This Dao Ancestor is too young.

Jiaoyuan City, outer city, beside the great river.

Zhang Yuanzhu sat cross-legged, recalling the battle that had just taken place.

As expected of someone in the Qi Refining Realm, the battle with him had reached such a point that if the opponent hadn't lacked a magic weapon, it would have taken much longer to end.

However, he won in the end.

"Under the constraints of the Dao oath, the Shang family should be able to save many people."

A gentle smile appeared on Zhang Yuanzhu's face.

As a human being, he possesses all the emotions that humans have, and he cannot remain indifferent to the suffering of his fellow human beings.

Lost in thought, he reached into his robes and took out the storage bag he had seized from the Shang family head.

After observing for a while, the boy's smile widened.

Just as I had predicted, the low-level storage bag had no restrictions at all, and any cultivator could use it directly.

He held the storage bag in his hand, with the opening facing down, and gave it a gentle shake.

wow~

Books, spirit stones, gold... all sorts of miscellaneous items fell in front of him.

This is the result of the battle, and it doesn't look too bad.

The boy put the bag on the ground, stretched out his hand, picked up the book, and began to read.

The Fierce Tiger Sword Technique!

Swordsmanship?

A ripple of emotion stirred in the depths of Zhang Yuanzhu's eyes as he began to observe carefully.

About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the book was closed, and a smile appeared on the boy's lips.

After abandoning the sword and learning the saber, he began to plan his future path in swordsmanship.

This sword manual undoubtedly deepened his own planned swordsmanship.

He raised his hand, grasped it in mid-air, and a long sword made of flowing water appeared in his palm.

With a slight pull of his arm, he brought it down in a chop.

roar~

The sword's cry was like a tiger's roar, its light imposing, before it could even fully unleash its strike...

bang~

The water flow formed a long sword that suddenly exploded, turning into water droplets that scattered and fell.

"Interesting swordsmanship!"

The boy flicked a drop of water from his fingertips.

Then, with a thought, he released the energy from his dantian through his palm and brushed it over the book. Only after confirming that the Shang family had not left any hidden tricks did he put the "Fierce Tiger Sword Technique" into his storage bag.

After that, he began to count the spirit stones and gold, and threw the useless junk directly into the river.

"Six low-grade spirit stones and ten taels of gold."

The boy put all the valuables into his storage bag, and then took out a fist-sized crimson pill from his pocket.

Essence Blood Pill!

The medicinal power of the first essence blood pill has been fully refined, and it can be taken again to enhance one's strength in order to cope with the situation ahead.

After all, threatening the Shang family to help the disaster victims was only a temporary measure; the best way was to subdue the forces of Mancheng.

Without hesitation, I swallowed it.

The elixir melted upon entering the mouth, beginning to cleanse the flesh, bones, and internal organs, and the vital energy within the dantian began to recover in every inch of the body.

He quietly sensed the changes in his body, and after confirming that there was no problem, he stood up.

The boy gazed at the surging river and the rising mist, then stretched out his hand, palm open.

Snowflakes fell, and I felt a cool sensation in my palm.

"Do your best and have a clear conscience, that's enough."

The boy whispered something, turned around, and walked towards his own courtyard.

From then on, Zhang Yuanzhu would practice the "Annotations on the Qi-Inducing Record of the Nether Spring" in the morning to refine the medicinal power and improve his cultivation, practice water control techniques and study swordsmanship in the afternoon, and use his supernatural powers to experience the cultivation of the Qi Refining Realm in the evening.

the other side.

The Qian Family Manor, within the inner city of Jiaoyuan City.

Inside the vermilion pavilion, a young man stood with his hands clasped, respectfully gazing at the red-robed figure at the head of the table.

"Father, a spy reports that the old fellow Shang Yuansi has not broken through to the fourth level of Qi Refining; he is still at the third level."

"Hey, the Qi Refining Stage has twelve levels, each level is like a new heaven. How easy is it to break through?"

The man in the red robe scoffed.

Then, a hint of seriousness appeared in his voice:

"That young man actually offended the Shang family for a bunch of worthless people. His character is somewhat like that of a righteous cultivator."

As memories of what appeared to be the future spread, these small families witnessed the vastness of the world and learned too many secrets.

Of course, once everyone knows, the secret is no longer a secret.

Inside the Tao family's secret room.

A dozen or so figures draped in black cloaks sat cross-legged on prayer mats. At the very front stood a nine-story-high platform, where a middle-aged man in a silver cloak with a goatee stood with his hands behind his back.

He stretched out his palm and gently beckoned, and a jade slip floated up from the steps and landed in his hand.

A stream of information flooded my mind.

A wicked smile appeared on the middle-aged man's face:

"Heaven is on my side; let us, the common folk, live on."

The three major families, the city lord's mansion, and various forces all learned of the conquest taking place in the inner city as quickly as possible. Their reactions varied, but they all devised countermeasures.

......

Two days passed in the blink of an eye. The city was peaceful, and Shang family guards could be seen moving around the city from time to time, helping disaster victims and beggars.

Apart from that, everything seemed no different from usual, but there was an indescribable sense of oppression, like the calm before a storm.

A courtyard in the outer city, near the inner river.

Roar roar~

The roars of tigers echoed continuously from the courtyard, carrying the unique majesty of the king of beasts.

In the courtyard, sword light flashed, sometimes like a tiger hunting for prey, sometimes like a bear swinging a pillar, and sometimes like a swallow soaring.

Three completely different sword techniques were almost merged into one, indistinguishable from one another.

Clang!

The sword light dissipated, revealing a young man in a cotton-padded coat.

Zhang Yuanzhu stood by the spring, his gaze lowered, looking at the trembling longsword in his hand:

"After all, it is made of ordinary iron, and cannot fully display its combat power."

In the past two days, his swordsmanship has improved greatly, but he lacks a suitable and sharp sword.

Of course, his cultivation level has also improved considerably compared to two days ago.

Realm: Qi Gathering Realm (56/100)

Skills: Bear Sword Technique, Tiger Sword Technique, Ruan Family Knife Technique, Water Control Technique

At his current cultivation speed, with enough essence blood pills and spirit stones, he should be able to enter the Qi Refining Realm in at most half a month.

However, before that, we need to find a Qi Refining Realm cultivation method.

Zhang Yuanzhu's eyes were deep as he slung his long sword at his waist.

He took a step forward, pushed open the door, and headed towards the inner city.

The moment he left the courtyard, news of the boy's departure spread to various factions in the city through different channels.

Zhang Yuanzhu's gaze was sharp as he scanned his surroundings.

hum~

With a single sword cry, all the onlookers felt as if several sharp swords were pressed against their brows.

He strode forward, ignoring the panicked crowd, and went straight into the inner city.

He stepped across the river and into the street, where laughter, noise, and hawking filled the air, and the bustling world remained as vibrant as ever.

Moreover, there were soup kitchens set up on one side of the street, where many beggars lined up to receive porridge. Their expressions remained numb, but their eyes held a glimmer of hope for life.

Seeing this scene, Zhang Yuanzhu nodded slightly and smiled.

We strode forward, passing shops one by one, and ventured deeper into the city.

Tower~

Suddenly he paused slightly, his gaze fixed on a small alley.

A faint but pungent stench emanated from the air, accompanied by painful wails.

Zhang Yuanzhu lightly gripped the hilt of his sword and slowly approached the alley until he was completely inside.

One after another, figures lay on the ground, disheveled and covered in sores, with pale yellow fluid flowing on the ground, emitting a nauseating smell.

If it weren't for the fact that some of them were still heaving their chests and emitting intermittent wails, one would surely think they were all dead.

The boy gazed at the scene before him, his brow furrowed, and murmured softly:

"Plague!"