The next day, the morning sun shone through the window, casting a warm glow on the young man sitting cross-legged on the bed, deep in meditation.
"Whew…"
After sitting quietly for a long time, Mo Yu exhaled slowly, a stream of red lightning-like energy flowing into his body with each breath, warming his bones.
His eyes suddenly opened, a flash of lightning flickering in them, and Mo Yu stretched lazily, muttering to himself, "The power of the Xuan Lei isn't enough. It seems my cultivation has reached a bottleneck."
One day had passed since the last test. After casually encouraging Xiao Yan and planting a good impression, Mo Yu had returned to his secluded training. However, compared to the rapid growth in strength over the past few days, his progress had now significantly slowed.
"It seems like it's time to think of some ways to improve my strength," Mo Yu murmured.
He slowly climbed out of bed, stretched his muscles, and changed into his green robes. An old and kind voice came from outside the door, "Yu'er, are you still not up?"
"Grandpa, I'm up," Mo Yu replied. Over the past few days living with his step-grandfather, he had gradually gotten used to this routine.
In his previous two lives, he had been an orphan with no concept of family. Although his parents were not alive in this life, having a grandfather filled a gap he had never known he had.
"Yu'er, a group of distinguished guests have arrived at our home today, and I need to serve them in the front. I've already prepared lunch for you, so you can eat on your own later without waiting for me," the old man advised Mo Yu earnestly, like a caring parent.
Mo Yu smiled bitterly. He wasn't so helpless that he couldn't take care of himself, but the old man seemed determined to dote on him. Yet, this kind of affectionate concern was something Mo Yu found he rather enjoyed.
At that moment, the word "distinguished guest" caught Mo Yu's attention. He thought of the famous scene where an engagement was broken off, which was obviously about to take place.
However, Mo Yu had no intention of getting involved.
First, his status wasn't high enough to participate in the Xiao family's internal affairs—unlike Xun'er, who had a special background. Second, the most important thing for him now was to increase his strength, not get entangled in gossip.
Thinking of this, Mo Yu suddenly felt a bit awkward and asked the old man beside him, "Grandpa, do you have any money?"
The old man, who had been talking, was startled. "Money? Yu'er, do you need money?"
"Yes, grandpa. I need to buy a few things," Mo Yu replied directly, no longer shy in front of the kind old man.
Seeing this, the old man smiled and said, "Yu'er has grown up and knows how to use money. Wait a moment, I'll find some for you."
Without waiting for Mo Yu to respond, the old man went into his room and started rummaging through drawers. After a while, he came out holding a small box and carefully opened it. A golden light flashed, causing Mo Yu to squint slightly.
"Here are all my savings, a total of 700 gold coins. I'm going to give them all to you today," the old man said, handing the small box to Mo Yu with a firmness that wouldn't allow refusal.
Touching the old man's wrinkled hand, knowing these coins represented his life's hard work, Mo Yu couldn't help but feel conflicted. "Grandpa…"
Before he could finish, the old man interrupted him, "Well, I was worried you'd think it was too little. If your father hadn't spent so much a few years ago…"
As he spoke, the old man's expression darkened slightly, his eyes growing moist as he recalled unhappy memories.
Seeing this, Mo Yu frowned tightly. The original body's mother had died in childbirth, and as for the original body's father, Mo Yu had tried asking the old man several times but received only vague answers.
He realized there must be some unspeakable secret or powerful force involved that even the Xiao family couldn't confront.
Mo Yu silently vowed that once he gained sufficient strength, he would uncover the truth. While he had no feelings for the father he had never met, he couldn't ignore the old man's grief.
"Grandpa, that's enough. Don't worry, I'll pay you back a thousand gold coins in no time," Mo Yu said confidently.
He wasn't speaking without reason. A mere thousand gold coins was nothing to him, and he already had a plan in mind for how to use the seven hundred gold coins.
"Haha, Yu'er, you're thoughtful. But these coins were meant for you. Spend them without worry. There's no need to pay them back," the old man chuckled before offering a few more words of advice and leaving the room.
Watching him go, Mo Yu felt a surge of emotion.
After the old man left, Mo Yu packed up the coins and walked out of the house. On his way, he met some members of the Xiao family. After yesterday's test, Mo Yu's name was gradually spreading among the younger generation, and many people greeted him.
In response, Mo Yu greeted them indifferently. Among the current Xiao family, aside from Xun'er and Xiao Yan, there was no one worth befriending.
However, Mo Yu still overheard the names "Yunlan Sect" and "Nalan Yanran," which piqued his curiosity about the upcoming engagement-breaking farce.
But he quickly set that thought aside and left the family grounds. Mo Yu strolled leisurely through the busy streets...
Wutan City lived up to its reputation as one of the large cities in the Gama Empire, bustling with life. Despite the scorching sun, the streets were crowded, and occasionally, Mo Yu even spotted people from different races.
He had a clear purpose for his trip: to buy Thunder Cloud Crystal, Fire Saltpeter, Fire Black Iron...
These items wouldn't directly enhance his strength, but they were the materials needed to craft a hidden weapon called the "Thunder Fire Pearl."
As the name suggests, Thunder Fire Pearls are made by fusing the elements of thunder and fire. When activated with fighting spirit and thrown, they could severely injure or even kill an unwary fighter.
Seven hundred gold coins were undoubtedly a modest starting capital, so Mo Yu planned to expand his funds first and then purchase cultivation resources.
The Thunder Fire Pearls were his solution.
In the Shenxiao Continent, unlike the Douqi Continent where alchemists dominated the market, there were hundreds of competing professions. Among them, weapon refiners held an extraordinary status.
Mo Yu had been an outstanding weapon refiner in his previous life, and crafting gadgets like Thunder Fire Pearls was a trivial task for him.
Given that Wutan City was home to many mercenaries, Mo Yu believed these beads would sell quickly. After all, who wouldn't want to carry a trump card in such a dangerous world?
With that in mind, Mo Yu eagerly began his shopping trip. Fortunately, these materials were common in the Douqi Continent, and within an hour, Mo Yu had gathered everything he needed.
After completing his purchases, the original 700 gold coins had shrunk to 200, but Mo Yu wasn't disappointed. Looking at the materials in his hands, the young man felt a surge of confidence.
"Everything is ready. It's time to start making money."