Apocalypse: Grinding EXP through Hunting

It was time to negotiate the terms.

Bai You Ruo and Tang Wen went to the adjacent courtyard to speak privately.

Bai You Ruo said:

"If this mission succeeds, my Bai Family will provide all the Potions and Cultivation Techniques Commander Tang Wen needs from now until he breaks through to the Gangwu Realm."

"In the core district of Sanlian City, I will give you a courtyard home and a storefront. The annual rent from the storefront will be over three hundred taels of silver."

"You’ll also get a share in the factories my Bai Family co-operates with your camp—one-tenth of the profits, to be exact..."

A house, a shop, factories.

Tang Wen’s mind went blank. ’How is it that even in this Martial Arts World, I can’t escape the fate of struggling for a house?’

’Is this for real?’

Seeing him stunned, Bai You Ruo continued to sweeten the deal:

"Join my Bai Family, and apart from our core Cultivation Techniques, you can learn any of our other techniques as you please.

Of course, with your talent, it wouldn’t be difficult to become a core member of the Bai Family.

At that time, even our core Cultivation Techniques will be open to you, allowing you to cultivate all the way to the Divine Martial Realm!"

The Divine Martial Realm!

What a pie in the sky!

Compared to his previous life, this was a promise on the level of "the company won’t pay you a salary, but we’ll give you founder’s stock; you’ll be a billionaire once we go public."

The Divine Martial Realm... this Realm was far too distant for a mere Martial Artist like Tang Wen.

According to Sanlian City’s system of Martial Arts Grades, a Martial Disciple was an apprentice and didn’t even have a grade.

Becoming a Martial Artist meant you were Ninth Grade.

The average elite soldier was at this Level.

The rank above that was the Martial Artist, which was Eighth Grade.

In other words, the most Tang Wen could be called right now was an "Eighth Grade powerhouse."

Above the Martial Artist was the Extraordinary Realm.

According to the grading system, this was merely Seventh Grade.

The vast majority of Martial Artists get stuck at this step, unable to enter the Extraordinary Realm.

Once they reached the Extraordinary Realm, their combat power, when combined with their Martial Arts abilities, would increase dramatically.

They would no longer fear being surrounded.

As long as they weren’t trapped within an army of ten thousand men, they couldn’t be surrounded and killed by ordinary Martial Artists!

Furthermore, because of a metamorphosis of their fundamental constitution...

...an Extraordinary Martial Artist’s physical Constitution and Spiritual Power would both be greatly enhanced.

This was also why this Level was called Extraordinary.

The major Realm after Extraordinary was the level of the Queen. The camp called it Queen Level, and it included the Silver Wolf King, the Green Water Python King, the Tyrant Bear, the Black Mountain King, and others—they were all at this Realm.

In the parlance of major powers like Sanlian City, this Realm was called the Gangwu Realm.

Sixth Grade Gang Martial.

The leap from Extraordinary to Gang Martial was also a massive one.

The four Generals of the camp were Extraordinary, but even if they attacked together, they couldn’t defeat the Queen.

It would be difficult to even injure the Queen.

And above Gang Martial was Divine Martial.

Even in a massive power like Sanlian City, those in the Divine Martial Realm were exceedingly rare.

Upon reaching the Divine Martial Realm, if one wanted to build their own power, they could become a regional hegemon.

If they wanted to travel, the world was theirs to roam.

The Queen was unable to break through to this Realm not only because of limitations in her Cultivation Technique, but also because she lacked a Spiritual Power cultivation method.

Divine Martial, Divine Martial!

Spirit and Martial Arts, merged into one.

Only then could one achieve the Divine Martial Realm.

Flame Camp could not refuse the Spiritual Meditation Method offered by Bai You Ruo.

As for how powerful a Divine Martial Realm expert truly was...

...Tang Wen couldn’t even begin to imagine.

He was like a top high school student from the countryside who had never left his impoverished region, completely unable to fathom just how extravagant the life of a billionaire from some island nation could be.

"Enough, I’m full. I’ve eaten my fill."

Tang Wen had accidentally spoken his thoughts aloud.

The pie was too big; he really couldn’t stomach it.

"What?" Bai You Ruo didn’t understand.

Tang Wen quickly corrected himself. "I mean, are there any Cultivation Techniques I can learn now?"

"Yes, the Spiritual Meditation Method and the Breath Concealment Secret Skill!"

"Great!"

After agreeing, Tang Wen decided to make the trip to Ganshan City.

He asked about a few more details, and Bai You Ruo answered patiently.

The two of them set a departure time, and Miss Bai bid farewell to the others to go and prepare.

Tang Wen followed the Queen and Zhou Bing to the General’s Mansion.

Everyone had some words of advice for him.

General Zhou said, "No matter what, preserve your own life!

Make sure you can retreat safely at any time. The Bai Family’s mission is secondary."

General Zhou was a man of propriety; he couldn’t bring himself to say "take the money and don’t do the work."

General Zhao had no such reservations. "We’ve already received plenty of benefits. Don’t push yourself too hard over there.

From what I’ve seen, Miss Bai doesn’t plan things thoroughly.

Once you get to Ganshan City, you have to make your own decisions!

In short, when in doubt, get out!"

The Queen directly handed him a suit of green Leather Armor. "It’s made from the hide of an Extraordinary Green Water Python."

"Thank you, Her Majesty the Queen."

A look of joy appeared in Tang Wen’s eyes as he accepted it with both hands.

Ever since his Steel Scale Armor had become ineffective, he had been feeling a lack of security.

The Queen said, "In private, you can call me ’Auntie’."

"Thank you, Auntie!"

"But I can’t help but feel there’s something off about you calling me that."

"No, no, absolutely not!"

Tang Wen didn’t dare to meet her gaze. He lowered his head and saw her small, fair feet peeking out from under her red dress.

Her toes were like pink seashells, her skin translucent...

The red dress swayed, hiding her feet. The Queen huffed, "You’d better hope not, you brat."

After Qian Sanduo shared what he knew about Ganshan City, Tang Wen said his goodbyes to Qian Dong and other acquaintances, then took Zhou Bing’s hand and went to Elder Ya’s courtyard.

"Oh? You’re going to Ganshan City, kid?

Heh heh!

That’s a fine place.

A soft-hearted brat like you probably wouldn’t last two days there."

"What do you mean by that? Speak clearly." Zhou Bing’s eyes were cold.

"What do I mean? I’m just telling the truth."

Elder Ya said, "Seeing as you’re a kid who suits my temperament, I can tell you this: the weak are nothing but slaves there!

But at your young age, it’ll be even more troublesome if you reveal that you’re a Martial Master Level expert!

The major factions will try to recruit you, and once you join one...

...the other factions will do everything in their power to kill you!"

Zhou Bing’s expression changed.

This was what she had been worried about, and it was also the source of Bai You Ruo’s predicament.

Ganshan City’s political landscape was a tangled mess. The internal factions were intertwined in a complex struggle, maintaining a relative stability and a certain kind of balance.

It was extremely difficult for outside forces to interfere.

If they sent in powerful experts, the major factions of Ganshan City would unite against the common enemy.

If they sent in a Transcendent, all the factions would become wary and isolate them.

If they sent a Martial Artist to join them, they would be strictly vetted.

As for sending a Martial Artist, with their meager strength, they couldn’t accomplish anything.

That was why the Bai Family, despite developing secretly for so many years, still had no influence within Ganshan City.

After thinking for a moment, Tang Wen asked, "What if I pretend to be a Beastmaster? I mean, if I enter with the identity of a Beastmaster and don’t display my Martial Master Level strength, would things be easier?"

A flash of appreciation flickered in Elder Ya’s eyes, but his words remained sharp:

"Pretty clever. It seems you were born a bad seed. Lass, you’d better be careful of him."

Zhou Bing didn’t say a word, just watched Tang Wen with a smile.

The latter continued, "According to what you’ve said, even if I disguise myself as a Beastmaster, I can only bring a Middle-level Exotic Beast into the city. What about after I get in? Which faction should I join?"

"Isn’t that obvious? You’re entering as a Martial Artist. If you brought a High-level Exotic Beast with you, wouldn’t your cover be blown on the spot? As for which faction to join, that depends on your goal!"

"My goal?"

Tang Wen repeated the word to himself.

’Is my goal to help Bai You Ruo retrieve something?’

’Yes, but that’s not my main objective.’

Tang Wen’s trip to Ganshan City was to find a Dark Department Technique suitable for his Dark Ability.

’Bai You Ruo might be able to provide one, but that would be after the Ganshan City trip at the earliest.’

’And if the mission fails, who knows what would happen.’

’Naturally, I can’t rely entirely on her.’

"Elder Ya, could you please tell me about the major factions within Ganshan City?"