Tycoon War God

Qi Cultivation Level Nine is equivalent to a Martial Artist’s Divine Communion Realm. Shangguan Shiming was at Qi Cultivation Level Eight, stronger than an average Grandmaster Martial Artist but not quite at the level of Reaching the Divine.

With her talent and current Cultivation Technique, it would take her more than two years to break through to Qi Cultivation Level Nine. Without a genius-level Cultivation Technique, that would be her absolute limit. Now, with the technique bestowed by Lin Mu, she could potentially advance to Qi Cultivation Level Nine in three to four months, maybe even two.

This was the difference between a high-level and a low-level Cultivation Technique!

However, Lin Mu clearly didn’t even want to wait two months, bestowing upon her a Sky-Breaking Pill instead. In the Ancient Land Sect, the Sky-Breaking Pill was an exceedingly rare elixir whose sole purpose was to help cultivators rapidly advance their realm. Typically, only the most talented geniuses were qualified to receive such a legendary pill. Shangguan Shiming had only ever heard of it; she had never seen one.

”Sir, the Sky-Breaking Pill is immeasurably precious. You should give it to your own disciples,” Shangguan Shiming said, feeling the pill was too hot to handle. She didn’t dare accept it.

Lin Mu glanced at her and stated flatly, ”Consuming such an inferior elixir to raise one’s realm will negatively affect future prospects.” With that, he said no more.

Hearing this, Shangguan Shiming nearly flew into a rage. And to think just moments ago, she had been feeling grateful to Lin Mu, believing he was treating her generously. First the Genius Cultivation Method, now the Sky-Breaking Pill—not even the most elite disciples of the Celestial Northern Dipper Pavilion were guaranteed such treatment. But his words made her understand the truth. He looked down on the Sky-Breaking Pill, thinking such a low-quality elixir would harm his own disciples’ futures. So, he gave it to her! That meant he couldn’t care less about her future!

Shangguan Shiming desperately wanted to punch the infuriating man in front of her and beat him black and blue. Unfortunately, she couldn’t win a fight against him.

”Thank you, Sir,” she said, still having to express her gratitude.

In truth, Shangguan Shiming didn’t feel all that wronged. Within the Celestial Northern Dipper Pavilion, only two or three people could ever hope to receive a Genius Cultivation Method and a Sky-Breaking Pill. This was definitely worth it!

”Take the elixir. My time is limited,” Lin Mu said, frowning as he watched her stand there dumbfounded, holding the pill.

”Yes!”

Back in the Ancient Land Sect, anyone who received a Sky-Breaking Pill would first bathe and change into fresh clothes, adjusting their mental and physical state to its absolute peak before consuming it. But now? It was all so casual.

She tilted her head back and swallowed.

Just as Shangguan Shiming felt a wave of heat surge through her abdomen and the bottleneck in her cultivation began to loosen, Lin Mu frowned again.

”Your aptitude is truly poor. You can’t even completely absorb the medicinal effects of the elixir.”

Shangguan Shiming almost coughed up a mouthful of blood. What does he mean, I can’t completely absorb it?! How can he say something so cruel? In the Ancient Land Sect, an ordinary disciple could only utilize about sixty percent of an elixir’s efficacy. A genius disciple might reach seventy percent. Peerless Proud Sons of Heaven, those with extraordinary innate talent, could achieve eighty percent! This was one of the reasons they were hailed as Proud Sons of Heaven! The term ’complete absorption’… it was entirely foreign to her.

As Shangguan Shiming seethed internally, Lin Mu suddenly reached out and tapped her forehead. She felt a sharp pain between her brows. In the next moment, a colossal stream of energy flowed from that point down into her organs, merging completely with the medicinal power of the Sky-Breaking Pill.

BOOM!

Shangguan Shiming felt her very soul tremble as if she were ascending to immortality. An unimaginable amount of True Qi was born from nothing, surging through and impacting her meridians. She could even feel the energy Lin Mu had injected into her expanding her meridians and her Dantian, allowing her to absorb even more True Qi.

The Rainbow Feather Dress Technique began to circulate on its own. The True Qi she had cultivated using the technique from the Celestial Northern Dipper Pavilion was assimilated and replaced by the new True Qi.

After an unknown amount of time, Shangguan Shiming slowly opened her eyes.

”Shangguan Shiming thanks you, Sir, for the grace of this rebirth!” she cried out, kneeling and prostrating herself on the floor. Tears streamed down her face.

A single Sky-Breaking Pill and one Genius Cultivation Method had allowed her to leap directly from Qi Cultivation Level Eight to Qi Cultivation Level Ten. She had advanced two entire levels in a single day. Qi Cultivation Level Ten, a realm she thought she would never reach in this lifetime, had been attained with such ease.

At that moment, she was utterly humbled, completely submitting to Lin Mu. Her loyalty was now absolute. Such transformative grace was a debt she could never repay.

”Let’s go. Take me to the entrance to the Ancient Land,” Lin Mu said, paying her no mind, as if he had just accomplished something utterly mundane.

And in truth, he had. If he wished, he could enable his disciples, like Leng Feng and Li Lingqing, to reach the Eleventh Level of Qi Cultivation in a single day. But artificially forcing their growth would only bring them harm. Only by cultivating step by step and understanding the hardships of the path could they travel further in the future. As for Shangguan Shiming, her future would depend on her own fortune from here on out.

***

Even Lin Mu could miscalculate. He had assumed the entrance to the Ancient Land Sect would be in some remote wilderness, like the Heavenly Lake Minor World. He never expected Shangguan Shiming to lead him to a slaughterhouse.

Sensing his confusion, Shangguan Shiming explained, ”The sect elders believe in the principle: ’A minor hermit hides in the wilds; a major one hides in the city.’ That’s why they placed the entrance to the Ancient Land here.”

Lin Mu’s Divine Sense swept out, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. ”To think that all the residents here are people from the Ancient Land Sect!”

Within the range of his Divine Sense, he found that among the town’s several thousand inhabitants, every single person over the age of eighteen was a martial artist, and none of them had a low cultivation level. Yet, these people seemed content with their ordinary lives, never revealing their skills. They lived as commoners in this small town. The brainwashing capabilities of the Ancient Land Sect were truly impressive.

Shangguan Shiming looked slightly embarrassed. ”In their eyes, we are like immortals. They are willing to serve us in exchange for ten slots to join the Ancient Land Sect every decade.”

Immortals. Cultivation. For the thousands of people in this town, this was their only aspiration. Who wouldn’t want one of their children to become an immortal who could live forever? The Ancient Land Sect used this very desire to bewitch them all.

”The Dragon Protection Hall hasn’t found you?” Lin Mu asked curiously.

”Perhaps they haven’t, or perhaps they did and chose to coexist peacefully. It might be a tacit understanding between the Ancient Land Sect and the Dragon Protection Hall,” Shangguan Shiming replied. ”After all, if the Dragon Protection Hall were to destroy this location, the sect would simply move the entrance to an even more secretive place. That would make it harder for the Dragon Protection Hall to monitor us.”

Lin Mu nodded.

Just then, a bare-chested, burly man in a leather apron spotted Shangguan Shiming and Lin Mu. His eyes lit up, and he hurried over.

The man bowed respectfully. ”Greetings, Master Shangguan!”

”Xu Wen, open the base. I am returning,” Shangguan Shiming commanded, giving Lin Mu an apologetic glance as she resumed the proud demeanor befitting her position.

The burly man, Xu Wen, snuck a glance at Lin Mu. He hesitated for a moment before asking, ”Master Shangguan, this is…”

Shangguan Shiming shot him a glare. ”Is that a question you are qualified to ask?”

”This subordinate wouldn’t dare. It’s just… the base is a restricted area. Without an order from above, I can’t just let someone in…” Xu Wen said, looking troubled.

His cultivation level was average, only at the Inner Strength Realm. But as he faced Shangguan Shiming, he stood his ground, humble yet unyielding.