Chapter 23: Innate Martial Artist

“Don’t sell it, whatever you do, don’t sell it!”

Little Shorty squeezed through the crowd, shouting breathlessly.

Jiang Yan hadn’t seen this little black-robed shorty for quite some time since he had entered the No. 56 ruins these past few days.

Without caring whether the ground was clean or not, Jiang Yan plopped down and raised an eyebrow at Little Shorty. “Why shouldn’t I sell it?”

Although he hadn’t planned to sell these goods at a low price either, he still wanted to hear what this black-robed shorty had to say.

The shorty caught his breath and finally spoke:

“Big brother, the things you have here are incredibly precious—rare items even within the city. Selling them directly at a low price here would be a total rip-off. Listen to me, take these things to the Martial Artist Chamber of Commerce in the city for auction. Trust me, the price will definitely satisfy you.”

Hearing him say so much in one breath, Jiang Yan didn’t immediately feel pleased. Instead, he looked at Little Shorty with suspicion:

“Why are you so concerned about me? We’re not that close, are we?”

The other greedy merchants quickly chimed in: “Yeah, why are you so concerned about him? Are you up to no good?”

“That’s right, I think you just want to monopolize these goods. Brother, listen to me, sell these goods to me. I guarantee you won’t leave at a loss.”

The merchants who had originally wanted Jiang Yan’s materials were naturally unhappy about being cut off by this shorty, so they all started disparaging him.

“Shut up, all of you!”

Jiang Yan roared angrily, a powerful aura erupting from his sturdy, robust body. His presence was as sharp as a bloodthirsty blade.

After countless battles, Jiang Yan’s killing intent had long become tangible. Once unleashed, it truly intimidated everyone present.

The others fell silent, their eyes unable to hide their shock. They couldn’t believe that this man, who looked no more than eighteen or nineteen years old, possessed such a formidable aura.

Jiang Yan’s shout had a great effect. No one around dared to speak out of turn anymore, all looking at him with a hint of reverence, not daring to overstep.

Indeed, having a strong fist made it easier to speak anywhere. These people had initially thought he was young and easy to bully, each trying to lowball the prices. Now, having witnessed his strength, they all quieted down.

If Jiang Yan had been weak, he was certain he would have been robbed the moment he left the exchange. It could be said that without some strength, it was truly difficult to survive in the Wilderness.

He turned his gaze to Little Shorty. “What’s this auction you mentioned?”

Little Shorty concealed the surprise in his eyes and replied truthfully:

“It’s the auction on the second floor of the Martial Artist Tower in Linjiang City. But you need a certain status to take items there for auction.”

“What kind of status?”

“At least have spent over ten million on the third floor.”

…

Jiang Yan followed Little Shorty into the city and learned along the way why Little Shorty had sought him out.

“My mother at home is critically ill and urgently needs Evergreen Flora as a medicinal catalyst. Brother, consider it as me owing you a favor. I’ll buy half of your Evergreen Flora at a price above market value.”

This was why Little Shorty had stopped him.

On one hand, he urgently needed half of the Evergreen Flora, and Jiang Yan happened to be planning to sell it.

On the other hand, he had previously spent over ten million on the third floor of the Martial Artist Tower, possessing a Martial Artist Auction Qualification Certificate. He could help Jiang Yan auction these materials as a favor.

The two of them were even, neither owing the other anything.

Jiang Yan didn’t care whether Little Shorty’s words were true or false. All that mattered was that this arrangement worked in his favor.

“I agree.”

Linjiang City Martial Artist Tower.

Nearly every city had a tower specifically built for Martial Artists.

The first floor housed the Martial Artist certification office.

Martial Artist Rank certification, Talent verification, and combat power testing were all conducted on the first floor.

The second floor served as a venue for large-scale events like auctions and exhibitions.

The third floor was a marketplace dedicated to selling Martial Artist-related goods.

As the two walked toward the tower, Little Shorty eagerly struck up a conversation with Jiang Yan.

“My name is Chen An. What’s yours, brother?”

“Jiang Yan.”

“Brother Jiang Yan, you look quite young. You must have just started university, right?”

“No, I’m about to take the College Entrance Exam.”

“Holy shit, you’re still a high school student!”

Chen An exclaimed in surprise, never expecting that someone capable of acquiring so much valuable loot in the Wilderness would be a high school student.

“What’s wrong with being a high school student? Can’t high school students enter the Wilderness?”

Jiang Yan turned his head and asked with amusement.

Chen An swallowed hard and gave Jiang Yan a thumbs-up.

“You’re amazing, brother. The College Entrance Exam is in two days. I’ll be cheering for you in front of the TV.”

“Hahaha, thanks for the encouragement.”

“By the way, you’re so strong. You must have an A-Rank Talent, right?”

Jiang Yan shook his head. “I haven’t had the chance to test my Rank yet.”

Chen An suddenly stopped, his voice rising a few pitches. “Brother Jiang, the government offers rewards for those with Talents. Since we’re heading to the Martial Artist Tower, why not test your Talent Rank while we’re there?”

“Oh? What kind of rewards?”

Jiang Yan genuinely didn’t know about this. Over the years, he had focused entirely on Aperture Opening and hadn’t paid much attention to matters after achieving it.

“B-Rank Talents receive a monthly subsidy of 10,000 Star Coins.”

“A-Rank Talents receive a monthly subsidy of 20,000 Star Coins.”

“S-Rank Talents even get a bottle of rare Body-Tempering Liquid subsidized by the state!”

Jiang Yan followed up, “What about SS-Rank Talents?”

“SS-Rank Talents? Uh… I really don’t know what rewards they’d get. Linjiang City has never had an SS-Rank Talent appear before.”

Chen An scratched his head and answered honestly.

Jiang Yan pondered to himself, “I wonder what Rank the Battle Saint Armor is?”

The Battle Saint Armor evolved from the Savage Sturdy Body, and its effect on boosting Jiang Yan’s Combat Power was undeniable.

But as for its Rank, Jiang Yan truly had no idea.

“Forget it. Since I’m passing by anyway, I might as well get tested. Snagging a bottle of Body-Tempering Liquid wouldn’t be bad.”

Body-Tempering Liquid was considered a rare treasure for Martial Artists taking it for the first time, offering immense enhancement. If Jiang Yan consumed a bottle, he might move closer to becoming a third-stage Innate Martial Artist.

However, breaking through to the third stage was practically impossible—or rather, no one had ever achieved a third-stage Innate breakthrough through Body-Tempering Liquid alone.

The Innate realm surpassed human limits and began to comprehend the mysteries of heaven and earth. Those below the third stage had a unified designation:

Acquired Martial Artists.

Acquired Martial Artists focused on refining their Qi and Blood and Physical Body. Body-Tempering Liquid was exceptionally effective at enhancing the Physical Body, which was why it was highly praised among Acquired Martial Artists.

But the Innate realm was different.

To break through to Innate, one needed to comprehend “Qi.”

A special energy within the Universe, this energy transcended all conventional logic and created countless Miracles.

Transcendent abilities were written from this, derived from its essence.

Jiang Yan had just achieved Perfection in Blood Coagulation, still quite a distance away from the Innate Rank. A bottle of Body-Tempering Liquid was very necessary for him.

The Battle Saint Armor would not let him down, especially since he also had many Traits to assist him.

“Alright, let’s go test my Talent Rank.”