Chapter 241 - He Doesn’t Like Women?

"So the price is perfectly reasonable."You’re basically paying Spiritual Source for my rank to drop."

Jiang Man nodded. "So you’re saying if I find a place where I can comprehend a Magic Skill or a Cultivation Skill, the fifty thousand is waived?

"No matter what I comprehend?"

"That’s right." The bald man nodded. "I don’t think it’s a loss for me. The only question now is if you think it’s a loss for you.

"Also, if you agree, I can take you to that place.

"By rights, there should be people fighting over it.

"The two of us can help you secure it.

"Think of it as after-sales service."

Hearing this, Jiang Man naturally agreed.

He didn’t have the fifty thousand, so his only choice was to see if he could find something among his treasures to comprehend.

’If I don’t find anything... how will I pay back the fifty thousand?’

Jiang Man didn’t dwell on it. After all, he still had that stone.

’Even if it’s not fifty thousand, it should be worth twenty or thirty thousand.’

’A higher rank should also come with Spiritual Source. I’ll be able to pay it back, one way or another.’

’If that doesn’t work, I can always borrow from Chang Qiweng.’

’There’s always a way.’

After that, they changed direction and headed toward another mountain peak.

On the way, the stout man looked at the bald man. "Fifty thousand? For helping them find the spot, fighting for it, and then wasting another three or four days explaining it to them?

"Isn’t that a bit of a loss?

"Especially for two people."

The bald man laughed. "What’s the loss? If there really is a place for comprehension, we can earn it back in a flash.

"If not, then we’ll just consider it time spent getting to know a prodigy. Building a bit of a connection is also good.

"Whether he reaches Core Formation or not, in another year, he’ll be the sole voice of the Outer Sect."

"By then, we’ll have both reached Core Formation and left," the stout man said.

The bald man smiled. "You have a point. In that case, let’s just consider it a thank-you for his reminder, which saved us from wasting time at the stele’s location.

"We would have wasted three or four days anyway."

Hearing this, the stout man said no more.

He seemed to accept this reasoning.

Atop a mountain peak with sparse vegetation, the light of an Array flickered.

As he got closer, Jiang Man discovered it was a Top-grade Body Refining Technique.

"Looks like it’s still here," the bald man said with a smile. "Alright, let’s go in. We just need to clear out the Puppets and Demon Beasts, and we should be set."

Everything went smoothly after that.

The bald man was surprised; he had expected someone to come and fight for it.

After getting the Cultivation Skill, Jiang Man gave it a quick look and, as expected, couldn’t understand all of it.

Without any systematic study, he had a cognitive barrier when it came to these things.

’But systematic study is too much trouble. When I can just rely on Old Huang, there’s no need to learn it myself.’

’I’ll leave it for later.’

"Where do you want to study it?" the bald man asked.

Jiang Man didn’t hesitate. He wanted to return to the old site.

At that moment, Gao Rong looked at the Top-grade Body Refining Technique, his heart filled with a thousand emotions.

’If it were just me, there’s no way I could have obtained this Top-grade Skill.’

’I could never team up with anyone this powerful.’

’But now, I have it just like that.’

’Back when Fang Yong came to me and said he had a way to get good things, I was still young.’

’I can’t believe I didn’t trust him.’

’Even later, when I teamed up with Jiang Man, I was still skeptical.’

’And now...’

He was filled with gratitude. He, Xiaogao, had actually gotten to know two prodigies.

Just as they were about to leave, their path was blocked.

"Did you get what you came for?" Wei Chuyao, standing at the very front, asked Jiang Man.

"Wei Chuyao?" the bald man said in surprise. "What are you doing waiting here?"

"A peerless master?" Wei Chuyao mused. "I can’t believe you’d come to protect him. How surprising."

Then she shook her head. "I wasn’t waiting. I was just passing by and happened to see him. I thought I’d come for a little spar."

Wei Chuyao looked at Jiang Man and said, "I’d like to have a friendly spar with you. We’ll stop before anyone gets hurt. How about it?"

Jiang Man looked at her and shook his head. "I don’t have time."

Wei Chuyao took out two thousand Spiritual Source. "How about now?"

Jiang Man accepted the Spiritual Source and said with a perfectly straight face, "It would be rude to refuse."

Su Qinya, who had been about to speak, fell silent.

She really couldn’t figure Jiang Man out.

’He didn’t seem like this kind of person at first.’

Moreover, the moment a peerless beauty like Wei Chuyao approached, she had started observing Jiang Man.

There wasn’t the slightest change in his eyes.

He looked at her the same way he looked at any other man.

’How could that be?’

’Is he not into women?’

Before she could think any further...

...she felt a ripple of power.

Wei Chuyao had made her move. She struck with a single palm—the Great Buddha Palm.

A colossal palm Attack shot toward Jiang Man.

Facing such an Attack, Jiang Man didn’t meet it head-on. Instead, he drew on what he had learned before.

He channeled his Spirit and mobilized his Physical Body.

He sidestepped, narrowly dodging the Attack.

Then, Wei Chuyao’s figure vanished, and she began her assault on Jiang Man.

Countless afterimages appeared, attacking with extreme speed.

Fists and feet flew.

BAM!

BAM!

A storm of power followed in their wake.

Jiang Man used his powerful Spirit to constantly dodge and block.

He retreated, evading her blows.

Occasionally, he would use the Bengliu Technique to force her back.

The moment she retreated, she changed direction with an incredibly swift movement. Forming a sword with two fingers, she condensed a sharp sword light and thrust it at Jiang Man.

The sound of it slicing through the air echoed.

It was too fast. Jiang Man had no time to dodge. He stood his ground, raised a hand, and struck out with his palm.

His palm collided with the sword of power.

With a CRACK, the power-sword began to shatter from its tip.

But Wei Chuyao didn’t stop, continuing to press forward.

The sword continued to disintegrate as it approached, and just as her fingers were about to reach Jiang Man’s hand, she switched from a finger-sword to an open palm.

Immediately, there was a BAM.

The two palms met.

BOOM!

A vortex of power swirled around them.

Then, a light spread from both of them.

The True Martial Skill.

In that instant, a red sun rose behind Jiang Man.

Its rosy light shone brilliantly.

A giant palm appeared behind his opponent and shot forward.

BOOM!

The power roared, and both of them were forced back a few steps in that instant.

But they quickly activated their Magic Skills and began to clash again.

They formed hand seals and attacked.

Magic Skills shifted constantly as their figures rapidly changed positions.

In just a few breaths, Jiang Man’s rosy light shattered, but his opponent’s palm pressed on relentlessly.

’So strong? Has she finished cultivating the entire series of Cultivation Skills? She must have integrated them, too. And this Magic Skill... it’s definitely a Secret Technique, and a mid-level one at that.’ Jiang Man was stunned.

’I’ve met a real expert.’

Just as defeat seemed imminent, he threw out a palm strike.

The Celestial Heart Seal.

BOOM!

The powers canceled each other out.

Both retreated a dozen steps.

Wei Chuyao was shocked. "The Celestial Heart Seal? And such a strange version of it... No. 210? It’s you?"

She had thought about clashing with No. 210 again, but she never imagined No. 210 was from the Seventh Courtyard.

’Doesn’t that mean he started participating in the Secret Realm competitions back when he was in the Ninth Courtyard?’

’Isn’t his progress way too fast?’

"It’s me," Jiang Man nodded.

The bald man asked curiously, "You didn’t know? It’s been all over the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Courtyards for a while now."

"I don’t have any contact with circles that weak," Wei Chuyao said.

The bald man said awkwardly, "I feel like you just insulted me."

Wei Chuyao looked at Jiang Man, her brow furrowing slightly.

Finally, she turned and left.

"Aren’t you going to continue?" the bald man shouted.

Wei Chuyao left without a backward glance. "Pretend I was never here."

In the air, the person beside her asked curiously, "You’re just leaving like that? Aren’t you going to knock Jiang Man down a peg for Junior Sister Meng?"

"Knock him down with what?" Wei Chuyao sighed. "He reached the Celestial Heart Seal Ninth Layer while he was in the Eighth Courtyard. Xiaoxiao doesn’t stand a chance. She can’t catch up to him. They’re not on the same level."

"But Senior Sister, didn’t you say he would have difficulty with Core Formation?" the woman beside her asked.

Wei Chuyao was silent for a moment. "Don’t say things like that anymore. I’m afraid I’ll be proven wrong. His performance is... abnormal."

Only after fighting him did she understand the true value of being number one in the Third Courtyard.

’His Celestial Heart Seal is maxed out, and his Purple Mist Divine Light is maxed out too.’

’That’s just too fast.’

With her strength, it would be very difficult to win against a Jiang Man who had the Celestial Heart Seal.

’How could I win?’

For a moment, she somewhat understood what the cultivators from the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Courtyards felt when they fought No. 210.

’It’s impossible to win.’

Besides, she remembered that deep within the First Courtyard’s territory, there were peaks used for sparring where you were randomly matched with an opponent upon ascending.

’What would happen if you were matched with Jiang Man?’

’The other person would just be unlucky.’

「The old site.」

Jiang Man didn’t rush to check his remaining treasures. Instead, he began to study the Top-grade Skill.

Gao Rong studied along with him.

Then, the bald man began his explanation.

He didn’t speak very quickly.

But Jiang Man wished he would speed up; he was able to understand just fine.

After the man had explained a few things, Jiang Man began to ask questions.

Then he started proposing his own ideas.

Because the man’s explanation wasn’t as thorough as the Old Yellow Ox’s, Jiang Man needed to think.

Combining it with his previous knowledge, he was able to raise some questions.

The more the bald man explained, the more shocked he became.

’How is he understanding this so quickly?’

’But there’s something strange. Why are all of Jiang Man’s questions about the very basics?’

’Are all prodigies this eccentric?’

「Two and a half days later.」

Jiang Man closed the book.

He then began to review what he had learned, taking the next half-day to fully integrate it.

After that, he opened his eyes.

’It’s time to start my Cultivation.’

’Time to see just how fast my Cultivation is with my unlocked Talent.’