Tian Min did not arrive. Instead, another person came—someone Beitang Qiushui feared the most: his elder brother, Beitang Yihai.
The eldest grandson of the Prince of Dingbei, Beitang Ao, Beitang Yihai was the most talented member of the younger generation. Handsome, gifted, and exceptionally capable, he was regarded as the unrivaled genius of the Northern Territory and the undisputed heir to the Beitang Family.
He stepped into the room, his usually gentle expression carrying an unusual hint of sharpness.
"Big Brother... why are you here?" Beitang Qiushui asked nervously.
Beitang Yihai looked directly into his brother's eyes.
"During the last few roll calls at the manor, I didn't see Chang Lian. Where did you send him?"
Beitang Qiushui forced a smile.
"Chang Lian? I sent him to handle an errand for me. He'll be back soon."
Beitang Yihai calmly took a seat.
"If I remember correctly, he disappeared shortly after we returned from Lujiang City."
His calm gaze alone placed tremendous pressure on Beitang Qiushui.
"Do you really think I don't know what you sent him to do?"
Beitang Qiushui swallowed hard.
"Big Brother... I..."
The man known throughout the Northern Territory as the "Poisonous Snake" suddenly became completely submissive in front of his elder brother.
Beitang Yihai spoke in a cold but steady voice.
"I don't care what mission you assigned him. This matter ends here."
"Iron Ridge City is entering a turbulent period. The Beitang Family hasn't produced a new Heavenly King in over two hundred years, and countless people are waiting for us to make a mistake."
"I overlooked your reckless behavior within the Northern Territory, but causing trouble elsewhere only gives others an excuse to target our family."
Beitang Qiushui lowered his head.
"Yes, Big Brother. I understand."
After giving him one final warning glance, Beitang Yihai turned and left.
Once he was gone, Beitang Qiushui clenched his fists, his face filled with unwillingness.
His guard, Tian Min, stepped forward.
"Young Master... what about Lujiang City?"
Beitang Qiushui took a deep breath.
"We'll let it go for now. Since Big Brother has spoken, I can't disobey him."
"However..."
His eyes turned cold.
"That brat has already joined Qingfeng Camp. Since he's now part of the military, I don't believe he can avoid falling into my hands forever."
---
Nearly a month passed in the blink of an eye.
Busy days always seemed to fly by.
During this time, Zhao Mu converted every resource he possessed into immediate combat strength.
Using the two batches of materials obtained from Gu Ningyuan, he upgraded Extinguish Ember, advancing it into a High-Grade First-Rank Ember Relic.
The materials came from the remains of a Wind Hou with a Combat Level exceeding 200, granting the upgraded weapon two additional abilities.
Roar – Every swing of the great halberd carries the force of a raging storm along with the terrifying roar of the Wind Hou.
God Cut – The Wind Hou's fangs grant the weapon exceptional armor-piercing power.
Since it was crafted exclusively for Zhao Mu, it functioned as a Supreme-Grade First-Rank Ember Relic in his hands, perfectly matching his attributes and allowing him to unleash its maximum potential.
Using the Metal-Eating Beast teeth from the original Extinguish Ember, Zhao Mu also forged another Unrestrained Ember Relic.
Including the one he had crafted earlier, he now possessed four Unrestrained Ember Relics, each increasing his Spirit Source intensity by ten percent.
His current equipment included:
- Four Unrestrained Ember Relics
- One Void Beast Ember Relic capable of storing twice his own Spirit Energy.
- One Guardian Shield Ember Relic for defense.
- Extinguish Ember
- Tough Silk
A total of eight Ember Relics.
Only Zhao Mu could control so many simultaneously. Any Ability User of the same rank would have been completely incapable of doing so.
These upgrades finally gave him the confidence to contend with opponents at the initial stage of the Private Rank.
The remaining scraps were insufficient to forge complete Ember Relics, so Zhao Mu transformed them into disposable Flying Knife Ember Relics.
He stored them inside a concealed knife pouch beneath his coat.
Although they could only be used once, releasing all their power in a single strike made them deadly hidden weapons.
---
During this month, Zhuo Yun and Lu Yan also improved considerably.
Zhuo Yun advanced to Combat Level 7, while Lu Yan successfully reached Combat Level 14.
Among the four members of the ACE Dormitory, Lu Yan received the second-largest amount of resources after Zhao Mu.
As an A-Rank Talent Holder, even though his current performance wasn't outstanding, his potential was enormous. Every month, Qingfeng Camp supplied him with the highest-tier resource package.
He cultivated an Advanced Combat Technique and received two high-quality Spirit Source materials every month—far superior to those issued to B-Rank talent Shao Han.
Combined with his profits from Tiangong Hall, his strength rose rapidly.
Only Meng Qiuqiu showed little interest in improving his combat ability.
He spent his days doing business and trained only when absolutely necessary.
More often than not, Zhao Mu had to drag him into the Training Hall.
Meng Qiuqiu would complain with a miserable expression.
"Brother Mu, I'll make the money in the future. You three can handle the fighting. Why do I have to train?"
Zhao Mu answered seriously.
"The three of us train hard every day while you're the only one slacking off. Wouldn't that be embarrassing?"
He then pointed toward the Ember Relics wrapped around Meng Qiuqiu's fingers.
"And without stronger Spirit Energy, you won't even be able to control all these Ember Relics."
Left with no choice, Meng Qiuqiu obediently followed Zhao Mu back to training.
---
Once everything was ready, Zhao Mu finally decided to accept his first external mission.
He instructed Meng Qiuqiu, Zhuo Yun, and Lu Yan to remain in Qingfeng Camp and continue cultivating.
Their strengths were still uneven, and sending everyone out on missions would only create unnecessary risks.
Zhao Mu then headed toward Qingfeng Camp's Mission Hall.
Located beside Teaching Building No. 1, the hall was enormous, bright, and bustling with activity.
Dressed in the standard uniform of a Primary Camp soldier, Zhao Mu entered and was immediately surprised by the crowd.
Groups of senior students stood together discussing which missions to accept.
Only Zhao Mu stood alone.
His youthful appearance naturally attracted many curious glances.
By now, Zhao Mu had become somewhat well-known within Qingfeng Camp.
Not because he defeated Shao Han—that incident only caused a stir among the new recruits.
What truly made him famous was forcing Tian Hu to suffer during boot camp, eventually getting him removed from the Discipline Inspection Unit.
Later, he also dealt with Ge Tianxing during the Beginner Spear Technique class.
Stories about such a troublesome newcomer had naturally spread among the senior students.
Ignoring the curious looks around him, Zhao Mu walked straight to the reception counter.
The counter was built from smooth white jade-like marble.
Behind it stood a young woman in a white military uniform, wearing a professional smile.
Zhao Mu politely greeted her.
"Teacher, this is my first time here. I'd like to see if there are any missions suitable for me."
________________________________________
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