Lin Zhao held the Spirit Taming Secret Record, his fingertips brushing over the page detailing the proportions of the medicinal catalysts. After confirming everything was correct, he took a pair of specially made black iron gloves from a wooden box—the gloves lay cold against his palms, and the anti-slip ridges at the fingertips itched against his skin. He had specifically asked a blacksmith to forge them, fearing he might injure his hands while practicing seal incantations.
He pinched up a small amount of the medicinal catalyst and carefully placed it in his palm. His fingers swiftly formed changing seal incantations as he quietly recited the cultivation formula, then thrust his palm forward—
"Pfft!"
The medicinal catalyst scattered all over the floor. Forget Flame Current—not even a spark appeared.
"Could it be that gloves won't work?" Lin Zhao frowned, staring at the catalyst on the ground as he muttered, "But what if I burn my palm without gloves? If the seal incantation triggers a backlash from my inner force, that'll be serious trouble."
After hesitating for a moment, his eyes suddenly lit up. "I'll protect my palm with True Qi!"
With a thought, the Mystic Dragon True Qi in his dantian surged through his meridians and into his palms. A pale cyan glow instantly wrapped around them, and even the air grew faintly scorching—he was now a Second-rate Master, and the depth of his True Qi was no longer what it had once been. Even catching a bare blade with his hands would be no problem.
He formed the seal again, recited the formula, and abruptly sent his palm forward!
"Hiss—!"
As though he had ignited a fuse of gunpowder, Lin Zhao clearly felt his inner force rush from his dantian into his arm, gathering along his meridians in his palm. The medicinal catalyst flared to life with a whoosh, and crimson Flame Current erupted like molten iron. The foot-long flame sizzled as it twisted the surrounding air with heat, instantly scorching a black mark onto the bluestone floor tiles.
What was stranger was that when he touched his palm, it was not hot at all—apparently, as the seal incantation circulated, his inner force had naturally formed a protective layer. There was no need to expend additional True Qi to ward off the burns.
Before long, the Flame Current went out, leaving only a faint warmth lingering in the air.
Lin Zhao clenched his fist hard, his knuckles turning white. "It worked! From today on, I count as half a Spirit Taming Warrior!"
Eagerly, he opened the Proficiency Panel. Sure enough, a new line appeared:
Lin Zhao—Blazing Sun Seal: First level (3/1000)
"Ha ha ha ha!" Lin Zhao could not stop himself from laughing aloud, his voice echoing through the Secret Room. "This Proficiency Panel is incredible! A seal incantation only the Kang Clan bloodline can cultivate—I actually succeeded using my own inner force!"
"Now things will be easy!" He picked up the medicinal catalyst from the ground, his eyes brimming with drive. "The materials for the Blazing Sun Seal are cheap and easy to get. Let's set a small goal first—reach the Third Tier before year's end!"
As he spoke, he tried the Blazing Sun Seal once more. Flame Current swept across the floor from his palm, immediately leaving a charred trail behind.
It was just that the Flame Current was currently too short and did not last long. Unless he struck someone right in the face, it would be difficult to injure an opponent.
But the Spirit Taming Secret Record stated clearly that the flames of the Blazing Sun Seal had five levels: crimson, orange-yellow, azure-blue, ultimate violet, and finally, colorless flame—supposedly, once one cultivated it to the colorless realm, its power could contend with a genuine Spirit Taming Warrior's Heaven Burning Palm.
Lin Zhao practiced with tireless delight. The medicinal catalysts were worthless, so he did not feel the slightest heartache over using them.
To gather enough Ash from Hundred-Year-Old Grave Bones for the catalyst, his men had made no few trips to the old communal graves on the city outskirts these past days. Each time they returned, they carried a full sack of ash.
As for the materials for the other three great seal incantations, he had not been idle either. Using different identities, he had posted bounties at every Xuan Yao Pavilion in the cities and prefectures of the northern region—though he knew hope was slim, what if he happened to strike it lucky?
While Lin Zhao was busy practicing seal incantations, construction within the Lin Family Fortress territory had not fallen behind either.
The Cavalry Squad's training was in full swing. To avoid being discovered by neighboring forces, he had specifically chosen a Secluded Valley deep within the Qixia Mountain Range as their training ground—the place was hidden amid clouds and mist. The flat clearing in the valley had been packed solid beneath horses' hooves. Fifty cavalrymen wore black iron armor, and the wind kicked up by their swinging spears could bend the wild grass beside them. The thudding hoofbeats carried far through the valley.
The Blacksmith Workshop was even livelier. Furnace fires lit up half the sky red, while bare-chested blacksmiths swung their hammers. The clanging of metal could be heard half a mile away.
Black iron weapons were piled to one side, gleaming with cold light, while the output of protective gear steadily increased.
Supporting such a cavalry force required substantial grain, pay, and military equipment, but the Ore Veins and farms of Qixia Mountain were enough to sustain it—Lin Zhao had calculated the accounts long ago. So long as nothing major went wrong, this expenditure was no concern.
Diplomatically, however, things were not going so smoothly.
Captain Hu of the neighboring territory had recently embarked on extensive construction and had also grown especially close to the Celestial Masters' Manor. Anyone with eyes could see that he had become a vassal of the Celestial Masters' Manor.
The Xuanqing Temple overseen by Daoist Zhang had also been completed. With the manpower and resources Lin Zhao had transferred over to support it, the temple had been built with extraordinary grandeur—upturned eaves and raised corners, vermilion gates, imposing at a glance.
On the day of its consecration, Lin Zhao specifically had two chests of silver carried over as gifts. When the chests were opened, the gleaming silver nearly dazzled people's eyes.
Daoist Zhang smiled so broadly that the corners of his mouth nearly reached his ears. He even personally performed the rite of Spirit Calming Blessing for Lin Zhao, chanting, "Fortress Lord Lin is kindhearted and will surely receive blessings."
Lin Zhao lowered his head, but sneered inwardly. With my current strength, eliminating Daoist Zhang and his Guardian Martial Masters without anyone noticing would be no more than lifting a hand.
But he could not make a move. Not only could he not take revenge, he had to curry favor with them at every turn—aside from refusing to cede the Lin Family Fortress territory, he agreed to every other demand Daoist Zhang made.
For instance, he had personally donated one thousand taels of silver to the Celestial Masters' Manor. Whenever Xuanqing Temple lacked laborers, he immediately sent serfs over to help for free.
This made Daoist Zhang think Lin Zhao was spineless. He secretly mused, Qixia Mountain of the Lin Family Fortress will sooner or later be in the Celestial Masters' Manor's pocket.
The reason Daoist Zhang had his eye on Qixia Mountain was that he had accidentally obtained a treasure map whose marked location happened to lie within Qixia Mountain.
Only after investigating local historical records did he learn that this had once been the fief of the Meng family, a clan of meritorious nobles. The treasure map was surely connected to what the Meng family had left behind—and the Meng family had once aided the Evil Suppression Army, predecessor of the Celestial Masters' Manor. Daoist Zhang instinctively believed that beneath Qixia Mountain lay the Meng family's Martial Arts Secret Codex and military supplies.
But Qixia Mountain was not Celestial Masters' Manor territory. He could not dispatch a large force to search it and could only wait patiently.
In his eyes, Lin Zhao's repeated gestures of goodwill meant that he could no longer withstand the pressure and wished to ingratiate himself early, so that he might fetch a good price later.
To draw him in further, Daoist Zhang had even asked the Northern Garrison City branch of the Celestial Masters' Manor to issue Lin Zhao an Evil Suppression Iron Talisman, saying that it was an improved version of the previous generation's Spirit Calming Talisman and had greater power to deter evil entities.
"Fortress Lord Lin, this talisman may look like cast iron, but it is actually more precious than gold!" Daoist Zhang handed over the iron talisman, his tone full of pride. "This is the Demon Suppression Division's recognition of a local lord's loyalty. It isn't something just anyone can receive!"
Lin Zhao quickly accepted it with both hands, his face full of smiles. "Thank you for your support, Daoist! Thank you for the Celestial Masters' Manor's favor!"
On the spot, he had someone pay this year's territorial taxes—a stack of silver notes was handed over, and Daoist Zhang's steps were noticeably lighter when he left.
Watching Daoist Zhang's retreating back, the smile on Lin Zhao's lips instantly turned cold. Xuanqing Temple, that "money tree," would soon begin fleecing the common people. Let the old Daoist bask in his pride for a few more days. When the time came, Lin Zhao would collect both principal and interest together!
The twenty-fourth year of Jingli of the Ming Dynasty, during the Flower Festival season.
Inside the Secret Room of the Lin Family Fortress, Lin Zhao slowly opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing through them.
He examined his heart meridian inwardly and saw the Mystic Dragon Seed coiled at the very top like a tiny golden dragon, holding its head high and puffing out its chest, its scales gleaming faint gold. The Mystic Wolf Seed, Black Bear Seed, Netherworld Seed, and Blood Poison Spider Seed lay obediently beneath it. The Netherworld Seed in particular had grown a full size larger than before, wrapped in a faint black mist as waves of inner force rolled outward from it like tides.
"Bone Softening Technique has finally reached the Fifth Level!"
Lin Zhao—Bone Softening Technique: Fifth Level (Perfected State), Physical Technique Mysteries: Swift Shadow Step, Bone Shrinking Shapeshifting.
"So the Fifth Level is the limit of the Bone Softening Technique?" Lin Zhao felt the inner force from the Bone Softening Inner Qi Seed flow through every limb and bone, making his entire body feel light as a feather.
He suddenly threw a punch. Its shadow was as swift as a dream, and the force of the blow howled through the air. Then came a whip kick that cracked the air like thunder, making even the wooden table beside him tremble.
"My attack speed has improved quite a bit. Let's test my running speed!"
Lin Zhao strode toward the martial training ground—this was where he usually tested his speed, and a wooden stake stood one hundred paces away.
He drew a deep breath and hunched his back like a leopard brimming with stored power. Then he stomped down fiercely, leaving a shallow pit in the bluestone floor!
His figure instantly became an afterimage as wind howled past his ears. The inner force of both the Mystic Wolf Inner Qi Seed and the Bone Softening Inner Qi Seed flooded into his legs. In less than three breaths, he had rushed past the wooden stake a hundred paces away!
"Intermediate Rapid Speed only takes three breaths now, compared to five breaths for Beginner Rapid Speed before!" Lin Zhao stopped, breathing lightly, his eyes filled with excitement. "It may look like only two breaths faster, but it is actually a qualitative leap! Cultivating internal arts is originally a process of using Inner Qi to transform the body and break through its limits—every breath gained, even every instant gained, is capital for survival!"
At a speed of one hundred paces in three breaths, ordinary people could not see him clearly at all. They would only catch a vague shadow.
Lin Zhao clenched his fist, feeling even more satisfied. "Besides the Bone Softening Technique, the Blazing Sun Seal has improved greatly during this time as well."
He opened the panel again:
Blazing Sun Seal: First level (456/1000)
Though it was still at the first level, its proficiency had increased considerably. His palm strikes were far faster than before, and his exertion of force was more nimble as well.
As his proficiency rose, his connection with the mystic energy between heaven and earth grew increasingly close. Each time he struck with his palm, the scale of his blazing inner force grew larger.
Lin Zhao walked before a Blackheart Wood tree as thick as a bowl. Standing a full zhang away, he drew a deep breath. Crimson light shimmered in his palm, and he suddenly thrust out a strike!
"Boom!"
Three feet of blazing inner force erupted like lava, smashing viciously into the tree trunk.
The bark instantly carbonized and smoked black. At the slightest touch, it crumbled into ash. A sulfur-like stench drifted through the air, making people cough—this was the distinctive odor produced when inner force, tempered through Hundred Refinements, fused with the blood and Qi between one's palms.
Lin Zhao blew away the smoke from his palm, his gaze turning grave. "If the Celestial Masters' Manor sees this move, they'll definitely identify me as a martial artist of the evil path. So I must hide the Blazing Sun Seal well. The only people who may see it are the dead."
He knew very well that the Wen Clan had said the imperial family and the Celestial Masters' Manor had gradually grown distant after the Ming Dynasty was founded. For hundreds of years, no evil entities had thrown the world into chaos, but the Celestial Masters' Manor's foundations, accumulated over a thousand years, were not something a half-baked Spirit Taming Warrior like him could compare to.
Even those mysterious martial artists of the evil path could only hide in lawless regions and dared not show themselves—he had to be all the more cautious and could not afford carelessness.
"Still, with the Blazing Sun Seal, my strength truly is different." Lin Zhao clenched his fist, an itch rising in his heart. "I wonder whether I can now contend against a Heavenly Gang Realm Grandmaster Warrior?"
The thought that had just surfaced was immediately suppressed. "No! Steady is better! Duke Wei and the Night Raven Tower haven't come looking for trouble again. This is the perfect chance to cultivate in peace. Once I become a Heavenly Gang Realm Grandmaster Warrior, it won't be too late to settle old scores with them!"
Eight years had passed since the sixteenth year of Jingli of the Ming Dynasty.
He had grown from a ten-year-old child into an eighteen-year-old youth. After reaching eight feet in height, he had not grown much taller. Though his build was imposing, among the strength-focused martial artists of this world, there were plenty more exaggerated than him.
"The Mystic Dragon Secret Medicine is nearly used up. Mystic Dragon Breathing Technique is only at Fifth Level, 9456/30000—not even thirty percent. I need to find Pangolin Dragon Essence again." Lin Zhao looked at the list of techniques on the panel and could not help sighing.
Mystic Dragon Breathing Technique: Fifth Level (9456/30000), Physical Technique Mysteries: Dragon Scale Qi Thousand Stream Force: Second Level (888/5000), Physical Technique Mysteries: Sequential Force Release Iron Rhinoceros Technique: Third Tier (1222/10000), Physical Technique Mysteries: Iron Wall Physique Rampaging Bull Force: Third Tier (3698/10000), Physical Technique Mysteries: Rampaging Bull Charge Blood Poison Spider Breathing Technique: Fourth Level (15889/20000), Physical Technique Mysteries: Spider Sense Warning Bone Softening Technique: Fifth Level (Perfected State), Physical Technique Mysteries: Swift Shadow Step, Bone Shrinking Shapeshifting Black Bear Technique: Fourth Level (Perfected State), Physical Technique Mysteries: Bear Power Mystic Wolf Breathing Technique: Fourth Level (Perfected State), Physical Technique Mysteries: Wolf Leap (can be fused)
"Without realizing it, I've already learned eight techniques." Lin Zhao's gaze suddenly stopped at the Mysteries column for the Mystic Wolf Breathing Technique—the words "Can be fused" were especially conspicuous.
With a thought, a prompt immediately appeared on the panel:
[Do you wish to fuse Mystic Wolf Breathing Technique into Bone Softening Technique?] [After fusion, Mystic Wolf Breathing Technique will disappear, while the quality of Bone Softening Technique will slightly improve. Once its quality rises to a certain extent, Bone Softening Technique may Break Limit.] [Note: Only techniques of the same type may currently be fused.] [Note: Fusion will consume mental energy and inner force. Please ensure that you are in a safe environment before proceeding!]
"There's even an operation like this?" Lin Zhao froze for a moment, muttering inwardly, What will happen to the Inner Qi Seeds after fusion? How much will it actually improve me?
But the panel had only those prompts and nothing else. Lin Zhao considered it, then gritted his teeth. "I'll give it a try! Mystic Wolf Breathing Technique was poor quality to begin with, and its Mysteries overlap with the Bone Softening Technique anyway. I won't lose out by fusing it!"
He quickly prepared sufficient dry rations and water, then sat cross-legged in the Secret Room and silently said, "Begin fusion!"
The next second, the Mystic Wolf Inner Qi Seed within his heart meridian suddenly began to wail. The Bone Softening Inner Qi Seed, like a nimble shadow, wound itself around it in an instant. Tiny suckers emerged from its body and began gulping down the inner force of the Mystic Wolf Seed.
The Mystic Wolf Seed grew smaller and smaller until it finally transformed into a wisp of green smoke and was sucked completely dry. The Bone Softening Seed, meanwhile, grew a full size larger, and the glow around it became brighter. It even provocatively nudged the Blood Poison Spider Seed, which had previously not dared approach it—but upon seeing the Mystic Dragon Seed above, it immediately lost its nerve and lay obediently below, no longer daring to show off.
"These Inner Qi Seeds actually possess a bit of spirituality?" Lin Zhao clicked his tongue in amazement.
When he opened the panel again, Mystic Wolf Breathing Technique had already disappeared, and the description of Bone Softening Technique had changed:
Bone Softening Technique: Fifth Level (Perfected State, Can Break Limit, current Break Limit progress 1/3), Physical Technique Mysteries: Intermediate Rapid Speed, Bone Shrinking Shapeshifting.
"A Mystic Wolf technique at the Fourth Level limit only adds one point of Break Limit progress?" Lin Zhao could not help cursing. "This panel is like some pay-to-win game. I still need to find two more rapid-speed techniques at the Fourth Level limit before I can Break Limit? What a damn swindle!"
Though he cursed aloud, Lin Zhao's eyes shone brightly. It did not seem especially useful now, but if he truly broke through the restrictions and raised the Bone Softening Technique to Supreme Grade or even Divine Grade, this fusion function would be absolutely crucial!
Supreme Grade and Divine Grade techniques were things one could only encounter by chance, not seek out. He had never held any hope for them, but Lower Grade and Upper Grade techniques could be gathered bit by bit—as long as he learned enough techniques, one day all laws would flow into one river, and he would comprehend them all!
By then, forget creating a Divine Grade technique himself—perhaps he could even—
Surpass Divine Grade!
Lin Zhao clenched his fist, his eyes full of determination. He was set on walking this road!
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