54: Hyakubukai

In the twentieth year of Great Liang Dezheng, the scorching summer sun baked the medicinal fields of Taro River Valley, and the purple-gold Spirit Potato sprouts swayed gently in the heatwave.

Fourteen-year-old Wu Guohua stood shirtless on the field path, his bronze skin covered in fine beads of sweat.

He bent down and parted the leaves of a seedling, revealing the already enlarged purple-gold tuber beneath—these Low Grade ling potatoes were even plumper than they had been six months ago.

“Roar—”

A thunderous tiger roar suddenly came from the back mountain, the sound wave making the seedlings in the medicinal field tremble in unison.

Wu Guohua abruptly looked up, only to see a golden light shoot up from the mountain forest, condensing into a majestic phantom of a giant tiger in mid-air!

The phantom was over ten zhang long, and the “King” character pattern on its forehead gleamed with dazzling golden light.

“Golden Tiger has broken through!” The young man’s eyes blazed with light, and his figure shot towards the back mountain like lightning.

By the pool beneath the waterfall on the back mountain, Golden Tiger’s massive body was enveloped in a golden light cocoon.

Mysterious patterns flowed on the surface of the light cocoon, contracting and expanding as if breathing.

The Wu Family members rushed over upon hearing the news, surrounding the pool, their faces filled with shock and anticipation.

“Fourth-Rank… Golden Tiger’s strength is at the Peak of Fourth-Rank!” Wu Jiulong’s pipe dropped to the ground unnoticed, his cloudy eyes fixed on the golden light.

“Crack—” The light cocoon suddenly cracked, and dazzling golden light poured out like flowing water.

When the light dissipated, the Golden Tiger that appeared before everyone’s eyes had undergone a great transformation:

Its body was a full size larger than before, with a shoulder height approaching one zhang; its golden fur was like it had been dusted with gold powder, shimmering in the sunlight;

Most astonishing was the pattern on its forehead, which had evolved into a complete “King” character, emitting a heart-palpitating pressure.

“Fourth-Rank Peak…” Wu Guohua’s voice trembled as he felt the terrifying aura emanating from Golden Tiger. This Vicious Beast, which had followed him since childhood, was now an existence capable of rivaling a powerful local magnate!

Golden Tiger affectionately rubbed against the young man’s arm, its amber tiger eyes full of human-like joy.

Over the next six months, the Wu Family experienced explosive growth:

On the day of the autumn equinox, Wu Jiulong went into seclusion in the ancestral hall for seven days, and upon emerging, his hunched back was ramrod straight, and his body exuded the pressure of a Fifth-Rank Middle Stage expert.

With a wave of the old man’s iron pipe, he could shatter a boulder ten zhang away through the air!

Around the time of the frost descent, the three Wu Wenwu brothers successively broke through. Wu Wenwu’s Liuyun Swordplay reached Major Achievement, and a single swing of his sword could split into nine sword shadows;

Wu Wenbin’s Tiandu Heart Sutra broke through its shackles, his True Qi like mercury, making him invulnerable to blades and spears; Wu Zhang, on the other hand, specialized in movement techniques, able to cover thirty zhang in a single step!

The most pleasant surprise was the Wu Family women. The grandmother, leading her three daughters-in-law, all broke through to Sixth-Rank Late Stage with the aid of ling potatoes.

The “Four Symbols Sword Array” they formed was so formidable that even the Fifth-Rank Wu Wenwu had to avoid its edge.

It is worth mentioning that Third Aunt Cai Liuer was pregnant again, already seven months along, and expected to give birth to her fourth child before the Spring Festival.

In the twentieth year of Great Liang Dezheng, during the deep winter, good news once again came from the Taro River Valley medicinal fields. Under Wu Guohua’s careful cultivation, the spiritual wheat underwent a second mutation, evolving into a Medium Grade First-Rank spiritual item.

The newly harvested spiritual wheat was entirely golden, with natural cloud patterns on the grains, and when cooked, its aroma could drift three li away!

With the assistance of these high-quality spiritual items, the ordinary villagers of Wu Family Village also began their journey on the Martial Dao.

More than twenty teenagers in the village, after consuming Low Grade First-Rank spiritual items, successively broke through to the Ninth-Rank Martial Artist Realm.

The Wu Family specially opened a training ground, where Wu Wenbin and Wu Zhang personally taught them basic martial arts.

This morning, Wu Guohua was organizing Secret Manuals in the newly built Scripture Pavilion.

Over the past six months, they had collected three more Sixth-Rank Cultivation Techniques through various channels, and now the Wu Family’s martial arts foundation was already comparable to some small Schools.

“Guohua.” Wu Jiulong pushed open the door, holding a gilded invitation, “I just received an invitation from the County Governor’s Mansion. They’re holding a ‘Hundred Martial Arts Tournament’ in Qinghe Prefecture on the fifth day of the third month next year, inviting various surrounding forces to participate.”

Wu Guohua took the invitation, his brows slightly furrowed: “Why hold a Hundred Martial Arts Tournament at this time?”

“I heard it’s to select talents for the ‘Hundred Sects Tournament’ at the end of next year in the capital,” the old man said. “It’s said that young Geniuses from the capital are coming to compete for a spot.”

A sharp glint flashed in the young man’s eyes, and the Tian Que Divine Spear in his hand hummed softly, sensing its owner’s Battle Intent: “Perfect timing. We can test our progress from the past six months!”

Outside the window, Golden Tiger was lazily napping in the sun. Sensing its owner’s emotions, it slightly opened one eye, and a hint of bloodlust flashed in its amber pupils.

Wu Family Village, once an unknown small mountain village, had now undergone a complete transformation.

With a Fifth-Rank Martial Master overseeing it, Sixth-Rank experts like clouds, and even a Fourth-Rank Peak Vicious Beast guarding it, even a capital force like Cloud Soaring Sect would have to think twice before trying to harm them!

The spring breeze swept across the medicinal fields, and a new season of spiritual wheat sprouts had already broken through the soil. On this vibrant land, a powerful Martial Dao Family was rising.

In the twenty-first year of Great Liang Dezheng, in the late spring, Qinghe Prefecture City was adorned with lanterns and festive decorations everywhere. Around the martial arts arena in the city center, colorful flags fluttered, and voices boomed.

Wu Guohua stood on the viewing platform, dressed in a moon-white tight-fitting suit, with the Tian Que Divine Spear slung across his back, gleaming faintly golden in the sunlight.

“Guohua, are you nervous?” Wu Jiulong patted his grandson’s shoulder. The old man had specially changed into a brand new dark blue long robe today, and the iron pipe at his waist was polished to a shine.

Beside Wu Jiulong, the now twelve-year-old Wu Guoqiang and Wu Guoqiong were both Seventh-Rank Early Stage Martial Artists, and the ten-year-old Wu Guozhi and Wu Guolin were also Eighth-Rank Early Stage Martial Artists; they had all come along to broaden their horizons.

However, the eight-year-old Wu Guofen and Wu Guofeng, the seven-year-old Wu Guoyan, and the six-year-old Wu Guohong, Wu Guobing, and Wu Guojian were not brought to the County City this time due to their young age.

Wu Guohua shook his head, his gaze sweeping over the luxurious viewing stands opposite the martial arts arena. Representatives from various great Families and Schools sat there, many of them profound experts.

As his gaze swept across one area, he distinctly felt several hostile gazes.

“I heard that Lin Xiao, the Personal Disciple of Elder Han Zhiwu of Xuantian Pavilion in the capital, has come to compete,” Wu Wenwu whispered. “This young man is only nineteen, yet he’s already a Sixth-Rank Middle Stage, hailed as a Genius seen once in a hundred years.”

Wu Guohua’s lips curled into a sneer: “This level of strength isn’t even enough to be a sparring partner for my spear.”

A Fifth-Rank Middle Stage Martial Master at only fourteen years old, facing these so-called Geniuses who were not much younger than him, yet whose strongest strength was only Sixth-Rank Middle Stage, Wu Guohua felt no excitement at all.

With a burst of rousing drumbeats, the Hundred Martial Arts Tournament officially began. The first event was the martial arts competition for the younger generation under twenty years old.