Long Wu was generous and shrewd, his calculations precise.
What kind of person was Jiang Tian? A true dragon among men! With Jiang Tian as their backer, the Longwei Association could dominate southern China within a decade, their assets multiplying tenfold. Even if Long Wu had to give up half, it would still be a profitable deal.
Hearing this, everyone looked at Jiang Tian with admiration and envy, their hearts filled with awe.
At such a young age, Jiang Tian could command the Longwei Association. Someone like Zhou Zhenghao, who had been in the business for so long, only had a fortune of a few billion. Compared to Jiang Tian, he paled in comparison.
“Forget it, I’m not interested in these matters,” Jiang Tian declined politely.
He knew the benefits of managing a powerful organization, but being too deeply involved would mean taking on responsibilities and burdens. If Long Wu and his people got into trouble, Jiang Tian would have to step in, which would interfere with his cultivation.
“Grandmaster Jiang, please don’t look down on us. We may not have much talent, but we can handle the mundane business affairs…” Long Wu’s eyes reddened, his voice filled with despair. It was the first time he had encountered someone who refused money.
“Yes, Grandmaster Jiang. We may come from humble beginnings, but we value loyalty above all else,” Zhou Zhenghao pleaded pitifully.
“If you become our leader, we will go through fire and water for you, even if it costs us our lives!”
“Do I need you to go through fire and water for me?” Jiang Tian rolled his eyes, thinking to himself that he would probably end up protecting them instead.
“Brother Long Wu, stop dreaming,” Li Zhenwei interjected coldly.
“Grandmaster Jiang is a figure of immense stature. How could he care about your petty wealth? Stop whining and annoying him!”
“Alright, alright, I’ll stop. Grandmaster Jiang, let me toast you again!” Long Wu sighed, his face filled with frustration.
Long Gaitian, however, leaned in and whispered to Li Zhenwei, “Master Li, what does Grandmaster Jiang need? We must repay his great kindness somehow.”
“For martial artists, wealth is merely a means to acquire cultivation resources. But the ultimate goal is always the resources themselves,” Li Zhenwei explained, then sighed and shook his head.
“However, in this age of advanced technology and environmental destruction, ancient traditions have been lost. Spiritual herbs, rare medicines, and magical artifacts are incredibly hard to come by. Most of the time, they’re priceless treasures that can’t be bought with money.”
Hearing this, Long Wu suddenly frowned and said, “Grandmaster Jiang, have you heard of the Life Divine Stone?”
“The Life Divine Stone? What’s special about it?” Jiang Tian’s expression shifted slightly, a hint of curiosity flashing in his eyes.
“I heard about it from the King of Kokang in Myanmar. He once obtained a piece, and after wearing it, he felt refreshed and full of energy,” Long Wu said excitedly.
“This divine stone is found in the depths of the Hundred Thousand Mountains in Miaojiang, in a place called White Ape Valley.”
“The Life Divine Stone? I’ve heard of it too!” Li Zhenwei’s eyes lit up.
“If worn regularly, it can strengthen a martial artist’s bones, ignite their bloodline, and double their cultivation. However, White Ape Valley is guarded by a ferocious giant ape. Even inner strength masters or grandmasters would perish if they encountered it.”
“This Life Divine Stone sounds intriguing…” Jiang Tian nodded thoughtfully, his gaze distant.
He now had a deep understanding of the martial artist’s cultivation system. Compared to cultivation, martial arts were much simpler.
Martial artists typically relied on elixirs to strengthen their bodies and cultivate their energy through digestion. Unlike cultivators, they couldn’t absorb the spiritual energy scattered in the world or from jade and crystals through their pores.
But the fact that the Life Divine Stone could nourish a martial artist’s body showed just how extraordinary it was.
“Yes, the King of Kokang said that last time, he brought dozens of armed gunmen to White Ape Valley and only managed to get a stone the size of a finger. Even then, several of his men died or were injured,” Long Wu said, his voice trembling with fear.
“Long Wu, what does the Life Divine Stone look like?” Jiang Tian asked succinctly.
“Here, take a look! This is a photo the King of Kokang took back then.”
Long Wu pulled out his phone and showed a picture, explaining, “The Hundred Thousand Mountains in Miaojiang have a subtropical climate, and it was summer with temperatures reaching 40 degrees Celsius. But in this valley, it was covered in snow, with a blizzard raging.”
In the photo, the distant mountains were lush and green, with trees and wildflowers swaying in the wind. But in the foreground, heavy snow fell, the river was frozen, and the trees were covered in icicles, resembling a scene from a fairy tale.
“Strange!”
Jiang Tian’s heart skipped a beat as he frowned, his eyes scanning the image.
“Wait, that’s… Frost Crystal Stone!”
At first, the snow didn’t seem unusual, but when Jiang Tian noticed a fist-sized piece of jade embedded in the rocks, surrounded by a white mist of cold air, his expression changed dramatically.
In nature, there are five elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. If one could gather all five, they could set up a Spirit Gathering Array. Especially on Earth, where spiritual energy was scarce, such an array was crucial. Only by concentrating the sparse spiritual energy could it be absorbed and utilized.
The Frost Crystal Stone was a water-element crystal, extremely rare even in other realms.
“Can White Ape Valley be found?” Jiang Tian’s heart stirred, and he decided to search for the Frost Crystal Stone.
“The Hundred Thousand Mountains are a mysterious and dangerous uncharted territory. The valley is too small to be marked on any map,” Long Wu explained.
“But the King of Kokang has been there once. If Grandmaster Jiang wishes to go, I can ask him for directions.”
He immediately got up and made a call to the King of Kokang. Although he tried to keep his voice low, Jiang Tian could still hear clearly.
The King of Kokang demanded a hefty price—ten million just for the location information.
A moment later, Long Wu returned with a GPS coordinate and a route saved on his phone.
“The Frost Crystal Stone is so precious, yet it rarely appears on the market. This suggests that White Ape Valley is extremely dangerous.”
After the banquet, Jiang Tian returned to his residence. As he meditated and cultivated, he pondered deeply.
“That giant ape must be a demonic beast.”
“It seems I need to prepare myself, stabilize my cultivation, and refine the Evil-Slaying Golden Coin Sword before setting out.”
Five days passed.
With a wave of his hand, the golden coins flew into the air, forming a golden sword.
“Go!”
Jiang Tian pointed, and the sword shot forward, slicing through a stone statue in the courtyard, reducing it to dust.
“Good. My cultivation at the second level of Qi Refining is now stable. With this golden coin sword, even if I encounter a demonic beast, I can slay it with a single strike!”
Confident, Jiang Tian left the villa.
Li Zhenwei immediately greeted him with a smile. “Grandmaster Jiang, are we ready to set out?”
“Oh? You want to come too?” Jiang Tian asked with a smile.
“To follow Grandmaster Jiang, even if it means death, I would be willing!” Li Zhenwei said with a flattering smile.
“Besides, I have an old friend in the Hundred Thousand Mountains who can guide us.”
“How’s your arm? Can you manage?” Jiang Tian glanced at his arm.
“Grandmaster Jiang’s prescription is truly miraculous. My arm has fully healed, and my cultivation has been restored. I can definitely assist you!” Li Zhenwei thumped his chest confidently.
“Alright, you can come with me,” Jiang Tian nodded in agreement.
Zhou Zhenghao and Dongdong also wanted to join, hoping to assist Jiang Tian. But this time, Jiang Tian firmly refused.
This journey was perilous, and their presence would only be a burden.
Long Wu, having dealt with Fu Biao, needed to return to Linzhou to reorganize his forces and continue his reign as the underground king. Zhou Zhenghao followed him back.
Before parting, Long Wu asked worriedly, “The King of Kokang also said White Ape Valley is extremely dangerous. Should I send some armed men to accompany you?”
“No need,” Jiang Tian waved his hand.
“If you want to repay me, take care of someone for me.”
“Who? I will do as you command!” Long Wu said solemnly.
“Zhao Huacheng’s daughter, Zhao Xueqing…” Jiang Tian uttered the name that lingered in his thoughts.
“Zhao Huacheng is just a minor tycoon. How does Grandmaster Jiang, a figure like a god, know his daughter?”
Though puzzled, Long Wu didn’t dare ask further. He immediately assured, “Grandmaster Jiang, rest assured. I will send experts to protect her. If anything happens to Miss Zhao, I will take full responsibility!”
Thus, Jiang Tian parted ways with Long Wu and Zhou Zhenghao in Shetou Town, setting off with Li Zhenwei to find the Frost Crystal Stone.
After several hours of driving through rugged mountain paths, their off-road vehicle entered the Hundred Thousand Mountains.
By evening, they arrived at a small village with smoke rising from chimneys. The vehicle stopped in front of a small courtyard surrounded by bamboo fences.
Li Zhenwei knocked on the wooden gate and called out, “Old Ghost, open up!”
Jiang Tian observed the courtyard, which contained traditional training equipment like stone locks, wooden dummies, sandbags, and a weapon rack. There was also a large rockery.
A moment later, the gate creaked open.
A strikingly beautiful woman with a tall figure rushed out, nearly colliding with Li Zhenwei.
She glared and scolded, “Old man, are you trying to die? Watch where you’re going!”
“Young lady, where are your manners? Didn’t your parents teach you any respect?” Li Zhenwei retorted, his tone cold and authoritative.
“Well, well, if it isn’t Master Li Zhenwei! What brings you here from Foshan? Come to cause trouble?”
A man in a blue robe, wide-legged pants, and straw sandals stepped out, a bamboo basket hanging from his waist. He smirked coldly.
Seeing him, Li Zhenwei’s expression stiffened, and he forced a smile. “Ah, Elder Lan of the Five Poisons Sect. My apologies.”
“Hmph! Be careful. This is Miaojiang, not Lingnan. You have no right to cause trouble here,” Elder Lan sneered.
With a sharp whistle, he brushed past Li Zhenwei. In that instant, a green shadow shot out from his bamboo basket, darting toward Li Zhenwei like an arrow.
