Realm-Hopping Martial Master

Whether it was the Four Symbols True Strength or the Four Seasons Blade Technique, both were above the level of Great Success.

"Master... you've come out..."

The stone gate to the Earth Fire Refining Room slowly opened.

Outside, the manager who waited there every day, upon seeing Jiang Shu emerge in a cloak, quickly glanced at the maid beside him, then approached with an embarrassed smile to greet him.

"Twenty bottles of Qi Gathering Pills."

Jiang Shu's voice betrayed no hint of joy or sorrow as he drew out the Elixirs with his True Strength. One by one, the twenty bottles landed on the table, compensating for the previous shortfall.

"Master, please wait a moment," the manager said awkwardly, rubbing his hands.

The status of a top-grade Alchemist was far beyond what he, a mere manager, was qualified to receive.

After a long while, a series of hasty footsteps approached from outside, and with a gust of fragrant breeze, the door was pushed open.

Under the cloak, Jiang Shu's brows furrowed slightly.

There she was: the purple-robed woman who had enticed so many Martial Artists to generously empty their pockets at the auction, striding toward him. The prominent curves of her bosom were strikingly apparent before Jiang Shu's eyes.

"Is this the top-grade Alchemist? This young lady greets you. I wonder, Master, have you joined the Danxia chamber of commerce? If you are on your own, our Flame Tripod Commerce is willing to hire you. We only require you to refine ten bottles of Qi Gathering Pills each month," she said.

"In terms of compensation, we will collect various scarce Elixir Recipes for you, Master. Any Cultivation Techniques or Treasures you desire, as long as our Flame Tripod Commerce possesses them, we will prioritize trading them with you."

Yu Ya'er's voice sounded as if it were whispering right into Jiang Shu's ear, sending a tingling, tender sensation through him.

Her gaze fixed intently on Jiang Shu, her eyes seeming to brim with moisture. Her snake-like waist twisted unconsciously from time to time, an innate seductiveness.

"I'm accustomed to being idle and alone."

If it were an ordinary Blood Exchange Realm Martial Artist, or even an Acupoint Passage Realm Martial Artist, they might have fallen for this woman's charms.

But Jiang Shu, having achieved a unification of essence, qi, and spirit through his alchemical pursuits, merely felt a tremor in his heart before immediately regaining his clarity.

His voice unchanged, he continued, "Please appraise them. Once confirmed, I have other matters to attend to."

"Very well." Looking at Jiang Shu with a puzzled expression, Yu Ya'er took a deep breath and checked each bottle of Elixirs extremely slowly, a hint of disappointment in her heart. However, she quickly adjusted her mood and, with a smile, took out a VIP card from her sleeve. "This is the VIP card from our Flame Tripod Commerce. With this card, Master, you can not only enjoy a ten percent discount when purchasing items from us but can also enter auctions directly without an invitation. The twenty percent commission for auctioning Treasures will also be reduced to ten percent."

"Should you join our Flame Tripod Commerce, Master, we will waive all auction fees entirely," she added, seemingly reluctant to give up, as she invited him again.

"No need." Taking the VIP card from Yu Ya'er's fair and slender hand, Jiang Shu turned and left.

「Not long after, in another room,」 an old man with a goatee came over and said, "Miss Yu, did you notice anything?"

"No, but it's strange." Yu Ya'er shook her head.

"It's normal not to notice anything. Top-grade Alchemists who have been practicing Alchemy for a long time usually possess stronger spiritual power than Martial Artists of the same Realm. Miss Yu, even though you cultivate a Cultivation Technique inherently imbued with charm, you are still only in the Blood Exchange Realm and unable to enchant such an individual."

"Just ensure a good relationship. Even in the provincial capital, a top-grade Alchemist is treated with respect by all major powers. It's just a pity we couldn't recruit him," lamented the old man with the goatee.

He failed to notice that Yu Ya'er was currently looking out the door, slightly lost in thought.

Very few people knew that her Cultivation Technique, while naturally seductive, came with a major drawback: men who had preserved their pure yang essence were more attractive to her than others. If her judgment was not wrong, the top-grade Alchemist from just now... was actually still a virgin? How could that be possible! With such a Realm and status, what kind of woman couldn't he have? This top-grade Alchemist... is truly odd. I just can't figure it out.

Shaking her head, Yu Ya'er collected her thoughts and raised her hand. Her already enchanting and exquisite face underwent some subtle changes. Her mature aura gradually vanished, replaced by an unmistakable hint of youthful greenness. Her entire face, which had previously looked to be about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, now reverted to that of someone not yet twenty.

From her Qiankun Bag, she took out a windbreaker, covering all her body's curves. She also instantly put on a thin gauze veil, hiding that trace of stunning beauty.

"Elder Qian, this period of practical experience has been fruitful. I can feel that my Cultivation Technique is about to reach the entry-level. Thank you for your care during this time."

"You're too kind, Miss Yu. My Realm can only go so far; I've failed to reach the Detachment Realm despite two attempts. Perhaps the next time we meet, your strength will far surpass mine. I hope that after you return to the provincial capital, Miss Yu, you will achieve a breakthrough in one fell swoop and ascend the Little Dragon Tiger List!" The old man with the goatee wore a joyful expression as he smilingly congratulated her.

「Meanwhile,」 Jiang Shu, after leaving the Flame Tripod Commerce and repeatedly confirming that no one was following him, changed his cloak and headed straight for the Danxia chamber of commerce.

"Young Master Jiang, this is the current Little Dragon Tiger List."

"The biggest change is Chu Xisheng, the genius from the provincial capital's Chu Family. He has continuously challenged others and fought his way directly to the twenty-third position, achieving a draw with Zhao Zhongming. Another change concerns Yu Ya'er from the Flame Tripod Commerce. She was originally ranked ninth, but due to her absence for the past half-year and no new achievements, she has been moved down to twelfth position this time."

Jiang Shu held the Little Dragon Tiger List while another manager, who specialized in this matter, provided additional details.

Chu Xisheng, Zhao Zhongming. Jiang Shu hadn't expected to hear these two familiar names so soon after arriving.

He had long heard of Zhao Zhongming's reputation. If things went as expected, Zhao Zhongming was now waiting for him at the Danxia chamber of commerce in the provincial capital. The moment he stepped into the provincial capital, he would face a thunderous attack.

It seems Zhao Zhongming's strength is even greater than I imagined, Jiang Shu mused.

Chu Xisheng was already a late-stage Blood Exchange Realm Martial Artist and, being from a noble family, definitely mastered peak-level Cultivation Techniques and Martial Arts for his Realm. Yet even so, he had only managed a draw with Zhao Zhongming. It seems that since arriving in the provincial capital, Zhao Zhongming's strength has been rapidly improving. He's definitely not just for show, like Zhao Chengxuan, who is all appearance and no substance.

Jiang Shu quickly glanced through the Little Dragon Tiger List in his hand. "Alright, I understand. Thank you, Manager Jiang," he said.

The strength of those in the top twenty was, without exception, very formidable. Each genius had their own trump cards. For instance, the top ten had cultivated their improved Forbidden Techniques to Great Success. When unleashed, their combat strength surged by one-and-a-half times. Furthermore, every Martial Artist on this list cultivated top-tier Middle Grade Cultivation Techniques and Martial Arts. The weapons in their hands, even if not pseudo-treasure weapons, possessed a hardness comparable to them. Just like Chu Xisheng's purple-gold long spear. With such powerful configurations, even an ordinary Acupoint Passage Realm Martial Artist, if careless, could be killed by one of these geniuses fighting above their level. Although his own combat strength had soared after obtaining the Small Five Elements Saber Formation from the auction, making him completely unafraid of these geniuses, he still wanted to see if, without relying on Treasure Patterns and purely by his own Realm and strength, he could reach the top of the entire Little Dragon Tiger List in one go!

At this moment, Manager Jiang watched the exceptionally young Jiang Shu with a somewhat conflicted expression.

He was also aligned with the chamber president's faction, so he naturally knew everything Jiang Shu had done in Yongning County and the potential battles he might face upon entering the provincial capital.

From his perspective, he naturally hoped for Jiang Shu's victory. But... Zhao Zhongming, ranked twenty-second and a renowned genius, was just too powerful. No matter how exceptional Young Master Jiang's Martial Arts Talent was, he was, after all, from a small county town; his foundation wasn't deep enough. It would be better if he thoroughly understood the combat strength of the geniuses on the Little Dragon Tiger List before heading to the provincial capital. On the path of Martial Arts, waiting a little longer shouldn't be a problem, right?

After hesitating for a moment, he spoke up, "Young Master Jiang, this humble one also heard that in three days, in the prefectural city of our Tianqing Prefecture, there will be a challenge among the geniuses on the Little Dragon Tiger List. Young Master Tang, ranked ninety-second, will challenge Young Master Ouyang, ranked eighty-first. If Young Master Jiang has time, perhaps you could go and observe it."