(Happy New Year! Please toss me a few Recommendation Tickets...)

The Cyan Mulberry Zhaang Family’s grounds were enormous. To the west of the estate, several streets formed what looked like a small city, complete with taverns and all sorts of shops. The sides of the streets were even lined with a large number of Outer Disciples in white robes, setting up street stalls to sell all kinds of items. Zhaang Ye even saw a few Inner Sect Disciples in cyan robes doing the same.

After strolling through the streets for a while, Zhaang Ye walked straight into an Elixir Pharmacy.

The Elixir Pharmacy had no fewer than a hundred different types of elixirs on display. After looking for a moment, Zhaang Ye was dumbfounded. The cheapest elixir in the shop, the Calm Spirit Pill, cost fifty taels of gold each, and the more expensive ones were mostly priced at over a thousand taels of gold. Although Zhaang Ye had over a hundred thousand taels in Golden Tickets in his pocket, he still couldn’t afford that many elixirs.

’Damn it. I hit the jackpot in the outer forests of the Barbaric Beast Mountain Range and thought this gold would be enough for me to cultivate to the Martial Arts Fifth Layer. Now it looks like this gold will only get me to the Martial Arts Fourth Layer at most. These elixirs are so damn expensive! The people who practice alchemy are basically robbers...’ Zhaang Ye touched the Golden Tickets in his pocket, a wave of frustration washing over him.

Frustrated or not, he still had to buy the elixirs. Zhaang Ye first asked for fifty Qi Gathering Pills, then another fifty Body Refining Pills.

The Qi Gathering Pills and Body Refining Pills were three hundred taels of gold each, so Zhaang Ye spent thirty thousand taels in one go. Even though the gold was all loot, he couldn’t help but feel the sting of the expense.

After leaving the Elixir Pharmacy, Zhaang Ye scanned his surroundings. He suddenly noticed an ancient-looking Secret Manual displayed at a small, nearby stall run by an Inner Sect Disciple in cyan. Zhaang Ye had sharp eyes and immediately saw the three words written on its cover: "Dragon Elephant Skill." Near the stall, a small sign provided a brief description: "Incomplete *Dragon Elephant Skill*, a Body Refining Technique, classified as a Mid-Level Technique. Upon cultivating this technique to the Great Success Realm, one will possess the power of a dragon and an elephant, able to shatter mountains and sunder peaks with bare hands."

Reading this description, Zhaang Ye’s heart skipped a beat. He was in dire need of a Body Refining Technique. ’If this *Dragon Elephant Skill* is truly as miraculous as the description claims, then cultivating it would be an excellent choice...’

Zhaang Ye walked up to the stall and said, "Excuse me, Senior Brother. Could I take a look at this incomplete *Dragon Elephant Skill*?"

The cyan-robed disciple nodded slightly. "You may. But you can only read the first three pages."

Zhaang Ye nodded, then picked up the *Dragon Elephant Skill* and began to read.

Although Zhaang Ye’s cultivation was not high, his knowledge was extensive. He had read more than twenty Martial Arts Secret Manuals, including Mid-Level Martial Arts Secret Manuals like the *Lingbo Triple Extremes* and the *Nameless Saber Manual*. Having seen so many secret manuals, Zhaang Ye had developed his own understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of various cultivation techniques.

After reading just three pages of the *Dragon Elephant Skill*, he knew it was indeed a Mid-Level Technique.

Zhaang Ye placed the *Dragon Elephant Skill* back where it was. After asking a few questions about its missing parts, he finally asked, "Senior Brother, how much are you selling this *Dragon Elephant Skill* for?"

The cyan-robed disciple held up one finger. "One hundred thousand taels of gold."

"One hundred thousand taels!" Zhaang Ye couldn’t help but suck in a sharp breath. "An incomplete secret manual for one hundred thousand taels? Isn’t that too expensive?!"

"Expensive? No, not at all," said the cyan-robed disciple. "A typical Mid-Level Technique sells for five or six hundred thousand taels of gold. My *Dragon Elephant Skill* is only missing the final layer’s cultivation method, which is why I’m selling it at this price. If it were complete, it wouldn’t be one hundred thousand taels, but five hundred thousand."

Seeing Zhaang Ye hesitate, the cyan-robed disciple chuckled. "I found this cultivation technique after killing a local tyrant who was running rampant. That tyrant had cultivated the *Dragon Elephant Skill* to the Fifth Layer; even masters at the Late Stage of the Martial Arts Fourth Layer were no match for him. I had to team up with several of my fellow Inner Sect brothers to finally take him down. This *Dragon Elephant Skill* doesn’t rely much on innate talent, but on diligence, perseverance, and comprehension. Junior Brother, I can see your own talent doesn’t seem to be the best. This technique is powerful, yet its requirements for talent aren’t high, making it the most suitable one for you to cultivate."

Spurred on by the cyan-robed disciple’s words, Zhaang Ye grit his teeth and said, "Eighty thousand taels! If that’s acceptable, I’ll buy it!"

The cyan-robed disciple thought for a moment. "Fine. Let’s make the exchange."

Zhaang Ye nodded, took out eighty thousand taels worth of Golden Tickets from his robes, and handed them to the disciple before hurrying away.

Once Zhaang Ye was at a distance, a cyan-robed youth at the next stall laughed heartily. "Not bad, Zhaang Yitong, you rascal. You actually managed to sell that *Dragon Elephant Skill*. You must have made a killing this time. Heh heh, I wonder if that little guy who bought it will cry when he finds out that cultivating the *Dragon Elephant Skill* requires a massive amount of support from elixirs."

Zhaang Yitong smiled faintly. "Zhaang Wu, you underestimate people too much. Although that kid is still an Outer Disciple, the fact he could pull out so many Golden Tickets to buy a cultivation technique means he’s no pauper. Who knows, he might actually succeed in cultivating the Dragon Elephant Skill."

Zhaang Wu laughed and pointed at Zhaang Yitong. "What are you talking about! The *Dragon Elephant Skill* may be powerful, but it’s not that easy to cultivate! For a Body Refining Technique like this, even the best innate talent is useless without the support of a vast amount of elixirs and medicines. And even with elixirs and medicines, you still can’t reach Minor Achievement without exceptional comprehension and incredible willpower. Even we don’t dare to cultivate this kind of Body Refining Technique. If that Outer Disciple tries, he’ll probably waste his entire life on it!"

Zhaang Yitong shook his head slightly. "That’s not necessarily true. That Outer Disciple seemed extremely composed; he’s actually quite suited to cultivating the *Dragon Elephant Skill*. Besides, he just came out of the Elixir Pharmacy, so elixirs don’t seem to be an issue for him. If he can persevere, it’s still possible for him to cultivate the *Dragon Elephant Skill* to Minor Achievement."

Zhaang Wu chuckled. "Well, I don’t have high hopes for him. Why don’t we make a bet on whether he can cultivate the *Dragon Elephant Skill* to the Minor Achievement Realm within three years? What do you think?"

Zhaang Yitong glanced at Zhaang Wu. "A bet’s a bet. You think I’m afraid of you?" With that, he took out a Golden Ticket for ten thousand taels and handed it to Zhaang Wu. "If this little guy can’t cultivate the *Dragon Elephant Skill* to Minor Achievement in three years, this ten thousand taels is yours. But if he can, you’ll owe me ten thousand."

Zhaang Wu snatched the Golden Ticket and laughed heartily. "Zhaang Yitong, this ten thousand taels of gold is as good as mine. Come on, let’s pack up the stall and go get a good meal..."