Blood Poison Spider, Fourth Level

Lin Zhao temporarily set aside forging, medicine-making, and all other matters, devoting himself wholeheartedly to cultivating his inner strength.

He had long since mastered the moves of the Three Talents Slash, and his Shock Force and Binding Force were enough to handle ordinary opponents. What mattered most now was raising his inner cultivation by another level.

At the end of August in the 24th Year of Jiajing, autumn was deepening.

The Black Bear Breathing Technique, which he had begun cultivating last, unexpectedly became the first to break through to the Fourth Level.

Lin Zhao--

Black Bear Strength: Fourth Level (Perfected State). Special Effect: Primary Divine Strength.

[Primary Divine Strength]: His sinews and bones were far tougher than those of ordinary people. When unleashed, his strength multiplied, allowing him to wrestle Northern Black Bear demon beasts barehanded and fight demon beasts without falling behind.

"As expected, lower-grade techniques progress the fastest. With the secret medicine refined from black bear essence blood helping me along, this breathing technique has become the second skill I've cultivated to its peak." Feeling the dense inner breath flowing through his palm, Lin Zhao could not help but smile.

The secret medicine he used was no ordinary thing. It had been made from the essence blood of adult Northern Black Bear demon beasts, creatures capable of matching Entering Martial Masters. Such progress was only natural.

"Same old rules. Let's test my strength." He pushed open the door to the meditation chamber. The sandalwood fragrance still lingered in the bluestone corridor.

He crossed the side courtyard and arrived at the animal enclosure where the three Mystic Arm Snow Apes were kept.

Dry straw covered the ground within the ten-foot-tall wooden fence, and a faint beastly odor hung in the air.

"Yuan Da, come here," Lin Zhao called softly.

The leading Mystic Arm Snow Ape waddled over with its round body swaying, affectionately rubbing its nose against his palm.

The three Mystic Arm Snow Apes were nearly four years old. Each weighed more than a thousand jin and was three times larger than an ordinary snow ape. Their fur was dark as snow, sleek and glossy, while their sharp claws gleamed with cold light.

During last month's battle with Iron Mountain, Lin Zhao might not have won so easily without them tying him down from the side.

Though they had been injured after the battle, careful treatment and their powerful regenerative abilities had restored them completely.

At their current strength, they were comparable to mid-level Entering Martial Masters of the martial world. Once fully grown, even ordinary high-level Entering Martial Masters would likely struggle to defeat them.

Yuan Er and Yuan San in particular, the two male apes, were exceptionally gifted. In the future, they might even contend with high-level Entering Martial Masters.

"How could ordinary cavalry compare to demon beast iron cavalry? In ancient times, fierce generals drove demon beasts into battle. With these three Mystic Arm Snow Apes, even if I have no ambitions of conquest, I have more than enough means to protect myself." Lin Zhao stroked Yuan Er's head. Though feeding them required hundreds of jin of meat each day, this level of combat strength was worth any amount of silver.

He fetched a hemp rope as thick as a bowl and tossed it to Yuan Da. "Bite down tight."

Yuan Er and Yuan San crowded forward. The former pawed at the wooden fence, eager to try, but Lin Zhao waved him off. "Let Yuan Da go first. If he loses, then you can take your turn."

Yuan Da seemed to understand human speech and let out an unhappy growl. Though he was not yet fully grown, he still weighed a thousand jin. Why would he fear a human?

Lin Zhao gripped the other end of the rope and thought, Let's see whether this "Primary Divine Strength" truly lives up to its name.

"Begin!"

The moment the words left his mouth, he suddenly heaved backward. Black bear inner breath surged from his dantian and poured into both arms, his muscles instantly knotting like the roots of an ancient tree. Yuan Da refused to yield. His claws sank deep into the straw as he jerked his head back sharply, stretching the hemp rope taut with a creaking groan.

This had originally been an uneven contest—Yuan Da alone weighed a thousand jin. Even standing still, he could drag an ordinary man to the ground.

Yet Lin Zhao now possessed the strength of a mid-level Entering Martial Master. With the Fourth Level of the Mystic Dragon Breathing Technique as his foundation and the divine strength granted by Black Bear Strength, he actually held Yuan Da at a stalemate.

Two shallow furrows were plowed into the bluestone beneath Lin Zhao's feet, his face flushed red. Yuan Da's breathing was heavy, hot vapor mixed with white mist streaming from his nostrils as his paws ground the straw to pieces.

Man and ape remained locked in struggle for roughly the time it took five incense sticks to burn. In the end, Lin Zhao's strength failed him, and Yuan Da yanked him into a stagger.

"So the 'Black Bear' refers to ordinary black bear demon beasts, not extraordinary variants like Northern Black Bears." He rubbed his aching arms, yet his heart was filled with delight. With strength like this, he already stood head and shoulders above his peers in the martial world.

After resting briefly, Lin Zhao returned to the meditation chamber and continued cultivating the Blood Poison Spider Breathing Technique.

This technique required poisonous substances as an aid, and he had no secret medicine to assist him. Its progress was far slower than Black Bear Strength, and he remained more than a thousand proficiency points away from the Fourth Level.

Fortunately, he had long grasped the knack of cultivating inner strength. With every breath, his inner breath flowed ever more smoothly, so he did not find it dull.

In September of the 24th Year of Jiajing, it was harvest season.

Golden waves rolled across the wheat fields of Qixia Valley. Tenant farmers swung their sickles through the crops, their laughter ringing without end.

That spring, Lin Zhao had ordered dozens of mu of wasteland cleared. He had also taught the tenant farmers to improve the soil with plant ash and manure. Yield per mu had risen by two shi over last year, while total production had increased by ten percent.

Yet the Ming Dynasty's farming techniques were limited. Relying on fertilizer alone, there was little room left for further gains.

To increase grain production further, he would either have to expand planting or assign more manpower. The number of tenant farmers in the territory could no longer keep up with the labor demands of the mill and iron mine.

In this day and age, there were only three ways for a lord to increase his population: grants from the government, purchasing servants, or taking in refugees.

But Qixia Valley was remote. Most refugees fled toward the prosperous Zhenbei Prefecture and Yongping Prefecture, and few ever came here.

Left with no choice, Lin Zhao had his steward select servants at the Yongping Prefecture slave market. Most were people displaced by border troubles, and many carried injuries or illness. Those who were strong and healthy had long been picked out by nobles and officials. He could only pick generals from among dwarfs: so long as they had no contagious diseases, he bought them all and assigned them to work at the mill and iron mine.

With the household affairs managed by the steward, Lin Zhao continued to keep a low profile, meditating in seclusion by day and personally inspecting the guard posts by night.

The threat of Night Raven Tower had not yet been removed. If that "Mystic Shadow," a Grandmaster Warrior of the Heavenly Gang Realm, came in person, Lin Zhao might not be able to defeat him.

Only by cultivating his inner strength to its peak as quickly as possible could he gain a few more chances of victory.

One morning, a sharp shout rang out from the meditation chamber.

Lin Zhao opened his eyes. A sharp gleam flashed within them, the hairs on his arms standing on end as a wisp of pale gray inner breath curled around his fingertips—the Blood Poison Spider Breathing Technique had finally broken through to the Fourth Level!

Lin Zhao--

Blood Poison Spider Breathing Technique: Fourth Level (1/20000). Special Effects: Subtle Vibration Sense, Intuitive Awareness.

"Good heavens! The Blood Poison Spider Breathing Technique actually has two special effects?" Lin Zhao stared at the pale gray aura circulating through his dantian, his eyes full of astonishment.

He concentrated and examined it closely, using his inner breath to activate the first special effect. In an instant, a mysterious sensation spread through his mind--

[Subtle Vibration Sense]: Inner breath nourishes the fine hairs throughout the body, allowing him to capture minute vibrations in gas, liquid, and solid states. Current radius of air sensing: ten zhang. His perception of vibrations in liquid and solid states is even stronger.

"This is practically a sensing divine ability rarely seen in the martial world!" Lin Zhao sprang to his feet, walked to the wall of the meditation chamber, and pressed the back of his hand against the blue bricks.

In that instant, the breath in his dantian flowed through his meridians and spread across his body. Every fine hair rose upright, like countless tiny needles sensing all movement around him—the rustling vibrations of a snow rabbit chewing dead grass outside the courtyard, the soft tremors of a field mouse burrowing at the base of the wall, the tinkling resonance of a wind chime swaying beneath the eaves, even the dull tapping sensations from a kitchen worker's knife striking the chopping board ten zhang away. All of it entered his mind with perfect clarity, more precise than what he could hear with his own ears.

"With this ability, when I face a powerful enemy again, I can predict the path of their attacks through vibrations alone!" He could not help clenching his fists, remembering Iron Mountain's swift and ferocious punches. If he had possessed this special effect then, before the opponent's fist wind even arrived, he could have sensed the vibrations in his arm muscles. How could he have been struck until his ribs nearly shattered?

"That woman Xie Hongling truly wasted a priceless treasure. Such a wondrous secret art fell into her hands, yet she used it only for poisoning. It was meant to be mine!"

Once his excitement settled somewhat, he probed the second special effect. His heart instantly tightened--

[Intuitive Awareness]: Inner breath nurtures intuition, providing vague warnings of danger. It can help him seek fortune and avoid calamity, predicting potential disasters. However, the perception is indistinct and general, not absolutely precise. As his inner breath improves, the accuracy of this intuition will also increase.

"Th-this... isn't this the 'Danger Avoidance Intuition' the old generation of the martial world speaks of?" Lin Zhao sucked in a cold breath.

Though it was only at the beginner level, this warning alone would allow him to detect the killing intent of an ambush beforehand and avoid arrows fired from the shadows. It was simply a life-saving tool!

With the two special effects layered together, his strength had increased by far more than double. Calling it a complete rebirth would not be an exaggeration.

"It seems cultivation requires taking in all rivers. Never mind whether a technique is crude or profound—cultivate it to the limit first!" He made up his mind. When he attended the auction at Xuanyao Tavern in Northern Garrison City in the future, he would need to search for more bloodline secret arts. Lower-grade ones would do. At his current cultivation speed, he could reach their limit within a few months. They were far more cost-effective than spending a fortune on upper-grade secret arts.

Unable to restrain himself, Lin Zhao rushed straight to the beast enclosure in the rear courtyard.

He stuffed cotton into his ears, then covered his eyes with blue cloth, completely cutting off sight and hearing. He would rely solely on Subtle Vibration Sense and Intuitive Awareness.

"Yuan Da, Yuan Er, Yuan San, come at me together—go easy. Don't hurt me."

The moment his words fell, he sensed the vibrations of heavy footsteps coming from behind—it was Yuan Er!

He had long been unable to hold himself back. His four claws kicked off the ground, and he pounced with the force of the wind.

The fine hairs over Lin Zhao's body instantly caught the tremors in the airflow. Mystic Wolf Strength and Bone Softening Technique inner breath circulated within his dantian at once. His body drifted three chi to the side like willow catkins in the wind, narrowly evading the ape's claws.

Before Yuan San could withdraw his momentum, Lin Zhao caught his wrist bone with a backhand grip and pushed with the force of the movement—Bang! Yuan San crashed into Yuan Da, who had rushed over to support him. The two Mystic Arm Snow Apes rolled into a tangled heap, letting out aggrieved growls.

Immediately afterward, another vibration of fierce wind came from behind—it was Yuan Er! Through the vibration sense, Lin Zhao clearly perceived the path of his pounce. He tapped off the ground with his toes and leaped into the air, sweeping his right leg out at the same time, striking Yuan Er squarely.

Yuan Er let out an "Aow!" and fell flat on his back, sliding more than a zhang across the straw.

Standing blindfolded in the center of the beast enclosure, Lin Zhao clasped his hands behind his back. The autumn wind swept past, making his robes flap sharply.

Though he could neither see nor hear, every movement within ten zhang of him lay within his perception—the swaying of blades of grass, the rise and fall of the Mystic Arm Snow Apes' breathing, even the vibrations from armor plates striking together as distant guards patrolled. Everything was as clear as a painting.

"So this is what it feels like to hold the whole situation in one's grasp?" He threw back his head and laughed, the pent-up gloom in his chest from Night Raven Tower completely dispersing.

Putting aside his playful mood, Lin Zhao returned to the meditation chamber.

The Mystic Dragon Breathing Technique was only one final step away from the Fifth Level, and he dared not slacken. Over these past months of bitter cultivation, he had slept only two shichen a day, relying entirely on secret medicine and meat to sustain himself. If not for the flames of vengeance burning in his heart, he would have collapsed long ago.

"Once the Mystic Dragon Breathing Technique breaks through, I'll rest a little, then settle the score with Night Raven Tower!"

The late autumn wind carried a chill, and the month of harvest vanished in the blink of an eye.

The territory was peaceful. Tenant farmers busied themselves drying grain, and the Blacksmith Shop's furnaces still burned brightly. Only from Lin Zhao's meditation chamber came dense waves of inner breath every day.

At the end of the month, Steward Fu hurried in with a report. "Young Master! Lord Zhao has awakened!"

Lin Zhao rose abruptly and rushed straight to Zhao Tieying's residence.

Charcoal burned in the room to ward off the cold. Zhao Tieying lay on the bed, his hair at the temples half-white and his face pale as paper. His once-upright body now looked somewhat stooped.

Seeing Lin Zhao enter, he stretched out a trembling, withered hand. His voice was hoarse. "Young Master... it's good that you're all right... If this subordinate goes, I can still answer to the Old General..."

Lin Zhao strode forward and grasped his hand—his palm was icy cold, his knuckles covered in calluses.

"Uncle Zhao, what nonsense are you talking about?" he said in a deep voice. "Just focus on recovering. There are still three Pulse Renewing and Qi Solidifying Pills left from the Imperial Hospital. They will certainly restore you! In the future, I still need you to watch the Lin family rise again with me, and make those who harmed us repay their blood debts with blood!"

Tears welled in Zhao Tieying's eyes as he slowly nodded.

He knew his cultivation had been ruined—the abdominal wound that had pierced through him had damaged his internal organs and the meridians that circulated his inner breath. Even if he recovered, he would never again be able to wield inner breath.

Yet as he looked into Lin Zhao's unwavering eyes, a surge of warmth rose in his heart. "This subordinate... will wait for that day."