Bai Ze

Desolate mountains, torrential rain.

A voice that resounded through the heavens suddenly rang out from a ruined temple halfway up the mountain.

Like a dragon chanting over a vast marsh, like a tiger roaring through the forest.

It was so thunderous it deafened the ear, and even the sheets of rain filling the sky seemed to tremble before it.

A white figure suddenly shot out of the ruined temple, with another person close behind.

The pursuer was ferocious beyond measure, gripping a Nine-Ringed Saber and hacking down savagely as though splitting mountains and shattering stone.

Bang!

Clang!

Clang!

Amid a blur of Blade Light Sword Shadow, the two figures crisscrossed through the downpour.

As the rain grew heavier, their exchange became all the more vicious.

After dozens of moves, only the white figure remained standing.

A bolt of lightning tore across the heavens, revealing his true face: a handsome young man.

He looked at the fallen figure, his eyes calm and utterly expressionless, and muttered to himself.

"I never expected him to have already broken through to the late Bone Refining Realm. If I hadn't struck first, this really would have been troublesome."

"But if I had been given a little more time, killing him would have been far easier."

At that thought, his heart stirred.

A translucent panel appeared before his eyes.

[Martial God System]

[Host: Bai Ze]

[Age: 15/73]

[Talent: Unremarkable (100/200)]

[Realm: Mid-stage Bone Refining Realm]

[Techniques: None]

[Martial Skills: Sword Drawing Technique—Great Accomplishment (12%), Stone Fist—Minor Accomplishment (27%), Wind-Following Steps—Minor Accomplishment (56%), Mad Bull Body Tempering Fist—Perfection (21%)...]

[Talent Points: 23]

As Bai Ze looked at the data on the panel, his gaze gradually hardened.

Five years ago, he had transmigrated into this world. He had gone from being a shut-in from the twenty-first century to an orphan, and in order to survive, he had been forced to join the Black Tiger Gang as an ordinary gang member.

Looking at the "Unremarkable" displayed under his talent, he could only smile bitterly. After all, this was already the result after adding Talent Points.

The path of martial arts was divided into the Acquired Realm and the Innate Realm. The Acquired Realm focused primarily on tempering the body and was divided into five realms: Strength Refining, Skin Refining, Bone Refining, Viscera Refining, and Blood Changing.

After reaching perfection in the Acquired Realm, one could break through to the Innate Realm and produce internal force within one's body.

As for what lay beyond that, Bai Ze had no idea. Changqing County was simply too small; within the entire Golden Sun Dynasty, it was an utterly insignificant place.

He had originally thought that after five years had passed, those so-called golden fingers were nothing more than fabrications dreamed up by webnovel authors.

Even after five years of hard work, he had only reached the Skin Refining Realm.

Yet more than three months ago, he had suddenly obtained the system. With the boost to his talent, he had finally broken through to the Bone Refining Realm, escaped the ranks of the lowest gang members, and become a leader.

From this, it was clear that martial talent could be especially important at times.

Within the entire Black Tiger Gang, the three hall masters were all at the Viscera Refining Realm or above. Even the strongest, the gang leader, had only reached the Blood Changing Realm three years ago.

In all of Changqing County, the Blood Changing Realm was already the realm of absolute top experts. As for the Innate Realm, no one had ever even heard of it.

But to Bai Ze, who now possessed the system, this was merely the beginning.

Bai Ze directly cut off the man's head, quickly wrapped it up, and carried it in his hand. After searching the corpse, he turned and entered the ruined temple nearby.

After briefly tending to his wounds, he sat down beside the fire.

He set the longsword in his hand aside, took out a roast chicken wrapped in oiled paper from the bundle on his back, skewered it with a wooden stick, and held it over the fire to warm.

I never expected my martial talent to be this terrible before. No wonder I was stuck at the Skin Refining Realm for over a year. But that's no longer a problem now.

With the system's help, my talent will definitely keep increasing. Becoming a monstrous genius is just around the corner.

Now that I've killed Li Fei of the Ten Thousand Blades Sect, it's time to return.

More than ten days earlier, the two gangs had fought a great battle over territory. The Black Tiger Gang's ordinary lower-ranking members had suffered heavy casualties, while even its middle-ranking members had been targeted by assassinations.

But the gang soon retaliated. As a Deputy Hall Master, Bai Ze had also received a mission. When he learned that Li Fei of the Ten Thousand Blades Sect would be passing through this place, he had deliberately laid an ambush here to assassinate him.

Now that the mission was complete, he should receive a considerable reward upon his return.

Bai Ze took out the Mountain-Splitting Saber Art he had found on Li Fei's body, picked up the Nine-Ringed Saber, and began studying it.

Bai Ze had already learned where Talent Points came from. By cultivating various martial skills and reaching stages such as Entry, Minor Accomplishment, Great Accomplishment, Perfection, and the Profound Realm, he could obtain different amounts of Talent Points and thereby improve his talent.

It could be said that as long as he learned enough martial skills, his talent would rise steadily, climbing higher and higher.

Moreover, martial skills of different grades granted vastly different amounts of Talent Points.

Thus, even with the system's aid, Bai Ze could not afford to slack off. He had to acquire as many martial skills as possible.

When dawn arrived and the rain stopped, Bai Ze rose and left the ruined temple, rushing toward the Black Tiger Gang.

Half a day later.

Bai Ze had returned to the Black Tiger Gang's headquarters and arrived at the Leopard Hall's entrance.

When the few lackeys at the gate saw him, they immediately called out with reverence.

"Brother Bai!"

"Brother Bai!"

Bai Ze merely nodded in acknowledgment before walking inside with an expressionless face.

The lackeys behind him saw the Nine-Ringed Saber in his hand and the bundle with blood already seeping through it, and they began whispering among themselves.

"Damn, Brother Bai is so fierce. That bundle couldn't be someone's head, could it?"

"No way, right? There's no need to cut someone's head off just to kill them."

"Heh, that's what you don't understand. Most people don't need to, but did you see that Nine-Ringed Saber just now? If I'm not mistaken, it belonged to Li Fei of the Ten Thousand Blades Sect."

When the ordinary gang members nearby heard this, how could they fail to understand? The reverence in their eyes deepened further.

After breaking through to the Bone Refining Realm, Bai Ze's senses had become much sharper. He heard them, but paid no attention.

Once inside, he saw Black Panther, the Leopard Hall Master, glaring furiously at those below him. He said, "What did I say before? Whoever makes a mistake won't be spared even if the heavens themselves plead for him."

"Drag him away. Sever his hamstrings and tendons, then expel him from the gang."

"Yes!"

"No, Hall Master! I won't dare do it again! Spare me! Please, spare me!"

The two elite gang members at the side did not care about his pleas. Following Black Panther's order, they dragged him away, and screams soon rang out.

Bai Ze's expression did not change in the slightest at the sight. In the years since he had transmigrated here, he had seen far too much of this.

Had he not proceeded with the utmost caution, he likely would not have lived to see the system arrive.

Even so, only he knew how many dangers he had endured along the way.

Bai Ze raised a hand and tossed Li Fei's head onto the ground. Calmly, he said, "Hall Master, the mission is complete. This is Li Fei of the Ten Thousand Blades Sect."

"Good! Good! Good!"

Black Panther glanced at it, confirmed that it was Li Fei, and burst into laughter, the coldness on his face vanishing as he praised him repeatedly.

With a smile, he said, "Not bad. Little White, you truly haven't disappointed me."

"This time, you've rendered great merit. As agreed, from now on, you are the Deputy Hall Master of the Black Tiger Gang's Leopard Hall."

"Thank you, Hall Master."

A hint of excitement flashed through Bai Ze's eyes. He respectfully cupped his fists in response.

Black Panther was even more satisfied by this. He turned around, took out a martial skill manual and a bottle of pills, and handed them to Bai Ze.

Smiling, he said, "I see that you excel with the sword. This sword art suits you perfectly. And this bottle of Bone Forging Pills is also part of your reward this time."

"You've only just reached the middle stage of the Bone Refining Realm, so break through to the late stage as soon as possible. Only then will you truly deserve the position of Deputy Hall Master, and only then will others be convinced. I think very highly of you."

"Yes. Thank you, Hall Master, for your guidance."

"Haha, go on."

"Yes."

After Bai Ze respectfully cupped his fists once more, he glanced at Black Panther and Scarred Leopard, the other Deputy Hall Master who had not spoken a word, before taking his leave.

Black Panther watched his departing back, and the smile on his face slowly disappeared.