Iron Cloth Skill Secured, Woodcutting Saber Technique Breaks Its Limit!

The Woodcutting Saber Technique without Limit Breaking could absolutely rival Skin Refining Realm perfection.

After Limit Breaking, it would not lose in actual combat to Fang Hai at Muscle Cultivation perfection.

And that was without him having undergone Body Tempering. At the same Skin Refining and Body Tempering level, Xiao Tian would be dealt with in just two or three strikes.

He had to get his hands on the Iron Cloth Skill!

"Master, what about Zhou Qiming..." Cheng Yu thought it over, but still brought it up himself.

No matter what, Yuan Tieyi had set the rules, and Zhou Qiming had indeed fulfilled them. If not for Xiao Tian's sudden emergence, then even at worst, he could have entered the school and received guidance.

"Take him to collect a copied manual of the Iron Cloth Skill. How much that boy can comprehend will depend on his own fortune."

Yuan Tieyi's tone gradually turned cold as he warmly took Xiao Tian's hand and led him into the rear courtyard.

Without the exclusive secret medicine for Skin Refining and without a Martial Master's guidance, obtaining the manual would be pointless. He might even injure himself through improper practice.

Clearly, the master of Iron Clothes Hall did not think highly of Zhou Qiming and had no intention whatsoever of accepting him as a disciple.

"Hmph, he only has a bit of brute strength." Xiao Tian snorted coldly and swept Zhou Qiming a glance.

Having stepped into the great threshold of Bone Forging, he felt as though all mountains lay beneath him. Even Senior Disciple Brother could only serve as a stepping stone beneath his feet, let alone an ant who had not even reached the Skin Refining Realm yet dared to compete for the position of last disciple.

The others watched Xiao Tian's departing back, their envy and jealousy varied. No matter what, they and Xiao Tian were no longer people of the same level.

Soon, the Small Courtyard quieted down. Those who practiced continued practicing, while those who had suffered a blow went home to settle their emotions.

Cheng Yu brought over a copy whose ink had not yet dried. The words "Iron Cloth Skill" were written on its cover. Wrapped in canvas, it was handed to Zhou Qiming.

"You can be considered half a junior brother now. Don't lose heart. If there is anything you do not understand in your training, you can ask me."

After offering a few words of encouragement, Cheng Yu took a ginseng root from a box. "This wild ginseng can replenish Blood Qi and help you better control it, allowing you to enter the Skin Refining level sooner."

His family dealt in medicinal herbs, so he did not lack such resources. Since he also enjoyed making friends, he was taking this opportunity to befriend Zhou Qiming.

At this age, Zhou Qiming already possessed arm strength of four or five hundred jin. Though his Root Bone was limited, reaching Skin Refining or even Muscle Cultivation would not be a problem.

Martial Artists who had crossed the great threshold of Muscle Cultivation were extremely sought after for guarding homes and estates.

Though not good enough to rise above, he was more than sufficient to stand below. In Cheng Yu's eyes, Zhou Qiming was already worth taking seriously.

"Thanks, Brother Cheng."

Zhou Qiming accepted the gift this time without standing on ceremony.

Getting the Iron Cloth Skill was already an unexpected delight. He could not wait to record it in the martial arts panel.

And this ginseng was worth ten taels of silver too. What a bountiful haul!

Trading a ginseng root for his goodwill—who could say who had lost out? Zhou Qiming accepted it generously and turned to leave.

"Hmph, he really had the nerve to accept it."

"Second Senior Brother really is a good man."

"No matter how solid his family background is, it should not be used like this. Talent depends on who you compare it to. This Zhou Qiming is merely wasting resources."

"Master Yuan is still too kind. He even bestowed a cultivation method on him. But that boy probably cannot even recognize a single character, hahaha."

The people nearby lowered their voices in discussion, sneering with contempt.

That afternoon, Zhou Qiming returned to the restaurant for a meal. He met with Liu Fu, the head chef, helped out with some prep work, and thus confirmed his status as an apprentice.

Yet all his thoughts remained fixed on the Iron Cloth Skill wrapped against his chest, and time slipped away without him noticing.

Wild winds swept through the streets, while dark clouds hung low overhead. By the time he returned to the Small Courtyard in the commoners' district that evening, it was already time to light the lamps.

"Damn it, thieves broke in."

The moment he entered, he saw that the door lock had been smashed. The room and courtyard were a complete mess. His luggage, bedding, boxes, jars, and everything else had been rifled through, a shocking sight.

Zhou Qiming was furious, Killing Intent surging. Those thieves had actually set their sights on him. They were truly courting death.

Fortunately, he had hidden his money properly, and this month's wages had not been paid yet, so his losses were not great.

"It must have been Chen Meng and Zhao Fei."

He recalled the resentful looks in Chen Meng's eyes when they left during the day. They did not dare provoke Cheng Yu, so they had come to make trouble for him instead. Did they really think he was some soft persimmon to be squeezed?

"Hah. No rush. First, I'll break the Blade Technique's limit. Strength—I must increase my strength!"

Zhou Qiming took a deep breath, calming himself as his gaze hardened.

Only with strength could one possess status and the right to speak!

Why was Yuan Tieyi so arrogant? Why did he look down on him? Was it not simply because his fist was harder for the moment?

"Woodcutting Saber Technique, add points!"

His focused will poured into the perfected Blade Technique on the panel.

The next instant, the martial arts panel blurred for a moment, and the Root Bone Value changed.

Root Bone: 1/4 points!

Woodcutting Saber Technique Limit Breaking First Layer, Trait: Brute Force!

The Root Bone Cap had not changed, but three Root Bone Values on the left had been consumed.

Memories of chopping firewood and practicing saber strokes flooded into his mind, pruning away the complicated and preserving the essence.

All the former moves of the Woodcutting Saber Technique rapidly merged together, leaving behind only a few of the simplest motions. His understanding of martial arts had reached a higher level—turning complexity into simplicity, he had begun to grasp the profound principles of the Blade Dao.

"Every craft begins by adding, then ends by subtracting. And what exactly is this Brute Force?"

Zhou Qiming felt strength unlike anything he had ever known. With the firewood saber in hand, he felt there was nowhere under heaven he could not go.

He stepped into the courtyard, raised his right hand high, and chopped downward. The saber light flashed like lightning, crashing onto a large bluestone with overwhelming force.

The bluestone he usually trained with split apart like tofu, scattering to either side. Yet the battered firewood saber was not merely undamaged—there was not even a tiny nick on its edge.

If that strike landed on a person, he did not dare imagine the result. Even if Xiao Tian were caught off guard by it, he would have no choice but to spill blood and die!

Hiss. Zhou Qiming sucked in a breath, delight and shock mingling within him. The enhancement from Brute Force was too terrifying. That strike likely carried a thousand jin of force already.

The Woodcutting Saber Technique after Limit Breaking was powerful, far beyond his expectations!

And this was only Limit Breaking First Layer. If he accumulated more Root Bone Values and continued breaking its limits, who knew how strong it would become? Perhaps it would even gain rarer and more powerful traits!

"I have to increase the Root Bone Cap. I need to start practicing the Iron Cloth Skill immediately."

Zhou Qiming was thoroughly satisfied, having gained a new understanding of his own strength.

Moreover, the expenditure of three Root Bone Values had also manifested on his body. His face and lips had turned somewhat pale. His Blood Qi was depleted, and he needed several days of recuperation to restore it.

Clearly, using the panel to raise the limits of martial arts through Root Bone placed a burden on and consumed the physical body.

If the body were a water jar, then strength was the water it contained. Only by raising one's Body Tempering realm could one hold greater strength.

Otherwise, it would be like a three-year-old child swinging a weapon weighing several hundred jin. Even if it could wound another, it would smash the child first!

Rumble!

Thunder rolled, Electric Light flashing.

Outside, torrential rain began to pour down. Pedestrians hurried along, while birds flew back to their nests.

"What wonderful weather. Rainy days are perfect for sleeping."

One incense stick later...

A Black-clothed person wrapped himself tightly, with a face covering over his features and a firewood saber tucked across his back.

The figure quietly shut the courtyard gate and swiftly vanished into the night.

The heavy rain washed away the traces on the streets. He moved with astonishing speed, cold murderous intent blazing in his eyes. On a rainy night, he carried a saber but no umbrella.

"Damn it, the more I back down, the angrier I get." Zhou Qiming raced through the streets, searching for his targets.

Today, they had dared to break into his home while he was away, smash things, and steal money. Tomorrow, would they dare bring people to his door to murder and set fire?

He had to strangle danger in the cradle. If he endured bullying everywhere without daring to strike back, then would his Blade Technique Limit Breaking not have been for nothing?