Chapter 24: Breakthrough
Linley pondered for a moment, then smiled apologetically at Yale. "Yale, big bro, sorry for the trouble."
"No trouble at all." Yale chuckled. "It's just sending someone back, a small matter. Our Dawson Conglomerate frequently has people traveling back and forth delivering letters and such. It's just a convenience."
Linley nodded.
"Third bro." Yale suddenly grew serious, looking at Linley. "Tell me honestly, what do you need this herb for so urgently?"
If it were anyone else, Linley could have lied and said it was for a medicinal bath to accelerate his physical training. Using medicinal baths to speed up body training was a known practice. But facing his own sworn brother, Linley didn't want to lie.
"Yale, big bro, now isn't the time to tell you. When the time comes, I'll let you know." Linley patted Yale on the shoulder and said.
The four brothers of Dormitory 1987 had grown up together, eaten together, lived together. They were as close as blood brothers.
"Third bro, I understand. But if you need anything, just tell me." Yale didn't press further.
The next day, Linley's steward delivered all the herbs Linley needed. However, this steward hadn't been able to purchase Mist Grass. According to him, Mist Grass simply wasn't available on the market. To buy it, they would need to send someone to the Four Great Empires.
After all, Mist Grass was produced in the far eastern prairie. It could be bought in small quantities on the markets of the Four Great Empires near that prairie.
"Now, of the eight materials needed for the Hemolytic Poison Powder, I have seven. Only Cloud Spirit Root is missing." Linley looked at the various materials laid out in the secret chamber, pondering. Of these eight materials, three were quite rare. The Mist Grass was being handled by the Dawson Conglomerate. As for the Blueheart Grass, he already had it.
"If I wait three months, in three months, the Dawson Conglomerate will deliver the Cloud Spirit Root." Linley felt confident at heart.
At the latest, in three months, he would have gathered all the materials. Then he could naturally refine the Hemolytic Poison Powder.
But Linley wasn't the type to sit at home and wait idly.
"Help me spread the news. Say that I am preparing for a medicinal bath to train my body and need the herb Cloud Spirit Root. I am willing to pay a million gold coins to purchase it." Linley instructed his steward.
He wouldn't lie to his brothers, but to outsiders, he naturally had to fabricate a good reason.
Cloud Spirit Root, this herb itself was non-toxic and was actually a great tonic for the body. But herbs themselves were very mysterious. Through various refinements of the eight materials, one could ultimately extract the Hemolytic Poison Powder.
"Yes, Lord Linley." The steward's heart trembled upon hearing a million gold coins.
To the current Linley, a million gold coins was indeed nothing. Back then, the Dreamshadow sculpture had sold for twelve million gold coins. Later, when Paterson had met with him secretly, he had also given him ten million gold coins. After Linley's status had greatly increased, the Radiant Church and King Finlay had both given Linley considerable wealth. Additionally, after Linley was appointed the Empire's First Court Magus, many nobles had sent him many gifts.
Even a while ago, the Debbs family had given Linley a magic crystal card. It contained a million gold coins.
Currently, Linley's assets amounted to over twenty million gold coins.
This didn't even include the Saint-level Violet Pattern Black Bear's magic crystal core that Linley had always kept hidden. That Saint-level magical beast's magic crystal core was a priceless treasure; it was estimated that even a hundred million gold coins couldn't buy it.
The news that a million gold coins were being offered for Cloud Spirit Root initially spread only among herb merchants, but soon it circulated among the nobles of the Finlay Kingdom. Those nobles all knew... that Master Linley needed this herb, Cloud Spirit Root.
If they could present this herb to Linley, not only would they get a million gold coins, but it would also be an opportunity to build a good relationship with Linley.
Many nobles began to search high and low for this Cloud Spirit Root herb.
Unfortunately, Cloud Spirit Root was simply too rare and too precious.
After releasing the news, Linley peacefully stayed alone in his mansion, training hard. In the blink of an eye, it was already November, and the weather was gradually turning cold. The leaves on the big tree beside the rockery in Springwater Garden had withered and fallen, covering the grass with yellow, withered leaves.
"Hah!"
Linley, who had been training by doing one-finger handstands, suddenly exerted force with his finger. The power in his finger burst forth. His entire body leaped up, performed a relaxed somersault in mid-air, and then landed upright on the ground. His upper body was covered in sweat.
Under the effect of the Gravity spell, long-term training had tired even Linley's powerful body.
"Whoosh."
In an upright position, Linley felt a sour, numb sensation in the muscles of his fingers, arms, and shoulders. It was a very comfortable feeling. Linley also understood that at this moment, the various muscles, tendons, and bones were slowly undergoing transformation.
Training the body meant repeatedly surpassing the body's past limits, just not exceeding them too much at any one time.
Sitting down cross-legged, Linley immediately began circulating the "Dragonblood Codex" to cultivate. The liquid Dragonblood battle-qi in his dantian began to flow out in torrents. The powerful Dragonblood battle-qi soon filled Linley's entire body.
Training again and again, with each session, the Dragonblood battle-qi became a bit purer, and Linley's tendons, bones, and muscles became a bit stronger.
The cyan-black Dragonblood battle-qi entered his dantian again and again, and left again and again. The dantian was the central hub of a warrior's entire body. Linley had long stepped into the late stage of the sixth-rank warrior level. Especially during September and October, he had reached the peak of the sixth rank.
Now, Linley had reached a limit, on the verge of breaking through at any moment.
"Crackle... pop..." All sorts of strange sounds emanated from Linley's entire body. His muscles bulged and sank as if a mouse were running around inside his body. Even his veins bulged out. Sweat and even beads of blood continuously seeped from Linley's entire body!
"The time for a breakthrough has finally come." Linley felt a surge of joy in his heart.
He had been waiting for this day for a long time.
"Gurgle... gurgle..."
The cyan-black Dragonblood battle-qi churned strangely. Linley felt a stabbing pain all over his body, while the volume of the liquid Dragonblood battle-qi in his dantian actually shrank again, its density greatly increased. The Dragonblood battle-qi continuously entered his dantian and then left his dantian again, forming a cycle.
Every bit of Dragonblood battle-qi that entered the dantian underwent a transformation.
After nearly an hour, all the Dragonblood battle-qi in Linley's body had completely undergone a transformation. Although the peak of the sixth rank and the early stage of the seventh rank were separated by only a thin membrane, Linley's strength had increased several times over.
Linley opened his eyes, a barely concealed excitement shining within them.
"Haha, I've finally stepped into the seventh-rank warrior realm!" Linley's heart was filled with elation.
As long as the bloodline of the Dragonblood Warrior within his body was activated, allowing for Dragonform, the cultivation speed of a Dragonblood Warrior would be very fast. Especially at the beginning, it was exceptionally fast. Linley had spent about half a year going from the sixth rank to the seventh rank. This speed was astonishing.
Linley estimated that going from the seventh rank to the eighth rank would probably take him several years.
The higher one went, the harder it got. But generally, a Dragonblood Warrior could step into the Saint realm in just a few decades.
Bebe, who had been sleeping beside him, opened his groggy eyes. His eyes suddenly brightened, and he joyfully transmitted mentally, "Boss, you've reached the seventh rank?"
"Mm." Linley nodded happily.
"Doesn't that mean that when you use Dragonform, you'll be at the early stage of the ninth rank?" Bebe said excitedly. "Looks like your strength will surpass mine now, boss."
Linley also laughed.
The power boost from Dragonform was quite exaggerated in the early stages. For instance, he was only a seventh-rank warrior now, which was merely average on the Yulan continent. But once he used Dragonform, he would be at the early ninth rank, a figure to be reckoned with on the Yulan continent.
However, the further one progressed, the less effective Dragonform became.
Dragonform was merely a way to fully manifest the energy of the Dragonblood Warrior bloodline that couldn't be absorbed otherwise.
"Early ninth rank. Especially your Dragonform, which is related to the Spiked-backed Iron-armored Dragon. The Spiked-backed Iron-armored Dragon excels in defense and speed. Your defense should be quite formidable, and your speed goes without saying." Delin Cowart also popped up at this moment.
Linley was most confident in his speed.
Because during Dragonform, besides the inherent speed of a Dragonblood Warrior, Linley could also cast the wind-type auxiliary magic, Supersonic. The Supersonic spell cast by a seventh-rank mage could still increase Linley's speed considerably.
Linley stood there, grinning foolishly to himself.
"Boss, stop grinning like an idiot. Look at you, you're filthy. Go wash up quickly!" Bebe deliberately put on a disgusted expression, covering his little nose and hopping around, baring his teeth at Linley.
Linley looked at himself.
His body surface was now covered in sweat and congealed blood streaks. It was indeed very dirty.
"Plop!"
Linley jumped directly into the spring water pool. Since the spring water was constantly flowing, Linley wasn't worried about dirtying it. After a full-body transformation of his tendons, bones, and muscles, washed by the warm spring, Linley felt so comfortable that he lay in the pool and closed his eyes.
He fell asleep.
In this comfortable state, Linley actually fell asleep.
Just as Linley was immersed in a sweet dream, a voice came from outside: "Lord Linley! Lord Linley!" The maid's voice outside sounded somewhat urgent.
Linley's eyes snapped open. Hearing the voice, he frowned slightly. "Come in."
Only then did the maid outside dare to run in. She stood by the warm spring pool, stealing a few glances at Linley's naked body, before respectfully saying, "Lord Linley, a messenger from the royal palace is outside. He says he has come on the orders of His Majesty the King, inviting Lord Linley to the palace."
"His Majesty's orders?" Linley hesitated for a moment, then simply walked out of the pool.
"You may leave." Linley always dressed himself; he didn't like having the maids help.
"Yes." The maid's cheeks were flushed red. She immediately lowered her head and ran out of Springwater Garden. He set off for the royal palace in a carriage. Outside the carriage, besides sixteen royal soldiers, there were also sixteen knights from the Radiant Church. Linley's entourage was grander than that of the Prime Minister or the Left Premier of the kingdom.
"Lord Linley, His Majesty is currently in the East Garden." The court attendant's shrill voice sounded.
"Lead the way." Linley said curtly.
The court attendant was extremely deferential to Linley, maintaining a smiling face the entire way.
"Who else has His Majesty invited this time?" Linley inquired.
"Only Lord Linley." The court attendant replied.
"Just me?" Linley felt puzzled, but he didn't ask further. Led all the way by this court attendant, he finally arrived at the East Garden of the royal palace. Although it was already November, and few flowers could bloom, the East Garden of the royal palace was still a riot of color with a hundred flowers vying for beauty.
And His Majesty, known as the Golden Lion, Clayde, was chatting with the Queen.
"Haha, Linley, you've arrived." Clayde greeted him warmly. "Come, sit." "Your Majesty, Your Majesty the Queen." Linley bowed, then sat down.
Clayde and the Queen exchanged a glance, then smiled at Linley. "Linley, I heard you are looking for the herb Cloud Spirit Root for a medicinal bath to train your body?"
"Yes." Linley nodded.
Suddenly, Linley had a guess as to why Clayde had specifically summoned him. But he found it hard to believe, because he was looking for Cloud Spirit Root precisely to deal with Clayde. Could this Clayde really be...
"Haha, I knew you needed this Cloud Spirit Root, so I had someone check. What a coincidence, the royal treasury actually had a stalk of Cloud Spirit Root." Clayde glanced at the maid beside him. The maid immediately presented the plate covered with gold cloth in front of Linley.
Linley was truly stunned.
The Cloud Spirit Root he urgently needed was ultimately going to be given to him by this very Clayde!