Grinding to Martial Emperor from the Border Army

Zhang He didn’t really think much of Lu Yuan.

He believed there was no need to investigate at all.

Zhang Hong, however, looked at him coldly and said, "If I tell you to go, you go. Why are you making things so complicated?"

At his words, Zhang He said no more.

In the Zhang Family, Zhang Hong still held absolute authority.

Therefore, after a moment, Zhang He nodded. "Fine. I’ll have someone look into it when I get back."

Only then did Zhang Hong say nothing more.

He then picked up his teacup and took a small sip, his eyes growing somber, his thoughts unreadable.

Meanwhile, Lu Yuan was traveling with his mother, heading toward the Northern Border without pause.

In the blink of an eye, over a month had passed. Although they hadn’t yet entered the Northern Border’s territory, they were getting close.

It was now autumn, and the temperature had begun to drop.

On this day, Lu Yuan and his group were resting in a small county town called Huayang County. After a solid month of travel, they were on the verge of entering the Northern Border and needed to buy more winter clothing and provisions.

Naturally, Zhou Xiong was tasked with these matters.

Lu Yuan didn’t have to worry about it.

As night fell, he prepared to attempt a breakthrough in his room at the inn.

After a month, having already reached the Perfection stage of Blood Movement, his body was completely saturated. All that remained was the step of Divine Containment.

If he succeeded in this step, he would advance to the Meridian Passage Realm.

At that point, he would be considered a master, more or less.

Thus, after dinner, he took out the prepared Red Blood Ganoderma from within his robes.

He swallowed it in a large mouthful.

At that moment, a vast wave of Qi and Blood Power began to circulate within Lu Yuan’s body.

A faint, blood-colored mist seeped from the pores of his skin.

His entire being—muscles, bones, blood, and internal organs—shimmered with a lustrous glow.

A torrential power spread throughout his body.

Lu Yuan felt an unprecedented sense of well-being.

Inside his body, crimson patterns throbbed without end.

A moment later, the meridians throughout his body also began to change, growing more resilient as they were nourished by his flesh, blood, and the Mixed Element Qi.

WHOOSH!

A moment later, Lu Yuan let out a long, turbid breath.

A system panel popped up in his mind.

[Third-Grade Cultivation Skill >: Meridian Passage (0/1000 to Minor Achievement)]

At this moment, Lu Yuan’s Qi and Blood had completely undergone Divine Containment, allowing him to reach the Meridian Passage Realm.

Once he finished nourishing all the meridians in his body, he would be able to condense True Essence.

Upon reaching that stage, he could become a true Captain.

And no longer just an Acting Captain.

Once he became a Captain, his rank would likely stabilize for some time.

After all, at this stage, military merits were much harder to obtain.

Moreover, with no active wars, he would have to seek out opportunities if he wanted to advance further.

Besides, he had no plans to make a move before the Celestial King Stronghold had fully developed.

He would only consider such things when the Celestial King Stronghold was strong enough to protect itself.

If he were promoted again, he wasn’t sure if he would be transferred away.

WHOOSH!

After Lu Yuan let out another turbid breath, he stood up and walked out the door.

CREAK!

As the door was pushed open, it was revealed that Zhou Xiong had returned from buying their supplies.

Seeing Lu Yuan, he said softly, "Sir, all the supplies have been purchased. It’s enough to last us until we return to Sai City."

"Mm."

Lu Yuan acknowledged him and walked toward the inn’s main hall.

After taking a seat, he said to Zhou Xiong, "We’ll rest here tomorrow and set out again the day after. Tell the men to get some good rest."

"Thank you for your consideration, Sir," Zhou Xiong said quickly.

He then took out a letter and handed it to Lu Yuan. "This was delivered by someone from the Garrison General."

Lu Yuan took the letter and opened it.

The gist of it was that the buffer zone of the Northern Border was now in chaos. Many factions had begun to move in, leading to the forces of numerous noble families entering the Northern Border itself.

It also mentioned that when the Marquis of Jiuse, Hong Cheng, was trying to annihilate the Charm Demon Sect, an information leak led to a fierce conflict during the raid on the Wanhua Courtyard.

Although some members were killed, the leaders of the Wanhua Courtyard and a portion of their elite forces still managed to escape.

As for the remaining members of the Baihua Courtyard in the various fortress cities, they had all fled long before the local Captain’s Mansions even received the news.

Clearly, someone had tipped them off.

Therefore, the Charm Demon Sect’s foundation remained intact. Moreover, they had put out the word that their feud with Lu Yuan was to the death.

After all, if it weren’t for him, the Charm Demon Sect would never have been exposed.

They now held a grudge against him for it.

Zhou Hongling had specifically instructed Lu Yuan to be extremely careful.

She feared that masters from the Charm Demon Sect might try to ambush him on his journey.

After reading the letter, Lu Yuan’s brow furrowed slightly.

A cautious expression appeared on his face. He wouldn’t have been afraid if he were alone, but his main priority now was to ensure his mother’s safety.

Therefore, if members of the Charm Demon Sect really did attack them on the road, it would be quite troublesome.

He didn’t dwell on it for too long, though. After all, he had just achieved a breakthrough.

His strength was now several times greater than before.

Still, his gaze swept over Zhou Xiong as he said, "Notify the men to be cautious these next few days. The General said that people from the Charm Demon Sect might appear."

"As you command!"

Zhou Xiong immediately cupped his fist and replied.

He then withdrew and headed toward the other Personal Guards’ rooms, clearly off to make arrangements.

Lu Yuan returned to his own room.

The night passed without incident. The next day, nearly everyone stayed inside, simply resting at the inn.

After all, this was just an ordinary county town with not much to see, and after the past several days of travel, they were truly exhausted.