Chapter 22

**Slam!**

In the Zhang family residence of Qingyun City, a delicate teacup was shattered, and Zhang Shaoyong, the head of the Zhang family, had a dark and terrifying expression.

"Chen Hu failed? Isn't he a Qi Sea Realm warrior? How could he not kill a mere Seventh Stage Body Tempering cultivator?" Zhang Shaoyong angrily asked the people below.

"Lord, Chen Hu didn't just fail; he died. His Lingfeng Spear was sold, and someone found his body in the Bakufu Mountains," a servant who looked like a steward said respectfully.

"Worthless!" Zhang Shaoyong snorted coldly and asked, "Has this matter leaked any wind?"

"There has been no movement from the Martial Hall. It seems there should be no problem," the steward said.

At the same time, a yellow-maned horse galloped into Qingyun City.

After returning to the city, Luo Xiu changed his clothes and went to the Martial Hall, preparing to head to the library to select a Third Rank martial technique.

According to the rules of the Martial Hall, a Seventh Stage Body Tempering cultivator can choose one Third Rank martial technique, and those at the Eighth and Ninth Stages also have the opportunity to choose one.

Walking through the Martial Hall, many students who knew Luo Xiu could sense some obvious changes in him.

"Luo Xiu seems even stronger. When he passed by me, I even felt a sense of pressure," one student said.

"Could he have already reached the Eighth Stage Body Tempering? I heard that Eighth Stage Body Tempering warriors condense their blood and qi, which creates a sense of pressure."

"That's impossible, right? He was still at the Seventh Stage a month ago. How could he reach the Eighth Stage so quickly?"

Many people were discussing. It had been a month since the last annual assessment, during which Luo Xiu went to the Bakufu Mountains for training.

In fact, it wasn't just his cultivation breakthrough that caused the changes in Luo Xiu. No one knew better than he did about his transformation over these days.

Since fusing with the Life and Death Pearl, his constitution and bloodline had been influenced by the Life and Death Force, gradually entering a slow transformation.

Combined with his recent rapid improvement in strength and the tempering of his mindset and mentality through life-and-death battles, his entire aura had undergone a dramatic change.

On his way to the library, a figure suddenly appeared in front of Luo Xiu.

It was an old man with white hair and beard, wearing a white robe, smiling, and with his hands behind his back, looking like an ordinary old man with no trace of aura.

But in Luo Xiu's eyes, the life meridians of this old man were clearly visible, and his meridians and acupoints surged with immense power, far surpassing the Qi Sea Realm warriors Luo Xiu had seen.

Natal Realm!

Luo Xiu could confidently determine that this old man in the white robe was a Natal Realm Martial Master!

Moreover, this old man was very familiar, being the same one who had assessed him at the Hunter's Guild.

Clearly, this old man not only worked at the Hunter's Guild but was also an elder of the Qingyun Martial Hall.

"Student Luo Xiu, I greet you, Elder."

The Martial Hall had five elders, and Luo Xiu had only met the elder responsible for the assessment and the elder guarding the library. He had never met the other three elders.

"Luo Xiu, follow me," Zhuang Nantian nodded and said with a smile.

After speaking, Zhuang Nantian turned and walked away. Luo Xiu, curious, followed him, not knowing why the Martial Hall elder had summoned him.

Following the old man in the white robe, Luo Xiu arrived at a pavilion in a courtyard deep within the Martial Hall.

"Sit," Zhuang Nantian said with a smile.

Luo Xiu did not refuse and sat opposite the old man.

"I am Elder Zhuang Nantian of the Martial Hall. We have met before. I heard that the Third Rank internal technique you chose from the library is the Pure Yang Technique?"

Every student's choice of martial technique was recorded, so Luo Xiu was not surprised that the elder knew about his selection.

"Yes, Elder," Luo Xiu replied.

Zhuang Nantian's expression changed slightly. "I see that your cultivation has reached the Eighth Stage Body Tempering. To break through again in just a month is not something that can be achieved with just good talent. It seems you have already mastered the Pure Yang Technique?"

Seeing Luo Xiu nod in confirmation, Zhuang Nantian suddenly laughed heartily.

"Good, good, good! To master the Pure Yang Technique in such a short time, no student in the entire Martial Hall can match your martial talent. Even in the entire Yunlong County, your talent can rank in the top ten!"

Zhuang Nantian seemed very pleased and looked at Luo Xiu. "There are two months until the Martial Hall's competition in Qingyun City. Do you have confidence?"

Luo Xiu naturally knew about the competition. The Qingyun City Martial Hall held it every year, mainly to rank the elite students at the Eighth and Ninth Stages of Body Tempering in the advanced class.

The higher the rank, the better the treatment and rewards.

"I have just been promoted to the intermediate class, and my cultivation is only at the initial Eighth Stage. I fear I cannot match the senior students in the advanced class," Luo Xiu said humbly.

Zhuang Nantian smiled. "You don't need to undervalue yourself. With your talent, you can certainly receive the Martial Hall's attention and cultivation. However, to obtain better martial techniques and more cultivation resources, you need to rely on your own strength!"

...

After the conversation with Elder Zhuang Nantian, Luo Xiu felt even more invigorated.

As Elder Zhuang said, better cultivation conditions require strength to achieve, and the annual competition is an opportunity to strive for them.

As for those students who don't even qualify for the competition, the Martial Hall will not provide any resources.

This is the law of natural selection!

Taking a deep breath, Luo Xiu was very confident. With his strength, achieving a good rank in the competition would not be difficult, and even winning first place would not be a problem if he wished.

Leaving the pavilion, Luo Xiu headed straight to the second floor of the library to select a sword technique he had long desired, the Thunderbolt Sword Technique!

This sword technique emphasizes speed. As the saying goes, the fastest is the one who cannot be defeated. When the sword is drawn, it is as swift as a thunderbolt, like a bolt of lightning, leaving the opponent no chance to react.

With 1,300 lower-grade essence stones in his storage bracelet, Luo Xiu first went to the weapon shop after selecting the sword technique.

During the battle with Chen Hu, the Qingfeng Sword broke because ordinary weapons could not withstand the power of a war weapon.

In the weapon shop, Luo Xiu looked around. A lower-grade human-level war weapon, due to differences in material and forging techniques, had varying power, with prices ranging from 300 to 800 lower-grade essence stones.

Moreover, among war weapons, swords and knives were more expensive because many warriors used them.

A completely black long sword, forged from tungsten iron, caught Luo Xiu's attention.

This sword did not have an elaborate or intricate design. The blade and hilt were both black, giving it an ancient and primitive feel.

Luo Xiu picked up the sword. It was heavier than a regular long sword, and the hilt was engraved with the character 'Dark.'

Luo Xiu then channeled his internal qi into the sword and swung it a few times, finding it quite comfortable to handle.

"Sir, how much is this sword?" Luo Xiu asked casually.

"Sir, you have a keen eye. This sword was obtained by another hunter from an ancient ruin and has been appraised by a blacksmith. The material is special, and even a higher-grade human-level war weapon cannot damage it," the shopkeeper said with a smile.

"Oh?" Luo Xiu didn't know if the shopkeeper was exaggerating. War weapons had strict rankings, and a lower-grade war weapon generally couldn't withstand the attack of a higher-grade one, even if it didn't break, it would be damaged.

"However, the power of this sword is somewhat lacking. Among lower-grade human-level war weapons, it is quite ordinary. If you want it, it will cost 800 lower-grade essence stones," the shopkeeper continued.

"800?" Luo Xiu's eyes widened in anger. "An ordinary lower-grade war sword with average power can't be that expensive. I've seen some war swords with power comparable to middle-grade human-level ones for around 800."

800 lower-grade essence stones was not a small amount. Many Qi Sea Realm warriors had only a little over a thousand lower-grade essence stones.

"Although the power is average, this sword's material is special and can withstand the attack of a higher-grade human-level war weapon, so the price is naturally higher," the shopkeeper said with a smile.

Actually, this sword had been in the shop for several years. It was originally purchased for 300 lower-grade essence stones due to its special material.

However, many blacksmiths couldn't identify the material, and it couldn't be melted down for re-forging, so it had been on display for years without anyone buying it. For warriors, the power of a war weapon was more important.

But the blacksmith behind the weapon shop thought this sword might have a special origin, so they set a price of 600.

The shopkeeper decided to sell it for 800, thinking that if the young Luo Xiu bought it, he could make an extra 200 essence stones.

"Too expensive, I don't want it." Luo Xiu said, about to put the sword back.

"Sir, the price can be negotiated." The shopkeeper's eyes twitched, quickly adding.

"700? This is the lowest price I can offer." The shopkeeper gritted his teeth, as if making a difficult decision.

Although young, Luo Xiu was not naive. Seeing the shopkeeper's expression, he knew the other was trying to take advantage of him.

"It seems the shopkeeper has no sincerity. There are many weapon shops on this street. I'll go to another one." Luo Xiu coldly snorted and made a move to leave.

Seeing this, the shopkeeper panicked. If the customer left, he would lose any commission.

"600! Sir, this is really the lowest price. If you're still unsatisfied, I can't do anything more."

600 was slightly higher than the price of an ordinary lower-grade human-level war sword, but considering its special material and ability to withstand higher-grade attacks, the price was not unreasonable.

Luo Xiu indeed found the sword special. After a moment's thought, he took out the essence stones and bought it.

Seeing Luo Xiu buy the sword, the shopkeeper's face lit up with a smile.

"Completely black, with the character 'Dark' on the hilt, I'll call you the Shadow Sword!" Luo Xiu was quite satisfied, sheathing the sword and placing it on his back.

This was his first war weapon, and he was very excited.

After leaving the weapon shop, Luo Xiu went to the medicinal shop to buy some pills to assist in his cultivation.

The medicinal pills sold in Qingyun City were all first and second grade. The Qi Nourishing Pill was a common first-grade pill, most suitable for Body Tempering Realm warriors, accelerating the absorption of essence energy and the condensation of internal qi.

There were also other pills for different stages, such as the Tendon Strengthening Pill, Bone Tempering Pill, and Blood Qi Pill.

This time, Luo Xiu planned to buy the Blood Qi Pill, a first-grade pill most suitable for Eighth Stage Body Tempering warriors who were condensing their blood and qi.

While Luo Xiu was selecting the pills, a fragrant breeze wafted by, and a voice sounded, "Shopkeeper, do you have the Ice Spirit Pill?"

Luo Xiu followed the voice and saw a woman in a simple white dress standing beside him, her graceful figure clearly visible.

"Teacher Lu?" Luo Xiu immediately recognized the woman with the faint fragrance as Lu Mengyao, a teacher at the Martial Hall.