Chapter 329: Great Elixir Enters the Belly, Half-Step Primordial

Midnight.

Outside the window, cicadas chirped softly; cold moonlight spilled across the window frame.

Most of the Anning Wei soldiers were outside, unwilling to waste precious time on the two-man bed in the Dianke Office, which was barely two zhang square.

The Dianke Office was quiet.

Inside the room.

Li Rui was not asleep.

Seated cross-legged on the bed, hands clasped in meditation, his breath long and steady.

His aura continuously surged upward, finally reaching its peak at the moment.

Li Rui suddenly opened his eyes.

Without hesitation, he took a pill of pure crimson-gold from the small jade vial; the rich elixir scent instantly filled the entire room.

The Yi Jin Great Elixir was truly extraordinary.

Only elixirs of third-rank or higher could be called Great Elixirs.

The Shen Hun Great Elixir Xia Xiaotang had given Li Rui earlier was one of them.

It was even of a higher grade than this Yi Jin Great Elixir.

But the Shen Hun Great Elixir worked slowly, raising one's upper limit, while the Yi Jin Great Elixir focused on immediate gains, directly boosting combat power.

Gu Changsheng was not unprepared when he left.

He had specifically brought it for Li Rui.

The Yi Jin Great Elixir was precious; its potency must be maximized, so he had not swallowed it immediately upon receiving it, but waited until now, when his essence, energy, and spirit were fully replenished.

Li Rui tilted his head and swallowed the entire Yi Jin Great Elixir.

The instant it entered his belly.

Violent medicinal power exploded within his body.

It felt as if every pore opened wide; the exquisite sensation of bliss made Li Rui nearly groan aloud.

His flesh became ethereal at that moment.

As if stripped of all impurities, all dirt.

He appeared holy, perfect.

Li Rui's already formidable body now radiated terrifying power, like a primordial beast—just one glance sent chills down the spine.

This process lasted two full hours.

With the aid of the Yi Jin Great Elixir, areas previously unreachable by his Qi Sea became clear.

Li Rui's physical strength surged rapidly.

Finally.

He slowly opened his eyes.

"Half-step Primordial?"

Li Rui slowly uttered those four words.

A single Yi Jin Great Elixir had brought him nearly to the Primordial Realm.

At most another month.

Once Li Rui stabilized his foundation, he would achieve Primordial.

Yet the last time he broke through to View the Sea had been only a few years ago.

Li Rui had matched decades of others' arduous cultivation in just a few years—if those Primordial cultivators knew, they'd spit blood three sheng.

Nothing hurts more than comparing oneself to others.

Li Rui's breakthroughs were as easy as drinking water.

Too fast, too fast.

'Lord Gu is truly thoughtful.'

Joining Wenxian Tower was truly the wisest decision he'd made in Jingcheng.

This time,

Li Rui's combat power had doubled instantly!

If he faced that hawk-nosed man from the Ghost Ming Sect again, he could crush him with a single punch—even without the Immortal Blade.

Yet Li Rui did not grow arrogant.

The martial path is difficult.

And this was Jingcheng—there were too many strong ones here.

Primordial martial artists were not rare; even Earth Immortals were not mythical.

He must remain cautious.

After completing all this, Li Rui crawled into bed and fell into deep sleep.

The next morning.

When Li Rui finished washing and stepped out of his room,

he saw Ning Zhongtian, Ge Hong, Wei Ming, and the others walking toward the Dianke Office with satisfied expressions.

Clearly,

they were deeply pleased with Jingcheng's customs and culture.

"Big Brother."

Seeing Li Rui, their smiles widened.

Ning Zhongtian chuckled: "Big Brother, you missed out—don't even know what you're missing. The capital's Jiaofang Si is incredible. Last night, the girl who played the qin for me? She's the granddaughter of the former Minister of Revenue. Hmm."

After listening, Li Rui reached a conclusion.

He hadn't slept.

As the pinnacle of Yu Kingdom's brothel culture, the Jiaofang Si no longer focused on physical services but had elevated itself to another level.

It emphasized spiritual fulfillment.

Unless voluntarily offered, the former noblewomen of the Jiaofang Si were not required to entertain guests overnight.

Yet precisely because of this,

wealthy patrons became even more eager, rushing to spend lavishly.

They sought the sense of achievement.

A third-rank official's granddaughter playing the qin for you—how rare.

Outside Jingcheng, you'd never find this.

Ning Zhongtian: "Big Brother, heading out?"

Li Rui nodded: "Yes, planning to stroll through the East Market."

Upon hearing "East Market," Ning Zhongtian and the others brightened instantly.

Coming to Jingcheng and staying only in Jiaofang Si? What was that? If you wanted the best places in the capital, the East Market ranked among the top three.

It was a commercial district officially designated by the court.

Renowned for housing treasures from across the land.

Famous merchant houses like Dan Ding Ge and Fu Lu Ju stood there.

"Let's go, let's go, let's all go!" Tan Hu immediately called out.

Ning Zhongtian and the others stirred, exchanged glances, and nodded in unison: "Big Brother, we're coming with you."

Li Rui smiled and nodded: "Then let's go together."

The day before, he had already asked a street vendor for directions to the East Market.

Jingcheng's layout was strict—major avenues cut straight through the city, unlike Qinghe's winding alleys; getting lost was nearly impossible.

Immediately,

the brothers set off toward the East Market.

The East Market was dazzlingly prosperous, overwhelming the eyes.

Li Rui and the others were respectable men, yet they were truly awestruck.

A humble, utterly ordinary herbal shop had fifth-rank elixirs displayed out front for sale.

In Qinghe,

that would be unthinkable!

Such elixirs were treasured as the crown jewels of Dan Wang Fang.

It was absurd.

They wandered for hours, only returning to the Dianke Office when all shops closed at You Hour, still reluctant to leave.

This trip had been immensely rewarding.

Their pockets were completely emptied.

If only they had known someone in Jingcheng,

Ning Zhongtian and the others would have already borrowed money.

When they returned to their room in the Dianke Office,

Li Rui had just prepared to sleep when he heard a knock at the door.

He opened the door.

There stood one of Nie Siming's personal guards.

"Master Li, General Nie asks you to join him in his room for a chat."

Li Rui nodded.

After dressing properly, he followed the personal guard to Nie Siming's quarters.

He stepped inside.

There he saw Nie Siming seated squarely on a wooden stool in the center of the main hall, clad in a dark blue robe, legs spread wide like a general on parade.

"Master Li, sit."

Nie Siming greeted Li Rui as he entered.

Before Li Rui could even sit down,

he spoke: "Fortuitously, we've arrived just in time for the grand examination year. The Ministry of Military Affairs is short-staffed, and Minister Wang heard we're in the capital, so he assigned you and me to supervise the exam."

The term "grand examination year"

refers to the imperial examination.

The Ministry of Military Affairs oversees only the martial examination.

The imperial examination consists of four stages: the prefectural test, the provincial test, the metropolitan test, and the palace test. Only the year of the metropolitan test is called the "grand examination year."

Every time this occurs,

martial talents from across the land gather in the capital to compete; the victors advance to the palace test, where His Majesty personally examines them and selects the top three.

That is, the Top Graduate, the Second Place, and the Third Place.

They become the paragons of martial virtue for the realm.

Generally, candidates for the martial examination do not exceed the fifth rank.

If someone has already reached the fourth-rank Master, there's no need to seek an official post through the martial examination.

Whether civil or martial, these exams are ultimately the imperial court's path for humble scholars. Those of noble birth need not risk this narrow bridge—they've long since been paved a direct road to heaven.

Li Rui fell silent.

When he first gained his freedom from the Zhu family in Qinghe, he had planned to take the martial examination to secure an official post.

But later, by chance, he joined Ning Zhongtian's Anning Guard, and abandoned the idea.

Who would have thought

he'd never take the exam—yet now he'd become a supervisor.

Li Rui chuckled: "Supervising the martial examination is a great honor for this subordinate. How could I refuse?"

Supervising the martial examination is a lucrative post.

Those who reach the metropolitan test are no ordinary men.

As a supervisor, one naturally gains the candidates' favor; later, when they serve as officials, they'll all count as your juniors.

It's a prime opportunity to build ties with these future pillars of Yu's martial officer corps.

That's why the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Military Affairs can even rival the Ministry of Personnel.

Much of their power stems from controlling the civil and martial examinations.

Supervisors are carefully selected. Nie Siming securing this post proves his ties to that Ministry of Military Affairs Vice Minister are exceptionally close—and he truly considers Li Rui one of his own, hence bringing him along.

Li Rui was no fool.

Nie Siming had shown him face; he wouldn't spoil it.

"Good."

Seeing Li Rui agree readily, Nie Siming's lips curled slightly.

"The grand examination lasts half a month. We won't be returning for now. I've already spoken with Elder He—he'll lead the Anning Guard troops back ahead of us. We'll return after the duties are done."

Li Rui nodded: "Understood."

Having finished speaking.

Nie Siming then studied Li Rui with interest: "Master Li, have you made further progress?"

Before Li Rui could answer, he continued:

"You'd better break through soon—otherwise, Qinghe has no one left to spar with. It's too dull."

Li Rui's heart jolted.

Nie Siming, as Yuan Dingting's adopted son, truly had uncanny perception.

Though he couldn't discern Li Rui's exact cultivation level, he still sensed the shift in his aura.

"General Nie flatters me."

Nie Siming waved his hand: "You've talent, but you're too reserved—just like Brother Yuan."

"Enough. No more business. I'll come get you when the exam begins."

He clearly regarded Li Rui as his peer.

He even compared Li Rui to Yuan Dingting's top-ranked adopted son, the Immortal.

Li Rui smiled as he stepped out the door.

"Martial examination?"

"Perfect chance to see the sights."

(End of Chapter)