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

Pingyang County, the Meng family residence in Liuxiang. An underground secret chamber.

The four walls were covered with rough-hewn soundproofing tiles, which Meng Xinghun ordered his men to build overnight.

Dongfang Weiwo sat cross-legged on a futon. His shadow was stretched long and short by the lamplight.

He has been in seclusion for three days.

Three days ago, Shen Lian took him to the Guangling Prefecture Thousand Household Office to redeem thirty Qi and Blood Pills. Dongfang Weiwo used the excuse of "wanting to stroll around the county town" to separate from Shen Lian and secretly sneaked into the Meng residence.

"It's time for a breakthrough."

He took out a Qi and Blood Pill and put it in his mouth.

The pill melted instantly upon entering his mouth. A warm current flowed down his throat into his dantian, then spread like magma throughout his body. It was so hot that every pore on his body opened up.

The fourth level of the "Dragon Body Refining Technique" is the Blood Exchange Realm.

The core of this realm is to use the power of Qi and blood to cleanse the marrow and meridians, completely "replacing" the blood in the entire body. This allows every drop of blood to contain immense energy. In the early stages of the Blood Exchange Realm, the blood is dark red like rust. In the middle stages, it becomes bright red like cinnabar. In the later stages, it will show a faint golden hue—a precursor to entering the Golden Body Realm.

Dongfang Weiwo closed his eyes and began to circulate his inner energy.

The medicinal power of the first Qi and Blood Pill surged through his meridians like a river bursting its banks. A faint red glow emanated from his skin, like a piece of red-hot iron. Veins bulged on his forehead, and sweat instantly evaporated into white mist.

An hour later, the first dose of medicine ran out of power.

He didn't open his eyes. He groped for the second one and put it in his mouth.

His qi and blood continued to surge, inch by inch squeezing against that invisible bottleneck—the ceiling of the mid-stage Blood Exchange Realm. That bottleneck was like a transparent wall. He could sense the vast world beyond the wall, but he couldn't break through it no matter what he did.

"Again!"

The third entry point.

His blood and qi surged like a raging tide, wave after wave crashing against his bottleneck. With each impact, his body trembled. A faint cracking sound emanated from deep within his bones—something was shattering.

The fourth time, the fifth time, the sixth time...

He didn't know how many times he'd been hit. His blood felt like it was boiling, surging wildly through his veins. He clenched his teeth, a trickle of blood escaping from the corner of his mouth. He didn't stop.

finally--

"Click."

The wall broke.

A brand new power surged from the depths of my bones, like a volcano that had been dormant for millennia suddenly erupting. My blood rushed through my veins, its color changing from a deep crimson to a visibly pale gold.

The gold was very pale, like the first rays of sunlight falling on the snow at dawn. It was almost imperceptible, yet undeniably present.

Late stage of the Blood Exchange Realm.

He is only one step away from the Golden Body Realm.

Dongfang Weiwo opened his eyes and exhaled a long breath. The breath condensed in the air, subtly twisting into a blurry dragon shape. It swirled for three breaths before slowly dissipating.

He stood up and stretched his limbs. His bones crackled and popped, like a string of firecrackers exploding inside him. He clenched his fist—the unprecedented power in his palm surged forth with a punch, thirty percent stronger than before his breakthrough.

Energy Points Balance: 3500

He glanced at his balance and frowned slightly.

Three thousand five hundred points are only enough for one Black Iron Summon. The highest character summoned by Black Iron is only at the peak of the Acquired Divine Power Realm, which is of limited help to him at present. Meng Xinghun (peak of the Innate Qi Sea Realm) – still lacking in high-end combat power.

"I need to figure out how to get some energy points," he muttered to himself.

Just then, system notifications exploded in my mind one after another—

[System Notification: Summoned characters Chen Jialuo, Wen Tailai, and Zhao Banshan to jointly kill a demonic beast at the early stage of the Profound Realm, gaining 5000 energy points]

[System Notification: Summoned character Han Tang has killed a disciple of the Iron Sword Sect at the Later Heaven Divine Power Realm, gaining 1000 Energy Points]

[System Notification: Summoned character Zhao Banshan has killed two White Lotus Sect messengers, gaining 800 energy points]

Current Energy Points Balance: 10300

Dongfang Weiwo's eyes lit up.

The three notifications appeared almost consecutively, less than half an hour apart. Both the Cangmang Mountains and Pingyang County were on the move, and their efficiency was quite high.

Current Energy Points Balance: 10300

Dongfang Weiwo suddenly opened his eyes.

The corners of his mouth slowly turned up.

Ten thousand three hundred. That's enough.

"System, Bronze Summoning."

He silently recited it in his heart. His voice was calm, but it carried an undisguised anticipation.

[Bronze Summoning Card activated, consuming 10000 Energy Points]

[Summoning...]

[Summonable characters detected: The Two Elders of Xuanming (Lu Zhangke and Hebi Weng)]

[Character Introduction: From the world of "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber," formerly a retainer of the Ruyang Prince's Mansion, and the founder of the Xuanming Divine Palm. The two have an innate rapport and are of one mind; their combined strength is greatly enhanced.]

[Cultivation Level: Early Stage of the Innate Profound Aura Realm (Two people working together can kill someone in the mid-stage of the Profound Aura Realm, and directly contend with someone at the peak of the Profound Aura Realm)]

Loyalty: 100%

[Summon or not?]

"call."

In the sealed room, space suddenly distorted.

It wasn't a tearing apart. Like a pebble thrown into a still pool, ripples spread outwards. At the center of the ripples, the air became as viscous as mercury. Two dark figures slowly emerged from the void—as if stepping from another dimension.

On the left was a hunchbacked old man, holding a deer-head cane. His face was as gloomy as a winter cloud, his eyes were sunken, and his gaze was sinister. On the right was a tall, thin old man, holding two crane-beak pens, also dressed in a black robe. The chill emanating from him caused the temperature in the sealed room to drop by more than ten degrees.

Lu Zhangke glanced around, his gaze settling on Dongfang Weiwo. He knelt on one knee, his movements slow and solemn: "Lu Zhangke, the two elders of Xuanming, pays respects to our lord."

Hebi Weng also knelt down, his voice hoarse: "Hebi Weng is willing to die for his lord."

Dongfang Weiwo sat upright on the futon, looking down at the two of them.

Early stage of the Innate Profound Realm.

The Azure Dragon Society finally possessed true innate combat power. Although Meng Xinghun's combat strength was astonishing, having killed Wan Guku, an early-stage Innate Profound Realm cultivator, with a single sword strike, he was ultimately only at the peak of the Innate Qi Sea Realm. His foundation and ability to sustain a prolonged battle were far inferior to those of a true Profound Realm cultivator. The Xuanming Elders, on the other hand, were genuine Innate Profound Realm cultivators. Together, they could even contend with a peak Profound Realm cultivator.

"Get up." Dongfang Weiwo's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable authority.

The two men stood up, hands at their sides, like two swords sheathed.

"Don't reveal your identities for now." Dongfang Weiwo stood up, brushing the dust off his robes. "Go to the Cangmang Mountains and take charge. There's a Qinglong Society stronghold there; Chen Jialuo will arrange accommodations. Meng Xinghun will tell you the specifics of your mission."

"Yes, ma'am," the two replied in unison.

Energy Points Balance: 300

Dongfang Weiwo stared at the glaring number and gave a bitter smile. All his hard-earned savings had been used up in a single summon. But looking at the two innate masters before him, he felt the deal wasn't a bad one.

The arrival of the Xuanming Elders filled the gap in the Azure Dragon Society's high-end combat strength. Chen Jialuo and Wen Tailai were ultimately only at the Acquired Realm; they would only be crushed when they encountered true Innate Realm experts.

Things are different now.