"Replying Sovereign, there is still no news of Master." Marshal Haotian reported and his face showed a worried expression, "Please punish this Subordinate!" These past two years, he failed to find news or the whereabouts of his Master, and this made him feel ashamed to face Huang Xiaolong.
Huang Xiaolong shook his head, "This matter can't be blamed on you, stand up."
"Subordinate thanks Sovereign!" Marshal Haotian said.
Huang Xiaolong fell into a contemplative mood.
If there was no accident, two years was enough for Yu Ming to reach the Asura's Gate headquarters in Star Cloud Continent and back. However, until now, Yu Ming has not come back and that can only mean one thing− Yu Ming met with some problems.
Although he can't confirm that Yu Ming's disappearance is related to his Senior Brother, the Main Chief of Asura's Gate, Chen Tianqi, what he was sure of is, at the moment, was that Chen Tianqi still doesn't about his existence. Otherwise, Chen Tianqi would surely send people here to kill him and snatch the Asura Ring away.
However, sooner or later Chen Tianqi would come to know about him. Thus, Huang Xiaolong must make preparations in advance.
Strength, he needed more strength.
Despite possessing superb talent twin martial spirits and the number nine Heavenly Treasure, the Linglong Treasure Pagoda, which contributed to his unbelievable cultivation speed, about ten to twenty times faster than normal people, to Huang Xiaolong, it was still too slow.
Huang Xiaolong must at least be a Saint realm warrior when facing Chen Tianqi to be able to protect himself.
Saint realm!
Not to mention the Luo Tong Kingdom, even the neighboring kingdoms do not have a Saint realm expert. To break through to the Saint realm was easier said than done. The famous number one expert of the Duanren Empire, the Duanren Emperor, possessing a top grade thirteen martial spirit was one hundred and twenty-three years old when he stepped into the Saint realm.
Thinking about this, Huang Xiaolong frowned.
At this point in time, he wanted to increase his strength faster and the only way was to subdue more Heavenly Treasures. At the moment, the only Heavenly Treasure location that he knew of was the number four at Duanren Institute, the Absolute Soul Pearl.
In short, he urgently needed to breakthrough to the Tenth Order; as long as he can breakthrough to the Tenth Order, he is confident he can capture the overall Academy championship and proceed to participate in the Imperial City Battle.
At that time, he has the chance to search and conquer the Absolute Soul Pearl.
Furthermore, by becoming a student of the Duanren Institute, he is allowed to purchase a mansion in the Imperial City, thereby relocating his parents and little siblings there is not an issue and it would be much safer than the Luo Tong Kingdom.
Seeing Huang Xiaolong fall into deep contemplation, Marshal Haotian and Fei Hou dared not interrupt.
Moments later, Huang Xiaolong came out from his pensiveness and asked Marshal Haotian and Fei Hou about the information for Baolong Kingdom's Big Sword Sect and the Martial Ning Family.
The two of them reported all they knew.
In the past years, Big Sword Sect had indeed sent people over to assassinate Huang Xiaolong's parents several times, but both remained safe under the protection of the Marshal Mansion's guards. And since that year Huang Xiaolong killed Ning Fei of the Martial Ning Family during his class advancement test at the kingdom's border, the Martial Ning Family's Patriarch, Ning Wang also sent people to assassinate Huang Xiaolong and his family a few times.
Thus, when Huang Xiaolong breaks through to the Xiantian realm, the first thing he would do is destroy Big Sword Sect and the Martial Ning Family.
After asking about the matters regarding the Big Sword Sect and Martial Ning Family, Huang Xiaolong proceeded to ask about Tianxuan Mansion's matters.
Since the first year he came to the Royal City, Huang Xiaolong had instructed Fei Hou to procure some slaves to cultivate his own army, and for the past few years, the number and strength of his servants had increased exponentially, and under Huang Xiaolong's encouragement, they had started the Nine Tripod Commerce, mainly dealing in reading material printing like those entertainment magazines on Earth.
Although the Nine Tripod Commerce was set up for merely two years, the operation and management were quite satisfactory, opening more than a dozen branches in the Luo Tong Kingdom itself.
The daily publication exceeded ten thousand and a profit of several thousand gold coins.
Now, all expenses of Tianxuan Mansion were covered by profits from the Nine Tripod Commerce.
"Fei Hou, next year, expand the operation of Nine Tripod Commerce. There must be a branch in every county-- you handle the details." Huang Xiaolong said.
"Yes, Sovereign!" Fei Hou replied respectfully.
"On another hand, below the Nine Tripod Commerce location, form an underground assassin organization. You can pick the recruits." Huang Xiaolong continued; it was time to return Big Sword Sect and Martial Ning Family 'kindness' with some retaliation of his own.
Fei Hou acknowledged him respectfully.
A short while after that, Marshal Haotian and Fei Hou left the main hall.
Just seconds after both of them left, his little sister, Huang Min, and Li Lu came over; Huang Min pulled and shook Huang Xiaolong's arm, demanding he accompany them shopping.
With no escape, he relented.
The whole afternoon was spent strolling around the city and when he returned to his courtyard, Huang Xiaolong started to practice Asura Tactics.
Asura Tactics. Huang Xiaolong had reached the third level and was able to condense the Wings of Demon; when he stepped into the fourth level, the Eye of Hell would open in his forehead. The advantage of this Eye of Hell was that it could see through the real nature of things, even through concealment, and it could launch a spiritual attack. When he reach the fourth stage, his Asura Physique would grow stronger overall.
But, according to Huang Xiaolong's estimation, he would need to break through to the Xiantian realm before he could step into the fourth level of Asura Tactics.
Ten days passed.
In the courtyard, Huang Xiaolong spent the day practicing Asura Sword Skill, and at night, he focused on Asura Tactics and the Body Metamorphose Scripture. As for the Golden Linglong Body, Huang Xiaolong had reached the second stage-- reaching the second stage meant that he could absorb more of the fire dragon qi from the pagoda, strengthening his body by itself.
After ten days passed, the New Year drew closer.
Every corner of Tianxuan Mansion was brightly decorated, creating a cheerful, festive atmosphere.
One of the changes to the Tianxuan Mansion in the past four years was it had expanded and doubled in land area; just the guards amounted to more than six hundred, whereas the servants and maids were close to a hundred.
With the New Year coming, Huang Peng and Su Yan were busy buying things and getting ready to welcome the New Year.
On New Year's eve, Huang Xiaolong abandoned his practice routine to accompany his family and Li Lu, chatting and laughing to pass the night. On the First Day of New Year, the whole family went to some famous scenic spots in the Royal City.
The New Year came and went.
And Huang Xiaolong continued to work hard practicing.
Half a month later, during the night.
The moonlight shone like water.
Huang Xiaolong was sitting cross-legged in the Linglong Treasure Pagoda's space, continuously running Asura Tactics, and the netherworld battle qi rolled and surged in his meridians and Qi Sea, rolling and crashing.
Huang Xiaolong had a feeling that tonight, he would break through to the Ninth Order.
A black and a blue twin dragon emerged behind Huang Xiaolong, coiled in the air, exuding a dragon's oppressive aura in the space. Four years since he broke through to the Seventh Order, the twin dragons' martial spirit had grown bigger.
As the netherworld battle qi raged in his meridians and Qi Sea, the barrier towards the Ninth Order became thinner and thinner, and every time his battle qi crashed against the barrier, a wave of pain traveled from his meridians-- it was more painful than any other time he had broken through, at least by a few folds, even ten times more painful.
Huang Xiaolong endured the pain while insistently pushing his battle qi.
It felt like a long century passed before Huang Xiaolong's body shuddered suddenly, and a subtle breaking sound came from inside his body.
The eighth order netherworld battle qi rushed cheerfully into the ninth order meridians, and at the same time, the netherworld battle qi in his Qi Sea was compressed down as it gathered more and more in the expanded Qi Sea.
The Ninth Order, finally!
The black and blue dragon behind Huang Xiaolong roared towards the sky; the dragon scales on their body became denser and shinier. The Linglong Treasure Pagoda shook as it broke out in a dazzling bright light.