The Demon-Slaying Grandmaster

Chapter 202 "Riding the Clouds and Mist" and "Turning Earth into Steel"

The soft armor that appears in the game is not only warm in winter and cool in summer with high defense, but also lightweight.

Even though it was already the end of the tenth lunar month and the weather was quite cold, Li Jingxiao was still only wearing a soft armor, with an official robe or a python robe on top.

At his level of cultivation, he could indeed remain unaffected by heat or cold.

Even if you go to the vast desert, where the temperature may drop to minus thirty or forty degrees Celsius, you can still take out mink coats and trousers from Liaodong from your inventory.

Li Jingxiao even owns mink fur boots.
Moreover, he wasn't the only one with one; his wife, concubine, and three sisters each had at least two sets.

When Li Jingxiao led his army back to the Great Zhou from Liaodong, the Jurchens not only gave him a lot of high-quality furs.

The generals in Liaodong treated sending fur coats as if they were free.

And Kwon Ji-ri from Goryeo sent someone over last month with a newly made mink coat.

They also made a complete set for Qin Keqing and Yuan Chun.

Her purpose was simply to hope that Lee Kyung-hyo would always remember her and visit her when he had time.

Of the Li family's eight shops, two sell goods from Liaodong, many of which are Liaodong specialties brought back from doing business with Kwon Ji-ri.

Moreover, as long as Li Jingxiao remains in the position of Zuo Zhenfu Si, the silk, tea, and porcelain of Jiangnan can be easily sourced.

Once a person gains power, they can indeed earn enough money in just a few years to last a lifetime, or even several lifetimes, to never be able to spend it all.

The eight shops may not seem to earn much each year, but they still make at least forty or fifty thousand taels of silver.

This is enough to cover the expenses of the Duke of Xingguo's mansion for several years.

With the estate included, an annual income of seventy to eighty thousand taels of silver is not a problem.

This is even though Li Jingxiao didn't buy much land; otherwise, the Ning and Rong mansions could earn forty to fifty thousand taels of silver a year from their estates.

Li Jingxiao never touched the money; it was all kept in the inner vault.

Of course, after Yuan Chun married into the family, both the east and west courtyards had their own storerooms.

Li Jingxiao also tried his best to be impartial, dividing the spoils equally between the two daughters-in-law.

Moreover, although the keys to the treasury were given to Qin Keqing and Yuan Chun, Li Jingxiao still had to review the accounts of the silver inflows and outflows.

Li Jingxiao didn't care, but Qin Keqing and Yuan Chun insisted that he see it.

The following morning, after playing chess with Hu Xian'er and Liu Cuitong at Zhenwu Temple, Li Jingxiao, as usual, had a martial arts contest and gained 2400 experience points.

While meditating and cultivating in the Zhenwu Hall, my attention was focused on the two jujube trees in the game.

These past few days, I've been watering it with spiritual energy every day, and the first jujube tree has already grown to over twenty meters tall.

Li Jingxiao had stopped watering the other jujube tree with spiritual energy and was letting it grow on its own.

However, after the first jujube tree grew to more than 20 meters, no matter how much spiritual energy it was watered with, it stopped growing taller.

Instead, it begins with the result.

When the fruit grew to a bright red and ripe, Li Jingxiao picked one and tasted it.

They quickly discovered that the taste was even better than that of the 500-year-old jujube tree in Luze.

However, the pure yang energy it contains is not as good as the fruit from that old jujube tree.

Li Jingxiao guessed that it might be due to the catalysis of spiritual energy, which caused the tree to grow too fast, and much of the spiritual liquid was actually absorbed by the trunk of the jujube tree in the game.

Instead of all of them being gathered on the dates.

All that spiritual energy poured into nurturing this new jujube tree, and in the end, the resulting spiritual jujubes still seem less worthwhile than the spiritual wine.

Li Jingxiao couldn't help but get angry.

But then I thought about how much Monkey Spirit Wine I had stored in my inventory.

For a long time, there was no shortage of spirit wine, so Li Jingxiao gritted his teeth and simply kept watering the jujube trees.

I refuse to believe that if it absorbs enough spiritual liquid, this new jujube tree will never be able to compare to that 500-year-old jujube tree.

Perhaps it will continue to evolve in the future, and the fruit it bears may become a divine fruit.

In the past two days, Qin Keqing and the others each ate two spirit dates from the old jujube tree, and their internal strength cultivation has indeed made considerable progress.

Her skin became increasingly fair and rosy, even more delicate and tender.

Qin Keqing and Yuan Chun, who were delighted, had hinted several times that they wanted to eat a few more spirit dates.

Li Jingxiao naturally wouldn't refuse, since he had already traded over sixty old jujubes with Lu Ze using one hundred catties of monkey wine.

I give my wife two pills each month; they'll last her a long time.

The spirit dates that grow on the new date trees in the game are not as effective as the fruits from the Deer Marsh for the time being.

But the difference isn't actually that big.

He gave food to his five concubines, three younger sisters, and his brother-in-law.

It is also beneficial to one's internal energy cultivation.

Therefore, the internal energy cultivation of the women in the family has improved considerably recently.

Only Jing Rong and Qin Zhong were there because they were still young.

Li Jingxiao never allowed his wife, Jingxi, to pass on their internal martial arts skills to them.

However, Qin Zhong will be six years old after the New Year this year, and with a year and a half of foundational training, it is time to pass on internal skills to him.

As for Jingrong, we'll wait another year.

But Li Jingxiao forgot that his little sister was not one to stay put.

The more you forbid her from doing something, the more she longs to do it.
-
In mid-November, the character level was 46 (34300/9.2).
Lightning Strike Fist - Grandmaster (7430/4)
However, the Longevity and Immortality Technique, even without much daily practice, has still reached the Grandmaster level (4940/4).

The main hall of the newly built villa outside the city was finally fitted with its main beams and the roof was completed before the heavy snow.

Li Jingxiao even took his two wives to see it, and after they looked around, they confirmed that there was no problem.

We strolled around the lake in the villa and enjoyed a barbecue made by Li Jingxiao himself.

I got back to the city around 3 p.m.

Once this winter is over, the villa is expected to be completed in about six months.

If it's just building houses, as long as there are enough people, the process can be quite fast.

Xia Shouzhong also instructed the Imperial Household Department to assist him, as per the emperor's orders.

Moreover, the craftsmen didn't do nothing during the winter.

Doing carpentry, stonemasonry, and masonry work indoors can save a lot of time.

At the end of November, Li Jingxiao took the souls of the monsters he had destroyed outside the city over the past two weeks to the City God Temple.

In the past two weeks, he has earned more than 7,000 experience points from the demons he has killed.

In addition, he can get an average of 3500 experience points every day from his wife, concubine, Hu Xian'er, and Liu Cuitong.

The character level has been upgraded to level 47 (3800/9.4).
One attribute point is added to Comprehension.

体质30、根骨26+8、悟性32+3
When the City God saw Li Jingxiao pour out the dozens of souls from the purple-gold gourd, his expression became somewhat unnatural.

Li Jingxiao noticed the other party's expression and thought to himself that last time he brought a lot of souls to hand over to him.

His expression looked a little unnatural.

I thought and thought, but I still couldn't figure out why.

After the City God handed Li Jingxiao a book on the art of "Riding the Clouds and Mist" as payment for catching ghosts and exorcising demons, the City God gave him a copy.

He chatted with Li Jingxiao for a while, and as they talked, they ended up talking about the evil spirits in the eighteen levels of hell in the underworld, and how the number of punished souls was increasing and there were already signs of a shortage of manpower.

Li Jingxiao then realized that this was an implication that he didn't need to hand over the captured soul to him.

Since they're all evil monsters and strange creatures anyway, no one will care if they're killed.

With a thought, Li Jingxiao used the purple-gold red gourd to collect the souls of those dozens of evil spirits and monsters once again.

He shook the gourd a few times, and all the dozens of evil spirits inside were refined by it. Unfortunately, none of these evil spirits were good; unlike the flower fairies in the game, which, after being refined, left only pure spiritual energy.

Therefore, Li Jingxiao was completely uninterested in this kind of spiritual energy that carried a strong, malevolent aura.

Just as he was pondering how to handle the situation, he heard the City God say, "Duke of Xingguo, may I take a look at your precious gourd?"

Li Jingxiao has no shortage of red gourds. Although the drop rate in the game is not high, he has already farmed 6 purple-gold red gourds.

He casually tossed the gourd over.

After the City God caught it, he opened the gourd and felt a surge of spiritual energy, accompanied by a strong, malevolent aura, rushing into his nostrils.

To Li Jingxiao's surprise, the City God actually smiled.

He kept saying, "Good baby, good baby."

Li Jingxiao realized it after a moment's thought.

The judges, underworld generals, underworld messengers, ghost kings, five generals, and ten great protectors in the underworld—which one isn't a more ferocious being than an evil ghost?

Moreover, the evil energy in the underworld is definitely not lacking. The fierce energy that Li Jingxiao tries to avoid might actually be a tonic for the Yin Marshal and the Ghost King.

The four judges, such as the city gods of the prefectures and the capital, are all powerful figures at the level of ghost kings.

Their combat power may not be that high, but they're not afraid of this bit of menacing aura.

Zhong Kui likes to swallow ghosts, which is not only harmless but also beneficial.

There's no reasoning with the ghosts he devoured.

He was not only one of the Four Judges, but also the Celestial Master personally appointed by the Jade Emperor.

Nobody cares if a few ghosts are eaten.

The City God inhaled deeply into the gourd, swallowing all the spiritual energy within.

His face flushed red and then turned pale, but returned to normal within ten seconds.

But the smile on his face brightened considerably.

Li Jingxiao immediately guessed that there must be some secret method to refine that evil energy.

Of course, no matter what kind of cultivation method it is, there is definitely an upper limit to the amount that can be refined.

But the residual malevolent energy left after only a few dozen evil spirits were refined was certainly no problem for this City God.

However, Li Jingxiao had no desire to learn this type of martial art.

Even if it's harmless to yourself, you'll likely eat too much and end up with a sinister aura.

If he turned into Zhong Kui, a fierce and menacing figure that even ghosts feared, his wife would definitely dislike him.

After returning the gourd to Li Jingxiao, the City God gave him a wink.

This implies that no matter how Li Jingxiao deals with those evil spirits in the future, Li Jingxiao will have to process the spiritual energy mixed with malevolent energy after the evil spirits are refined.

This was a mutually beneficial arrangement, so Li Jingxiao naturally wouldn't refuse.

However, he still managed to obtain a magic technique called "turning the earth into steel" from the City God.

But when he tentatively mentioned wanting to learn the Five Elements Escape Technique...

The City God said irritably, "I still want to learn!"
Moreover, if I knew it, I wouldn't have passed it on to you.

Li Jingxiao was taken aback and asked repeatedly before the City God finally said, "Passing on the knowledge to you is no big deal."

But once you learn the escape techniques I know, it will be the same as telling you the fundamentals of my escape techniques.

"If you were in my shoes, would you tell me about your weaknesses and flaws in your ability to escape?"

Li Jingxiao smiled awkwardly, but he knew in his heart that the City God's escape technique had a flaw.

The Five Elements Escape Technique seems to be of a very high level; even the City God, who is a king in the human world, is not qualified to learn it.

With a bow, Li Jingxiao went home to cultivate the two Taoist arts, "Soaring Through the Clouds" and "Turning the Earth into Steel."

However, Li Jingxiao also understood that Liang Guangyuan, the City God, was actually trying to give him benefits in various ways.

Otherwise, it would have been impossible for him to receive such powerful Taoist techniques as "Soaring Through the Clouds" and "Turning the Earth into Steel" simply for helping him catch some evil spirits.
-
Previously, every time Li Jingxiao flew, he either held a flying sword in his hand or had a flying sword carried on his back.

It does look cool, but compared to flying on clouds, it lacks a certain otherworldly and ethereal aura.

As for "Turning the Earth into Steel," it means that in the future, when encountering earth-based techniques, one will no longer be bound by limitations.

After spending several days mastering the basics of two Taoist techniques, Li Jingxiao immediately concealed himself and rode the clouds to find Lu Ze.

If you can't get the Earth Element Technique from him, you can also seek out Yue Zhongjie, the mountain god of Yunfeng Mountain.

Fortunately, Lu Ze was probably grateful to Li Jingxiao for killing that bear last time, so he had the people from the Left Garrison Command keep an eye on the officials of the Ministry of Works.

The first thing they did was renovate his Wulin Mountain God Temple and expand the temple's courtyard several times over.

Now, the courtyard is deep and the scenery is beautiful.

Li Jingxiao also ordered the men of the Left Garrison Command to spread rumors around Wulin Mountain that the bear was killed by the mountain god of Wulin Mountain who reported it to the imperial court.

The mountain god contributed greatly to this.

Villagers from more than a dozen surrounding villages have been harmed by that bear.

It was the Embroidered Uniform Guard spreading propaganda in the surrounding towns and counties.

In the past month or so, the number of people coming up the mountain to express their gratitude and make offerings has suddenly increased.

I heard that local gentry from several counties are planning to raise money to build a stone-paved road up the mountain.

Once it's built, even more people will definitely come up the mountain.

Therefore, when Lu Ze told Li Jingxiao that he wanted to learn earth magic, he taught him everything he knew without hesitation.

But what Li Jingxiao didn't expect was that Lu Ze's earth-moving technique was a Taoist magic inherent to the position of mountain god.

You could even call it your innate supernatural power.

Therefore, he can travel thousands of miles underground in a day, while Li Jingxiao's earth-moving technique is somewhat slower.

It wasn't as fast as he had imagined.

After careful measurement, it was found to be at most 40 or 50 li per hour, or 20 or 30 kilometers per hour.

It's at most as fast as riding a bicycle.

But then I thought, even traveling a thousand miles a day is only 500 kilometers a day.

Eight hours would indeed have been very fast in the eyes of the ancients.

However, compared to modern people who are used to traveling by highway or airplane, long-distance travel feels too slow.

If this were China in the 1980s or 90s, trains would probably only travel at 50 or 60 kilometers per hour.

Li Jingxiao could only console himself that when the earth-moving technique was used, it would most likely be when he was trying to escape.

They can avoid enemies underground, and after walking only a dozen miles, they can escape by flying low on their swords.

Moreover, with the Earth Element Technique, Li Jingxiao had more confidence and assurance in defeating the One-Horned Ghost King.

After that, aside from gaining experience points, Li Jingxiao spent most of his time practicing the Lightning Thunder Fist.

Before we knew it, it was already the Little New Year.

I gained 87500 experience points in 25 days, and my character level increased again.

Level 48 (2700/9.6)
The attribute points were then added to Comprehension.

Lightning Thunder Fist has also reached the Grandmaster level (25426/4).
Lightning Strike Fist is currently meditating and earns 21.5 points per hour.

It's more than three times faster than the Sword Control Technique and the Longevity Technique, which each grant 6.7 proficiency points per hour.

From an efficiency standpoint alone, Li Jingxiao became even more determined to first master the Thunderclap Fist.

(End of this chapter)