"In the past, the Azure Emperor roamed the world with the Azure Dragon Qi of the Wood element, unparalleled throughout the ages, proving the Dao with strength. Even today, countless martial artists follow in his footsteps. It's just a pity that the era is long gone, and many people have forgotten his unparalleled brilliance."

"And his Azure Dragon Qi of the Wood element is enough to rank in the top ten among all Qi."

"However, the innate Yi Wood Azure Dragon Qi is extremely rare in the world. Even if you searched all over the Great Xuan, you probably wouldn't find it. As a second choice, the Six Doors of Qing Shi City have a Yi Wood Qi."

"It is already extremely difficult to enter the Qi Refining stage with the Qi of Yi Wood. If you succeed in your cultivation, your future will be bright."

"If you can find the Azure Dragon's Qi and make the two compatible, you might be able to restore the glory of the Azure Emperor."

Lin Qiancheng explained in great detail, and Li Ming nodded in agreement.

"Can I exchange my credit for it?"

Li Ming couldn't help but ask.

Lin Qiancheng rolled his eyes at Li Ming.

What do you think?

"hey-hey."

Li Ming was immediately disappointed. He knew all too well that with his meager contributions, he could never possibly exchange them for such a treasure.

While the price of a foundation-building item of this quality isn't outrageous, it's definitely not cheap either.

"However, I can exchange it for you first, and you can pay me back later..."

Seeing Li Ming's dejected look, Lin Qiancheng slowly spoke.

Li Ming is also a promising talent, with abundant energy and extraordinary potential. How could he have misjudged him before?

"Master!"

Li Ming did not hesitate and immediately performed the three kowtows.

What could he possibly have that would make the other party want him? Even if he did, he'd just take the benefits first.

If they had a master who was close to a grandmaster, the Zhao family wouldn't dare to touch him easily.

It's not unreasonable for me to avoid taking ten years of detours, right?

"You brat, when did I ever say I'd take you as my apprentice?"

Lin Qiancheng couldn't help but laugh.

He just didn't want his talent to go to waste, but he didn't expect this kid to take advantage of the situation and want to become his apprentice.

Lin Qiancheng was overwhelmed with emotion and sighed:

"I haven't even become a Grandmaster yet, how can I be worthy of being your master? With your talent, it would be better for you to find a Grandmaster as your teacher."

These words came from Lin Qiancheng's heart. After all, in his view, Li Ming might just be lacking in perspective, unaware that there are always people more capable than oneself, and that there is always something beyond one's understanding...

In Qing Shi City, he was considered a master, but outside of this place, powerful figures abound, and that is the era of great contention.

“Master, your cultivation is profound, and you treat me so well... If Li Ming does not respect you as his master, should I be expected to become your disciple...?

Li Ming didn't spell it out, but instead looked up at Lin Qiancheng and saw that the other man had a smile on his face and wasn't angry.

"good!"

"It seems I'm being pretentious."

Lin Qiancheng personally helped Li Ming to his feet.

No one would look down on such an outstanding individual who may one day be listed among the best.

Looking at the handsome and dashing young man before her, and then thinking of her good-for-nothing son, she felt a surge of anger at the thought of comparing herself to him.

“I didn’t finish what I was saying earlier… In my early years, my fellow disciples and I explored the traces of the Azure Emperor and discovered that the Azure Emperor’s cultivation method, ‘Yi Mu Zhen Gong,’ was a superior technique. Unfortunately, our cultivation method was already fixed back then, and we could not switch to it.”

Lin Qiancheng glanced at Li Ming, as if he had made up his mind.

"Now, it's perfect for you to use."

Upon hearing this, Li Ming was overjoyed.

Such a good thing?

In this world, anything that can be called a true skill is an extraordinary technique, enough to cultivate to the level of a grandmaster or even a martial saint, not to mention the legendary methods of the powerful Azure Emperor.

Li Ming even wondered if his previous life was the other party's illegitimate child.

Superior cultivation techniques and superior qi sources are priceless.

I never expected happiness to come so suddenly.

However, upon closer reflection, it seems unlikely. Its predecessor was also from the direct line of the Li family, and although it had declined, it still had a clean background.

"Come on, I'll take you to the armory."

Lin Qiancheng was overjoyed and had already regarded Li Ming as his own son.

"I've already taken care of your promotion to bronze-ranked constable."

"I'll give you the Wood Qi directly along with it."

"Will this work?" Li Ming asked hesitantly.

Logically speaking, approvals and such usually take several days.

To claim credit, prior application is also required.

"Why not?"

Lin Qiancheng reached out and pulled Li Ming, and they started walking towards the armory.

A thin, unremarkable old man with a white beard was sitting in front of the door.

【Name:? ? ? 】

[Realm Level: ???]

[Entry: ? ? ?]

However, in Li Ming's eyes, this old man was no ordinary person.

His master, the chief constable, was also puzzled, as was the old man.

He must be at least a Qi Condensation Realm expert. But then again, otherwise, such an important place as the armory wouldn't be guarded by only one person.

He must have been a formidable character when he was young.

The old man smiled and said, "Who do we have here? It's Chief Constable Lin."

Lin Qiancheng pointed at Li Ming and said, "Chief Steward Wang."

"Li Ming has been promoted to bronze-rank constable and is here to collect his Flying Cloud Robe and Flying Cloud Knife."

"And convert his merits into Yi Wood Qi. If that's not enough, deduct it from mine."

Steward Wang opened his slightly closed eyes, looked at Li Ming, and smiled brightly, saying, "Oh? Young friend Li wants to use the Qi of Yi Wood as the seed for cultivating Qi. Not bad, worthy of being a prodigy of our Six Doors."

"Of course, if Li Ming gets some more training, it's not a pipe dream for him to be on the list of successful people."

Lin Qiancheng answered on Li Ming's behalf, his voice resolute and extremely crisp.

"I'll wait and see."

Chief Steward Wang gave Li Ming a meaningful look and walked straight into the armory.

A short while later.

He then walked out with clothes and a waist knife in his left hand and a seed in his right, and handed the items to Li Ming.

Lin Qiancheng explained to Li Ming, "This is a seed of Yi Wood, which contains a kind of Yi Wood Qi. When combined with the Qi Refining chapter of the 'True Yi Wood Technique,' one can enter the Qi Refining stage."

"And this Flying Cloud Robe is made from the finest silk from the Cloud Mist Mountain in Yunzhou, crafted by the Heavenly Craft Workshop. The Heart-Protecting Mirror on your chest is enough to protect your heart meridian."

"The Flying Cloud Blade is forged from black iron and has been refined by the weapon refiners of the Divine Weapon Workshop. It is a treasured blade of the spiritual weapon level."

In this world, weapons and magical artifacts are classified into three levels: sharp weapons, spiritual weapons, and divine weapons.

These weapons are merely creations of mortals, without any grade or level, and are only suitable for combat between martial artists who have undergone body tempering.

Spiritual weapons are weapons that have reached a certain grade, ranging from the ninth grade to the first grade.

Both the Flying Cloud Blade and the Flying Cloud Robe are ninth-grade spiritual weapons, which shows the imperial court's resources. Even a mere bronze-rank constable receives such treatment.

There are also different types of divine weapons, but Li Ming doesn't understand the specifics of them, as they are too far removed from his own understanding.

However, there is a saying in the martial arts world that even the weakest divine weapon cannot compare to the strongest spiritual weapon.

The difference between the two is like that between a god and a mortal.

Because only immortals and gods could forge divine weapons, in ancient times they were also called immortal artifacts.

However, there is a special level between spiritual artifacts and divine weapons. In history, there was once a master craftsman who lamented that crafting weapons also required cultivation and was immediately dissatisfied.

He then devoted himself to research and painstaking efforts, eventually forging seven powerful weapons. Although their power was still inferior to divine weapons, they were much stronger than first-grade spiritual weapons. He could only call them pseudo-divine weapons to mock himself.

If a powerful family or sect possesses a divine weapon, it is enough to be passed down through generations, and no one dares to provoke it. After all, having a divine weapon proves that this force has produced immortals and gods in the past.

These aristocratic families and sects have profound foundations. Even in decline, they are still top-tier forces. Even without top experts in charge, when they face the catastrophe of annihilation, they can usually summon divine weapons and have them wielded by experts at the Martial Saint level, which is enough to turn the tide.

If a descendant of a family renowned for producing divine weapons were to become the master of a divine weapon, the family's prosperity would be guaranteed for generations.

Like Da Xuan, it was precisely because he possessed divine weapons that he was able to successfully seize the world and secure his throne.

"I've already arranged leave for you. Go back and study the 'True Skill of Yi Wood' and the Qi of Yi Wood. If you're worried when you break through, you can come to me... I'll explain the rest to you in detail later."

Lin Qiancheng pulled out a secret manual from somewhere, handed it to Li Ming, and then turned and left.

He left behind only a dashing silhouette.

Li Ming flipped through it and found that the cultivation method only covered up to the middle three grades.

But that's enough for him to study for a long time.

Li Ming didn't pay any attention.

He left the Six Doors immediately, and now he needed to plan his future carefully.

...

After killing Blood Brother Five, I gained the favor of a powerful figure; life is truly comfortable.

That's just how life is!

Full of challenges and vibrant experiences!

"Enjoy life to the fullest when you're successful, lest you let your golden goblet stand empty before the moon..."

Walking on the streets of Qing Shi City, Li Ming shook his head and glanced at passersby from time to time, looking for any unusual entries.

Li Ming is now truly reaping the benefits.

A year of arduous training is not as effective as a single day of defeating the enemy.

Unfortunately, he didn't encounter any unfortunate chosen ones in this small town.

That's true. The human realm is so vast, and the Great Mystery is so vast. Even just Cangzhou alone has billions of people.

How could one possibly have the chance to meet a destined person?

I thought I was some kind of protagonist, and that I would encounter some kind of beggar with exceptional talent.

I'm overthinking it.

Lost in thought, Li Ming stopped in front of a restaurant.

We ate a lot of snacks and delicious food along the way.

But it's still not enough.

Have a good meal at this restaurant, then go home and study the techniques carefully to enter the Qi Refining stage.

Adding points cannot be done out of thin air; such a breakthrough to a higher level still depends on oneself.

The waiter was a clever-looking young man in his early twenties.

Upon seeing Li Ming arrive, he quickly put on a smile.

"Long time no see, Brother Ming."

Li Ming waved his hand, briefly searched his memory, and then remembered who this person was.

This waiter is named Ji Xiaoqi. His family is poor and he has no talent in martial arts, so he started working at a young age to earn money to support his family.

When the original owner of this body occasionally came here for a meal, he was the one who treated him.

He was quick-witted and had a pleasing way of speaking, but he was also serious about his work, which made him quite popular with the shopkeeper.

How have you been lately?

“Brother Li Ming, you don’t know, a few months ago there were some strange things happening in the outer city. People kept disappearing for no reason.”

Ji Xiaoqi poured out his grievances.

"This month has been alright, but there was a period a while ago when I was so scared that I didn't dare to go home."

Li Ming's predecessor never extorted merchants or exploited the people.

He has a good reputation among the locals.

Therefore, Ji Xiaoqi did not hide anything and told everything she had seen and heard.

"Multiple missing persons cases?"

Li Ming raised an eyebrow, vaguely remembering something.

Over the years, for reasons unknown, many case files have gone missing, and many people have died suddenly.

Even if you report it to the police, it usually ends up being left unresolved.

It is said that bandits are rampant and they specifically target lone martial artists.

The Blood Bandits and other bandits from before basically paid the price for this.

That was the final decision, and nothing more was said.

Chief Constable Lin Qiancheng was deeply troubled by this and significantly increased the bounty on these bandits.

"So, it's best to stay indoors after dark."

Li Ming's eyes flickered, and he gave him some instructions.

In this world, although the imperial court possesses authority.

However, they couldn't stop those martial arts fanatics or demonic villains, who were all unscrupulous and acted arrogantly.

Ordinary people are just that miserable; they might get killed any day and lose both their money and their life.

I went up to the second floor and sat in a quiet, secluded corner near the window. I ordered a jar of liquor, a large portion of beef, a fatty chicken, a roast duck, goose feet, and several large bowls of rice.

He also instructed the shopkeeper to prepare some easily stored food for him to take home.

Soon after, the food we ordered was served, along with a few side dishes.

Restaurant owners are all adept at navigating social situations. Although Li Ming was just a constable, he didn't want to cause any trouble. While it's true that someone who can run a restaurant must have connections, dealing with petty thugs is a real pain.

This is also a hidden benefit of having a government background.

"This boss is quite savvy," Li Ming thought to himself.

"Sir, if you have anything else to say, please give me your instructions. I'll take my leave now."

Li Ming was not exactly refined either. He picked up his wine and took a sip, then grabbed a large piece of beef and began to eat it in large bites.

Practicing martial arts is incredibly expensive and draining, which is why ordinary people without the aptitude for it don't even consider it. Instead of pursuing the elusive path of martial arts, they might as well save up some money to get married, have children, and create a new character.

"Snow Tiger Gang is on business, everyone else please disperse..."

Downstairs, a low shout rang out. Li Ming turned his gaze to a group of people below, each wearing the same distinctive clothing with a large white worm embroidered on it.