Rain watched them leave, leaving Lian standing in front of him, trembling with her eyes cast down.
Rain's expression softened, and he smiled gently. "Lian, you can look up."
Lian slowly lifted her head, her eyes wide with a mixture of shock and awe as she looked at him.
"Grandmaster, do you need anything from me?" she asked humbly.
"Yes," Rain replied, "follow me." He turned, grabbed his bag from his horse, and entered the house. He walked through each room, noting that it was clean but sparsely furnished with only three chairs and a table in the living room. As he surveyed the space, he realized he would need firewood, utensils, groceries to prepare food, a bed, bedding, hay for the horse, and other essentials.
Rain turned to Lian. "I need these items," he said, listing what he required. "Can you bring them?"
Lian thought for a moment before nodding. "Yes, but I'll need help from my friends."
Rain nodded. "Okay, I'll give you 10 gold. Bring everything." He handed her 100 silver coins, knowing that gold might attract unwanted attention.
Lian bowed deeply. "Thank you, Grandmaster," she said, before turning and heading out. Rain followed her to the gate and closed it after she left.
He then walked toward the pond and directed the soul chip, *Start running the Blood Fire Palm technique.* As the chip processed the movements, Rain began practicing, feeling the intensity of the noon sun on his back. This was his first attempt at a palm technique, and he committed himself to mastering it, each motion deliberate and precise.
After ten attempts running the simulation of the Blood Fire Palm through the soul chip, Rain had barely begun to grasp the basics. He frowned, realizing that mastering this palm technique could take over a month at his current pace. This delay was unacceptable; he needed a solution. Rain knew that if he wanted to accept Gou Fan's invitation, he had to be prepared. The Gou family a immortal family there must be both immortal practitioners and grandmaster warriors. They might detect that, although his body and true energy had reached the grandmaster realm, his artistic conception was still in its infancy—at the seed stage.
To avoid this exposure, Rain needed to deepen his understanding of the vitality rules and push his comprehension to the sprout stage. Currently, his grasp amounted to just 11 light spots; he would need 64 light spots to form a complete rule seed. Achieving this would mark the first stage. The next step would be advancing to the seeding stage of vitality rules. Only then could he confidently accept the invitation without concerns.
Mastering the Blood Fire Palm was essential for this progression. Comprehending the artistic conception emanating from the Blood Fire technique would allow him to enhance his understanding of vitality. Determined, Rain resumed his practice with renewed focus. The searing afternoon sun beat down on him as he pushed himself harder, moving through the technique with precision and resolve.
Suddenly, a memory surfaced. When his understanding of the Cloud Sword Art had deepened, it had simultaneously bolstered his comprehension of both the Iron Sword Art and Shadow Sword Art. Rain's eyes narrowed in thought. Perhaps, by further developing his grasp of one elemental art, he could trigger a chain reaction that would elevate his mastery across other connected techniques.
Encouraged by this possibility, Rain considered a new strategy: practicing lower-ranked palm techniques to build a strong foundation. Mastering these simpler techniques would make it easier to master the Blood Flame Palm, while the soul chip's calculations would improve, accelerating his progress toward full mastery. He remembered obtaining a palm technique from Evil Crow and instructed the chip to transfer the details to his memory.
Closing his eyes, Rain absorbed the technique's knowledge. Its name was the Wave Palm Technique, a low-rank practice with nine moves. Each movement was designed to mimic waves crashing against a rock, with each successive palm strike growing in power until the final move unleashed the full force of the practitioner's body.
As Rain read through the technique's details, he recognized its true purpose—it was a foundational martial art aimed at teaching beginner warriors how to harness their entire body's strength with their palms. This realization sparked his interest; although he already had the ability to channel his full body's power through any strike, refining this control would be invaluable. The Wave Palm Technique would enhance his precision and efficiency, providing him with the groundwork necessary to approach the Blood Flame Palm with more skill and confidence.
With renewed determination, Rain began practicing the Wave Palm Technique. Within six attempts, he reached the master rank, and after another six tries, he achieved complete mastery. This progress led to an unexpected yet welcome development—his comprehension of the Blood Flame Palm advanced to 8% at the start rank. Rain reflected that if he could acquire and master other low, middle, and top-rank palm techniques, it would greatly enhance his ability to master the Blood Flame Palm, which was itself a fragment of a superior-rank martial art.
However, he realized he was confined for now. Lian had not yet returned, and he was wary of drawing attention to himself by seeking out martial arts schools for additional techniques. Unlike the smaller towns where he had once intimidated martial artists with ease, Wutan City was a different challenge. The city was home to the martial arts holy land, which boasted a Grandmaster of unknown strength. Moreover, each martial arts school in the city was required to have a Master-level warrior to operate. If multiple Master warriors decided to confront him, even his impressive abilities might not be enough to secure his safety.
Rain knew that patience was crucial. Until he had gathered enough information and resources, it would be wise to remain cautious and practice within the safety of his new home. This period of preparation would lay the groundwork for the challenges that awaited him in Wutan City.
For now, he decided to practice the Blood Flame Palm until Lian returned. He focused on the technique, moving through its forms until the sound of the gate opening interrupted him. Walking to where he could see the entrance, he noticed eight children, similar in age to Lian, and four teenagers hauling a cart onto his property. He stepped forward and stood in front of the house as they brought the cart to a stop. Lian approached him, her expression respectful but hopeful.
"Grandmaster, all of this cost 68 silver coins. Here are the remaining 32 silver coins," she said, handing him the money.
Rain accepted the coins and glanced at the group. "How much is all of your payment?" he asked.
Lian exchanged glances with her companions, who communicated silently before she responded, "Two silver coins."
Rain handed her two silver coins. "Now, can you all put the items in their places inside the house?"
They nodded, and Rain helped them with the heavier items, including the bed frame, as they were all visibly weak and malnourished. In a few minutes, everything was in order. The group stood quietly, except for Lian.
"Grandmaster, we'll take our leave now," Lian said.
"Wait," Rain interrupted. "I checked the food supplies, and they will last me two days. I'd like you to return in two days to bring more supplies. I will pay you ten bronze coins for this."
The eyes of Lian and the others lit up at the promise of extra income, and they nodded eagerly. "Yes, Grandmaster," Lian replied.
"I have one more question," Rain continued.
"What is it, Grandmaster?" Lian asked.
"I need to know where I can buy martial arts techniques," Rain said.
Lian frowned in thought until one of the teenage boys spoke up. "Golden Treasure House."
Rain's eyes narrowed with interest as he gestured for the boy to elaborate.
"Golden Treasure House is where martial arts techniques are sold. They also hold auctions, and one is happening in three days," the boy explained.
"Golden Treasure House," Rain repeated, then asked, "Can any of you show me the way?"
"I can, Grandmaster," Lian said quickly.
Rain secured the demon tiger skin, intending to sell it and tool all his money to purchase palm techniques. He locked the front door, untied his horse, and guided it out. Handing the key to Lian, he instructed, "Lock the gate behind me." Lian did so and returned the key. Rain helped her onto the horse and climbed up himself. With a steady pull on the reins, they started down the mountain path toward Wutan City, the sun casting long shadows over their journey.
---
Elsewhere in Wutan City, Gou Fan strode purposefully along the busy street, weaving through the crowd until he reached a building bustling with people. Ignoring the line that snaked out the door, he walked straight inside. Above the entrance, a sign read *Gou Medical House*.
Inside, the air was filled with the low murmur of conversations and the sharp scent of medicinal herbs. Gou Fan approached a table where a veiled woman sat, her emerald eyes the only visible feature as she examined the pulse of a man seated across from her. Behind him, a queue of patients waited their turn.
Gou Fan stopped beside her. "Miss," he said softly.
The woman only hummed in response, focused on her assessment. A minute later, she released the man's wrist. "The martial art you practice requires external items to balance it, and the one you used contained fire poison. It has damaged your muscles."
The man's eyes widened in shock. "What? But my senior practices the same technique without any issues!"
The woman's gaze was calm as she replied, "Every body is different. You pushed yourself without allowing proper rest."
She wrote on a piece of parchment and handed it to him. "Stop practicing martial arts for three days, and avoid that technique for seven. Purchase this medicine and follow the instructions carefully. Also, rest for at least six hours after each session in the future."
"Thank you, Doctor Li," the man said, rising from the chair and leaving as another patient took his place.
Doctor Li stood up, signaling Gou Fan to follow her into a small, private room.
"Gou Fan, do you need something urgent?" she asked once the door was closed.
Gou Fan's expression was serious. "I found a Grandmaster. And he's under 20 years old."
Doctor Li's eyes lit up with interest. "Really? That's excellent news. Did he agree to join us?"
"Not yet," Gou Fan admitted. "I gave him two weeks to decide. If he agrees, I told him to come here and inform you."
Doctor Li's tone sharpened with determination. "Gou Fan, you're the only one who has found such a rare talent. We must secure him. Do you know where he is staying or what his name is?"
"I don't know where he is, but his name is Rain." Gou Fan continued "Are there no other Refining energy cultivator and GrandMaster warrior in the entire Xia or nearby country"
Doctor Li nodded thoughtfully. "There are but such individuals typically come from immortal sects or powerful families, and involving them would be costly. This Grandmaster you discovered must be of common background as he doesnot understand what Secret Realm is?"
Gou Fan recognized the gravity of the situation and responded with confidence. "Don't worry, miss. I'll find him in the city."
After a few more moments of discussion, they stepped out of the room. Gou Fan departed, determination in his stride, while Doctor Li resumed her work, her emerald eyes focused as she examined the next patient.