Chapter 506: Closed-Door Cultivation (Two-in-One)

"Little..."

Looking at the scene in his memories, Old Master Liu instinctively turned around, but suddenly stopped.

He wanted to ask, but how could he?

Besides, Yan Jing already had a mountain of problems on his plate. It wouldn't be appropriate to ask him right now.

"Forget it. It's nothing."

He waved his hand, letting Yan Jing continue focusing on condensing the heart of reaching the summit.

Minutes later, Yan Jing slowly exhaled a breath of stale air and stood up.

"How do you feel?" Old Master Liu asked with a smile.

"Just about there," Yan Jing nodded.

"Just about ready to reach the Summit?" Old Master Liu raised an eyebrow. This was much faster than he had expected.

"Just about ready to accomplish that matter you've been dreaming of," Yan Jing smiled.

Old Master Liu's eyes went wide.

Earlier, he had mentioned wanting to discuss something with Yan Jing, and now Yan Jing had given him a direct answer.

He hadn't even voiced the matter yet.

Clearly, it wasn't just him guessing what was on Yan Jing's mind.

Yan Jing had guessed his as well.

He wanted to conquer the world.

This was the ambition flowing in the blood of Minhu's people.

"What Tier are you at exactly, kid?" Old Master Liu carefully sized up Yan Jing again before whispering, "Minhu isn't just those few heads of the Lake Prefecture. That particular individual isn't dead yet."

"It's fine," Yan Jing smiled.

"Don't patronize me!" Old Master Liu glared. "This is no joke. Heads will roll in a split second."

Yan Jing narrowed his eyes with a smile. "I won't say I can definitely conquer them, but I at least have the confidence to protect myself."

"...I don't believe you. I want to test your skills!" The old man appeared highly cautious.

"Alright, let's test them," Yan Jing smiled.

The two took their stances. Neither intended to fight for real, but they weren't going to hold back completely either.

The old man usually did things with bold, sweeping gestures, but when it came to this matter, he didn't dare joke around.

In the distance, an old man with a head of white hair and a matching beard twirled a wine gourd in his hand. "Three, two, one... Begin!"

A few minutes later.

The old man spat, "Inadequate skills! Once you leave, you're not allowed to tell anyone I taught you!!!"

"You do it then, Master!!!" Old Master Liu protested, unconvinced.

The old man acted as if he hadn't heard and walked away.

Old Master Liu rubbed his waist, which felt like it was about to snap. Looking at Yan Jing opposite him, who hadn't even broken a sweat, he laughed out of sheer exasperation. "You call this a test, kid?"

Yan Jing smiled. "I've just made some progress with my physical body. If my opponent specializes in spiritual arts or other aspects, I'd still be at a disadvantage. You just happened to play to my strengths, Old Master."

"Don't give me that." Old Master Liu wasn't buying it. He narrowed his eyes at Yan Jing. "I suspect you hid at least eighty percent of your strength."

"Not that much," Yan Jing gave a helpless smile.

"So you did hide it!" The old man had set a verbal trap, leaving Yan Jing not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

"Were we supposed to fight to the death? I know you still have a few life-risking moves."

"Even you know they're for risking my life!" The old man was truly exhausted. He plopped onto the ground and wiped his forehead.

Their previous banter had just been for fun. Now, he couldn't hide the excitement on his face.

"I think we still need to bide our time for a while, but the time should come soon."

"In three months at most, I should be able to reach the Summit. By then, you'll definitely have reached it too."

He paused, his expression turning solemn.

"The main issue is that that person can still use a few artifacts left behind from the Imperial Era. They aren't an ordinary Summit-level expert. Otherwise, we could make our move right now."

Yan Jing smiled. "It doesn't matter to me. Just call me when you're ready, Old Master."

"Hey, hey, hey! Can't you brats scheme your rebellion a little further away from this old man?!"

In the distance, the old man came walking back with his wine gourd.

"What are you talking about? Just turn a blind eye, Master," Old Master Liu laughed. "This is a matter for us young people..."

Before he could finish, the wine gourd smashed directly onto his head.

Old Master Liu clutched his head.

The old man cursed him out. "You've got a full beard and you're still calling yourself young? Shameless..."

The old man walked away again.

"How is the young master doing? Has he been well recently?" Old Master Liu knew of Yan Jing's letter-delivering abilities, so he asked.

"He's doing quite well. You don't need to worry about Young Master Luo's methods."

"What about that Chen kid? Do you know how he's been?" Old Master Liu asked again.

Yan Jing shook his head.

"He hasn't written back in a long time."

"Mantou replies occasionally, but she only says that Old Sin City has already embarked on the path of return, and it's reached a critical stage."

"This return won't be an easy one." Old Master Liu looked up and sighed.

"I looked into it a while back. This so-called return isn't something you can just do because you want to."

"Normally, a referendum has to be held in the Inner World, requiring the approval of half the Domains."

"For a small Domain like Old Sin City, they might not need every Domain to vote, but at least a dozen will participate. A new Domain joining means resources will be split again. The way I see it..."

The old man shook his head.

Clearly, this was no simple matter.

"I'll contact Chen Nian in a week or two," Yan Jing said. "It probably won't work right now."

Xiao Xin still needed some time to fully adapt to its new power.

Yan Jing wasn't in much of a rush either.

"Mm."

The old man looked toward the village gates. "Recently, Huang Family Village has been watched very closely. Even though my master keeps a low profile, that vice head of the prefecture isn't someone easy to fool. He is highly ambitious. Word has been spreading lately..."

The old man lowered his voice. "...that that person has already met with a mishap."

"So in name, that vice head is now the true ruler of Minhu."

"After you leave, you must be extremely..."

Halfway through his sentence, the old man choked on his words.

He had originally wanted to warn Yan Jing to be extremely careful.

But given the strength Yan Jing had just shown during their spar, if that vice head hadn't reached the Summit yet, the one who needed to be careful would likely be someone else entirely.

"...extremely low-profile. Be careful not to beat the grass to scare the snake."

When the words reached his mouth, the old man abruptly changed his tune.

"Understood," Yan Jing nodded, chuckling. "I'll try to keep as low a profile as possible."

The two chatted for a little while longer before Yan Jing got up, found Mo Lian, and left Huang Family Village.

His harvest from this trip to Huang Family Village had been quite good. His heart of reaching the summit had already begun to condense. Now, he only needed time to fully prepare it.

The only thing left was experience points.

And he just so happened to have a Double Experience Voucher on hand.

"I hope it's soon..." Yan Jing muttered.

He had a lingering feeling that the woman imprisoned in the Great Prison was somehow connected to a female friend he had been very close with in his previous life.

"What do you hope is soon?" Mo Lian looked at Yan Jing.

"Nothing." Yan Jing lowered his head, glanced at Mo Lian a few times, and then spoke.

"Do you feel like someone is watching us?" she whispered.

"Mm, someone might make a move on us in a bit." Yan Jing nodded. "If a fight really breaks out, I'll run first, and you cover the rear."

"Huh???"

Mo Lian felt like crying but had no tears left.

When he called her out earlier, he never said anything about this.

Seeing her reaction, Yan Jing smiled but said nothing.

On the way back, Mo Lian was on pins and needles, not even speaking a word.

Fortunately, nothing happened in the end.

Upon leaving the Dungeon, Yan Jing gave Mo Lian the reward he had promised earlier.

"Look at it after you get out."

Mo Lian stared at the box in her hands and numbly nodded.

Soon, the Dungeon ended.

Mo Lian appeared in her rented apartment.

She stretched lazily, then made herself a cup of instant noodles as usual. Turning on the latest soap opera, she started to watch.

Halfway through her noodles, her phone suddenly vibrated.

Still slurping her noodles, Mo Lian's face immediately stiffened.

She hurriedly slurped the rest into her mouth, then unlocked her phone.

On the screen, the words "Terrifying Old Hag" were displayed.

Mo Lian's face sank.

She knew it!

"Hello? What are your orders this time, my dear Sister Shen?" Mo Lian answered irritably.

She had been out of the Dungeon for less than half an hour. Even a prisoner had human rights, okay!!!

"Come down. I'm at the bottom of your building."

Shen Youran's tone wasn't very friendly.

Mo Lian felt a chill crawl down her spine.

She knew this woman's methods better than anyone. That tone of voice meant nothing good.

"My Aunt Flo is visiting..."

"You're coming down even if your Uncle Flo is visiting."

"My performance in the Dungeon this time was great. The county magistrate even gave me a reward."

"Even if you conquered Minhu..."

Seeming to feel that was inappropriate, Shen Youran rephrased: "Even if you conquered Bianliu County, you still have to come down right now."

"Oh."

The call ended. Mo Lian cast a pitiful glance at the instant noodles she had specially added two eggs to. In a fit of frustration, she picked up the bowl and violently slurped two massive mouthfuls.

Damn it, it was rare for her to treat herself to two eggs, alright! And a slice of cheese!

Even if she was going to die today, she was going to die with a full stomach.

Ever since Yan Jing became a domain lord, the few of them had all relocated to live in the First Ring Domain.

Taking the elevator down, people nodded and greeted her all the way.

Although it had been a while, Mo Lian was still not quite used to it. She hastily returned their greetings and fled the moment the elevator doors opened.

Downstairs, Shen Youran was wearing a high-collared white sweater. Standing in the thick, goose-feather snow, she looked like a white fox. She held something that looked like a document in her hand, and her expression didn't show as much impatience as her tone on the phone had implied.

"Sister Shen!"

Mo Lian ran out the door with a welcoming smile.

But Shen Youran didn't smile much in return. She had been studying diplomatic etiquette lately, and a deadpan face was a side effect.

"This is from Xiao Yanzi—I mean, Domain Lord Yan. He asked me to give this to you."

She handed the contract in her hand to Mo Lian.

"What is this?" Mo Lian looked at the document in her hand, and then her pupils fiercely constricted.

After carefully confirming it several times, she forced down the tremble in her voice and spoke, "Is this... is this real...?"

"Yes." Shen Youran nodded. "Xiao Yanzi told me to give it to you."

"Starting today, our past grievances are wiped clean."

"The new year is coming up soon. Remember to come to the First Building then. Everyone has agreed to have dinner together."

"...Okay... alright." Mo Lian was completely stunned. Her gaze was almost blank as she nodded repeatedly.

It wasn't until Shen Youran had walked some distance away that she bowed deeply toward her and shouted loudly, "Thank... thank you! Thank you and Domain Lord Yan!"

"Mm."

Shen Youran's figure vanished into the snowstorm, and along with her soft apology, dissipated into the sky.

Mo Lian stared at the slave contract in her hands for a long time.

Once she was finally certain that all of this was real, tears suddenly fell from her eyes, dropping onto the document and melting the thin layer of snow covering it. After tearing the document apart, she felt something that had bound her for nearly ten years finally snap.

Her whole body felt incredibly relaxed, like she had just awoken from a deep sleep.

She took out her phone and, after much hesitation, booked the earliest flight to the Fifth Ring Domain.

She got into a taxi.

She took out the box that Yi Ji had given her.

[Item Name: A Gift from a Mysterious and Great Entity]

[Item Effect: Unknown, but you should like it]

[Item Description: That entity listened to your story and seemed to gain some inspiration from it. As a result, this item was given to you as a gift in the hopes that it will make you happy.]

With trembling hands, Mo Lian opened the box.

Inside was a small bottle.

The bottle contained some sort of dreamlike, illusory potion.

[Item Name: Advanced Healing Potion]

[Item Description: Perhaps what a potion heals isn't necessarily a damaged body, but an irreversible segment of a person's life.]

Her tears broke through the dam once again.

"Thank you, thank you."

Mo Lian wept uncontrollably.

"Meeting time!"

Inside the First Building.

A certain domain lord who casually brushed off his clothes after a deed to hide his merits and fame, once again convened a three-person meeting.

Beside him, Wang Yu and Long Quezhou both looked rather lethargic.

"It's the middle of the night, Domain Lord Yan. A meeting now?"

Wang Yu truly found it somewhat hard to accept.

"This perfectly demonstrates our determination to work hard and strive for success!" Yan Jing declared, weird energy faintly surging around him. "The people from Xiao are coming soon, and it hasn't been confirmed if the Nian from the Central Region last time has been fully dealt with. Our three Domains are currently still facing potential crises. At your age, how can you sleep?!"

Hold on, who was at his age?

They were in their sixties, seventies, and eighties! Respect your elders, man!

Wang Yu yawned and let out a sigh.

"Whatever instructions you have, Domain Lord Yan, let's save them for the daytime."

Suddenly, she noticed the surging weird energy around Yan Jing, and her expression instantly sharpened.

The solidified feeling around Yan Jing clearly indicated that the heart of reaching the summit was currently condensing.

In just a few days...

She immediately sat up straight.

If Yan Jing really reached the Summit, that would make him a double-Summit expert. That was on an entirely different level.

That was an existence capable of matching a Ninth Tier.

With the Day of Godhood approaching, he was the thickest thigh they could possibly cling to.

Meanwhile, Long Quezhou, who had his back turned, clearly hadn't noticed this yet. He followed up on Wang Yu's words with his own complaints.

"Exactly, Domain Lord Yan. No matter how urgent the matter is, you have to let me sleep, right?"

"I finally summoned five of my favorite concubines to Yueyin, and now you're making me drag myself out of bed at the last minute. What an outrage, what an out—" "Longzi!" Before Long Quezhou could finish his sentence, Wang Yu abruptly cut him off.

"What? Am I not allowed to speak? This is oppression, this is a crime against humanity, this is—"

"Cough, cough, cough!! Cough, cough, cough!!!"

Amidst Wang Yu's repeated coughing, Long Quezhou finally sensed that something was off, and immediately changed his tune.

"This is a great turning point in the history of the three Domains! This is the undisputed beginning of a bright future! This late-night meeting is the first step in our grand expedition!!"

Yan Jing nodded. "Excellent, that's exactly right."

"Now, there are two matters I'd like to ask the two domain lords about."

"Please speak," Wang Yu said, her address immediately shifting to the respectful form.

"First, how long until the people from Xiao arrive to inspect me? Do you have any news?"

Yan Jing smiled at the two of them.

"My informants say it should be within a week," Long Quezhou stated.

"Mine say about four or five days," Wang Yu added.

"Thank you," Yan Jing nodded. "Next question: I'm planning to go into closed-door cultivation soon. What are your thoughts?"

Hearing this, both of them were stunned.

Yan Jing was going into closed-door cultivation?

"Once I enter closed-door cultivation this time, I don't know how long it will take for me to come out. If the people from Xiao arrive early, I hope the two of you can help cover for me," Yan Jing smiled.

"I believe the results won't disappoint either of you."