Teng Qingshan shot out from the mountain like a gust of wind, swiftly bursting into the main tent. It was mid-morning, and many martial artists had gone into the mountains.
Coupled with the speed of Teng Qingshan's dash, few people noticed him transition directly from the wilderness into the large tent. Only the servants stationed near the Guiyuan Sect camp spotted a figure flash past their eyes and vanish inside Commander Teng's tent.
"Who goes there?" a servant immediately shouted. "It's me," Teng Qingshan’s voice carried out.
"Ah, sir, you're back so early." The servant dared not disturb further. "Bring me a large tub of water!
I need a bath!" Teng Qingshan's voice commanded. "Yes, sir!" Inside the tent, Teng Qingshan stripped off his ragged outer garment and began to meticulously examine the black scales of the Scarlet-Scaled Beast.
As the massive scale armor unfolded slightly, Teng Qingshan noticed many details: "Hmm? These spikes!" He realized that once fully unfurled, this section of scale armor represented almost the entire body of the Scarlet-Scaled Beast.
Only the scales from the head and neck were missing, likely torn away. Teng Qingshan could easily picture the beast shedding its old skin during metamorphosis, crawling out from beneath the casing.
"These scales overlap densely. But tearing them from the inside makes it simple." Looking at the inner surface, Teng Qingshan saw only a layer of thick hide.
Although the hide was tough, his flying knife, imbued with internal energy, could slice through it, causing the scales attached to the hide to separate naturally. "However, these spikes aren't useful.
I'll remove them." Teng Qingshan took the entire piece of scale armor and, using his flying knife, cut it into three large sections from the interior. Then, he painstakingly removed every single spike from the scales that had originally covered the beast's spine.
"These individual spikes are truly heavy." Holding a black spike, which seemed small when it was on the beast's back, Teng Qingshan examined it up close: "It's nearly half a meter long, and the base is as thick as a fist. This one alone must weigh a hundred pounds!" Teng Qingshan started pulling off the spikes one by one.
There were eighty-one spikes in total! "Most of the weight of this armor is in these spikes," Teng Qingshan muttered, caught between laughter and tears.
These eighty-one short spikes combined weighed over eight thousand jin. The thin layer of scale armor itself only weighed about two thousand jin!
"The material of the spikes is special; they must also be treasures," Teng Qingshan mused inwardly. ...
Around noon, Guan Lü returned to the encampment with a large retinue. "The Master is back," the servants greeted them warmly.
"Mmm. Has Commander Teng returned?" Guan Lü inquired coolly.
"Commander Teng came back shortly after going out this morning," a servant reported. Guan Lü frowned and glanced toward Teng Qingshan's tent: "Slacking off already!" "Commander Guan!" Teng Qingshan suddenly emerged from the tent.
"Come in for a moment." "Hmm?" Guan Lü was slightly perplexed but stepped into Teng Qingshan's tent. He swept a quick glance around the interior before fixing his gaze on Teng Qingshan: "What is it?
Are you going to explain why you returned so early this morning?" Teng Qingshan was now wearing a new outer garment, and the injury on his arm was no longer visible externally. Teng Qingshan pointed to a table nearby: "Look over there!" Guan Lü looked carefully.
He hadn't paid attention before, but upon closer inspection, he saw several objects neatly stacked in three thick piles on the table in the corner. Beneath the table lay the spikes, casually piled together.
"What is this? It’s quite heavy, maybe seven or eight hundred jin." Guan Lü walked over curiously and flipped the object over.
Whoosh! The entire black scale armor flipped open, crashing onto the ground and revealing the other side—a surface of black scales.
"This is..." Guan Lü’s eyes widened. "This is the black scale armor of the Scarlet-Scaled Beast!
One side is all scales, and the other is a layer of grayish-white thick hide! I’ve divided this into three pieces; each one is over two zhang long and more than one zhang wide!" Teng Qingshan explained, having already calculated that the three pieces combined were roughly fifty square meters.
Guan Lü turned to Teng Qingshan in shock: "You... you..." "That pile under the table?
Those are the spikes from the Scarlet-Scaled Beast. Those things are solid; each one weighs over a hundred jin.
Eighty-one of them!" Teng Qingshan stated. Guan Lü took a deep breath before asking, "Where did you get the scale armor of the Scarlet-Scaled Beast?" "From its lair, of course," Teng Qingshan replied helplessly.
"You have no idea; the beast had molted. Its entire body turned crimson, and its strength was immense.
If I hadn't escaped quickly into a low tunnel, that beast would have killed me." Guan Lü stared, shouting, "You risked your life! Are you injured?" He carefully examined Teng Qingshan's body.
"It grazed my skin with the tip of its tail—just a flesh wound," Teng Qingshan claimed. "Quick, let me see," Guan Lü insisted.
"It's nothing! Do I look like I’m injured?" Teng Qingshan quickly changed the subject.
"Now that we have the scale armor, I think we should prepare immediately and head back to Jiangning!" * Teng Qingshan and his group took advantage of the lighter traffic in the afternoon, with over forty people heading toward Huacheng. The spikes and scales weren't excessively heavy, and with more people and carriages, transporting them to Huacheng was easy.
They stayed one night in Huacheng, and by the next morning, Teng Qingshan and his group departed on high-grade warhorses! The three stacks of black scale armor were loaded onto Teng Qingshan’s 'Scarlet Blood Horse' and Guan Lü’s 'Black Nightmare Horse.' The Black Nightmare Horse, one of the Three Dragon Horses, carried nearly two thousand jin with remarkable ease while galloping alongside ordinary Black-Patterned Horses.
The other eighty-one spikes were distributed among the thirty core disciple experts, with each carrying two or three; the load was light for each person. ...
The group traveled swiftly. Although there were suspicions at the base of Fiery Mountain that the Guiyuan Sect had obtained the prize, no one was entirely certain, and few top experts were willing to provoke a large group led by Teng Qingshan.
About two and a half days later, by the afternoon of the third day, Teng Qingshan and his group safely arrived at Jiangning Prefecture City. ...
"Brother!" "Qingshan!" "Big Brother Qingshan!" As Teng Qingshan reached the north gate of the Guiyuan Sect, he saw a throng of people: his sister, Qingyu, Zhuge Yun, Miss Qing, Teng Qinghu, and many others. Only a few among them were there to welcome Teng Qingshan; the rest were friends and family of the thirty core disciple experts.
"Xiao Yu, did you miss your brother these past three months?" Teng Qingshan smiled, patting Qingyu’s head. "I missed you terribly!
I thought you'd be back in a month," Qingyu complained slightly. Just then, a voice sounded nearby: "Commander Teng, the Sect Master has ordered that you see him immediately upon arrival.
I will lead the way. Commander Teng, please." Teng Qingshan looked over and saw a disciple dressed in green robes.
"Alright, Cousin, please take these things to the residence for now. I'll find you later." Teng Qingshan smiled at the group, then followed the green-robed disciple away.
** Beneath a stout, low-hanging willow tree, its branches swayed gently in the breeze. Next to the willow sat Zhuge Yuanhong, relaxed in a chair, engrossed in reading a thread-bound book.
Zhuge Yuanhong still wore his long, loose hair and a flowing white robe with wide sleeves. "Zhuge Yuanhong!" Teng Qingshan spotted Zhuge Yuanhong in the distance.
For some inexplicable reason, the Sect Master gave him a strangely indistinct impression at that moment—as if Zhuge Yuanhong had completely merged with the low tree and the gentle wind, appearing like a figure in an ink wash painting. "Sect Master," the green-robed disciple called out respectfully.
"How strange," Teng Qingshan suppressed the thought and followed along. "Qingshan has arrived," Zhuge Yuanhong looked up and smiled lightly.
"Good. You may withdraw now.
Qingshan, come here." The green-robed disciple bowed and stepped back, as Teng Qingshan walked to the open patch of ground. "I am fully aware of everything you accomplished these past three months.
You did exceptionally well!" Zhuge Yuanhong nodded in satisfaction. News of acquiring the scale armor had been sent swiftly to Jiangning via carrier pigeon while they were in Huacheng.
Zhuge Yuanhong knew everything clearly. "Killing Meng Tian, rescuing Commander Ji Hong, and seizing this Scarlet-Scaled Beast scale armor.
Tell me, what reward do you desire?" Teng Qingshan was momentarily stunned. A reward, right at the start?
"Sect Master," Teng Qingshan replied respectfully, "I wish for a set of battle armor to be forged from the Scarlet-Scaled Beast scales for my cousin! I also hope the Sect can provide proper guidance for my sister." "Those are trivial matters.
That beast was enormous; the scales are enough to forge twenty full-body sets of armor. Since you acquired this armor single-handedly, I will grant you two sets.
As for whom you give them to, you may arrange that yourself. As for your sister...
haha, if she has talent, the Guiyuan Sect will certainly instruct her with care." Zhuge Yuanhong looked at Teng Qingshan. "What I want to know is, what are your personal requests?" Teng Qingshan frowned slightly.
"I can offer you the position of a Commander. Do you want it?" Zhuge Yuanhong asked with a smile.
Teng Qingshan was greatly shocked. A Commander?
Teng Qingshan had known since Ji Hong lost his arm that the latter would surely step down. However, the four Commander positions were strictly reserved for those who originated from the core disciples of the Sect.
That position was too crucial, valuing loyalty above all else, even though Teng Qingshan's strength was formidable. "Me?
Will the Sect agree?" Teng Qingshan expressed disbelief. "Simply become my personal disciple, won't that suffice?" Zhuge Yuanhong replied with a faint smile.
"A personal disciple?" Teng Qingshan carefully observed Zhuge Yuanhong. To this day, he had only one master: Teng Boli from his past life!
In his previous life, Teng Qingshan was a master of Xing Yi Quan; harboring pride in his martial accomplishments, becoming a disciple was not an easy prospect. "May I ask what skills the Sect Master possesses that you can teach me?" Teng Qingshan challenged, staring at Zhuge Yuanhong.
Zhuge Yuanhong set his book aside, rose, walked over, broke off a section of willow branch, and stood in the clearing facing Teng Qingshan. "Qingshan, you use the long spear; I shall use this willow branch.
Both of us will exert a burst force of ten thousand jin. Shall we compare, how about it?" As he spoke, the willow branch in his hand instantly filled with True Essence, becoming rigid as iron.
Teng Qingshan frowned slightly. An equal burst of strength?
His opponent held a willow branch, while he held the Reincarnation Spear? Nevertheless, Zhuge Yuanhong was an immensely powerful figure ranked on the Heavenly Ranking, the Sect Master of Guiyuan Sect, a feudal lord famous across the land.
Teng Qingshan dared not be disrespectful. "I request the Sect Master’s instruction!" Teng Qingshan held the Reincarnation Spear and saluted.
A sparring session with such a powerhouse—why refuse? "Launch your spear," Zhuge Yuanhong smiled lightly, standing his ground.
"Swish!" Teng Qingshan’s spear moved abruptly, transforming into a sharp arrow, slicing through the air with a high-pitched whistle, aimed at Zhuge Yuanhong. Teng Qingshan indeed used ten thousand jin of force, simultaneously stimulating vital points with internal energy to increase the spear’s velocity.
"You lose!" A calm voice echoed! Teng Qingshan looked at the willow branch aimed at his chest in shock.
He clearly remembered the sequence of events: the moment he attacked, Zhuge Yuanhong easily sidestepped, taking a single step to close the distance, and then executed a simple thrust. The thrust was so fast that Teng Qingshan couldn't react in time to evade!
In truth, if Teng Qingshan had unleashed his full strength of twenty-one thousand jin, the instantaneous burst of speed, combined with the Horizon Trek technique, might have allowed him to dodge. But the competition stipulated using only ten thousand jin of force!
"Master, how did you evade my spear so easily? Did you only use the innate True Essence corresponding to a ten-thousand-jin burst?" Teng Qingshan asked Zhuge Yuanhong.
"You doubt me, yet you call me Master?" Zhuge Yuanhong countered. "It's because of that thrust!
That thrust earlier was utterly silent, yet its speed was extreme. Speed alone might make me suspect Master used more innate True Essence.
However, the silence—the absolute lack of wind noise—that is what allows me to accept Master as my teacher!" Teng Qingshan was genuinely convinced. Perhaps, if he exerted all his power, he could kill a Xuantian 'Void Core' master.
But his thrust would undoubtedly create a sonic boom. Yet Zhuge Yuanhong’s willow branch, moving at such incredible speed, should have generated an air explosion and turbulent winds.
Instead... the reality was absolute silence!
An air explosion is disadvantageous! Because an air explosion means the air created resistance, limiting the speed of the spear art.
Without air resistance, the speed would be far greater. Silence...
proved that the air had not become a significant obstacle! "Haha..." Zhuge Yuanhong laughed.
"This silent thrust, seemingly simple, is actually a recent breakthrough of mine." Pleased to be complimented on his proudest achievement, Zhuge Yuanhong was delighted. At least Teng Qingshan had discerning eyes.
This seemingly insignificant 'silence' was the most profound aspect. "If you wish to learn this move, you must first reach the Xuantian realm.
Only after that can you advance step by step," Zhuge Yuanhong instructed. Teng Qingshan finally understood...
there was a vast disparity in strength even among Xuantian experts! While his current realm was considered high, judging by Zhuge Yuanhong’s words...
certain profound realizations could only be grasped once one achieved the Xuantian realm; they were entirely inaccessible beforehand. "I will select an auspicious day to formally accept you as my disciple!" Zhuge Yuanhong's face showed warmth.
"Qingshan, you are the most outstanding among my six disciples. Originally, I intended to use that Black Fire Spirit Fruit to aid you in stepping into the Xuantian realm.
But it seems that now depends on your own efforts!" "Yes, Master," Teng Qingshan replied respectfully. Zhuge Yuanhong's realm was certainly worthy of being his master!
"Mmm, the day I formally accept you as a personal disciple will also be the day you assume the position of the First Commander," Zhuge Yuanhong announced.