Chapter 32 - 31: New Red Entry

Chapter 32: Chapter 31: New Red Entry

Lu Jing’an truly hadn’t expected the [Fighting Bravely] entry to be so effective. To say it gave him an extra life wouldn’t be an exaggeration.

Next, Lu Jing’an turned his attention to the [Practicality First] entry. After reviewing its description, he found it was exactly as he had expected. The effects were the same, but the stat boosts had increased significantly.

"It’s a green entry, at least. Not a bad deal."

However, right after he equipped this new [Practicality First] entry, he noticed something. Among all the originally gray ’+’ signs next to the entries, the ones next to the two [Practicality First] entries had lit up.

Seeing this, Lu Jing’an instantly understood. He decisively selected the two ’+’ signs.

A new prompt appeared upon selection.

[Upgrading the entry level requires 3 Energy Points. Upgrade?]

"So it wasn’t that I didn’t have enough Energy Points to upgrade the entries; I needed entries to upgrade entries."

Ever since he obtained Energy Points, the ’+’ signs behind the entries had remained gray. He had always assumed it was due to a lack of Energy Points. Only now did he realize that he also needed another entry of the exact same type.

"This is just like using one Centennial Ginseng to upgrade another. However, the effects after the upgrade definitely won’t be as simple as one plus one equals two."

Without overthinking it, Lu Jing’an directly chose to upgrade. As he made his selection, he watched the two [Practicality First] entries enter the Zhengqi Furnace.

Then, another prompt surfaced.

[Upgrading... Estimated completion time: 1 hour.]

"I can always count on my Zhengqi Furnace," Lu Jing’an said, patting the illusory Eight Trigrams Furnace in praise. The furnace trembled slightly in response.

An hour quickly passed.

[Upgrade complete!]

[Practicality First] (Orange)

The new entry appeared, upgraded from green to orange. Lu Jing’an checked its notes and found that all of its stats had doubled compared to its green tier. Power generation efficiency reached 150%, attack speed increased by 150%, and Breaking Techniques efficiency hit 100%.

If Lu Jing’an equipped this tier of the [Practicality First] entry and faced Lawrence again, it wouldn’t even take ten moves; he could probably finish the Voider off in two or three. The advantage this entry granted was an overwhelming dominance absolutely impossible for anyone at the same cultivation level.

The surprises didn’t end there. He soon realized that the ’+’ sign behind this orange entry was still lit.

"It can be upgraded again?"

His gaze swept across the list of entries. The ’+’ sign behind another orange entry, [Ghostly Shadows and Traces], was shining just as brightly.

"So apart from upgrading identical items, they can also be fused and merged?"

The Zhengqi Furnace was giving him more and more surprises.

"I’m actually really looking forward to the fusion of two orange entries."

He clicked the ’+’ signs behind both entries.

[Upgrading the entry level requires 5 Energy Points. Upgrade?]

[Yes]

After selecting yes, a sense of anticipation welled up in his heart.

[Upgrading... Estimated completion time: 6 hours.]

Six hours meant it would be dawn. Rather than waiting around, Lu Jing’an went back to bed to sleep.

While Lu Jing’an slept soundly, many in Yin Mountain County found themselves unable to close their eyes that night.

The Lin family had been wiped out. The Qian family had been slaughtered to the last man. In a single day, two major clans that had entrenched themselves in Yin Mountain County for years had suddenly collapsed.

Officially, the blame was pinned on the "Nine-fingered Yama." But anyone in Yin Mountain County with working ears knew the truth as clearly as a polished mirror. It was just that while everyone saw through it, no one dared to speak of it.

The bloody fates of the Lin and Qian families were displayed right there for all to see. Whoever spoke up would be next.

Those who had previously placed their bets on the Lin family were now on pins and needles, treading on thin ice. Backing the Lin family meant offending the Lu family.

Now that the house they backed had fallen, would the Lu family’s blade fall on their own necks next? Not knowing was the greatest torment of all.

From afternoon until late at night, the threshold of the Lu Mansion was nearly trampled flat. Five or six rounds of calling cards had been sent in, but Lu Huaiqian refused to see anyone. He merely excused himself by saying, "The case is of grave importance, and I have no time to spare."

The more he shut them out, the more panicked the people outside became. How could they not know this was Lu Huaiqian’s way of giving them a warning? But they were the fish on the chopping block, entirely at his mercy. Aside from submitting increasingly humble calling cards again and again, what else could they do?

While some lived in constant terror, others naturally basked in the spring breeze of success. Take Situ Yiyun and Chen Heqing, for example. The two martial arts hall directors had hit the jackpot with their staggering bet.

They had successfully clung to the highest branch about to rise in Yin Mountain County. From now on, the Ancient Martial Court of Martial Arts Hall Street would follow Master Chen’s lead, while the various Martial Arts Arenas would only listen to Director Situ’s voice.

The world worked in mysterious ways. These two bitter rivals, whose conflicting ideologies and fierce competition for students had previously made them as incompatible as fire and water, were actually drinking at the same table tonight.

"Master Chen," Situ Yiyun said, his face glowing with a healthy flush as he raised his glass. "Following the Lu family from now on means we finally won’t have to argue until we’re red in the face over petty, daily necessities. How about we let bygones be bygones?"

Chen Heqing’s expression remained stern, but the sharpness between his brows had softened considerably. He took a sip of wine and replied in a deep voice, "As long as you, Director Situ, don’t stretch your hands into my territory on Martial Arts Hall Street in the future, I will naturally be happy to enjoy the peace."

Though he wasn’t exactly enthusiastic, it was a world of difference compared to their past encounters, where they had treated each other like mortal enemies. At the end of the day, most of their past conflicts had stemmed from a struggle for survival. Now that their survival was secure, much of their stubbornness had loosened.

Hearing this, Situ Yiyun let out a hearty laugh. "Rest assured, Master Chen. Even if you invited me to your Martial Arts Hall Street, I’d have to think thrice before going!"

The two wine glasses clinked lightly, and they both downed their drinks. A very faint trace of relaxation swept across Chen Heqing’s usually unsmiling face.

Setting down his glass, Situ Yiyun leaned forward slightly. Lowering his voice, a hint of gravity flashed in his eyes. "Master Chen, speaking from the bottom of my heart, Young Master Lu slaughtered that Voider Envoy today. I’m afraid the repercussions of this matter won’t be small, will they?"

Chen Heqing glanced at him and let out a cold snort. "What’s this? Director Situ, have you only practiced New Martial Arts for a few days and already softened the hard bones left behind by our ancestors? He was just a foreign barbarian. If he’s dead, he’s dead."

He paused and set his wine glass on the table with a measured thud, his voice growing even deeper. "Besides, did Young Master Lu kill that Voider? It was the ’Nine-fingered Yama’ who did it. You, me, and everyone in Yin Mountain County saw it perfectly clearly."

Situ Yiyun blanked for a moment before sudden realization dawned on him. He clapped his hands and laughed heartily. "HAHAHA, look at this mouth of mine! I deserve to be punished, I deserve to be punished! I’ll penalize myself with three cups!"

The next day, as the faint light of dawn broke.

Lu Jing’an got up on time. A thin mist had already gathered in the courtyard. Walking with steady steps, he made his way to the center of the yard, sank his shoulders, dropped his elbows, and assumed his stance.

Although he had already acquired a red entry, he didn’t dare slack off in the slightest on his path of cultivation. The way of a Martial Cultivator was like sailing against the current. Li Zhaolin had been nothing more than a jagged pebble underfoot. Now kicked aside, the road ahead was still long.

His Pile Skill was steady, and the wind from his punches gradually picked up. His vitality circulated along with his techniques, completing the Circulation of the Heavens. Just as his set of exercises was about to conclude, the Zhengqi Furnace within his sea of consciousness trembled lightly.

[Upgrade complete!]

Lu Jing’an immediately immersed his consciousness into it. He saw the radiance within the furnace draw inward as a brand new entry hovered quietly. Red light flowed across it, faintly giving rise to profound and obscure patterns, emitting an entirely different aura.

[Ghost Shadow Instant Kill] (Red)!