Chapter 508: Chapter 508 Into the Dragon’s Den
Vance Johansson was preparing to emerge from his retreat?
The moment this information surfaced, the Martial Arts Forum exploded into chaos once more.
Everyone began speculating about Vance Johansson’s current power level.
""Vance Johansson’s another renowned prodigy from Capital City. If Alberto Sean can reach Martial Marquis status, Johansson might pull it off too.""
""Things are getting interesting. With both Capital City geniuses making moves simultaneously, what’s Mason Raymond gonna do?""
""Look, Mason Raymond’s got just as much talent as those two. It’s all about timing, but who’s gonna give him that luxury.""
""Twenty days left - how much stronger can Mason Raymond possibly get?""
——
Reading through the forum posts, I felt my chest tighten with worry.
I stood up, glancing toward the Pavilion Master Building. Maybe I should ask the Pavilion Master about those five-thousand-year-old herbs.
But after mulling it over, I scrapped the idea.
If the Lord Pavilion Master had any updates, she’d definitely let me know.
——
At the Capital City Martial Arts Association headquarters, the top brass had assembled once again.
This marked their third high-level gathering this year.
Their target remained unchanged.
Mason Raymond!
""Mason Raymond crushed a half-step Martial Marquis while still in the Grandmaster realm. That’s bad news for us.""
""This guy’s a loose cannon. He’s gonna be trouble down the road.""
""We either bring him into the Capital City Martial Arts Association fold, or we eliminate him fast.""
""You really think someone that unpredictable would follow our orders without question?""
The room went dead quiet.
Mason Raymond’s rapid growth was starting to scare them.
What’s more, everyone in the Capital City Martial Arts Association shared the same gut feeling:
Mason Raymond’s rise spelled trouble - maybe even disaster - for their organization.
""Let’s wait and see. We’ve got over twenty days left. No matter what happens, we can’t let him leave Capital City,"" someone said grimly.
""That Johansson kid better not let us down.""
——
I had no clue the Capital City Martial Arts Association was plotting against me.
Right now, all I could think about was Vance Johansson’s wedding on September 9th.
That night, I tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
I gave up trying and headed out to the Elder’s courtyard, staring up at the moon.
""The moon’s pure yin energy. If I could absorb moonlight, that’d be perfect."" The thought crossed my mind.
But I quickly dismissed the crazy notion.
""It’s been ages since I’ve absorbed any dark energy."" I let out a soft sigh.
The world’s packed with treasures.
Plenty of places have rich dark energy. If I had time to travel extensively, I might find decent resources.
But time was running short.
Most of Pyro’s martial arts resources were under the Capital City Martial Arts Association’s control.
Word was they had intelligence networks that pinpointed exactly where Divine Medicine would appear and treasures would emerge.
That’s precisely why the Capital City Martial Arts Association never ran short on resources.
I didn’t sleep a wink that night.
Early next morning, I was about to grab breakfast when the door suddenly swung open. The Pavilion Master walked in slowly.
""Lord Pavilion Master!""
Seeing her, I couldn’t contain my excitement.
The Pavilion Master came straight over and sat beside me. ""I’ve been asking around.""
""What’d you find out?"" I asked anxiously.
The Pavilion Master spoke seriously, ""Five-thousand-year-old herbs are incredibly rare. Even if they exist, only a handful of people control them.""
I frowned. ""You mean... I should steal them?""
The Pavilion Master raised an eyebrow. ""Would you be up for that?""
I managed a bitter smile. ""I’d rather not, but if there’s no other option... who knows.""
Hearing this, the Pavilion Master chuckled.
She pulled out a map from her pocket and handed it to me.
A location on the map was marked with a red line - looked extremely isolated.
I frowned. ""This is...?""
""Got it from someone inside the Capital City Martial Arts Association,"" the Pavilion Master explained.
""Supposedly it’s a Dragon Vein. There, you might find what you’re after, or maybe herbs beyond your wildest dreams.""
""Dragon Vein?"" I was stunned.
I’d read about these in novels but never encountered one in real life.
Legend said Dragon Veins were blessed lands where energy concentrated, and anyone born there was destined for greatness.
""Thank you, Lord Pavilion Master."" I took the map and bowed deeply.
The Pavilion Master glanced at me. ""Don’t get ahead of yourself. Others will definitely be heading to a place like that too.""
""Plus, since it’s a Capital City Martial Arts Association resource, they probably won’t take kindly to you showing up.""
""And even though Atkinson Samson left the Divine Alchemist Pavilion, he won’t give up easily. If he kills you, there’s nothing I can do.""
I gripped the map tight, my expression turning serious.
Mabel Sean’s face and Vance Johansson’s arrogant smirk flashed through my mind.
""I don’t have a choice,"" I said, taking a deep breath.
""Even if it’s a dragon’s den, I have to take the risk.""
The Pavilion Master didn’t comment. After a moment, she stood up. ""Take care of yourself.""
""Got it,"" I nodded.
As the Pavilion Master was about to leave, I pulled the Three Pure Ancient Tree from my Spatial Magic Artifact and offered it to her.
""Lord Pavilion Master, please hold onto this for me.""
The Pavilion Master’s brows furrowed slightly as she looked at me. ""What’s this about?""
I smiled bitterly. ""I’m worried something might happen on this trip. If I die, this Three Pure Ancient Tree would fall into the wrong hands.""
""Better to leave it at the Divine Alchemist Pavilion temporarily. If I make it back, I’ll ask for it.""
The Pavilion Master took the Three Pure Ancient Tree and nodded. ""Alright.""
""I’ll head out now,"" I said, getting up.
I studied the map carefully.
The Dragon Vein was in the northwest region - sparsely populated with thin energy.
For a Dragon Vein to form there, some extraordinary treasure must be involved.
After saying goodbye to the Pavilion Master, I left the Divine Alchemist Pavilion and headed straight for the Dragon Vein.
——
Meanwhile, the Capital City Martial Arts Association had assembled a team of members.
These were all association elites! The weakest was at Peak Grandmaster level, with several half-step Martial Marquises among them!
As association elites, they’d mastered powerful techniques. Their strength far exceeded ordinary half-step Martial Marquises!
Many were descendants from Capital City’s aristocratic families, holding prestigious positions.
Leading the team was none other than the association’s vice president, Phoebe Billy!
""You’re all association elites of the highest caliber. This Dragon Vein must contain unimaginable treasures,"" Phoebe Billy said coldly.
""So make the most of this opportunity, understood?""
The crowd shouted in unison, ""Understood!""
Phoebe Billy nodded slightly, a barely detectable trace of greed flickering in his eyes.
Phoebe Billy had been stuck at half-step Martial Marquis level for years, just a hair’s breadth from the Martial Marquis realm!
So he also wanted to use this Dragon Vein to break through to Martial Marquis!
