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Almost simultaneously.

In the Martial Arts Arena of the Ping’an Wang Family.

Two young men were sparring, with the slightly older one wearing a blue Black Tortoise Martial Attire. His swordsmanship, though seemingly simple, carried an ancient and heavy force.

The other, a young man in black, displayed a body technique that was at times swift as the wind, and at times elusive and unpredictable. His swordsmanship, akin to a torrential storm, poured down upon his opponent.

Yet, regardless of how dazzling his moves were, they couldn’t break through his opponent’s defense.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

The fine steel longswords of both clashed continuously, producing a metallic ringing sound.

Half an incense stick later.

The young man in black couldn’t hold back any longer. He displayed his body technique, his figure flashing rapidly, as if drawing out ghostly Xunfeng shadows. Seizing the powerful momentum, he delivered a downward slash from above.

A highly concentrated colorless energy burst forth from the fine steel sword, transforming into half-moon Sword Qi that cleaved towards his opponent. This move was as powerful as a forceful split of Mount Hua, unstoppable in its might.

However, the older young man in green remained still, without retreating even half a step. His fine steel longsword merely drew a circle in the air, releasing a flourishing energy that instantly formed an energy shield.

"Boom!"

The two energies collided, sending shockwaves spreading in all directions. The attacking young man in black instead was sent flying backwards, somersaulting in the air for several zhang before stabilizing, his body gracefully suspended in mid-air.

He said dejectedly, "No more, no more, fighting with Fourth Uncle is too suffocating. He can easily block even my killer move ’Xunfeng Slash’."

The older young man was none other than the Patriarch of the Ping’an Wang Family, Wang Shouzhe. He sheathed his longsword and smiled, "Zongchang, don’t lose heart. You have just advanced to the Spirit Platform Realm, and your foundation isn’t stable yet. You also haven’t fully tapped into your own advantages. Your Xunfeng Wind Element Bloodline is quite interesting, and there are many areas you can explore."

The young man in black was Wang Shouzhe’s nephew, Wang Zongchang.

Almost four years ago, he experienced a blessing in disguise, having his Xunfeng Wind Element Bloodline stimulated by the Wedding Robe Blood Gu. He essentially stepped into the ranks of the Little Celestial Pride. Over these years, he had been in closed cultivation under Wang Shouzhe’s support.

Not long before, having pushed his cultivation to the peak of the Qi Refining Realm, he went to the Trial Land and achieved impressive results. He obtained a Celestial Spirit Pill, a portion of Basic Bloodline Improvement Liquid, and an Upper Grade Spiritual Artifact.

Though slightly regrettable, after using the Basic Bloodline Improvement Liquid, he reached the Second Layer of the Initial Stage of the Xunfeng Wind Element Bloodline Awakening. However, when battling the demon puppet of the Spirit Platform Realm, he still fell short and couldn’t pass the final stage.

But even so, he was quite formidable. Riding on the boost from the Celestial Spirit Pill, he smoothly broke through to the Spirit Platform Realm, reactivating a First-Tier Bloodline, reaching the Initial Stage of the Triple Bloodline.

Among the Spirit Platform Realm Cultivators in the clan, only Wang Shouzhe, Liua Ruolan, Wang Lici, Wang Luqiu, and Wang Luojing had reached this level of bloodline. Including him, there were just six.

Even Ancestor Longyan, whose cultivation currently reached the eighth layer of the Spirit Platform Realm, was only at the Second Layer of bloodline, still a step away from the Third Layer.

"Thank you for the encouragement, Fourth Uncle." Wang Zongchang cupped his hands in a salute.

"Come to my courtyard for a rest, try some of my newly brewed Ice Crystal Spirit Wine. Since your Fourth Aunt is also in closed cultivation recently, you might as well keep me company for a chat." Wang Shouzhe said, inviting Wang Zongchang to accompany him back to his courtyard.

The two sat across from each other in a courtyard lush with greenery and blooming with flowers, instructing the cook to prepare some snacks.

Shortly after, a man in a cloak approached, his voice low, "Reporting to Master, the Spirit Treasure Wine Gourd is here. It has been exactly one month." Saying this, he offered a gourd gleaming with treasure light with both hands.

The gourd, ancient yet radiant, was adorned with countless intricate and mysterious runes, clearly no ordinary artifact.

"Thank you for your hard work, Wang Shouwei." Wang Shouzhe greeted with a smile.

"Serving the Master is no hardship," "he" said in a low voice.

This Wang Shouwei was no ordinary human. He was a Guard Spirit Soldier produced from the Divine Martial Dynasty’s recruitment trial ground.

According to the introduction from the Trial Artifact Spirit, it was a Guard Spirit Soldier of the Initial Stage of the Spirit Platform Realm. Hence, Wang Shouzhe and Liua Ruolan didn’t choose it initially. Only two years ago, after Wang Luojing and Wang Luqiu cultivated to the peak of the Qi Refining Realm and honed themselves for a period, they both broke through the fourth stage in the trial arena.

They acquired a Spirit Treasure Wine Gourd and Guard Spirit Soldiers, both of which were given to Wang Shouzhe.

Let’s put aside the Wine Gourd for now.

This Guard Spirit Soldier, Wang Shouzhe initially underestimated it. Originally, he thought that a so-called Spirit Platform Realm at the initial stage was equivalent to an ordinary ancestor. However, its actual combat power was incredibly formidable, comparable to a Spirit Platform Realm cultivator with a Triple Bloodline at the Initial Tier, and one who could put up a fight.

Among the family’s Spirit Platform Realm members, only Wang Shouzhe and Liua Ruolan could outmatch it.

Most importantly, its entire body was crafted from special materials and was extremely adept at defense and protection. Once it activated its guarding mode, not even a Spirit Platform Realm cultivator at the late stage could breach its defenses in a short time.

Indeed, worthy of the Divine Martial Dynasty’s production, the value and role of this Spirit Platform Realm initial stage Guard Spirit Soldier were considerable. It’s far superior to ordinary Spirit Soldiers sold by the Daqian Kingdom and could be passed down as part of the family legacy.

Because "it" possessed some basic intelligence, Wang Shouzhe simply named it Wang Shouwei, representing the guardian of the family.

As he contemplated, Wang Shouzhe took the gourd, opened the lid, and an intoxicating aroma of wine wafted out. Pouring the wine into a glass, the liquid was as pure as clear water, emanating a misty "immortal fog" with traces of chill.

"Fourth Uncle, this Spirit Treasure Wine Gourd you have is truly a treasure." Wang Zongchang licked his lips, evidently tempted, "Common Spirit Wine may aid cultivation, but it’s nowhere near the Spirit Wine produced by the Spirit Treasure Wine Gourd."

Ever since obtaining the Spirit Treasure Wine Gourd, it could produce a hundred pounds of Spirit Wine monthly depending on the ingredients used. After trying it, Wang Shouzhe and the clan decided to keep the Spirit Wine exclusively for family use.

Not only was it delicious, but it also significantly aided cultivation, with some effects to aid breakthroughs. Recently, Wang Shouzhe was continually experimenting with its functions, and in the past few months, invested a hundred pounds of Ice Crystal Spirit Rice to produce a gourd of Ice Crystal Spirit Wine.

Only because the taste of Ice Crystal Spirit Wine was the most enjoyable, more invigorating than iced drinks.

Unfortunately, the Wang Family didn’t have a middle-grade Ice Element Spirit Field and couldn’t produce Ice Crystal Spirit Rice themselves, so they had to commission Qiaan’s Trading Company to procure a batch. Additionally, Wang Shouzhe also leveraged his connections to procure some higher-grade Spirit Rice and Spirit Fruits to test the effects later.

The uncle and nephew shared a few drinks, and soon started feeling a bit intoxicated.

Wang Shouzhe sealed the Spirit Wine and refrained from drinking more. Although the Spirit Wine was delicious, consuming too much was not beneficial, and although it was easy to drink, it was extremely intoxicating.

"Zongchang," Wang Shouzhe wiped his hands and took out a soft black leather armor from the Storage Ring, saying, "this armor is called Night Shadow Armor. It’s a rare spiritual artifact-level leather armor that blends with the night when worn at night, making you hard to detect. Its defense is also commendable."

Wang Zongchang’s eyes immediately shone as he eagerly took it: "Fourth Uncle, this armor sounds nice, but it’s a pity that it’s only effective at night."

"Nothing in the world is perfect," Wang Shouzhe said with a smile, "You now possess the Triple Xunfeng Bloodline and are only one layer away from the Xunfeng Wind Spirit Body. When you practice the ’Xunfeng Wind Flash’ body technique, you progress faster and the effects are stronger than ours. Since you possess such a bloodline, why not fully utilize your specialties? If you act at night, you’ll be as elusive as the wind. When your cultivation improves, even Celestial Human Realm cultivators might find it hard to catch you."

"Fourth Uncle..." Wang Zongchang said with some amusement, "Are you suggesting I become a thief?" Having been educated uprightly since childhood, he found it hard to accept this suggestion.

"This is called scouting!" Wang Shouzhe said, "It can be used to gather intelligence or assassinate key enemy figures. You’re no longer a child; conflicts between families are often bloody and ruthless. Having an additional skill is an extra card and advantage."

Wang Zongchang’s expression turned solemn. After a long pause, he replied gravely, "If Fourth Uncle and the family need me, I’ll become a scout."

"Good." Wang Shouzhe nodded appreciatively and added food to his plate, "I commissioned Wang Mei to find you some loose cultivator teachers. Though they’re only Qi Refining Realm loose cultivators, don’t underestimate them. Each has distinct skills: some excel in stealth, others in tracking, lock-picking, and poison techniques. Moreover, Wang Mei specializes in disguise techniques, which you can learn well."

With each skill mentioned, Wang Zongchang’s face darkened more; it was clear his Fourth Uncle intended to groom him in the direction of a thief. Nevertheless, since the family and Fourth Uncle needed it, he would give it his all. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

In truth, he guessed right.

In a past life on Earth, Wang Shouzhe enjoyed playing games like Warcraft, especially favoring the highly skilled rogue class in wilderness survival.

Sadly, his bloodline talent destined him to be a healer, so the great dream of becoming a rogue was passed to his nephew Zongchang.

"But, I really appreciate Fourth Uncle for gifting me the Night Shadow Armor and for your meticulous training." Wang Zongchang expressed his gratitude.

"This Night Shadow Armor is valued at forty thousand Qian Gold, counted as forty thousand clan contribution points for you," Wang Shouzhe said, "The cost of hiring teachers will also be deducted from your contribution points, but don’t worry. With your current skills, you’ll soon be able to repay the contribution points."

"..." Wang Zongchang’s eyes widened, "Grateful beyond words," "Thank you for forcing it on me, Fourth Uncle."

Poor Wang Zongchang originally intended to take the graceful sword hero route, but unexpectedly, Wang Shouzhe set his profession and enforced equipment, taking a wave of DKP.

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