Wu Jian slept for an entire day after returning from the Magical Beast Forest. It was so nice to sleep on a real bed. He had been sleeping on the ground for so long that he’d almost forgotten what a soft mattress underneath his weary body could do. The next morning, Wu Jian woke up feeling rejuvenated. It was as if he had been granted new life.

The sun was still just rising as Wu Jian cleaned himself off with a wet rag, got dressed, and traveled into a large restaurant inside the hotel he and the Xing Family were staying at. Their estate had been ransacked and would need to undergo reconstruction.

Quite a few people were already up and at em that morning. Many of them stopped and turned when he entered. He tried to ignore the looks they sent his way, but he couldn’t ignore the words they spoke.

“Hey, did you hear? I heard that kid over there killed Mao Yuhan.”

“I heard the same thing, but there’s no way, right? I mean, Mao Yuhan was half a step from entering the Asura Realm. What’s this kid's cultivation level? I doubt it’s that high.”

“I’m telling you the truth. Look over there. That’s the Xing Family. Their mansion was raided by Mao Yuhan. Xing Bai and his wife were taken captive. Do you think they’d be sitting here, eating breakfast if Mao Yuhan wasn’t dead?”

“I don’t dispute his death. I just don’t think that kid was the one who did it.”

“Hmph. Well, it is hard to believe, but apparently, Xing Bai confirmed it.”

Wu Jian was used to people talking about him; it happened often enough back in the Wu Clan. He paid careful attention to what they said as he made his way to the table where his companions were sitting. Xing Zhenya, her father, and her mother sat on one side, eating what appeared to be congee and crullers. Huǒ Shuchang was stuffing his face with meat buns, much to the disgust of Xing Zhenya.

“Feesh awe sho goof!”

“Can you not talk while you eat?!”

“Am horry!”

“If you’re sorry, then hurry up and close your mouth!”

Looks like those two don’t get along at all…

“Jian Wu! Good morning!” Xing Zhenya was the first to notice Wu Jian. She smiled and waved him over. “How are you feeling?”

“Good morning, and I’m fine. I’m a little sore, but it’s nothing too serious,” Wu Jian said as he sat down. He turned his head to look at Huǒ Shuchang, who was glaring at him around a mouth full of meat. “What’s that look for?”

Huǒ Shuchang opened his mouth, then glanced at Xing Zhenya and closed it. He chewed the food, swallowed, and then said, “You broke through again? What in the nine heavens are you? That’s not normal.”

“Wait. What?” Xing Zhenya and her parents also gazed at him in shock.

Wu Jian needed a moment to check his cultivation, but he realized that Huǒ Shuchang was correct. He had gone from the second subrealm to the third subrealm of the Anima Realm.

He looked back at Huǒ Shuchang. “It’s not?”

“It’s not.” Huǒ Shuchang scarfed down the remainder of his meat buns, all twelve of them, then leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms, and stared at Wu Jian. “If I had to guess, I would say your battle against Mao Yuhan made you exceed your limits. It’s true that if you push yourself in battle, you can grow a lot stronger, but it’s unheard of for someone to reach the next subrealm just from that. Each subrealm has its own little bottleneck that you need to break through. What you’ve done is highly abnormal. It’s even weirder because your chi is very sturdy compared to other cultivators. I’ve never met anyone with a cultivation base as stable as yours.”

Wu Jian didn’t know what was considered normal among cultivators. He had only broken through recently, and Wu Meiying’s cultivation was similar to his own. While he didn’t believe everyone could break through like they did, he had assumed there were other people who could perform similar feats.

Could I be wrong? Maybe this really isn’t normal. If that’s the case, then does it have something to do with our cultivation methods?

Cultivation methods were the manner in which cultivators gathered chi. There were as many methods as there were stars in the sky. While some were weak and only good for gathering chi, others were unique and presented certain benefits or unique traits. Someone who cultivator a fire method, for example, would gain a strong affinity for fire. An ice cultivation method would give someone an ice affinity.

Wu Jian’s cultivation method cultivated space, allowing him to gather chi and learn the principles of spatial manipulation. He didn’t know if his method was rare or not, though he assumed there would not be many people capable of learning the Dao of Space.

It could also be that activating all 361 acupoints is the reason.

He remembered what he had learned on acupoints a long time ago. They were the points within the body that were connected externally to the meridians, and it was through them that people could drawn yin and yang energy through the skin, into the body. It was also where people expelled chi when performing techniques.

This was what Wu Jian did to strengthen himself. The traditional method of attaining strength was cultivating chi inside the body, so not many people knew about the method that Wu Jian used. Wu Meiying also used this method.

While everyone is born with 361 acupoints, most only have ten to sixteen open. The so-called geniuses normally have as many as twenty to forty open.

He shook his head.

It doesn’t really matter at this point. I won’t be able to figure this out without any information, so thinking about it is pointless.

“I don’t know what to tell you,” Wu Jian shrugged.

Huǒ Shuchang clicked his tongue.

A maid came over and set down a cup of tea before him. Wu Jian ordered some congee and a dozen meat buns. He was starving. Battling against Mao Yuhan had taken everything he had and then some. He felt like he’d used up all the energy inside of his body and needed food to replenish it.

As they waited for his food, Xing Bai said, “We really cannot thank you enough for what you have done. Mao Yuhan was a terror, but there was nobody strong enough to contend with him. We couldn’t even get another sect involved. With the backing of the Wind-Lightning Pavilion, no one was willing to mess with him.”

“Speaking of, do you think the Wind-Lightning Pavilion will get revenge on us for what happened to him?” asked Wu Jian.

Xing Bai cupped his chin, furrowed his brow, and looked down. The maid came by with his bowl of congee and a plate piled high with meat buns before the older man answered him.

“I do not believe so. Perhaps if you were from a sect, they would make moves to exact revenge on you, in order to uphold their sect’s reputation, but you are an unknown individual with an unknown background. It presents an aura of mystery that will keep them from attempting anything since they don’t know what sort of power is backing you. Of course, this is all on the supposition they discover who killed Mao Yuhan. While rumors have spread, no one is going to believe that a sixteen year old Anima Realm cultivator could defeat someone who was half a step into the Asura Realm.”

Wu Jian nodded as Xing Bai explained his reasons. He grabbed a meat bun and bit into it, chewed, swallowed, and took another bite. The intense seasonings spread across his tongue. It was spicy, but that served to help wake him up.

“What are you planning to do now?” asked Xing Zhenya as she leaned forward and looked at Wu Jian.

Wu Jian quickly polished off his meat buns. He also surreptitiously fed several to his Yōuměi. No one saw the tail curl around the meatbuns and vanish back into the shadow.

“I see how this is. So you’ll get on my case about my messy eating, but you won’t say anything about Jian Wu eating too fast?” Huǒ Shuchang snorted.

“Unlike you, Jian Wu isn’t eating like a pig. He at least knows how to properly chew his food,” Xing Zhenya retorted.

Wu Jian crossed his arms and leaned back. “I don’t know what I’m going to do next, or where I’m going to go, but I know I can’t stay here. My goal is to get stronger. That’s all I know right now.”

“If strength is what you want, then you’ll need to find a way to attain resources,” Huǒ Shuchang said. “Alchemy pills, natural treasures, weapons… you’ll either need to stumble upon these items through luck or buy them. Buying them is the easiest way, but the good items always cost a lot of money.”

“So I’ll need money,” Wu Jian mumbled.

Nothing was free in this world. Anything that could benefit someone cost money, and something sought after by multiple people cost even more money.

Alchemy pills were the best example; they were one of the most sought after items because they could directly help people with their cultivation, and it was for that very reason that they were so expensive. Wu Jian didn’t know how much an alchemy pill used for cultivation would cost, but he imagined it would be a lot.

“I have a few suggestions for you, if you want,” Xing Bai said.

Wu Jian looked up. “I’m all ears.”

“Ahem. I think you should first sell off those axes. They’re not very useful to you, and carrying them around is like painting a sign on your back. The Wind-Lightning Pavilion might not do anything about you killing Mao Yuhan, but they will most certainly do everything in their power to get those axes back. There’s an auction house in Shēnyuān. It’s a city south-west of here, near the Endless Abyss. None of the Four Great Pavilions own this city because it is owned and operated by the Zhou Clan. You can safely sell your axes there and retain your anonymity.”

“That is a good idea,” Wu Jian agreed. He knew even more about the Zhou Clan than Xing Bai did, so he understood how they operated. “Do you have any other ideas?”

“Well…” Xing Bai stroked his chin thoughtfully. “I did hear a rumor that White Tiger Sect ruins was opening up soon…”

“Really?!” Huǒ Shuchang slammed his hands onto the table as he stood up and leaned forward. His eyes were shining. “You’re not lying, are you? The White Tiger Sect ruins are opening?!”

“That’s what I heard. I believe they will be open in about four months. You should be able to make it if you hurry, though I’ve also heard that due to how long they remain open, there are a limited number of people who can enter. Those who do not have a pass will need to take part in a competition happening in Shāchen.”

“Jian Wu! We have to go to the White Tiger Sect Ruins! If strength is what you want, then that’s where you should go!” Huǒ Shuchang shouted. A fire burned behind his eyes.

“You seem excited. What exactly are these ruins supposed to be?” asked Wu Jian as he began eating his congee.

“The White Tiger Sect ruins are a rather famous landmark in the Qing Province. They belonged to a very famous sect from a thousand years ago that worshiped the White Tiger, Byākko of the East. No one knows how they fell into ruins, but the sect was at some point demolished.”

Wu Jian had never heard of this sect, but he of course knew about Byākko, the White Tiger. He was one of the four fierce deities said to have protected the world for thousands of years. Many people worshiped him as a god and cults had formed around him.

Xing Bai continued, “A barrier surrounds the sect that creates a powerful cyclone that not even the strongest cultivators can break, though many have tried. Every few years, the barrier will weaken. The barrier is like a net. Cultivators above the Asura Realm are unable to get inside even when it weakens, but anyone at the Asura Realm or below can slip through the net.”

“And what sort of treasures can be found at these sect ruins?” asked Wu Jian.

Xing Bai looked at his wife, who smiled and explained the rest. “There have been many treasures discovered within the sect's ruins. Everything from powerful spiritual artifacts to perfectly preserved pills. Each year, someone comes out with a new discovery.”

“If so many people have already been there, shouldn’t they have already picked everything clean?” asked Wu Jian.

“Not necessarily.” Xing Lingxin shook her head. She looked like one of those gossipy women who loved talking about who was cheating on who as she leaned forward. “Rumor has it that the White Tiger Ruins has six levels. Each level has greater treasures than the last. The first two levels have been mostly picked clean, but no one has been able to make it past the third level.”

“Which means there should still be plenty of treasures inside from the third level down,” Wu Jian nodded.

“You catch on quick,” Xing Lingxin said with a grin.

Wu Jian didn’t need much time to think on this. His goal was gaining strength, and it sounded like this was the best path to achieve that goal.

“I guess I know my next destination then,” Wu Jian said.

“Woohoo! This is awesome! I can’t believe we’re gonna explore the White Tiger Sect ruins!” Huǒ Shuchang cheered.

“Huh? You’re coming too?” asked Wu Jian.

“Of course. Not only are the White Tiger Sect ruins a great place for young cultivators to train, it’s been a dream of mine to conquer those ruins. Besides, we’re already buds, aren’t we? Might as well stick together.”

“Tsk.”

“Did you just click your tongue at me?! You did, didn’t you?! Why you gotta be hating, man?! What did I ever do to you?!”

“Nothing. Your face just annoys me.”

“Oh, that does it! Come on! Let’s take this outside! You and me are gonna have ourselves a brawl!”

“That’s fine by me. I need to warm up my muscles anyway.”

As Wu Jian and Huǒ Shuchang walked outside, the Xing Family worriedly following after paying the bill, he smiled. He did think of Huǒ Shuchang as his friend. He just couldn’t help but tease the older man because it was so easy.

I think Wu Meiying rubbed off on me. Well, whatever. Huǒ Shuchang is a good sparring partner, so this should be fine. He doesn’t seem mad anyway.