Copper Skin Realm, a Shopping Spree

Lu Chen picked an abandoned courtyard at random and jumped inside. Finding a somewhat cleaner spot, he lay down to rest.

He was exhilarated.

"Cheng Datou and the other man barely had the strength to resist. Their strength seemed pretty average!" Lu Chen took out the Ox-Cleaving Saber Technique, wary of the sneak attacks and assassinations he himself had used.

What if someone did the same to him next time?

Would he be able to react?

It was best to avoid making enemies whenever possible. Once he did, he had to strike first and leave them no time to react.

Otherwise, if they resorted to assassination, poisoning, or the like, they would be impossible to guard against.

With that thought, he got up and opened the Ox-Cleaving Saber Technique, reading it by the faint light from outside.

"In this world, people who have achieved some success in practicing a Cultivation Method are called Martial Artists. Cheng Datou was one."

The introduction at the beginning gave Lu Chen some understanding of cultivation.

"Martial Artists are divided into Houtian, Xiantian, Primordial Qi, and Martial Saint. The Houtian realm is also known as the Five Body Tempering Realms: Copper Skin, Iron Bone, Organ Refining, Blood Exchange, and Marrow Cleansing."

"If you practice this Ox-Cleaving Saber Technique to its highest level, you can reach the Organ Tempering Realm. Combined with medicinal baths, combat techniques, and training methods, years of practice can give you the strength of 1,500 jin. Splitting a rock with one punch would be easy."

"They say a Martial Saint can soar into the heavens and burrow into the earth, shake mountains with sheer strength, and reverse the flow of rivers with a single slash. They live for three hundred years!"

A powerful longing and admiration for Martial Saints rose in Lu Chen's heart.

What magnificent bearing such a person must have!

He slowly read through the entire Swordsmanship manual.

There actually wasn't much text.

It also included a matching medicinal bath recipe.

Most of it consisted of illustrations, depicting every move of the Swordsmanship with great clarity.

There was also some ugly handwriting in the margins, probably notes made by Cheng Datou.

The Ox-Cleaving Saber Technique had only nine forms in all, and the moves were simple. Lu Chen immediately took up his saber and began practicing in the abandoned house.

The first form, Head-Splitting Stance.

The second form, Neck-Slashing.

The third form, Abdomen-Lifting Strike.

Following the book, Lu Chen corrected his movements bit by bit.

With the boost from his Passable Aptitude Trait, he picked it up quickly.

By the first faint light of dawn, he had practiced the ninth form, Skin Splitter, from beginning to end.

[Host's "Ox-Cleaving Saber Technique" skill detected. Trait generated]

[Ox-Splitting Saber (Beginner)]

[Overlap detected between the Chopping skill and the Ox-Cleaving Saber Technique. Merge Traits?]

"Traits can be merged too?" Lu Chen didn't agree immediately. After all, he had spent quite a few Fate Value points upgrading the Chopping skill. What benefit would merging them bring?

"After merging, progress in the Ox-Cleaving Saber Technique can be increased slightly."

"That's fine. Merge them, then."

[Ox-Splitting Saber (Beginner, 60%)]

"How many Fate Value points does it take to upgrade it to minor accomplishment?"

After he selected the Trait, the Ox-Cleaving Saber Technique immediately changed.

[Ox-Splitting Saber - Copper Skin realm (1%)]

Fate Value -40.

A flood of information about the Ox-Cleaving Saber Technique poured into his mind. It was as though he had practiced the Swordsmanship day and night for years and mastered it with great proficiency.

At the same time, a current of heat far stronger than any before surged through his body. It was also more comprehensive than before, covering him from head to toe.

His muscles grew firmer, the contours of his eight-pack clearly defined, and the muscles in both arms bulged.

The skin all over his body also seemed a little numb and itchy. It had become thicker and tougher, giving off a faint bronze sheen in the sunlight.

"I went from Beginner to the Copper Skin realm. Is it no longer divided into stages like minor and major accomplishment?"

Lu Chen clenched his fist, then tried lightly drawing his dagger across his arm.

It left a white mark.

It didn't hurt, either.

But he could tell that if he pressed a little harder, his skin would be cut and bleed.

The name Copper Skin realm was just a figure of speech. His skin wasn't really like copper, indestructible.

At most, his defenses were a little stronger than an ordinary person's.

Otherwise, Cheng Datou wouldn't have had his neck pierced straight through by a single thrust.

"I'm a bona fide Copper Skin realm Martial Artist now."

Grinning into the rising sun, he felt his heart burn.

This place was different from ancient Earth after all!

And since Martial Saints existed, were there even more powerful realms above them?

Would he be able to cross the starry sky in the flesh someday?

Was there a chance he could find Earth?

Then it might not be impossible to see his parents again!

A sense of urgency rose in his heart.

He had to hurry and get stronger!

Only by growing stronger could he take control of his own fate.

Even a gang like the Flying Eagle Horse Gang had someone at the Marrow Washing Realm. With a golden finger at his disposal, he had to grow stronger quickly to live up to his status as a transmigrator!

Outside the courtyard, the sounds of quite a few people moving about had already begun.

Everyone was up.

A new day had begun once again in the county town.

Lu Chen looked himself over. There were no bloodstains on him, and his shoes were fairly clean too, since he had cleaned them yesterday. Only a little lime clung to his clothes, and he brushed it off with a pat.

He was clean from head to toe again.

Taking advantage of the empty street outside, he slipped out of the alley and onto the street.

He found a steaming wonton stall and ordered a bowl, savoring it while watching the bustle of everyday life on the street.

With money on him, Lu Chen felt flush and was ready to spend it right away.

There was no use holding on to money. Turning it into strength and resources was what mattered.

He asked around for the most reputable medicinal herb shop in the county town, then went there and bought several portions of the herbs needed for the Ox-Cleaving Saber Technique's medicinal bath.

As the saying went, the poor studied while the rich practiced martial arts. Martial training really did cost a lot of money: just five portions of herbs had cost him twenty taels of silver, four taels apiece.

And those would only last a few uses. He would have to keep buying them in the long term.

He could add points himself, so he might not need them, but he also planned to teach Lu Ming and Lu Tang the Swordsmanship. They would need medicinal baths too, and that would be no small expense.

Besides the herbs for the medicinal baths, he bought some additional herbs to nourish Qi and Blood, intending to build up his younger brother and sister's health.

They had been malnourished before and were badly depleted. Even Little Tang's hair had been dry and yellow, and she was thin and small. They had only eaten better these past few days; before that, they had often gone hungry.

Now that he had money, he naturally wouldn't skimp. After consulting a physician, he bought some herbs that children could eat too, to make medicinal meals.

"Oh, I almost forgot. Little Ming often trains until his muscles ache. I need to buy him some medicine for bruises and injuries too."

After that, he bought plenty of oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, tea, and other kitchen seasonings, as well as some refined grain.

"I need to buy some brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones too. They don't need to be good; the cheapest will do. My brother and sister still need to learn to read. I'll buy some primers too."

Lu Chen rented an ox cart and put everything he bought on it.

"It'll be hot soon. I need to buy some clothes and summer cloth to take home, and a few pairs of shoes while I'm at it. I'll get Little Tang some hair ties and toys, and buy Little Ming a dagger as a gift."

He thought it over. He should have just about everything his brother and sister needed. If he had missed anything, he could come back and buy it later.

He also bought some pastries and a piece of cloth for Second Grandfather's family, as a return gift for the grain and half a wild pheasant they had given him last time.

He bought some tea for the clan head Lu Xiande's family, as a return gift for helping bury his mother and lending him money.

Although he had also saved Lu Chengzong, one thing was one thing, and another was another.

Lu Chen also remembered the other villagers who had helped him before and bought a small gift for each of them.

Next came the things he needed himself.

He already had a saber, a Yanling Saber. Although Little Ming would also practice the saber in the future, he wouldn't buy him one for now. A wooden saber would be safer to start with.

As for a spear, he could get one at the blacksmith's shop he had visited yesterday.

The throwing knives and iron pellets were already finished.

For bows and arrows, he asked the people at the blacksmith's shop and bought two bows from a place not far away.

One was a soft bow with a draw weight of about 20 jin, suitable for beginners.

The other was a one-stone hard bow with a draw weight of about 120 jin. Whether for hunting in the mountains or dealing with people, it would be enough for now.

Feeling flush, he bought a hundred arrows at once. At twenty copper coins each, they cost two taels of silver, and the shopkeeper threw in a quiver.

By the time he finished buying everything, the ox cart was nearly full.

Unfortunately, he asked around on the street but didn't hear of any martial arts schools that taught people to fight.

Nor did he hear of any Cultivation Methods for sale. Otherwise, he would have liked to buy one to take home.

As he passed a restaurant, the aroma of food wafted over him.

"Right, I'll take a roast chicken back for Little Tang and Little Ming. They probably haven't had one before, so they can try something new. Uncle Teng Yue saved me and brought me back, but I haven't done anything to show my thanks these past few days. I really shouldn't have neglected it! I remember his grandson is still quite young. I can buy a pregnant ewe and take her back; they can drink the goat's milk too. I'll buy two for Little Tang and Little Ming as well, so they can have some goat's milk every day."

He bought sheep at the east market, a saber at the west market, books at the south market, and grain at the north market. He had bought quite a lot on this trip, and by the time he finished, it was already noon.

Lu Chen was very satisfied. Without delaying any longer, he told the ox-cart driver to set off.

P.S. Please keep reading. Thank you, everyone!