In a grassy field, space trembled one kilometer from Bright Pearl Village, and a silhouette appeared out of thin air, collapsing to the ground.
Jiang Yawen groaned, struggling to get back on her feet as she turned to look in the direction of Bright Pearl Village.
"I don't know who you are, but I promise you'll pay with your life," Jiang Yawen vowed, her eyes filled with bitterness and hatred.
The thought of losing her four juniors made her gnash her teeth, a thirst for revenge threatening to consume her. She exhaled deeply, attempting to control her erratic emotions.
"As for that snake, his fate will be worse. He'll beg me for death, but I won't grant it."
With her emotions under control, she turned and departed from the field.
…
Jun Wu returned to his mansion, where his two retainers stared at him with wide eyes. Zhang Wei opened his mouth several times as if to speak, only to close it each time.
"What?!" Jun Wu asked, growing tired of his charade.
"Ah…" Zhang Wei rubbed the back of his head and laughed awkwardly. "Young Master, did you… kill…"
Both he and Mao Yun had explored many ruins in the past, and they knew how fierce battles in ruins could be. It was a lawless place where anyone could turn on another over something valuable.
"Yes." Jun Wu nodded and quickly recounted his experience in the ruins.
When Mao Yun and Zhang Wei heard his story, their jaws dropped as they stared at their young master in disbelief.
Finally, Mao Yun recovered from his shock and said proudly, "When your father learns of this, he'll be proud."
"Where is he? Why hasn't he tried to reach me?" Jun Wu asked as he opened the black box.
Mao Yun was ready to respond, but when he saw the contents of the box, the words stuck in his throat.
"This…" Zhang Wei and Mao Yun murmured in unison.
They could count the times they had seen such shiny stones, usually given to them by Jun Wu's father.
Ordinary people like them didn't have the means to possess Spirit Stones, so seeing so many at once left them breathless.
"Young Master, you found this in the ruins?" Mao Yun asked incredulously.
Who would have expected such a common ruin to contain the coveted Spirit Stones?
Bright Pearl Village would become a battlefield if news of the Spirit Stones got out.
"Yes, I was lucky to find it," Jun Wu responded calmly. "Have you sorted through the weapons?"
A sigh escaped Mao Yun as he answered, "Yes, everything's been sorted."
Previously, he'd been stunned when he found many Low Mortal Grade weapons from the ruins, but now he realized the greatest gain lay in the black box.
"Each of you should pick a weapon of your choice. We'll sell two at the auction house, while the rest will be kept for emergencies."
"Yes, Young Master," Zhang Wei replied with a bright smile.
They had been using ordinary weapons, and obtaining a Mortal Grade weapon was rare and costly. Now, they didn't have to worry about that.
"Young Master, thank you," Mao Yun said with a deep bow.
"There's no need to thank me. You serve and protect me—how could I let you use ordinary weapons?" Jun Wu replied casually.
"You may go now. I don't wish to be disturbed."
Once his retainers left, Jun Wu took out the manuals from the box. They were old, but the materials used in their creation were of excellent quality.
The first manual was a martial technique: Mountain Destroying Fist.
As soon as he opened it, a notification sounded in his mind:
[Deduce the Mountain Destroying Fist technique? ]
[Cost: 10 Silver Coins.]
Seeing the notification, Jun Wu decided not to deduce it immediately and continued to study the manual.
The Mountain Destroying Fist was a Peak Mortal Grade technique, which surprised him.
He asked Mao Yun about the martial techniques they used in battle and learned that they were incomplete low-grade techniques.
However, this Peak Mortal Grade technique meant little to him; the memories of the ancient being contained many powerful cultivation and martial techniques.
Still, he decided to take things slowly, knowing he could copy powerful techniques for his close allies over time.
"This should be reserved for my father," he murmured, placing Mountain Destroying Fist to the side and picking up the second technique.
Contrary to the first manual, this wasn't a martial technique but a forging technique—and not just any technique, but a Spirit Grade one:
The One Hundred Folding Technique.
Filled with anticipation, he began reading the forging manual. The more he read, the more shocked he became.
Since his path differed from everyone else's, he knew he needed to stand out.
As a Grade-1 Formation Master, he anticipated needing many array flags to create powerful formations.
If he could forge these flags without relying on a blacksmith, it would be advantageous and allow him to keep his abilities hidden.
With this in mind, he realized he had to become a blacksmith.
[Deduce One Hundred Folding Technique?]
[Cost: 50 Silver Coins.]
Seeing the notification, a bright smile appeared on Jun Wu's face as he took 50 silver coins from his pouch.
"Deduce…" he commanded in his mind.
[Deducing…]
[Deducing Complete.]
…
In the Liang Clan mansion, the Liang Patriarch, the city lord, looked at his second son, his expression unchanging.
"The Jun family's luck is truly terrifying," he murmured.
News of Jun Wu finding many Mortal-Grade weapons had reached him.
Previously, he had shown goodwill by ignoring the ruins in Bright Pearl Village. However, he hadn't anticipated Jun Wu would find such valuable Mortal-Grade weapons.
"Father, what should we do? With many Mortal Grade weapons in their hands, who knows what they might attempt?" Liang Chun asked impatiently.
"I think it's time we met him," the Liang Patriarch replied in a low voice, tapping his armrest in anticipation.