Chapter 242: Chapter 230: Clever

Zhou Leng was silent for a moment, then nodded and said, “Hello, Snow Mountain Wolf. Please convey my gratitude to the esteemed Frosty Hand. If there’s a chance, I am willing to join the friends of the Ice Snow Divine Sect in searching for the great God of Ice and Snow, to reclaim our faith and let the glory of the God of Ice and Snow shine across the world.”

The two were overjoyed, as this was what they most wanted to hear.

The Snow Mountain Wolf handed over a temporary Magic Spirit Bag with both hands.

Zhou Leng accepted it, and both of them did not waste words, touching their foreheads in salute, then leaving by car.

Zhou Leng picked up the temporary Magic Spirit Bag.

This kind of Magic Spirit Bag was not a physical object but formed by magic, lasting for about a year, valued at tens of thousands, making it the perfect gift for someone.

He opened the Magic Spirit Bag, finding a letter and many magical potions and miscellaneous items, some familiar and some not.

Zhou Leng opened the letter, and neat, simple calligraphy appeared before him.

Ninety-nine percent of humans could not write such beautiful regular script.

As Zhou Leng walked, he read over it.

“I believe you are a smart child who will definitely see this letter.”

“…The most important things in the Magic Spirit Bag are not the magical potions but your High Priest Badge and Magic Robe…”

“…The Priest Badge has been modified by me, allowing you to use some simple functions without a Demon Spirit, such as calling for help, close-range messaging, and showing your identity…”

“If you have time, it’s best to visit the Demon Spirit World for a formal initiation ceremony to make your identity more legitimate.”

“Next, I’ll introduce these magical potions. Of particular note are two from the Demon Spirit World, which, although they won’t enhance your physical strength, will significantly increase your Spiritual Power, which is what you Martial Artists call the Mountain of Will.”

“One is the ’Illusion Tree,’ a Will-enhancing potion tradable by your human Martial Clans and Martial Mansions.”

“The other is the Ice Snow Divine Sect’s unique ’Cold Moon Hanging Light,’ which has never been sold or traded externally. After consumption, it can strengthen willpower for a long time, with effects three to five times that of the Illusion Tree.”

Zhou Leng was stunned; the effect was astonishing.

Previously, when searching the database for information, he had come across the Illusion Tree.

In the human world, this level of medicine is not priced; it can’t possibly circulate in the market.

If it were sold, even a billion would find a buyer.

This is because there are too few drugs to enhance human willpower, and their effects are weak—this is a Demon Spirit Master’s specialty.

The Illusion Tree must inevitably allow one to condense the shadow of a Mountain of Will.

Yet, many Martial Artists who use pills without arduous tempering find it challenging to form a Mountain of Will.

The latter part of the letter introduced other magical potions, all of excellent quality, greatly beneficial for Martial Artists.

“For the Divine Sect, your primary mission is to enhance yourself. You must at least reach Grandmaster rank to lead the quest for My God’s traces.”

“If you have time, visit the Demon Spirit World more often. There’s more than the initiation ceremony, including the Cultivation Land for Demon Spirit Masters, which, although it can’t strengthen your body, can improve your willpower…”

In the letter, Frosty Hand seemed like a kind elder, indistinguishable from any other elder, completely different from the life-threatening demeanor he had exhibited at the time.

Having finished reading the letter, Zhou Leng looked again at the beginning, at the sentence “I believe you are a smart child.”

This was the most crucial sentence in the entire letter.

Those who play the long game downplay even threats so subtly.

“The double agent’s career has begun…”

Zhou Leng placed everything into his own Magic Spirit Bag, then folded the temporary Magic Spirit Bag and put it in his pocket.

Returning to the Frost Giant Tree, he entered the Land of Blades.

Before long, he was thrown out by the Gate of Purgatory.

9,342 cuts.

Just one step away from ten thousand cuts.

Zhou Leng closed his eyes and fell asleep.

When he woke up, it was two in the morning.

Then, he cultivated the Undying Star Body.

First, he set the Star Conch, sat within, visualizing the small Ceres, enveloping it with his will.

4%…5%…6%…

When the will enveloped 7%, Zhou Leng felt as if his brain was exhausted, and with shaky legs, he headed to the Mammoth Lake Shore, pouring all 11 bags of herbal bath powder into the tub. Once the water boiled, he plunged in.

After absorbing all the medicinal power, he drowsily slipped into the lake water to sleep.

Sometime later, Zhou Leng awoke and glanced at the Ceres phantom in the Will World.

Once the will completely envelops Ceres, formal cultivation of the Undying Star Body can begin.

First, he stimulates starlight to absorb Star Power.

Then shatters the star, merging it into his whole body.

Afterward, he can draw larger stars into the Will World, step by step, enhancing.

The Golden Page explains that “drawing stars” for the Undying Star Body is a highly advanced cultivation method. If mastered early, it immensely benefits future cultivation.

In the morning, he exited the Fierce Beast World and went online, with his first task being to check Tian Wenhua’s information via the Martial Guard section.

No new information today.

He did a morning run and then arrived at Ruda Martial Arts Dojo.

Instead of joining his classmates for a lecture, Zhou Leng applied for a personal classroom to use the rewards gained from the Competition Camp to invite Innate-level military teaching.

After two class periods, he exited the classroom, rested, and opened the Demonized Watch.

Unexpectedly, Elder Song sent a message, saying he had time today, and that if he wanted to exchange Martial Arts knowledge, it was best to come today because he might go to the military to teach soon.

Zhou Leng pondered and replied, “I’ll come this afternoon.”

“In the evening, at seven,” Elder Song responded.

“Okay,” Zhou Leng agreed.

Five minutes later, Liang Baiyin sent a ballet image of a beautiful woman spinning, accompanied by the words “spinning in place from happiness.”

“Brother Zhou Leng, see you tonight!”

Zhou Leng had anticipated this and replied with a see you tonight.

When lunchtime came, Zhou Leng and Xu Qingjin had their daily meal together, taking a walk around campus afterward.

After a while, Zhou Leng took out the temporary Magic Spirit Bag and handed it to Xu Qingjin.

Xu Qingjin took it with surprise, looked closely, and asked, “A temporary magic spirit bag?”

“Yes, it’s very new and can be used for a year.”

“It would be better to sell it; it’s quite expensive. Besides, I rarely go to Demon City. Even if I do, it’s with the whole class or even the whole school, so I won’t need it.”

She said this while handing back the magic spirit bag.

Zhou Leng pushed it back and said, “It’s my gift to you.”

“No, it’s too precious,” Xu Qingjin declined bluntly.

“It’s my gift to you.” Zhou Leng smiled as he looked at Xu Qingjin.

Xu Qingjin was taken aback for a moment, but she still shook her head and said, “No.”

“It’s my gift to you.” Zhou Leng still smiled, still saying the same thing.

Suddenly, Xu Qingjin understood something, blushed, lowered her head, opened her mouth, and only after a while did she softly say, “Give me something cheap, like a flower, and I’ll be very happy.”

“You were the first person I thought of when I received it yesterday.”

Xu Qingjin lightly shook her head, her face becoming even redder.

“Take a look inside first.”

Xu Qingjin opened it and was first stunned, then burst into laughter.

The good news is there really is a flower.

The bad news is that it’s not a rose; it’s just an ordinary little white flower from the school flowerbed.

“I like this flower.” Xu Qingjin happily held the flower, brought it to her nose, and gently sniffed it.

“The flower is for you, and the temporary magic spirit bag is a bonus. When I’ve reached the innate realm, I’ll give you a formal magic spirit bag. A formal one.”

Xu Qingjin’s face turned as red as a blazing cloud, even to the earlobes.

She gently held onto the magic spirit bag, softly saying “hmm,” hesitating to lift her head for a long time.

“Do you dislike the flower picked from the school?” Zhou Leng asked.

Xu Qingjin lifted her head, her face still carrying a slight flush.

“The flower doesn’t matter; what’s important is that it’s from you.” Xu Qingjin’s eyes were bright, curved like crescents.

“Hmm.” Zhou Leng nodded gently.

As they walked, Xu Qingjin reminisced.

“You’ve always given me so many things since we were little.”

“Like wreaths made from foxtail grass, balloon animals that you learned to make online, snacks from Uncle Li’s house, oh, and do you remember that stone?”

After Xu Qingjin finished speaking, her face flushed slightly again, but then she showed a happy expression.

“Two stones, one in the shape of a heart picked up by the river, and another one with ’Jin’ written on it bought from a stall.”

“I’ve kept them all, in a box.” Xu Qingjin proudly lifted her head, as if announcing her treasures.

Zhou Leng knew, he’d known all along.

Every little gift, New Year card he gave to Xu Qingjin, was kept in that cookie tin.

Her mother had said, no one was allowed to touch them.

Whenever she felt nostalgic, she’d kneel on the bed, open the slightly rusty tin, take out the old little gifts, and look through them carefully with her head bowed.

Her long hair would fall and cover her face, though it couldn’t hide the smile in her eyes.

After lunch break, Xu Qingjin didn’t have class, so the two of them found a cultivation room to study divine text together.

After learning divine text, Xu Qingjin went to class, while Zhou Leng went to the high-level Martial Arts Hall to cultivate.

In the evening, they had dinner together in the cafeteria, then ran to Elder Song’s Martial Arts Dojo.

As soon as they entered, they heard Liang Baiyin’s cheerful laughter.

“Grandpa Song, then we have a deal. The ice cream you owe me will all be exchanged for martial arts supplies for Brother Zhou Leng, and you can’t break your promise!”

“How much is ice cream worth?”

“Ice cream isn’t worth much, but your promise is valuable. One skill at the bottom of the box is equal to one promise, and one promise is equal to one ice cream, perfect!”

“You’re just bullying this old man! I really don’t know what kind of charm Zhou Leng cast on you, is he that good?”

“He’s certainly good!”

“Better than me?”

“A hundred times better.”

“No more ice cream then.”

“You’re cheating! There is more!”

Zhou Leng walked in, and the two of them turned their heads as soon as they heard the footsteps.

Liang Baiyin blushed, then returned to normal and laughed, “Brother Zhou Leng!”

Song Juesi looked at Zhou Leng with a smile and asked, “Ran all the way here?”

Zhou Leng nodded.

“Good, then no need to warm up. As you mentioned on Martial Faith, the primary goal now is to master the Mountain River Guardian Technique…”

Then, Song Juesi started explaining the Mountain River Guardian Technique to Zhou Leng and Liang Baiyin.

He had mastered all the combat techniques that could be grasped below the innate realm.

For those that couldn’t be grasped below the innate realm, he had comprehended ninety percent of them.

In terms of power, Song Juesi’s Mountain River Guardian Technique was far inferior to Mountain and River Origin, because their physiques were vastly different.

But in terms of understanding battle techniques, Song Juesi was tens of thousands of times superior to Mountain and River Origin.

All evening, Zhou Leng studied diligently, constantly taking notes, and gained ten times more than what he learned from communicating with Mountain and River Origin.

When he finished learning, Zhou Leng asked, “Elder Song, can I share my notes with Mountain and River Origin and Zhang Xinglie?”

“No problem, martial arts should be about sharing and communicating. Unfortunately, my body is too weak, my realm too low, otherwise I’d teach online for sure.”

“You could actually teach via video,” Liang Baiyin suggested.

Song Juesi’s eyes dimmed momentarily, then he shook his head and said, “Let’s not talk about it.”

Zhou Leng and Liang Baiyin exchanged a glance, knowing there might be another matter involved, recalling the expert who had injured Song Juesi’s foundation.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep