Begin your practice with the crane-shaped stance.

Chapter 95 Armory

Zhao Ting suppressed his amazement at Xia Dong's progress in martial arts and his expression turned serious: "Xueyi, if there are no other important matters, let's set off for the prefectural city immediately and pay our respects to Lord Qian."

Xia Dong nodded slightly.

He didn't have much luggage to begin with, so after a quick packing, he rode out of the city with Zhao Ting.

These are the black dragon horses recently assigned by the imperial court to the lower-ranking officials of the Eagle Wolf Guard in Lin Yuan Prefecture. They have the bloodline of demonic beasts, can gallop on land, can also fly at low altitudes, and have a certain combat capability.

It must be said that in recent years, the Great You Dynasty has been releasing more and more treasures, supposedly because it has discovered a relatively complete ancient immortal site and reaped great rewards.

The two riders galloped side by side on the official road.

Linyuan Prefecture City is the seat of Tianshui Province and the heart of the entire province.

Not only is the commerce thriving, but the spiritual energy within the land also far surpasses that of the counties under its jurisdiction.

On the way, Zhao Ting's lips moved slightly, and he used his secret telepathic ability to reveal the truth to Xia Dong.

At present, the Great You Dynasty is expanding the power of the Eagle Wolf Guard in Lin Yuan Prefecture. The prefectural city's thousand-household garrison is likely to be upgraded to the "Guard Garrison Command" that governs the entire Tianshui Province in the future.

In officialdom, it has always been a case of "when one person attains power, all their relatives and friends benefit." Once someone is promoted, everyone in the government office will benefit.

The current commander of a thousand households will most likely be promoted to "Guardian General" without any problem.

Reaching this rank meant truly entering the central government and possessing the power to submit secret memorials to the emperor.

Once a senior commander is promoted, the vacant position of senior commander naturally becomes a coveted prize for all parties. The "commander Qian" that Zhao Ting is taking Xia Dong to visit is actually the deputy commander of the garrison, and a strong contender for the senior commander position.

This Lord Qian not only wielded real power, but was also a genuine early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, and Zhao Ting's biggest backer in the Eagle Wolf Guard.

Previously, Zhao Ting was able to erase the "trial" title from his name and secure his position as a centurion by killing the Wusheng Sect demons. Xia Dong's relinquished credit was certainly the catalyst, but the decisive factor in the turbulent Qianhu Office was entirely due to the strong support of Lord Qian above.

"However, the upgrading of the garrison is no small matter. The imperial court is very strict in its control, and there are two hurdles that must be overcome." Zhao Ting faced the strong wind with a solemn expression. "First, we must completely quell the trouble caused by the Wusheng Sect in Tianshui Province; second, we must find a way to weaken the control of local sects such as the Qixia Immortal Sect over the region."

Xia Dong's eyes flashed slightly, instantly hitting the nail on the head: "Brother Zhao, the imperial court wants to weaken the Immortal Sect, but its method is to recruit Immortal Sect disciples into the Eagle Wolf Guard on a large scale. Do you think the higher-ups can't see through this hidden danger of inviting wolves into the house?"

Zhao Ting turned to look at him, his eyes showing appreciation, and gestured for him to continue.

"Disciples of sects are indebted to their masters from a young age, sharing a common bond. Once they don the official robes of the Eagle Wolf Guard, they naturally band together within the government, forming exclusive sect factions." Xia Dong continued, "On the surface, it seems the imperial court has weakened the Immortal Sect; but conversely, isn't it also the Immortal Sect reaching into the hilt of the imperial court's sword?"

"That hits the nail on the head." Zhao Ting sighed, his expression gloomy. "This is precisely the biggest constraint that Lord Qian is currently facing."

Those colleagues in the government office who came from immortal sects, relying on the backing of powerful immortal cultivators, often obeyed orders but not direct commands, making them somewhat unreliable.

The two had previously discussed factional infighting within the garrison when they were in Pingyang County, but now that they were about to meet with Deputy Commander Qian, Zhao Ting decided to analyze the situation even more thoroughly.

"Therefore, this time, the destruction of the Wusheng Sect stronghold at the Crimson Fire Mine is not just a matter of killing a few demons." Zhao Ting's voice lowered. "The Qixia Immortal Sect is led by Master Guyue himself, and the Thousand Households are also sending out members from all factions. Lord Qian needs this solid military merit to compete for the position of the official Thousand Households, and we are the cards he holds. Xueyi, this trip is very complicated. Once we reach the prefectural city, you and I, brothers, must act with utmost caution."

Xia Dong nodded slightly, carefully memorizing all these intricate details of the situation.

He has now reached the Transcendent Realm in martial arts, and has even condensed his martial arts intent, making him far more confident than before.

As long as we continue to keep the core secrets of "alchemists" hidden and do not easily resort to the methods of cultivators, ordinary minor troubles are nothing to worry about.

As for the situation analysis he had with Zhao Ting on horseback earlier, it seemed like casual conversation, but in reality, it was a reminder to Zhao Ting not to drag the two of them into a mess set up by others just because he was greedy for credit.

After a rapid journey, the two arrived safely in Lin Yuan Prefecture.

Long have passed since the fire that destroyed the Qin Mansion last year, and the ruins have long been cleared and rebuilt. The city is still bustling with activity, even more prosperous and noisy than before.

Zhao Ting did not take Xia Dong to the Thousand Household Office, but went straight to Lord Qian's private residence in the south of the city.

As soon as Xia Dong stepped through the vermilion gate, he keenly sensed something was amiss.

This is not a private residence at all; it is clearly a garden with profound cultural heritage.

What's even more alarming is that a highly skilled person had clearly used an array to bring a spiritual vein of extremely high quality to the ground beneath the garden.

Amidst the artificial hills and flowing water, a spiritual atmosphere permeates the air. Taking a deep breath brings a sense of comfort and ease, and the concentration of spiritual energy is even more concentrated than that of the cave in the deep mountains of Tiger Hill during the summer and winter.

"This is the true demeanor of a great cultivator," Xia Dong thought to himself, feeling a pang of envy.

However, this glimmer of envy was fleeting.

He was extremely confident. As long as the preparations were done properly and the "Spirit-Attracting Pill" was successfully refined, the effect of his secluded cultivation would be no worse than that of this garden, and might even be better, thanks to the miniature spiritual caves that were forcibly gathered by the power of the pill.

After passing through the corridor, the two met the powerful Deputy Commander Qian in the inner hall.

To Xia Dong's surprise, this early Foundation Establishment cultivator did not have that arrogant and domineering aura. Instead, he was a chubby man with a ruddy complexion and a kind and approachable demeanor.

After hearing Zhao Ting's introduction, Lord Qian looked at Xia Dong with a smile.

When he personally examined and confirmed the immense, furnace-like Transcendent Realm Qi and Blood within Xia Dong's body, the smile in his eyes instantly became several times more genuine.

"A Transcendent Realm cultivator at less than thirty years old—excellent, excellent!" Lord Qian clapped his hands in satisfaction. "Heroes have always emerged from among the young. With Xueyi's talent, it's a waste for her to stay in Pingyang County."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Lord Qian picked up his teacup and casually remarked, "Once the Wusheng Sect incident at the Crimson Fire Mine has completely subsided, the Weizhenfu Division will organize an internal martial arts competition. If Xueyi has the time, I can recommend you to compete for a place."

Xia Dong has always kept a low profile and had no interest in such a high-profile competition. Just as he was about to find an excuse to decline, he heard Master Qian slowly add: "I heard that the higher-ups have gone to great lengths to select truly talented martial arts talents this time."

The winner's reward includes not only high-grade secret medicines, but also an extremely rare high-quality spirit stone.

Upon hearing the words "high-grade spirit stone," Xia Dong's eyelids twitched almost imperceptibly. The polite refusal that was on the tip of his tongue was instantly swallowed back, and his spirits suddenly lifted.

His perfected "Wind Control Technique" needed a high-grade spirit stone to break through its limits and be upgraded to a Heavenly Dipper Technique.

Seeing Xia Dong's expression shift slightly, Lord Qian assumed he was interested in cultivation resources, so he smiled and explained, "In the path of martial arts, reaching the Transcendent Realm is not just about training the flesh and bones, but also about training the will. Once you condense your martial arts will, you can draw spiritual energy from heaven and earth into your body. However, without spiritual roots, martial artists cannot transform spiritual energy into magical power like we cultivators; they can only use spiritual energy to roughly temper their skin, flesh, tendons, and bones. Among these methods of drawing energy to refine the body, the Vajra King Technique left behind by the Buddhist sect is considered the best, but unfortunately, it is difficult for ordinary people to even begin to learn it."

Sitting to the side, Zhao Ting kept his eyes down, strategically taking a sip of water from his teacup at opportune moments. He knew perfectly well that Xia Dong had already grasped some of the essence of the Vajra Mantra. But since Xia Dong didn't mention it, Zhao Ting naturally kept his mouth shut as well, never uttering a single word in front of Master Qian.

The atmosphere of the meeting was very harmonious.

It seems that Zhao Ting had already spent some time and effort with Lord Qian to pave the way for Xia Dong.

Xia Dong handled the situation extremely well.

Facing Master Qian, a cultivator in the early stages of Foundation Establishment, the pressure he felt was far less suffocating than when he faced Senior Gu Yue directly.

During this visit, he behaved with neither servility nor arrogance, handling the situation with ease, which made Lord Qian find him increasingly pleasing to the eye.

At the end of the conversation, Master Qian took out a simple-looking brass key from his sleeve and pushed it onto the table.

"Since Xueyi has already reached the Transcendent Realm in terms of qi and blood cultivation, ordinary weapons probably can't withstand your handling. Take this key and go to the inner treasury of our garrison to choose a suitable divine weapon." Lord Qian directly used his deputy commander privileges, his tone gentle yet revealing a recruiting intent. "However, let me make it clear first, this divine weapon is a crucial weapon of the garrison, it must be recorded, and it can only be used by you personally, it cannot be passed down to your descendants. In addition, you can also use this key to choose a superior martial arts technique from the top floor of the armory."

"Thank you for your kindness, sir. I will do anything for you." Xia Dong stood up and respectfully accepted the key with both hands.

Lord Qian said with a smile, "It's all thanks to the imperial court's cultivation and my own hard work."

He was a pure leader with a sharp eye.

Regardless of whether Xia Dong has a so-called "Taoist family" backing him, the fact that he is a martial artist who has reached the Transcendent Realm before the age of thirty is enough to warrant such an investment in winning him over.

Such a brilliant martial arts genius, as long as he doesn't die prematurely, has a very high chance of stepping into the legendary "True Realm" in the future.

Using a legendary weapon gathering dust in the warehouse to make friends with a future martial arts master in advance—this deal is a sure win no matter how you look at it.

Xia Dong took the brass key and carefully put it away.

When Lord Qian picked up his teacup, it was as if he intended to see the guest off.

Understanding the implication, he rose, bowed to Lord Qian, and took his leave.

Stepping out of this spiritually rich private residence and back into the bustling streets of the city, Xia Dong felt a surge of emotions.

After becoming stronger, I did indeed encounter more good people around me.

When he first transmigrated, he was weak and powerless, and every step he took was fraught with danger.

Now that he has entered the Transcendent Realm in martial arts, he has become valuable to be courted by those in power, and the once cold world has shown him a gentle smile.

Ultimately, whether in the secular world or the world of cultivation, strength is the foundation for survival.

"Come on, Xueyi. The armory of the Thousand Households' Office isn't far. I'll take you there to broaden your horizons." Zhao Ting mounted his horse, his tone light and cheerful.

The two rode side by side, heading straight for the garrison headquarters.

On horseback, Xia Dong touched the key in his pocket, feeling a mix of anticipation and excitement.

He is indeed lacking a suitable weapon right now.

The blood and qi of a Transcendent Realm cultivator are too powerful, coupled with the domineering nature of his martial arts will, ordinary refined steel simply cannot withstand his full-force burst.

I wonder what kind of divine weapon we'll find this time.

If I could get lucky and snag a bargain, that would be great.

Thinking of this, Xia Dong's mind stirred, and he looked at the ancient bronze bell in his sea of ​​consciousness.

I wonder if the ancient bronze bell could be flexible at this time and give him some luck out of thin air when he chooses weapons?

The ancient bell floated silently, without any reaction.

Xia Dong smiled silently, putting aside these unrealistic thoughts.

Looking up, the imposing gate tower of the Qianhu Office was already in sight at the end of the street.