He had previously entrusted this task to Elder Chen.

By now, it should be just about finished.

If it was finished today, he would swap them out.

If not, he would just have to wait for the next opportunity.

Soon, one of the Cultivation Books appeared on Gao Cunfeng’s desk.

His own Cultivation wasn’t bad, but even he found the methods described within to be grueling.

’How could any ordinary person possibly practice this?’

’Only the poor would endure something so life-threatening, right?’

"The poor still have their limitations."

He shook his head and didn’t dwell on it.

He just set the book aside.

He wondered whether to throw it away or put it somewhere safe.

He was worried that if Xiaopang came looking for it, it would be a huge hassle.

There was no need to cause himself trouble.

’I’ll hide it for now. If he really insists on having this one, I’ll give it to Xiaopang then.’

So far, he hadn’t seen any serious consequences, so it wasn’t unbearable.

Of course, it would be best if he could just replace it directly.

Before long, Elder Chen arrived.

"How did it go?" Gao Cunfeng asked.

"I have not failed my mission. However, this sort of thing must be done step by step. This is only the first part; there’s more to come," said Elder Chen.

As he spoke, he handed his book to the other man.

Gao Cunfeng examined it for a long while before nodding emphatically. "Elder Chen, your experience is truly profound."

He then passed the book to a person beside him, instructing them to place it where Xiaopang’s Cultivation Books were kept.

Elder Chen nodded in satisfaction, then said, "I hear the Yunqian Bureau’s second competition has begun. I wonder how many people will rise to fame, and how many will exhaust their potential."

"I also heard that the Six Pavilions will release a comprehensive ranking this time, as will the third floor."

Hearing this, Gao Cunfeng was somewhat surprised. "In that case, we should indeed pay close attention."

"Patriarch, you must pay attention. If any more poor cultivators manage to stand out this time, you must seize the opportunity," Elder Chen reminded him.

Gao Cunfeng thanked him.

He was naturally aware of such matters; in fact, he had already made several moves.

He had reaped some rewards, and now was the perfect time to see how they ranked.

This time, the rankings were primarily based on combat, supplemented by an Array used to perceive their Physical Body and Spirit Cultivation.

There was no written test. While it couldn’t fully gauge one’s potential, it was enough to see their current strength.

It wasn’t just him; many families were paying close attention.

First, they were watching their own people’s rankings to determine resource allocation.

Second, they were watching the poor cultivators who trained desperately, hoping to recruit them.

Resources were the one thing these people lacked.

In fact, he had tried to extend an olive branch to Jiang Man several times, but unfortunately, Xiaopang had ruined it.

’Well, let’s see how he ranks this time without any resources.’

If his ranking dropped, he could officially extend the olive branch.

Many people would improve this time around.

For someone without resources, slow progress was the same as regression, and it would be very obvious.

---

"Are we just going to let them go like that?"

Yan Huimin asked as they searched for the next grove.

Li Yuan replied, "They won’t affect us anymore, and they won’t tip anyone else off."

Yan Huimin was confused. "Why not?"

"Because Fang Tianyi was defeated," Li Yuan said.

Yan Huimin was even more confused. Why wouldn’t he warn others after being defeated?

Li Yuan didn’t explain.

Because losing was a disgrace for him.

The only way to save face would be if others he knew were defeated as well.

Why would he inform anyone at a time like this?

Besides, if someone else obtained the Nine Clouds Dragon-Suppressing Seal, they would become a threat. But if Jiang Man got it, it wasn’t a threat.

After all, they were never on the same level to begin with.

Jiang Man walked at the very front, scouting the surroundings.

There were many small groves.

But only a few Magic Skills were available.

There were no signs; they had to rely on their own analysis and observation.

This made the search rather troublesome.

Sometimes, by the time they found a location, the item there would have already been taken.

As a result, conflicts would break out preemptively.

It was a test of strength, but also of luck.

Right now, Jiang Man was contemplating what to do when they encountered rivals: should he suppress his Cultivation to fight them on even terms, or use his superior Cultivation to crush them?

He posed this question to Li Yuan and Yan Huimin.

They were completely baffled.

"Why would you suppress your Cultivation?"

"Because my combat skills are poor. If I find a location, I could guard it and fight them at the same Realm. Wouldn’t that improve my combat ability?"

Hearing this, Yan Huimin said in disbelief, "Your combat skills are poor?"

"Why else would I have gone to such lengths to advance to the Qi Refining Eighth Layer?" Jiang Man retorted.

’It was precisely so I could crush people with my higher Realm.’

His Magic Skills were inferior, and his techniques were lacking.

Although his Spiritual Qi was abundant for his Realm, he couldn’t end a fight against them quickly.

That had become clear when he fought Fang Yong.

He could indeed gain the upper hand, but his Magic Skills weren’t powerful enough, nor could he directly lock onto his opponents.

They weren’t just going to stand still and let him hit them.

’Even if I’m strong, I still have to actually hit someone.’

So this was indeed a great opportunity for combat practice.

But...

The risk was a bit too high.

’I’m still not strong enough. Accidents can happen easily.’

His Spiritual Source was insufficient.

Poverty always seemed to catch up to him first.

Just as Jiang Man made up his mind to get the Magic Skill first, Li Yuan spoke up. "I can help with combat practice later. For now, we should prioritize getting the Magic Skill."

Jiang Man was quite surprised. He looked at Li Yuan and said earnestly, "Then let’s go."

They moved quickly.

They passed one grove after another.

Finally, they stopped in front of a particular grove.

Jiang Man could sense the roar of a dragon from within.

There was also a mist of clouds floating about.

"This should be the place. The Nine Clouds Dragon-Suppressing Seal," Jiang Man said slowly.

He was rather surprised. They hadn’t encountered many strong opponents along the way.

And there was no one else here either.

It seemed they were the first to find it.

Li Yuan also marveled that they were actually the first ones here.

Of course, it was possible that some weaker teams had come by.

They just gave up.

After all, many experts were after this very prize.

Yan Huimin checked the tracks on the ground. "It looks like two groups were here, but they left. They’ll probably sell the information, so people will be here soon."

Jiang Man scanned the surroundings. "What’s Fang Tianyi’s rank in the Cyan Cloud Pavilion?"

"Second," Li Yuan said.

Jiang Man glanced at him. "Who’s first?"

"You are," Li Yuan answered.

Jiang Man was speechless. "..."

So, Fang Tianyi used to be number one.

’In that case, there shouldn’t be many people who can threaten me.’

Two teams at most.

Jiang Man touched the Array and found that it hadn’t activated yet.

They could only wait outside.

Before long, Jiang Man sensed people approaching.

"Get ready. They’re here," he warned.

Sure enough, four teams were heading their way.

Li Yuan immediately said, "It’s people from the Bishui Pavilion. The woman in the lead is their number one. According to previous intel, she should also be at the Qi Refining Seventh Layer."

"Bringing so many people this time, she must be targeting the number one from the Ye Ming Pavilion. That person is said to be at the Qi Refining Eighth Layer."

"They’re probably planning to win through sheer numbers."

"They look determined to win," Jiang Man said.

"Yes, this will be a tough fight," Li Yuan said seriously.

As they drew closer, the newcomers were also surprised to find other experts already there.

More than ten people approached, their presence imposing.

Jiang Man asked Li Yuan who the number one from Ye Ming Pavilion was.

"Yang Ling," Li Yuan replied.

At that, Jiang Man took a step forward, looked past the crowd, and called out, "Yang Ling?"

In an instant, they all turned to look behind them.

And so, Jiang Man stepped forward.

Cyan Smoke Prelude. He closed the distance in a flash.

The Six Harmonies Palm manifested.

In one breath, he took care of all of them.

’Mere ants at the Qi Refining Seventh Layer.’

----

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