Chapter 48: Sharpening the Knife Again

  The treasure pavilion of the Tang family is adjacent to the closed area of Tang Yan's retreat, looking relatively simple, with only three layers up and down, but inside are many treasures on display, not only martial arts, weapons, but also some precious cultivation materials.

  The first floor has the largest area, comparable to a football field in the previous life. The most ordinary mortal martial skills are displayed on the field, along with some special-effect weapons and armor. At the same time, this floor is also one of the places where the Tang family stores its funds.

  The second layer showcases the finest of ordinary martial skills, including some unique and interesting ones. There are also armor and weapons here, with levels and styles far surpassing those on the first floor.

  As for the third floor, it is where the Tang family's spiritual-level martial skills are stored, as well as the most precious treasures of the Tang family in recent years. Due to its importance, no one is allowed to enter at will, and even Tang Mingjing needs to obtain permission from Tang Yanshan.

  In the younger generation of the Tang family, Tang Qian has the strongest strength and the best talent. At the age of 17, he reached the third stage of Wuleng, while Tang Ying just broke through to Wuleng. The others are basically stuck in the Wu Shi stage, either because their talent is not good or because they are too young. In short, the younger generation of the Tang family does not have the same excellence as their parents, with only Tang Qian and Tang Ying standing out.

  Due to the presence of Tang Jun, the guardians of the treasure pavilion, apart from casting strange glances at them, did not make things difficult for Tang Yan. They handed over the keys and no longer paid attention to them.

  "The first floor has twenty-five kinds of ordinary martial skills, the second floor has ten high-level ordinary martial skills, and the third floor has four spiritual level martial skills. Do you want to go directly to the third floor or wander around on the first and second floors?" Tang Jun's gaze towards Tang Yan became increasingly strange, how could this old man allow Tang Yan to enter the highest floor of the Treasure Pavilion? And it was as if he had a free choice! At first, he thought he had misheard, this was an honor that even the young master didn't have!"

  There must be some secret on Tang Yan's body!! Otherwise, the old man wouldn't have been so doting to the point of absurdity!

  "Let's go straight to the third floor." Tang Yan just glanced at it casually and lost interest, and walked towards the third floor by himself.

  The decorations inside are much more exquisite, with a dozen stone pedestals standing among them. Each pedestal is guarded by crystal covers, emitting a dynamic luster. As soon as you enter, there's a dazzling feeling of splendor.

  Tang Yan looked at one of the crystal covers that was flashing with purple light and said, "What kind of martial skill is this?"

  "Lei Yin Tian Jiang, purchased at an auction for 200,000 gold coins, is a relatively overbearing martial skill. It can guide the heavenly thunder to serve oneself, directly attacking the target or becoming part of one's body. After mastering the skill, it can summon celestial thunder to aid in one's cultivation."

  "This one"

  "Yan Lin Jue! This spirit-level martial skill was brought back by Tang Hao, and it's said to have been discovered in a mountain cave during his mercenary days. After appraisal, it belongs to the better ones among spirit-level martial skills. Yan Lin Jue is achieved through control of spiritual energy, mobilizing underground rocks to become attacking tools. It can be used for stealth attacks or close combat. Yan Lin Jue has a unique property: after mastering it, these seemingly hard rocks can extend and twist at will during an outburst, following the martial artist's intent."

  "Oh? That's not bad."

  "May I be so bold as to ask, young master, are you prepared to give Du Yang?"

  "Is there something wrong?"

  "I've heard about the Divine Spring Town, Du Yang's spiritual vein is unusual and has petrification properties, which suggests that he's a rough jade. With careful polishing, he might achieve something. However, I observe that his personality is cold and cruel, stubborn and unruly, not suitable for deep interactions." Tang Jun had spent about a month with Du Yang and roughly knew him.

  "The more such people, the more worthy of deep interaction." Tang Yan smiled silently and made no explanation. He walked to the front of a crystal case, inside which was placed a pitch-black knife with no blade, only an outline of a knife. It was ugly, coarse, and covered in cracks, but it exuded a sense of ancient simplicity and majesty. Even through the crystal case, one could feel its thickness and age.

  "It's called Mo Tie Chong Dao, it hasn't been refined or forged, its shape is purely natural. It's said to be the only weapon in the Northern Wilderness that can withstand the eightfold superimposition of the Tang Family's fierce flame technique. It was once the most treasured weapon of our old family head, accompanying him from the Martial King stage all the way to Martial Emperor. Although its appearance is ugly, it has been through countless battles, and the number of strong warriors who have fallen before it is also uncountable. It can be said that it has witnessed the rise of our old master."

  "Eightfold amplification of the Martial Honored level?!" Tang Yan's eyes flashed with a hint of shock, and after careful examination, he found that the previous segment was not quite regular: "Was it originally like this or was it broken?"

  "Originally one and a half meters long, now only half remains. It was when the old man tried to add nine times the intense flame power... that it shattered from the middle, with the front half thoroughly melted, and this remaining half no longer has its original toughness, making it a residual soldier."

  "You just said this knife was naturally formed? What's its origin?"

  "It was Old Master who obtained it by chance in a secret land of the Mystic Forest, and it belongs to some kind of unknown Xuan Iron metal."

  "Is it still usable?"

  "Although severely damaged, according to Old Master's calculations, it can still withstand three times the power of a Martial Honor-level strongman." Tang Jun was indeed someone who spoke without hiding anything.

  Tang Yan secretly calculated that if the tripled amplification of the Martial Emperor level was possible, then wouldn't the Martial King level be able to amplify sixfold? Sevenfold? And as for the Martial Ancestor level, wasn't it possible to recklessly splurge: "I want it now."

  Tang Jun showed a hint of a smile: "The weight of the iron knife is as heavy as 999 catties, it's not suitable for you to use at present. When you reach the peak of martial arts, maybe you can try using it, but the premise is that you can cultivate your strength. Actually, I don't want it to stay here forever either, my previous plan was to give it to the eldest young master, now it seems... you also have hope, whoever reaches that realm first will be the one to possess it."

  Tang Yan quietly gazed at the heavy iron knife, its appearance was ugly, but the more she looked at it, the more she liked it. The kind of ancient and wild feeling deeply attracted her.

  Young Master?

  Tang Yan came back to his senses and looked at Mo Tie's heavy sword for a moment before saying, "Give me the Yan Lin Secret Manual."

  "Are you really sure? The Rock Lin Fist is a rare and precious spiritual martial art, even the old master has said it's extraordinary. If you give it to Du Yang, be careful not to raise a tiger that will bring disaster!"

  "Don't worry, I've got a plan. Uncle Tang Jun, have you heard of any place with powerful body-refining martial skills? At the very least, it should be at the Spiritual level peak, and preferably Earth-level martial skills." Tang Yan wanted to bring out the effect of his demonic spiritual pulse, which was to devour the essence and soul of demonic beasts. To avoid problems during the devouring process, he had to first train his body.

  "Jue Xiang Academy, Golden Elephant Style!"

  "Is it prefecture-level?" Tang Yan's spirit lifted.

  "It's a mid-tier Earth-level martial skill, the treasure of Giant Elephant Academy and the only Earth-level martial skill in Giant Elephant City. It is currently held by Dean Dong of the academy, and those who are qualified to practice it are all important figures in the academy, as well as his personally selected closed-door disciples." This was something that everyone in Giant Elephant City knew, but Tang Jun didn't mock Tang Yan, instead giving a detailed introduction.

  Tang Yan's eyes flickered slightly: "Got it."

  Tang Jun was astute and clever, and with one glance, he saw through Tang Yan's intentions: "Second Young Master, if you're thinking of using extreme measures to obtain the Golden Elephant Scripture, I advise you to give up. The Dean of Giant Elephant Academy, Dong, is a powerful warrior at the Wu Zun level, and his mastery of the Golden Elephant Scripture makes him nearly invulnerable in battle. He's also a fighting maniac, and even the Old Master doesn't dare to provoke him easily. If you were to anger him, the consequences would be extremely severe."

  "Don't worry, I'm not arrogant enough to snatch things from the Academy yet." Tang Yan put away the Rock Lin Scripture and left the room.

  "Tang Jun reminded him again: 'Young master, it's best to stay in the family for the time being and not go to brothels or taverns. Also, keep a low profile.'"

  In the backyard, Tang Yan came to Du Yang's room and casually threw the Yan Lin Jue to Du Yang who was lying on the bed with nothing to do. "Hey, a spiritual level martial skill, for you."

  Du Yang caught the wooden sign with one hand, and sprang up from the bed in a flash. He felt a slight sensation, and his eyes sparkled with excitement: "Yan Lin Jue!! Spirit-level martial skill!! Are you sure you're giving it to me?"

  "There are five more Spirit Origin Liquids here, all from the third-level peak demon beasts. They should be of great help to you, but don't waste them, it's best to use them at critical moments when breaking through." Tang Yan had collected twelve Spirit Origin Liquids, all of which were carefully selected and stored during his hunting process.

  Du Yang didn't hesitate and quickly accepted it. With a hint of a smile, he sized up Tang Yan: "Are you planning to subdue me?"

  "What do you think?"

  "What I said, will not be tied to any family."

  "Will you give me the Spirit Source Liquid and the Spirit Grade Martial Skill in exchange for keeping a secret? Is this deal worth it?"

  "Of course, it's a great deal!!" Du Yang waved the wooden sign, his smile deepening, and his heart was even more turbulent. Spirit-level martial skills!! For ordinary civilians, this is an unattainable luxury! I didn't expect Tang Yan to give it to me so readily!

  "Also, because of the Zhou Ling Wang thing, we may be together for a very long time, so when trouble arises, it must be dealt with immediately, and absolutely no stabbing in the back."

  Du Yang snapped his fingers: "No problem, deal!"

  "Go!"

  "Where are you going?"

  "Drunken Village Building, Drinking Flower Wine!!"

  Du Yang stood up straight and followed quickly: "I don't have any money."

  "When I was older."

  "Are you allowed to go out by your family?"

  "Of course."

  "You just got back, aren't you keeping a low profile?"

  "We sneak out, isn't that low-key?!"