Chapter 5

Liu Qingmeng looked at Ye Zhong with a hint of anticipation, holding the secret letter her mother had given her. As soon as she got the spirit talisman, she keenly sensed a faint trace of spiritual energy within it, indicating that this spirit talisman was likely genuine. She immediately had the idea of asking Ye Zhong for help.

Ye Zhong, of course, would not go with Liu Qingmeng. He simply waved his hand and said, "I don't need to go. As long as that person's cultivation is not at the Wu Dao Xian Tian level, this spirit talisman will definitely be effective."

Hearing this, Liu Qingmeng hesitated for a moment. Seeing that Ye Zhong was unwilling to go with her, she quickly left, eager to return and try out the talisman.

...

"Miss, that person was wearing a black robe, and his figure could only be vaguely seen. Although Yang Tai is detestable, what he said is not without reason. Besides, how could a genuine spirit talisman be so cheap?" The guard following Liu Qingmeng hesitated for a moment and then spoke softly.

Liu Qingmeng sighed. She knew very well that Ye Zhong might be a fraud. But even if he was a fraud, what could she do? She had to try, because this was the first time in years she had found a spirit talisman.

Seeing Liu Qingmeng's expression, the guard seemed to understand her thoughts and did not say anything more, just shaking his head.

...

Ye Zhong put away the ten medium-grade spirit stones in his hand, glanced at the Yang Tai he was stepping on, frowned for a moment, but did not kill him. Instead, he left directly. There was no life-and-death enmity between him and Yang Tai. A little lesson would suffice. However, if Yang Tai did not know his place in the future, Ye Zhong would not mind taking his life. After all, in Ye Zhong's view, Yang Tai's skills were not worth mentioning.

Returning to his small courtyard, Ye Zhong rested for a while and then carefully placed the ten medium-grade spirit stones on the bed. He sat cross-legged, and the hand seals began to change slowly.

The spiritual energy contained in the ten medium-grade spirit stones was estimated to be equivalent to ten thousand low-grade spirit stones used in his previous cultivation! This was already a terrifying amount for body tempering. Liu Qingmeng's identity must be significant; otherwise, she could not have taken out so many things at once.

However, these matters were currently irrelevant to Ye Zhong. He sat cross-legged, and his hand seals changed slightly. Instantly, a faint vortex appeared on the ten medium-grade spirit stones. The vortex of spiritual energy quickly wrapped around Ye Zhong's body.

With the experience of his first cultivation, Ye Zhong was well-prepared mentally. To his surprise, this time's cultivation did not bring much pain but rather a cool sensation throughout his body, as if his physical body had already adapted to this kind of cultivation.

"Indeed, it lives up to the name of the Body Tempering Divine Technique!" Ye Zhong sighed, then focused entirely on his cultivation.

...

The City Lord's residence of Jiangzhou City was located in the center of the city, ancient and serene.

Liu Qingmeng frowned as she walked into the City Lord's residence, heading towards a side courtyard.

"Daddy!"

Entering the room, Liu Qingmeng was slightly taken aback to see her father, Liu Han, standing in the front hall, hands behind his back.

"I heard you went to find a spirit talismanist and obtained a spirit talisman?" Liu Han asked urgently as Liu Qingmeng walked in.

"Yes, but I'm not sure if the spirit talisman is genuine," Liu Qingmeng hesitated for a moment before answering. Her mother had fallen into a coma due to her father, so she had always felt guilty. Although he was the City Lord of Jiangzhou, he had never been happy.

"A genuine spirit talisman is not easy to buy, but we must try." Liu Han nodded, and a cold light flashed in his eyes. "But if anyone dares to deceive my precious daughter, I will make them wish they were dead!"

"Let's try!" Liu Qingmeng was distracted, hoping the spirit talisman was genuine, but reality told her that a genuine spirit talismanist would not sell talismans in a market in a place like Jiangzhou City.

After a moment of silence, father and daughter walked into the inner room. On the bed lay a woman in her thirties, with a beauty that resembled Liu Qingmeng. Although she was in a coma, her brows were still tightly furrowed.

Seeing her comatose mother, Liu Qingmeng bit her red lips, and her white hand holding the spirit talisman trembled. This was the first time in years she had found a legendary spirit talisman, and she dared not use it immediately, fearing the result would disappoint her.

Watching her daughter, Liu Han sighed but did not say much, his eyes flashing with a cold light.

After a moment, Liu Qingmeng finally bit her lip, took two steps back, and took out a medium-grade spirit stone. She crushed the stone in her hand, activated the spirit talisman, and gently threw it towards her mother.

Liu Han's body tensed as he watched. Although he knew the spirit talisman was likely fake, he still had a glimmer of hope.

"Hum—"

Just as Liu Han and Liu Qingmeng were about to give up, the spirit talisman suddenly trembled in mid-air, transforming into a dense, ethereal light. The light swirled in the air for a moment before directly merging into the woman's body.

Liu Han and Liu Qingmeng were both stunned. The white light was clearly spiritual energy! Could this spirit talisman be genuine!?

In the next instant, the woman on the bed moved her hand slightly, her eyelids fluttered, and she slowly opened her eyes. She shook her head in confusion and then saw her husband and daughter, asking, "Dream? Why do you seem so much older than yesterday!?"

"Mom—"

Liu Qingmeng rushed to the woman, sobbing.

Liu Han was speechless, it was real! It was actually real! That meant there was a spirit talismanist in his Jiangzhou City! If such a person could be invited to the City Lord's residence...

...

Seven days passed in the blink of an eye.

During these seven days, Ye Zhong was immersed in cultivation and did not leave his room once.

On the seventh day, the spiritual energy in the ten medium-grade spirit stones in front of Ye Zhong had been completely consumed. His skin was now a deep red, as if blood was about to burst out at any moment.

"Gurgling—"

A sound like boiling water came from Ye Zhong's body. As the sound spread, his entire body was enveloped in mist and white vapor, indicating that he was at a critical moment in his cultivation.

"Snap—"

In the next instant, Ye Zhong's body trembled slightly, the red color on his skin gradually faded, and he opened his eyes, a trace of red flashing in his eyes!

The third level of the Body Tempering Divine Technique, the Blood Transformation stage!

In just seven days, Ye Zhong had cultivated to the third level of body tempering. If this speed were known by others, they would likely refuse to believe it, but Ye Zhong had achieved it. Moreover, his body was now full of vital energy, and the spiritual energy contained in the ten medium-grade spirit stones had been completely absorbed by his physical body, making his originally slender figure now tall and robust, exuding an indescribable aura.

Such a cultivation speed even surprised Ye Zhong himself. After a moment of thought, he did not continue his cultivation but slowly stood up and stretched his body.

"Crack—"

A sound like popping beans came from Ye Zhong's body, making him feel refreshed. Sensing the changes within his body, Ye Zhong casually picked up a green steel longsword from the room. The sword trembled slightly, and a dragon's roar echoed.

"Swish—"

A single slash split the wooden table in the room in half, the cut as smooth as a mirror. Seeing this, Ye Zhong smiled. With the strength of the third level of body tempering, he could now use some combat techniques that he had honed through long-term battles, which he could not do before his reincarnation. From this moment on, Ye Zhong had the ability to protect himself in Jiangzhou City.

"Perhaps I should find a lower-level spirit technique for self-defense," Ye Zhong muttered to himself.

Although Ye Zhong had a lineage, he knew that the supreme techniques of his lineage could not be cultivated at his current state. He would need to reach at least the fifth level of body tempering, or even higher, to attempt them. While he could deal with ordinary opponents using his combat techniques, it would be more troublesome if he faced someone with higher cultivation.

Therefore, the best course of action now was to go to the Spirit Technique Pavilion of the Feihong Martial Academy and find a lower-level attack spirit technique for self-defense.

Based on Ye Zhong's judgment, the most effective and powerful spirit technique for his current state would be a low-grade ordinary spirit technique. Since he only needed it for a transitional period, a higher-level technique would be a waste of time and energy, which he could better use for body tempering. Thinking of this, Ye Zhong sighed. Others went through great lengths to find high-level spirit techniques, but he had to find the lowest level. What a lonely life!

He slowly walked to the Feihong Martial Academy, located at the edge of Jiangzhou City, and directly entered.

"Huh! That waste, Ye Zhong, actually has the nerve to come to school?"

"It seems he has truly accepted his fate! The fiancée of the first beauty of Yanjing is now Su Kui, hahaha—"

"Don't say that, Su Kui is at least the daughter of one of the five major families, the Su family. For this Ye family's side branch waste, it's a treasure!"

"But daring to come to our Feihong Martial Academy is a disgrace to us!"

Seeing Ye Zhong appear after a few days, many people whispered and laughed, deliberately letting him hear.

Ye Zhong glanced at these people and then turned to walk towards the Spirit Technique Pavilion. In his eyes, these people were no different from ants.

The Spirit Technique Pavilion was located in a quiet forest, and occasionally, students from the Feihong Martial Academy would enter, most of them seeking high-level spirit techniques.

Seeing Ye Zhong appear, many people were slightly surprised and then laughed. Ye Zhong ignored them and directly entered the Spirit Technique Pavilion. After scanning the area, he bowed to the old man dozing at the entrance and asked, "Senior, do we have any low-grade ordinary spirit techniques in the Spirit Technique Pavilion?"

"Ha ha ha! Low-grade ordinary spirit techniques! Indeed, it matches the identity of a waste!"

"Actually looking for low-grade ordinary, hahaha—"

Many students who were paying attention to Ye Zhong burst out laughing. Was Ye Zhong here to make a joke?

The old man at the entrance showed no expression, glanced at Ye Zhong indifferently, and pointed to a bookshelf in the corner: "There!"

"Thank you, Senior." Ye Zhong nodded, bowed, and walked over calmly.

The bookshelf was covered in dust, with a few cultivation techniques and attack spirit techniques sparsely placed, all of which were considered the dregs of the dregs, low-grade ordinary spirit techniques.

But a glint of interest flashed in Ye Zhong's eyes. He casually scanned the area and picked up an attack spirit technique called the No Return Sword to read.

With Ye Zhong's discernment, he only needed a moment to realize that the No Return Sword, despite its imposing name, was a genuine low-grade ordinary attack spirit technique. In his past, such a technique would not even be worthy of being used as firewood.

Times change! Ye Zhong sighed, casually flipped through the No Return Sword manual for a moment, and then put it back, turning to leave.

With Ye Zhong's experience, a low-grade ordinary attack spirit technique like this could be learned with just a glance, and there was no need for special cultivation. He would just test its power when he returned.

"Huh—Isn't this our Young Master Ye Zhong? It's been a long time! I didn't expect Young Master Ye Zhong to suddenly become so ambitious. How about it, I'm in a good mood today, let me accompany Young Master Ye Zhong for some practice?"

Just as Ye Zhong was about to leave, a voice full of undisguised mockery sounded. A group of people walked out from the depths of the Spirit Technique Pavilion, their eyes filled with disdain and coldness as they looked at Ye Zhong.

Ye Zhong glanced at them, frowned for a moment, and vaguely remembered that these three were from the side branch of the Ye family. The leader was called Ye Yu, who had cultivated to the second level of body tempering and was considered somewhat capable among the younger generation of the side branch. However, this so-called capability was quite limited.

This guy always liked to cause trouble for little Ye Zhong, but most of the time, Wang Mo would handle it. Today, upon hearing that Ye Zhong had come alone, he was in a great mood and decided to come, thinking that tormenting this Young Master Ye Zhong would be a good way to add some fun to his dull cultivation life.

Ye Zhong looked at the person approaching and then at the two side branch members of the Ye family behind him, who were smiling insincerely. He suddenly smiled silently. He had just wanted to try out the No Return Sword he had just learned...