Chapter 31: Chapter 30: Fourth-grade
Translator: 549690339
The seemingly simple array of porcelain bottles wasn’t cheap at all; it was almost equivalent to what a seventh-grade Martial Artist could earn from years of restless work.
Pei Xuanjing’s home of Everlasting Observance wasn’t poor, but it all depends on who you compare it with.
In his small border county, he was wealthy, but in Anping Prefecture, compared to the few large forces, he was genuinely poor.
Although he had been there for a while, he had been continually practicing in solitude, without much time to earn money.
But sometimes, as the saying goes, ‘Without windfall, one cannot get rich; without nights of grass, a horse cannot get fat.’
Although he didn’t personally earn money, firstly, Shen Xiang’s scheme not only left him with money to buy Cultivation Method Manuals but also brought him a substantial apology gift.
In addition to his action on that night, despite not gaining the Cultivation Method Manuals, what he got from the Martial Artists of the Liu family and Shen’s Business Association, especially the wealth he gained from Shen Xiang and Liu Chengshi’s influential figures, enabled him to accumulate such wealth. Also, he inferred the sixth stage of the “Four Spirits Skill” from the situation.
Sometimes Pei Xuaniinz couldn’t helD but sigh, “Shen’s Business Association and Liu familv are trulv my lucky stars. What I lack, they provide. ”
Now, all of them transformed into the foundation for Pei Xuanjing’s breakthrough, swallowed into his abdomen and transformed into True Qi, assisting him in breaking through his realm.
The time persisted for six two-hour periods. When Pei Xuanjing consumed the Qi-replenishing elixirs from the porcelain bottles down to only two, he finally completed the breakthrough.
His five internal organs and six bodily systems united in harmony, his respiration continuous and profound. The True Qi within his body slowly sifted into his bone marrow. The marrow within the large gaps of his bones gradually strengthened and began to reciprocally nourish his skeleton.
Once Pei Xuanjing finishes strengthening his bone marrow with True Qi, externally refining his muscles, bones, and skin, and internally refining his internal organs, marrow and completing all enhancements, one punch or one palm would follow with a synchronous boom of muscle and bone, similar to a tiger or leopard’s roar. This is the Great Completion Realm.
By that time, he could attempt to shed his mortal body and enter the Upper Three Realms.
This breakthrough was not only a further improvement of his strength but also a moment of transformation for Pei Xuanjing’s mindset.
“From today onwards, I can be considered as one of the major players in Anping Prefecture.” He thought to himself.
A fourth-grade Martial Artist was already viewed as standing at the apex of personal martial power in Anping Prefecture. As long as he wasn’t ambushed and besieged, he could come and go freely without fearing for his life.
Of course, this breakthrough into the fourth-grade realm had its pros and cons.
Exactly as he had anticipated, with each rise in his power, the subsequent expenditure of Dao-rhyme values for each initiation of the secret simulation also increased accordingly.
Now, if he wanted to perform secret simulation, the Dao-rhyme value he needed to consume had become 10000 points. This meant his original remaining two opportunities of secret simulation had become one.
To gain something, you have to lose something. Although Pei Xuanjing felt regretful, he did not regret it.
For the next few days, he slowly calmed his True Qi which had grown due to the breakthrough, also gradually getting used to the realm of a fourth-grade Martial Artist, striving to exert his corresponding strength as soon as possible.
Half a month later, his vitality recovered its former peak, and he once again initiated a secret simulation.
[Dao-rhyme: 14313 points.]
[Do you want to use the Secret Simulation? Each use consumes 10000 Dao-rhyme points.]
This time, Pei Xuanjing selected ‘yes’ without any hesitation.
[The Great Tao consists of fifty, Heaven illustrates forty-nine and omits one! Thus, all things in the world carry a thread of life!]
At twenty: A forbidden place in the blessed land opens, you enter it… you successfully snatch the oddities from the forbidden place in the blessed land.
At twenty-one: The local ruler presents the oddity and gives you a chance to gain promotion. He then invites you to depart with him, to which you gladly agree.
At twenty-five: Half a month later, under the host of the local governor, the Northwest Dao holds a martial arts competition. However, after you display the strength of a fourth-grade Martial Artist, the local governor specially exempted you from the following competition, directly awarding you the final quota.
One month later, you, along with others recommended by the local governor, head towards Tiandu to participate in the Discerning Talent Ceremony of Tiandu.
At twenty-six: Due to your excellent performance at the Discerning Talent Ceremony in Tiandu along with your Daoist knowledge of the Taoist canon, you caught the eye of King Xing residing in Tiandu. He invited you to his mansion to be a guest lecturer, accompanying him back to his fief.
At twenty-nine: You learn of an uprising in Northwest Dao, and Gu Ji, the local ruler, failed to quell the rebellion. Although he escaped with his life, he was demoted and sent to Yunzhou. Upon hearing your plea, King Xing intervened, saving Gu Ji. He came to reside in the Xing King Mansion as an instructor instead.
At thirty: You attempt to break through to the third-grade realm but failed. With the help of spiritual medicine provided by King Xing, you recover from your injuries.
An elder of the Xing King Mansion advised you, pointing out your impatience and inadequate comprehension of mind-states, suggesting you need more cultivation.
A month later, you leave Xing King Mansion to travel the world, understanding the laws of nature and honing your mind.
At thirty-one: King Xing passes away, and his heir ascends to the throne. You make a trip back to the Xing King Mansion for King Xing’s funeral. A month later, you leave again.
In the next two years, you travel around, upholding justice, and earn quite a reputation.
At thirty-three: As the emperor lacks an heir, he, at his deathbed, decrees using The “Imperial Ming Ancestry Teachings” that King Xing, who is currently mourning and showing filial duty, is the heir to the throne. Five days later, the emperor dies.
Seven days later, the imperial court sends an imperial envoy to the fief to read the decree.
Upon hearing about King Xing assuming the throne, you, to protect King Xing, end your travels and plan to meet with King Xing, who is returning to Tiandu.
On the way, you encounter a mysterious person blocking your path, talks break down and you forcefully make a move. To your surprise, the opponent is a third-grade Martial Artist, and you are killed on the spot.
[This life ends.]
“As expected. Some people don’t want to see King Xing ascend to the throne.” Pei Xuanjing thought.
The Great Ming imperial family of this world is different from his original world, although there had been power struggles, although each Fief King and Royal Relative’s power had been weakened somewhat, due to the vast territory of the Great Ming dynasty, the emperor still needed them to guard every corner. Hence, the Fief Kings and Royal Relatives wielded substantial power and could intervene in local affairs.
So, when the emperor dies without an heir, some imperial relatives may not want to see King Xing ascend to the throne. How could they not want to support people close to them, or even themselves, to ascend to the throne?
Seeing that he would be attacked and killed even if he didn’t return to Tiandu with King Xing’s convoy, Pei Xuanjing was already clear that ‘unless I have no connection with King Xing and his line, those people will certainly make a move on me to avoid accidents when the time comes.’
‘The struggle for the throne really is full of bloodshed and killing.’
Pei Xuanjing gained a clearer understanding of the struggle for the throne once again, which was even more bloody than the struggle between the Martial Artists..