Starting as The Young Master of A Pharmacy, He Trained Swordsmanship in Seclusion For Twenty Years - Chapter 32

The system panel had originally shown 2 points. Now, after slaying the mutant beast, it displayed 17 points—a gain of 15 points in a single strike.

Yet, Lu Xuan’s eyes flickered with disappointment.

The reward paled in comparison to what he’d earned from the black spectral entity at Liugou Village.

His gaze shifted to the techniques listed on the panel, and his breath hitched.

What?
The Gale-Step Technique still isn’t eligible for evolution?
Are these points still not enough?

How?!

Back when he’d first acquired the Blazing Saber Art, this many points would’ve advanced it six or seven tiers. Yet here, they couldn’t even push the Gale-Step Technique past its first tier.

Hiss—

A storm of disbelief raged in Lu Xuan’s mind.

Just how profoundly has the system refined the Gale-Step Technique?
Is its underlying principle so much more esoteric than the Blazing Saber Art’s that it demands exponentially more points?

After a moment, he steadied himself. That must be it.

No use dwelling on it. The sun hung high—time to retrieve the Purple Blood Spirit Mushroom and return to the county.

He glanced at the charred remains of the mutant beast. Embers from his earlier attack still clung to the surrounding trees, flames creeping outward.

Standard procedure.

With a flicker of movement, he scooped up damp soil, hurling it skyward like a tidal wave. The earth crashed down, smothering the fire beneath a miniature mountain of mud.

……

Lu Xuan retraced his path until a yawning cave mouth loomed ahead. He paused, scanning the area.

The ground outside was littered with bones—animal and human—overgrown with thick vegetation. Then his lips curled into a grin.

An unexpected windfall.

Nestled among the remains were clusters of rare medicinal herbs:

• Blood Ginseng

• Yang-Strengthening Grass

• Golden Thread Fleeceflower Root

• Snow Lotus

Without hesitation, he pulled out a thick cloth from his robe—prepared precisely for this purpose.

Within half an hour, his makeshift sack bulged with herbs. He’d left the less valuable ones behind; space was limited.

Now, for the prize.

At the cave’s entrance sat a boulder, its surface cradling a deep crimson mushroom freckled with violet spots.

The Purple Blood Spirit Mushroom.

Ten times more potent than Red Essence Mushrooms.

Lu Xuan pressed a palm against the boulder and shoved. The massive stone rolled aside like a pebble. He plucked the lingzhi with care, tucking it into his overstuffed bundle.

Then he leaped onto the treetops, darting downhill like a phantom. No need to retrace his steps—the marker hunt was over.

Foot of Tongling Peak

A group of rugged men in plain attire—the martial defense squad of Chenpo Village—crowded around the mountain path. At their center stood Zhang Dachun, receiving a tongue-lashing from their leader, Chen Xiong, a Muscle-Tempering expert.

“Have you lost your mind, Dachun?! Tongling’s crawling with beasts, and you let a noble guest go up alone?”

Dachun scratched his head. “Brother Xiong, the guest said he’d only gather herbs near the base! I didn’t think he’d vanish for hours! I got worried, so I—”

“And what now?” Dachun pressed. “If the beasts got him—”

Chen Xiong grimaced. Risking lives for a stranger wasn’t justifiable.

Then a shout cut through the tension:

“Brother Xiong! Look—someone’s flying down the mountain!”

Every head snapped upward.

A figure blurred across the canopy, descending as if weightless.

Thud.

Lu Xuan landed lightly before the stunned group. They gaped at him like he’d dropped from the moon.

“N-Noble guest!” Dachun rushed forward. “These are our village guards. I brought them ‘cause I feared you’d—”

“My thanks for your concern,” Lu Xuan interrupted with a courteous nod. “But I must return to the county. Farewell.”

Within moments, he’d mounted his horse and vanished down the road.

Back at the village gate, Chen Xiong exhaled sharply. “To move like that at his age… He’s no ordinary noble—he’s a monster.”

He clapped Dachun’s shoulder. “You lucky bastard.”

Dachun just grinned.