Chapter 65

Seeing the envy and fear in the three people's eyes, the old man in the blue robe smiled slightly, clapped his hands, and said, "Alright, since you've all made your choices, I'll register them for you. Now, all of you go out!"

After saying that, he closed the crystal cabinet again, put down the red silk, and led the four people out of the armory.

When they came out, Tanggu did not see Lingdie, Fang Jiujiu, and the others, indicating that they had already made their choices and left without waiting for them.

The four people also dispersed at the door, each returning to their own small house. Tanggu couldn't wait to start testing the power of the blade thread.

He went to a dense forest in the back of the martial academy.

Standing quietly, he regulated his breathing and closed his eyes.

After about a quarter of an hour,

He suddenly opened his eyes, lightly spun his left foot, and pressed the wrist buckle on his arm.

"Whizz!"

A strange sound of a spring mechanism, and the blade thread shot out like lightning from the scorpion-shaped wrist buckle, striking a large tree directly opposite and piercing straight through it.

Silently, a fine hole as thin as a hair appeared in the huge ancient tree that would take two people to encircle.

Tanggu's eyes flickered, and a stream of internal energy traveled from the blade thread to its tip, causing the tip to spin sharply. He moved it left and right, wrapping the entire tree in a ring.

Tanggu tugged his fingers lightly.

"Thud!"

The tree shook violently and then snapped neatly at the waist, the upper half crashing down with a loud thud, the cut surface smooth.

Tanggu leaped, disappearing instantly, just in time to avoid the falling tree. With a thought, the blade thread retracted, shooting to the top of another tree with a muffled "thud."

This time, Tanggu used less force, and the blade thread's tip split open, revealing a small silver cone with eight curved claws that firmly embedded itself in the top of the tree.

Tanggu retracted his wrist, and his body was propelled upward, following the green thread to the top of the tree.

For the next while, it was a solo performance by Tanggu. He darted around the dense forest, light as smoke, his body weightless, swift as a monkey.

Many difficult body movements that he couldn't usually perform gradually took shape with the help of the green thread.

"Bang, bang, bang, bang..." Trees continuously fell, the forest in chaos, green light flashing as one tree after another was cleanly severed.

An hour later, Tanggu's eyes flickered, and he retracted the thread, the scorpion-shaped wrist buckle hidden under his sleeve, leaving no trace from the outside.

Looking at the broken branches and leaves around him, Tanggu smiled slightly, his body flashing as he disappeared from the forest.

A short while later, he returned to his small wooden house in the inner courtyard.

Sitting quietly on the bed, he thought deeply.

"Having completed the fourth circulation of the Qi Dao, I have become the top student in the inner courtyard. Next, I will face the outer sect trial held in the Supreme Autumn Wind Pavilion next August."

"However... with my current ability of just the fourth circulation of the Qi Dao, even though I am a top expert in the Qi Dao Martial Academy, in the Supreme Autumn Wind Pavilion, where there are experts at the seventh or eighth circulation, or even the peak of the ninth circulation... I am nothing."

"Whether I can pass the outer sect trial is still uncertain. At most, I can say I have a chance."

"I must break through to the fifth circulation of the Qi Dao to have a greater chance."

"Moreover, the cultivation conditions for the Bloodthirsty Technique require at least the fifth circulation of the Qi Dao. Therefore, my top priority is to break through to the fifth circulation and cultivate the Bloodthirsty Technique!"

"Only then will I not face the unknown realm next year without any mental preparation."

Having witnessed the power of Ye Guyu's Rain Driving Technique, Tanggu had a mysterious expectation for strange techniques. The Bloodthirsty Technique was even stronger than the Rain Driving Technique, ranking 105th on the list of strange techniques.

He was eager to see his abilities after learning the Bloodthirsty Technique, but unfortunately, the minimum cultivation required to practice the Bloodthirsty Technique was at least the fifth circulation of the Qi Dao.

Otherwise, there would not be enough vital energy and life force to activate such a strange technique, and it might even shorten one's lifespan.

Therefore, he must reach the fifth circulation of the Qi Dao, or even higher, before next August.

Tanggu's eyes flickered.

"The outside world is far from the tranquility here. Along the way... the vast sea, countless dangers, not only the ubiquitous sea storms but also a large number of low-level sea beasts that might block the way."

"Even worse, there might be encounters with the notorious sea pirates..."

"To deal with all this, only strength will do, and my time is running out... next August, the Bloodthirsty Technique, the fifth circulation of the Qi Dao!"

Tanggu stood up, making a decision: "I will go to the True Object Pavilion again to buy some medicinal pills and herbs to strengthen my body and increase my cultivation speed."

"Moreover... as an inner courtyard disciple, I must also deal with the troublemakers in the outer courtyard. Although I no longer care, it is still a mental burden."

"An unresolved mental burden affects cultivation."

Thinking of this, Tanggu turned and walked towards a dark building in the inner courtyard, where the inner courtyard issued orders and controlled the outer courtyard affairs.

A short while later, Tanggu, holding a dark black token, walked out with the respectful gazes of two inner courtyard officials, heading towards the outer courtyard with a calm expression.

...

Fifteen minutes later, Qi Dao Martial Academy, outer courtyard.

The Outer Affairs Hall.

Today was the monthly distribution of provisions and benefits for the outer courtyard disciples.

The same muscular, fierce-looking outer courtyard official, Wei Jiu, was on duty. A long queue formed in front of the hall.

Disciples came forward, handed in their tokens, picked up their items, and left, each with a look of anger but not daring to speak out, their heads lowered as they hurried out of the gate.

Ever since Du Pengfei incited him to withhold Tanggu's provisions, he had tasted the sweetness and began deliberately withholding the provisions of ordinary disciples and outer courtyard laborers who had no status or backing. In half a year, he had accumulated a considerable fortune.

The disciples, being timid and fearing his position as an outer courtyard official, did not dare to report him.

This made him bolder, his actions more reckless, and his methods more ruthless.

Previously, for ordinary outer courtyard disciples, who received fifty stone coins, he only dared to take one-tenth, five coins. Later, it gradually increased to ten coins, and now, it was down to just half!

As for the outer courtyard laborers, he didn't even care about them. From the beginning, each could only receive one coin per month.

Sometimes, if he didn't like the look of someone or if they didn't flatter him enough, he would find an excuse to take everything... causing widespread resentment in the outer courtyard, but with no one above to care.

The name "Black Butcher" Wei Jiu was now well-known throughout the outer courtyard.

Time passed minute by minute, and another disciple came forward, handed in their token, and left with their provisions.

Wei Jiu, without looking up, quickly swept twenty-five stone coins from the table into his bag and shouted, "Next!"

A young man in white, with a calm expression, stepped forward and approached him.

Wei Jiu extended his hand, looking extremely fierce, and said, "Your identity token!"

He had long found that to make all the disciples fear him in the outer courtyard, he needed to act fierce. This way, even if he withheld more provisions, no one would dare to report him.

However, this time, it seemed different.

When the disciple heard his words, he did not show any fear but instead smiled slightly, reaching out to place a dark black token carved with flames heavily on the table.

A muffled "thud" shook the table, startling Wei Jiu. The young man in white smiled and said, "Collect my provisions!"

"Who dares to be so disrespectful, looking for death..."

Wei Jiu suddenly stood up, furious, not even looking at the black token on the counter, ready to scold the young man in white in front of him.

Moreover, he had already decided that no matter who the person was, even if they had some status, they would not get any provisions this time.

However, he saw the strange looks of all the outer courtyard disciples waiting in line.

The next moment, his eyes fell on the young man in white in front of the counter, and his eyes widened in shock. His face filled with terror, his body trembling, he hurriedly climbed out of the counter and knelt before the young man in white.

"U... Upper Envoy..."

"Upper Envoy's arrival... I failed to welcome you in time, please forgive me..."

His expression was filled with indescribable panic and fear.

PS: First update, making up for last night.