Chapter 92 : Chapter 92
Chapter 92. Both Reached Minor Mastery!
Xu Yuan made a round with Tian Yang and gained a general understanding of the medicinal fields.
First, the medicinal fields covered a vast area and were divided into nine plots, with each plot assigned one Five Meridian Chief Guard.
As for the Seventh Meridian Chief Overseer, he was often in secluded cultivation. Other than returning to the prefectural manor at the end of each month to report on the situation, he basically never showed himself the rest of the time.
Aside from that, each medicinal field cultivated different treasure herbs, such as Field Ding, where Xu Yuan was stationed.
The main crops there were Triline Flowers and Ice Pearl Grass, the two principal ingredients used to refine Heqi Powder.
And as the Chief Guard, Xu Yuan could take a small amount for himself as long as it did not affect the monthly quota supply. This was also one of the hidden benefits of the place.
As he considered this, Xu Yuan returned to his residence.
He discovered that Xiao Qi and the other two had already put the small courtyard in impeccable order.
The bluestone ground had been swept spotless, the tea set on the stone table had been arranged neatly, and even the fallen leaves beneath the old scholar tree had been carefully picked up.
His footsteps paused slightly. His gaze swept across the courtyard, and feeling satisfied, he spoke.
“Nicely done.”
Xiao Qi, who had been bent over wiping down a corridor pillar, immediately turned around at the sound of his voice. Seeing that it was Xu Yuan, a flattered and delighted smile instantly spread across his face, and he bowed.
“Thank you for your praise, sir! These are all duties that we should be doing.”
The other two servants beside him also hurriedly stopped their work and bowed respectfully, unable to hide the joy in their eyes.
To gain the approval of this young Chief Guard was, to them, tremendous encouragement.
Xu Yuan nodded, said no more, and went straight into the quiet room.
…
In the days that followed, Xu Yuan’s life gradually became regular and orderly.
During the day, he either trained his movement technique and tempered his Iron Garment Art in the woods behind the small courtyard, or circulated Jade Platform Stance Art in the quiet room, accumulating qi and blood in preparation for breaking into the Sixth Meridian.
As the Chief Guard, Xu Yuan’s official duties truly were leisurely. Aside from listening each day to Gao Xiaosong’s brief routine reports and handling a few trivial matters that were hardly worth mentioning, there was almost nothing that required his concern.
Though Gao Xiaosong still behaved coldly, his attitude could still be considered respectful.
He handled the transfer and reporting of affairs rigidly and methodically, leaving no fault for others to pick at. At the very least, he had some self-awareness and knew how to keep up proper appearances.
Xu Yuan was happy to enjoy the peace. As long as the man did not stir up trouble, he was content to leave him alone.
During this period, Tian Yang would occasionally come to talk with him, telling him interesting stories or hidden undercurrents within the medicinal fields.
From him, Xu Yuan learned that Gao Xiaosong’s Fifth Meridian elder brother had ultimately been assigned to serve as a Street Guard in the Tier-3 Area—the very post Xu Yuan had previously held.
However, it was said that the man had taken over a relatively prosperous commercial district, so the position was clearly full of profit and opportunities.
But for Gao Xiaosong, that probably still did not compare to the freedom of having the two brothers rule over this medicinal field together as they pleased.
After hearing it, Xu Yuan merely smiled faintly.
As long as Gao Xiaosong knew his place, Xu Yuan would not take this small resentment to heart.
…
Time flowed on quietly like water.
In the blink of an eye, twelve days had passed.
July 28.
Early that morning, the summer heat still lingered.
A thin layer of morning mist floated in the air, veiling both distant mountains and nearby trees in a hazy gauze and giving the scenery a serene charm of its own.
Whoosh!
Deep in the woods behind the small courtyard, a figure shot out like lightning!
Xu Yuan’s toes tapped lightly across damp soil and exposed tree roots, his body so fast that it nearly left afterimages, making it difficult for the naked eye to follow.
Wherever he passed, only the disturbed branches and leaves trembled softly, and gathered dew pattered down in droplets.
Xu Yuan could clearly feel the cool wind slicing past his ears. The exhilaration and freedom brought by such extreme speed was intoxicating.
Swish!
The figure came to an abrupt stop beneath an old pine tree thirty zhang away.
Xu Yuan turned and looked back, his gaze calm.
“Not bad. For a hundred-meter distance, it probably took around four seconds.”
Xu Yuan silently estimated his speed in his heart.
Thanks to the feedback from his improved aptitude, the training progress of Roaming Dragon Step had far exceeded expectations. Just yesterday, it had naturally advanced into the Minor Mastery stage.
Even the muscle lines in Xu Yuan’s legs had become smoother, full of explosive power.
That stretch just now had been roughly a hundred meters, and he had covered it in only around four seconds.
That was a speed that had once been hard to imagine.
And more importantly, Roaming Dragon Step emphasized not just straight-line speed, but also movement, turns, and shifts within a tiny space—its strange and nimble agility, like that of a roaming dragon.
With that thought, his mind stirred slightly, and the panel in his mind quietly unfolded.
[Skills: Taiji Calisthenics (Perfected 100%), Jade Platform Stance Art (Minor Mastery 31%), Benlei Fist (Major Mastery 63%), Roaming Dragon Step (Major Mastery 1%), Iron Garment Art (Major Mastery 2%)]
[Aptitude: 28 (Unpolished Fine Jade)]
“Very good. Everything is progressing steadily.”
A smile touched Xu Yuan’s lips, and he felt satisfied with this pace.
The progress displayed on the panel had changed almost completely.
Iron Garment Art had already reached Minor Mastery three days ago, and together with Roaming Dragon Step, it had brought him a total of 3 points of aptitude improvement.
That meant his cultivation speed had not slowed in the slightest despite the greater difficulty of comprehension.
“Next, I should practice Iron Garment Art a bit more.”
After settling his thoughts and finishing his running warm-up, Xu Yuan began cultivating Iron Garment Art.
The moment he circulated the technique, the muscles beneath his skin and flesh shifted slightly and tightened. Though the bronze-like sheen had disappeared, that layer of tough protection had already become nearly instinctive.
Ordinary blades and swords could no longer break through his defense unless wielded by a martial artist of the same realm using their qi and blood strength to the fullest.
As for Benlei Fist, he had not completely set it aside either.
It was just that further improvement after reaching Major Mastery required an even larger amount of qi and blood. Only after all six meridians were connected and his qi and blood rose to another level would he be able to sustain that kind of expenditure.
Overall, this period of quiet cultivation had brought him abundant gains.
Xu Yuan was in a good mood. He withdrew his stance and slowly walked out of the woods.
Just as he neared the small courtyard again, he saw Tian Yang hurrying over from the direction of the guard station.
“Brother Yuan, I finally found you!”
A bit of delight showed on Tian Yang’s face. As he came closer, he lowered his voice and said, “Over at Azure Dragon Lake, our people caught two ‘treasure fish’!”
“Treasure fish?” Xu Yuan’s brow lifted slightly.
“That’s right!”
Tian Yang explained, “Azure Dragon Lake is the shared water source for all nine medicinal fields. Nourished by spiritual energy, it occasionally gives rise to some rare fish species. The spiritual energy contained in their flesh is purer than the treasure meat of ordinary beasts of the same tier, and it’s also easier to absorb.”
“It’s just that they’re extremely rare, so it’s not often you run into them. The two caught this time, judging by their size and spiritual energy fluctuations, are probably already at the Three Transformation realm. That counts as a rare harvest.”
Hearing this, Xu Yuan became interested.
He had heard of treasure fish before. They truly were far rarer than ordinary treasure meat.
“Then let’s go take a look.”
The two of them immediately headed toward Azure Dragon Lake.
…