51: Chapter 51 Dragon Abyss Palace

"The palace gate is nine zhang high, carved from a single piece of 'Zhenhai Black Jade.' Upon it are the two words 'Dragon Abyss,' said to have been carved by the finger strength of the Palace-Founding Ancestral Master, three inches deep. The brushwork was like a dragon, and viewing it leaves one's mind and soul shaken..."

"There are three thousand Outer Sect Disciples residing in the 'Latent Dragon Courtyard.' Every morning, they must climb the 'Thousand-Step Cliff.' The cliff is three hundred zhang high with a thousand stone steps. Those who reach the top can absorb the first wisp of Purple Qi from the rising sun to temper their blood and Qi..."

"There are eight hundred Inner Sect Disciples residing in the 'Rising Flood Dragon Pavilion.' They are granted the first three volumes of the 'Dragon Abyss True Classic' and can enter the 'Dragon Transformation Pool' to soak for one shichen every month. The pool water is a mixture of Earth Vein Spiritual Spring water and Flood Dragon blood, which has the effect of a complete transformation..."

"There are thirty-six True Disciples residing in the 'True Dragon Hall.' Each is assigned a private courtyard with servants to attend them. They can read all Cultivation Techniques on the first three floors of the Sutra Library and receive one dragon blood pill every month..."

Between the lines, the text was filled with yearning and awe for the Dragon Abyss Palace, but it also carried a thick sense of resentment—

Bai Tianxiao had stayed in the Dragon Abyss Palace for six years but never managed to Breakthrough to the Iron Bone Realm, remaining among the bottom-tier of the Outer Sect Disciples.

At the age of twenty-two, because he seriously injured a fellow disciple during a small Sect competition, his cultivation was crippled, and he was expelled from the mountain gate.

There were traces of several torn pages in the diary at this point, and the remaining handwriting was scrawled and frantic, filled with malice and hatred.

The subsequent content detailed Bai Tianxiao's journey wandering the Jianghu, where he chanced upon a fortuitous encounter, resumed his martial path, and eventually founded the White Dragon Gang in Flying Fish City.

But every few pages, he would always mention the Dragon Abyss Palace in a complex tone that held both hatred and an unmistakable envy and longing.

"...Though the 'Evil Flood Dragon Wave Surfing Art' is good, it is ultimately only a Low Grade Earth Rank technique. Without a True Intent Map, there is no hope of reaching the Dragon Elephant Realm in this lifetime. In the Dragon Abyss Palace, there are no fewer than ten Earth Rank Cultivation Techniques and three Heaven Rank ones... If one day..."

"...The Dragon Abyss Palace opens its mountain to recruit disciples once every three years. They require candidates to be under twenty years old, possess superior root bone, and those who pass the 'Three Trials' assessment can enter the outer Sect. Unfortunately, my son's age has exceeded the limit. What a pity, what a pity..."

It was these few passages of records that made Jiang Hanzhou set his mind.

For a Martial Artist's Cultivation, Qi Accumulation, Iron Bone, and Burning Viscera are known as the Three Trials of Mortal Shedding.

The subsequent Dragon Elephant Realm is the beginning of transcendence, where blood and Qi undergo a qualitative change, allowing for the condensation of phantoms and various miraculous abilities.

But to Breakthrough to the Dragon Elephant Realm, one needs not only a massive accumulation of resources but also the 'True Intent Map' of a high-level Cultivation Technique.

A True Intent Map is created when the creator of a Cultivation Technique imprints their own martial Concept and insights into heaven and earth onto a Legacy item through special means. Viewing it allows one to grasp the true essence of the technique and understand the key to breaking through.

This is the key to breaking through to the Dragon Elephant Realm and the core secret by which Sects and aristocratic families monopolize high-level Martial Artists.

Though Jiang Hanzhou's 'Dragon Subduing and Tiger Taming Skill' was a Low Grade Earth Rank technique with great potential, it lacked a True Intent Map Legacy. If he wanted to grope his way toward a Dragon Elephant Breakthrough on his own, it would be as difficult as ascending to heaven and fraught with extreme danger.

Joining a Sect to obtain higher-level Cultivation Techniques and True Intent Maps was the most stable path forward.

And the Dragon Abyss Palace, as a great Sect that had dominated Donghai Prefecture for centuries, was undoubtedly an excellent choice.

However—

Jiang Hanzhou flipped to the last page of the diary, where a line of small characters was written in cinnabar. The handwriting was sharp, as if written with a fingertip dipped in blood:

"To enter the Dragon Abyss Palace, pave the way with silver. An Outer Sect Disciple's annual stipend is three hundred taels, an Inner Sect Disciple's is one thousand taels, and a True Disciple's is five thousand taels. However, everything in the palace—room and board, Medicinal Pills, weapons, borrowing Cultivation Techniques, guidance from teachers, and Cultivate sessions in Secret Realms—all require contribution points or silver to exchange."

"If I had twenty thousand taels back then, why would I have had to buy that crude 'Evil Flood Dragon Wave Surfing Art'? If I had fifty thousand taels, I might have been able to bribe the Outer Sect Deacon to let me stay in the palace to Cultivate for another three years..."

"Martial Dao, Martial Dao—without wealth, there is no Dao!"

The final sentence seemed to pierce through the paper.

Jiang Hanzhou closed the diary and let out a soft breath.

Literature for the poor, martial arts for the rich; the ancients truly did not deceive me.

With the thirteen thousand taels in banknotes he had plundered from the White Dragon Gang plus his own original savings, he now had nearly fifteen thousand taels on him.

It sounded like a lot, but compared to what was stated in the diary, it probably wouldn't even cover one year's expenses for an Outer Sect Disciple of the Dragon Abyss Palace.

Not to mention the higher-level Cultivation Techniques, True Intent Maps, and Cultivation resources he wanted.

He needed to make money.

A lot of money.

Jiang Hanzhou looked up at the clay pot bubbling with steam on the stove.

The fresh scent of the fish soup had turned into a rich, mellow aroma, mixed with the fragrance of medicinal herbs, filling the entire kitchen.

He stood up, lifted the lid, and checked the color of the soup. The milky white fish soup was roiling; the fish meat had already dissolved into the soup, leaving only the bones at the bottom of the pot.

Another shichen of simmering would be enough.

Jiang Hanzhou replaced the lid and turned to walk out of the kitchen.

He didn't return to his room to rest but instead entered the bedroom and pulled an inconspicuous camphor wood chest from under the bed.

Opening the chest, he found a neatly folded black night-traveling suit, a pair of soft-soled swift boots, a sheathed short blade, and several small tools: a grappling hook, rope, a mask, a fire starter, and two small porcelain bottles.

The short blade was something he had custom-made at a time-honored blacksmith shop after arriving in Donghai Prefecture. It was made of hundred-refined steel mixed with a little Cold Iron; though far inferior to the tiger soul saber, it was sharp and handy.

The tiger soul saber was too eye-catching; its dark gold blade and blood-colored tiger patterns were something no one who saw them would ever forget.

Jiang Hanzhou had wrapped it in layers of oilcloth and buried it three feet deep beneath the courtyard. He would not use it unless absolutely necessary.

He quickly changed into the night-traveling suit, tightened his cuffs and pant legs, tucked the short blade behind his waist, placed the grappling hook and rope into his robes, and covered his face with the mask.

It was the face of an unremarkable middle-aged man with a sallow complexion and a slanted mustache—the kind of face that would instantly vanish if thrown into a crowd.

Finally, he picked up the two small porcelain bottles.

One bottle was 'Soul-Confusing Powder'; smelling it could make a person fall into a deep sleep for six hours. It was colorless and odorless.

The other bottle was 'Bone-Corroding Water,' which could corrode metal, stone, and wood, making it invaluable for picking locks and breaking through doors.

He had prepared both during his spare time over the last two months. The medicinal ingredients came from the clinic, costing little but yielding good results.

After finishing his preparations, Jiang Hanzhou blew out the oil lamp in the bedroom and pushed open the back window.

The night was deep, the crescent moon hung like a hook, and the stars were sparse.

His figure flickered as he floated out of the window like a light feather, landing soundlessly, and closed the window behind him.

With a tap of his toes on the courtyard wall, he took to the air and leaped onto the roof. With a few leaps and bounds, he merged into the heavy darkness, swiftly heading toward the south of Donghai Prefecture City.

The night wind howled, whipping his black robes.

Beneath the mask, Jiang Hanzhou's gaze was calm and rippleless, with only a hint of cold light swirling in the depths of his pupils.

Evil Ghost Bandits?

Let's start with them.

...He would practice his skills and, while he was at it, see if the wealth of these River Bandits was enough for him to save up some money.

After all, the entrance examination for the Dragon Abyss Palace was still six months away.

In these six months, he would need a lot of money.

He would also need a lot of... actual combat.

The night was as black as ink, swallowing the swiftly moving dark shadow.

In the distance, the sound of the sea tides echoed, seemingly never-ending.