Divine Ability 2: Avert Calamity

Name: Lin Feng

Cultivation Method: Formation Breaking Art

Cultivation level: Outer Refinement Realm—Skin Refining (3/100)+

Supernatural Ability 1: Ingestion

Techniques:

Tiger Roar Fist (0/20)+

Improvement Points: 1

Lin Feng called up the panel before his eyes, then tapped the Cultivation level once more!

The next instant, he felt a warm current flowing through his body, and it seemed his strength had increased a little again.

Though the increase was nowhere near as dramatic as when he had first stepped into the early Skin Refining stage, a little growth was still growth. Drops of water could wear through stone!

If it increases again tomorrow, perhaps I should put a point into Tiger Roar Fist first. That would boost my combat strength by quite a bit!

Lin Feng thought to himself.

Tiger Roar Fist was a set of boxing techniques that came with the Formation Breaking Art, a common cultivation method used in the military.

Techniques were generally divided into four realms: Beginner, Minor Mastery, Major Mastery, and Perfection!

Although Lin Feng had obtained this fist technique some time ago, the food he ate could not be wasted on martial practice. Once he trained, the energy in his body would be consumed quickly, and he would easily go hungry.

So he had only learned the empty forms.

It was for strengthening the body and improving health, utterly useless in a fight to the death.

Thus, he had not even reached Beginner level.

The resources I have on hand amount to less than two taels of silver. That can probably only give me a few more points—nowhere near enough to reach 25 points and break through to mid Skin Refining! Silver! Money! Where am I going to get it?

Lin Feng frowned as he paced back and forth, thinking without pause.

When I have no strength, going it alone is absolutely not an option. Leaning against a great tree is the best choice.

And within Kaiyang County, there are roughly three major forces!

The first is the county office, led by the County Magistrate, along with its subordinate institutions! Clearly, I can't get in!

Cross that out!

As for the other two forces, one consists of the local clans and gangs!

That could serve as a backup option.

If my Cultivation level reaches mid Skin Refining, I might be able to become a guard for some wealthy household and use that as a transition.

Slowly build up my strength.

Or I could join a gang directly like Ah Yu, at least scraping together enough to eat and stay warm!

But in the end, nothing beats having an official post!

The last one is the Demon Purging Division Reserve Camp. The benefits are excellent, with food and clothing guaranteed! Those with outstanding performance can even enter the Demon Purging Division, with an immeasurable future ahead!

Though they face powerful Monsters head-on, the benefits are frighteningly good as well!

But even the Reserve Camp has strict assessments. One must reach Skin Refining Perfection before turning twenty!

With the panel, that shouldn't be a problem. But the key is that I have no money!

After thinking for a while, Lin Feng decided to enter the city again tomorrow and use his current Cultivation level to look for odd jobs that could earn money quickly.

That would solve the problem of repaying the neighbors in three days.

The night passed without incident.

The next day, Lin Feng rose early.

Mother Lin had already prepared breakfast!

Wheat bran mixed with a little corn porridge—that was their breakfast!

It was hard and difficult to swallow, but in order to survive, the family of three had been eating it for several months.

After breakfast, Mother Lin went off to work, taking Lin Man with her!

Meanwhile, Lin Feng intended to follow his plan and head into the city to look for opportunities to earn money.

But not long after he set out, Uncle Wu from the slaughterhouse hurried over!

"Morning, Brother Lin!"

"Morning, Uncle Wu! Why aren't you at the slaughterhouse? What are you doing in the shantytown?"

Lin Feng asked in confusion.

"It's like this—Butcher Zhu hasn't been working these past few days! Ah, you know why!"

Uncle Wu gave an awkward smile, afraid that mentioning Butcher Zhu would hurt the youth before him.

"Hehe, it's nothing. Uncle Wu, if you need something, just say the word!"

Lin Feng could tell Old Wu wanted his help, so he spoke with a smile.

"It's like this—today, a real big one came into the slaughterhouse. Butcher Zhu won't touch it, and no one else can handle it!

"We can only ask you to lend a hand. You've helped him at the slaughterhouse plenty over the past few years, so you know the ropes better than anyone!"

Old Wu San scratched his head and smiled sheepishly.

"So that's what it is. In that case, I'll go with you!"

Old Wu San was a good, honest man. He was the slaughterhouse owner's brother-in-law, and he was usually the one helping look after the place.

Whenever Lin Feng went over to help Butcher Zhu in the past, Old Wu San would often ask him to stay for dinner and give him some money as well.

This was a favor he had to return!

The more skills one had, the better. Though Butcher Zhu had never properly taught Lin Feng, he had still picked up a few tricks.

He had even handled some real big beasts before!

The two of them talked as they hurried toward the slaughterhouse.

According to Old Wu San, a huge wild boar had arrived at the slaughterhouse today, and it had a violent temperament.

Butchering a wild boar like that required speed, precision, and ruthlessness.

Otherwise, if the blade missed its vital point and it suddenly went berserk, people could easily end up dead or injured!

Before long, Lin Feng and Old Wu San arrived at the slaughterhouse.

Old Wu San gathered several workers and brought Lin Feng to the iron cage holding the wild boar.

One of the boar's front legs had already been snapped by an animal trap. It had clearly struggled itself to exhaustion and was now lying inside the cage.

The moment it noticed humans gathering around it, it immediately became alert. Its bristles stood on end, its blood-red eyes glared at the crowd, and it snorted out heavy breaths.

It weighed four or five hundred jin. With the slightest movement, the heavy iron cage began to shake!

"Be careful. We tried to make a move just now, but that thing went crazy and rammed Dali hard enough to injure him. It nearly escaped too!"

Old Wu San warned Lin Feng, still shaken by the experience.

Then, while the huge wild boar was distracted, a tall, powerfully built worker thrust a catch pole into the cage and firmly looped it around the boar's neck.

But the boar merely flung its head, and the tremendous force tore the catch pole straight from the worker's grip!

As the pole jerked violently, it even ripped a layer of skin and flesh from the worker's hand!

"Ah!"

The worker howled in pain.

Seeing this, the others were at a complete loss!

"What are we supposed to do? This thing feels downright strange, almost demonic! Who can restrain it?"

Old Wu San sent the man off to be treated, his face full of worry.

The others looked at one another, none of them daring to make another move!

"Why don't I give it a try?"

At that moment, Lin Feng spoke up!

"You?"

Everyone knew Lin Feng—a kid who had only just turned sixteen, still green as grass!

And he wanted to rope a wild boar?

"Forget it. If you get hurt too, there'll be no one left to slaughter it!"

Old Wu San said as well.

"Don't let my skinny build fool you—I'm quite strong! Besides, there's no other way now, right? Let me try!"

Lin Feng did not explain further. Once he was done here, he still had other business to attend to in town.

Seeing the others shrinking back in fear, Old Wu San could only let Lin Feng have a try!

Then, someone on the other side drew the wild boar's attention.

Taking the opportunity, Lin Feng grabbed the catch pole, waited for the right moment, and slipped the loop around the huge boar's neck.

With a pull, the catch pole locked solidly around the boar's neck!

The wild boar was greatly startled!

It whipped its neck around, trying to break free.

But it was useless.

Though its immense strength dragged Lin Feng a considerable distance, carving two furrows into the ground, the catch pole remained welded to his hands!

"Quick!"

Seeing that Old Wu San and the others were still dumbfounded, he shouted a low reminder for everyone to strike together!

After all, once a wild boar went berserk, even he could not restrain it now!

Then, all five of them moved at once.

Four seized its hooves, while one grabbed its tail!

With nowhere to brace itself, the huge wild boar was finally subdued by the group.

Lin Feng handed the snare pole to someone else, grabbed the butcher's knife beside him, opened the cage, and with swift eyes and deft hands, drove the blade precisely into the huge boar's neck!

Then he twisted it, severing its artery.

In an instant, blood sprayed forth.

Lin Feng was stunned!

"Divine Ability 2: Avert Calamity"