My cultivation method shines upon all heavens.

"Of course, you can also call it a precious body, an immortal body, a Dao body..."

He put the pipe back in his mouth, took a drag, and his voice became somewhat indistinct in the smoke:

"Ten years ago, the mighty General Ma Fubo conquered the Eastern Yi, and why did all the places he went submit to him?"

"Because his cultivation of the 'Nine Li Treasure Scripture' yielded evidence of a copper head and iron forehead, he achieved the true form of the Nine Li, and the Dongyi people saw him as if they were seeing their ancestor."

He glanced at Lu Ming: "If you've ever paid attention to the Dragon and Tiger Ranking, you'll find that all the geniuses of the Great Zhao who can fight beyond their level are people who have cultivated the Earth Book and condensed the characteristics of the Treasure Raft."

Lu Ming was shaken and silently processed this information.

He was naturally aware of the Dragon and Tiger Ranking, which listed the top 100 martial arts prodigies under the age of 30 in the Great Zhao Dynasty.

Without the cultivation level of the Marrow Refining Realm, one is not even qualified to be on the list.

Crossing borders to fight is just routine for these prodigies.

And those who can fight beyond their level among these geniuses must possess terrifying combat power.

"certainly--"

Fan Wu changed the subject, and said with a wry smile:

"For independent cultivators like us who have to change our cultivation methods with each realm, obtaining a low-grade earth book that can cultivate the characteristics of a treasure raft is already a pipe dream."

"As for the superior-grade earth book that can be used to complete the treasure raft... that depends on fate!"

Lu Ming nodded, a helpless expression on his face.

Powerful families with deep-rooted traditions naturally have their own established and consistent martial arts techniques.

Unlike these independent cultivators who pieced together their skills from scratch, they had to find their way every step of the way.

"Oh, right."

Fan Wu seemed to remember something and put down his opium pipe:

"Another terrifying aspect of the Earth Book is that the treasure raft, and even its characteristics, possess the feature of bloodline inheritance."

He lowered his voice slightly: "Rumor has it that the Wang family had an ancestor who cultivated the special characteristics of a treasure raft."

"Therefore, each generation of them produces exceptionally talented geniuses, which has allowed them to maintain their position as the leading power among the four major strongholds of Yinhu County."

Lu Ming was startled, suddenly recalling the force that had been forcibly suppressed within Wang Chenghu when he fought him at the county government office that day.

"What are the characteristics of the treasure raft?" he murmured.

He then looked at Fan Wu with a strange expression: "Fifth Uncle, how do you know so much about this?"

Fan Wu, looking weary, smoked a cigarette, his wrinkles deepening.

"Once you've seen the ocean, other waters seem insignificant... Your fifth uncle was once like that too..."

He seemed distracted for a moment, then suddenly waved his hand: "Hey, let's not talk about it."

Lu Ming was speechless.

……

Three days later, on the night of the full moon.

A silver moon hung in the center of the sky, its light pouring down like water, coating the outline of Xiaocang Mountain with a cool, silvery edge.

At the foot of the mountain, a five-foot-wide path winds and twists, enclosing a clearing of several tens of feet in diameter between the cliffs on both sides.

The eerie green glow of the ghost lamps emanated from the tops of the stone pillars, mingling with the moonlight to create a play of light and shadow across the entire area.

Countless figures wearing straw hats hurried back and forth under the lights.

They lingered at each stall, examining the items and conversing in hushed tones. Once the transaction was complete, they quickly disappeared into the night.

The stall was filled with all sorts of items.

From ordinary swords and medicines to armor and protective gear stained with dark red blood, to bottles, jars, and scrolls of unknown origin...

"No wonder Uncle Wu said this place is a mixed bag."

Lu Ming, his hat brim pulled low, dressed in a black robe and carrying a jar of aged wine, strolled among the various stalls:

"Things that should be sold and things that shouldn't be sold, are all placed here."

He walked around, stopping and starting, touching and looking at things, but never actually bought anything.

Some stall owners rolled their eyes when they saw him touch the item for a while and then put it down; some with short tempers simply spat at him and muttered curses under their breath.

Lu Ming didn't care at all, and just strolled around from shop to shop at a leisurely pace.

Suddenly, he stopped in front of a stall.

The stall was cluttered with a few dark stones, an old book with a missing cover, and a few rusty short nails.

His gaze fell on a fist-sized rock in the corner.

The stone was covered with fine cracks, and its surface was densely engraved with tiny characters, the strokes of which were twisted.

Unfortunately, he couldn't recognize a single word.

However, the moment he touched the stone, the Heavenly Heart Scroll suddenly trembled slightly.

Then, silence returned.

"Isn't that right?" He couldn't help but withdraw his hand with some disappointment.

Behind the stall, a burly man in a straw hat was picking his teeth listlessly.

His nose twitched slightly, and his previously nonchalant expression suddenly became warm.

He leaned forward, lowered his voice, and said with a hint of seduction:

"Young brother, this is a fragment of the Earth Book! I obtained it by chance back then. You can exchange it for a Spiritual Scripture-level martial arts manual. Once this opportunity is gone, it will be gone forever."

Lu Ming rolled his eyes, turned around and left without saying a word.

Behind him, the stall owner slapped his thigh in frustration.

I don't know if they regretted asking for too much, or if they regretted letting go of the sucker in front of them.

Lu Ming strolled around the night market for about half an hour, exchanging a jar of Crimson Scale Wine for a bottle of Body Tempering Pill, taking advantage of its large quantity and unlimited supply.

He uncorked the bottle and poured out a pale blue pill with a warm luster. This was a general-purpose pill that could assist in the cultivation of the first three realms of martial arts.

He then scoured various stalls for medicinal herbs needed for brewing, stuffing his bundle to the brim, and then decided to head home.

"Looks like we're going to have to return empty-handed today."

He couldn't help but feel a little helpless.

A heartfelt connection is rare, and even rarer to find.

He did come across a map of a whale leaping across the sea, which bore the mark of a low-level martial art at the Skin Tempering Realm, but unfortunately, he no longer needed it.

The Heavenly Heart Scroll was almost constantly flooding his mind with the insights of geniuses from all realms. He feared that if he tried to cram too much, he would one day go insane.

He rummaged through the items on the last stall, aimlessly flipping through them, his eyes somewhat unfocused, appearing absent-minded.

The stall owner frowned, his lips twitching as if he was about to tell the person to leave.

Just then, Lu Ming picked up a pair of worn-out gloves and paused, his expression momentarily blank.

[Discovered a low-level martial art called "Bear-Strengthening Strength," which can be refined. Should it be refined?]

A hint of joy flashed across Lu Ming's face, and he couldn't help but examine it closely.

The gloves were made of old bear fur, with coarse stitches and rough edges. The palm of the glove was wrapped with an unidentified arm bone, the surface of which had been worn smooth and shiny.

"These are the Bone-Pounding Gauntlets, left behind by a master, and they may very well contain his extraordinary legacy!"

The stall owner was a middle-aged man with a stubble beard, and he made no attempt to hide his face.

Seeing that Lu Ming had finally stopped, he immediately perked up and started rambling on and on.

Lu Ming snapped out of his daze, glanced up at him, and sneered:

"These gauntlets are clearly tools used for practicing a low-level martial art. I deduce that the original owner's cultivation level couldn't have exceeded the Muscle Strengthening Realm, let alone that of a master."

The stall owner's face stiffened, then he said, somewhat embarrassed and angry:

"One thousand taels of gold, or an equivalent amount of elixirs or martial arts techniques, no questions asked!"

Lu Ming's lips twitched.

A thousand taels of gold is enough to buy ten second-rate martial arts manuals.

He couldn't help but ask again, "Is there really no room for negotiation?"

A sly smile crept across the stall owner's face as he slowly said, glancing sideways:

"Hehe, you've been browsing here for so long, but you only seem to have a soft spot for these gloves... Take it or leave it."

He crossed his arms, looking like he had you cornered.

Lu Ming's face was gloomy as he stared intently at the other person.

The stall owner didn't back down, looking back smugly, the corners of his mouth curving upwards.

Suddenly, Lu Ming chuckled.