“Ah!” Li Zhenwei let out a startled cry, his hand darting out to grab—only to clutch at empty air.
A green shadow landed on his neck. It was a bamboo viper, no longer than a chopstick.
Li Zhenwei shuddered, his entire body breaking out in cold sweat as he frantically clawed at his neck. But the viper was far too nimble, darting across his shoulders, head, arms, chest, and back with lightning speed.
Knowing how deadly the creature was, Li Zhenwei’s face turned ashen. His hands moved in a blur, yet the little snake was ten times faster, evading every attempt to catch it.
“Hehe, Elder Lan’s little green snake is absolutely adorable! Simply marvelous!” The beautiful woman clapped her hands in delight, watching Li Zhenwei’s struggle with amusement.
Suddenly, a limping old man hobbled forward on his cane, his face twisted in anger. “Elder Lan! If you dare harm my brother, don’t expect me to guide you!”
“Skree—! Come back, Xiao Qing!” Elder Lan let out a sharp whistle, and the little snake instantly flew back into his bamboo basket.
He cast a disdainful glance at Li Zhenwei before turning to the limping old man with a smirk. “Ghost-Kick, I was just having a little fun with Master Zhenwei!”
Humiliated, Li Zhenwei scowled and muttered, “If we fought for real, I’d crush him with one strike! And that woman—she’s no good either! Hmph!”
“Forget it, Brother Wei. We can’t afford to provoke her—she’s Guo Lili, the heiress of the Guo family from Southeast Asia!” The limping old man quickly pulled Li Zhenwei aside and whispered urgently.
“What? The Southeast Asian Guo family?!” Li Zhenwei’s pupils shrank, a flicker of fear flashing in his eyes.
The Guo family—a century-old dynasty of Chinese tycoons in Singapore. They had started with nothing but a straw mat when they first ventured south, and now, they dominated the global Chinese富豪榜 (rich lists).
Their empire spanned shipping, hotels, finance, and more, with assets in the hundreds of billions. At their peak, they had ranked among the top ten wealthiest Chinese families worldwide. Even now, amidst the rise of internet moguls, the Guos remained firmly in the top thirty.
Whenever Chinese leaders visited Singapore on state visits, they always stayed at the Guo estate—proof of the family’s immense political influence.
Li Zhenwei might have some reputation in Lingnan, but against a colossus like the Guos? He was nothing.
“The Southeast Asian Guo family… No wonder even a Five Poisons Sect elder serves as her escort. But why are they after the Frost Crystal? Are they cultivators too?” Jiang Tian’s eyes narrowed in thought.
The Guo family was legendary among overseas Chinese, their wealth rivaling nations. Even Singapore’s prime minister treated them with deference.
Then, Jiang Tian remembered—in his past life, around this very year, the Guo patriarch had fallen gravely ill and passed away. It had even made the news.
“So it’s the Southeast Asian Guos…”
Li Zhenwei’s heart pounded. He shot Jiang Tian a pleading look, hoping he’d step in and salvage his dignity.
But Jiang Tian ignored him, showing no intention of confronting Elder Lan. Instead, he even took a step back. Left with no choice, Li Zhenwei could only force a bitter smile.
Seeing Jiang Tian and Li Zhenwei retreat, the beautiful woman’s lips curled in contempt. She turned to the limping man.
“Ghost-Kick, think carefully. Guide me tomorrow, and I’ll pay you ten million. If you refuse again… I’ll find someone else.”
With that, she and Elder Lan strode away.
“Old Ghost, what are they asking you to guide them to?” Li Zhenwei asked, puzzled.
“She’s been lurking around the village for days, pestering me to lead her to White Ape Valley!” Ghost-Kick sighed.
“Maybe they want the Frost Crystal to cure the Guo patriarch?” Jiang Tian’s mind flashed with realization.
“Master Jiang, let’s talk inside…” Li Zhenwei bowed slightly, gesturing for Jiang Tian to enter.
“Very well.” Jiang Tian nodded and followed the two into the small thatched hut.
Once seated, Ghost-Kick served tea and asked, “Brother Wei, you’ve been thriving in Foshan, running your martial arts school, rubbing shoulders with the city’s elite. What brings you here?”
“To be honest, we’re also after the Life Spirit Stone. We need to reach White Ape Valley.”
“What?!” Ghost-Kick’s face paled. “Are you insane? You don’t know how terrifying that white ape is! Have you forgotten how my leg was crippled?”
“Ghost-Kick, don’t worry. With Master Jiang here, we’ll return victorious!” Li Zhenwei reassured.
“Nonsense!” Ghost-Kick slammed the table. “Back then, I was already at the peak of Inner Strength! Yet that ape snapped my leg like a twig and threw me ten meters! To this day, no healer can fix it!”
He pointed at Jiang Tian and scoffed, “How old is this kid? What strength does he have? Going to White Ape Valley is suicide! Don’t throw your lives away—just leave!”
“Heh…” Jiang Tian chuckled softly.
Then, without a word, he walked into the courtyard and stopped before an artificial rockery.
The rockery stood twice a man’s height, its base too wide for one person to encircle. Made of Taihu stone, it weighed several thousand jin.
Jiang Tian circled it once, then nodded in satisfaction.
Suddenly—
His hand shot out, fingers sinking into the stone like claws.
“Wha—?!” Ghost-Kick jolted from his chair, eyes wide.
With a surge of energy, Jiang Tian lifted the entire rockery overhead.
His expression didn’t change. His breathing remained steady.
“Hiss—!” Ghost-Kick sucked in a sharp breath, his face a mask of shock.
This rockery had once burst the tires of the truck transporting it. Yet Jiang Tian lifted it as if it were foam.
Even at his peak, Ghost-Kick had only managed a stone lock weighing a few hundred jin.
Thud!
Jiang Tian took a step forward. The stone pavement trembled, cracking underfoot, leaving a deep imprint.
Thud!
Another step, and he turned.
With a flick of his wrist—
The rockery soared out of the courtyard like a feather, crashing in the distance with a deafening boom.
Dust billowed. The earth shook.
Jiang Tian brushed off his hands and returned to his seat, smiling.
“Old Ghost, you needn’t worry. Since I’m here, I have confidence. Even if I can’t kill the ape, escaping won’t be a problem.”
“To shake a mountain with one hand… Master Jiang, your power leaves me in awe.” Ghost-Kick bowed deeply, his voice filled with reverence. “Before you, I dare not claim seniority. Just call me Old Ghost.”
“See? Now you believe me?” Li Zhenwei grinned. “Master Jiang is a true Grandmaster, capable of shaping Qi into blades and striking from a hundred paces. That overgrown monkey is nothing to fear!”
“A Grandmaster?! Impossible!” Ghost-Kick’s shock deepened. He had assumed Jiang Tian merely had brute strength—not that he’d reached the legendary Transcendent realm.
Grandmasters were pillars of the martial world, figures even high-ranking officials treated with caution.
Ghost-Kick was a seasoned martial artist, yet he’d never heard of Jiang Tian.
Moreover, martial arts demanded decades of grueling training. Even prodigies rarely reached Inner Strength by thirty, let alone Transcendence!
“Old Ghost, I saw it with my own eyes! Would I lie?” Li Zhenwei glared, then laughed. “Now, pack supplies. We leave at dawn!”
“With Master Jiang’s strength, facing the ape is possible, but…” Ghost-Kick hesitated.
“Speak freely.” Jiang Tian said gently.
“The Guo family won’t give up. If we go tomorrow, they’ll follow. And they’re dead set on the Life Spirit Stone—conflict is inevitable.”
“Hah! As if they stand a chance against Master Jiang? They’d just be cannon fodder!” Li Zhenwei sneered, then smirked. “Here’s an idea—take their money and agree to guide them, but insist we come along. Otherwise, no deal!”
Ghost-Kick pondered, then nodded. “I’ll talk to them.”
He left and soon returned. “You were right—they agreed!”
“Good! Let’s eat well and set off at first light!” Li Zhenwei clenched his fists eagerly.
“Fine, fine. Drink your tea. I’ll cook. I’ve got good cured meat, free-range chicken, and homemade grain wine. Simple, but fresh!” Ghost-Kick limped toward the kitchen.
“Wait.”
Jiang Tian, moved by his sincerity, called out. “Let me treat your leg.”
“What? Master Jiang knows medicine too?” Ghost-Kick stared in disbelief.
Medicine, spells, martial arts—these were the three hardest disciplines. Few mastered even one in a lifetime. A true polymath was the stuff of legends.
“What do you mean, knows medicine?” Li Zhenwei said proudly. “Master Jiang’s skills are peerless. When I was badly injured, he set my bones and healed me in five days with herbs!”
“Then… please, Master Jiang!” Ghost-Kick quickly sat and rolled up his pant leg.
The muscle had atrophied, devoid of vitality. Meridians were clogged, blood stagnant, nerves dead.
Worse, a lingering fire toxin had seared the tissue, preventing regeneration. No wonder no doctor could fix it.
But to Jiang Tian? It was nothing.
He drew silver needles from his pack and flicked them out—
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Streaks of silver light pierced Ghost-Kick’s leg, embedding in key acupoints.
Then, Jiang Tian manipulated the needles, channeling surges of true energy with fluid precision.
