With nothing pressing, as the foremost commander of the Black Armored Army, Teng Qingshan usually had ample free time.

In between his cultivation, Teng Qingshan purchased a vast estate just north of the Guiyuan Sect within Jiangning County. The previous owner, a wealthy salt merchant, had sold it to secure working capital for a major deal. Teng Qingshan acquired it for a sum of 300,000 taels of silver!

Morning.

At the northern gate of the Guiyuan Sect, guards clad in black armor stood rigidly upright, and ordinary pedestrians dared not approach the towering entrance.

“Commander!” Seeing the five figures approaching, the guards immediately bowed deeply in salute.

“Mm.”

Teng Qingshan nodded with a smile, then led his younger sister Qingyu, his cousin Qinghu, and the siblings Zhuge Yun and Zhuge Qing—a party of five—past Guiyuan Street, following the canal embankment northwards. In Jiangning County city, the northeastern section was the district reserved for the wealthy.

And estates bordering Jiangning County were particularly high in value.

After walking barely three or four li, Teng Qingshan stopped.

“This is the place.” Teng Qingshan pointed to the main gate. The estate’s entrance was a formidable six or seven zhang wide, flanked by two stone sculptures of spirited stallions rearing on their hind legs, lending the entire residence an air of imposing authority. The original plaque above the gate had already been removed.

“Master!” Upon seeing Teng Qingshan, the middle-aged man stationed at the main door rushed forward immediately.

“What a grand undertaking,” Zhuge Yun’s eyes lit up upon seeing it, and he exclaimed, “Big Brother, this estate looks enormous from the outside. It must cover several mu, right? Even our Guiyuan Sect occupies a wide area, but there are too many people. I was only allocated a few rooms, which aren't even a fraction of this space.”

“It covers about ten mu or so,” Teng Qingshan replied.

“Ten mu!” Qingyu and Qinghu were also pleasantly surprised.

“Everyone, let’s go inside and look,” Teng Qingshan immediately led them in. The rockeries, lotus ponds, gardens, and stone carvings, the pavilions and terraces nestled among hills and water features, made the space feel immense. Inside the estate, the group walked for a while, and Qingyu even became momentarily disoriented.

It had to be admitted: those Yangzhou salt merchants truly knew how to enjoy life.

“Master.”

“Master.”

Along the way, the maids in the residence respectfully greeted Teng Qingshan.

“So many beautiful maids still remain,” Zhuge Yun remarked with emotion.

“For such a vast estate, just the cleaning and watering alone require quite a few people. So, I sent away some of these maids, keeping about half. Any fewer, and this large residence would be unmanageable,” Teng Qingshan explained. “As for the original guards, I dismissed them all. My personal guard unit is sufficient; we don't need them.”

“Right, our Black Armored Army’s personal guard unit is certainly far superior to those other guards,” Zhuge Yun agreed.

As the First Commander, he was entitled to a personal guard unit.

It was a rule of the Guiyuan Sect that when the commander lived outside, the personal guard unit was required to follow and protect him.

“Hah!”

“Hah!”

Reaching an open training ground, they could already see numerous personal guards engaged in morning drills.

“Brother, buying such a large estate—where will we all live?” Qingyu whispered.

“We living here is secondary. It’s for Father and Mother later, and the rest of the Teng Clan members,” Teng Qingshan stated. “Without an enduring power, when I eventually grow old and die, Teng Family Village in the countryside will face various crises. It is better to move into the city. It is the safest place. This estate, while feeling crowded for two thousand people, can comfortably house several hundred without issue!”

Teng Qingshan had already secured a future path for Teng Family Village.

Remaining in the countryside permanently was out of the question. Since the Teng Family Village possessed ancestral skills in forging weaponry, skills that were in no way inferior to the finest artisans in Yicheng, even if they moved to the city, the clan members would not merely rely on handouts.

“Mhm, mhm,” Qingyu agreed, overjoyed by this prospect.

“I will discuss this with Father and Mother once I bring them over,” Teng Qingshan said with a smile.

Walking through the residence.

“Brother Teng,” Zhuge Qing said with a smile, “Your move to the new estate is truly wonderful news. I cannot afford anything too precious, so, here!” With that, she pulled out the bundle she had carried on her back and handed it to Teng Qingshan. Zhuge Qing held the bundle, her bright eyes fixed on Teng Qingshan.

“A gift, too?” Teng Qingshan exclaimed in pleasant surprise, accepting it.

“Brother, this is fabric Little Qing personally selected—Moon Silkworm Silk, obtained from a critical location within the Sect. From beginning to end, it was entirely made by Little Qing’s own hands. Open it and see! Try it on and judge Little Qing’s needlework skill,” Qingyu urged, simultaneously winking conspiratorially at Zhuge Qing, who couldn't help but blush slightly.

“Yes, unwrap it and look,” Zhuge Yun also pressed.

Teng Qingshan smiled and opened it. It was a dark-stone-blue robe; touching it felt quite smooth and comfortable, clearly made from superior material.

“Whoosh!” As he unfurled it, Teng Qingshan slipped it right on.

“The fit is perfect,” Teng Qingshan noted, even checking the inside. It was lined entirely with Moon Silkworm Silk. “Little Qing’s skill is genuinely impressive.” Suddenly, Teng Qingshan’s gaze fixed on a spot near the pocket where the silk was visible.

The Moon Silkworm Silk was white, and that smear of dark crimson blood was starkly obvious.

Zhuge Qing, who had been nervously anxious about whether Teng Qingshan would notice, saw the change in his expression: He saw it! Her face instantly flushed, and she stammered awkwardly, “Brother Teng, that, that, that was when I accidentally pricked my finger with the needle, and a drop fell on it.”

“Pricked your finger, Sister? Your needlework skill is so poor you still prick yourself?” Zhuge Yun asked, surprised.

“It was an accident,” Zhuge Qing hastily replied.

“Little Qing, you’ve worked hard. This robe is excellent,” Teng Qingshan smiled. “The Moon Silkworm Silk lining feels very comfortable against the skin.”

Zhuge Qing couldn't help but smile upon hearing this.

…

At the Guiyuan Sect, members of the Black Armored Army were permitted to live off-site once they reached a unified rank; this was even more true for Commanders and Elders. As for the Enforcement Elders, their authority was frighteningly high.

The official date for Teng Qingshan to formally become an Enforcement Elder was set for the third day of the eleventh month.

…

The estate Teng Qingshan purchased was christened the ‘Teng Residence’ by his sister, Qingyu. According to her reasoning, seeing other estates named ‘Li Residence’ or ‘Guo Residence’ made her deeply envious. Therefore, she insisted on naming their own estate the ‘Teng Residence’!

In the future, the members of Teng Family Village would also move in, so ‘Teng Residence’ was a fitting name.

On the evening of the second day of the eleventh month.

In a private training ground within the Teng Residence.

“Boom!” “Boom!” “Boom!” “Boom!”……

Explosion sounds echoed from the training ground. Teng Qingshan, wearing only trousers with sweat beading on his bare torso, gripped the middle of the Reincarnation Spear with his left hand and the butt with his right. With a sudden forward thrust of his right hand, completely disparate forces were subtly unleashed between his two hands.

Whirrrr!

The spearhead blurred into an afterimage!

“Hmph!” Teng Qingshan abruptly released his left hand, using the momentum of his right hand gripping the Reincarnation Spear to execute a fierce thrust forward.

Pffft!

A coil of fiery-red spiral energy unexpectedly wound around the spearhead! This spiraling, fire-red Innate True Essence rotated, gathering towards the tip of the Reincarnation Spear. Such a intensely structured spiral of True Essence instantly compressed into a single point, coalescing at the spear’s tip!

Even if air were compressed into a single point, the resulting explosion from such extreme pressure would be astonishing; how much more so when it involved Innate True Essence.

“Boom!” A deafening explosion erupted from the tip of the Reincarnation Spear. Shockwaves of chaotic blade-like energy scattered around, and the turf was already scored with deep ravines. One could easily imagine how terrifying the impact would be if this spear point, exploding at a single point, struck an enemy.

Since reaching the Innate Realm, where Innate True Essence could exist detached from the body, Teng Qingshan had completed half of the fourth move of his Five Elements Spear Technique.

“No, no!”

Teng Qingshan frowned and shook his head.

Since this was a technique being tested, only a meager amount of Innate True Essence was used.

“This small quantity of Innate True Essence, condensed into a single point, cannot properly combine with the piercing power inherent to the Reincarnation Spear itself, let alone unleashing it at full strength,” Teng Qingshan muttered inwardly. This fourth move of the Xingyi Five Elements Spear was created by merging the essence of the Blazing Fire Five Forms and the Tiger Cannon Fist.

Logically, upon execution!

Powerful Innate True Essence should form a vortex at the spearhead, and then, following the force of the vortex, compress into a single point at the tip! This was the first stage!

The second stage!

Was for Teng Qingshan to erupt with his strongest force, channeling it through the Reincarnation Spear in the manner of the Tiger Cannon Fist, generating astonishing penetrating power. This aspect alone was no weaker than the Poison Dragon Drill. And the Innate True Essence in the first stage, following the spiral force and compressing to a point, had a power nearly equivalent to the Poison Dragon Drill.

When the two stages combined, the resulting power would be terrifying!

“Combining the two stages is indeed too difficult,” Teng Qingshan sighed.

The requirement for controlling the Reincarnation Spear was exceedingly harsh.

It required first utilizing the principle of ‘Fire’s End, Kindling Remains’ to enable the Innate True Essence to form a vortex and compress into a single point; immediately following this, switching to the Tiger Cannon Fist’s expulsion of force to drive his entire strength through the Reincarnation Spear; and crucially, ensuring both points of power erupted at the exact same instant! To achieve the maximum effect!

“I only used an extremely small amount of Innate True Essence and it still failed. What should I do?” Teng Qingshan felt troubled.

This problem had plagued him for several days.

If Zhuge Yuanhong knew of this technique he was attempting, he would likely be stunned.

The execution difficulty of this move by Teng Qingshan was immense.

Whether it was the required state of mind, the demand for physical power, the necessity of Innate True Essence, or the control required over the Reincarnation Spear—all were pushed to the absolute extreme.

“The biggest hurdle is making the Innate True Essence form a spiral structure and compress into one point. This demands a state of mind where there is a sliver of hope amidst utter despair, yet the Tiger Cannon Fist requires a furious, savage state of mind… the two mentalities conflict.” Teng Qingshan pondered for a long time, then his expression suddenly changed: “No! Wrong, wrong, wrong!!! The method of controlling the Innate True Essence is flawed.”

Teng Qingshan’s eyes brightened, and he immediately prepared to test it again.

Just then—

“Brother!” His sister Qingyu ran over. “You’re still cultivating?”

“Is something wrong?” Teng Qingshan looked at his sister questioningly.

“Tomorrow, you officially become an Enforcement Elder, Brother. Tonight, Xiao Yun, Little Qing, and I are planning to take you for a night tour along the canal! A preliminary celebration, you see,” Qingyu explained enthusiastically. Teng Qingshan glanced at the sky and smiled, nodding: “Alright then. I’ll go clean up and change clothes.”

Watching Teng Qingshan leave, Qingyu excitedly clenched her fist: “Hehe, Little Qing, whether it works out or not depends on you now.”