“Cough, cough...”
Lu Ming had just arrived at the site of the explosion when he saw a woman clad in a black robe walking out of the room marked as the Second Elder's residence.
Her hair, singed and curled from the blast, was a messy heap that resembled a chicken's nest.
Her entire face was so blackened by soot that her features were indistinguishable, but her eyes were bright and sparkling; she was likely quite beautiful.
Lu Ming couldn't help but mutter to himself. This had to be the sect's Second Elder.
He looked at the room behind her, which was still billowing black smoke, and then back at the Second Elder.
Had she failed at making a bomb?
“Cough, cough...”
Coughing, the Second Elder casually wiped her face. Feeling the soot on her hands, she cursed:
“Damn it, this old lady doesn't believe she can't refine it...”
Suddenly, she whipped her head up to look at Lu Ming and the others, a sharp, fierce aura instantly erupting from her:
“Who are you?”
By now, Big Yellow and Huang Tianbao had also rushed over.
Seeing that the Qingshan Sect hadn't been wiped out, they all breathed a sigh of relief.
Feeling the pressure bearing down on them, Lu Ming and the others quickly cupped their hands in a respectful bow:
“Greetings, Second Elder. We are disciples of our Qingshan Sect.”
“Woof!!”
Big Yellow also raised its front paws into the air and gave a polite bow.
“What? That mute fellow actually managed to recruit disciples?”
The Second Elder's shocked voice rang out.
Lu Ming and Huang Tianbao's lips twitched. It seemed their joining of the Qingshan Sect really was a pure accident.
“All of you, turn around.”
Just then, the Second Elder's sudden, bristling shout startled them.
Lu Ming and the others blinked in confusion, not understanding what was happening now.
But they didn't dare to ask questions and quickly turned around.
“You can turn back now!”
A moment later, the Second Elder's voice sounded. Lu Ming turned back with a look of curiosity.
Instantly, Lu Ming's breath caught in his throat. The Second Elder had undergone a complete transformation.
She was now wearing a bright crimson dress that tightly hugged her voluptuous, well-curved figure.
She had a radiant, oval face with slightly upturned eyes and lips as red as fire.
Her hair had changed from a chicken's nest into a high, elegant bun, highlighting her snow-white skin.
She looked like an entirely different person compared to moments ago. It was quite the contrast—going from a soot-covered mess to a stunning beauty.
Just then, the Second Elder stared at Lu Ming with her beautiful eyes, her red lips parting slightly:
“Forget what you just saw. This is the first impression this elder is giving you. Understood?”
Lu Ming was stunned. Does that even work?
Huang Tianbao also stood to the side, utterly dazed.
“Did you hear me? Believe it or not, this old lady will beat you up...”
While Lu Ming was still dazed, the Second Elder roared, rolling up her sleeves as if she were about to start swinging.
“Ah? Oh! Yes, of course...”
“Sure, sure...”
Scared out of their wits, Lu Ming and Huang Tianbao nodded repeatedly in agreement.
They were terrified that if they were a second too slow, they would get a beating.
Just then, the Second Elder glared at Big Yellow:
“Little doggy, are you unwilling?”
“Woof, woof...”
Shivering from head to toe, Big Yellow quickly nodded in agreement.
Oh my god, she's terrifying. This is even more frightening to a dog than how she looked before.
The Second Elder only then nodded in satisfaction:
“I am the sect's Second Elder, Huo Furong. Cultivate diligently from now on. Whether you have something to do or not, do not disturb my alchemy.”
“Yes.”
“Woof.”
Lu Ming and the others complied helplessly, feeling rather speechless.
The Grand Elder had told them not to look for him whether they had business or not, and the Second Elder forbade them from disturbing her.
The Third Elder didn't speak. Who were they supposed to go to if they actually had an issue?
Only the Sect Leader remained unseen, and they had no idea what he was like.
“Go on with your business.”
The moment she finished speaking, Huo Furong turned around and went back into her room.
The door slammed shut with a loud bang.
“Senior Brother, what do we do now?”
Huang Tianbao blinked, staring at the closed door.
Big Yellow wagged its tail, looking up at Lu Ming.
Lu Ming let out a deep sigh: “Sigh... what a bitter life!”
Huang Tianbao and Big Yellow nodded in agreement.
Just then, the boy and the dog heard a stifled chuckle.
Looking up, they saw Lu Ming grinning excitedly, trying his best to hold back his laughter.
“Haha... come on, let's go to the Technique Pavilion to collect our techniques and the Weapon Vault to get our weapons.”
Lu Ming was overjoyed. Since no one was supervising them, didn't that mean they could take whatever they wanted?
Big Yellow and Huang Tianbao exchanged a look, clearly having reached the same realization.
“Hehehe...”
“Woof, woof!!”
Soon, the two boys and the dog crept stealthily toward the Technique Pavilion.
But when they gleefully pushed open the doors of the Technique Pavilion, they froze in their tracks.
“Eldest Senior Brother, what's going on?”
The room was completely empty.
Forget about cultivation manuals; there wasn't even a single table.
Lu Ming instinctively looked up at the plaque above.
It indeed read “Technique Pavilion.”
Was the sect so poor that it didn't even possess a single manual?
But then Lu Ming shook his head. That couldn't be right. The Grand Elder and the others all possessed high cultivations.
Even if they had to write them by hand, they should at least have one!
“Let's go inside and take a look. It can't possibly be just an empty shell.”
With that, Lu Ming stepped inside.
Boom...
Lu Ming felt a wave of dizziness wash over him. By the time he recovered, he found himself standing in a unique space.
Instantly, he was rooted to the spot by the sight before him.
A massive chamber unfolded before his eyes.
Rows of shelves were neatly arranged, categorized with hanging labels.
Well, there were very few cultivation manuals, and most of the shelves were completely bare.
“Woof!!”
“Eldest Senior Brother?”
Just then, Big Yellow and Huang Tianbao followed him in.
Both of them stared at the scene in absolute shock.
“Eldest Senior Brother, is this really our sect's Technique Pavilion? It doesn't match the dirt-poor look of the outside at all!”
Huang Tianbao swallowed hard and said.
“Yeah. It looks like our Qingshan Sect is a place with a history. Our ancestors must have been wealthy, but who knows which spendthrift ruined the family fortune and brought it to this state.”
Lu Ming sighed in admiration. The Technique Pavilion was clearly extraordinary.
Big Yellow and Huang Tianbao nodded in agreement.
“Alright, pick your cultivation manuals and techniques. Choose whatever you like.”
Afterward, the two boys and the dog began making their selections.
But upon closer inspection, they were left speechless. All the techniques here were of the lowest grade.
However, Lu Ming didn't immediately make a choice. Instead, he began wandering aimlessly around the Technique Pavilion.
According to the laws of protagonists, he needed to search the dusty corners and hidden crevices to see if there were any incomplete, damaged, or unwanted manuals.
Usually, those turned out to be peerless divine techniques that made the user invincible among peers once cultivated. He wanted to try his luck at finding such a hidden gem...
But after wandering around for several laps, checking every corner and gap between the shelves, Lu Ming found absolutely nothing.
Helpless, Lu Ming could only pick up the Basic Qi Refining Manual from the shelf, pressing it against his forehead to activate it.
He wanted to see how this technique differed from the one he cultivated.
A moment later, Lu Ming set the jade slip down with a strange expression.
Next, he picked up another manual labeled “Qingshan Manual.”
This was the signature technique of the Qingshan Sect, which anyone could cultivate.
After reading it, Lu Ming picked up another jade slip, scanning several of them in quick succession.
He wanted to read more, but found there were no others left.
Damn it, why is this so different from mine?
Lu Ming couldn't help but frown and mutter to himself.
Although each technique was unique, they were generally consistent.
All of them involved absorbing spiritual energy, channeling it through the meridians, and storing it in the dantian.
But the problem was, why did he have a vortex inside his dantian?
And what level of the Qi Refining stage was he currently at?
It didn't match the descriptions in these manuals at all.
The manuals stated that Levels 1 to 3 (early stage) involved drawing qi into the body, shaping spiritual energy into threads, slightly strengthening the physical body, and initially opening the dantian...
But when he had first started cultivating, a vortex had formed immediately. Where were the threads?
What threads?
Instantly, Lu Ming decided to stick to his own method of cultivation.
A vortex was bound to be far more powerful than mere threads...
Furthermore, according to the standards described in these manuals, his current cultivation had already surpassed the great perfection of the Qi Refining stage.
Didn't that mean he was about to achieve Foundation Establishment?
Thinking about how formidable he had actually become, Lu Ming couldn't help but smirk.
I really am the protagonist!
Afterward, following the instructions next to the bookshelf, Lu Ming made a copy of every single technique. Who knew when they might come in handy?
Although the rules stated that each person could only choose one, there was no one around to supervise them. He could do whatever he pleased...
It would be foolish not to take advantage of a free bargain.
Rate on N.U.
