Black Demon Ridge was vast, a territory of Demon Beasts. Even the weakest among them had Cultivation comparable to the Meridian Opening Realm.
It was said that deep within Black Demon Ridge, there were even Two-star Demon Beasts comparable to the Spirit Sea Realm.
Luo Tian entered the edge of Black Demon Ridge. His targets were One-star Low Tier Demon Beasts, which were equivalent to human Martial Artists at the First to Third Layer of Meridian Opening.
「Half an hour later.」
Luo Tian's powerful senses detected a huge, dark figure.
It was a wild boar, two meters tall and entirely pitch-black. Two tusks as thick as a child's arm extended from the corners of its mouth, caked with bits of flesh and blood. It looked exceptionally savage.
'A Giant-Toothed Black Boar! Among Low Tier Demon Beasts, it's known for its strength and Defense.'
Luo Tian's expression grew cautious.
ROAR! CRACK!
The Giant-Toothed Black Boar spotted Luo Tian as well. Its eyes filled with bloodlust and excitement as it snapped several dead trees in a row and charged toward him.
Luo Tian used the Wandering Body Step, leaping nimbly like a darting fish to evade the boar's savage charge.
"Star Condensing Sword Point!"
Luo Tian condensed a beam of light at his fingertip. It flickered with a cold, blue glow and sliced open a gash on the Giant-Toothed Black Boar's body, sending blood spurting out.
The Giant-Toothed Black Boar was covered in bristles, and its Defense was no less than that of the Iron Spike Water Buffalo. Yet, Luo Tian had easily pierced its defenses with a single finger.
「A dozen or so moves later.」
BOOM!
The blood-soaked Giant-Toothed Black Boar collapsed to the ground. Luo Tian immediately went forward and began carving off the valuable parts of the Demon Beast.
As evening fell, the danger level in Black Demon Ridge rose, and Luo Tian prepared to leave.
Just then, he heard a terrifying roar and felt a sense of unseen danger.
ROAR!
'That's...'
His eyesight was excellent. Several hundred meters away, he saw a giant wolf whose fur shimmered with a flame-like light, radiating a dangerous aura.
A Flame Wolf!
A One-star Middle Tier Demon Beast!
Luo Tian's expression changed. A One-star Middle Tier Demon Beast was comparable to the Fourth to Sixth Layer of the Meridian Opening Realm.
Any Martial Artist below the Fourth Layer of Meridian Opening who encountered a Flame Wolf would face the grim fate of being instantly killed.
Fortunately, this Flame Wolf hadn't noticed Luo Tian.
WHOOSH!
Suddenly, a fierce wind howled through the sky as the shadow of an enormous, vicious bird swept past.
YELP!
The Flame Wolf let out a miserable cry as the unknown giant bird tore its head to pieces, snatched the corpse in its beak, and soared away.
'How terrifying!'
Luo Tian's heart trembled, and he sucked in a sharp breath of cold air.
'It instantly killed the Flame Wolf!'
'That unknown giant bird must have a Cultivation comparable to at least the Ninth Layer of Meridian Opening.'
*Phew...*
Luo Tian took a deep breath. After confirming there was no danger nearby, he hastily retreated.
「Half an hour later.」
Luo Tian left Black Demon Ridge and let out a long sigh of relief.
His luck was truly terrible. He had only been at the edge of Black Demon Ridge, yet he had seen such powerful Demon Beasts.
...
「Back in Qingchang City.」
He first went to the Martial City to sell his day's haul, earning a total of one thousand three hundred taels of Gold.
The stronger he was, the faster he could earn money.
For three or four consecutive days, Luo Tian left early and returned late, gradually accumulating seven thousand taels of Gold.
Through these few days of tempering, his Cultivation and Martial Skills both improved significantly.
Among them, his Wandering Body Step had reached the Small Success Realm through practical combat.
Because the Wandering Body Step had been perfected and enhanced by the Celestial Book, its Small Success Realm was equivalent in power to the original version's Great Success.
The First Layer of his Star Condensing Sword Point became increasingly stable, and he was constantly approaching the Second-Layer.
「On this day.」
Luo Tian sat cross-legged, his True Qi surging like thunder as he expanded his first Qi Vein to its absolute limit.
This meant his Cultivation had reached the Peak of the First Layer!
'The Peak of the First Layer. If I consume the Primordial Spirit Fruit now, I can easily break through to the Second Layer of Meridian Opening.'
Luo Tian smiled, very satisfied with his Cultivation progress.
However, consuming the Primordial Spirit Fruit now would be a bit of a waste.
Because even without it, Luo Tian could break through to the Second Layer of Meridian Opening Realm within ten days at most. The Primordial Spirit Fruit could be saved for when he was breaking through to the Third Layer of Meridian Opening, or even the Fourth Layer.
Just then, an arrogant and grating voice came from outside his room.
"Ning Xueyao! This young master is giving you a final ultimatum! The Twenty Thousand Gold Coins must be repaid within three days!"
'Hm?'
Luo Tian released his Spiritual Sense.
After advancing to the First Layer of the Meridian Opening Realm, his Spiritual Sense could cover a radius of nearly ten meters.
Soon, Du Yuncheng's fat-headed, big-eared face appeared in his senses, along with several servants behind him.
"Three days? Didn't we agree on two months?"
Ning Xueyao's pretty face changed slightly, her elegant brows knitting together.
"Hehe, for you people, what's the difference between two months and three days?"
Du Yuncheng sneered disdainfully.
A Body Tempering Martial Disciple couldn't earn Twenty Thousand Gold Coins in ten years, even if they didn't eat or drink.
"You're going to marry me sooner or later anyway. Why waste your time and youth guarding a piece of trash in this rundown shack instead of living a life of luxury?"
Du Yuncheng said with a wicked smile.
His predatory gaze swept over Ning Xueyao—her smooth, fair legs, her budding, full chest, and her pure, flawless, holy face—making him drool with greed.
'Two months is far too long!'
He had long been impatient, wanting to pin this fairy-like beauty beneath him.
"Du Yuncheng, could you grant us a little more time?"
Ning Xueyao gently bit her lip, her long, curled eyelashes fluttering like a butterfly's wings.
"We originally agreed on two months. Xiaotian has already broken through to become a Martial Artist. He can definitely pay off the debt within two months!"
"Him? A piece of trash! So what if he broke through to the Meridian Opening Realm!"
Du Yuncheng scoffed.
"If you can't produce Twenty Thousand Gold Coins in three days, then this young master will have no choice but to send men to 'invite' Miss Xueyao!"
Du Yuncheng's words were filled with menace.
In fact, it was precisely because he had learned that Luo Tian had broken through to the Meridian Opening Realm that he felt things were becoming uncertain. That was why he had broken the agreement and was now pressuring her, wanting to make Ning Xueyao his woman sooner.
"Xueyao, don't beg him!"
"Three days it is. We will definitely gather the Twenty Thousand Gold Coins!"
Luo Tian strode forward, his gaze cold and his voice firm and confident.
"Xiaotian, you..."
Ning Xueyao's clear eyes shifted, shimmering like water.
In that moment, the Luo Tian in her eyes seemed taller and more heroic than ever before.
"Good, good! Kid, you better keep your word!"
Du Yuncheng was ecstatic.
'That idiot Luo Tian actually agreed?'
'In just three days, he could possess the pure and fairy-like Ning Xueyao, with her skin like ice and bones of jade.'
A wave of heat washed over him at the thought.
He even felt like thanking Luo Tian. If not for his incompetence and stupidity, Ning Xueyao would never have fallen into his hands.
"If I don't see Twenty Thousand Gold Coins in three days, Ning Xueyao! You will obediently marry into the Du Family!"
Du Yuncheng swaggered away, leading his few lackeys.
"Xiaotian... how are we going to gather Twenty Thousand Gold Coins in three days?"
Ning Xueyao sighed softly, a trace of worry on her dark brows, but she didn't blame Luo Tian for his "impulsive" act.
"Don't worry, Xueyao. I'll handle everything!"
Luo Tian's voice was calm and steady.
A warmth spread through Ning Xueyao's heart. She sized up the young man who had changed so much recently with a strange, complicated look.
"Xiaotian, I believe in you."
She added silently in her heart: 'Even if you can't do it, I won't blame you. I'll just consider it repaying Uncle Luo's kindness.'
...
「Back in his room.」
Luo Tian fell into deep thought.
He currently had only seven thousand taels of Gold, far short of the required Twenty Thousand Gold Coins.
It would be impossible to pay off the debt in three days just by hunting Demon Beasts in Black Demon Ridge.
Besides, Black Demon Ridge was extremely dangerous. If his luck was bad and he encountered a High Tier Demon Beast, he could be killed instantly.
'The only way to earn a large amount of Gold in a short time is to go to the Martial Arts Arena in the Martial City.'
Luo Tian still remembered that in the arena at the Martial City, a Martial Artist could win one thousand to several thousand taels of Gold for a single victory.
'However, a Cultivation at the First Layer of the Meridian Opening Realm isn't impressive enough for the Martial Arts Arena.'
Luo Tian remained calm and made a decision.
If he could break through to the Second Layer of the Meridian Opening Realm, his chances of winning in the Martial Arts Arena would increase dramatically, and he would be able to earn money much more efficiently!
Thinking of this, he no longer hesitated. He took out the Primordial Spirit Fruit and swallowed it in one gulp.
FWOOSH!
After the Spirit Fruit entered his stomach, it transformed into a surging, hot torrent of Spiritual Qi.
'What pure Spiritual Qi!'
Luo Tian didn't dare to be careless. He used his Spiritual Sense to mobilize his True Qi, guiding the power of the Spirit Fruit into his first Qi Vein.
BOOM!
The surging, hot torrent of Spiritual Qi filled the True Qi in his Qi Vein to its absolute limit, then repeatedly refined and compressed it.
「Half an hour later.」
The second Qi Vein, adjacent to the first, began to tremble and loosen.
'The second Qi Vein is loosening.'
Luo Tian was thrilled.
The Ninth Layer of Meridian Opening required opening the nine great Qi Veins of the human body.
These Qi Veins ran from the outside in, each one deeper and progressively more difficult to open than the last.
At a certain moment, a sound like muffled thunder rumbled from the location of his second Qi Vein.
CRACK!
A fissure opened in the second Qi Vein, and surging True Qi rushed in.
'The Second Layer of Meridian Opening, I've done it!'
Luo Tian's eyes shone like brilliant stars, full of vigor.
Ever since unsealing his Divine Vein, his Cultivation speed had returned to what it was three years ago—in fact, it was several times faster.