Starting as the heir of a marquis's mansion, I gained access to a summoning system.

The Qinglong Society members remained inactive.

Li Chenzhou stood with his hands behind his back, watching the chaotic battle in the hall with an expressionless face.

Fu Hongxue stood behind him, his hand on the hilt of his knife, ready to strike at any moment.

Gongzi Yu's eyes gleamed with ambition, but without Li Chenzhou's orders, he would not act rashly.

Zhuo Donglai's lips curled slightly, as if he was plotting something.

"That's about it," Li Chenzhou finally spoke. "The jade box on the very center stone platform has the strongest spiritual energy. Go get it."

"I'll go," Fu Hongxue said.

Before he finished speaking, Fu Hongxue had already vanished from his spot. His limp did not hinder his speed. Like a black lightning bolt, he cut through the chaotic crowd and headed straight for the center of the hall.

Someone noticed him and tried to stop him.

A flash of light appeared.

The three Iron Blood Hall Grandmasters who tried to stop them hadn't even had time to react before they fell to the ground.

Fu Hongxue didn't linger. He reached out, grabbed the jade box from the central stone platform, and turned to leave.

The whole process took no more than three breaths.

Li Chenzhou took the jade box, opened it, and saw a pill, entirely golden, emitting a rich medicinal fragrance.

"A Breakthrough Pill?" Young Master Yu's eyes lit up.

"No," Li Chenzhou shook his head, "but it's close enough. It can help a Grandmaster break through a minor realm."

He carefully put away the jade box and said calmly, "Continue."

The members of the Azure Dragon Society began to collect treasures in an organized manner. Shangguan Jin Hong of the First Month Hall led a team that stole three jade boxes, Xiaoyao Hou of the Third Month Hall stole two, and Lei Sun of the Fourth Month Hall stole two.

No one dared to stop them.

Ling Yunzi of the Antarctic Sword Sect joined forces with an old man in a green robe—Qing Yuanzi, the acting head of the Green Wood Sword Sect, a Grandmaster at the fifth level.

Qing Yuanzi secretly followed the Antarctic Sword Sect into the ruins, hiding in the shadows and waiting for his opportunity.

At this moment, he finally made his move.

The target is Li Chenzhou.

"Li Chenzhou, prepare to die!"

Qing Yuanzi thrust out his sword, its energy like a rainbow, aiming straight for Li Chenzhou's throat. The full power of a Grandmaster at the fifth level was astonishing; the air in the hall was torn apart.

Ling Yunzi attacked simultaneously, flanking from the side.

Two Grandmasters—one at the fourth level and the other at the fifth level—joined forces to attack Li Chenzhou.

Li Chenzhou showed no fear.

"Reign supreme over the world!"

He unleashed a punch, his fist imbued with the power of an emperor ruling a court, suppressing everything.

Qing Yuanzi's sword energy and Ling Yunzi's sword light were both blocked by the fist intent, and a loud bang was heard in the air. The three figures were pushed back at the same time.

Li Chenzhou took three steps back.

Qing Yuanzi took two steps back.

Ling Yunzi took five steps back.

"What a formidable Li Chenzhou!" Qing Yuanzi's eyes flashed with apprehension. A Grandmaster at the fourth level had withstood the combined attack of two Grandmasters and was only slightly at a disadvantage. If this person were to break through to the fifth level, what would become of him?

"Again!"

Qing Yuanzi drew his sword again, and Ling Yunzi followed suit. The two, one on the left and one on the right, coordinated perfectly, their sword light weaving into a large net that enveloped Li Chenzhou.

Gongzi Yu made a move.

"Master Wuyue has arrived!"

Gongzi Yu unleashed a palm strike, the wind from which surged like a tide, blocking Ling Yunzi. He was also a Grandmaster at the first level, though three levels lower than Ling Yunzi, he could still hold out for the time being.

The Carefree Marquis also appeared from the side, unleashing his full power as a Grandmaster at the peak, thus diverting some of Qing Yuanzi's attention.

With the pressure greatly reduced, Li Chenzhou could focus on dealing with Qing Yuanzi.

The four fought fiercely, their sword energy, fist intent, and palm wind raging through the hall, causing those around them to scatter.

In a corner of the hall, Dongfang Weiwo mingled among the rogue cultivators, observing coldly.

He didn't participate in the competition. With his mid-stage Innate Divine Meridian cultivation, trying to snatch it from so many Grandmasters and Great Grandmasters would be suicide.

Ximen Chuixue and Ye Gucheng protected them in secret, without revealing themselves.

Dongfang Weiwu's gaze swept across the hall, searching for Ye Xingchen's figure.

The boy had hidden in a corner when the melee began, avoiding the fight. His ring had clearly been a warning from the old man – don't be greedy.

"That kid is quite clever," Dongfang Weiwo thought to himself.

He turned his gaze away and began to observe the layout of the hall.

In the midst of the chaos, he noticed an inconspicuous crack on the north wall of the hall. A faint light emanated from the crack, different from the aura emanating from the jade box, more ancient and deeper.

"That crack..." Dongfang Weiwo's heart stirred.

He quietly moved north, avoiding the fighting crowd, and arrived at the crack.

The crack was only a foot wide, just enough for one person to squeeze in sideways.

Dongfang Weiwo glanced back—but no one noticed him.

He squeezed sideways into the crack.

Beyond the crack was a narrow passageway, barely wide enough for one person to pass through. The walls on either side of the passageway were covered with ancient script, emitting a faint glow.

Dongfang Weiwo walked along the passageway for about a hundred feet, and suddenly the view ahead opened up.

This was a small, secret chamber, no more than a few feet in diameter. In the center of the chamber was a stone platform, on which were placed two items—a pure white jade bottle and a short sword.

The jade bottle was only the size of a palm, with a faint shimmering light emanating from its surface, clearly indicating it was no ordinary object. The short sword was only about a foot long, its blade jet black and utterly unremarkable.

Dongfang Weiwo stepped forward and picked up the jade bottle first.

As he uncorked the bottle, a rich, almost viscous medicinal aroma wafted out. He only took one sniff and felt his internal energy stirring, with a faint flow of heat coursing through his meridians.

He poured the pill into his palm—a purplish-gold pill with nine pill patterns on its surface, each radiating a soft halo.

"Nine-Turn Purple Spirit Pill." Dongfang Weiwo's heart stirred.

He had seen records of this kind of elixir in ancient books. It was an ancient formula, said to be able to help cultivators in the Innate Realm break through to a higher realm. Although the potency of this one had been somewhat diminished, it was still enough for him to break through from the mid-stage to the peak.

He didn't hesitate. In a place like this, every bit of increased strength meant a greater chance of survival.

He put the pill in his mouth and swallowed it in one gulp.

As soon as the pill entered his stomach, a powerful medicinal force exploded instantly.

That power surged like a flood bursting its banks, rushing along the meridians. Dongfang Weiwo sat cross-legged, gritted his teeth, and circulated his internal energy, guiding the medicinal power to attack the bottlenecks in his meridians.

pain.

It felt like someone was running a red-hot iron rod through his meridians.

But he held back.

One cycle, two cycles, three cycles...

The medicinal power surged through his body, further expanding his already widened meridians. The bottleneck of the mid-stage Divine Meridian was like paper before this violent force, easily broken through.

The power is rising.

Late stage of innate divine veins – peak.

When the effects of the medicine finally subsided, Dongfang Weiwo opened his eyes.

His aura was at least 30% stronger than before. His cultivation at the peak of the Divine Vein realm was still nothing special in this ruin, but compared to before, it was a qualitative leap.

He stood up and stretched his limbs. His internal energy circulated freely, and there was a faint rumbling sound in his meridians—a sign that his power was at its peak.

He put the jade bottle into his bosom and then picked up the short sword.

The short sword felt slightly heavy in his hand, and its blade was icy cold. He tried to infuse it with a wisp of true energy—a faint, cold glint immediately appeared on the blade.

"A spiritual artifact." Dongfang Weiwo nodded slightly.

Spiritual weapons are a level above ordinary weapons, requiring a Grandmaster to forge them. Although this short sword is not of high grade, it is already a rare treasure for him, who is at the Divine Meridian Realm.

He put the short sword into his pocket and turned to leave the secret room.