After leaving the capital city,
Xiao Ran arrived at a spot where there was no one around. He looked up at the starry night sky, and with a single leap, he sailed into the clouds.
Only Profound Realm experts could fly through the sky.
The inhibitions between heaven and earth were reduced to the lowest.
He did not even need to apply the purifying spiritual force on his body. With his current physical evolution, he could even withstand the astral winds from the nine heavens.
The faster the speed, the stronger the astral winds.
They were like millions of sharp blades, easily tearing through the fortress walls made of stone and metal.
However, when the winds landed on his body, they simply dissipated on its own.
"Traversing the Heavens in Twelve Steps."
A Heaven-rank Top-grade technique had been enhanced to Perfection Level.
With every step, his speed doubled. With every twelve steps, his speed increased twelve times.
He morphed into a shooting star and disappeared from the world in the blink of an eye.
A thirty-mile journey only took a few minutes.
Xiao Ran descended from the sky and stopped in front of the three big trees.
"The Godfiend evolution technique is indeed different. It can even refine the terrifying astral winds between heaven and earth. Along the way, it did not consume any purifying spiritual force and in fact, even enhanced it a little."
He confirmed that this was indeed the correct location.
"Open!"
He stomped on the ground with his right foot, and a ring of golden light shot out that swiftly covered an area of a few hundred feet.
Crash whoosh…
After an interval of earth-shattering, mountain-shaking convulsions, a huge crater appeared. The 200,000 taels of silver buried underground by the wolf demon were revealed.
He clapped once in the air.
The dozen or so boxes flipped open. They were overflowing with shiny silver, glittering and shimmering brilliantly.
"This demon is not bad. He didn't lie." Xiao Ran smiled in satisfaction.
He put all the silver into the Seven Treasures Rainbow Jade Belt.
Then he leaped into the sky again and disappeared from where he was standing a few seconds earlier.
At the entrance of Chunfang Court,
Little Zhou and the other two had waited for almost an hour.
"Brother Xiao hasn't changed his mind about coming, has he?" Old Zheng asked.
"He must have been delayed by something. Let's wait a little longer." Little Zhou shook his head.
Xiao Ran strolled in from the side and stopped in front of them. "I was held up by something. Since I've made you guys wait for so long, it will be my treat tonight."
Little Zhou protested, "Brother Xiao, we've already agreed that I'll treat you. How can I let you…"
"Two for each of you. Have fun," Xiao Ran interrupted him.
"Brother Xiao is so generous!" Little Zhou smiled and gave him a thumbs up.
"Let's go in," Xiao Ran called out.
The four of them entered Chunfang Court.
Meanwhile, at the Qingyuan Bookstore,
just as the shopkeeper was about to close the store, a scholar arrived. He wore a long green robe with four small words written on his chest—Dragon Lake Institute.
The Dragon Lake Institute had built up a great reputation in the Great Xia Kingdom. Its fame was no less inferior to the Divine Sword Guards.
When the scholars were learning, they could also evolve their Immense Righteous Energy.
Any scholar who successfully perfected the Immense Righteous Energy would be able to achieve twice the results with half the effort once they started practicing other skills. They were the nemesis of all demons and monsters.
The shopkeeper did not dare to be careless and welcomed him warmly. "Sir, do you want to buy paintings? Or sell paintings?"
"Any top-class masterpiece?" Chen Wenheng asked.
"Sir, your luck is really good today. If you had come a bit earlier, there wouldn't have been any that I can recommend. Just a moment ago, I spent a big fortune to procure three of the best family heirloom works of art." The shopkeeper spread out Xiao Ran's three paintings.
A monk, a huge sword, and a sun.
Gasp!
Chen Wenheng took in a breath sharply. With his discerning ability, he instantly recognized that these three paintings were unquestionably extraordinary.
The artist must have reached an extremely advanced level in the art of painting to be able to produce three ordinary paintings using average paper that could project into the 'Real Realm'.
"I want them all!" Chen Wenheng spoke excitedly.
"The cost of each painting is 10,000 taels of silver. If you really want it, I'll give you a discount. 29,900 taels," said the shopkeeper.
"I-I don't have that much money?"
"So how much do you have?"
"Six thousand taels."
"That puts me in a very difficult position!" The shopkeeper retrieved the painting from the scholar's hand.
"Can I just take one painting?" Chen Wenheng was unwilling to give up just like that.
The shopkeeper put on an act and bargained with him for a while. He gave the impression that he was on the losing end and eventually agreed to accept six thousand taels of silver.
As he watched his departing silhouette,
the shopkeeper whispered, "I simply love dealing with these nerds from the Dragon Lake Institute."
Back home,
Chen Wenheng excitedly called his newly acquired concubine over.
"Yuemei, come out quickly. I found something good."
A humble-looking pretty girl, youthful and innocent, came out from one of the inner rooms and looked at his raised right hand. "Another painting?"
"This painting is different. Look!" Chen Wenheng unrolled the painting.
He had chosen the painting of the monk.
As soon as he unrolled the painting, a wisp of purifying spiritual force within the painting sensed the spectral aura and transformed into a stream of elemental force that zealously devoured the surrounding spiritual aura.
Whump!
Golden light radiated out and illuminated the painting.
The young monk in the painting came to life as well. His eyes widened in fury as he absorbed more and more spiritual energy until he was able to walk out of the painting.
Xiao Ran did not use any dragon blood on these three paintings. He only used a bit of purifying spiritual force.
Even so, the young monk was able to unleash a Connate Realm Level 5 aura.
"Brazen monster, I can tell with a single look that you aren't human! I want you to help me evolve my skills!" The young monk berated.
Yuemei's expression changed dramatically. In the face of this golden light that contained purifying spiritual force, she revealed her original form right away and reverted to a female ghost.
She looked at the young monk in terror and fled into the darkness.
"Where do you think you're going?" The young monk took a step forward.
He re-appeared in front of her, opened his mouth wide and swallowed her whole.
The golden light vanished and the young monk returned to the painting.
The painting fell to the ground and became what it was before.
Thump!
Chen Wenheng looked as if he had made a trip through the gates of hell and back. Cold sweat drenched his entire body as he fell to the ground weakly.
"She, she's a ghost! She actually pretended to be a human!"
He thought about how he had been getting weaker and weaker during this period of time. He was clearly young and full of vitality, and had strong Yang energy. Yet he almost had to support himself against the wall to walk.
He was finally enlightened.
It was as if he had broken free from some kind of shackle and experienced an epiphany in the Immense Righteous Energy. From then on, all glory, splendor, wealth, and riches would be in his hands, reversing his destiny, overturning heaven and earth.
At the Chunfang Court,
in a luxurious private room,
sat four men around the table.
The dishes were served, and eight young and beautiful women in sexy attire walked in gracefully.
Little Zhou and the others took one in each arm.
The remaining two young women approached Xiao Ran but were waved away. "No need."
"Brother Xiao, I'm not picking at you, but since you've already spent the money, you can't just simply drink, right?" Little Zhou said.
"You guys go enjoy yourselves." Xiao Ran shook his head.
Little Zhou and the others left with their companions.
Xiao Ran waved and gestured for the remaining two to leave.
"Master, this must be your first time here, right? Are you feeling a little uptight?"
"Our service is very good. We take good care of everything. I guarantee that you will be satisfied."
The two of them edged closer towards Xiao Ran from both sides.
When she was out of Xiao Ran's sight, her beautiful face changed into a set of white skeletal bones, sinister and ghastly. She opened her mouth and sucked vehemently, intending to devour his Yang energy.
"Ah…" Before they could even get a taste of Xiao Ran's Yang energy, they each let out an appalling scream.
A layer of golden light rose from his body, overbearing in its tyranny over all life and matter. Its almighty suppressing energy deflected the two creatures and sent them flying.