"Greetings, Captain Li!"
Recognizing Li Chuyang, Zhou Tong quickly cupped his hands and said, "I humbly report that during my recent assessment outing, I discovered a person with remarkable talent, and I wish to recommend him to the Grand Commander!"
With the Grand Commander absent, he actually didnât want to mention Wei Fan at all.
However, faced with Li Chuyangâs inquiry, he couldnât remain silent, so he gave a half-truthful response.
Li Chuyang frowned, scrutinizing the Reception Envoy before him: "Master is busy; donât seek Master for trivial matters. If that person truly is a genius, you can guide him to undertake the test set by Master. If he passes, Master will naturally take him as a disciple."
This was exactly how he became the disciple of the Grand Commander.
After saying this, Li Chuyang disregarded Zhou Tongâs reaction and stepped into the large courtyard.
Zhou Tong, of course, was aware of all this, but the Horizontal Cultivation of Innate needed to be reported.
Wei Fan hadnât even decided to seek apprenticeship; his main goal here was simply to report the Horizontal Cultivation of Innate.
As for whether to seek apprenticeship or not, and whether disciples would be accepted, he had no say at all.
Next, he sought out the Second Commander and the Third Commander, only to hear that they were also absent, having gone to suppress a Demon Fiend.
"Seems Iâll have to wait for the Commander to return before reporting."
Rubbing his brow, Zhou Tong felt somewhat overwhelmed and returned to his residence to sleep soundly.
...
Wei Fan slept exceptionally well, and upon waking, he noticed that Ning Xuan, living next door, was already practicing martial arts.
"Brother Ning, so diligent!"
Wei Fan greeted Ning Xuan while leaning against the wall.
The small courtyards provided by the Demon Suppression Bureau were not independent, with one adjoining another and shared walls.
The courtyard was about a hundred square feet, and the house had only two rooms, but it was sufficient for someone like Wei Fan who lived alone.
"I canât help it; Iâm not naturally gifted, so I must work hard."
Drenched in sweat, Ning Xuan stopped practicing upon seeing Wei Fan awake.
After tidying up for a while, the two called Su Xuerong and went to the dining hall to eat, then headed to the Merit Hall.
Merit Hall is a place specifically for exchanging merit for secret manuals and other items.
Even though Wei Fan and his group currently didnât have any merit, as new recruits, they were entitled to acquire two secret manuals from the Merit Hall.
Of course, Su Xuerong and Ning Xuan were merely accompanying Wei Fan.
They had long been Acupoint Martial Artists, each with their own inheritance, and viewed the gifted manuals as insignificant.
Only Wei Fan, still in the True Qi Realm, desperately needed the gifted manuals to step into the Acupoint Realm.
"Are there new recruits again?"
Looking at the presented waist token, He Wei couldnât help but glance at Wei Fan: "Do you need an introduction to martial arts, or would you prefer to browse yourself, or do you have any specific requests?"
Wei Fanâs eyes lit up; it was best to state his requirements directly: "Is there a Golden Bell Shield for the Acupoint Realm?"
Even though the True Qi he cultivated before with the Golden Bell Shield was expelled by the Supreme True Qi born from the Horizontal Cultivation of Innate, it didnât mean the Heart Method of the Golden Bell Shield was unusable.
Currently, the Heart Method he used to operate Supreme True Qi was the Golden Bell Shield Heart Method. The Golden Bell Shield continuously evolved, transforming into todayâs Tiger Roar Dragon Chant Golden Bell Shield.
If there was a Golden Bell Shield Heart Method for the Acupoint Realm, he planned to continue training in this martial art.
Upon hearing this, He Wei looked up at Wei Fan: "From another government office?"
The moment he heard Wei Fan inquire about an Acupoint Realm Golden Bell Shield, He Wei knew where Wei Fan came from.
For only governmental officers from local areas without a prominent background would cultivate the Golden Bell Shield.
Those with a background wouldnât cultivate a martial art like the Golden Bell Shield that only reached the True Qi Realm because converting Heart Methods later would be troublesome.
Wei Fan nodded.
He Wei shook his head and said, "No, the Golden Bell Shield martial art only reaches the True Qi Realm. It is said that the Acupoint Realm version existed before, but it has long been lost."
Wei Fanâs face showed disappointment; it wasnât just unavailable, but lost entirely.
Even the Demon Suppression Bureau, which claimed to store all martial arts, didnât have it, so itâs most likely lost for good.
"You havenât reached the Acupoint, have you? Iâve seen many like you promoted from local government offices; thereâs no need to cling to the Golden Bell Shield.
Hundred Rivers Skill, Guiyuan Skill, Vajra Skill, and others have True Qi attributes similar to the Golden Bell Shield True Qi attribute. You can select from these; achieving Acupoint swiftly is the right path.
Moreover, the heart methods for these are complete, covering from Acupoint to Celestial Being."
Wei Fanâs heart stirred: "Is Hundred Rivers Skill also a martial art of the Demon Suppression Bureau?"
Upon hearing this, He Wei looked up at Wei Fan: "Youâve seen the Hundred Rivers Skill outside?
Well, the Hundred Rivers Skill used to belong to the sect Fire Cloud Valley outside the city. Because they colluded with Demon Fiends, the Demon Suppression Bureau wiped them out, and the Hundred Rivers Skill became one of the Demon Suppression Bureauâs martial arts ever since.
Back then, some Fire Cloud Valley disciples fled, so there should still be quite a few people outside who know the Hundred Rivers Skill."
This being the case, the Hundred Rivers Skill shouldnât be too shabby.
"Is there martial art for cultivating Supreme True Qi?"
Without the Acupoint Realm Golden Bell Shield, he naturally hoped to learn martial arts that matched his True Qi attribute.
He Wei revealed a surprised expression: "You know about Supreme True Qi?"
"Supreme True Qi isnât something a Cultivation Technique can cultivate; it only manifests for those with Horizontal Cultivation of Innate."
He didnât think along the lines of Wei Fan being adept in Horizontal Cultivation of Innate; rather, he assumed Wei Fan had heard the term somewhere and thus wanted martial arts capable of cultivating Supreme True Qi.
Su Xuerong, who was listening on the sideline, realized He Wei didnât grasp Wei Fanâs true inquiry and couldnât help but interject: "The Purple Profound Martial Arts Manual is the Heart Method for cultivation after Horizontal Cultivation of Innate."
He Wei glanced at Su Xuerong: "Itâs good for young people to be ambitious, but without Supreme True Qi, one simply canât train with the Purple Profound Martial Arts Manual, and it requires merit to exchange for it; itâs not a heart method freely given upon joining."