I Was Born with Divine Strength; My Cultivation Reached Ten Years

Chapter 4: I Was Born with Divine Strength; My Cultivation Reached Ten Years

"Ah, that hurts!"

"Stop hitting me! Stop!"

Hearing Zhang Hu's howls, Zhou Shan felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction.

Two years of Eagle Claw Iron Shirt cultivation were no joke. Whether in physical condition or strength, ordinary people could not last a single move against him. Even Zhang Hu, who had cultivated Eagle Claw Iron Shirt for a year, was easily handled by him.

Zhou Shan slapped him more than a dozen more times, nearly beating Zhang Hu into a pig's head and knocking out several of his teeth before finally stopping. He asked coldly, "Do you know your mistake now?"

"I know, I know my mistake."

As Zhang Hu spoke, bloody saliva streamed from his mouth.

"Damn, what happened?" Huang Yun, standing nearby, was so shocked his jaw nearly dropped. He said in utter disbelief, "Zhou Shan, you... you cultivated Internal Force?"

"Even if you did cultivate Internal Force, Zhang Hu entered the Iron Shirt Sect a year ago. His Internal Force should be stronger than yours."

Looking at Zhang Hu's miserable state, his face swollen like a pig's head, Huang Yun's eyes widened until he was practically dumbfounded.

"I was born with divine strength. And I didn't just cultivate Internal Force—I did so only a few days after entering the sect. I'd been hiding my strength all along, planning to show off my skills and make a name for myself in the Iron Shirt Sect's tournament for new disciples, catching the sect master and elders' attention and soaring to the heavens in a single step. Who knew that before the tournament even began, I'd be transferred to West Ridge Iron Mine?" Zhou Shan smiled, then said, "But now this bastard Zhang Hu actually wants to ride roughshod over me. Naturally, I won't stand for it."

As he spoke, Zhou Shan kicked Zhang Hu to the ground.

"Brother Hu, are you all right?"

"Brother Hu, how are you? I'll take you to see a doctor."

The lackeys who had been rolling on the ground clutching their stomachs had recovered somewhat and immediately hurried forward to check on him.

"Why see a doctor? A few minor injuries won't kill him. Get over here and mine. If you fail to finish the quota, none of you will sleep tonight. You'll mine day and night."

Zhou Shan spoke coldly.

As he spoke, he set the other martial artist's two dislocated arms back in place. He also woke the martial artist he had knocked unconscious, making them mine alongside Zhang Hu.

If they obediently mined, that would be fine.

If they refused to cooperate or remained unconvinced, he would beat them until they cooperated and were convinced.

"Huang Yun, come rest. Leave the mining to Zhang Hu and the others. With four free laborers delivering themselves to our door, we don't need to busy ourselves. We can rest properly and train."

Zhou Shan said.

When he had been unconscious, Huang Yun had brought him lunch. He was a fairly loyal fellow.

Therefore, within his ability, Zhou Shan did not mind looking after him a little and letting him rest.

"So Zhang Hu and the others really are good people, rushing over to mine for us free of charge."

Huang Yun chuckled mockingly.

"Damn it!"

Faced with Huang Yun's mockery, Zhang Hu was so furious his lungs felt ready to explode.

But there was nothing he could do. Even if the four of them joined forces, they were no match for Zhou Shan alone. No matter how furious he was, he could only endure it. Before his strength surpassed the other man's, he could only be a turtle with its head tucked in.

Under Zhou Shan's glaring gaze, Zhang Hu and the others did not even dare to talk back. They could only obediently mine.

"At least you know what's good for you."

Zhou Shan nodded in satisfaction.

Huang Yun sat down, regulated his breathing, and began cultivating.

Seeing this, Zhou Shan also sat down and pretended to cultivate. Under the Nine Breaths Assimilation talent, an endless stream of heaven and earth's primordial qi surged into his body from the depths of the void, then transformed into Eagle Claw Iron Shirt Internal Force.

Half an hour later, Huang Yun finished cultivating.

Huang Yun could not yet absorb heaven and earth's primordial qi. What he refined through breathing exercises was the qi and blood within his body, so half an hour was his limit. This was the limitation of his innate bone and talent.

Those with better innate bone and talent could cultivate for one hour, two hours, or even three hours. Moreover, even if they cultivated for the same half hour, the results would be far better than those of martial artists with ordinary aptitude.

The speed at which one's cultivation improved through practicing a martial art depended not only on one's innate bone and talent, but also on cultivation resources. If one consumed pills that increased cultivation, one could likewise rapidly improve one's cultivation.

That was why disciples of major sects could possess more than ten or even twenty years of cultivation after training for only a few years.

When these disciples of major sects ventured into the martial world, they could, despite their young age, hang up and beat martial artists from small places who had trained for twenty or thirty years. One person could take on an entire sect.

Zhou Shan, meanwhile, continued cultivating until Zhang Hu and the others finished mining and completed their quota.

"Zhou Shan, you can actually cultivate for four hours in one go. No wonder you're so strong and could defeat Zhang Hu." Huang Yun exclaimed. "Those born with divine strength have far more abundant qi and blood than ordinary people. I often heard storytellers say that everyone born with divine strength could be called a genius. Their strength would skyrocket with every passing year, and by adulthood, even without cultivating any martial arts, they could rival a First-class Martial Artist."

"With this talent, Zhou Shan, it's only a matter of time before you soar to great heights."

Huang Yun's eyes were filled with envy.

"In these troubled times, with war raging everywhere, I don't seek great wealth or high status, nor do I wish to soar to great heights. Having the strength to protect myself is enough." Zhou Shan said calmly. "Though I was born with divine strength, that does not mean there are no people in this world with better aptitude than mine."

Zhou Shan repeatedly emphasized that he had been born with divine strength.

That way, he would have an explanation for his rapid improvement in cultivation.

Besides, the village he had come from had already been slaughtered and burned by bandits. There was no way to verify anything.

"Sigh, in these troubled times, natural and man-made disasters never cease, while bandits run rampant—one could even say they act without restraint. Village massacres happen often. Without the protection of a powerful force, things will only become more dangerous."

Huang Yun sighed. The village he came from had also fallen victim to bandits.

Zhou Shan did not know what to say in response.

That was simply how the world was.

To survive and live with dignity, one needed only powerful martial strength.

As the sun set and the moon rose,

ten days had passed since Zhou Shan came to this world.

Name: Zhou Shan

Talent: Nine Breaths Assimilation

Martial Art: Eagle Claw Iron Shirt (Ten Years of Cultivation)

"Eagle Claw Iron Shirt has already reached ten years of cultivation."

A sharp gleam flashed in Zhou Shan's eyes.

His body was now noticeably taller than it had been ten days ago, growing from 1.7 meters to 1.75 meters. The muscles all over his body had become more solid, and even a thick layer of callus had formed over the surface of his skin, making him appear more imposing.

The cultivation of Eagle Claw Iron Shirt involved tempering one's tendons, bones, skin, and flesh with Internal Force.

The deeper one's Internal Force, the deeper the tempering of one's tendons, bones, skin, and flesh, and the stronger one's physical body became.

At this moment, Zhou Shan's physical strength had exceeded a thousand jin, while his Internal Force had increased severalfold.

With ten years of cultivation, he was already qualified to apply to join the Black Armored Army and become a Black Armored Guard. However, Zhou Shan was in no hurry to apply.

Although becoming a member of the Black Armored Army would grant him better status and treatment, he would also have to carry out more dangerous missions.

(End of Chapter)