Second-Rate Martial Artist

"Haha~~"

Inside the small courtyard in Yicheng, a robust laugh startled Chu Xin (Li Qingyu), who was practicing her boxing, a flicker of surprise crossing her eyes.

"This lecherous tiger, he's actually broken through again. Is the gap between people really this big?!"

"That's the Second-Rate Realm for you!"

Gu Sheng glanced at the empty jade box on the table, inwardly sighing that this deal was worth it. In nine days, he had not only absorbed five boxes of precious medicine but also grasped the basics of the Heavenly-Grade secret manual fragment, Meteor Blade, obtained from Lang Ge. Now, he possessed three thousand pounds of strength, a veritable Second-Rate martial artist.

"Qingshan has taught me all of his techniques. If I resolve the Li Manor matter, there won't be any need to stay in Yicheng any longer."

Gu Sheng hadn't just buried himself in training for nine days. Through relentless persuasion, he had managed to get Teng Qingshan, whose favorability was already maxed out, to impart everything he knew. His gains were considerable.

[Xingyi Boxing](Includes Xingyi Twelve Forms, Five Element Fists, Three Posture Stance)

Type: Internal and External Cultivation Technique

Quality: 3C Grade Technique (Peak Three Stars)

Note: Skill not certified, can only be used in this world, cannot be brought back to the Lord God Space.

Certification Required: 3000 points, one Silver Medal

[Tiger Form Spirit Art]

Type: Inner Refinement Secret Art

Quality: B Grade Technique (Four Stars)

Note: Skill not certified, can only be used in this world, cannot be brought back to the Lord God Space.

Certification Required: 1000 points, one Silver Medal

That's right, Gu Sheng had learned the complete and flawless true inheritance of Xingyi Boxing from Teng Qingshan.

The Xingyi Boxing Twelve Forms, Five Element Fists, and Three Posture Stance were all essential components of Teng Qingshan's future God-Tier secret manual. Although they weren't perfect now, their potential was immense.

According to Chu Xin, she had never seen a C-Grade technique that required three times more certification points than a B-Grade one. Of course, with the Lord God Space just beginning to show itself, the little girl's knowledge was limited.

In Gu Sheng's opinion, the relationship between the true inheritance of Xingyi Boxing and the Tiger Form Spirit Art was like that between the Nine Yin Manual and the Nine Yang Divine Skill. The former encompassed everything and contained many divine techniques, while the latter specialized in one area.

The Tiger Form Spirit Art was a secret technique that could only be cultivated after reaching the Grandmaster Realm in internal martial arts. It allowed the cultivator's physical attributes to rapidly reach a new level.

However, once this level was reached, further improvement through the Tiger Form Spirit Art would be impossible. Physical attributes would even decline with age. In other words, the Tiger Form Spirit Art was a secret technique for unlocking the body's potential.

Gu Sheng pushed open the door and walked towards Chu Xin, who was practicing Xingyi Boxing.

Over the past nine days, the little girl's relationship with Gu Sheng had improved. After Gu Sheng generously shared the Teng Qingshan apprenticeship quest, the two had reached a consensus in this mission world and become teammates.

Gu Sheng valued Chu Xin greatly. The ability to sense good and evil, even if only faintly, was quite remarkable. It could produce unexpected results when used in specific situations.

"Hmph~"

Chu Xin deliberately ignored Gu Sheng as he approached. When he reached her, she crossed her arms and turned away, refusing to look at him.

"Chu Xin, Little Xin'er, Xin Xin, my little darling..."

Gu Sheng said with a smile, spewing out cheesy words without hesitation.

"Lecherous tiger, shut up!"

Chu Xin turned her head away, Gu Sheng's words were too cheesy, she really couldn't handle it! "Speak! What business do you have with me?"

Gu Sheng chuckled. "Can't I miss you?"

"Spare me! I'm not one of those naive little girls who can be fooled with a few sweet words. Don't even think about it."

Chu Xin rolled her playful and adorable eyes, her face slightly flushed. "Tell me! What is it really? Knowing you, you'd probably want to keep training if there wasn't something else!"

Gu Sheng chuckled inwardly. It seemed that the first step of his girl-raising plan was progressing smoothly!

Gu Sheng smiled and said, "My Xin'er knows me best!"

Chu Xin protested, "Lecherous tiger, don't talk nonsense! Who's your Xin'er?"

Gu Sheng took half a step forward, approaching Chu Xin and lightly sniffing her fragrant hair, smiling suggestively. "We've already slept on the same bed, things are already ambiguous!"

"You!"

Chu Xin was both embarrassed and annoyed. "Lecherous tiger, it was clearly you... You're the worst."

"Alright!"

Gu Sheng naturally pulled the little beauty into his arms. Fortunately, the Chu Xin in the real world was still a 'good girl' who hadn't even graduated high school, strictly controlled by her mother and forced to focus on her studies. She hadn't experienced certain things, which was why Gu Sheng could get away with so much.

"I naturally have something to talk to you about."

Gu Sheng said softly, "I've already planned the next target, but it's a bit dangerous."

Chu Xin turned her head. "Which place is it?"

Gu Sheng led her to the stone table and spread out a map marked with various lines – the Wildlands.

"Iron Arm Ape Mountain! Silver Horn Mountain!"

Chu Xin looked at the two endpoints on the map, which were covered with various lines. Her delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly. "I've heard my master from the Gui Yuan Sect talk about the Wildlands. It's extremely dangerous. With our strength, entering it would be a one-in-ten chance of survival, and that's being generous.

What exactly is in there that you care so much about?"

Gu Sheng picked up a small wooden stick and pointed towards Iron Arm Ape Mountain, "Over there, a group of Iron Arm Apes guard the exotic treasure, Vermillion Fruit. The Vermillion Fruit is one of the six treasures recorded in the Nine Provinces that can allow someone to reach the peak of Houtian and break through to First-Rate."

"Vermillion Fruit!"

Chu Xin's small eyes lit up. As a third-rate scrub, she naturally looked forward to improving her strength, and she was eager to try Gu Sheng's suggestion.

Gu Sheng pointed the wooden stick towards Silver Horn Mountain, "As for here, I can only say that it may be the key to us completing the main quest. I suspect that there is news of a critical node here."

Gu Sheng had never forgotten the Sovereign's mission, the main quest, to explore the mysteries of the world and find the critical node. At first, he thought the Sovereign's target should be the 'protagonist'.

However, after he came into contact with Teng Qingshan, he discovered that things were not as he imagined. Although Teng Qingshan was important, he did not seem to be a critical node in the Sovereign's eyes.

Gu Sheng thought about it and, after brainstorming, came up with a point: this node might not be a living person like the protagonist, but rather a place or thing. And in The Nine Cauldrons world, the most mysterious things are the nine small cauldrons that mutated after suppressing the nine great spiritual veins.

If he guessed correctly, the small cauldron on Silver Horn Mountain should be his main target this time.

"The main quest!"

Chu Xin's gaze sank, and after thinking for a long time, she smiled and said decisively, "Since that's the case, what reason do we have to give up!"

Originally, she, who always sought caution, still had different opinions about the trip to the Wildlands. Vermillion Fruit was good, but life was more important, and that was her life motto.

But Gu Sheng mentioned the main quest, and she could no longer remain calm. She didn't want to experience being forcibly thrown into a mission world by the Sovereign again. She wanted to be another version of herself.