over from a distance.

"Ready," Ji Yusheng responded impatiently, then frowned and looked at Ji Changkong, asking, "Do you really want to go to the Jia family?"

"I don't necessarily have to go to the Jia family; I just planned to spend a whole day cultivating somewhere in Azure Rock City. I'm feeling stifled, and I haven't been to Azure Rock City since returning from the Cloud Dream Marsh," Ji Changkong replied truthfully with a slight smile.

"Very well, we'll go to Azure Rock City together. Once we enter the city, you can wander around by yourself; we will go to the Jia family to handle that business." Upon hearing this, Ji Yusheng finally nodded and agreed.

...

Around noon, the four of them rode tall horses into Azure Rock City together. The city gate guards recognized the Ji family members and immediately granted them passage.

As soon as they entered Azure Rock City, Ji Changkong suddenly noticed that something seemed amiss in the city today; the wide streets were suddenly filled with many unfamiliar faces.

The attire of those people was bizarre. Some were clearly not inhabitants of the Central Earth Continent. Some wore voluminous robes adorned with patterns of burning suns, while others wore headscarves that concealed their cheeks, revealing only a pair of eyes.

There were also those wearing veiled bamboo hats, entirely enveloped in pitch-black robes, exuding an aura of cold detachment that warned strangers away.

...

All sorts of strange-looking strangers, each with gloomy expressions and piercingly bright eyes, seemed to be vaguely anticipating something.

Within the city, inns and restaurants, large and small, were packed to capacity, and swift shadows occasionally flashed past the street corners.

"Ah..."

A piercing scream echoed from a dead end on the southern street, and city guards rushed toward the area in droves.

A while later, a squad of guards emerged from that street corner, dragging a corpse covered in wounds, as if it had been subjected to a thousand cuts.

The entire Azure Rock City seemed to fall suddenly silent. Though the streets were still crowded, very few pedestrians spoke to one another.

The original inhabitants of Azure Rock City wore faces filled with fear and worry, tightly locking their front doors from the inside, as if terrified that a stranger might suddenly burst in.

The streets were swarming with guards, patrolling the major districts of Azure Rock City in large groups, their faces reflecting expressions of extreme caution and deep helplessness.

...

"Father, is the once-a-decade grand event of the Southern Barbarian Envoys ascending Mount Tianshan about to begin?" After standing frozen at the city gate for a moment, Ji Wanyun asked in a low voice.

"What else could attract so many Heavenly Masters to Azure Rock City besides this event?" Ji Yusheng nodded with a wry smile, then his expression darkened, and he urged, "At a time like this, the Jia family should be even less inclined to trouble us. Let's return and settle this matter quickly so we can go back and strategize our response!"

"Changkong, go stay at the City Lord's Mansion first. Do not wander around the city recklessly, and certainly do not provoke strangers. Do you understand?" Ji Yusheng instructed.

"Understood, Grandpa. I know what to do." Ji Changkong nodded in agreement. He could discern the gravity of the situation and understood that in this critical period, everyone in Azure Rock City was wary for their lives, and only the City Lord's Mansion offered relative peace.

Suddenly, Ji Changkong's entire body trembled, and his eyes chilled abruptly. He stared fixedly at a person near the distant street corner, grinding his teeth as he growled, "Lu Yun!"

At the distant street corner, Lu Yun, attendant to the Old Mother of Wushan, holding a bamboo basket, flashed around the bend and vanished.

"Changkong!" Ji Wanyun hissed, tightly grasping Ji Changkong's arm and speaking gravely. "Lu Yun possesses the strength of the Five Elements Heaven realm; neither you nor I are his match. If Lu Yun is present, the Old Mother of Wushan must also be in the city. Do not act rashly, understand?"

"Aunt, please don't worry, I have my limits." Taking a deep breath, Ji Changkong smoothed his inner state and forced a bitter smile.

"Let's go to the City Lord's Mansion. We will come find you as soon as we have settled our business," Ji Wanyun nodded, giving Ji Changkong a gentle push.

Ji Changkong cast one last deep look toward the street corner where Lu Yun had disappeared, then walked toward the City Lord's Mansion without a word. Once he thought Ji Yusheng and the others couldn't see him, he suddenly changed direction, heading toward the row of tiled houses belonging to Luo Tian.

Inside Luo Tian's room, besides Luo Tian himself, there were three other people. Among them, the middle-aged man with a flushed red face was someone Ji Changkong had met before.

A dignified and radiant noblewoman, wearing a phoenix coronet and radiating wealth, sat calmly to the left of the middle-aged red-faced man.

To the left of the phoenix coronet noblewoman was a giant whose very posture exuded immense pressure. The giant's scalp was completely bare, crisscrossed with scars, and his eyes were filled with a savage glint, resembling a bloodthirsty beast from the Cloud Dream Marsh.

The three individuals sat obediently opposite Luo Tian, seemingly listening to everything he was saying.

When Ji Changkong entered, he was clearly somewhat surprised. He glanced at Luo Tian and laughed lightly, "Old Luo, did someone come to buy wine again today?"

Luo Tian looked seriously at Ji Changkong, then pulled at the corner of his mouth, appearing somewhat pleased. He seemed to instantly discern that Ji Changkong’s cultivation had already reached the Three Talents Heaven realm.

"Young brother, a first meeting. Please accept this piece of exquisite jade and wear it around your neck; it might be of some use." Suddenly, the giant whose eyes shone with fierce light abruptly stood up, forcefully pressing a piece of beautiful jade imbued with strange Yuan Force into his hand without further ado.

"I was in a hurry when I came and didn't bring much, so please accept this Mustard Seed Pouch. It can hold quite a lot of things," the dignified noblewoman also stood up and pressed a heavy, dark gold bag into Ji Changkong's hand.

After pressing the items into Ji Changkong’s hands, the two simultaneously looked toward the red-faced middle-aged man, seemingly waiting for him to say something.

"What are you looking at? I've sent over medicinal herbs for over ten years—aren't those as precious as your gifts!" The middle-aged man snorted, his face red with annoyance.

"All of you, get out!" Luo Tian suddenly stood up and impatiently shooed them away.

Upon hearing Luo Tian speak, the three bowed slightly, then gazed deeply at Ji Changkong one last time before leaving and heading outside.

"Ah, the things, your things! Take them back!" Ji Changkong finally reacted and called out urgently.

"Those two things are yours now," the bald giant laughed heartily, disappearing without looking back as soon as he stepped outside.

...