Chapter 9: The Promise of March (Part 1)

  The poor are literate and the rich are martial, to cultivate quickly in the way of martial arts, not only do you need superior talent, but also spiritual elixirs, a dual approach.

  Elixirs, secret manuals and weapons are forever indispensable things for a martial artist.

  The land of China is vast, everyone practices martial arts, the consumption of elixirs is extremely severe, so it causes a serious shortage of elixirs and high prices.

  Before the Seven Realms of Martial Arts, a martial artist's cultivation focused on refining their body and only required taking one type of elixir: Tempering Body Elixir.

  Tempering Body Dan is divided into three types: lower, middle and upper. The lower type tempers the skin and flesh, the middle type tempers the tendons and bones, and the upper type tempers the internal organs, corresponding to the first two, three four, and five six levels of martial arts practitioners' cultivation.

  One low-grade Tempering Body Pill is worth 300 taels of silver, one mid-grade Tempering Body Pill is worth 600 taels of silver, and one high-grade Tempering Body Pill is worth 900 taels of silver.

  Taking elixirs, the speed of cultivation is several times that of direct cultivation. An ordinary disciple who takes elixirs to cultivate has a speed that is not inferior to that of a genius disciple who cultivates directly, which shows the importance of elixirs.

  A Tempering Body Pill can last a martial artist about three days. The outer sect disciples of the Heaven Sword Sect are numerous, and each person is barely allocated three pills per month, only enough for nine days of cultivation.

  The rest of the time, if you want to take Dan medicine for cultivation, you must spend money to buy it from the sect. If it is completely free, it will be a huge consumption for the sect. The development of the sect is a long-term process that spans hundreds or even thousands of years, and it cannot afford such consumption.

  Lin Dong's family was a low-ranking clan, and his cultivation was only barely at the third boundary of the Martial Path, so he didn't receive much attention. The silver provided by the clan every month was only two thousand taels.

  Two thousand two silver coins can only buy three middle-grade Body Tempering Pills, which is enough for Lin Dong to cultivate for nine days. Adding the three free pills given by the sect, in a month, Lin Dong's time spent taking medicine and cultivating is only eighteen days. Therefore, 100 silver coins are extremely precious to him.

  10,000 taels of silver is equivalent to five times the monthly cultivation expenses provided by the family, enough to buy 16 middle-grade Body Tempering Pills, plus the free pills distributed by the sect, which can support Lin Dong's continuous pill-taking and cultivation for more than two months.

  "Ha! 10,000 taels of silver, Brother Ma Yun! Hehe..." Lin Dong rubbed his hands together, his eyes narrowing into a line as he smiled.

  Ma Hong has a cultivation base of six realms in the martial way, and he has been in the sect for more than five years. His talent is ordinary, but his family background is not small, it's an eighth-grade family, and every month they provide him with one million two silver coins to cultivate, however, after deducting the cost of buying elixirs needed for monthly cultivation, there isn't much left.

  Outer sect disciples can only accept sect tasks, go out to practice and earn money and door merit points after their cultivation reaches the seventh level of martial arts. Before the seventh level, the only way to make money is to point out some wealthy new entrants to practice.

  Only disciples of Wudao's fifth or sixth level have this opportunity, after all, those with low cultivation are not much stronger than new disciples, and new disciples won't foolishly spend money without a place to use it, casually inviting people to guide them.

  Although he usually earns some silver by pointing out new apprentices, losing 10,000 taels is enough to make him lose a lot of money, and almost have to stop buying elixirs for half a month.

  Ma Hong felt a pang of pain in his heart, scratched his head and said: "This junior brother, this...this odds is not too high?"

  "What? Ma Hong, didn't you just say one to one hundred yourself? The fellow disciples next to you all heard it with their own ears. Are you trying to go back on your word?" Lin Dong couldn't help but raise his voice a few notches as he asked back.

  Several disciples of Wudao 5th or 6th rank next to him sneered and said: "Ma Hong, Shixiong (older brother), we all heard it with our own ears just now. You relied on a Wudao 3rd rank junior brother's silver, do you still want face in the future?"

  A row of black lines suddenly appeared on Ma Hong's forehead, but to give his 10,000 taels of silver to this martial arts junior brother who was only at the third realm, how could he bear it?

  Ma Hongdao said, "Nonsense! How could I owe this younger brother of mine? Younger brother, are you giving me 100 taels of silver? In that case, I'll return the 100 taels to you... or should I return 200 taels to you?"

  Seeing the disciples around him casting contemptuous glances, Ma Hong hastily changed his bid to 200 taels, but the contemptuous glances grew even more intense.

  However, compared to 10,000 taels of silver, disdain is just disdain, Ma Hong thought, after all, the other party was only a junior disciple of the third realm of martial arts, relying on not giving it to him, he couldn't find trouble for himself, could he?

  "Lin Dong, my junior brother, what are you doing here? Where's Huang Shi?" Suddenly, a voice came from behind Ma Hong, Ma Hong turned around and was startled, it was Xuan Tian.

  The scene of Xuan Tian's sword energy cutting out and sending Niu Zhi Gao flying off the stage was still lingering in Ma Hong's mind.

  "Could it be that this young junior brother is very familiar with Huang Tian?" A bad premonition suddenly arose in Ma Hong's heart.

  Tianjian Sect, fellow disciples are not ranked by age or year of entry, but rather by their level of cultivation.

  Xuān Tiān entered the sect later than Mǎ Hóng, and was also two years younger. However, his cultivation was higher, so he was Mǎ Hóng's senior brother.

  "Huang Tian Shixiong... I heard that the elite disciples are having a duel, so I came to take a look. Huang Shi Shixiong was injured and couldn't come, this is Ma Hong Shixiong, he..."

  Lin Dong recounted how Ma Guang had just asked someone to place a bet on who would win or lose, and the fact that he owed him 10,000 taels of silver.

  Xuantian listened and his eyes fell on Ma Hong's body, saying: "I'm extremely sorry, Master Ma Hong, I've let you down."

  Although his words were casual, his eyes were cold and clear, making Ma Hong shiver, and he quickly shook his head: "Don't worry, don't worry..."

  Xuantian didn't say a word, but just stared coldly at Ma Hong. Ma Hong's heart was frightened and he suddenly woke up, hastily rummaging through his pocket to pull out a bundle of silver notes, counting out ten of them, each one worth 1,000 taels of silver. He said: "I, Ma Hong, am willing to admit defeat in this gamble. All my fellow disciples know that I, Ma Hong, have the best gambling skills. Brother, here is 10,000 taels of silver notes, please accept it!"

  As he spoke, he handed over a silver ticket worth 10,000 taels to Lin Dong.

  "Thanks, Master Ma." Lin Dong took it without hesitation.

  Looking at the handful of silver notes, they were mostly 100 taels each, but the large 1,000 tael notes were extremely rare, only three left. Ma Hong's heart was bleeding, but on his sorrowful face, he wore a tragic smile: "It should be so, it should be so!"

  Lin Dong received the silver ticket, and Xuan Tian was about to return to their residence with him to check on his cousin Huang Shi's situation when suddenly there was a commotion in the square.

  "Brother Zhang Long!"

  "Brother Zhang Long!"

  ……

  ……

  The cries were incessant.

  The densely packed outer disciples on the square voluntarily retreated to both sides, and even the elite outer disciples above the Seventh Realm of Martial Arts were no exception.

  One of the most prominent figures among the outer disciples, Zhang Long, who was ranked among the top three of all outer disciples, appeared.

  If the inner disciples are like celestial beings to the outer disciples, fundamentally impossible to meet, then among the outer disciples, those who rank in the top ten are like dragons that appear and disappear at will, occasionally visible but never knowable as to their whereabouts.

  Zhang Long, last year's outer door disciple ranking competition, was among the top ten, taking eighth place. This year, all of last year's top five outer door disciples have already entered the Xiantian stage and become inner door disciples. Zhang Long has steadily become one of this year's top three.

  Zhang Long is seventeen years old this year, and his cultivation has already reached the tenth level of martial arts, just one step away from entering the prenatal stage.

  He wore a green robe with dragon patterns embroidered on the collar and sleeves, and now he walked towards me with his head held high, chest out, and an air of confidence.

  Behind Zhang Long were more than a dozen disciples, all of whom were elites among the outer door disciples, with cultivation levels of at least Seventh Realm of Martial Arts, and even some who had reached Eighth Realm or Ninth Realm.

  Wherever Zhang Long passed, the outer disciples on the square voluntarily retreated to both sides, leaving a passage.

  The path that had retreated in both directions soon extended before Xuan Tian.

  Xuantian did not retreat to either side, he knew that Zhang Long's target was himself.

  The unconscious Niú Zhìgāo had already been given the healing medicine by those people earlier, and under Zhang Hǔ's lead, everyone carried Niú Zhìgāo's body over.

  "Big brother, Niu Shixiong was seriously injured by Huang Tian, you must avenge us! Kill Huang Tian and make him disabled!" Seeing Zhang Long, Zhang Hu looked like they saw a savior and immediately shouted out loud.

  Zhang Long was a head shorter than Zhang Hu, but his upper body was straight as a ramrod, with his head held high and chest out. Even when walking, he didn't slouch in the slightest, like an unsheathed sharp sword. In terms of aura, he far surpassed Zhang Hu by a large margin.

  The two men standing together create an optical illusion, making Zhang Long appear taller and Zhang Hu shorter.

  Seeing Niu Zhi Gao lying unconscious, Zhang Long's eyebrows furrowed slightly, forming a '川' shape.

  Zhang Long stopped ten zhang away from Xuan Tian, his eyes gleaming like a knife as he stared at Xuan Tian's face and said, "Huang Tian, you're doing great!"

  Sounds like praise, but the tone is not, making people feel chilled.

  Xuantian's breathing was calm and peaceful, his mood natural, not affected by Zhang Long at all. He said: "Zhang Long Shixiong, aren't you also thinking of challenging me and having a duel with me?"

  Xuantian can now release his sword energy externally and is almost equivalent to a martial artist of the 8th rank, but in reality, he still falls short. After all, Xuantian has only cultivated middle-grade yellow-tier techniques. Once he successfully cultivates the top-grade yellow-tier Primordial Skill, Leopard Shadow Technique, and Absolute Shadow Swordsmanship, even martial artists of the 8th rank may not be his match.

  But Zhang Long had a cultivation of the tenth level of martial arts, and he had already reached the pinnacle of martial arts. He was only one step away from entering the Xiantian realm, and at this moment, Xuantian was temporarily unable to match him.

  "In Zhang Long's eyes, a hint of disdain appeared, and he said: 'You think you're qualified? You're not even worthy!'"

  Xuantian knew that Zhang Long actually wanted to get on the ring with him and have a fair fight, but he also wanted to give Zhang Long a good beating.

  It's just that the timing isn't right now, but at this moment, the small white jade sword in his brow, caused Xuan Tian's cultivation to continuously increase by two realms, and his strength also explosively increased. Xuan Tian was extremely confident, as long as he was given time, defeating Zhang Long wouldn't be a problem at all, and what's more, it wouldn't take too much time.

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  This week's results exceeded Chocolate's expectations, brothers are too powerful, continue to ask for recommendation votes, let's rush higher, the miracle is in your hands, what are you waiting for????