Marshall Morgan carefully searched around and indeed found a mountain path. Although steep, with Marshall's cultivation, he could scale it.
Marshall was delighted and ascended along this path.
A dozen minutes later, Marshall reached the mountain peak.
The Sand Snake Bandits seemed to think that no one would know about this small path, so they were very relaxed, with no one guarding the area.
At the mountaintop, it was quiet; presumably, everyone had gone to the front mountain to fend off the Lawson Family.
Following Pike Lawson's description, Marshall headed toward the bedroom of the Sand Snake Bandit leader. According to Pike, all the treasures looted over the years by the bandit leader were hidden under the bed in his bedroom.
If it weren't for the bandit leader's concubine, who often disguised herself as a commoner to shop in Ignisport and encountered Pike, no one would have known where the treasures were hidden.
Before long, Marshall arrived at the bedroom of the Sand Snake Bandit leader. After lifting the floorboards under the bed, he indeed found two large boxes and one small box.
The two large boxes were filled entirely with shining silver, while the small box held silver notes.
Marshall was overjoyed and, without time to count, stored everything into the Supreme Divine Temple, then swiftly rushed back along his original path.
Descending the mountain, Marshall didn't stop and headed straight for Ignisport.
This time, no matter the outcome for the Lawson Family, it was destined to be a futile endeavor.
A few hours later, Marshall returned to the Morgan Family. Upon arrival, he greeted Penny Lawson quickly, then went to his room to enter the Supreme Divine Temple and hurriedly began counting.
The amount he counted left Marshall stunned.
The silver notes amounted to a full hundred thousand taels, and the two large boxes of silver contained thirty thousand taels.
In total, there were one hundred and thirty thousand taels.
It's clear that over the years, the Sand Snake Bandits had looted quite a lot of treasures, but now all of it belonged to Marshall.
"With this silver, I can purchase a large quantity of Dragon Tiger Pills for cultivation. Yara Morgan, at the Morgan Clan Assembly in a little over a month, don't think you'll have the power to control the Morgan Family, and I will take back what is rightfully mine."
Marshall tightly clenched his fists, his eyes brimming with defiance and determination.
Subsequently, Marshall exited the Supreme Divine Temple and headed toward the bazaar in Ignisport.
The bazaar in Ignisport is the most bustling place, hosting various shops.
Such as pill shops, weapon shops, material shops, etc., with merchant caravans coming and going, and people constantly moving about.
On his way, Marshall purchased a black robe and a black bamboo hat, wrapping himself completely in them.
This time, intending to buy a large amount of Dragon Tiger Pills, he couldn't let anyone discover his identity.
Spirit Herb Hall is the largest shop in Ignisport for buying and selling pills, covering ten acres and standing four stories high, extraordinarily expansive.
Reportedly, Spirit Herb Hall has a significant background, backed by the Mystic Origin Sword Sect.
Upon entering Spirit Herb Hall, a young girl immediately approached him with a charming smile and said, "What can I do for you, sir?"
She had seen many strange customers, so she found nothing odd about Marshall's attire with the black robe and bamboo hat.
Moreover, often such peculiar customers might mean larger transactions.
"I want to purchase Dragon Tiger Pills. What are your prices here?"
Marshall intentionally lowered his voice, making it sound much deeper, like a man in his thirties.
"Sir, a Level 1 Lower Grade Dragon Tiger Pill costs one hundred taels of silver per piece, a Level 1 Middle-grade Dragon Tiger Pill three hundred taels each, and a Level 1 top-grade Dragon Tiger Pill a thousand taels each. Which grade and amount would you like to purchase?"
The shopgirl inquired.
Pills are also divided into nine levels, each level into upper, middle, and lower grades.
"Thirty Level 1 Lower Grade and thirty Level 1 Middle-grade," Marshall stated.
"Th-that many?" The shopgirl was taken aback, followed by great joy, her attitude becoming more respectful, "Sir, the total price exceeds ten thousand taels of silver, I cannot make the decision, our Hall Master must handle this personally, please wait a moment while I report to the Hall Master."
Saying this, the shopgirl jogged into the back hall.
A moment later, she returned, saying, "Sir, our Hall Master invites you to the back hall for a discussion."
Marshall nodded and followed the shopgirl to the back hall.
The shopgirl then poured tea for Marshall and withdrew.
The back hall was elegantly arranged; Marshall glanced around casually and sipped a few mouthfuls of tea.
At this moment, a scent wafted in, and a young woman around twenty years old entered.
The young woman wore a red dress, with a graceful figure, as beautiful as one could imagine.
"Sir, I'm Miranda Murray, the Hall Master of Spirit Herb Hall. I understand you wish to purchase thirty Level 1 Lower Grade and thirty Level 1 Middle-grade Dragon Tiger Pills?"
The voice was very pleasant.
Marshall took a deep breath, keeping his voice down, "Correct!"
"For clients purchasing over ten thousand taels, we offer a ten percent discount, bringing the total from twelve thousand taels down to ten thousand eight hundred taels,"
Miranda sweetly said, her dazzling eyes scanning over Marshall.
"Thank you, Hall Master Murray." Marshall gratefully cupped his hands together.
Then, Miranda clapped her hands, and a maidservant brought in two boxes containing thirty Dragon Tiger Pills each.
Marshall took out ten thousand eight hundred taels in silver notes and handed it to Miranda.
"Hall Master Murray, I shall take my leave." Taking the Dragon Tiger Pills, Marshall said goodbye to Miranda.
"If you need more pills, feel free to come to Spirit Herb Hall for a ten percent discount," Miranda smiled, drawing near to Marshall, her beauty unparalleled.
Marshall's heart skipped a beat; he hurriedly cupped his hands goodbye and almost ran as he left the place.
Watching the direction Marshall left, Miranda slightly pursed her lips, saying, "Interesting!"
"Miss, even though this person wore a bamboo hat, he seemed quite ordinary; what's interesting about him?" the maidservant asked, curious.
Miranda smiled, "Leaf, didn't you notice? He deliberately lowered his voice, pretending to be middle-aged, but in reality, he's just a youth. In Ignisport, there aren't many youths who can easily take out ten thousand taels of silver."
"Moreover, my bloodline gives me a heightened perception; I felt his bloodline is peculiar, seemingly containing great power yet incomplete, as if it's growing, so it's interesting?"
"Miss, hearing you say it, indeed it's quite interesting?" the maidservant blinked and said.
"Leaf, next time this person comes, be sure to inform me!" Miranda's eyes shone with curiosity.
Leaving the bazaar and returning home, Marshall eagerly entered the Supreme Divine Temple and opened one of the sandalwood boxes.
Inside, thirty Dragon Tiger Pills were neatly arranged.
These were Level 1 Lower Grade Dragon Tiger Pills, suitable for impacting the seventh to ninth meridians; the Level 1 Middle-grade Dragon Tiger Pills were intended for impacting the three Divine Veins.
Marshall took out a Dragon Tiger Pill and swallowed it.
After swallowing the Dragon Tiger Pill, a warmth spread through his spine, a faint red light flickered, creating a powerful attraction, absorbing all the pill's potency. Then, pure energy surged out from his spine.
"What exactly is my bloodline? The speed at which it refines pills is indeed terrifying!"
Marshall thought with a start, then manipulated the energy inside his body to circulate through the meridians he had already opened, transforming into slender chains of dragon-shaped True Qi, finally charging at the seventh meridian.
The dragon-shaped True Qi was incredibly sharp, slicing through barriers easily, very soon breaking open a large acupuncture point on the seventh meridian.
Then, unstoppable, one by one, more acupuncture points were broken through.
When True Qi was insufficient, Marshall Morgan swallowed a Dragon Tiger Pill, converting it into True Qi, and continued to push forward.
The seventh to ninth meridians, called the Heavenly Veins, were obviously not as easy to penetrate as those before.
Two continuous days passed, and Marshall Morgan refined 24 Dragon Tiger Pills, finally breaking through all three Heavenly Veins.
Marshall Morgan's cultivation reached the peak of the late stage of Meridian Passage.
At this stage of cultivation, he could actually start condensing a Qi Vortex in the Dantian and break through to the Warrior Realm.
But Marshall Morgan certainly wouldn't do that; his goal was to penetrate the three Divine Veins and then break through to the Warrior Realm.
However, the Divine Veins were not easy to break through; the challenge was tremendous. Marshall Morgan didn't rush into it. Instead, he swallowed the remaining six Level 1 Lower Grade Dragon Tiger Pills, converting them into True Qi.
A day later, the True Qi in Marshall Morgan's body became more condensed and substantial; it was then he began to attack the Divine Veins.
Taking a Level 1 Middle-grade Dragon Tiger Pill, he swallowed it. Similarly, the blood from his spine absorbed and refined it, unleashing energy several times stronger than that of the Level 1 Lower Grade Dragon Tiger Pill in Marshall Morgan's body.
No wonder it's a Level 1 Middle-grade pill.
Marshall Morgan operated the "Battle Dragon True Technique," maneuvered the True Qi, and began attacking the first Divine Vein.
Bang!
Marshall Morgan felt a tremor throughout his body, a tingling sensation; however, the first major acupuncture point in the first Divine Vein remained unbroken.
Marshall Morgan wasn't discouraged; he continued to accumulate strength and pushed forward.
Bang! Bang!
After seven consecutive efforts, the first major acupuncture point in the first Divine Vein finally broke open, and surging True Qi poured into the first acupuncture point of the first meridian.
Marshall Morgan's body lit up, point by point, these were all opened major acupuncture points, totaling eighty-one. At this moment, the eighty-second point also lit up, more dazzling than any of the previous eighty-one points.
"Just breaking one major acupuncture point has made the True Qi in my body more substantial; continue."
Marshall Morgan kept pushing forward.
Yet, the Divine Veins are indeed Divine Veins, consuming an enormous amount of energy, absolutely terrifying.
Three consecutive days passed, thirty-six Level 1 Middle-grade pills were completely consumed, only then did he breakthrough all nine major acupuncture points of the first Divine Vein.
"Such powerful strength; now the sheer explosive power of my True Qi must be around 1500 pounds?"
A look of delight flashed in Marshall Morgan's eyes.
Previously, when he was at the peak of the mid-stage Meridian Passage, he had to rely on the Flame Dragon Fist to barely achieve the explosive power of 1,000 pounds. Without the Flame Dragon Fist's added effect, the pure True Qi explosive power should have been around 700-800 pounds.
Now it has doubled.
Typically, a Martial Artist's True Qi explosive power at the peak of late-stage Meridian Passage should be around 1,000 pounds.
And condensing a Qi Vortex, breaking through to Warrior First Realm, can enhance the explosive power of True Qi up to 2,000 pounds.
Two thousand pounds is known as the strength of one ox.
Of course, this calculation excludes the boosts from Martial Techniques and bloodline. With the boost from Martial Techniques and bloodline, the power is even stronger.
"I have used up the Dragon Tiger Pills, but I won't rush to buy more just yet; my cultivation has increased too rapidly in these days and needs some time for stabilization. In the meantime, I can train in some Martial Techniques."
In Martial Arts cultivation, it's essential to progress step by step. Breaking through too quickly can result in an unstable foundation and impure True Qi, so Marshall Morgan planned to take some time to solidify his gains before purchasing more Dragon Tiger Pills to continue attacking the remaining two Divine Veins.
Then, Marshall Morgan began training in the Flame Dragon Fist and Dragon and Snake Step.
In the blink of an eye, seven days passed.
One day, taking advantage of Penny Lawson and Autumn Adler's absence, Marshall Morgan began practicing the Flame Dragon Fist in the courtyard.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The wind of the punches whistled, Marshall Morgan's body twisted like a giant dragon, and with every punch thrown, the air exploded.
Roar!
Finally, Marshall Morgan exhaled loudly, landing a punch on a head-sized stone in the courtyard, and with a bang, the stone shattered into pieces.
"Martial Technique fourth level, mastery at its finest."
Marshall Morgan finished his moves, showing a look of happiness.
After seven days of practice, he finally advanced the Flame Dragon Fist to the fourth level.
"Young master... you... you've become so powerful?" Suddenly, a crisp voice sounded from the doorway, somewhat incredulous.
"Autumn Adler!"
Marshall Morgan was taken aback; he didn't expect to be seen by Autumn Adler while he practiced Martial Techniques in the courtyard.
At this time, Autumn Adler looked at the shattered stone, then at Marshall Morgan, tears welled up in her eyes, and she rushed over to Marshall Morgan's side, tightly grabbing his hand: "Young master, this is wonderful! Young master is so powerful, finally becoming a Martial Arts Strong Person. If the madam knew, she would be ecstatic."
As she spoke, tears streamed down.
Although Autumn Adler was frail, she was unmistakably a beauty in the making. Seeing her teary-eyed, Marshall Morgan felt his heart soften as he reached out to wipe the tears off her face: "Autumn Adler, I've succeeded in my cultivation, shouldn't you be happy? Why are you crying?"
"Young master, I am happy for you!"
Autumn Adler pouted, suddenly realizing her little hands were still tightly holding Marshall Morgan's hand, feeling the warmth in his palm, instantly becoming shy, like a startled fawn, she jumped back a few steps, blushing intensely.
Seeing Autumn Adler's bashful, teary-eyed face, Marshall Morgan blurted out: "Autumn Adler, you look so beautiful."
This made Autumn Adler's face even redder, like a ripe apple, lowering her head deeply, whispered: "Young master, what are you... saying?"
"Uh, haha, Autumn Adler, I've had some adventures recently, which is why I've gained such cultivation, but I can't tell you the details yet."
Marshall Morgan coughed lightly, quickly changing the subject.
Autumn Adler blinked her tear-dimmed eyes, deeply looking at Marshall Morgan: "Young master, can you tell the madam?"
"Not for now!" Marshall Morgan replied.
"Well, alright, I promise you."
After speaking, Autumn Adler pondered for a moment, seemed to make up her mind, and said: "Young master, I want to ask you a favor."
"What is it?" Marshall Morgan asked.
Autumn Adler bit her lip and said: "Young master, could you... could you teach Autumn Adler Martial Arts cultivation?"
Marshall Morgan was taken aback: "Autumn Adler, you want to learn Martial Arts cultivation?"
"Yes, young master, Autumn Adler wants to cultivate Martial Arts, to repay father and mother, and also hopes that in the future, she can help young master and the madam with her own strength."
Autumn Adler replied.
Marshall Morgan nodded, he knew a bit about Autumn Adler's background, her parents were a poor family outside Ignisport, and Autumn Adler was not their biological child but was picked up from outside.
Because they were very poor, Autumn Adler was sold to the Morgan Family at eight years old, becoming Penny Lawson's personal maid, growing up alongside Marshall Morgan. She was a year older than him, and they were like siblings.
"Alright, Autumn Adler, but you are too frail right now; you'll need to take Blood Replenishing Pills to boost your energy and blood, then I'll try to help you awaken your bloodline."
Marshall Morgan smiled and agreed to Autumn Adler's request.
"Young master, you agreed? That's great." Autumn Adler was overjoyed, almost jumping into Marshall Morgan's arms but held back with a red face in the end.
Marshall Morgan laughed: "Autumn Adler, I need to buy some items too, let's go to the Bazaar together, and buy some Blood Replenishing Pills in the meantime."