Starting as the heir of a marquis's mansion, I gained access to a summoning system.

Pingyang County City. The secret underground chamber of the Meng family mansion.

The bluestone wall is covered with a series of musical notation marks. An oil lamp hangs overhead, its flame flickering slightly.

Dongfang Weiwo sat cross-legged on a futon, holding a palm-sized jade box in his hands.

The box is opened.

The aroma of herbs burst forth.

The blood-red Ganoderma lucidum lay quietly in the box. Seven golden lines on the cap shimmered faintly in the candlelight.

Seven hundred years old. Heavenly Origin Medicine.

Dongfang Weiwo stared at it. He took a deep breath.

He had been waiting for this day.

Normally, it would take at least three years to progress from the late stage of the Acquired Blood Exchange Realm to the Innate Realm. He couldn't wait that long.

Various forces have begun to suspect the Azure Dragon Society. Lu Zhennan is investigating the mole within the organization, the White Lotus Sect is licking its wounds, He Qingquan is still in the county town, and the forces behind the mysterious man in black are also secretly watching.

He needs strength.

Dongfang Weiwo put the precious medicine into his mouth.

The Ganoderma lucidum melts in your mouth.

The scalding hot medicine rushed down his throat and into his dantian. It exploded instantly.

"boom--"

A jolt ran through his body. His skin instantly turned bright red, as if it were on fire. The medicinal power surged through his body like a burst dam, causing chaos. His meridians felt like they were about to burst.

He gritted his teeth and activated the "Dragon Body Refining Technique".

The late-stage Blood Exchange Realm cultivator's Qi and blood circulated wildly, attempting to restrain the medicinal power. However, the medicinal power was too potent, like a wild horse, completely out of control.

"roar--"

He let out a low growl. Veins bulged on his forehead. Sweat vaporized into white mist.

The medicinal power broke through the bottleneck of the Blood Exchange Realm. It didn't stop at the Golden Body Realm, but continued to surge upwards.

The bottleneck to the Golden Body Realm is as thin as paper, easily torn apart. The medicinal power surges into the bones, tempering every inch of them.

The bones crackled and popped, as if being reforged. The originally pale gold bones gradually turned pure gold. Golden light emanated from them, illuminating the entire secret chamber.

Golden Body Realm. Mid-stage Golden Body Realm. Late-stage Golden Body Realm.

The effects of the medicine continued unabated.

The bottleneck of the Golden Body Realm was torn apart once again. The medicinal power surged into the blood, further refining the golden blood. The gold in the blood grew increasingly concentrated, gradually turning a crimson gold color—the mark of the Divine Power Realm.

Early stage of Divine Power Realm. Middle stage of Divine Power Realm. Late stage of Divine Power Realm.

The effects of the medication have finally slowed down. But they haven't stopped yet.

It began to challenge the bottleneck of the Innate Realm.

The bottleneck of the Innate Realm is more solid than all the previous bottlenecks combined. It is the barrier to a higher realm, a qualitative leap from the Acquired to the Innate.

The medicinal effects repeatedly struck the bottleneck. With each impact, Dongfang Weiwo's body trembled violently. Blood began to flow from his seven orifices, and fine beads of blood seeped from his skin. He looked as if he had been pulled from a pool of blood.

"Break for me!"

All the medicinal power within his body erupted simultaneously, like a bomb exploding in his dantian.

"Click—"

That invisible wall shattered.

A brand new power surged from his dantian, like a volcano that had been dormant for millennia suddenly erupting. His inner energy coursed through his meridians. Unlike the acquired qi and blood power—this was true innate essence. Purer, more refined, and stronger.

Innate Realm. Early Stage of Qi Sea.

Dongfang Weiwo opened his eyes.

His eyes gleamed with a sharp light.

He exhaled a long breath of stale air. The breath condensed in the air and did not dissipate, transforming into the shape of a dragon, swirling for three breaths before slowly dissipating.

He stood up and clenched his fist. An unprecedented power surged in his palm. He unleashed a punch—at least ten times stronger than before.

The moment I broke through to the Innate Realm.

[System Notification: Gold Summoning Permissions Unlocked!]

[System notification: First time unlocking Gold-level privileges detected. Reward: 1 Gold Summoning Card]

Dongfang Weiwo's eyes lit up.

Golden Summoning Card?

Previously, he only had Iron, Bronze, and Silver summoning privileges; those above Gold level were always grayed out and unusable. This time, after breaking through to the Innate Realm, he actually unlocked Gold privileges and even received a Gold Summoning Card!

A summoning card gleaming with a pale golden light appeared deep within my consciousness.

Dongfang Weiwo had a sudden thought.

The card is broken.

Countless golden points of light swirled, coalesced, and exploded within the secret chamber.

Space suddenly distorted.

It wasn't the ripples from the Bronze Summoning.

It was like a piece of paper being torn in half. Dazzling golden light shone through the crack. From within the golden light, a tall figure slowly emerged.

He was in his forties. He wore a black brocade robe and a gold belt. His face was cold and dignified.

His hair was neatly tied back, revealing a full forehead and a pair of deep-set eyes. Those eyes lacked Meng Xinghun's coldness and Han Tang's sinister glint. Instead, they held a detached indifference that surveyed all living beings. It was as if everything under heaven was within his calculations, without exception.

His hands were empty. He carried no weapons.

But Dongfang Wei Neng could sense that this person was surrounded by an invisible aura, as if he himself were a weapon.

[Summoned Character: Shangguan Jin Hong]

[Character Introduction: From Gu Long's martial arts world, former leader of the Money Gang, titled Dragon and Phoenix Rings. Ranked second on the Hundred Weapon Rankings, possessing the Mother-Child Dragon and Phoenix Rings. Has reached the pinnacle of mastery, "No ring in hand, but ring in heart."]

[Realm Level: Early Grandmaster]

[Characteristics: A ruthless and ambitious leader, skilled in managing power, political maneuvering, and talent control. Always carries the Mother-and-Child Dragon-Phoenix Rings (the second most precious treasure on the Weapon Ranking).]

Loyalty: 100%

The most charismatic and ultimate villain in Gu Long's novels. A powerful figure in the underworld who single-handedly created the Money Gang.

"Money falls to the ground, heads are lost."

—The domineering and terrifying power behind these eight words is now standing in front of Dongfang Weiwo in human form.

Shangguan Jin Hong's gaze fell on Dongfang Wei Wo, and he bowed slightly. His voice was deep and resonant, filled with heartfelt respect.

"Shangguan Jin Hong greets my lord."

Dongfang Weiwo scrutinized the man before him, a profound and indescribable shock welling up within him.

Early stage of Grandmaster.

There wasn't a single Grandmaster in the entire Pingyang County.

Lu Zhennan was at the late stage of the Divine Meridian Realm, Mo Wuhen was at the peak of the Divine Meridian Realm, and the three elders of the White Lotus Sect were also at the Divine Meridian Realm—in front of a Grandmaster, none of these people were worth mentioning.

A grandmaster can easily slaughter a thousand people at the third level of the Innate Realm. They can condense protective qi from their internal energy. Swords, spears, halberds, cannons, and arrows cannot harm them in the slightest.

"Get up," Dongfang Weiwo said calmly. His heartbeat hadn't completely calmed down yet.

Shangguan Jin Hong straightened up, her gaze sweeping across the secret room. Her eyes were indifferent, yet carried an oppressive aura that made people afraid to look directly at her.

That's the kind of aura that can only be cultivated by those who have long been in a position of power and hold the power of life and death.

"I need you to serve as the head of the First Hall of the Azure Dragon Society."

Dongfang Weiwo cut to the chase. "Currently, Meng Xinghun is temporarily serving as the leader of the Yiyue Hall. He excels at assassination and stealth, but he doesn't know how to develop his power. I need you to integrate resources and expand our territory."

Shangguan Jin Hong's lips curled slightly upward. A very faint smile. devoid of any warmth.

"Rest assured, my lord." The voice was soft, but each word was like an iron nail driven into the ground.

"What I do best is turn small forces into large forces."