Chapter 104 - 98: Returning to Yunzhou Again
Then, he took a deep breath and said slowly, "Good work. Tell the men I want the gold and valuables, and I want Vulture Ridge’s forces as well. Bring them all back."
"As you command!"
After receiving the order, the messenger withdrew.
Meanwhile, Lu Yuan had already brought the refinement of his spleen to the Perfection Realm.
At the same time, he consumed another Earth Essence Fruit, which was also a Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasure for Spleen Refining.
Once in his mouth, it transformed into a dense wave of Qi and Blood that spread throughout Lu Yuan’s body.
It finally converged on his spleen.
Then, an earthy-yellow halo shone forth, a truly mystical sight.
If Lu Yuan could use Introspection, he would discover that his five viscera were all blooming with faint halos. His heart was a fiery red, his liver shone with an emerald-green brilliance, his spleen was covered in an earthy yellow, his lungs were a brilliant gold, and his kidneys pulsed with an azure Divine Light.
As time passed, the Qi and Blood in Lu Yuan’s body grew more and more vigorous, perhaps because the five elements had now gathered.
The commotion from his breakthrough was immeasurably grander than that of an ordinary person.
A massive amount of Life Essence Qi billowed from his mouth and nose.
At this moment, the five elements circulated within him, forming a world of their own. The Mixed Element Qi had also grown more robust. It had not stopped its work; instead, it continued to refine Lu Yuan’s five viscera.
It caused his physical body to metamorphose in an even more mysterious and unpredictable direction.
VMMMM!
As his muscles trembled and the surrounding air began to hum, Lu Yuan knew he had broken through.
He then opened his system panel.
[Name: Lu Yuan]
[Age: 17]
[Cultivation Technique: Third-Grade Cultivation Skill "Wind and Thunder General-Slaying Saber Technique" (39310/50000 Entering the Stance)]
[Third-Grade Cultivation Skill "Tiger Subduing Posture" (Blood Movement), (0/1000 Minor Achievement)]
[Fourth-Grade Cultivation Skill "Blood Refining Golden Bell Shield" (1037/1000 Minor Achievement, Breakthrough?)]
[Second-grade Array "One-Character Long Snake Formation" (29481/30000 Perfection). Additional Effects: Defense Enhancement, Chasing Kill.]
[Second-Grade Cultivation Skill "Torrential Rain Arrow Skill" (29813/30000, Perfection)]
A look of satisfaction appeared in Lu Yuan’s eyes as he read the data in his mind.
The Blood Refining Golden Bell Shield had clearly received a boost after he achieved Five Viscera Containing Spirit, allowing him to advance one step further.
"Breakthrough!"
As he let out a low shout, his entire body was instantly enveloped by a powerful energy.
His already formidable Qi and Blood Power became even purer.
Lu Yuan’s strength and Defense Power both increased to varying degrees.
He felt that if he were to fight himself from earlier in the day, he could probably beat several of them with a single punch.
Reaching the Blood Movement Realm was a massive improvement to his cultivation level.
After he stabilized his new realm, Lu Yuan let out a long breath.
Then, the panel in his mind popped up again.
[Fourth-Grade Cultivation Skill "Blood Refining Golden Bell Shield" (37/10000 Great Success)]
’Next, I should head to Yunzhou,’ Lu Yuan thought.
Seeing that the sky outside was still dark, he lay down to sleep.
The night passed uneventfully. The next morning, just as Lu Yuan stepped out of his tent, he saw Zhou Hongling walking over. She stared at him curiously and asked, "Did you break through?"
There was also a hint of concern in her eyes.
Lu Yuan nodded. "I did. I’ve reached the Blood Movement Realm."
As soon as he said this, Zhou Hongling’s face instantly lit up with a smile.
Zhou Xiong and the others were secretly stunned. Such talent was simply heaven-defying.
Only Zhou He had an ’I-knew-it’ look on his face. Clearly, he was the one who understood Lu Yuan best.
Besides, he knew better than anyone else just how terrifying Lu Yuan’s combat prowess was.
Ever since getting to know this guy, Zhou He had once even begun to doubt himself, feeling utterly useless in comparison.
However, he was completely relieved after seeing that even the once-highly-talented Wu Han had also been left far in the dust.
"Alright. It’s good that you broke through. Let’s set off, then," Zhou Hongling said, already mounting her warhorse.
As for Helian Shang and Yun Mo, they had left before dawn.
Zhou Hongling knew Lu Yuan was breaking through last night, so she hadn’t let anyone disturb him.
That was why they were only setting out now.
Lu Yuan glanced around and saw that besides his own tent, everyone else’s had already been packed up. He understood then that the entire team had been waiting for him.
Knowing this was Zhou Hongling’s doing, his heart warmed.
He then spurred his warhorse and followed.
Along the way, aside from encountering a few small, scattered groups of mountain bandits from Vulture Ridge, nothing else of note happened.
However, Zhou Hongling didn’t bother with these mountain bandits.
This area had always been a place where Dayong scouts, Northern Barbarian scouts, and various mountain bandits crisscrossed.
Now that the two imperial courts had made peace, the scouts from both sides had become much more restrained, and the numbers dispatched were far fewer than before.
But mountain bandits were as numerous as hairs on an ox in this region. With the main stronghold now destroyed, there was no need to pursue these remnant forces.
As a result, the party traveled quite quickly, especially since they had an abundance of warhorses.
After Vulture Ridge’s horse farm was seized, it was divided among the four groups.
Zhou Hongling received ten thousand horses, while Lu Yuan was allotted three thousand.
This was a considerable number. Selling them would bring in another huge sum of silver.
However, he wasn’t short on such pocket change right now and planned to wait for an opportunity to have Zhou He deliver them directly to Celestial King Stronghold.
He wanted to help Wu Han replenish his stock of warhorses.
Just like that, the group finally made it back outside Icefield Fortress before nightfall. All the warhorses were herded into a temporarily constructed corral.
Lu Yuan, meanwhile, followed Zhou Hongling to the General’s Mansion.
He had already asked her for leave while they were on the road, telling her he needed to return to Yunzhou, so today was a farewell.
Inside the main hall of the General’s Mansion, a table was laden with delicious food and a jar of wine.
"When are you planning to leave?" Zhou Hongling asked softly, placing a piece of food into Lu Yuan’s bowl with her chopsticks.