18 A Visitor After Reaching the Peak; The Hundred-Year Heart Knot

On the Yellow Dragon River.

The water flowed rapidly, with yellow waves surging. The river was teeming with fish, turtles, snakes, and clams, all teeming with life. At this moment, on the river's surface, a bamboo raft bobbed and swayed in the turbulent waves.

The bamboo raft was in a pitiful state—broken and scarred, with a simple mast holding a tattered white sail. The raft was on the verge of falling apart, seeming as though it might disintegrate at any moment.

On this dilapidated bamboo raft were two young people.

One was a young man with an ordinary appearance, dressed in a black robe, with black eyes. The other was a girl, dressed in white, with blue eyes and silver hair, her beauty radiating a celestial aura.

These were Fang Yuan and Bai Ningbing, who had just left Qingmao Mountain.

Meanwhile, in the Merchant City, at Nanqiu Courtyard...

"By now, Fang Yuan should have left Qingmao Mountain. In about a year, Fang Yuan, Bai Ningbing, and Shang Xinci will arrive in Merchant City. Unfortunately, I won't have the chance to meet them after a year," Qi Tian thought to himself.

It had been more than half a year since Qi Tian arrived in Merchant City.

After his victory over Sun Lei, Qi Tian continued to dominate the competition, defeating several opponents in a row and becoming a rising star in the Martial Arts Arena, shining brilliantly.

He had won every match without a single loss, an unusual feat in the history of the arena. Qi Tian had now advanced to the Third Inner City.

During these six months, Qi Tian not only established his position in Merchant City but also accumulated many Yuan Stones in the Martial Arts Arena, preparing for his inheritance of the blessed land.

"Master, Lord Wei Yang is here. He is waiting in the parlor," a servant reported to Qi Tian as he stepped out of his meditation chamber.

"Ah! I'll go right away."

Due to Qi Tian's remarkable performance in the Martial Arts Arena, many people had tried to win him over, including several young masters from prominent families. However, Qi Tian had politely declined them all.

Qi Tian's current strength, at the peak of the third transition, made it clear that none of these young masters could force him. Moreover, they had heard of Qi Tian's fearsome reputation, which made them wary.

Although these young masters could try to pressure him with their status, they were reluctant to do so for fear of offending him and pushing him into the enemy's camp. Qi Tian had the strength to back up his decisions, and his youth meant that a breakthrough to the fourth transition was only a matter of time. For any future fourth-transition warrior, even these young masters had to tread carefully.

Therefore, Qi Tian had been smoothly progressing.

When it came to joining the Merchant Family, however, Qi Tian was not interested, and he had no intention of allying with the young masters. But Wei Yang was a different matter entirely.

First, Wei Yang's strength was worthy of respect.

Wei Yang was known as the White Light Swordsman. His speed was as fast as lightning, and he was also a flying Gu Master, making him nearly invincible in battle.

Despite his insufficient aptitude, with only the peak of the third transition in cultivation, even a fourth-transition peak Gu Master like Yi Huo couldn't handle him.

Even though Qi Tian was a flying master himself, his speed didn't compare to Wei Yang's Light Rainbow Gu.

If Qi Tian were to fight with all his strength, he wouldn't be sure of defeating Wei Yang, though he might have the upper hand.

Secondly, Wei Yang's identity made him someone Qi Tian couldn't afford to overlook.

Wei Yang was one of the five generals of the Merchant Family and was in charge of the intelligence organization, Wind and Rain Pavilion. He was also a trusted confidant of the Merchant Family patriarch, Shang Yanfei. Any attempt to recruit him could very well represent Shang Yanfei's intentions, making it something Qi Tian had to take seriously.

Finally, Wei Yang was an honorable person, loyal and straightforward. In the original story, after Fang Yuan left to refine Gu, Bai Ningbing was spared by him, allowing her to escape pursuit.

"What? There's news about the Hundred-Year Heart Knot?" Qi Tian exclaimed in surprise.

"Yes! You must have heard that the Yi Family's caravan arrived not long ago. They brought with them many precious Gu insects and materials, and they'll be auctioning them off in three days," Wei Yang explained to Qi Tian slowly.

The Hundred-Year Heart Knot was a rare Gu material that could only be produced by a twin tree that had grown together for a hundred years.

A twin tree was two different types of trees growing together, their roots intertwined. Under certain conditions, some of the roots would merge into one.

Over time, the number of merged roots would increase, and if it lasted for a hundred years, the Hundred-Year Heart Knot would be formed.

However, the two different trees would compete with each other. If one grew too fast and outpaced the other, the roots that had been connected would break off, joining the stronger tree. This would lead to the weaker tree's eventual death, and the balance of the twin tree would be broken.

The formation of the Hundred-Year Heart Knot required this balance to be maintained for a full hundred years, a rare occurrence, which made this material very precious.

The Hundred-Year Heart Knot was the primary material for crafting the Four-Transition Heart Gu, which could increase the tacit understanding between different Gu Masters. If two third-transition peak Gu Masters used it together, they could defeat an ordinary fourth-transition Gu Master.

Qi Tian intended to acquire this material to enhance his Same Qi Linkage Gu.

Qi Tian was confident that he would break through to the fourth transition within six months, and once he did, he planned to enhance his Gu. He had already obtained the formula for the Four-Transition Same Qi Linkage Gu in his previous life, and the Hundred-Year Heart Knot was the most difficult material to find.

That's why Qi Tian had asked Wei Yang to help gather information, and he was pleasantly surprised by how quickly the news had arrived.

As for his familiarity with Wei Yang, it stemmed from the time after Qi Tian's rise, when Wei Yang had tried to win him over while also investigating his identity.

Qi Tian's behavior reminded Wei Yang of his younger self: straightforward, with the hardships of a Demon Path Gu Master, a ruthless side, and a certain arrogance and persistence that came with being young.

These traits made Wei Yang feel a sense of kinship with Qi Tian, and they eventually became friends.

"Thank you, Wei Yang! I heard there's a new wine house that's pretty good. I'll treat you there, as a token of my appreciation," Qi Tian said gratefully.

Wei Yang thought for a moment and said, "Alright, I have time today, but before that, should we spar a bit to practice our swordsmanship?"

"Of course," Qi Tian replied, smiling. They had often sparred in the past, using their shared expertise with swords. Qi Tian knew that such straightforward people were the easiest to become friends with through competition; as the saying goes, 'a fight brings true understanding.'

Soon after, the two of them arrived at a spacious plaza.

Wei Yang looked at Qi Tian as he took out his jade sword and said, "Your Empty-Cage Gu is convenient to use, but advancing it to the Four-Transition Cang Kong Gu isn't easy. It needs to be practiced in conjunction with Gu insects from the Eastern Sea. Fortunately, the Yi Family's caravan brought many Gu insects from the Eastern Sea."

"Haha! Thanks for the reminder, my friend! I was already planning to do that, but it'll probably take some time to break through to the fourth transition," Qi Tian replied with a grin.

Wei Yang sighed, "You're too modest. I think you'll break through in just a few years. Unlike me, I'm restricted by my aptitude and won't be able to advance."

"Don't worry, Brother Wei, you're an important figure in the Merchant Family. The patriarch will surely support you. If you ever need Gu to enhance your aptitude, I'm sure you'll break through to the fourth transition quickly," Qi Tian comforted him.

Wei Yang seized the opportunity to say, "Since you know the benefits of the Merchant Family, why not join us? With your strength, even facing the giants of the Martial Arts Arena like Ju Kai Bei and Yan Tu, you might not lose. Becoming a family elder after guarding eighteen matches is within your reach."

"Brother Wei, you know me well. I value my freedom and don't like being constrained. Although I've entered the Martial Arts Arena, I'm not aiming to become an elder of the Merchant Family," Qi Tian politely declined.

"Alright, enough of this. Let's have a match!" With that, Qi Tian rushed toward Wei Yang, holding his jade sword.