Leng Hu Mountain's response left Fang Xi truly stunned.
For any martial power, isn't it essential to pursue fundamental techniques relentlessly?
Fang Xi had almost rehearsed the upcoming actions in his mind - a falling out, a fight, then soaring into the sky, slowly wearing down this grandmaster with talismans and magical tools...
But the result... the other party didn't play by the rules at all!
"Hmm? Why give it to me?" Fang Xi directly voiced his confusion.
"Haha... Even with techniques, those who can reach the level of grandmaster are extremely rare!" Leng Hu Mountain's playful expression turned solemn. "What truly matters is always the person! It's the aptitude, temperament, and perseverance of a martial artist! Unfortunately, even with such martial artists, becoming a grandmaster... ultimately depends on a bit of luck! With so few grandmasters in Dingzhou now, and the Demon King rampaging, if another grandmaster can emerge, it would be a boon for humanity! Since you have taken a liking to my Yuanhe Mountain techniques, I naturally want to fulfill your wish."
"In that case, I won't be polite." Fang Xi smiled faintly, answering nonchalantly.
"Yuanhe's Five Thunder Hands is after all a grandmaster's supreme skill, the fundamental secret of Yuanhe Mountain... by giving it to you, it's at least worth a great favor, right?" At this moment, Leng Hu Mountain finally showed his hand.
"Alright, what do you want?" Fang Xi felt much calmer, sensing the rhythm of a normal negotiation.
"If one day you ascend to the rank of grandmaster, you can join forces with me to slay the Old Dragon Pool's Water Dragon!" Leng Hu Mountain mentioned the Water Dragon with an unmistakable look of hatred on his face. "This Water Dragon has been wreaking havoc, devouring even the last descendants of my bloodline..."
"The Water Dragon Demon King?" Fang Xi nodded. "Very well... I promise you."
After all, if he advanced to the Triple Refinement of Body Tempering, sooner or later he would have to deal with these demonic beasts.
A demonic beast with awakened dragon blood in the first tier was truly a treasure, not to be missed!
"Haha, straightforward!" Leng Hu Mountain casually tossed a scroll into Fang Xi's hands.
This scroll carried a somewhat unsettling aura that even made Fang Xi's heart race, likely the skin of a late-stage first-tier demonic beast.
On the front of the skin was depicted the magnificent scenery of Yuanhe Mountain's five peaks.
Among them, the Thunder Peak was constantly surrounded by green lightning.
"The divine illustration of Yuanhe's Five Thunder Hands?" Fang Xi confirmed at a glance that this was no counterfeit.
And behind the divine illustration were densely packed small characters, about the size of ants, detailing the techniques of Yuanhe's Five Thunder Hands.
Comparing it with what Leng Hu Yang had described, there were no discrepancies.
"This old man is serious..." Fang Xi had originally thought that the other party might have tampered with the techniques.
After all, if there were slight errors in profound techniques, the consequences might only be apparent after a dozen years, and would be difficult to rectify.
"I have given you the manual. You are already a Three-Step Martial Master, with steel-like muscles and bones. Next is the fourth step of merging the divine and strength... Although Yuanhe Mountain records some auxiliary breakthrough secrets, they may not have much effect."
Leng Hu Mountain's insight was remarkable, seemingly seeing through Fang Xi's current realm at a glance.
"As for the grandmaster's unity of man and nature... it still depends on each person's comprehension and opportunities! Back in the day, in order to comprehend the unity of man and nature, I left the mountain for twenty years, disguised as an ordinary person ignorant of martial arts, experiencing the world... until one day, I suddenly enlightened."
He then shared many insights into breakthroughs, appearing quite sincere.
Fang Xi noted them down one by one, ready to verify them in the future.
The two conversed joyfully, with Leng Hu Mountain even wanting to formally adopt Fang Xi as a godson and invite him to be a guest elder at Yuanhe Mountain.
Fang Xi declined several times in a row before finally refusing, then left Thunder Peak alone.
Watching Fang Xi's disappearing figure, Leng Hu Mountain stroked the small beard on his chin, his eyes gradually becoming profound. "A Three-Step Martial Master can be so calm in front of me, this person must have some hidden cards... What's going on with the Blood Sect? Even I couldn't quietly ascend Thunder Peak all the way, could it be that all the disciples below are dead? Or have they all been bribed?"
Rather than believe this, he would rather believe that Yuanhe Mountain had other secret passages!
"Enough, in any case, if we can avoid a fight, let's avoid it, and establish good relations... Young people nowadays are getting bolder one by one, clearly planning to take without giving!"
With his hands behind his back, Leng Hu Mountain began pondering which Qingguan family had recently entered the market in Sanyuancheng.
That was always his character.
Back in the day, his master who detested evil, his fiery-tempered senior brother, and his chivalrous junior brother all died...
Only he survived until now, reaching the level of grandmaster due to his wide network of good relations, avoiding conflict whenever possible.
As for the manual of Yuanhe's Five Thunder Hands? Would he care about that unworthy descendant who dared to desecrate the graves of past ancestors?
...
"Not getting involved is for the best!"
Descending from Thunder Peak, Fang Xi used his camouflage clothing to easily blend out of Yuanhe Mountain.
Although the place was heavily guarded, for him, it was as easy as strolling through his backyard - entering and leaving at will.
Obtaining the techniques of Yuanhe's Five Thunder Hands and guidance from a grandmaster made this trip worthwhile.
As for whether the other party intentionally set traps? Fang Xi didn't care at all.
Because his main focus was not on Yuanhe's Five Thunder Hands, but on the True Yuan Technique!
The reason for snatching the manual was simply to absorb its essence and enhance the True Yuan Technique!
Therefore, even if Leng Hu Mountain had some hidden traps in the grandmaster section, at most it would lead him on a detour, consuming more time but not damaging his foundation.
But when the time came, he would wipe out Yuanhe Mountain from top to bottom!
"Leng Hu Mountain seems decent, I can consult him more in the future..."
Not only in terms of grandmaster martial arts, Fang Xi was also very interested in the various secret techniques accumulated by Yuanhe Mountain over the years, such as the method of 'infusing demons into the body.'
...
Sanyuancheng.
As the capital of Dingzhou, this city was quite vast, divided into the inner city, outer city, and the outermost expanding area.
Naturally, the closer to the inner city, the higher the land prices, and the residents were all high-ranking officials.
The outer city housed small and large merchants, martial hall owners, and some commercial streets.
In the outermost expanding area lived the largest number of common people.
On this day.
In a courtyard with three entrances in the outer city.
"This young master, take a look at our courtyard. Not only is it spacious, but the rooms at the back are newly renovated with red bricks and green tiles, all refurbished just last year... and there's even a well!"
A toothman was showing Fang Xi around.
Since the situation in the cultivation world was dangerous, with many foundational forces engaged in battles, Fang Xi decided to lay low in Daliang for a while and focus on improving his martial arts.
Even before going to Yuanhe Mountain, he had already used up all the body-refining pills, achieving the realm of a Three-Step Martial Master with steel-like muscles and bones!
Next, he planned to explore the path of merging divine power and strength, as well as the most esoteric realm of comprehending the unity of man and nature at the grandmaster level.
So, he intended to buy a house in Sanyuancheng and learn the cultivation methods of the mortal world, as mentioned by Leng Hu Mountain.
"But I don't need to pretend to be a mortal... the True Yuan Technique is still in its infancy, so it's a good opportunity to recruit some disciples as guinea pigs... Besides, teaching an ordinary person to become a master can also help me assess any shortcomings in my martial arts."
Fang Xi looked around and was satisfied with this courtyard.
Not only could the front be transformed into a small martial hall, but the space at the back was also large enough for his cultivation needs.
He immediately asked the toothman, "How much to buy?"
The toothman's eyes lit up. "Just nine hundred taels of silver!"
"Cheap, I'll take it!" Fang Xi knew he was probably being taken advantage of, but he didn't mind and agreed casually.
"Such a straightforward young master, may I ask your distinguished name? I'll prepare the contract right away!" The toothman was all smiles, seeing a fat sheep...
"Fang Leng!" Fang Xi replied with a smile.
This name was somewhat related to the White Cloud Martial Hall, so he didn't plan to use it in Sanyuancheng.
Even now, he had slightly altered his appearance in a few places using True Qi, and had made some disguises.
Combined with his breakthrough in martial arts, he had grown taller and more robust.
Even if he met Baihe face to face, she might not recognize him.
"Ah, so you're Fang Leng, may I ask where you're from, and do you have a letter of introduction? These government procedures require..." the toothman asked with a forced smile.
"Hmm?" Fang Xi glanced at him. "I asked you to handle things for me for convenience. If there's no introduction, can't the transfer be done? Then I'll find another toothman to do the deal!"
Why did he let the other party earn so much money if this toothman couldn't solve his problem?
"Of course, even without an introduction, it can be done. I'll take care of it right away." The toothman hurriedly replied, afraid that Fang Xi would leave.
How much did it cost to handle the paperwork in the government office?
He had already earned far more from this fat sheep.
"That's more like it!" Fang Xi reverted to his playboy demeanor, smiling, "Since you're helping me, there will be benefits for you... I still need a few maids for cooking and cleaning. Find a few for me, and you'll get a commission."
...
Three days later.
A small 'Martial Hall' named 'Youjian' opened quietly.
Fang Xi came out to deal with the neighbors and potential customers when the sign was hung, but he didn't advertise or network much.
He didn't even showcase any advanced martial arts.
As a result, the martial hall opened quietly, with not a single apprentice coming in.
Fang Xi didn't mind, as it was all just for fun.
He sat in a grand chair every day, holding a book transcribing formation restrictions, pondering over it earnestly.
He even hired some local teachers to instruct him in the native calculation methods.
Fang Xi was determined, as he had no conditions to delve into alchemy, talismans, or artifacts now, with plenty of free time every day.
By integrating the arithmetic knowledge from three worlds, he could always grasp the essence of formations!
Once he mastered formation techniques, even at the first level, he could be considered a craftsman in the cultivation world, with vastly different status and income in the future!
(End of this chapter)