Chapter 492 - 474: Medicine Valley, Exotic Beast
Pei Jiuxing snapped back to his senses. With a bitter smile, he took out the porcelain bottle from his chest pocket and handed it over.
"Commander Su, this is the Dragon Tendon Pill. Please take it."
Su Yu did not stand on ceremony. He took the Dragon Tendon Pill, inspected it, and his mood instantly brightened.
Three days, two battles, two Dragon Tendon Pills! Such a harvest was truly delightful!
Moreover, the Skill Level of the Demon Ape Demon-Vibrating Saber was also increasing rapidly.
[Martial Arts]: Demon Ape Demon-Vibrating Saber (Great Success 3330/4000)
It was on the verge of Perfection. Once it broke through, his Saber Technique Realm would elevate significantly once again!
"Brother Su, you’ve hidden your strength quite deeply. I didn’t expect you to be holding back during your battle with Cao Yanran the day before yesterday. It makes me itch for a fight; we should spar sometime," Li Jingfeng said, stepping forward with his arms crossed, a trace of fighting spirit igniting in his eyes.
Su Yu knew the other man had misunderstood, assuming he had been hiding his strength, but he didn’t explain further. After all, a single Dragon Tendon Pill had increased his Skill Level by one thousand points. Such an astonishing speed of improvement was better left concealed.
Gu Changfeng’s mountain-like figure lumbered over. Glaring at Su Yu with his large, bell-like eyes, he spoke in a booming, muffled voice, "Su Yu, your strength is decent. You have the qualifications to compete for the Nomination Order. However, your physique is a bit too frail. Did you not eat enough Treasure Medicine when you were little? When I was a kid, I found a few stalks of Treasure Medicine in the mountains, and after eating them, I grew this big."
Before Su Yu could reply, Li Jingxuan chimed in with a scoff, "Don’t listen to his nonsense. That massive frame of his isn’t something just a few stalks of Treasure Medicine could produce.
"However, Su Yu, your talent is the exact opposite of Gu Changfeng’s. This guy has average comprehension and relies entirely on the brute strength of his Spirit Tier bone structure. Your comprehension, on the other hand, is astonishing. You’ve managed to comprehend all three types of ’momentum’ to such a profound Realm."
In truth, Su Yu’s bone structure had already reached the Profound Tier, which wasn’t bad at all. It was just that most of the geniuses in the Inner City possessed a Profound Tier bone structure, making his seem ordinary in comparison. As for the Spirit Tier, Gu Changfeng was the only one he had ever met with it, proving just how exceptionally rare it was.
"Let’s go. Su Yu won today, so the three of us should go out for drinks," Li Jingfeng said, inviting the two of them to head to an Inner City tavern.
Su Yu nodded. Since Li Jingfeng was offering the invitation, he naturally wouldn’t refuse.
"Jingfeng, is Ning Cai at home? I picked up a Stepping Technique Secret Manual over at Cangya Pass, and it’s perfect for her to practice," Gu Changfeng enthusiastically asked as he caught up with Li Jingfeng.
As the three walked away, several members of the Inner City factions watched their retreating backs, a flicker of realization in their eyes.
Su Yu had clearly gained the approval of Li Jingfeng and even Gu Changfeng, successfully integrating into their exclusive circle. He was no longer just some newly promoted Commander from the Outer City without any backing! If they didn’t hurry to befriend a Great Commander with such boundless prospects now, how could they not regret it in the future?
Su Yu drank with the two men at the tavern for a few hours before finally leaving, completely satiated with food and wine.
During the meal, the three of them exchanged numerous insights into Martial Arts, which drastically changed the other two’s perception of Su Yu yet again. After all, Su Yu now possessed the Martial Arts God trait of the White Ape Saint Body. His comprehension was far beyond that of an ordinary person.
As Gu Changfeng put it, "Su Yu, your damn brain is brilliant! If I had even half your wits, Ning Cai wouldn’t despise me."
Of course, this comment earned another sharp jab from Li Jingfeng. "Changfeng, she mainly despises you because you’re ugly. Otherwise, Ning Cai wouldn’t mind."
"..."
After the drinking session, Su Yu gained a deeper understanding of both Li Jingfeng and Gu Changfeng. This was especially true for Gu Changfeng; the man was simply too unique.
Su Yu’s appetite was already three to five times that of a normal person, but Gu Changfeng had actually eaten three times as much as Su Yu! When he ate, it was like feeding a bottomless abyss. Under Su Yu’s Divine Sense, the food he consumed could visibly be seen churning into Qi and Blood.
Su Yu could only marvel at him, thinking that he truly lived up to his Spirit Tier bone structure.
The next morning, the air was cloaked in thick mist.
Su Yu ingested the Dragon Tendon Pill he had won the day before and began an intensive training session to advance his progress in the Cyan Wood Shadow Ape Fist.
[Cyan Wood Shadow Ape Fist Skill Level +80]
[Cyan Wood Shadow Ape Fist Skill Level +110]
...
[Martial Arts]: Cyan Wood Shadow Ape Fist (Great Success 2900/4000)
In the end, his Martial Arts progress stopped at 2900 points.
"Another one thousand points and then some. This Dragon Tendon Pill is absolutely addictive!"
Su Yu’s eyes burned with fervor. With this Dragon Tendon Pill, his Martial Arts progress would advance by leaps and bounds. If he could just get his hands on one more, it would probably push his Martial Arts straight to the Great Perfection stage!
"Zhen’Er, I’m heading to the Shi Family in the Inner City for a visit today. Have someone ask around about the Dragon Tendon Pill from the Liu family again."
"Understood, Brother Su. Go on without worry. I’ll make the arrangements regarding the Dragon Tendon Pill." Zhen’Er paused her Swordsmanship practice, her delicate collarbones rising and falling softly with her breaths.
"Zhen’Er, how many Tiger Sinew Pills are left in the Su Mansion? Are they enough for your daily training?" Su Yu furrowed his brows as the thought suddenly occurred to him. Zhen’Er’s acupoints were fully opened; as long as her Great Tendon Tempering kept up, her breakthrough would come naturally. It would be quite troublesome if her progress were delayed due to a lack of Pills.
Zhen’Er nodded. "Brother Su, it’s enough for now. However, the Silver in the Treasury is running low. We need to find a way to generate some revenue."
"Alright. Don’t skimp on your Tiger Sinew Pills. The most important thing is that your Realm breakthroughs keep up pace. As for the silver taels, I figure we should have some income within the next few days," Su Yu said with a faint smile.
The eastern sector of Wanbao Street had now been placed under his jurisdiction. Just a few days ago, the various factions there had still been adopting a wait-and-see attitude. But after the battle for the river jurisdiction over the past three days, he had demonstrated astonishing strength and potential. Anyone with a brain was likely already plotting how to get in his good graces.
In the Inner City, at the Shi Family.
A towering, wealthy estate sat grandly on the grounds. Its sturdy, white jade-colored walls stood five or six meters tall, built like a small fortress wall.
After the guards went in to announce his arrival, Shi Yueshan hurried out to greet him, dressed in a crisp, pristine white robe without a single wrinkle.
"Brother Su, please, come in quickly! My family has had an emergency over the past few days, so I haven’t been able to visit and formally thank you for defending the river." Shi Yueshan was as meticulous as ever, speaking with earnest gravity.
"You’re too polite, Brother Shi. I wouldn’t have come to your door today without a purpose either," Su Yu replied.
The two walked through a long corridor and several courtyards before finally stopping in a secluded, quiet courtyard. A grove of bamboo was planted here, and beneath it bloomed Lanzhi Flowers. This was a rare flora native to the depths of Tiger Roar Mountain; it could bloom for months without withering, and the fragrance it exuded could even nourish a person’s Qi and Blood.
Just a single stalk was worth dozens of silver taels.
They sat down in a room beside a pool. Looking up through the floor-to-ceiling windows, they could take in the bamboo grove, the Lanzhi Flowers, and the babbling water—a truly intoxicating atmosphere.
Su Yu couldn’t help but praise it inwardly. As expected of a prominent Inner City family. Compared to this, his Su Mansion suddenly felt a bit lackluster. Perhaps he could upgrade and renovate the Su Mansion again in the future. Nowadays, he had some power and status, and he wasn’t short on wealth.
No, actually, he was a little short on it now...
Never mind. Martial Arts was the most important thing right now. The mansion renovations could be put on the back burner.
"Brother Su, the day the Black Lotus Sect attacked Celestial Mirror River, I was tied down upstream by two Middle Dragon Tendon Incense Masters. Although I repelled them, they still managed to destroy the floodgates, causing the water to surge downstream...
"If you hadn’t stepped up in that critical moment, I fear I would have become a sinner." With that, Shi Yueshan stood up once more and bowed deeply.
"You’re too polite, Brother Shi. It was my duty."
"Even the smallest favor deserves immense gratitude. I heard that you are now in the Jiao Tendon Realm, and that you made a wager with Dragon Tendon Pills on the line. You must be trying to break through to the Dragon Tendon Realm."
Su Yu’s eyes lit up. He didn’t hide it, nodding firmly.
"I’ve been busy with exactly this matter over the past few days. I won’t lie to you—our Shi Family also has a Pill Master capable of refining Dragon Tendon Pills. However, the primary ingredient, Dragon Sinew Grass, is incredibly rare.
"A while back, our Shi Family discovered a Medicine Valley on Tiger Roar Mountain, and inside it was a patch of Dragon Sinew Grass. That Dragon Sinew Grass is just about fully matured now; it’s the perfect time to harvest it. But the day before yesterday, word came that an Exotic Beast had appeared and attacked our family’s herb-gathering team..."