Yan Chuan had confidence in his heart.
Yan Chuan returned to Great Yan, in Guangling Anshan County, recounting the gains from this Mountain and Sea Realm journey.
"With 30-level starstones in hand, using the ’Star Realm Gate’, I can now enter and exit the Mountain and Sea Realm anytime and anywhere, no longer constrained by time and space."
This was undoubtedly Yan Chuan’s greatest gain from this trip.
In addition, there were countless other scattered gains.
As Yan Chuan headed to the hosting site of the ’Cang Mountain Sword Discussion·Jianzhou Competition’ at Yingze County—
Among the Nine Counties of Jian Province, Taikang ranks at the bottom.
Yingze County is not much better, ranked second to last among the sleeping dragon and young phoenix.
This time, in the lottery for the ’Jianzhou Competition’ hosting venue, Yingze was drawn among the nine counties.
As Yan Chuan hurried on his journey,
he continued to take stock.
This journey to the Mountain and Sea Realm lasted fifty days before and after.
In terms of martial arts and secret manuals—
Yan Chuan self-created the ’Eight Diagram Palm’, ’Baji Fist’, and ’Divine Movement Transformation’, these three eighth rank Xin-level martial arts, in addition to thirty-three ninth-level Ren-level martial arts, it was a great harvest.
Apart from self-creation, there were also the "Cloud Whale Skill" from the Baili Family Martial Cave in Nanxiong City at the Human-level Secret Manual and the "Returning Mountain Technique" at the Earth-level Secret Scripture.
Then there’s some martial arts obtained from those Mountain and Sea Realm martial artists through ’Mutual Teaching and Learning’, but they are either superficial or partial, incomplete, and not counted.
This is the martial arts secret manuals.
In terms of tangible items and treasures—
Over four hundred pounds of ’Monkey Wine’, ’White Horn’, ’Rhinoceros Skin’, were brought out.
Plus, over a thousand pounds of ’Monkey Wine’ have been consumed.
Additionally, three portions of ’Water Essence’ ingested.
Moreover, four pounds of ’Essence Stone’ refined.
This is what has already been used up.
Further, there was self-enhancement, totaling ’10-level Tiger Skin War Boots’, ’10-level Thousand-mile Mirror’, ’30-level Starstone’, three items in all.
Lastly, regarding power strengthening—
"Four pounds of Essence Stone, using ’Xingyi Boxing’ to refine three pounds of Essence Stone for Bone Training, tempered three sections of toe bone. Near two cultivation cycles, tempered an additional section, totaling four sections. Using ’Mixed Element Skill’ to refine one pound of Essence Stone, initially channeling through the meridian groups governed by the Twelve Main Meridians."
"Three portions of ’Water Essence’ combined with over a thousand pounds of ’Monkey Wine’ plus the ’Gravity Domain’ of the ’Star Stone’, increased my physical strength by at least three to four times, now with brute force alone I can fight a Fourth Grade!"
This is just the physical aspect.
There’s also advancements in boxing skills, martial arts literacy—
"’Xingyi Boxing’ advances to the Sixth Realm nearing the Seventh Realm, ’Twelve Forms’ generally refined, ’Monkey Form’ uniquely outstanding to Divine level."
"’Mixed Element Skill’ on track, starting to train the ’Twelve Main Meridians’."
"’Divine Movement Transformation’ upgrades to the complete form, no longer a shortfall in Qinggong skills."
"In ’Mutual Teaching and Learning’ for fifty days, from Wang Zhengyi and others, to Zang Qi, Fan Zhong, and other ordinary Mountain and Sea Realm martial artists, to Fu Zhe and other limit-breaking Black Dragon Heavy Cavalry, to Cao Jun and four others. Not only people, but also beasts, raccoons, turkeys, Yellow Maned Horses, Black Dragon Colts, Purple Ring Snakes, Iron-Armed Monkeys, I taught them all and received abundant feedback, transforming into foundation."
"Additionally, seven days of reading in Baili Family Martial Cave also contributes to the foundation."
There are both tangible and intangible.
Visible and invisible.
In short, from this journey, Yan Chuan’s gains are immense. With a solid foundation and enhanced strength, now, it’s time to show the true skill at the ’Jianzhou Competition’.
Yingze City had already become lively.
Nine Counties of Jian Province, Yingze ranks second to last.
In these years, whether economically, politically, or culturally, Yingze County has had little presence, even with the recent martial arts spread in Great Yan, Yingze County still ranked at the bottom, garnering little attention.
However, this time, Yingze lucked out, drawing the lot to host the ’Jianzhou Competition’.
Elites from all around gathered, capturing everyone’s attention.
This is a glory and bustle Yingze County has never experienced before.
All sorts of martial arts figures.
Elite members from various academies.
All gathered, stirring winds and clouds.
The Eight Academic Institutions had already arrived—
Guangling Academy, led by Gu Shengyan, the first of the Ten Elders with ’Great Success Boxing’, along with Inner Court Elders Wang Kuan of ’Six Harmonies Fist’, and Feng Ji of ’Coiling Silk Fist’, leading an entourage of dozens of academy elites, including the ’Guangling Ten Outstanding’, all arrived at Yingze City.
Mighty, with impressive aura.
In contrast, Taikang Academy seemed lacking, led by Shao Yancong of ’Four Gates Fist’ and Du Zhenzong of ’Du Fist’, bringing out all research students from the academy, barely forming ten teams to compete, among which were disciples new to research, purely focusing on participation.
Moreover, the other six academies varied in strength, but each managed to gather ten teams, intending to showcase their skills and highlight their strength at the ’Jianzhou Competition’.
Each team, five starters, two substitutes.
Ten teams total seventy persons.
Eight academies, with over five to six hundred competitors alone.
This doesn’t even count the ordinary disciples who came along to join the excitement, gain experience, nor the heroes and martial arts enthusiasts who came upon hearing the news.
Additionally, there are government offices, military and others.
Various aspects, numerous factions.
Since February, how could there be less than three or two thousand martial artists flooding into Yingze City.
And among them, there were also experts from Suanzao Mountain’s Hundred Flower Palace.
"The Jianzhou Competition is near, why is there still no news from the Palace Master?"
She is one of the ’Wang Brothers’, in the ’Taikang Seven Heroes’—the sister of Wang Can of the ’Sealing Hand Fist’, practicing ’Smoke Cloud Hand’, known as ’A Cloud of Smoke’, with impressive strength.
At the end of last year, during the twelfth lunar month, Yan Chuan established the ’Hundred Flower Palace’ in Suanzao Mountain with great fanfare, proclaiming loudly, expecting the Jianghu Martial Arts to ’let a hundred flowers bloom’, but he stayed in Suanzao Mountain for less than a month, and before the year ended, he disappeared without a trace.