After bringing back all his spoils, Lin Shuguang slipped home to change his clothes before contacting Feng San.
Seeing Lin Shuguang produce such a large haul, Feng San was a little surprised. He smiled and probed, "Junior Brother Lin, have you joined a hunting team?"
He mistakenly assumed that Lin Shuguang had a hunting team behind him.
Lin Shuguang smiled without offering much explanation. Feng San's words provided the perfect cover.
"Fifty-three thousand eight hundred in total. Would you like cash or a transfer, junior brother?"
"A transfer." Lin Shuguang narrowed his eyes and asked with feigned casualness, "Senior Brother Feng San, do you know about treasure medicine?"
Feng San perked up. "Do you have some treasure medicine, Junior Brother Lin?"
Lin Shuguang's gaze remained calm as he responded with a question of his own. "You're familiar with it, senior brother?"
Feng San collected himself and gave his junior brother a long look. This was the first time he had found himself unable to see through him.
"Treasure medicine is classified by age, too. You look at how many golden threads its roots have. Each golden thread represents twenty years, and the prices naturally vary. Some cost fifty or a hundred thousand, while others cost millions or tens of millions. It depends on both its age and its rarity. Still,
"Take my advice, Junior Brother Lin. If you have treasure medicine, you'd better keep it for yourself rather than sell it. Most treasure medicines can increase your blood energy value by ten cal or even several dozen cal. Older ones can give you even more."
"It only increases blood energy value?" Lin Shuguang was a little disappointed.
With the Slaughter Blade and [Basic Body Refining Technique], he had no trouble increasing his blood energy value.
After his battles in the Blood Desolate Land, he knew that what he needed more now was an improvement in his strength, so he had to maximize his gains.
"What was that, Junior Brother Lin?" Feng San had not heard him clearly. Thinking Lin Shuguang was talking to him about treasure medicine, he could not help asking curiously.
"Nothing. I'll head inside now, Senior Brother Feng San."
Lin Shuguang was about to enter the martial arts school when Feng San stopped him, pressed a card into his hand, and whispered, "Junior Brother Lin, if you really want to sell treasure medicine, try this address. If anyone asks, tell them I referred you. No one will dare cheat you."
Lin Shuguang accepted it. "Thank you, senior brother."
"Oh, don't mention it. We're fellow disciples, after all. Besides, I have high hopes for your team. I'll be counting on your business in the future, Junior Brother Lin."
As soon as he stepped into the inner courtyard, Lin Shuguang heard Song Shi berating someone in exasperation.
"Idiot! How many times have I told you to stop losing control of your strength? The Tiger Roar Saber Technique requires finesse. Otherwise, you'll never master it in your lifetime!"
The young man being shouted at was Lu Yifan, the school's eldest senior brother. His head was lowered as he said in a subdued voice, "Teacher, I practice the Tiger Roar Saber Technique every day, but the more I practice, the harder it feels. I just can't get the knack of it."
Song Shi shook his head. Spotting Lin Shuguang, he beckoned him over. "Shuguang, demonstrate the Tiger Roar Saber Technique. The rest of you, watch closely."
Everyone turned to look at Lin Shuguang.
His expression calm, Lin Shuguang took a wooden saber from the rack, walked to the center of the Training Ground, and began performing the moves one by one. He kept suppressing his strength, however, displaying only a level infinitely close to LV2.
Even so, he could not conceal the essence of the Tiger Roar Saber Technique, and Song Shi nodded repeatedly as he watched.
"Good! All of you, pay close attention to his movements. When your strength reaches the blade, that doesn't mean your center of gravity should shift with it! Tighten your chest and abdomen, release your strength with the downward slash, and keep your lower body steady. Yes, just like that.
"Although Shuguang hasn't been at the school as long as you, his comprehension of the Tiger Roar Saber Technique is better than every one of yours. Pay attention to the finesse this saber technique requires. Don't just perform it blindly. Learn to think!"
Once Lin Shuguang finished his demonstration, Song Shi approached with a gentle smile. "Well done. Go practice on your own first. I'll come find you later."
After leaving everyone's sight, Lin Shuguang made a show of practicing his saber technique while actually looking at the Attribute Panel.
-- [Name]: Lin Shuguang; [Blood Energy Value]: 198 cal; [Skills]: Tiger Roar Saber Technique LV4, Basic Body Refining Technique LV3 (increases blood energy value by 1 cal daily), Bone Dissection LV3; [Destined Soul]: Slaughter Blade (silver); (Description: possesses a certain degree of destructive power and a special ability); [Special Ability]: Absorption LV1 (can seize blood energy value upon a successful kill) --
In just over a month, Lin Shuguang had raised his blood energy value to 198 cal. If word of this rate of improvement got out, it would undoubtedly shock the entire world.
Now that he had a large sum of money, it was time for another round of upgrades. He immediately looked at the skills he could spend money on.
-- [Basic Body Refining Technique LV4: increases blood energy value by 1.5 cal daily, slightly increases strength, requires a payment of 3,000] [Absorption LV2: seizes twice the blood energy value upon a successful kill, requires a payment of 2,000] --
"Huh?"
Lin Shuguang frowned.
Why were there only two skills available to upgrade? This fell far short of his expectations.
He had thought he could upgrade the Tiger Roar Saber Technique again this time, but no upgrade prompt had appeared at all. With a thought, he looked over and finally understood.
[Tiger Roar Saber Technique LV5: requires a payment of 1,000 and a blood energy value of 300 cal]
"No wonder!"
His blood energy value did not meet the requirement. Lin Shuguang had nothing to say to that. He gathered his thoughts and could only consider how to maximize his gains.
After his trials in the Blood Desolate Land, he no longer thought much of the paltry blood energy increase from the Basic Body Refining Technique. However, the added phrase "slightly increases strength" interested him quite a bit.
In his view, every word of the Pay-to-Win System deserved close examination, so he chose to upgrade.
The movements of the [Basic Body Refining Technique] immediately appeared in his mind. This was another optimized version, somewhat more streamlined, and the muscles throughout his body grew a little firmer.
Coming back to his senses, he looked at the description of [Basic Body Refining Technique LV5].
[Basic Body Refining Technique LV5: increases blood energy value by 2 cal daily, slightly increases physical potential, requires a payment of 6,000]
"Physical potential?" Lin Shuguang raised an eyebrow. "Upgrade!"
The moment he spoke, every bone in his body felt as though it had been enveloped in warm spring water, and his whole body felt much lighter.
"This physical potential... my strength seems to have increased quite a bit, and my reactions have become quicker too. Could all my attributes have improved?!"
Pleasantly surprised, he looked at the description for LV6.
[Basic Body Refining Technique LV6: increases blood energy value by 5 cal daily, evolves physical potential, requires a payment of 20,000]
Seeing the price at the end, Lin Shuguang decisively gave up.
He was not yet at the point where he could throw money around, so he turned his attention to the Slaughter Blade's special ability.
He had gained a clearer understanding of Absorption LV1's power in the Blood Desolate Land. Previously, one Desolate Ghost Ape had yielded around 3 cal of blood energy value. After the upgrade, that would become 6 cal.
With his current strength, he could handle a group of around eight Desolate Ghost Apes at most. That meant the blood energy value he could seize would no longer be 24 cal, but 48 cal!
His enormous improvement during his last visit to the Blood Desolate Land had also been partly due to luck. Besides, killing people could yield blood energy value too, and the amount was not small!
Jiang Songhao alone had given Lin Shuguang 8 cal of blood energy value. If he could kill him again after upgrading, that would be 16 cal... and if the multiplier were even higher, it would be 24 cal! 32 cal! Even 40 cal! The increase was simply terrifying!
"Upgrade!"
Absorption jumped from LV1 to LV2.
Lin Shuguang looked at the upgrade requirements for Absorption LV3.
[Absorption LV3: seizes three times the blood energy value upon a successful kill, requires a payment of 4,000]
"Upgrade!"
[Absorption LV4: seizes four times the blood energy value upon a successful kill, requires a payment of 16,000]
"Upgrade!"
[Absorption LV5: the Slaughter Blade's quality does not meet the requirement. This ability cannot be upgraded]
As his wealth shrank dramatically, Lin Shuguang's upgrades came to an abrupt halt.
"Quality? I remember the first Slaughter Blade upgrade was triggered by that thousand yuan. Could it be that I still don't have enough money? There wasn't an upgrade notification when I had fifty thousand saved up, either. Then is it a hundred thousand?"
Lin Shuguang stopped what he was doing, looking thoughtful.
He looked at the Attribute Panel.
-- [Name]: Lin Shuguang; [Blood Energy Value]: 198 cal; [Skills]: Tiger Roar Saber Technique LV4, Basic Body Refining Technique LV5 (increases blood energy value by 2 cal daily), Bone Dissection LV3; [Destined Soul]: Slaughter Blade (silver); (Description: possesses a certain degree of destructive power and a special ability); [Special Ability]: Absorption LV4 (can seize four times the blood energy value upon a successful kill) --
After spending nearly thirty thousand, he had raised [Basic Body Refining Technique] by two levels and [Absorption] by three. Lin Shuguang could hardly wait to grab his saber and charge straight into the Blood Desolate Land.
Just then, however, Song Shi came over and led Lin Shuguang into the courtyard where he usually rested. No one else was there.
"I told you before that martial skills are divided into nurturing techniques and killing techniques. The Tiger Roar Saber Technique is the most basic nurturing technique. I can see that you've built a very solid foundation. It's time I taught you a killing technique."
"A killing technique? A new martial skill!" Lin Shuguang's expression finally changed.
Song Shi took the wooden saber from his hand and explained as he assumed his stance, "The killing move I'll teach you today is called [Star Prison Gale Slash]."
He slashed, and a fierce wind howled. Beneath the surging force of the wind, the swirling dust burst forth like sparks setting a prairie ablaze.
With a boom, the entire Training Ground suddenly fell silent.
The thunderous blast from the neighboring courtyard echoed for a long time.
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