Chapter 171: Chapter 130: Incarnation of the Third Realm
Chen Ku committed this matter to memory.
Nine-Colored Deer...
After collecting the bounty for the Demon People of Peace Path, Chen Ku returned to Medicine King Hall.
"I pay my respects to Master," Chen Ku said upon arriving at Yang Luochen’s courtyard, respectfully offering a cup of tea.
When Yang Luochen saw Chen Ku, he initially wanted to blow his beard and stare, ready to scold him for not having started his duties even though his leave was over. Then he noticed the change in Chen Ku’s eyes.
The tea he had just sipped nearly sprayed out. "You, you lad... That look in your eyes? Have you entered the Mystic Barrier?"
"I was just about to explain to Master. It was during this New Year’s that, by a fortunate coincidence, I managed to make a breakthrough. I did so without Master’s protection, boldly trying on my own, so I’ve come to confess my wrongdoing," Chen Ku said, pre-emptively acknowledging his error, afraid of being scolded.
"Freak! A freak!"
Yang Luochen took a deep breath. "With your speed of cultivation, you can be considered the foremost among your peers."
As he spoke, many thoughts raced through his mind. In the past, perhaps it was only the old geezers in Medicine King Hall who were envious and wanted to snatch this disciple from him... But now, if news of this disciple’s cultivation speed were to spread, I’m afraid even people from Qiu Dragon Mansion would come to take a look. No, I must keep this tightly under wraps.
It was not that Yang Luochen wanted to suppress Chen Ku’s future opportunities, but he couldn’t allow Chen Ku to be casually coveted by others. He had seen clearly that, with this disciple’s potential, Baojiao County wouldn’t be enough to contain him.
Considering such cultivation speed and talent, it wouldn’t be a problem for him to surpass me and step into the Sixth Realm eventually. Therefore, I can at most serve as Chen Ku’s master before the Five Realms. If Chen Ku has the potential to go beyond the Five Realms, then finding a master even more formidable than me in the future is a necessity.
So, upon realizing this, Yang Luochen felt that Chen Ku couldn’t just pick any subsequent master. After all, his current master, I, Yang Luochen, am a figure contending for the top spot in Baojiao County. In the future, he will need a master from Qiu Dragon Mansion. Could he settle for someone less skilled than me? No way. At the very least, it would have to be a top-five expert from Qiu Dragon Mansion. Speaking of which, isn’t Grandmaster Jin Chui, Qin Yuxian, rumored to be coming to Baojiao County? If this Grandmaster took an interest in my disciple, I would be absolutely willing. Grandmaster Jin Chui, Qin Yuxian, is highly respected, possesses world-surpassing Martial Arts, is the President of the Qiu Dragon Martial Meeting, and has earth-shattering Qi Power. If Chen Ku truly needs a master beyond the Five Realms, this man is the most suitable.
While Yang Luochen was mulling over these thoughts, Chen Ku took the opportunity to ask about a problem he had noticed during his breakthrough. "It concerns my digestive system..."
"Hmm, are you saying that when you were breaking through to the Mystic Barrier, you felt some damage in your digestive system?" Yang Luochen asked. "Could it be that at the Life Gate level, you already received a spiritual gift, allowing you to have internal insight? This, this..."
Yang Luochen was astounded. Internal insight was an ability that typically came only after one opened the Mystic Gate.
Feigning ignorance, Chen Ku said, "This disciple is also unclear, so I’m seeking guidance from Master."
Yang Luochen muttered to himself, "A genius... can it really not be explained by common sense?"
He thought it over but couldn’t understand it, nor had he ever encountered such a thing. He could only conclude that if it exists, it must be reasonable; a genius truly is unimaginable.
He then put aside his astonishment to seriously consider Chen Ku’s problem, and his eyes began to sparkle. "Although I don’t know how you managed it, since you can achieve internal insight at the Life Gate level and perceive the minute injuries within your body, repairing these injuries in advance would be extremely beneficial. It would allow you to lay a much more solid foundation than others. As your master, I do have a method that can help you repair these hidden injuries prematurely. It’s a Third Realm Pill Prescription called the ’Health Restoring Liquid Pill’. The medicinal ingredients are all obtainable, but the true difficulty lies in the alchemy..."
"This disciple can refine the pill himself," Chen Ku quickly interjected.
Yang Luochen nodded. "That’s why I’m passing on the Pill Prescription to you. You’ll need to take the Health Restoring Liquid Pill every day. Although Medicine King Hall has this pill, we don’t have enough for your daily use. It’s best if you refine it yourself."
He was well aware of Chen Ku’s extraordinary talent in alchemy, which is why he chose to ’teach him how to fish’ by directly giving the Pill Prescription to Chen Ku.
A short while later, Chen Ku received the Third Realm Pill Prescription. After bowing respectfully to his master, he left the small courtyard, Pill Prescription in hand.
He muttered inwardly: A Third Realm Pill Prescription, huh? I’ll need to upgrade the Fire Beak Pot to a Third Realm Magical Treasure to have complete confidence in successfully refining it.
Meanwhile, as Chen Ku busied himself with alchemy in Jinshi Academy, the intelligence report about the Demon People of Peace Path, which he had submitted to the Grey Clothes Tower, landed on the desk of the County Magistrate in the Baojiao County Yamen.
County Lieutenant Ma sat before his desk, looking at the delivered report, his brow twitching slightly. It’s that Er Lang again, he thought. His gaze fixed on the details: "Alone, he killed two from the Mystic Barrier Realm and twelve with Inner Qi. This Er Lang... could he be a Third Realm Blade-Handler?"
"A Third Realm Blade-Handler?"
In the main hall of the county government office was Wang Yixian, Baojiao County’s sixth-ranked expert, also known as "Sharp Blade" and the Blade King. He was the renowned constable responsible for investigating the case of the City God Temple’s missing Golden Body.
He raised an eyebrow and said, "There are indeed quite a few Blade-Handlers in Baojiao County, hundreds of them, but those who have reached the Third Realm can be counted on one hand. This Er Lang... I estimated he was only at the Mystic Barrier Realm before the New Year. Yet, after the New Year... he accomplished something only someone at the Jade Skin Realm should be capable of. Such combat prowess... if he wasn’t concealing his strength from the beginning, could it be... he broke through in just a few months?"
"Before the New Year, you said this ’Er Lang’ could be ranked thirty-fifth on the Blade-Handler List. Now what..." County Lieutenant Ma raised an eyebrow.