Chapter 78: Fourth Level of the Sea of Qi

Wei Xuan’s words froze Ling Chi in place. Her bottom line had always been four pearls, and she set a single price, cutting off any possibility of retreat for Ling Chi.

It was bad—he’d underestimated her. This woman actually had four pearls to offer.

She certainly had more left. Just moments ago she was sincerely telling her story, then turned around and pinned Ling Chi down.

“Miss Wei, aren’t you afraid we’ll take advantage of you?” Ling Chi said with a sinister tone, feeling he was getting the short end of the deal.

Wei Xuan remained calm, not at all anxious.

“Master Zhao’s reputation is impeccable, and the Seven Star Martial Hall conducts itself with integrity. Naturally, I trust you,” she replied.

Not a single mention of me, Ling Chi thought. Has this woman figured something out?

“Master Ling, the Wei family only has these four pearls. I sacrificed my grandfather’s chance at a breakthrough to bring them here. Please do not take offense,” Wei Xuan continued, sounding genuinely earnest.

“Fine, fine, I’ll pretend to believe you,” Ling Chi rolled his eyes, awarding her an imaginary Golden Rooster for Best Actress.

Wei Xuan, relieved, raised her teacup and drank in small sips.

“According to our rules, you ought to give us all the pearls upfront. But since this is our first collaboration, you may give three for now,” Zhao Qing said, referring to the internal code of assassins: pay three-fourths at the time of order, the remaining quarter upon completion, or risk the employer’s life.

Wei Xuan took out a small jade box and handed it to Zhao Qing.

“I brought only two pearls; the other two are with my grandfather. Once the task is done, I will hand them over to Master Zhao,” she said, bowing to Ling Chi.

Zhao Qing opened the box and examined it closely, then nodded at Ling Chi, indicating everything was in order.

Ling Chi had no choice but to agree to Wei Xuan’s offer of half up front. If she failed to pay the rest, he’d simply capture her as collateral, he thought slyly.

“Miss Wei, when is your grandfather planning to act?” Zhao Qing asked.

“No later than mid-next month. I’ll send someone ahead to notify you both,” she replied.

Mid-next month, Zhao Qing mused. “Agreed. Be cautious when arranging your people. I don’t wish to walk into anyone’s trap.”

“Rest assured, Master Zhao. My grandfather may come to fetch you both personally,” Wei Xuan promised.

Master and apprentice saw Wei Xuan off.

Ling Chi took the Spirit Treasure Pearl and examined it closely. Its body was pure white, with a faint swirling luster—clearly a valuable item.

“Master, your cultivation in the Qi Sea has reached the eighth tier. With a little preparation, you can use this pearl to break through to the Spirit Pearl Realm in one go,” Ling Chi said.

“It’s not so simple. Even breaking through to the ninth tier requires time to accumulate spirit crystals. I do not wish to become the weakest in the Spirit Pearl Realm,” Zhao Qing replied, rubbing the jade box.

“Do you think Cao Hupao can’t break through the Spirit Pearl Realm? He’s strengthening his foundation, aiming for a single leap to suppress the other newly advanced warriors,” Zhao Qing continued.

Ling Chi suddenly understood.

“Master, how many spirit crystals must be gathered to have some combat power upon entering the Spirit Pearl Realm?” he asked.

Zhao Qing raised a finger, and a diamond-shaped crystal hovered on his fingertip, slowly rotating. The surging spiritual energy made Ling Chi’s mind tremble.

Upon closer inspection, tiny winds intertwined within, faintly whistling.

Once released, these winds would surely be formidable.

“Accumulate thirty or forty crystals like this, and it’s enough to break through,” Zhao Qing said.

“How many have you gathered, Master?” Ling Chi asked, curious.

“Thirty-two,” Zhao Qing replied with a sly smile. Even at the ninth tier, he could hold his own, especially since he mastered the blade force. Ordinary ninth-tier opponents were no match for him.

Ling Chi adopted a look of admiration, and Zhao Qing’s mood soared, as if he’d tasted chilled plum soup in the heat of summer. Such expressions from his apprentice were rare.

He knew his young disciple had secrets—his cultivation advanced too swiftly—but he never asked. Everyone has secrets.

“My breakthrough is near. I’ll devote myself to training for a while, hoping to reach the ninth tier soon. That way, I’ll have more confidence when going to the Wei family. Keep an eye on the Jing’an Division for me,” Zhao Qing said, his heart ablaze with the fires of vengeance. He was eager to return for retribution.

“Don’t worry, Master. I’ll take full responsibility,” Ling Chi replied with pleasure.

“By the way, Captain Cao sent word—Li Changyuan has been removed from his post in Yingzhou and is now in jail,” Zhao Qing informed him.

“That’s good. If he could escape charges of colluding with bandits, then the Jing’an Division might as well disband,” Ling Chi said in relief.

“Behind Wei Ming, there may be remnants of the Corpse Refining Sect—Qiu Zhang. We must not let our guard down,” Zhao Qing said, furrowing his brow. Qiu Zhang had been entangled with Cao Hupao for years. If he managed to escape, he must be formidable.

“That old scoundrel, just right. Second Sister and Fourth Brother’s vengeance is still unpaid. If we run into him, all the better. And Lin Xiao—who knows if he’s already advanced to become a third-tier talisman master,” Ling Chi mused. He had yet to encounter a talisman master; in the remote Northwest, such figures were exceedingly rare.

Ling Chi considered whether he should inform Cao Hupao and have him join them in Shengzhou as insurance.

But if he brought Cao Hupao in, he’d have to offer him something in return. With Cao Hupao involved, the local Jing’an Division captain couldn’t just sit by.

No, he decided. If he notified him, this journey would be in vain.

“Don’t worry, Master. If things go awry, we’ll play it covert—probe their strength, quietly take out a few, and make our move easier,” Ling Chi suggested.

“We’ll assess the situation as it develops. Leave your senior brother behind to guard the house; just the two of us will go,” Zhao Qing decided, clenching his fist.

Ling Chi acknowledged the order.

With more than a month left, they weren’t pressed for time. They could focus on advancing their cultivation and securing more benefits.

Ling Chi trained alone in the practice yard, accompanied only by the free-flowing wind.

Last night’s intense battle had granted him new insights. He felt his blade technique had improved, though he still hadn’t grasped the blade force.

He wasn’t anxious; there was no point. Such elusive things relied on sudden enlightenment, and forcing it would only harm him.

His wounds hadn’t healed, so Ling Chi focused on breathing techniques, supplemented by Eight Extremes walking stances.

He circled the practice yard repeatedly, lightning rumbling from his chest and abdomen, white vapor rising from his mouth and nose.

He trained until evening, beneath a clear moonlit sky, bathed in gentle moonlight.

His bare torso seemed capable of bearing the heavens, wrapped in violet-gold lightning. Each step shook the practice yard beneath his feet.

Despite the biting cold of winter nights, Ling Chi’s body burned like a furnace, steam rising from his skin.

“Exhale!”

He released a long stream of white breath, lowered his fists, drew the lightning back into his body, and prepared to practice his blade technique again.

Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks, a look of joy on his face.

The Thunder Pearl within him, dormant for a day, began to spin. He immediately sat cross-legged and focused inward.

The silver Thunder Pearl’s appearance hadn’t changed, its lightning still dazzling. Ling Chi’s spiritual sense approached it like an ant at the edge of an abyss, unable to perceive anything.

That ghostly green creature had vanished—likely dissolved.

The Thunder Pearl began to rotate, feeding back lightning energy.

In an instant, the sea of thunder within him surged and roared. Over a thousand strands of lightning energy were absorbed—perhaps contributed by the green creature or the headless general, or both.

His inner sea of thunder spun at breakneck speed, drawing ambient spiritual energy toward the practice yard until the sea condensed, turning slower and slower, finally coming to a gentle halt.

The concentrated sea of thunder still glowed fiercely, lightning churning within, but its spiritual energy reserves had grown substantially.

Qi Sea, fourth tier—breakthrough.