42: Battle against Ji Bin

"You know very well that this spiritual vein essence is produced from the jade marrow deep within the mineral veins, with only one drop condensing every hundred years. To fill this bottle, it would likely drain the entire national treasury."

"No wonder the Heavenly Human Realm powerhouses on the Tianhuang Continent can be counted on two hands!"

"But so what if one is in the Heavenly Human Realm? In front of a Cultivator, they are still just ants."

You shake your head inwardly: even if you gathered all the resources of the Tianhuang Continent, you couldn't pile up a single existence capable of contending with a Cultivator.

"If Senior has no other instructions..." Cold Dustless's voice is tense.

You scan the trembling forms of the four, knowing they are truly afraid of you—not just afraid of your strength, but even more afraid of that eerie white smiling mask on your face.

"Have you ever heard of Cultivators?" you suddenly ask.

After the four exchange glances, Fang Yanbo bites the bullet and answers: "The Imperial City Guard archives have the most complete records..."

After Cold Dustless stammers through his explanation, you realize they know even less than you do.

This is normal; any low-level Cultivator can easily crush a Grandmaster. How could these Mortals possibly come into contact with them?

You even suspect: those who know too much have likely already been silenced.

If you weren't in a simulation, wouldn't you have died just the same?

After leaving the Cheng Residence, you immediately go into seclusion to absorb the spiritual vein essence.

The mysterious energy contained within this essence accelerates your Cultivate, but just one bottle is not enough to allow you to Breakthrough.

In the fifth year, while in seclusion, you think of the tea stall girl Xu Lingshan, but you do not come out of seclusion, and you do not know the outcome.

In the seventh year, you are still in seclusion, having not stepped into the Cheng Residence for three full years.

In the ninth year, you go for a stroll in the Great Yan Dynasty courtyard—the dust-covered tables and chairs prove that Liu Caiping has not yet returned.

In the twelfth year, you continue your seclusion and remain unaware of the situation with Xue Miaoyun's parents.

In the eighteenth year,

the spiritual vein essence is finally exhausted, but a Breakthrough remains a distant prospect.

You visit the Cheng Residence again and summon the four.

They stand before you, staring at the white mask and trembling uncontrollably.

"Has anything happened recently?" You notice something unusual.

"Nothing! Absolutely nothing!" Cold sweat beads on Fang Yanbo's forehead.

You know this ambitious man too well—while you were in seclusion all these years, this guy must have been stirring up trouble again.

You flick your sleeve, and Fang Yanbo flies backward, slamming into a pillar.

"I'll ask one more time, is anything wrong?" Your voice is icy.

"Senior, spare me! The Dukes Residence truly cannot afford to support so many private soldiers..." Fang Yanbo collapses on the floor, weeping and pleading.

You finally understand—why the Duke of Zhenguo wanted to annex other forces back then. Supporting a massive army while being unwilling to downsize it—of course they would have to go around pillaging for resources!

Truly self-inflicted.

Become an emperor? Help the Yan Dynasty govern? You have zero interest in that.

Moreover, you can only hide your identity; how could you dare to show yourself?

"All of you, keep it down." You warn them coldly.

"Understood!" The four reply in unison.

"Where is the new spiritual vein essence?"

"Senior, unless we go and rob..." Before Cold Dustless finishes his sentence, he sees you have already swept your sleeves and left.

In the nineteenth year, you travel incognito across various countries, secretly inquiring about news of spiritual vein essence.

In the twentieth year, wearing your white smiling mask, you break into the Great Jin Imperial Palace at night and forcibly snatch a bottle of spiritual vein essence from the hands of the emperor.

In the twenty-first year, after coming out of seclusion, you go to the Cheng Residence and find that the Cheng Family is safe and sound this time, and Cheng Rongrong is perfectly fine.

In the twenty-second year, you discover that Chang Qingyi is also alive. Only then do you understand—it turns out that everything in the past was the result of Xiao Tianci's deliberate indulgence.

In the twenty-fifth year, you come to the Cheng Residence again and find that Cheng Rongrong is actually still unmarried. Upon inquiring, you learn that it is Cheng Wenbo who will not let her marry.

In the thirty-fifth year,

relying on the spiritual vein essence extorted from everywhere, you finally Breakthrough to Heavenly Human Realm Perfection!

You are in high spirits. After coming out of seclusion, you specifically go to find Cheng Rongrong, have a heart-to-heart talk with her all night, and end up having a quarrel.

Afterward, you think of Liu Caiping again—it seems she cannot be relied upon, and you must handle the matter of the spirit awakening pill yourself.

You immediately have Ye Wuhen secretly search for the whereabouts of Ji Bin.

In the forty-second year,

Ye Wuhen sends news: Ji Bin is in the imperial capital of the Chu Dynasty!

Your heart tightens—the Chu Dynasty is one of the top powers on the Tianhuang Continent, and its strength far exceeds that of the Great Yan.

Without a word, you set off immediately.

The territory of the Chu Dynasty is five times that of the Great Yan, and its imperial capital, Tiangang City, is built by the sea and is incomparably prosperous.

One month later, you finally arrive at Tiangang City.

According to the intelligence, you discover Ji Bin in a residence in the West District.

Fortunately, with the jade pendant given by Liu Caiping to mask your aura, Ji Bin does not detect your presence.

You observe him secretly for a month and discover that he also seems to be looking for something.

Late one night, you put on the white smiling mask and break directly into his residence.

"Who are you, Your Excellency?" Ji Bin stares at you vigilantly.

His Divine Sense sweeps over you but is blocked by an invisible barrier, unable to probe your background.

You don't waste words and attack directly!

Your figure moves like lightning, and you throw a punch; the wind from the punch sounds like a tiger roaring and a Dragon howling!

Ji Bin reacts extremely quickly, and a bronze shield instantly appears in front of him.

"Bang!" Your fist slams into the shield, actually making your arm go numb.

You are inwardly shocked—it is worthy of being a Cultivator's treasure, actually able to withstand a blow from the Heavenly Human Realm!

He immediately summons his Flying Sword; the sword light flashes like lightning, stabbing directly at your throat!

You gather True Qi in your palm and strike the Flying Sword away, but you see his expression change drastically as he turns to flee.

You push your Subtle Steps of Ling Bo to the limit, closing the distance instantly, and with your Formless Divine Art fully unleashed, you slam a punch into his back!

"Bang!" His entire body is sent flying, rolling several times on the ground before stopping.

You instantly close in and strike his Dantian with your palm, crippling his Qi Sea!

"Pfft!" He spits out a mouthful of blood, his eyes cold and sinister: "Kid, do you know who I am?"

You remove your mask and sneer: "Brother Ji, long time no see."

His pupils constrict: "You...?"

Then he bursts into wild laughter: "Hahaha! No wonder you approached us back then; it turns out you knew all along!"

"Where is Liu Caiping? Tell me, and I will give you a quick death." Your tone is icy.

"Hahaha!" He grins hideously, "You will never see her again!"

"She died?" Your heart jolts.

"She has been confined for a hundred years and is never allowed to set foot in the Tianhuang Secret Realm!" He wipes the blood from the corner of his mouth.

He says a few more nonsensical things, and you suddenly become alert—not good!

You do not hesitate and smash his skull with a palm strike!

His headless corpse crashes to the ground, and you strike again with your palm, completely grinding the corpse into meat paste.

You discover a gray cloth bag dropped on the ground, its opening tied with golden thread, and its surface embroidered with obscure runes—it is precisely a Cultivator's qiankun bag!

You quickly put it away, put on your mask, and disappear into the night.

You flee for three days and three nights in one breath, and after confirming you are safe, you take out the qiankun bag to study it.

But this bag is incredibly sturdy; you try various methods, but simply cannot open it.

You sigh—this thing? How do you open it?