Am I the old man who's always by my apprentices' side?

Chapter 25 Sword Forging Villa
There is indeed a difference in quality between items with spirits and ordinary items.

Zhang Chengdao couldn't help but recall that during dinner last night, the spiritual energy in the lean meat soup was indeed present, though minimal.

Moreover, the "spirit" aspect doesn't just enhance the taste; it also improves the physical body, which translates to an increase in "physical experience" from the nutritional value of food in the game. Venison, on the other hand, is just ordinary venison, so its nutritional value is negligible.

For example, the ordinary "lean meat soup" has a nutritional value of only 0 according to the description, while the "lean meat soup" made with animal meat obtained from member red envelopes has a nutritional value of 10!

From this perspective, if one wants to completely overwhelm this martial arts cultivation world with the cultivation system, one needs to be as self-sufficient as possible by using items from the shop!

It seems we need to build more farmland.

……

Inside the main hall of the Sword Casting Manor.

The old manor lord, who had been in seclusion for many years, sat high in the main seat, his eyes half-closed, as if he were taking a nap.

The armchairs on either side were filled with people; it turned out that all the lords and elders of the Sword Forging Manor had gathered.

"I don't believe there really are any gods or immortals in this world!"

The most hot-tempered of the law enforcement elders rolled their eyes so hard they almost reached the sky, completely disapproving of what Wan Qizhongqiu had said.

"It must be... a demonic art..."

Wrapped in a thick fur coat, Du Jingshan, who could only sit upright in his chair with the support of his disciples, gasped for breath as he spoke, "My cultivation, even if it's far inferior to... far inferior to the old master, is still... worthy of being called a master. That kid... clearly... had his true qi meridians severed long ago, how... could he... absorb all the true qi in my body with a single palm strike..."

Having lost all his martial arts skills, Du Jingshan had stepped down from his position as sect leader. The old master, grateful for his many years of service, still retained the respectful title of "elder" for him.

The elder in charge of law enforcement didn't disbelieve Du Jingshan's words. Although he and Du Jingshan didn't get along, there was no way to fake such a thing. Besides, it was said that it happened in full view of many people, so it was even less likely to be a lie.

But he still couldn't imagine it, and frowned, saying, "I've never heard of such a technique in the martial arts world, one that can absorb people's true energy? Wouldn't he be able to absorb the true energy of anyone he sees, and if he absorbs enough, he'll become a Venerable or a Grandmaster?"

Wan Qizhongqiu stroked his beard and shook his head, saying, "No, I saw it clearly at the time. Chang Ping'an didn't have a single bit of true qi in his body, and he hadn't even cultivated any qi. I don't know where the true qi he absorbed went."

"This……"

This has truly entered a blind spot for everyone.

Inside the hall, everyone looked at each other, unable to make sense of what Wanqi Zhongqiu had said.

The elder in charge of law enforcement was the first to break the silence: "No matter what, Elder Du has been harmed like this, and our Sword Forging Manor cannot just stand by and do nothing!"

"We can only send a letter to Yaowang Valley to inquire and see if there is any way. As for Chang Ping'an... sigh, that kid is also unlucky. Although he was ruthless, it was Jing Shan who launched the sneak attack first."

As Wan Qizhongqiu spoke, he sighed and shook his head, looking utterly helpless.

Upon hearing this, a female elder who had remained silent beside Wanqi Zhongqiu let out a barely perceptible whistle from her nose. Like the old manor lord, she closed her eyes to rest, seemingly lost in thought.

Du Jingshan was so angry that his hands were trembling. He tried to explain, "I just... just wanted to teach him a lesson. My apprentice was killed by him... I can't just sit by and do nothing!"

The elder in charge of law enforcement also exclaimed, "Even if Elder Du acted rashly and his methods were not entirely honorable, he still shouldn't have resorted to such ruthlessness! This is just too...too much!"

Hearing this, Du Jingshan became even angrier, but he didn't dare to mock him back as he used to. He was so angry that he was panting heavily, as if his lungs were about to burst. Wan Qizhongqiu sighed again, "Alas, it's also because we haven't disciplined them properly. Someone like Xie Yan, who bullies his fellow disciples and harms the innocent, has emerged. The atmosphere in the manor really needs to be rectified!"

Just then, a voice announced something from outside the hall—

"Reporting—Reporting to the Master, this disciple has obtained some information from Flying Fox County and even managed to bring back some...spirit wheat, which is said to be made by Chang Ping'an's master!"

The announcement was imbued with true energy, so loud that it echoed throughout the hall. The old manor lord seemed to be startled awake, sitting up abruptly. He beckoned and mumbled, "It's Zhang'er. Come in quickly, come in quickly..."

Wan Qizhang then hurriedly entered the hall. He gave a slight bow to the crowd as a greeting, then carefully took out a wooden box from his robes, knelt on one knee before the old manor lord, and presented it with both hands raised high:

"This stuff is called Spirit Wheat. It looks similar to ordinary wheat, but it's actually celestial wheat. This morning, Chang Ping'an brought it to Feihu County to sell to Liu Dahu. Liu Dahu also said that eating this celestial wheat can strengthen the body, prolong life, and also prevent all diseases and poisons. However, it is most effective the first time you eat it. After that, there is no obvious difference."

The old manor owner slowly picked up the wooden box, opened the lid, and immediately the room was filled with the aroma of wheat, a smell that was indeed unlike that of ordinary wheat.

As the old manor lord picked up the wooden box and examined the spirit wheat inside, Wan Qizhang stood up and added, "I also learned that Chang Ping'an's master is a white-haired immortal, dressed in luxurious clothes, with white hair and a youthful face, and he doesn't even grow a beard. Moreover, many people claim to have witnessed that immortal's 'universe within a sleeve' and 'mustard seed concealment' techniques. Not only can he easily store thousands of pounds of things in his sleeve, but he can also travel a thousand miles a day and ride the clouds. In short, from what they've said, he's no ordinary person!"

The elder in charge of law enforcement was the first to lose his temper, flicking his sleeve and exclaiming, "Absurd! How could there be such a person in the world?!"

Wan Qizhang, however, inexplicably insisted, "He is an immortal, not a human! Besides, didn't Master say that besides the Four Grandmasters, there are many reclusive masters in this world? Perhaps this one is one?"

The elder in charge of law enforcement's face was contorted in disbelief, still unable to comprehend these words: "But young master, what you're saying is utterly absurd!"

Wan Qizhongqiu retorted, "If I hadn't witnessed it with my own eyes yesterday, I wouldn't have believed it either. How could someone with no cultivation kill Xie Yan, who had an eighth-rank cultivation, with a single sword strike? That would be absurd! But I truly saw it!"

The enforcement elder was still not giving up. He bypassed Wan Qizhongqiu and pressed the female elder beside him for an answer: "Elder Bai, among those present, apart from the old manor lord, you have the highest cultivation level. What is your opinion on this matter?"

This female elder was the owner of Hidden Sword Garden, the first wife of Wanqi Zhongqiu, and also a guest elder of Sword Casting Manor. Her name was Bai Henshui.

Her cultivation was extremely high; like the old manor lord, she was a third-rank Venerable. Although she was over sixty, she was full of energy, and her black hair made her look only forty or fifty years old.

"I am only at the third rank of cultivation, and I haven't even reached the threshold of Grandmaster, so I can't say anything. But if I have to think about it, if those rumors in Flying Fox County are true, then at least a Grandmaster's cultivation level can't do things like hiding things in a sleeve or a mustard seed, let alone fly through the clouds."

"That……"

Before the elder could say anything more, a violent gust of wind suddenly appeared in the hall. Then, everyone realized that, without anyone noticing, the old manor lord was emanating an extremely exaggerated blue aura, a manifestation of his true energy being released outwards.

Even more shockingly, the layer of protective energy grew stronger and stronger, bringing with it increasingly violent winds. Large patches of frost even formed on the floor inside the hall, and despite the bright sunshine, the hall suddenly became so cold that people shivered!

"what happened?"

"Master?"

"What happened to the old manor lord?"

An uproar erupted in the hall, and everyone became anxious, asking each other questions.

Only Bai Henshui stared intently at the old manor lord's aura for a while, and finally exclaimed in surprise: "The manor lord... he's about to break through!"

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(End of this chapter)