Secretly Learning, Suffering Setback after Setback

"Good thing it was just a little bird with no cultivation. If it had been a Spirit Beast, the little Soul Power I've only just started accumulating wouldn't have been enough." Undoing the long string and setting down the no-longer-struggling magpie bird, Lin Manshan shook his head. "For now, I can only control these two."

Opening the window, the magpie bird flapped a few times, picked up the spider in its beak, and flew away.

Through the magpie bird's vision, Lin Manshan could clearly see the houses and trees constantly flashing past below.

The magpie bird flew quite fast, and he soon spotted the familiar mud-brick house.

The loud clang-clang-clang of hammering rang out. Looking down, he saw Tang San continuously swinging his hammer at a piece of iron.

Not far away, Tang Hao sat on a small stool basking in the sun, occasionally glancing at the Forging Table.

Controlling the magpie bird to circle around the house, Lin Manshan had it flutter down onto the windowsill near the back room. After setting down the spider and waiting for it to crawl through a hole in the window, he controlled the bird to take flight again, circle around once, and land on the branch nearest the Forging Table.

Tang Hao, whose senses were keen, opened his eyes and glanced at the magpie bird before closing them again and resuming his fake nap.

Early spring was the best season for birds to return, build nests, and reproduce. Seeing a magpie bird was perfectly normal.

Seeing that Tang Hao paid it no mind, Lin Manshan secretly sighed in relief. He had genuinely been worried that guy might shoot down the bird for an extra meal.

Adjusting to a suitable angle, Lin Manshan began watching intently.

"So this is the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer? The legs drive the waist, the waist drives the back, the back drives the arms. Borrowing force to exert force—it really is quite ingenious." What he had inherited was Ni Tian Er Xing's most precious ten years of cultivation memories, filled with nearly daily combat and insights. Naturally, he could recognize the subtleties of Tang San's hammering technique. "Still, Tang San must have only just started learning it. His movements aren't very practiced."

Lin Manshan thought back and recalled that Tang Hao had indeed only taught Tang San the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer after learning that Tang San had awakened the Clear Sky Hammer Martial Soul.

"When I get the chance later, I could try setting up a private Blacksmith Shop myself. Smithing is an activity that consumes a great deal of stamina, especially when using the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer. It works the arms and waist extremely well, which would benefit me too."

Swinging a blade required arm strength and waist strength.

"For Tang San to defeat Feng Xiaotian with the Clear Sky Hammer the first time he displayed it in the Soul Master Competition, his earlier smithing experience was indispensable. After all, practice makes perfect." Lin Manshan watched a little longer, gave the magpie bird its instructions, and severed the connection.

"Chirp, chirp." The magpie bird called out a few times, flew down from the branch, picked up several small twigs from the ground, and flew back up. It appeared to be preparing to build a nest.

"It really is useful. I can establish a connection from so far away, and see everything so clearly. As expected of a Netherworld Technique developed specifically by the Nether Race for scouting." Lin Manshan smiled, rose, and walked outside. He carried over a small stool and the Hardwood he had brought back earlier, then sat down. Summoning his Woodcutting Knife Martial Soul, he began carving. Since he still could not keep his Martial Soul summoned for long, he planned to carve a Wooden Knife to practice Blade Art.

Every morning, he left home carrying his Wooden Knife to run and train, then went to the open ground outside the village to practice his blade. At noon, he returned home to eat. In the afternoons and evenings, he cultivated Soul Power, and before bed, he reviewed True Eye's memories. Under this packed schedule, Lin Manshan quickly passed a month.

That night, inside the bedroom, Lin Manshan slowly opened his eyes, his face filled with frustration.

"No wonder Bai Cai was still a complete weakling by the finale. The human body is just too weak. The rate at which my physical body improves simply can't keep up with the cultivation speed of Soul Power. My soul strength clearly still has plenty of room, but my body is already unable to endure it."

Feeling the swelling fullness in his body, as though it might burst apart, Lin Manshan felt utterly helpless. "I could transfer the excess Soul Power into my Martial Soul and complete Destiny Artifact Infusion early, but that would drastically alter its form. There would be no way to explain it then."

"If people see it as Twin Martial Souls, that'll bring another round of trouble. With my status as a Commoner and my current strength, I really can't withstand being tossed around. It's better to keep a low profile. Looks like I can only stop cultivating Soul Power for now and shift my focus to cultivating soul power. Over the past month, I've been cultivating Soul Power to solve my headaches, so my soul power is still at level three. It really is time to cultivate it."

"Now that my headache problem has been solved, cultivating soul power shouldn't have any further effects on my body." Lin Manshan subconsciously touched his chin. "Once I absorb my First Soul Ring and my body is strengthened, I can continue cultivating Soul Power. Or I could find a way to earn money, buy some herbs, and use Alchemy Technique to refine them and strengthen my body, allowing me to maintain my Soul Power cultivation."

"Damn it, the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well... I admit it, I want it." Lin Manshan grumbled. When it came to refining herbs, how could ordinary medicinal plants compare with Immortal Herbs? "But given my current situation, I'm not even qualified to get close to Dugu Bo, much less gain his trust and obtain Immortal Herbs while risking being killed on the spot. With Dugu Bo's half-righteous, half-evil personality, acting rashly would be far too risky."

"I'll increase my strength first and figure something out later."

"But cultivating soul power... sigh." Tang San's daily schedule was extremely regular. At dawn, he went to the mountaintop to cultivate the Purple Demon Eye, then returned home to cook. After eating, he began smithing and practiced the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer. At night, he cultivated the Mysterious Heaven Skill.

Every day, Lin Manshan had the magpie bird follow Tang San to the mountaintop. At night, he also had the spider watch from a beam at close range. Yet regarding the Mysterious Heaven Skill, he had gained nothing so far. The Mysterious Heaven Skill was an internal cultivation method, with qi flowing through the meridians. There was simply no way for him to observe it through the magpie bird or spider. The Purple Demon Eye was the same. Aside from seeing purple light emerge from Tang San's eyes, he gained nothing else.

On the other hand, he had gained quite a lot from Tang San's practice of Hidden Weapon Techniques, the Ghost Shadow Perplexity Movement Technique, the Crane Controlling Dragon Capturing Skill, and the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer. As for Mechanical Hidden Weapons, Tang San had yet to finish refining the piece of pig iron Tang Hao had given him.

Without even the materials, he naturally had not started making them.

"No Mysterious Heaven Skill, then so be it. I still need to cultivate." With that thought, Lin Manshan immediately closed his eyes and began meditating.

His daily cultivation continued in an orderly fashion, and another two months passed without him noticing.

At dawn, while the sky was still dim, Lin Manshan got up and pushed open the door. Facing the chilly morning breeze, he began his morning exercises.

Before long, the other doors opened one after another. Miao Ni emerged first. When she turned and saw Lin Manshan, a smile immediately appeared on her face. "Xiao Wu, you're up so early again. Wait here first. Mother will go make you breakfast, then you can head out to train after you've eaten."

With that, she turned and headed toward the kitchen.

Just then, a loud shout suddenly came from outside. "Old Jack!"

"Who is it?" On the other side, Old Jack had just stepped out of his room. Rubbing his eyes, he looked up.

"Tang Hao?" As if remembering something, delight immediately appeared on his face, and he shouted, "What, you've changed your mind?"

"Hmph. I just don't want to waste a free spot that costs nothing. I still want to sleep peacefully tomorrow morning. If you're coming to take Xiao San away, don't start shouting again and disturb my peace." Tang Hao spoke in an indifferent tone, then turned and left.

"That Tang Hao finally did something proper." Old Jack shook his head.

Earlier, he said no meant no. What a pretentious guy. Watching Tang Hao's departing back, Lin Manshan curled his lip.

After breakfast, Lin Manshan took his Wooden Knife and jogged toward the outside of the village, continuing his daily cultivation.