Ji Meng nodded, then stood on the side and watched carefully as Yunxiao began to explain, “Murderous Air Script is a cultivation technique that can stimulate the potential strength of the human body through murderous air. Its nascent form was first seen in battlefields, and then discovered by warriors who studied it and invented the technique. The extent to which murderous air increases strength is related to your cultivation level. The technique is divided into two parts—the first part is to condense murderous air, and the second part is to stimulate potential. Now, I want you all to memorize the script!”

　　He read the script aloud while all students repeated after him in their minds. Ji Meng was shocked when he heard it. He had thought it was just an ordinary cultivation technique, but after listening to it, he immediately realized that its value was too great to be estimated.

　　According to the script, if an individual’s murderous air was strong enough, it could even double his strength! And if this script was used to train soldiers, then the fighting strength of the army…

　　At the thought of that, Ji Meng felt a chill in his heart. Staring at the indifferent look on Yunxiao’s face, he found it hard to convince himself that he was really just a fifteen-year-old teenager.

　　After he had finished teaching, Yunxiao said in a serious voice, “If this script is cultivated by many people at the same time, the murderous air between them can affect each other, thus achieving the effect of multiplication! I hope when you all exercise the Murderous Air Script together five days later, your fighting strength will double! To encourage everyone, the thirty people with the largest increase in murderous air will each be awarded a second-grade medicinal pill that can enhance their potential without side effects!”

　　“A second-grade medicinal pill!”

　　“Enhance potential without side effects!”

　　All eyes lit up in an instant. For them, a second-grade medicinal pill was something beyond their reach. If truth be told, except some children of aristocratic families, most of them had not even seen a first-grade medicinal pill before.

　　Jia Rong grimaced as soon as he heard the reward, because he knew he would be assigned to refine those pills.

　　After he was done with the students, Yunxiao turned to stare at Meng Bai with a big smile on his face. Seeing that, the latter shuddered and hurriedly moved beside Meng Wu. “Ma-master, what do you want?” He, too, was in great awe of Yunxiao by now. The nightmare he had experienced in the illusion still frightened him.

　　“Hehe…” Yunxiao smacked his lips. “I need your poison to make a breakthrough and become a nine-stars warrior!”

　　All the two thousand students sat cross-legged down and began to recall the murderous heart born out of their despair in the illusion, condensing their murderous air bit by bit. Yunxiao, on the other hand, ignored Meng Bai’s protest and dragged him into the chariot to drain his poison by force.

　　With a long face, Jia Rong began to refine those Thousand Birds pills. Fortunately, after he was promoted to a second-tier alchemist, refining second-grade medicinal pills became something rather easy. If he worked day and night, he could produce thirty of them before the deadline.

　　Meanwhile, Ji Meng closed his eyes and went through the contents of the Murderous Air Script in his mind. He had a vague feeling that the martial essence contained in it was the key to his breakthrough. Ever since he was promoted to a Martial Lord, his cultivation base had stooped progressing. He was not panicking, though, because each progress in the realm of Martial Lords was not the same as that of Great Martial Masters.

　　Three days and three nights later…

　　Ji Meng felt that his stagnant cultivation base was moving slightly when a mighty murderous intent came blowing at his face all of a sudden. Startled, he jerked his head up and saw that the eyes of all two thousand students had turned red, and the murderous intent had made their hair exude a faint dark-purple mist, which rose into the sky in tendrils.

　　“What’s that!” His eyes widened in horror. In the sky over the student was a cloud of dark-purple murderous air, which vaguely took the shape of a huge finger covered in scales, with demonic light flashing around it. Although Ji Meng was a Martial Lord, he still felt a suffocating pressure just by looking at it.

　　“Oh, not bad! I didn’t expect them to reach this extent in just three days. It seems that the stimulation in the illusion has played a major role.”

　　At some point, Yunxiao was already standing behind him, looking smilingly at the terrifying finger looming in the sky.

　　Ji Meng swallowed hard, and then asked in shock, “Young Master Yun, what… what is that thing?”

　　Yunxiao said calmly, “The God of Slaughter’s finger condensed by the murderous air, which is also the strongest essence of the Murderous Air Script!” He stared at the sky and went on, “Judging by how vague and drifting it is, the finger has not even reached the most basic level. However, it is considered a good achievement for them to reach this extent in just three days.”

　　“The God of Slaughter’s finger…” Ji Meng murmured to himself. “How powerful will it be if the finger truly materialized?”

　　“Materialized?” Yunxiao laughed. “No one has ever been able to do that. However, if the God of Slaughter does descend on our world, I think it can easily kill a Martial Sovereign of the Nine Heavens realm with a finger. But, do you know how much murderous air it requires? Well, at least tens of thousands of times more than this, or perhaps hundreds of thousands of times more. It is simply impossible for even a Martial Sovereign to accumulate so much murderous air, not to mention an average warrior.”

　　Ji Meng breathed a sigh of relief. If someone could do that, who in the world could resist that person?

　　“It will take the army about two more days to arrive. Let them continue with their cultivation. I’ll visit the city and find some herbs to stabilize Chen Zhen’s cultivation level.”

　　Upon hearing that, Jia Rong ran over. “Please bring me with you, Young Master Yun!” He put on a wry face and said, “I’ve been refining pills for three days and three nights without resting…Take me with you so I can have a rest.”

　　“And me, me!” Meng Bai bolted over as well. After staying in the wild for a few days, he had been sick and tired. But at the moment, his skin was fair, as the poison in him had been drained by Yunxiao.

　　“Alright, you two will follow me. And Meng Bai, call your sister as well. Ji Meng, stay here and protect the students.”

　　Soon, Meng Wu was called out from from among the students, and then the four of them started for the city. As he watched them disappear into the distance, Ji Meng could not hide his shock. He smiled wryly as he shook his head and muttered to himself, “Heaven, it’s been only three days, and he’s already a peak eight-stars warrior…”

　　…

　　Yangpu was the hub that connected the east and west of Tianshui, which made it far more important than other cities. And because of its strategic location, it was also one of the most prosperous cities.

　　As they approached the city, Yunxiao saw that anyone who wished to enter or leave the city would have to pay a fee, which baffled him. Soon, the four of them were stopped by the guards at the gate. “You need to pay eight hundred copper coins to enter the city, two hundred each.”

　　A silver coin was equivalent to one thousand copper coins. It was not expensive, but Jia Rong asked in a cold voice, “Why do we have to pay to enter or leave the city? Which law states that?”

　　The guard paused, and then said angrily, “The fee is to buy yourself an opportunity to enter the city! It seems to me that you don’t want to enter the city. Get the hell out of here now!”

　　Suddenly, another guard hurried over and pulled the first guard to the side as he whispered into his ear while glancing at the four of them. Perhaps the guards thought they might be some important people from the way they were dressed, so the first guard frowned and waved impatiently, “Forget it then! You may enter the city!”

　　Jia Rong was so angry that he was about to explode, but Yunxiao grabbed his arm as he smiled at the guards and dragged him into the city.

　　“Young Master Yun, why don’t you let me teach them a lesson? It is plain that they are collecting the fee illegally! It is against the law!” Jia Rong said indignantly.

　　Yunxiao smiled. “A lot of people are breaking the law. Can you teach them all a lesson? A crooked stick will have a crooked shadow. The guards are not the culprits, they are just following orders. Do you think the money they collected will go straight into their pockets? I bet ninety-nine percent will have to be submitted to their superiors.”

　　Fuming with anger, Meng Bai said, “These officials are really wicked!” Since they were children, he and Meng Wu had been making their way in life by their own efforts, so he naturally knew how these officials exploited the common people.

　　“Even if we teach them a lesson now, things here will continue to be the same as they were after we leave,” Yunxiao said. “Besides, for us who cultivate martial arts or alchemy, we need to free our minds from the worldly affairs. Let Qin Yue do something about this when he ascends to the throne.”

　　They strolled through the street as they talked. Yangpu was indeed a prosperous city, not inferior to the capital. Very soon, they arrived at the largest medicine shop in the city, but were disappointed as soon as they stepped in. The variety of herbs in the shop was nowhere near as much as the capital. After all, the capital was packed with talents and many alchemists while Yangpu might not even have one alchemist.

　　Yunxiao frowned and thought for a moment, then listed down several ordinary herbs and asked the shopkeeper to prepare ten portions for each. As the shopkeeper prepared the herbs according to the list, he suddenly said, “We have only eight portions of Gulan Leaves left. As the main ingredient of body strengthening potion, this herb has a high demand.”

　　“Well, eight portions are better than none. Please pack them for me.”

　　At that moment, two men walked into the shop. When they saw the Gulan Leaves on the counter, the eyes of one of them lit up, and he quickly strode over and placed a palm over the herb. “I’ll take all these Gulan Leaves. I’ve finished my body strengthening potion, and I need them to refine a new batch.”

　　The shopkeeper forced a smile and said, “It’s nice to have you visiting my shop, Young Master Wu Guang. But, the few customers here have purchased these Gulan Leaves.”

　　Wu Guang’s face flickered as he glanced at the four of them, and his eyes lit up when he saw Meng Wu. He held his head high and looked down at Yunxiao while speaking with a smile, “I’ll buy the Gulan Leaves and the girl. Name me your price.”

　　Meng Wu’s nostrils flared. She could not believe someone would treat her like some goods. She was about to rush over, but Yunxiao stopped her. “Oh, you want to buy them?” he chuckled and said. “Well, the price will be fair and reasonable, but I am afraid you can’t afford it.”

　　“I can’t afford it?” Wu Guang burst into laughter, as if he had just heard the funniest joke in the world. “Shopkeeper, tell him who I am.”

　　The shopkeeper gave Yunxiao a pitying look and said obediently, “Young Master Wu Guang is the son of the City Lord of Yangpu, and behind him stands Master Zhong Tai, an advance alchemy apprentice.”

　　“Oh?” Yunxiao’s curiosity was aroused. “May I know which master did this Master Zhong Tai learn from?”

　　Zhong Tai glanced at them in disgust, as if talking to them would damage his dignity. “Why? You think you know all the Master Alchemists?” he said coldly. “Well, I don’t mind telling you. I’m learning from Master Jia Rong of the Alchemist Association!”