Volume 1, Chapter 43: Two Meridian-Expanding Pills

"Furthermore, the Longevity Temple has also promised a full refund if the challenge matches conclude in fewer than ten bouts," Lin Xiaoxian said tempthetically.

"Fewer than ten bouts and it's free?"

Hearing this, quite a few people were tempted.

Could they really not take down Liu Dongyue within ten bouts?

They figured the probability of that happening was quite low.

If so, buying it turned out to be quite a worthwhile deal.

"I'll buy one!"

At this moment, a Transcendent Realm powerhouse from the inner spectator area stepped forward, raised a hand, and said, "How do I go about getting this card? Get me one."

However, just then, Li Hanzhou stepped forward and said apologetically, "My apologies, my friend. Our Longevity Temple membership cards have an entry threshold and are only eligible for purchase by Longevity Temple VIPs—meaning only the ten people in the VIP seats are qualified. If you wish to buy one, please wait until early tomorrow morning when you secure a VIP ticket."

"What! I have the money, and yet you won't sell it to me?" That martial artist grew somewhat angry.

"Rules are rules. Only those ten are qualified!" Li Hanzhou smiled cheerfully as he swept his gaze across the ten occupants of the VIP seats. At that moment, those ten felt an immense sense of honor, involuntarily straightening their spines.

It was as if they were saying: Did you see that?

None of you are qualified.

We are VIPs, and only we have the qualification to buy!

"To thank everyone for your generous support today, as a special opening promotion, the membership card is only nine thousand silver taels, and we will gift you a ten-thousand-tael credit limit. Don't miss this opportunity, as prices will return to normal tomorrow," Li Hanzhou said with a beaming smile.

As soon as these words were spoken, the expressions of the crowd shifted!

It was a thousand taels cheaper today!

"Damn it, I wanted to buy a VIP seat earlier. When it was my turn to buy a ticket, there were still three VIP spots left. If only I hadn't hesitated so much back then!" a martial artist from the pugilistic world said with deep regret.

Many others turned green with envy.

Xia Yan's heart was also pounding with temptation. If he bought this membership card, his ticket money and tea expenses would all be covered by it, plus he would get a discount. More importantly, if Liu Dongyue failed to last ten bouts, everything would essentially be free!

Who could resist such temptation?

Alas...

Xia Yan only had a little over three thousand silver taels left on his entire body.

He simply couldn't afford it!

He was just too poor!

"I can't afford it!" Xia Yan was practically on the verge of tears.

The others also wore awkward expressions, and in the end, only five people in the VIP seats bought membership cards, two of whom had to borrow money on the spot from friends.

Only then did the crowd disperse.

Once the people had scattered, the elder of the Yellow River Sect reluctantly handed the Overturning Seal over to Li Hanzhou.

"Whenever Temple Master Li wishes to come to the Yellow River Sect to read texts, just send a notice," the elder of the Yellow River Sect said, cupping his fists.

"Many thanks," Li Hanzhou replied courteously.

After the people from the Yellow River Sect also left,

Yun Qianzhu looked at Li Hanzhou with a look of admiration and said, "Master Uncle, you are amazing! You made so much money so effortlessly!"

"There will be plenty of days to make money in the future," Li Hanzhou said with a cheerful smile. "Once we have money, Master Uncle will be able to buy you cultivation pills, fine weapons, good defensive armor, supreme techniques, and spiritual treasures."

While Li Hanzhou was certainly capable of crafting spiritual treasures and pills, the items he produced always turned out rather strange, and he feared that creating such things might draw unnecessary trouble upon himself.

"Daoist Brother."

At this moment, the maidens of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion walked up, each of them beaming as they reported their achievements for the day.

Who had promoted how many cups of tea.

Who they had convinced to buy a membership card, and so on.

Li Hanzhou naturally had to give them a commission for these, otherwise they wouldn't have worked so diligently.

True to his word, after handing them a sum of money, Li Hanzhou instructed them to arrive at the Longevity Temple on time tomorrow for work.

"Master Uncle, I'm exhausted, I'm going to rest." Liu Dongyue was genuinely tired from fighting all day.

No, rather, he was exhausted from acting.

"Don't just focus on sleeping; take time to properly review today's matches." Glancing at Liu Dongyue's retreating figure, Li Hanzhou offered a word of admonition.

"Huh?"

Hearing Li Hanzhou's words, Liu Dongyue was initially stunned, but immediately afterward, he seemed to understand.

Although he had relied on pills to fight four disciples from various sects single-handedly, every single one of those disciples was a proud favored son of heaven whose strength was among the absolute pinnacle of the younger generation. He had been able to learn a considerable amount of experience during his clashes with them, and if he carefully reviewed the matches, he would undoubtedly gain profound insights.

So that was what Master Uncle meant!

So Master Uncle had arranged for me to fight so many favored sons of heaven in order to cultivate me, to help me iron out my shortcomings, and to let me learn more from them to enrich myself!

"Master Uncle, I won't let you down!" Deeply moved, Liu Dongyue hurried back to analyze his matches.

"Master Uncle, what did Second Senior Brother understand?" Yun Qianzhu asked with a curious expression.

"Who knows? That kid is a bit weird." Li Hanzhou shrugged. "I just told him to go back and think things over carefully and polish his acting skills a bit more. His performance today was still a little too exaggerated; I was hoping he could make it look more natural. But the kid suddenly got all excited."

"Go call your Third Senior Brother over."

Li Hanzhou instructed Yun Qianzhu.

"Okay."

Though she didn't know why Li Hanzhou wanted Shi Ming, Yun Qianzhu obediently went to fetch him.

After the challenges concluded, Shi Ming had run off to chop firewood. Originally, the Longevity Temple had purchased servants, so chores like this were no longer Shi Ming's responsibility, but he had grown accustomed to chopping firewood.

Besides, he found that using the Prajna Axe for chopping wood felt quite handy.

Hearing that Li Hanzhou was summoning him, Shi Ming laid down his axe and followed Yun Qianzhu to Li Hanzhou's small courtyard.

"Master Uncle's courtyard is truly pretty with this parasol tree," Yun Qianzhu said, looking at the tree.

"It is pretty," Shi Ming agreed, staring intently at the parasol tree as well.

"You two come over here."

Li Hanzhou walked out from the room, beckoned them closer, and handed each of them a pill, saying, "These two are Meridian-Widening Pills. Take them, and I will help you channel the medicinal strength to enhance the sturdiness of your meridians. Once your meridians are widened, your cultivation speed will increase even faster."

"Yes."

Both of them were pleasantly surprised. Meridian-Widening Pills were exceedingly precious elixirs.

Had it been earlier, their Longevity Temple could never have afforded them.

Without hesitation, the two little ones swallowed the Meridian-Widening Pills.

Immediately afterward, Li Hanzhou placed both palms against the space between Yun Qianzhu's and Shi Ming's eyebrows.

Spiritual energy surged forth from within his body, entering the two youngsters to help them digest and assimilate the pills.

Sensing the stimulation of the spiritual energy, the Meridian-Widening Pills seemed to unleash their medicinal effects to the absolute maximum.

Yun Qianzhu furrowed her brow slightly, as the process of widening her meridians caused a mild sensation of pain.

Shi Ming, however, wore no expression whatsoever.

It was as if the medicinal potency entering Shi Ming's body had no effect on him at all.