I am grinding experience in another world

Several days later, outside the door of the Wooden Building Pill Cottage.

"Wow, Little Prince, it's been a long time," Chen Mu said with a big smile, looking at Jia Tian.

Jia Tian was perplexed, always feeling there was something else behind the other's smile.

He subconsciously touched his bald head, but aside from a slight pain in the back of his skull, he couldn't figure out why.

"Senior brother, here's the payment for the All-Disease Pills." Jia Tian took out a wooden box from his wrist Mustard Seed Talisman.

"I've delayed a bit, please forgive me, senior brother."

"I won't take my share this time, consider it an apology," Jia Tian said as he approached Chen Mu with a grin.

Chen Mu took it and opened the box, glanced briefly and set it down on the table beside him.

Who knew if that little bald head had used some sort of distress signal, or if the underground restraints had dissipated on their own. After initially throwing him into the underground cavern, it wasn't long before he'd escaped to the surface.

Not only that, but he'd also made it in time to catch the last Cloud Bat Flying Boat to Liyang Path's territory.

"Little Prince, did you make a big fortune this time?"

Jia Tian was scratched right where it itched and laughed out loud while touching his bald head, "Just the usual."

"You don't know how dangerous it was. Luckily, I was well-prepared, with plenty of magical artifacts and talismans. I did make some hard-earned money by buying low and selling high," Jia Tian said with his leg shaking and a look of nonchalance.

Seeing his smug demeanor made Chen Mu itch to slap the back of his bald head.

"Alright, I accept the White Jade. You, Little Prince, are making money hand over fist; you better hurry off to your busy schedule," Chen Mu said, dismissively shooing him away.

"Wait, senior brother! I got a lot of treasures this time at Liyang Path. Aren't you going to take a look?" Jia Tian was full of temptations, both overt and covert.

"What, are you planning to take back this White Jade you just gave me?" Chen Mu looked askance at Jia Tian.

His treasures wouldn't be better than my Flying Swords, would they?!

Huh!

"Just get lost!"

Jia Tian scratched his head, thinking he could make another big sale, but who would have thought that senior brother Chen Mu wouldn't care for magical artifacts.

An idea struck him, and Jia Tian suddenly realized, "Senior Brother, are you saving up to buy a Condense Aperture Secret Method?"

"Too expensive," Chen Mu didn't deny it.

Indeed, he wanted to buy a Condense Aperture Secret Method to cover for the origins of the Netherworld Grand Summary and also to pave the way for the purchase of subsequent secret techniques.

But since he had not completed condensing his aperture and didn't know the specific methods for later cultivation, he wasn't in a hurry to make the exchange.

Jia Tian nodded in deep agreement, "That's truly expensive."

"Each secret technique costs ten to twenty thousand White Jade, and that's not to mention the large amount of Daoist Cultivation energy required. Tsk, tsk... Tough problem."

"Ten to twenty thousand? Isn't it one hundred thousand?" Chen Mu was surprised.

"You don't know, senior brother?" Jia Tian scratched his head, "After the defeat of Liyang Path, the institute made some changes, and many Condense Aperture Secret Techniques are now available for layered exchange."

"I guess the plate was too big, and there weren't enough strong hands, so they had to do this."

"Even the fundamental Liyang Path Secret Technique 'Flame-Separation True Solution' has been split up and placed in the Scripture Transmission Institute."

Is there such a good deal?

Chen Mu raised his eyebrows.

Wonder if the Netherworld Grand Summary is divided? And that Sun Family's Kui Water Yin Thunder, is it also in the Scripture Transmission Institute?

...

The next day, Chen Mu rushed to the Scripture Pavilion on Mist Smoke Mountain early in the morning to find the amiable strong man who had taken over his role as a scripture collator.

At the moment, the man was standing between two bookshelves, quietly observing a book in his hands.

"Seems like you are enjoying yourself."

Chen Mu greeted him with a smile and then inquired about the matter of the layered exchange for the Condense Aperture Secret Techniques.

"That's true," the strong man nodded in acknowledgment, "but the real Jade Slips haven't been distributed to Mist Smoke Mountain yet."

"It's going to take some time for the Upper Court Scripture Transmission Institute to split the secret techniques."

"If senior brother urgently needs them, you might have to go to Jade Spring Mountain, where you might find Jade Slips to exchange."

Chen Mu then realized.

He was just too anxious.

"Here is the catalog of secret techniques, senior brother, you can have a look first," the strong man handed over a new book to Chen Mu.

Chen Mu became interested.

After flipping through a couple of pages, he quickly found many Liyang Path Fire Methods in the booklet.

Meanwhile, Kui Water Yin Thunder and Netherworld Grand Summary were also listed.

"The Sun Family's secret treasures really did make it to the Scripture Transmission Institute!"

"It's time to go to Jilong Mountain."

That place is the core of Jilong Road, where the split true Jade Slips would definitely be provided to the Upper Court first.

To obtain the Secret Technique as quickly as possible, the best way was to go there and exchange for it.

...

At the foot of Jade Spring Mountain, the original Market District had expanded several times over.

Centered around the main street of the Market District, neat rows of buildings had sprouted up along both the mountainside and down below.

In one corner of the eastern edge of the area, within a courtyard with green tiles and gray walls, Lu Ku and his five siblings gathered under the pavilion in the courtyard.

"How much longer must we wait?" Ai Ji said, visibly impatient.

The others remained silent.

Xu Rao's complexion was especially dark and gloomy.

The feeling of not having control over his own life made him so frustrated that he wanted to go mad.

"Why don't we just head to Mist Smoke Mountain?" Ai Ji suggested.

No sooner had he finished speaking than there came a knock at the door.

"Are the elder brothers and sisters at home?"

Was that... Shang Huan?

Ai Ji couldn't help but look towards Lu Ku.

"It would still be inappropriate to approach directly, so I sought out Shang Huan."

The siblings had a moment of realization.

Shang Huan was familiar with Chen Mu, yet did not know that the latter was Gongsun Sheng.

It was a perfect opportunity to probe through Shang Huan.

...

"Elder Brother Chen?" Shang Huan curiously looked at the six formidable figures: "Do you elder brothers and sisters also know Elder Brother Chen?"

"Elder Brother Chen's skills are valued by the elders of Pill Treasure Pavilion, he's been transferred to the Upper Court."

"He left for Jilong Mountain on a flying boat yesterday."

The siblings of Wu Mountain exchanged glances with each other.

Wasn't he supposed to gather us for a meeting? Why did he leave without a word? Is this some kind of joke?

A notion struck Lu Ku's mind, and he looked at Shang Huan again, "Have you made any progress with the secret technique, Ten Directions Hand, that I gave you before?"

Shang Huan replied with a hint of pride: "I have been diligently practicing it for the past two years. Just yesterday, I finally made a breakthrough."

"Without Ghostly Qi, how could you possibly..." Ai Ji began to speak but suddenly stopped in mid-sentence.

Maybe Shang Huan couldn't, but there was someone who might be able to.

Gongsun Sheng?

The six siblings exchanged a knowing look, all thinking of a certain possibility.

The secret techniques they cultivated, like the United Heart Gu, were all acquired from the same ancient tomb.

While the other secret techniques were manageable, the Ten Directions Hand required a material called Ghostly Qi for assistance, without which it was extremely difficult to master.

Over the years, except for the portion they had acquired when they initially rifled through the tomb, they had never encountered it again, not even heard of it.

Without the guidance of Ghostly Qi, it was impossible for Shang Huan to succeed in cultivation.

But now...

"Is it possible that I have an exceptional talent?" Shang Huan asked earnestly.

The siblings simultaneously turned to stare at Shang Huan.

"Your face does have an exceptionally gifted talent," Shi Xian said enigmatically.

Shang Huan gave an awkward smile: "I really don't know, I just went to sleep, and when I woke up the next day, suddenly I had succeeded."

The six siblings exchanged glances again.

It had to be Gongsun Sheng!

Previous experiences with Shi Xian's Truthful Listening Technique and Xu Rao's Triple Yin Slaying Demon Technique were similar. After Gongsun Sheng took the secret techniques away, when he returned them, they had all improved to different extents.

Lacking Ghostly Qi might restrict Shang Huan, but it was highly likely not enough to stop Gongsun Sheng.

After sending away the puzzled and perplexed Shang Huan, the siblings immediately introspected their Jade Seeds to check.

While the others showed no change in expression, the always calm Lu Ku's face subtly shifted.

The siblings immediately sensed something was off.

"My Mechanical Technique has advanced," Lu Ku said with a wry smile.

"So, he came to us without a sound, secretly interfered with our secret techniques, and we didn't notice anything beforehand?" Ai Ji's eyes bulged in astonishment.

If he could easily take their secret techniques, he could just as easily take their heads.

"We thought that with the six of us consolidating the Primordial Talisman, we had some resisting power, but now..."

The siblings couldn't help but feel a chill of desolation run through them.