Although his master, Wang Yue, was also a fifth-level expert, and in terms of strength, he was no less than Cai Yong, their influence was worlds apart, they were not even in the same league.
"Brother Shi, you're too kind. As the direct disciple of a Grand Swordsman, why should you belittle yourself?" Cai Yan said with a smile.
"Sigh, you two both have powerful backgrounds, unlike me, who's just a simple scholar," Lin Yang complained casually. At the same time, it was also a test.
"Brother Lin, why be so modest? If I'm not mistaken, you must have used some kind of aura-gazing technique just now. And judging from your appearance, you seemed completely confident and didn't suffer any backlash. That alone is enough to amaze people," Shi A said calmly.
Not at all angry about discovering they were being spied on, they were actually quite curious. After all, while the art of observing auras was powerful, the backlash could be just as severe.
Upon hearing this, Lin Yang nodded and readily admitted it.
"Hey, not bad, Brother Shi saw through it. What I saw was..."
Upon hearing this, both of them were taken aback. They hadn't expected that Lin Yang had discovered so much in such a short time.
"Indeed, this should be the legendary place of reincarnation. It seems the third cycle is about to begin again," Cai Yan said excitedly.
"Yes, another era of great strife has arrived. I, Shi A, am determined to wield my sword and carve out a bright future," Shi A echoed.
In the first cycle, the Qin Dynasty collapsed, and Liu Bang established the Han Dynasty.
In the second cycle, the Western Han Dynasty fell, Wang Mang usurped the throne, and then Liu Xiu established the Xin Dynasty, which is the Eastern Han Dynasty.
Now, the third cycle has begun. Although we don't know what will happen yet, just thinking about it is exciting.
As far as Lin Yang knew, what followed was the great era of warring states, followed by the invasion of extraterrestrial demons.
Just then, a voice rang in everyone's ears.
Main quest unlocked: Survival (Newcomer Trial)
Mission objective: Survive in Yangzhou City for seven days.
Scene Introduction: This is a feudal classical world where the people are suffering and rebels are causing chaos everywhere. The emperor is obsessed with immortality, and at this time, the emperor's confidant Yuwen Huaji obtains information about the secret of immortality and goes to Yangzhou City.
Reward: Upon completion of the mission, you will be granted the status of a formal Chosen One.
Mission failure: Deduct ten years of lifespan.
Side quest: Obtain the Longevity Manual, reward: one Cosmic-level authority, and 1,000 Yellow Luck.
Side Quest: Survive. Survive as many days as possible after seven days. For each extra day you survive, you are rewarded with 20 White Luck, up to a maximum of one month.
Side Quest: Cause trouble, cause trouble, cause trouble! I'll say it three times because it's important. Cause as much trouble as you can; the bigger the trouble, the bigger the reward.
Special Note: This is the first cycle, so the rewards are doubled and the difficulty is halved. What are you waiting for?
Before anyone could react, a flash of light appeared, and they were all transported to the Tang Dynasty world.
...
In the blink of an eye, a day had passed. Soon it would be time for the three of them to reunite and exchange information.
After a day of investigation, Lin Yang had figured it out: this was the world of Twin Dragons of the Tang Dynasty that he knew from his time on Earth.
Upon learning this, Lin Yang felt both joy and worry. He was joyful because he was familiar with the plot and the benefits he could gain were countless. He was worried because why was this world recorded on Earth?
Unlike his previous life, which was that of an ordinary citizen on Earth, why is this happening now that he's in this universe?
"Brother Lin, over here, come on over." Just as Lin Yang was casually contemplating life, he heard Shi A's greeting. Looking up, he saw that Shi A and Cai Yan had already arrived, and he was the only one missing.
"Let me start. I've been carefully examining this city all day and found the gangs here to be quite interesting. For example, the Bamboo Flower Gang is the second-ranked gang in the entire Yangzhou city."
"The leader of this gang is Yin Kaishan, and there is also a strategist, Shao Lingzhou. Then there are the four halls of 'Wind, Sunshine, Rain, and Dew,' which command the branch leaders, incense masters, and all the gang members. The members of the Bamboo Flower Gang are almost everywhere in the surrounding counties."
"In the Bamboo Flower Gang, all members have bamboo leaves embroidered on their clothes, with different levels having different bamboo leaves. The gang leader has ten bamboo leaves, the strategist has nine, then the hall master has eight, the deputy hall master has seven, the branch master has six, the deputy branch master has five, the incense master has four, the deputy incense master has three, two bamboo leaves are for minor leaders, one is for formal members, and there are even peripheral members who have no bamboo leaves at all."
"It can be said that the Bamboo Flower Gang is quite formidable in combat. Their tight organization and division of labor alone are enough to prove it. But even so, this gang is only the second largest gang in Yangzhou City. The largest gang is Shi Long, the number one expert in Yangzhou City, the Mountain Pusher."
"Based on my observation, Shi Long is a genuine peak-stage Innate Realm cultivator, which is equivalent to the second stage peak in the main world. However, he has been stuck at the Sect Master Realm for over ten years. Therefore, I suspect that the martial arts system of this world is incomplete, at least in terms of spiritual cultivation, which is quite problematic."
"also……"
"Indeed, Brother Shi's investigation is very thorough. I wonder what you've found, Wenji?" Lin Yang said with a smile.
"The dynasty in this world is called Sui. The current emperor is named Yang Guang, and his father Yang Jian usurped the throne. The country is now in decline, with war raging everywhere and rebels appearing all around. It can be said that it is not far from its demise after only two generations."
"As for Yuwen Huaji, he was the chief of the imperial guards under Yang Guang and came from the Yuwen family. It is worth mentioning here that in the martial arts world of this place, the four major clans are the most powerful on the surface. And this Yuwen Huaji comes from the Yuwen family, one of the four major clans."
"It is said that his family's martial art, the Ice Profound Force, has been cultivated to a minor level. His martial arts skills have already reached the peak of the Innate Realm. This time, the Yuwen Huaji mentioned in the mission description refers to this person," Cai Yan said calmly.
"Moreover, in my view, the imperial power in this world has declined drastically. Take Yangzhou City, for example. On the surface, the local governor has the final say, but in reality, Shi Long and Yin Kaishan also wield considerable influence. If these gangs were to rebel..."
“Yes, even a small Bamboo Flower Gang has such power. What about the legendary Four Great Clans? This shows how much the imperial power in this world has declined.” Shi A said with emotion, and then looked at Lin Yang.
Seeing this, Lin Yang chuckled: "Not bad, both of you have done a very good job of gathering intelligence. However, I also made some unexpected discoveries, namely, information about the Longevity Technique."
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Chapter Six: The Guangcheng Immortal Sect and the Longevity Formula
"It is said that this skill was created by Guang Chengzi. From the mission description, we know that the Longevity Technique must be in Yangzhou City at this time, and it is also Yuwen Huaji's target."
"Based on the mission reward, which is a Cosmic-level authority plus 1,000 units of yellow luck, we can infer that this item is probably of the highest grade among the third tier. Therefore, it can be seen that the highest strength in this world is at most the peak of the third tier," Lin Yang analyzed.
“That’s right. A peak Innate Realm expert can become the number one expert in Yangzhou City. Even the Emperor’s chief bodyguard is only at the peak Innate Realm. A Grandmaster Realm expert is enough to make one famous throughout the world. That’s about the general level of martial arts in this world,” Shi A said nonchalantly.
Although Shi A's martial arts skills were only at the peak of the Acquired Realm at this time, his extensive knowledge and experience made up for it. Grandmaster-level strength was already considered top-tier combat power in the Tang Dynasty, but in the main world, it was really nothing special.