The Golden Saber with Nine Rings

Black Wind Mountain, Black Wind Stronghold.

In the spacious courtyard.

"Kill!"

"Hey!"

"Clang, clang!"

A burly man with hair barely an inch long, dressed in a sleeveless short fighting outfit, sweated under the blazing sun as he practiced his saber without pause.

With every swing of the Golden Saber with Nine Rings in his hands, its golden rings struck the blade and gave off crisp sounds in an unbroken, imposing rhythm.

The Golden Saber with Nine Rings weighed a full forty-three jin, six liang, and three qian. An ordinary person without martial training would struggle even to lift and swing it with both hands.

Yet Jiang Dali wielded it with fierce vigor. Every shout he gave was like a tiger descending the mountain, brimming with murderous force.

His saber technique was quite simple.

It was merely the Mortal Grade Mid-Rank martial art, the Tiger Fiend Golden Ring Saber Technique, not considered particularly impressive in the martial world.

Yet it was this saber technique that had made him one of the three mountain lords of Black Wind Stronghold, earning the respect of over a hundred bandits.

As the saying went, the more a blade was sharpened, the brighter it became; the more the body trained, the stronger it grew.

Practicing the saber was likewise a process of tempering the body, honing one's stamina and strengthening one's flesh.

Yet as Jiang Dali practiced his saber, small lines of text appeared on his body at intervals.

"Basic Saber Technique Proficiency +1"

"Basic Saber Technique Proficiency +1"

"Basic Saber Technique Proficiency +1"

". "

After swinging for another quarter of an hour.

Jiang Dali was already drenched in sweat. Beads of sweat rolled over his layered, muscular body like drops of oil before falling to the ground.

Suddenly, white light rose from his body.

"Basic Saber Technique Level +1"

"Clang—"

An incredibly fluid whistle tore through the air. As he thrust the saber, its nine golden rings crashed together in succession, generating a burst of savage force.

"I did it!"

Jiang Dali's face lit up with delight, and his throat suddenly felt dry.

"Th-th-third Boss, have some wine—no, no, water!"

At that moment, the broom-browed bandit lackey waiting nearby hurried over with a bowl, timidly stammering as he offered it to Jiang Dali.

His eyes drifted over Jiang Dali's massively muscular body, and his heart trembled and burned. He could not help swallowing. Third Boss is getting stronger and stronger. What a powerful body. He's really... so fierce! I really want to touch him and see whether he's as hard as stone.

"Good water!"

Jiang Dali took the bowl and drained it in one gulp. A cool sensation instantly spread through his body, washing away his exhaustion.

White light rose from his body.

"Stamina +1"

Jiang Dali frowned and shoved the bowl back into the lackey's hands. "Get the hell out of my way. This bowl's too small—not satisfying at all!"

He strode toward a shaded corner of the courtyard.

A large brown water vat sat in that corner.

It was filled with cool well water.

Jiang Dali reached out with his large hand, scooped up water, and poured it into his mouth.

"Stamina +1"

"Stamina +1"

With a shout, he wrapped both arms around the vat.

Exerting himself, he lifted the water vat, which weighed over two hundred jin, and took several huge gulps.

But red light rose from his body.

"Qi and Blood -1"

Jiang Dali slammed the vat down, knowing he could not drink any more.

After strenuous exercise, he indeed needed water to replenish himself, but drinking too much was bad for the body as well.

After drinking.

Jiang Dali sprang up again and landed steadily on the rim of the vat, as light and nimble as a huge civet cat.

He circled the water vat several times, practicing his movement technique. He even carried his saber as he leaped back and forth atop the vat.

He moved as if walking on pellets of mud, his body utterly still; even the water inside the vat barely rippled.

He repeated this several times.

Only after his lightness skill had improved enough and he had used up nearly all his Potential Points.

Did Jiang Dali finally stop to catch his breath.

He opened his attribute panel to check his current martial arts progress.

"Jiang Dali, Third Boss of Black Wind Stronghold (Power Gathering Realm Minor BOSS), Qi and Blood 3000/3000, Inner Qi 0/0)"

Realm: Power Gathering Realm (92/100)

Status: Third Boss of Black Wind Stronghold / Iron Character Killer of Green Robe Pavilion

Martial World Reputation: Slightly Notorious (310/500)

Pet: Jianmen Pass Demon Eagle

Martial Arts: Hidden Weapons: Mortal Grade Mid-Rank "Sky Full of Flying Rain" (Stage 3, Slight Accomplishment)

Fist and Leg Techniques: Basic "Four Directions Fist," Basic "Six Paths Leg," Basic "Eight Directions Palm"

Saber Technique: Mortal Grade Mid-Rank "Tiger Fiend Golden Ring Saber Technique" (Stage 3, Slight Accomplishment)

Hardening: Mortal Grade Low-Rank "Iron Cloth Skill" (Stage 3, Slight Accomplishment)

Lightness Skill: Mortal Grade Low-Rank "Eight Steps Catching Cicadas" (Stage 2, Initial Glimpse)

Internal Cultivation Method: None

Cultivation Points: 3

Potential Points: 2"

His Cultivation Points and Potential Points had basically been used up.

Jiang Dali knew that he now had to hurry and earn more Cultivation Points and Potential Points.

Before that batch of calamity-like people descended upon this world, he had to break through to the Inner Qi Realm. Only then could he gain enough of an advantage, obtain the Human Tier hardening martial art Thirteen Taibao Horizontal Training and the Heavenly Tier Martial Arts Nine Yang Divine Skill, and continue advancing down the path of becoming a mighty muscle-bound powerhouse.

"Third Boss, the Great Mountain Lord has received another new task from above. He wants you to go over."

The broom-browed bandit lackey came forward and reminded him.

"Oh?"

Jiang Dali laughed happily. "Good, very good. I'll go see the Great Mountain Lord and claim the task right now."

At once, he picked up the cloak beside him and draped it over himself. Then he took up the Golden Saber with Nine Rings, wrapped it in cloth to prevent any noise, and strode out with the force of a tiger and the bearing of a dragon.

"Third Boss!"

"Third Boss!"

"Third Boss, it looks like your martial arts have improved again! When will you give this little brother some pointers?"

As he walked along the packed yellow-earth road within Black Wind Stronghold, the bandits he passed all stopped to greet Jiang Dali with great respect, their expressions flattering yet fearful.

Over the past two years, Jiang Dali's performance had been truly dazzling.

In nearly two years, Jiang Dali had led teams in thirteen major escort robberies.

He had also worked with the Second Boss and the Great Mountain Lord to seize an escort shipment from Dragon Gate Escort Agency, greatly enhancing Black Wind Stronghold's reputation over the past two years and feeding a large number of brothers.

Most importantly, Jiang Dali was not only skilled in battle, but also excellent at handling tasks from above.

Black Wind Stronghold had not survived in the greenwood without backing.

Otherwise, it would have long since been wiped out by the imperial court or some worthless sect.

The reason it could still occupy the mountain and rule as king was because it had powerful support behind it.

And every year, Black Wind Stronghold's backers would occasionally send down difficult tasks for the three mountain lords to handle.

Originally, these troublesome tasks gave the Great Mountain Lord terrible headaches.

But in recent years, as Jiang Dali had grown stronger, he had taken the initiative to accept and complete every difficult task sent down from above.

Such self-sacrificing behavior, such willingness to take a knife for his brothers, naturally earned the gratitude and respect of the Great Mountain Lord and the Second Boss.

They had even taught Jiang Dali all their renowned martial arts, including the Iron Cloth Skill and Sky Full of Flying Rain, hoping only that he would grow stronger and, since the capable should do more, take on every task assigned from above.

A wise superior would certainly appreciate a subordinate who was capable, effective, and able to win benefits and glory for him, rather than envy that subordinate's talent and deliberately suppress him.

Although Xiong Ba, the Great Mountain Lord of Black Wind Stronghold, was a rough man, he knew how to recognize and employ talent. He had not secretly harmed Jiang Dali simply because Jiang Dali's martial arts had grown strong enough to threaten him.

Of course, Jiang Dali also had value as someone to be used.

After all, the difficult tasks sent down from above every so often were all jobs that meant licking blood from the blade.

The chance of failure was extremely high if they were given to ordinary bandits, while the risks were equally high if the First or Second Boss handled them personally.

Since he, the Third Boss, was willing to bear the burden, it naturally pleased them greatly.

The martial world was dangerous. Since they could stay on their own little patch of land, throw their weight around, and live comfortably, why go outside to lick blood from the blade and fight to the death?

With an unusually passionate and eager oddball like Jiang Dali around, Great Mountain Lord Xiong Ba and the Second Boss, Deathly Scholar, were naturally delighted.

Everything Jiang Dali accomplished could be counted as their shared achievement with those above. Their future promotions would depend on it.

And if Jiang Dali unfortunately died outside, it would not be them making the sacrifice.

Where else could they find such an honest man, so eager to seek benefits and get things done?