Ultimate True Lord

Mid-April.

The aftershocks of the conflict between the three factions and the five great families still linger to this day. When Jiang Ming practices his boxing at the Red Sand Martial Arts School, he can occasionally hear other formal disciples discussing related topics.

Over the past two weeks, minor skirmishes have been ongoing between the two sides, with even experts in the art of entanglement challenging each other to duels, drawing considerable attention.

It's important to know that masters of the Entangling Force level are not commonly seen in Wangyue City. They are usually martial arts school owners or elders of a sect, and it's rare for them to challenge each other to a duel.

However, in these short fifteen days, three challenges to fights occurred in succession. All of them were masters who had conflicts with the three factions and the five great families.

It seems that the competition among the younger generation that took place half a month ago has now spread to the older generation and is gradually showing signs of getting out of control.

However, these things are none of Jiang Ming's business.

He is currently packing his equipment, planning to go up the mountain to collect herbs again.

His robe was rolled up, revealing two grayish-brown pouches hanging from his waist. The left pouch contained spiked caltrops, while the right pouch held bags of lime mixed with poison powder.

In addition, a meteor hammer was strapped to the waist pouch, wrapped around the waist perfectly. It could be tossed out at any moment with a flick of the rope.

Jiang Ming had a wrist guard on both his left and right hands, and inside the guard's compartment were several expensive triangular bone-piercing darts.

Now that he has money, he naturally has crafted excellent equipment for himself. Even though Jiang Ming has now reached the level of a master of soft strength, he has not forgotten his original intentions and is always thinking of dirty tricks to scheme against people.

After all, this tactic still works!

As long as the opponent's martial arts skills haven't reached an inhuman level, then the "dust-covered eyes" technique is omnipotent, unless the opponent can react to your sneak attack instantly.

In the courtyard.

After Jiang Ming had everything prepared, he slowly took a box out of the house and placed it on the table under the tree.

It opened with a click.

Inside were a pair of Ghost Claw armor pieces forged from fine iron.

This is a fine piece that Jiang Ming specially commissioned a blacksmith in the city to make.

The main body is a horizontal metal strip, about the length of a palm. Below the metal strip, three curved, sharp claws are welded, slightly shorter than a finger.

The metal strip has two rings at each end, into which the index and little fingers can be inserted. When the hand is clenched, the entire ghost claw is hidden in the palm and is almost invisible.

When using it, you can shape your palm into a tiger claw and press your fingers against the metal strip. With a single swing, the ghost claw can tear off a piece of flesh from any part of someone's mortal body.

Alternatively, one can clench their fist, with claws protruding from between their fingers, and swing their fist like a tiger's claw, which can also inflict injury on the enemy.

"These Ghost Claw Gauntlets are perfect for complementing my Red Sand Palm technique."

"My Crimson Sand Palm is different from other disciples'; its hardness has increased by a full 70%, making it able to withstand cuts from ordinary swords and blades. Now, with the Ghost Claw equipped, I have both defense and offense, making it a perfect combination of offense and defense."

"With enough practice, you can even try using your ghost claws to block your opponent's swords or snatch their weapons."

Jiang Ming pondered for a moment, then put away the Ghost Claw Gauntlet.

He stood under the big tree, tidied his belongings, and strode off towards the Wen family's residence in the inner city.

……

……

Two days later.

The Yancang Mountains, Sanyuan Ridge.

In a grove of trees beside a cliff, the herb-gathering team members were scattered in different places, engrossed in collecting herbs. Suddenly, an experienced herb hunter stopped what he was doing, his gaze falling on a herb in the soil.

He sensed something was amiss.

"Old Liu, Old Liu!"

So the herb hunter immediately called his companion, and the two of them worked together to dig out the ginseng-like herb intact. After wiping away the surface soil, a faint reddish pattern was indeed faintly visible on the herb.

This is actually a red herb!

Not all red herbs are as distinctive as the night-blooming cereus. Many are quite ordinary-looking and difficult to distinguish among common herbs. Only experienced herb gatherers who frequent the mountains year-round can discern the subtle differences.

In the woods.

Jiang Ming looked at the red medicine in the box in his hand and nodded slightly.

He made three trips into the mountains and found something each time. Just as Wen Jin had said, the amount of red medicine in the Yancang Mountains had increased dramatically in the last six months.

Just then, a herb gatherer who had been collecting herbs on the side cliff walked over quickly and said something.

"Jiangtou, something's not right over on the opposite mountain ridge. It looks like there's some red medicine there."

Jiang Ming raised an eyebrow.

Suddenly, the two reached the edge of the cliff, and his gaze followed the other's finger. On the opposite mountain ridge, two or three large trees were dyed a scarlet color by something, swaying in the wind.

It is precisely because it is so conspicuous that it can be vaguely seen from across the mountains.

"Could this trip into the mountains be going to be a huge success?"

Jiang Ming's heart skipped a beat. He was incredibly lucky to have encountered two red herbs on this trip into the mountains.

He stood there for a moment, lost in thought.

Jiang Ming originally wanted to bring a herb gatherer with him. However, the two mountain ranges were quite far apart, and the road was rugged and difficult to travel. It would take an ordinary person at least an hour to make the round trip.

It would be better to use my own lightness skill to go and come back quickly.

If you move quickly, you can turn back in about 45 minutes.

After instructing the remaining guards to be on guard, Jiang Ming flew alone towards the opposite mountain range and disappeared into the forest in an instant.

He moved with agility, his feet tracing crescent-shaped arcs as he bypassed the trees and cleared the obstacles below. His figure shot towards the nearby mountain ridge like an arrow.

after a while.

Jiang Ming arrived at his destination.

He stopped in a grove of trees, his gaze already fixed on two or three large red trees in the distance. Upon closer inspection, he indeed found something amiss.

In the clearing between the trees.

A red herb with slightly translucent leaves swayed in the sunlight, its branches and leaves dancing in the breeze. Jiang Ming wondered if it was just his imagination, but the edges of the leaves seemed to be faintly covered with a layer of gold.

On the ground, spiderweb-like red marks spread out from the herbs, climbing and covering several nearby trees.

This caused two or three large trees to turn completely scarlet.

Jiang Ming strode over, took out the tools he had brought, and carefully began shoveling soil. He had been with the herb-gathering team for more than half a year, and he knew the entire herb-gathering process by heart.

In a short while.

A reddish-golden herb was dug up, and the soil on its roots was brushed off, revealing that it was 99% intact.

Jiang Ming nodded in satisfaction and was about to put it into the medicine box.

Sudden.

A loud laugh echoed from the woods on the right.

"Hahaha!"

"I never expected to find Golden Thread Grass here in Sanyuanling! One plant is worth two Red Herbs. I've really struck gold today!"