11: Loot the City Lord's Mansion

The blood-red sky that enveloped Peng City slowly dissipated as Niu Kuang absorbed the blood crystal.

However, the thick, cloying smell of rust in the air still lingered, so viscous it felt as if it could draw out threads of blood.

Xiao Zhuo stepped over the already congealed and blackened bloodstains on the bluestones, his figure like the wind, swiftly heading towards the City Lord's study.

He urgently needed more Cultivation Techniques and Secret Manuals, and among Peng City's most extensive collections, none surpassed that of City Lord Zong Qing.

Years ago, he and Xiao Shaoyou had often accompanied Xiao Ningzhi to visit the City Lord's manor, and the layout of the residence was already deeply ingrained in his mind.

Following his memory, he turned into the corner gate of the back residence, and the sight before him was suffocating—the ground was covered with twisted, mummified corpses!

Some were curled up beneath the corridor pillars, others futilely clawing at doorframes, their hollow eye sockets frozen in eternal terror.

Clearly, they had met a tragic end even before the blood sacrifice was activated.

Xiao Zhuo held his breath, passing through two moon-gate doorways.

Bloodstains from dragging remained on the green brick ground; rounding the spirit screen, Zong Qing's study came into view.

The zitan wood door was ajar.

Pushing the door open, the interior furnishings were exactly as they had been a year ago.

Demons had no interest in the Human Race's Martial Skills and Cultivation Techniques, which coincidentally benefited Xiao Zhuo.

Green orchids adorned the four corners of the study, the zitan low table glowed faintly, and the two futons on either side were embroidered with gold-threaded cloud patterns.

Three ebony bookshelves stood against the walls, their books and scrolls meticulously arranged.

Xiao Zhuo went straight to the bookshelves, his fingertips quickly scanning the dusty spines.

The rustling of turning pages echoed in the silent study for nearly half an hour.

Finally, he selected seven classics and an ancient beast hide.

Blazing Flame Saber Art (Profound Grade): A fire-attributed saber Martial Skill, its power surpasses the Eight Directions Demon Slaying Saber. Unfortunately, it does not align with Xiao Zhuo's neutral and harmonious Innate True Qi attribute, making it difficult to unleash its full power.

Lesser Primordial Pile Stance (Profound Grade): Its core mantra, "Qi sinks to Yongquan, intent guards Yuzhen," is exactly what Xiao Zhuo most urgently needs—a superior method for solidifying his Foundation and refining his bone marrow!

Wind and Thunder Fleeting Shadow Steps (Profound Grade): A superior movement Martial Skill.

Golden Serpent Coiling Silk Hand (Profound Grade): An exquisite grappling and interrogation technique.

Heavenly Thunder Quenching Gold Art (Profound Grade): A unique horizontal Body Tempering hard Cultivation Technique. It requires drawing Heavenly Thunder to Quench the Physical Body to achieve Major Achievement; without lightning, its effects are mediocre. However, once Cultivated, the Physical Body becomes as hard as profound iron, fearless of 陰魂 (yin souls), and can even form lightning armor, greatly enhancing both defense and strength! Its potential is immense, but the Cultivation conditions are harsh.

Great Void Bright Palm (Profound Grade): Not a mere technique, but an internal palm Cultivation Technique for refining the Physical Body, possessing unique value.

Nine Revolutions Profound Essence Art (Upper Volume) (Profound Grade): Although it originates from the same Daoist Sect as the Innate Merit, its power is vastly different! Unfortunately, Zong Qing only possessed the upper volume, allowing Cultivation only up to the True Essence Realm.

Even so, its subtlety far surpassed the Innate Merit.

Xiao Zhuo decided to switch to this Cultivation Technique upon his return.

The lower volume? He would find a way to obtain it later! This Cultivation Technique further confirmed Zong Qing's Sect background.

Stuffing all the Secret Manuals into his embrace, Xiao Zhuo turned to leave.

As his gaze swept across the zitan low table, he noticed an extremely subtle crack on its inner side.

How could such valuable furniture crack without reason?

A thought stirred in Xiao Zhuo's mind; he crouched down and slightly lifted the low table.

A hidden mechanism button on the underside of the table came into view.

His fingertip pressed down, and with a soft 'click,' a hidden compartment drawer silently popped out from the inner side of the low table.

Inside the drawer, an item carefully wrapped in plain silk lay quietly.

"Something deliberately hidden must be extraordinary!" Xiao Zhuo's eyes sharpened as he carefully peeled back the silk cloth.

Inside was yet another beast hide!

One side of the beast hide was adorned with patterns similar in style to the previous map.

Flipping to the other side, there were only a hundred words written in dark red blood—

Purple Extreme True Flame Art!

A burst Secret Art! Its Cultivation method involves condensing different levels of "Purple Extreme Dharma Seals" in the Dantian.

When activated, True Essence is ignited through the Dharma Seal, instantly unleashing astonishing power!

Three layers of Dharma Seals can respectively amplify normal attacks by one, three, or even ten times!

This Art consumes an enormous amount of True Essence, but it does not carry the terrifying backlash of ordinary blood-burning Secret Arts that often result in death.

Upon seeing the contents of the Secret Art, Xiao Zhuo was ecstatic!

"True Essence consumption? I have the panel to add points, my Cultivation is far deeper than my peers! How can a hundred years of Cultivation be ordinary? I'm only afraid the power won't be strong enough, why fear not having enough True Essence!"

If he had this Secret Art during his previous fight with that last Ox Demon, the battle would have ended with the first saber strike!

This Secret Art was simply a trump card tailor-made for him!

Putting away the beast hide, Xiao Zhuo then stood up and left the study.

Passing by the City Lord's bedroom, a strong smell of blood assailed him.

Dark red stains were congealed everywhere, and a broken mummified corpse lay amidst the bloodstains, wearing that familiar brocade robe—it was City Lord Zong Qing!

Xiao Zhuo stepped into the room, his expression complex.

Zong Qing was a generous and magnanimous man, on good terms with the Xiao Family; he never imagined he would meet such a tragic end, his body incomplete.

It was inconvenient to bury him now, so Xiao Zhuo silently apologized in his heart.

Just as he was about to turn and leave, a faint black gleam on the fingertip of the mummified corpse's right hand caught his attention!

A black ring, engraved with an ancient Kui Dragon pattern, was on that withered finger.

"Could it be...?" A thought stirred in Xiao Zhuo's mind; he walked closer, crouched down, and gently removed the ring. A wisp of True Essence carefully probed into it—

Buzz!

A three-dimensional space, roughly ten zhang square, instantly unfolded in his mind!

Neatly stored within the space were clothes, daily necessities, piles of gold and silver, and a thick stack of silver notes!

"It really is it! A storage ring!" Xiao Zhuo couldn't hide his joy.

Zong Qing had once displayed the marvel of this item when he visited the Xiao Family, which had astonished him greatly at the time.

Now with a ten-zhang space in hand, it was enough to loot the treasures of Peng City!

Leaving the backyard, Xiao Zhuo headed straight for the City Lord's manor treasury—which not only held Zong Qing's private collection but also Peng City's coffers!

Passing through the empty, silent training ground, a grey-green stone building stood before him.

The entrance to the treasury was hidden beneath the stone building.

Xiao Zhuo quickly entered the ground floor of the stone building and immediately saw the entrance in the center of the ground, sealed by a massive square bluestone.

Thick iron chains connected the four corners of the bluestone, and the other ends of the chains were wrapped around four large winches fixed to the ground.

Normally, four guards would need to simultaneously turn the winches to raise the bluestone, revealing the passageway to the underground.

However, for Xiao Zhuo, who possessed True Essence, this bluestone was merely a slightly larger stumbling block!

He walked to the bluestone, lowered his stance, and with fingers like hooks, deeply embedded them into the stone cracks! True Essence surged within him, and his muscles instantly bulged!

"Rise—!"

With a low shout, the bluestone, weighing over ten thousand jin, was slowly lifted!

Xiao Zhuo exerted force again, his arm muscles coiling like Dragons, and he violently lifted the bluestone more than a meter high, then fiercely flung it aside!

"Boom—!!!"

The giant stone crashed down, shaking the ground and mountains! Amidst the swirling dust, a deep, secluded passageway entrance clearly appeared.

A smirk curved Xiao Zhuo's lips; he picked up a torch from nearby, and with a gentle flick of a tinderbox, lit it.

The flickering flame dispelled some of the chill from underground; he didn't hesitate, holding the torch, his figure disappearing into the dark passageway.

After winding downwards for over a hundred meters, the space suddenly opened up before him—an underground area spanning a thousand square meters!

Rows of heavy, reddish-brown wooden chests were neatly arranged. In several chests with open lids, golden circular coins were piled up like mountains, reflecting an alluring luster under the torchlight!

Jinchen! The official currency of Great Chen, each coin weighing one liang and about half a finger thick!

Xiao Zhuo's eyes burned with fervor; he unhesitatingly activated his storage ring.

As his will commanded, those wooden chests filled with jinchen and silver essence, as if pulled by an invisible hand, continuously disappeared from their original spots, entering the ten-zhang square storage space...