Northern Garrison Scale Armor, Spirit Taming Secret Record

Chapter 36: Mystic Armor for Protection, Forging the Northern Garrison Armor!

Taking advantage of his peak forging skills, Lin Zhao retrieved the Mystic Armored Pangolin Dragon scales and, with Fine Steel-laced Bincheng iron rings, crafted a suit of armor for himself.

The armor exuded a wild, untamed aura from the Northern Frontier, with a bold and unrestrained design.

Lin Zhao dyed the armor a deep black, the scale patterns faintly visible.

When worn, it was much lighter than ordinary plate armor, yet it didn't sacrifice flexibility.

Its defensive capabilities were comparable to plate armor, and what was even more remarkable was the unique toughness of the Mystic Armored Pangolin Dragon scales, which also had a shock-absorbing effect against blunt impacts.

"I shall call it the 'Northern Garrison Scale Armor'," Lin Zhao bestowed a majestic title upon this precious armor.

"An inner lining of fine steel chainmail, layered with the Northern Garrison Scale Armor, covered by a thick leather armor tanned from Giant Crocodile hide, further enhanced by the protective aura of the Mystic Dragon Breathing Technique – four layers of defense, truly as impregnable as a golden fortress!"

"In all martial arts, only unbreakability prevails!"

Clad in his precious armor and wielding his Cold Iron saber, Lin Zhao felt an surge of heroic spirit!

He then struck while the iron was hot and forged a set for Zhao Tieying.

Zhao Tieying was overwhelmed with gratitude, nearly moved to tears.

Zhao Tieying's power had recovered somewhat. Though he couldn't regain his former peak Entering Martial Master glory, he was still at the level of an ordinary Entering Martial Master.

If he had possessed such armor in his earlier years, he wouldn't have been so severely wounded by Ai Tieshan.

This was the pain of inadequate weaponry and armor.

"The remaining scales will be saved for the three Mystic Arm Snow Apes to forge armor when they grow up," Lin Zhao's mood greatly improved.

In addition to the armor, Lin Zhao also replicated the Internal Breath Armor-Piercing Crossbow from memory.

However, the most challenging part of this crossbow wasn't the mechanism, but the arrowheads.

Arrowheads forged from ordinary fine steel were far less effective at piercing armor than expected.

After dedicated research by him, the master craftsman, he discovered that to achieve a remarkable armor-piercing effect, a rare metal was required—

"Cold Iron Mother."

This material was even rarer than Black Gold.

While an ounce of Black Gold cost a hundred taels on the market, Cold Iron Mother demanded two hundred.

More importantly, both these metals were rarely circulated in the market.

Lin Zhao had already gone to great lengths to acquire Black Gold for forging the Cold Iron Frost Condensing Sword.

Although the plan to mass-produce armor-piercing crossbows was hindered, Lin Zhao was not discouraged.

Even with ordinary iron arrows, this crossbow's power was considerable.

Moreover, he still possessed three Internal Breath Cold Iron Mother arrows, all obtained from the Mystic Armored Pangolin Dragon's lair, which were sufficient as a trump card.

By the time Lin Zhao finished his forging endeavors, the season had reached Jingzhe (Awakening of Insects).

Three months had passed since he annihilated the Night Raven Tower's stronghold in Northern Garrison City.

The Night Raven Tower must have known about the destruction of their stronghold by now, and their next move remained unknown.

In the secret chamber, Lin Zhao, cultivating the Netherworld Body Tempering Technique, slowly concluded his practice.

The technique had reached its second level the day before. He felt his physique had slightly improved, but for his current cultivation, the enhancement from the second level of the Netherworld Body Tempering Technique was negligible. To see significant results, he needed to reach at least the fourth level.

He opened his Proficiency Panel:

Lin Zhao--

Netherworld Body Tempering Technique: Second Level (1500/5000)

"Without the aid of secret medicines, the cultivation progress is truly slow," Lin Zhao couldn't help but sigh.

This Netherworld Body Tempering Technique was more difficult to cultivate than the Mystic Wolf, Blood Poison Spider, and Black Bear techniques, primarily due to the lack of the accompanying secret medicine, "Netherworld Fluid."

It required an ingredient called "Netherworld Grass," which Lin Zhao had never heard of.

He sent people to inquire at the Xuanyao Tavern in Northern Garrison City and consulted learned scholars, but no one knew of this item.

Therefore, Lin Zhao could only rely on diligent practice to cultivate this technique.

The progress was indeed unsatisfactory, reaching only the second level in two months.

This speed was already lightning-fast for ordinary people, but for Lin Zhao, it was too slow.

Cultivating this technique also encroached upon the time he could have spent practicing other skills.

At this rate, it was uncertain when he would reach mastery.

"I must make a trip to the Xuanyao Tavern in Northern Garrison City. Firstly, to gather information on the Night Raven Tower's movements, secondly, to inquire about the progress of the bounty for cultivation techniques, and thirdly, this Netherworld Grass... Without the assistance of secret medicines, practicing high-level techniques to mastery is too time-consuming. Time is money, and this approach is simply not cost-effective."

During these three months of arduous training, besides the Netherworld Body Tempering Technique, other skills had also advanced.

However, Lin Zhao primarily focused on the Mystic Dragon Breathing Technique and the Netherworld Body Tempering Technique, while the progress of the Blood Poison Spider and Black Bear techniques was slightly slower.

But he estimated that within three to five months, the Black Bear Strength would reach the fifth level, and the Blood Poison Spider Breathing Technique would not be far behind.

In short, with a little more time, his strength would undoubtedly reach a new level.

After finishing his talk with Zhao Tieying, Lin Zhao, wearing the Rakshasa mask, headed back to Northern Garrison City.

He first went to the Xuanyao Tavern to inquire if anyone was selling cultivation techniques.

To his surprise, someone was indeed selling one. Lin Zhao was secretly delighted and asked the waiter to help him contact the seller, then found a private room to drink and wait.

While waiting, he activated his Subtle Vibration Sense, catching all sorts of conversations within the tavern.

From the idle chatter of the patrons, he learned that the remnants of the Northern Yuan in the Northern Frontier had been very restless this winter.

Nearly ten thousand commoners were displaced due to the severe cold and the so-called "disaster of the Ice Armored Death Warriors," migrating south in large groups.

Along the way, they suffered from hunger, cold, and illness, compounded by rampant bandits and the appearance of fierce beasts, with less than one in ten surviving.

Those few who were lucky enough to reach the Great Ming Northern Garrison Town and the Jizhou Northern Frontier, at best, ended up being captured by slave-catching squads and sold into servitude.

Several of the serfs Lin Zhao had purchased were from the former Northern Yuan lands.

These northern people were short and sturdy, skilled blacksmiths.

For them, merely surviving was a luxury.

Regarding the "Ice Armored Death Warriors," some wandering martial masters hired by Northern Yuan nobles described them: "Heaven above, they are a group of tireless, fearless, death-defying warriors covered in frost, with blue ghost-fire burning in their eye sockets!"

"Death warriors..." Lin Zhao's eyes flashed with sharp light, a sense of curiosity stirring within him about the origins of these Ice Armored Death Warriors.

Not long after, the person selling the cultivation technique arrived at the private room in the Xuanyao Tavern.

"Are you the Rakshasa Shen Luo?" the newcomer asked. He was pot-bellied and frail, clearly not a martial artist.

"Indeed. Do you have a cultivation technique for sale?" Lin Zhao tapped his fingertips on the table, his gaze sweeping over the hand hidden in the man's sleeve.

"Yes, I have an ancestral technique here. What price are you willing to offer, Shen Luo?" The fatty's voice was shaky, clearly his first time making such a transaction, his eyes full of nervousness.

"It depends on the quality of the technique. May I see it?" Lin Zhao's tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable pressure.

The fatty nodded hastily, pulling out a worn booklet with yellowed edges and dust-covered pages from his robes. He only briefly unfolded a corner before quickly retracting it—afraid of someone memorizing the contents.

Though it was only a glance, Lin Zhao recognized the ink marks on the booklet as old, and the nineteen illustrations were clearly visible. In the center, a mighty ox, as large as a stone roller, was depicted, clearly indicating a strength-based technique.

A lower-grade strength technique, on par with Black Bear Strength. A hint of disappointment flickered through Lin Zhao's mind.

Even if such a technique were practiced to perfection, it would be of little benefit to his current strength.

But then he thought, having more techniques was always useful, so he decided to buy it.

Seeing Lin Zhao's slightly furrowed brow, the fatty panicked and quickly tried to salvage the situation: "This is my Niu family's ancestral Brute Ox Technique, not some incomplete version found on the market. If you are a collector of techniques, you must know the value of a complete lineage!"

"Fifty taels of silver," Lin Zhao said, too lazy to haggle, stating his price directly.

"Too low! At least eighty taels!" The fatty forced himself to counter, but upon catching the cold glint in Lin Zhao's eyes, his voice dropped by half.

He didn't practice this ancestral technique himself; he just wanted to sell it for money to indulge himself in brothels and entertainment districts. He wouldn't dare to confront this "Rakshasa Shen Luo."

Lin Zhao immediately stood up, making as if to leave: "Fifty taels. If you won't sell, then forget it."

"Deal! Fifty taels!" The fatty quickly grabbed Lin Zhao's sleeve, afraid the deal would fall through.

With the transaction settled, Lin Zhao took the old booklet and examined it closely.

The words "Brute Ox Technique" on the cover were faded, and the annotations next to the illustrations inside were crooked.

"As expected, a common lower-grade technique," Lin Zhao sneered. The booklet depicted several people worshipping a house-sized wild ox as a totem, exactly as he had guessed.

"Alas, higher-grade techniques are truly hard to come by. Perhaps I should inquire which noble families in Northern Garrison City possess secret tomes, and play the role of a 'treasure-hunting' wandering swordsman?" The thought of plunder flashed through Lin Zhao's mind, but he quickly suppressed it—not causing trouble was his principle, but if someone came looking for him, he wouldn't be merciful.

Afterward, Lin Zhao went to the bounty board and posted a commission for "heavy reward for Netherworld Grass," just to try his luck.

Coincidentally, the Xuanyao Tavern's monthly auction was about to begin, so Lin Zhao decided to stay and participate.

To his surprise, the auction had many good items. One of them, a "Silver Scale Heart Mirror" personally crafted by the "Red Fire Master Craftsman," sold for a high price of fifteen thousand taels due to the use of two pounds of Black Gold.

"Heh, I am also a certified Master Craftsman. It's a shame my name isn't well-known, otherwise wouldn't earning money be easier?" Lin Zhao stroked his chin, calculating. "Next time I deal with the Wild Jackal Gang, for any armor I personally forge, I must add a thirty percent markup. If they don't agree, I'll cut off cooperation—they are of no great use to me now. It's time to find an opportunity to deal with the Wild Jackal Gang and take back Zhang Laochui." He had harbored this old grudge for three full years.

Even more surprisingly, an auction item was a mid-grade non-bloodline technique, Iron Rhinoceros Technique.

Despite being mid-grade, it sparked a fierce bidding war, eventually closing at eight thousand eight hundred taels.

The value of non-bloodline techniques lay in their ability to be passed down to subordinates. Whether it was a major clan cultivating its influence or a nouveau riche seeking a legacy, they were willing to pay a hefty price for it.

Lin Zhao was somewhat tempted but did not participate in the bidding—spending nearly eight thousand eight hundred taels for a mid-grade technique was not worth it.

The soldiers under his command had the Bone Softening Technique, which was enough for them to practice until they were old. There was no need to add new techniques.

Ultimately, the Iron Rhinoceros Technique was acquired by a man wearing a bronze mask.

After obtaining it, the man didn't even drink the wine on the table, clutching the technique and leaving in a hurry, clearly afraid of attracting attention.

Lin Zhao's peripheral vision caught sight of four or five shadowy figures stealthily following the man as soon as he left the Xuanyao Tavern.

"Interesting," Lin Zhao's eyes flashed with sharp light. The auction had no more items that interested him, so he also got up to leave.

"If those people succeed, I'll take what they get. If they fail, I'll have watched a good show—though I'm no saint, I don't actively seek trouble." His code of conduct had always been flexible.

After exiting the Northern Garrison City gate, Lin Zhao used his Mystic Wolf Step to quietly follow behind.

The strongest among that group was merely a high-level Entering Martial Master, and there were a few thugs who hadn't practiced martial arts. In his eyes, they were no different from common rabble.

However, the man didn't rush out of the city—within the city, there were government officials and patrol inspectors, so the villains dared not act recklessly.

He found a place called Peace Inn to stay, and stayed for three days.

During this time, many impatient villains had already left, but three of them were still unwilling to give up and lingered near the inn.

In a room on the second floor of the inn, the middle-aged man under the bronze mask had a solemn expression. "We can't wait any longer. These people are about to lose their patience. Although I am a high-level Martial Master and have two mid-level Martial Masters with me, that Rakshasa masked man who followed us gives me a feeling of being more dangerous than a peak Martial Master!"

"Damn it, I was ordered by Duke Wei to find a cultivation technique. If I fail, it will be hard to explain when I get back." The middle-aged man rubbed his temples, full of anxiety.

At the same moment, Lin Zhao in the next room was cultivating with his eyes closed.

[Netherworld Body Tempering Technique Proficiency +29]

"The progress of the Netherworld Body Tempering Technique is getting faster and faster." Lin Zhao opened his eyes, clenched his fists, and felt the surging internal energy within him. "At this rate, I will definitely reach the peak Martial Master level this year."

"Unfortunately, the Mystic Dragon Secret Medicine is almost gone again. Where can I find Pangolin Dragon Essence? Do I have to go to Oirat?"

Oirat and Great Ming have always been at odds, and Lin Zhao had never set foot there. Moreover, he didn't understand the Oirat language, so it would be difficult to gather information even if he went.

"Wait, I have a Proficiency Panel! If I can find books on the Oirat language, maybe I can convert them into skills and then practice them slowly." Although books introducing the Oirat language were extremely rare in Northern Garrison City, there was still a glimmer of hope.

Just as Lin Zhao was about to circulate the Netherworld Body Tempering Technique, the faint footsteps outside the window made him instantly alert.

Since mastering the Subtle Vibration Sense, his perception had become increasingly keen, and he could clearly capture the sound of breathing from several dozen feet away.

He quickly stuffed the dried meat into his mouth, put on the Rakshasa mask, stretched his wrists, and then, with a tap of his toes, he flipped out of the window like a nimble cat, landing silently in the shadows of the inn's backyard.

In the middle of the night, the middle-aged man, along with two mid-level Martial Masters, rode their horses out of the city and headed south.

He knew that the longer the night, the more unpredictable things could become, and he had to leave Northern Garrison City as soon as possible.

But just as they reached the mass grave about ten miles outside the city, a cold arrow whistled through the air—"Whoosh!"

The arrow grazed the middle-aged man's shoulder and embedded itself in a nearby tree trunk, the fletching still trembling.

"Hand over the Iron Rhinoceros Technique, and we can spare your life!" Four dark figures emerged from the mass grave, the leader holding a long saber with a ferocious gaze.

A fierce battle instantly erupted, the clang of metal echoing through the night sky.

Initially, with his high-level Martial Master cultivation and the assistance of two mid-level Martial Masters, the middle-aged man could still fight evenly with the villains, even having a slight advantage.

But not long after, a figure wearing a ghost mask suddenly joined the fray. His internal energy was so profound that he was actually a high-level Martial Master!

The situation instantly reversed, and the middle-aged man gradually fell into a disadvantage.

He had ultimately underestimated the allure of non-bloodline cultivation techniques, which had attracted two high-level Martial Masters.

"Stop!" the middle-aged man roared, pushing back the villain in front of him. "I am a retainer of Duke Wei's mansion, acting under orders! Do you know that attacking someone from Duke Wei's mansion is equivalent to making an enemy of the entire Duke Wei's mansion!"

"Hahaha! Kill you and dump your body in the wilderness, who will know?" The high-level Martial Master with the ghost mask sneered, his saber becoming even more ferocious. "Duke Wei is powerful, but he is too far away to help!"

These desperate criminals had nothing to lose and were not afraid of Duke Wei's mansion in the distant capital!

"You..." The middle-aged man was both shocked and enraged. Just as he was about to speak again, he suddenly heard the whistle of an arrow—

"Pfft!"

An iron arrow accurately pierced his back, the arrowhead emerging from his chest, trailing hot blood.

The middle-aged man looked down at the arrow shaft in his chest in disbelief, then slowly turned his head to look in the direction the arrow came from.

In the moonlight, a Rakshasa mask slowly appeared, revealing Lin Zhao, who had been following them all along.

Unwillingness filled the middle-aged man's eyes as his body slowly slumped onto his horse.

Seeing this, the other villains immediately swarmed forward, all wanting to snatch the cultivation technique from his embrace.

However, Lin Zhao didn't give them a chance. He quickly drew his bow and nocked an arrow, the bowstring twanging—

"Bang bang bang!"

Every arrow hit its mark! Under his archery skill of hitting a target a hundred paces away, the mid-level Martial Masters who were not wearing armor instantly fell to the ground. Even the Martial Masters wearing leather armor had their joints shot, rendering them unable to fight.

In just a few breaths, more than half of those who dared to covet the cultivation technique were dead.

"Who are you? How dare you ruin my good deed!" The ghost-masked Martial Master, seeing his companions suffer heavy casualties, flashed a hint of fear in his eyes, but he still gritted his teeth and charged at Lin Zhao, his saber unleashing a fierce blade wind.

Lin Zhao drew his sword, the cold glint of the Frost Condensation Sword particularly dazzling in the night!

"Mystic Wolf Strength, accelerate!"

The Mystic Wolf Strength in his body circulated rapidly, and Lin Zhao's figure instantly accelerated. While evading the blade wind, his sword edge drew an arc—

"Three Talents Slash!"

The internal energy of the Mystic Dragon Breathing Technique erupted, and a layer of pale green Protective Aura enveloped the sword, striking the ghost-masked Martial Master's saber fiercely!

"Crack!"

The saber broke with a snap. The Frost Condensation Sword continued its momentum, directly slicing through the opponent's chainmail and piercing his lower abdomen.

Lin Zhao flicked his wrist and slashed horizontally with the blade—

"Pfft!"

The ghost-masked Martial Master was cut in half at the waist, blood and internal organs spilling onto the ground.

A one-sided slaughter ended in moments.

On the mass grave mound, only Lin Zhao and the dying middle-aged man remained alive.

"You... do you know I'm from Duke Wei's estate..." the middle-aged man's breath was weak, the wound on his chest was still bleeding profusely, and it was clear he wouldn't live much longer.

Lin Zhao walked slowly to him, the tip of his Frost Condensation Sword pressed against the man's brow, his voice icy, "I kill people from Duke Wei's estate."

"Pfft!"

The blade pierced in, and the middle-aged man breathed his last.

Lin Zhao quickly cleaned up the battlefield, finding a copy of the Iron Rhinoceros Technique from the middle-aged nobleman's embrace, over five thousand taels in silver notes, and a yellowed, ancient piece of parchment. The parchment had no diagrams of techniques, only dozens of complex hand seals. In the corner were written four ancient characters:

Spirit Taming Secret Record.

Lin Zhao briefly scanned the contents of the parchment, his heart suddenly racing, his breathing growing rapid.

"This... this is the real surprise!!!"