Chapter 101.1: The Three-Month Promise; The Mind at Peace; One Slash to Kill Chen Shan! (I)

In the cover of night, a cool breeze blew. At some point, the streets had become completely empty. Lu Changsheng could only hear his own footsteps, echoing clearly in his ears.

Gradually, Lu Changsheng came to a stop. He did not even turn around as he calmly said, "You've been following me for a long time. Show yourself."

His voice echoed throughout the street, yet no one appeared. Lu Changsheng slowly tightened his grip on the saber hilt.

Just as Lu Changsheng was about to draw his saber, a familiar voice reached his ears. "Brother Dao."

Lu Changsheng turned around and saw a woman dressed in black. "

Hm

? Miss Yun?"

Her face was veiled, but he recognized her at a mere glance. She was Yun Haitang!

"Brother Dao, I've been looking for you for a long time, but there hasn't been any news of you. Now that the Alum Core Ore has surfaced, I figure you'd come to see it for yourself, so I waited outside the Far Ocean Merchant Association. I didn't expect that I'd really get the chance to see you," Yun Haitang said slowly. She had actually been searching for Lu Changsheng all this time.

However, Lu Changsheng had already left Zhanhai City back then, so she couldn't find him.

"I see," Lu Changsheng replied. Then, he asked, "Is there anything you need from me?"

"It's not convenient for us to speak here. Please follow me, Brother Dao."

Yun Haitang turned around and executed her movement technique, vanishing into the night. Lu Changsheng and Yun Haitang were already old acquaintances. They were not especially close, but there was a certain amount of trust between them.

Moreover, Yun Haitang was clearly still an Organ Refinement martial artist, so Lu Changsheng had nothing to fear. He followed closely behind her and disappeared into the darkness as well.

Before long, the two of them leapt over a wall and slipped into a secluded courtyard. Yun Haitang entered the house and removed her black veil.

"Miss Yun, you didn't seek me out just to reminisce, did you? Do you have news related to the Alum Core Ore?" Lu Changsheng asked, thinking of the Alum Core Ore. At present, the biggest news in Zhanhai City was the Alum Core Ore.

Yun Haitang shook her head and said, "The Alum Core Ore is something that only Divine Strength experts can fight over. I don't have the strength to compete for it. This time, I came to find you because I wish to ask for your help.

"Brother Dao, do you know my real identity?"

"I do not." Lu Changsheng had never investigated Yun Haitang. An Organ Refinement martial artist was not worth the effort.

"I am a disciple of the Heavenly Maiden Sect. The Heavenly Maiden is about to step down, resulting in disciples competing for the chance to become the next Heavenly Maiden.

"Last time, I risked my life to steal fire seeds from the Divine Fire Palace in order to reach the peak of Organ Refinement. Only those at the peak of Organ Refinement are qualified to become one of the candidates.

"However, to become the Heavenly Maiden of this generation, the candidates must fight and kill each other. According to the rules of the sect, one may seek external aid—a Dao Guardian. They can rely on that Dao Guardian to compete for the position of Heavenly Maiden.

"I wish to invite you to become my Dao Guardian and help me fight for the position of Heavenly Maiden."

It turned out that Yun Haitang was actually a Heavenly Maiden candidate of the Heavenly Maiden Sect. As for the sect, Lu Changsheng had gained a basic understanding of it after joining the Four Seas Gang. When he had been choosing which force to join in Zhanhai City, he had investigated the city's major sects.

The Heavenly Maiden Sect was among them. It was a special sect, as it only accepted women as disciples. Moreover, it didn't forbid marriage. On the surface, this seemed like it would weaken the sect's strength, but in reality, it had instead allowed the sect to develop an intricate and wild web of connections.

On the surface, the Heavenly Maiden Sect did not seem particularly powerful. Yet anyone who tried to move against it would find them even more troublesome than dealing with the Four Seas Gang. After all, no one knew when a hidden expert bound to the sect by unseen ties could emerge to protect it.

"Dao Guardian..." Lu Changsheng revealed a faintly amused expression. A so-called Dao Guardian was a dangerous role. After all, Yun Haitang could seek a Dao Guardian, and so could the other candidates. Moreover, the Dao Guardians chosen by the others would surely be Divine Strength experts.

Yun Haitang seemed to understand what Dao Shi'er was trying to say with just his facial expression.

"The Heavenly Maiden Sect will prepare many treasures for the Heavenly Maiden," she added, "Among them is a drop of Azure Heaven Water. A drop of Azure Heaven Water can allow a Divine Strength martial artist to undergo marrow transformation and blood replacement once. If you help me become the Heavenly Maiden, I will give that drop of Azure Heaven Water to you."

Lu Changsheng's heart stirred. A single drop of Azure Heaven Water allowed one to go through marrow transformation and blood replacement. With his current strength of eighty cauldrons, such a transformation would add another ten cauldrons of strength.

He would then be one step closer to the Hundred Cauldrons Stage.

"That is not enough," Lu Changsheng calmly remarked.

Just a single drop of Azure Heaven Water was not enough to make him fight to the death. Yun Haitang seemed to know that a drop of Azure Heaven Water alone was insufficient. Hence, she added, "Once I become the Heavenly Maiden, I'll give all my remaining fire seeds to you. What do you think about that?"

The fire seeds from the Divine Fire Palace were indeed wondrous. They could not trigger marrow transformation and blood replacement, but prolonged use could purify the blood and cleanse distracting thoughts. It'd probably be more beneficial than gaining ten cauldrons of strength.

After weighing the benefits, Lu Changsheng still shook his head. "Still not enough."

Yun Haitang's face turned slightly pale. In truth, he had already offered everything she could offer. She was different from the other candidates. She came from humble origins and had no family backing at all.

Everything depended solely on herself. Even her previous theft of fire seeds from the Divine Fire Palace was a massive, risky undertaking. Since she had decided to compete for the position of the Heavenly Maiden, she needed a Dao Guardian, and the only expert she could think of was none other than Dao Shi'er.

Yun Haitang stared at Dao Shi'er's calm gaze, and she realized something. She took a deep breath and gnashed her teeth before saying, "So you want my primordial yin. Not a bad choice. The primordial yin of Heavenly Maiden Sect disciples, especially those at the Divine Strength Realm, can help Divine Strength martial artists break through bottlenecks.

"I can give you my primordial yin, but I ask that you agree to one condition. Only take my primordial yin after I've advanced to the Hundred Cauldrons Stage.

"The higher my realm, the greater the benefit you'll experience when attempting a breakthrough into the Divine Fortification Realm.

"Moreover, only by reaching the Hundred Cauldrons Stage can I control my overall situation and secure my standing without suffering a decline in strength due to the loss of my primordial yin."

This was her condition, and it showed her utmost sincerity.

𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

"

Your

primordial yin?" Lu Changsheng was briefly stunned. He immediately understood what she was talking about and added, "When did I ever say that I wanted to take

your

primordial yin?"

Yun Haitang froze slightly, and then her face flushed. It seemed she had misunderstood. It turned out that Dao Shi'er wasn't even aware of the benefits a primordial yin could offer to someone.

"However, since you were willing to offer something like that, you're definitely sincere. I will agree to become your Dao Guardian and help you fight for the Heavenly Maiden position. It's in three months, isn't it? By then, I'll personally make a trip to the Heavenly Maiden Sect."