Chapter 8

Three black iron coins, and now the five hundred barrels of wine in the cellar can only be sold for one thousand five hundred black iron coins. According to the normal rules, a barrel of wine is ten coins, and the price being squeezed is evident.

He remembered that in the cellar, there were not just five hundred barrels, but eight hundred. It's likely that for this third Heart Nourishing Pill, Wuxin Lian had reluctantly sold the rest at the wholesale price of three black iron coins per barrel to other taverns.

What a black heart!!

A cold light flashed in Wumu's eyes, and he sneered inwardly: You laugh today, but I'll make you cry tomorrow. You can make any money, but not black-hearted money. I'll make you spit it all out, and more.

"It's fine!!"

Wumu took a deep breath and looked at Wuxin Lian, comforting her: "Don't worry about the money, Brother has a plan. Now, go get a bamboo pole immediately. We'll talk about the rest tomorrow."

"A bamboo pole?"

Wuxin Lian blinked, her face showing a hint of confusion and curiosity. She didn't quite understand why he needed a bamboo pole, but out of trust in her brother, she nodded seriously and said, "Okay, I'll do it right away."

She hesitated for a moment and then added, "But, Brother, what about your match with Lin Yue on the arena? I heard Lin Yue is already practicing the Skin Tempering Technique. Once he completes it, he will have the strength of an ox or a tiger."

In the Mortal Transcendence Realm, the way to measure the quality of cultivation techniques and one's combat power is the strength one can unleash. This strength, under the laws of heaven and earth, will be marked with unique Dao patterns on the body when it reaches a certain level. This is a gift from heaven, and these Dao patterns have extremely strict limitations.

From low to high, they are Ox Patterns, Tiger Patterns, Elephant Patterns, and Dragon Patterns!!

These four Dao patterns determine one's potential and the quality of cultivation techniques, from low to high: Mortal Rank, King Rank, Emperor Rank, and Imperial Rank!!

Among these four ranks, Mortal Rank is the most common and the most numerous. Once one reaches King Rank, the number becomes extremely scarce, often controlled by noble families. Emperor Rank is even rarer, and the legendary Imperial Rank is so rare that it's almost unimaginable.

Mortal Rank techniques can only produce Ox Patterns, and when fully cultivated, an ox Dao pattern will be inscribed on the body. This pattern will manifest during combat, emitting a unique aura and pressure. This is a gift from heaven. King Rank produces Tiger Patterns, and Emperor Rank produces Elephant Patterns.

The pressure and aura produced by each Dao pattern have significant differences.

For example, in front of a Tiger Pattern, an Ox Pattern is clearly inferior. In a fight, it will almost inevitably be at a disadvantage in terms of strength unless there is an exceptional advantage in combat techniques.

Given the Lin family's strength, there must be cultivation techniques beyond Mortal Rank in their family's scripture hall.

Wumu's mind raced, but he wore a reassuring smile and said to Wuxin Lian, "Little Sister, don't worry too much. Brother has a plan. I'll rest for a bit. We'll talk about it later."

"Okay!!"

Although worried, Wuxin Lian didn't say more. She nodded firmly. To her, the most important thing was that her brother had come back to life and was now with her. She didn't want to know why he suddenly revived.

All she needed to know was that the person standing in front of her was her real brother, and the blood connection was undeniable. She was certain of this from the first moment she saw him.

After leaving the main house where his mother lived, Wumu didn't say much and walked into his own room.

Opening the door, inside was a bed, a table, and a chair. The space wasn't too large, but it wasn't cramped either. On the bed, the neatly folded quilt still lay quietly at the head.

A warm feeling surged in Wumu's heart.

He hadn't felt this warmth for many years.

However, he sat on the bed, and his mind pondered, "This agreement with the Lin family was rash, but it's the only way. With the power of the imperial court, the Lin family won't dare to go too far. Moreover, this time, I've embarrassed the Lin family, and they want to regain their face on the arena."

"Although Lin Yue is a fool, the Lin family is a behemoth. Cultivating Lin Yue isn't difficult. Nine days is too short, and my predecessor, although he persisted in physical training, lacked the correct cultivation technique. Relying solely on hard training, he never reached the Skin Tempering stage."

He took a deep breath and looked at the ancient bronze lamp on his left shoulder, muttering to himself, "Whether I can overcome this crisis and change my fate depends on whether this ancient bronze lamp is truly a treasure as I imagine."

The ancient bronze lamp!!

Yes, the ancient bronze lamp. On this journey, he had already clearly proven that no one else could see it except him. The thousand-year-old bronze leaf passed down in his family had fused with the ancient lamp, becoming the wick. All of this undoubtedly indicated that the ancient bronze lamp was a treasure.

It must contain astonishing secrets.

In the ancient tomb, he was in a hurry to leave and didn't have time to investigate thoroughly. Now, with some free time, it had become the only straw he could grasp.

If he couldn't uncover the true mysteries of the ancient bronze lamp, the outcome nine days later, without cultivation techniques or spirit medicines, would be inevitable.

"When the ancient bronze lamp fused with my left shoulder, I felt a force trying to pull me into it. This time, I'll investigate thoroughly."

Wumu's mind was set, and he looked deeply at the ancient lamp. The light from the bronze lamp, after resisting Lin Zhan's pressure, had shrunk back, covering only the lamp itself, like a candle in the darkness, stubbornly emitting its own light, never extinguishing.

With his mind set, he didn't hesitate and directed his consciousness toward the ancient bronze lamp.

Whoosh!!

As soon as his consciousness touched the ancient bronze lamp, the originally clear light instantly emitted a faint glow, enveloping his entire body. Then, an invisible force appeared, wrapping him tightly, and his vision flashed.

His consciousness seemed to blank out for a moment.

When he regained consciousness, the scene before him made Wumu's mouth drop open in shock. He blinked his eyes, staring in horror at what he saw.

"Where am I...?"

He muttered involuntarily.

The scene before him was astonishing.

Looking around, he was in a void. His entire body stood strangely in this void. The space wasn't large, only a few hundred square meters, and there was no color, only emptiness.

Around him, he could see nine ancient bronze doors, arranged in a Nine Palace formation, seemingly suppressing the entire space.

Of these nine bronze doors, two were clearly visible in the void, while the other seven were shrouded in a mysterious mist, making them appear and disappear, giving a sense of unreality. The seven doors shrouded in mist were not as clear and real as the other two.

After scanning the area, his gaze fell on the first bronze door. On the door, two large, ancient characters were clearly visible: "Weaponry Vault!!"

On another bronze door, two similar ancient characters were inscribed: "Martial Hall!!"

The bronze doors were covered with intricate patterns, exuding a sense of ancient history and weight.

The other seven bronze doors were in a state of unreality, untouchable, and clearly could not be entered directly.

"This must be the space within the ancient bronze lamp. Only two of the nine bronze doors are real, and the other seven must exist, but I can't explore them with my current abilities. However, these two bronze doors should provide some information."

Wumu's mind was not simple. Although he couldn't fully explore all the bronze doors, the ancient characters on the doors gave him a glimpse. He forced himself to calm his excited mind.

"First, I'll enter the Weaponry Vault, then the Martial Hall!!"

After a moment's thought, Wumu didn't hesitate and walked toward the bronze door with "Weaponry Vault" inscribed on it.

In an instant, he reached the bronze door. As he reached out to push it, the ancient bronze door strangely formed a bronze vortex, emitting an irresistible suction force. Although Wumu instinctively resisted, it had no effect.

In an instant, he was pulled through the bronze door.

"This is the Weaponry Vault!!"

Although he had some mental preparation, when he stepped through the bronze door and saw the scene inside, Wumu still felt an indescribable shock.

In front of him was a spacious square, but it wasn't a void. It was a square paved with green stone slabs. In the center of the square, a towering ancient bronze tower stood, shrouded in a mysterious mist. With his vision, he could only clearly see the first level of the tower. The upper levels were completely covered by the mist, and he couldn't tell how many levels the tower had.

The door to the first level was open.

"This is the true Weaponry Vault."

With a mix of excitement, Wumu took a step forward and quickly walked toward the ancient bronze tower.