Bone-Attached Sore

This speed was far too slow. After all, Chen Fei was no longer that young; the older he grew, the harder it would become for his cultivation to advance. More importantly, after Chen Fei killed Qi Chun, the black line around his wrist had grown increasingly thicker.

Status: Bone-attached sore

The panel had displayed this new change a day ago. The most direct effect Chen Fei felt was that his physical strength had begun to drain at an accelerated rate.

After breaking through to the Skin Tempering Realm, both Chen Fei's stamina and senses had improved greatly from before. Yet after this bone-attached sore appeared, Chen Fei discovered that his stamina was actually no different from that of an ordinary person before, perhaps even worse.

How could Chen Fei dare take such a situation lightly? He immediately made indirect inquiries among the physicians at the Medical Hall and eventually obtained an answer.

This was a mark left by an aberration. Either the aberration had to be destroyed, in which case the mark would naturally dissipate, or one's own cultivation had to become strong enough to directly grind away the mark.

If neither was possible, one could take pills that strengthened the blood and qi to resist this yin force.

Naturally, Chen Fei did not dare seek out that aberration now, and he could not afford pills either. The only path left was to raise his cultivation. Moreover, he did not dare let the Medical Hall know that he had been marked. Who knew whether the hall would find him troublesome and simply abandon him?

"It was time to seek out Pu Liao."

At dusk, Chen Fei arrived outside Pu Liao's door and knocked lightly.

"Who is it?" Pu Liao's hoarse voice came from within.

"Chief Pu, it's me," Chen Fei said in a low voice.

"What is it!"

The door opened. Pu Liao looked down at Chen Fei from above, with no intention of inviting him inside.

"Chief Pu, does Qingzheng Medical Hall currently have any available martial arts manuals that can be passed on?"

"Oh, you came for that."

Seeing that Chen Fei's hands were empty, Pu Liao could not help but feel dissatisfied, and his voice rose. "Didn't I tell you a few days ago that I've been busy lately? I said I'd teach you when I had time. Why can't you understand?"

"When will Chief Pu have time?"

"There are so many matters to deal with. How would I know? When I have time, I'll naturally call for you."

Pu Liao was clearly growing impatient. He waved his hand and said, "Enough. If there's nothing else, go back first. I still have matters to attend to, so forgive me for not receiving you!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Pu Liao turned and went inside, shutting the door. But before the door could close fully, a hand blocked it.

"Are you courting death?" Pu Liao's eyes widened as he glared viciously at Chen Fei.

"Chief Pu, I gave it some thought. You have been busy lately, so it would not be convenient for me to disturb you. Do you have any martial arts manuals that I can practice on my own?"

As though he had not seen Pu Liao's expression, Chen Fei spoke calmly.

Chen Fei understood things clearly today. Pu Liao wanted money. But Chen Fei had only been transferred to the guards three days ago—where would he get any money? Even a guard's wages amounted to only five taels of silver a month.

How could Pu Liao possibly think much of five taels? Since that was the case, Chen Fei might as well lay his cards on the table.

"You want to practice on your own? Hahaha!"

Pu Liao burst into loud laughter, his eyes full of ridicule. Breaking through to the Skin Tempering Realm in over four months—such talent was practically at the very bottom among martial artists.

And he actually dreamed of relying on his own talent to practice higher martial arts? What a fool's dream, ignorant of Heaven and Earth's Thickness.

"Fine. I have manuals here. Return them to me before noon tomorrow. If you can't learn them by then, don't say that I, Pu Liao, bullied you!"

Pu Liao went back inside and brought out two manuals, tossing them into Chen Fei's hands. With a mocking snort, he slammed the door shut.

Some people watching from afar could not help shaking their heads as they looked at Chen Fei's back. A newly promoted guard actually dared to clash with an old guard like Pu Liao.

And now he wanted to cultivate martial arts by himself?

If martial arts manuals were so easy to practice, what would masters be needed for? Without someone to guide them, the twists and turns within a martial art could easily lead a person down the wrong path. In the end, they would discover that they had wasted their time for nothing and accomplished nothing at all.

Even more frightening were those who went astray in cultivation. They might be unable to advance for the rest of their lives, and might even suffer hidden injuries. In their eyes, Chen Fei was an ignorant fool.

Chen Fei paid no attention to the gazes around him and returned to his room with the manuals.

An hour later, Chen Fei put down the manuals in his hands and began practicing the two martial arts. Another half hour passed before Chen Fei looked at the panel.

Martial Arts: Clear Wind Sword (Beginner 1/100), Wind Suspension Force (Beginner 1/100), Extreme Mountain Fist (Great Perfection), Extreme Mountain Breathing Technique (Great Perfection)

With the foundation of the Great Perfection Extreme Mountain Fist and breathing technique, Chen Fei easily cultivated both martial arts to the Beginner stage.

The Clear Wind Sword was a combat technique, while Wind Suspension Force increased cultivation. The panel could still simplify both martial arts, but the cost of simplification was rather high: ten taels of silver for each.

Chen Fei did not have ten taels. He currently had only a little over two taels, far from enough for simplification.

Chen Fei looked at the Great Perfection breathing technique, then at Wind Suspension Force. He blinked, instinctively wanting to merge the breathing technique into Wind Suspension Force. The next moment, the two martial arts vanished at once, replaced by a brand-new one.

Wind Suspension Breathing Method (Proficient 107/1000)

"It really worked!"

There was some delight in Chen Fei's eyes. He had merely followed a feeling just now, yet he had not expected that a martial art at Great Perfection could truly merge with another martial art.

But thinking about it, it was only natural. Reaching Great Perfection in a martial art meant that one had thoroughly understood every aspect of it, knowing it inside and out. Naturally, it could be incorporated into other martial arts.

This way, even if Chen Fei's cultivation rose in the future, martial arts that could no longer keep up would not be wasted. They could be combined with new techniques and transformed into even more powerful martial arts.

Chen Fei also merged Extreme Mountain Fist with Clear Wind Sword. This time, he deliberately retained more of Clear Wind Sword's essence, merely incorporating some of Extreme Mountain Fist's methods of exerting force.

Green Mountain Sword (Proficient 13/1000)

The originally graceful and elegant Clear Wind Sword had become a broad and sweeping sword art, yet its power had not weakened in the slightest. Instead, it had even grown somewhat stronger.

Half an hour later, after testing both new martial arts from start to finish, Chen Fei's face held delight, but also a trace of dissatisfaction.

He was delighted because both new martial arts were somewhat stronger than before. If they were cultivated to Great Perfection, they would definitely surpass their predecessors, especially since they were only at the Proficient stage now.

What dissatisfied him was that after trying them several times, Chen Fei discovered that neither martial art's proficiency had increased at all. If he had to cultivate them like this without simplification, he would likely gain only one or two points a day. That was only thanks to the original martial arts being fused into them.

This was probably the limit of this body's talent. To break through that limit, even the usual gradual and orderly methods were somewhat beyond Chen Fei.

"Money, money, money!"

Chen Fei furrowed his brow as all sorts of ways to make money drifted through his mind, leaving him unable to decide.