King Tang

In the Scripture Library, Gu Han followed the instructions and took three books. He wasted no more time and began his formal cultivation.

Day after day, month after month!

Gu Han cultivated diligently, utterly unaware of the passing years.

Until...

Another autumn breeze swept across the earth, blowing countless withered yellow leaves from a great tree in a secluded corner of Treasure Pearl Temple to the ground, where they became fertilizer for the tree's growth in the coming year.

Only then did Gu Han, seated beneath the tree, cease his cultivation.

By now, a full year had passed since Gu Han had broken through to great completion in Skin Tempering and learned that the world had fallen into chaos.

Over that year, the land of Yan had suffered upheavals unlike any seen in the previous several centuries.

In that short year, the entire world seemed to have been turned upside down. Beacon fires rose everywhere, flames of war never ceased, countless commoners were displaced, corpses of the starved lay strewn across the land, and all suffered beneath the ravages of war.

Although Treasure Pearl Temple in Fangnan Prefecture of Great Yan was a place beyond the secular world, after a year of peace, it could no longer avoid being assailed by the flames of war below the mountain, its thousand-year tranquility thrown into disorder.

For just days ago, King Tang Ling Hanhai—who had established himself in Fangnan Prefecture of Great Yan, successively conquered the neighboring prefectures of Yunhai, Zhencang, and Lanling, and now commanded the entire Jiangnan region of Great Yan—had finally turned his gaze upon Treasure Pearl Temple within Fangnan Prefecture, his own stronghold, declaring that today,

he would come to pay a visit to the mountain!

"Senior Brother Jingming! Senior Brother Jingming, you really are here again. I searched all through the temple and couldn't find you, so I knew you must have slipped away here alone again to practice martial arts."

Gu Han was sitting cross-legged beneath the great tree, savoring the martial realm he had just broken through to, when a delighted voice rang out from afar.

"So it's Jingyuan. What is it? Is King Tang about to arrive?"

Seeing the familiar face of the newcomer, Gu Han smiled faintly and asked.

This was none other than Jingyuan, the first young monk Gu Han had encountered when he had first transmigrated into this world.

Over these three years, although the two belonged to different halls and were no longer as inseparable as before, they still often exchanged insights and verified their martial paths against each other.

After three years of tempering, the childishness on the young monk's face had long since faded away.

Now, as the senior brother of the Jing Generation in Prajna Hall, not only had he long ago broken through to minor completion in Muscle Tendon Strengthening, but his eyes were filled with confidence. He was utterly different from the little monk Gu Han had first met.

"Amitabha. Senior Brother has guessed correctly! Today is the day King Tang comes to visit the mountain. According to the senior brothers below the mountain, King Tang's honor guard has already reached a point five li outside the temple and will soon ascend the mountain.

Therefore, the Abbot has issued a decree ordering all disciples of Treasure Pearl Temple to proceed swiftly outside the Great Hero Hall and welcome King Tang's grand arrival."

Jingyuan smiled faintly at this, pressed his palms together, recited a Buddhist invocation, and replied.

"Very well. Then let us go and meet this King Tang!"

Gu Han nodded slightly, his gaze calm. Mentioning King Tang was like mentioning an ordinary man.

After three years, he was no longer the youth who had lost his head upon learning he had transmigrated into the Suicide Squad. With his present disposition, he could not claim that nothing in the world could stir his heart, but neither would he be shocked out of his wits at the slightest disturbance.

So what if he was King Tang?

No matter how towering his power and influence, was he not still an ordinary man?

He would die if killed! He would be startled if shaken! He would fear if frightened!

Such a man could be taken seriously, but he could not be feared.

Besides, Gu Han was not originally of this world. So what if he died? He would merely spend a few Simulation Points and live another life. Why should he fear him?

What was more, he was not without confidence.

With a thought from Gu Han,

the void before his eyes rippled, and a translucent attribute panel visible only to him slowly appeared.

Name: Gu Han

Level: 2

Realm: Minor Completion in Bone Forging, Minor Completion in Muscle Tendon Strengthening

Cultivation Techniques: "Vajra Body Refining Fist," "Arhat Fist" (First Level, Great Completion), "White Tiger Muscle Tendon Refining Fist" (Second Level, Minor Completion)

Skills: "Moon Chasing Steps" (First Level, Minor Completion), "Seventy-Two Demon Subduing Palms" (First Level, Great Completion)

System Skills:

① Simulation: A certain number of Simulation Points may be consumed to conduct a simulation, generating a new identity in the myriad heavens and worlds and beginning a new life.

② Insight: May perceive individuals no more than 20 levels above the host and obtain detailed information without consuming Simulation Points.

Current Simulation Points: 0

The splendid data lay before Gu Han. Compared to when he had first transmigrated, his current strength had increased by far more than tenfold!

Not only had Bone Forging and Muscle Tendon Strengthening both entered the realm of minor completion,

but through the complementarity of martial arts from two worlds, along with the top-tier body-refining method of Dragon Elephant Vajra Temple in the real world—the "Vajra Body Refining Fist"—his physical constitution was already no weaker than that of Organ Refining martial artists from the Yue Kingdom or ordinary Blood Tempering martial artists of Great Yan. It might even have faintly surpassed them.

More importantly, a year ago in the Scripture Library, he had also learned, as he wished, a Blood Tempering-level killing art, the "Seventy-Two Demon Subduing Palms," as well as a life-preserving lightness skill—the "Moon Chasing Steps"!

The "Seventy-Two Demon Subduing Palms" could be set aside for now; it was merely an ordinary Blood Tempering palm technique.

But the "Moon Chasing Steps" were different. It was said that this footwork had been comprehended beneath the moon by an Internal Qi Realm eminent monk of Treasure Pearl Temple a hundred years ago, and it possessed three levels in total.

So long as one cultivated it to great completion in the third level, it could provide an enormous enhancement even against Internal Qi Realm experts. Below the Internal Qi Realm, it was simply an unparalleled divine movement art!

As Gu Han recalled this, the classifications of martial techniques in this world surfaced in his mind.

In this world, whether body-cultivating methods or techniques that enhanced one's strength, all possessed at most three realms, corresponding respectively to the three martial realms of Skin Tempering, Muscle Tendon Strengthening, and Blood Tempering.

As for Internal Qi experts, they had already surpassed the limits of ordinary martial wanderers. They could only be achieved by chance through one's innate talent and robust foundations; there were simply no corresponding cultivation methods or martial skills for them to practice.

That was likely why Internal Qi Realm experts were so few and so difficult to produce in this world.

With that thought, Gu Han followed Jingyuan toward the exterior of the Great Hero Hall.

The two moved swiftly, arriving at the designated place after only about a quarter of an hour. They returned to their respective halls and stood waiting for King Tang's arrival.

"King Tang has arrived!"

By the time the sun had passed its zenith, no one knew how long the many monks of Treasure Pearl Temple had waited, and quite a few had begun to grow impatient.

Outside the temple, an enormous and extravagantly luxurious sedan chair nearly a zhang tall and seven chi wide, borne by more than a dozen men, finally arrived at a leisurely pace. It was inlaid with pearls and treasures, its silk embroidered with four-clawed golden dragons, while the laughter and flirtatious voices of beautiful women drifted from within. One glance showed its boundless extravagance.

"So this is King Tang? He truly did not live up to his name!"

Seeing such pomp from the arrival, Gu Han was not shocked or awed. Instead, he secretly looked down on him.

He had originally thought that, since King Tang could seize Jiangnan, he must be a man of great talent and grand strategy. Now it seemed he was nothing much after all.

Since ancient times, those who achieved great undertakings had all acted with restraint before truly accomplishing their goals. They were diligent and frugal, skilled at concealing themselves.

Yet King Tang was the complete opposite. With the realm still unsettled and beacon fires rising everywhere, he still dared to commit such an overstepping act as riding in a dragon-embroidered grand sedan. He truly knew neither heaven nor earth, terrified that others would not notice he was the bird that stuck its head out first.

Such a petty man drunk on sudden success probably would not remain arrogant for long.

Watching all this, Gu Han silently shook his head.

Abbot Ben Zhen of Treasure Pearl Temple, however, gave no further thought to King Tang's display. After leading the disciples in a Buddhist invocation, he bowed slightly toward the grand sedan and said in unison:

"Amitabha. Ben Zhen, Abbot of Treasure Pearl Temple in Fangnan Prefecture of Great Yan, together with all disciples of Treasure Pearl Temple, respectfully welcomes King Tang's grand arrival!"

"Mm. Rise!"

An overbearing voice came from within the grand sedan. Then its curtain slowly parted, gently lifted by a beautiful woman dressed in thin garments, revealing a man inside who looked like a mountain of flesh.

This man was King Tang!