All In, Realm Advancement, Explosive Growth in Strength

The Nine Yang Divine Art—Su Fei, who had been a novel enthusiast in his previous life, was naturally no stranger to this cultivation technique.

This was a top-tier internal cultivation art. Once mastered, one's inner strength would flow without end, forming its own cycle.

With the divine art in hand, every punch and kick carried immense power.

The Nine Yang True Qi cultivated from it was supremely hard and supremely yang; cold and yin energies could hardly harm it.

It restrained all poisons under heaven, rendering its practitioner immune to a hundred poisons.

I now have twenty years of cultivation.

I might as well use it to improve the Nine Yang Divine Art.

As for the basic fist art the original owner knew, he had learned it at a martial arts school, paying quite a bit of silver for it.

It could also be used for Body Tempering Realm cultivation.

But no matter how he looked at it, this basic fist art was not even one percent as good as the Nine Yang Divine Art.

"System, all in. Put all twenty years of cultivation into the Nine Yang Divine Art."

In the first year, you began cultivating the Nine Yang Divine Art day and night without rest. Due to your ordinary aptitude, your progress was slow!

In the eighth year, through your diligent efforts, even with your ordinary aptitude, the Nine Yang Divine Art successfully broke through to the first level, and your martial cultivation successfully advanced to the True Qi Realm!

In the twentieth year, as you continued cultivating tirelessly, you occasionally gained an insight and comprehended a trace of the Nine Yang Divine Art's profundity. Seizing this opportunity, the Nine Yang Divine Art smoothly broke through to the second level, and your cultivation surged once more.

Cultivation results are being fed back.

A vast surge of True Qi appeared and entered Su Fei's body.

One acupoint after another was opened.

His martial cultivation rose in an instant.

Su Fei lowered his head and looked at the black sludge that had appeared on his skin.

He felt his body undergoing earth-shattering changes. It was as though endless vitality had been poured into his limbs and bones, every inch of flesh trembling faintly.

What delighted him even more was that within his dantian's sea of qi, which had originally been utterly empty, a mass of True Qi had now condensed, radiating ceaseless life force.

Su Fei's heart brimmed with joy.

"So I've broken through to the True Qi Realm—and not just the entry level, either."

Once that surge of True Qi had completely dissipated,

Su Fei immediately felt refreshed from head to toe. His martial cultivation had smoothly broken through to the fifth level of the True Qi Realm.

He instinctively circulated the Nine Yang Divine Art's mental method. Inner strength flowed out from his dantian and coursed through his entire body along his meridians.

"So this is what it feels like to be a True Qi Realm martial artist. Amazing."

Cultivation really was a wonderful thing.

As long as he had cultivation, no matter what cultivation technique or martial art he trained in, his progress would advance a thousand miles in a single day.

And it was equivalent to cultivating day and night without stopping.

Even if other martial artists cultivated, they could not possibly remain in a cultivation state without ever resting.

But Su Fei could.

From the fifth level of the Body Tempering Realm to the fifth level of the True Qi Realm, there was a difference of nine minor realms.

Even cultivating a martial art like the Nine Yang Divine Art had taken Su Fei twenty years, all while cultivating day and night without rest. This showed just how ordinary this body's "aptitude" was.

Yet with the system's help, he had instantly become a True Qi Realm martial artist.

"If I had cultivation that I could never use up and poured it all into the Nine Yang Divine Art, wouldn't my cultivation advance a thousand miles in a day?"

Su Fei fetched a basin of cold water and cleaned the grime from his body.

After changing into a fresh set of clothes, he walked into the courtyard.

He looked at the old locust tree before him.

He lightly clenched his fist.

Circulating Nine Yang True Qi, he threw a punch at the trunk.

An invisible wave of force shot forth.

Bang!

With a muffled boom, the old locust tree was severed at the waist and crashed to the ground. Wood chips flew everywhere, and dust billowed into the air.

If that punch struck a person, it would probably shatter their bones.

"My current strength is terrifyingly powerful."

Su Fei watched the leaves whirl through the air, a faint gleam appearing in his eyes.

Then the endless, self-renewing trait of the Nine Yang Divine Art activated automatically.

The True Qi consumed by that punch was replenished on its own within a few breaths.

"Even if I run into those True Qi Realm martial artists of the martial world now, with the Nine Yang Divine Art, I have nothing to fear."

Su Fei's previous confusion was swept away.

Ding! Mission triggered: Imperial Guard entry assessment.

Mission requirement: Go to the Qingzhou Prefecture Imperial Guard tomorrow and pass the Imperial Guard entry assessment.

Mission reward: Rushing Thunder Saber Art, Thirty Years of Cultivation

Oh? It even gave me a mission. The system really treats me well.

The Rushing Thunder Saber Art was perfect. The Imperial Guard used embroidered spring sabers, and he happened to lack a saber art.

With his current strength, passing the Imperial Guard entry assessment would be as easy as taking something from his pocket. There would not be the slightest difficulty.

All the worries in Su Fei's heart vanished. Being an Imperial Guard was pretty good. I'll be an Imperial Guard.

His heart was filled with surprise and anticipation.

Time to sleep.

A night passed.

Su Fei woke up refreshed and clear-headed.

He left home and went to the breakfast shop he frequented. He bought five large meat buns and two flatbreads, eating as he slowly made his way toward the Imperial Guard garrison.

The bun seller looked at Su Fei's departing back in surprise.

"That kid Su usually only eats two buns. His appetite's gotten bigger today—he bought so many."

"Maybe he's bringing them to someone else."

The Qingzhou Prefecture Imperial Guard Thousand Household Office stood on the central street of Qingzhou Prefecture.

Two stone lions stood at the entrance, glaring fiercely. Above the gate hung a black plaque with golden lettering.

The eight bold characters, "Qingzhou Imperial Guard Thousand Households Office," were written with vigorous strokes and carried an air of grim, murderous majesty.

The area before the Thousand Households Office was vast and spotlessly clean. Not a single fallen leaf lay on the ground, and no peddler dared set up a stall there.

When Su Fei arrived at the Thousand Households Office, its gates stood open.

Eight Imperial Guard Strongmen in fitted black uniforms, long sabers hanging at their waists, stood guard on both sides outside the entrance.

Their backs were straight, their expressions stern.

Anyone who saw them would have to praise them as well-trained.

These guards were all Strongmen, the lowest rank within the Imperial Guard, without official grade.

Only after becoming an Imperial Guard Banner Officer could one be considered formally ranked.

Su Fei arrived at the entrance and handed over his letter of recommendation. After the tall strongman at the gate read it, he nodded and led Su Fei inside.