(Thanks, Alliance Leader Adrianfufu)

(Thanks, Alliance Leader Adrianfufu)

In September, uprisings broke out across the four southern routes of Great Ling.

The Man People Zhang Dongqing and the Bei People Li Zhi attacked county offices, seized military equipment, armed more than ten thousand men, and marched on nearby prefectures and counties.

Great Ling dispatched troops to suppress them. Unable to hold out, the Righteous Army scattered. Some fled into Pingyu Road in Shan Province and became mountain bandits.

Qinghe Temple, Huaxin County.

The sun shone brightly, dispersing the cold mist atop Qinghe Temple's peak.

On the Martial Arts Daoist Temple training ground, pairs of martial cultivators practiced against one another. Among them was one pair with an enormous difference in build.

The man was somewhat lean, yet his face was ruddy and healthy, with a faint layer of downy hair.

The woman was burly, her face as broad as a platter, her hands and feet thick and powerful. She was also much taller than the man.

As they sparred, the two seemed to have developed a certain tacit understanding. Their exchanges of moves were quite skilled.

"Not bad. That's enough!" The burly woman stepped back. "Junior Brother Rongfang, you've now mastered every move of the Yue Type Talisman. Next, you need to nourish your blood and strengthen your qi and blood in preparation for Tendon Forging."

Zhang Rongfang nodded and glanced at his Attribute Panel. Sure enough, the Yue Type Talisman skill had finally appeared there.

It had taken two months to properly master the thirty-two forms of the Yue Type Talisman. Recalling all his daily efforts over that time, Zhang Rongfang finally confirmed something.

He was merely an ordinary person. Crossing over had not turned him into a martial arts genius.

Still, he looked at the one Attribute Point behind his Attribute Panel and found some comfort.

Now that the Yue Type Talisman skill had appeared, he could finally add points to it. His experience during that spring outing had left Zhang Rongfang without the slightest sense of security even now.

And now, it would depend on how much improvement this single Attribute Point could bring to his martial arts.

"Now that you've mastered the Yue Type Talisman, let me tell you: as the foundation of our Great Dao Sect's martial arts, the Yue Type Talisman is upright, balanced, and peaceful. It enjoys quite a reputation in the martial world and is one of the foundations of our Great Dao Sect.

"This set of moves knows when to advance and when to retreat, carrying a grave and imposing air. It is enormously beneficial for tempering a practitioner's character." Zhao Dacong explained.

"Senior Sister Zhao, how are the realms of martial cultivation divided?" Zhang Rongfang asked.

"Blood Nourishment and Tendon Forging. Once these two steps are complete, a person's strength and stamina increase greatly. That is the prerequisite for Entering the Ranks. Once you've Entered the Ranks, a martial cultivator can be considered beyond ordinary people.

"After that comes the Imperial Court's Ninth Grade system. There are no realm divisions; it depends on who you've beaten."

"Who you've beaten?"

"That's right. The quality and strength of martial arts are all fought out. The more you win, the greater your reputation.

"Every year, many martial arenas are held throughout Pingyu Road. Winners receive not only prize money, but also fame, along with invitations and employment from wealthy merchants and great households. If you're strong enough, you may even draw the Imperial Court's attention."

Zhao Dacong grinned.

"If you're interested, you can give it a try. If not, go straight to the Spirit Official Hall. Pass the basic grade assessment, and you can register for an official post with the Imperial Court and draw a salary. Of course, once you hold an office, you have to do work."

Hearing this, Zhang Rongfang fell into thought.

Registering for a post at the Spirit Official Hall was a collaboration between the Great Dao Sect and the Imperial Court. It was also an advantage unique to Buddhist and Daoist sects.

He had heard of it before.

"As long as one passes Tendon Forging and Enters the Ranks, they can take the assessment for an official post?" he asked again.

"Of course." Zhao Dacong nodded.

Zhang Rongfang felt that something was off. Did one not need actual combat experience in between?

"And what do you mean, 'as long as'? Starting from now, if you practice the Talisman Canon and nourish your blood with good food and drink every day, it'll usually take at least three years! That excludes the rare few born exceptionally gifted."

Zhao Dacong reached to the weapons rack beside her, took down a wooden hammer, and swung it with a howl.

"Then Tendon Forging takes another three years at minimum. Once all that is ready, Breaking Limits to Enter the Ranks is simple enough. Most people can manage it as long as they don't have congenital hidden ailments. Half a year of conditioning will do. The difference lies in how you break through.

"Enough nonsense. Come! One more round!"

Zhao Dacong immediately set down the wooden hammer and used Mountain Settling Heart, a Yue Type Talisman move, striking diagonally downward toward Zhang Rongfang's shoulder with her palm.

She did not use much force, merely going through the moves.

Zhang Rongfang raised his right forearm to block while his left hand shot out in a fist toward Zhao Dacong's waist.

This move combined offense and defense. It was precisely the Yue Type Talisman's Yang Piercing Needle.

Their hands were wrapped in cloth bands as their arms clashed rapidly, attacking and countering, their movements smooth and flowing.

After exchanging moves came strength training: lifting stone locks, carrying stone balls, running with weights, and the like.

None of these exercises could be done in great quantity, because Qinghe Temple was, after all, a Dao Palace. They practiced them only to nourish the blood.

After all that exertion, noon arrived, and Zhang Rongfang continued following Xiao Qingying.

He watched her seek out Chen Wuyou every day. The two grew ever more intimate in their conduct, like a couple.

If not for the restraints of propriety, Xiao Qingying would likely have been eaten clean, bones and all, by now.

Over these two months, following Xiao Rong's instructions, Zhang Rongfang had stopped their excessive intimacy in time on several occasions.

Besides that, Xiao Rong had arranged for another servant disciple to accompany Xiao Qingying. That servant disciple was a woman, and in many situations she was more convenient than Zhang Rongfang.

In the blink of an eye, a day passed, and evening gradually fell.

Within Qinghe Temple, the many disciples were like ants. After finishing their evening lessons, they slowly dispersed to the beat of drums.

After paying his respects to Xiao Rong, Zhang Rongfang hurried back to his residence.

Closing the door, he found the room pitch-black, moonlight filtering through thin mist into the window.

Cultivation Disciples were Qinghe Temple's formal disciples, and their treatment was entirely different.

The room contained a wooden bed hung with a white mosquito net. To one side stood a desk and wooden chair, a wardrobe, and a candle stand.

The floor was laid with smooth gray planks.

A formal dark-blue-and-white Daoist robe also hung on the wall.

Zhang Rongfang took a pair of flints and a fire-starting rod from the desk drawer, then lightly struck the two flints together.

The sparks lit the tinder, which ignited the fire-starting rod. He then used its flame to light the wick.

As candlelight rose, the room gradually brightened.

Zhang Rongfang lifted a teacup from the table. The water in the wooden cup had long since gone cold.

He took a small sip, soothing his somewhat chapped lips.

After resting briefly, he dragged a wooden basin from beneath the bed, opened the door, and went outside.

Before long, he returned with a basin of water.

Setting it on the floor, Zhang Rongfang looked at his reflection in the water.

The face reflected there was lean and long.

His nose bridge was high, his eyes narrow and long, his cheeks ruddy and full, his thin lips pressed tightly together, and his complexion pale yellow.

This face was already much improved from when he had first arrived at Qinghe Temple. Especially after becoming a Cultivation Disciple and beginning martial arts training, his complexion had improved even more.

"Looks like nourishing the blood really works. I'm not as thin as before either." Zhang Rongfang moved the basin aside.

He walked to the bed, removed his shoes, lay on his back, and calmed his mind.

Then he raised his hand and looked at the back of it. Only after the attributes appeared did he focus his gaze on the Attribute Panel at the bottom of his field of vision.

The translucent Attribute Panel had changed somewhat from before.

'Zhang Rongfang—Life 10-10. Skills: Returning Spring Purifying Time Talisman Classic—Yue Type Talisman (Beginner), Guanxu Skill (First Layer Essence Aperture). Available Attributes: 1.'

'The lower limit of Life used to be 9, but now it's 10. It seems these two months of hard training, good food, good drink, and good sleep have still been useful.

'But without improvements from attributes, the speed will probably be this slow.'

'Now, let's see how much improvement Attribute Points can bring me.'

Zhang Rongfang stared at the Yue Type Talisman among his skills.

Taking a deep breath, he imagined himself lightly tapping the cross-shaped plus sign behind the Yue Type Talisman.

In an instant, the Free Attribute Points changed from 1 to 0. At the same time, the content within the brackets behind the Yue Type Talisman abruptly blurred.

The words "Beginner" rapidly vanished.

Before Zhang Rongfang could even feel anything, his body jolted violently, as though his brain had been struck hard by a massive hammer.

In an instant, countless memories of his daily Yue Type Talisman training flooded his mind.

Day after day, he had cultivated tirelessly from morning to night.

The thirty-two forms of the Yue Type Talisman were practiced over and over. From beginner, to mastery, to rapid deepening, his understanding grew ever more profound.

Zhang Rongfang's physique also began to change slightly.

From its previously balanced, slender form, his muscles slowly swelled, though not noticeably. They still retained sleek lines.

After roughly ten breaths, he gradually recovered from his dizziness.

By then, the body lying on the bed was drenched in sweat. Even his clothes had been soaked through, giving off a heavy stench of perspiration.

Slowly sitting up from the bed, Zhang Rongfang closed his eyes and carefully recalled the changes just now.

'The previous improvement in the Guanxu Skill wasn't this clear, but this time I saw it quite distinctly.

'The improvement from Attribute Points doesn't merely enhance skill proficiency. It also raises physical strength along with it, improving the body to the minimum level needed to smoothly use skills of that tier.'

'Or perhaps when a skill rises to that tier, it naturally drives the body to reach that level of strength.'

Zhang Rongfang let out a long breath and looked at his Attribute Panel again.

By now, his attributes had finished changing.

'Zhang Rongfang—Life 10-11. Skills: Returning Spring Purifying Time Talisman Classic—Yue Type Talisman (Mastered), Guanxu Skill (First Layer Essence Aperture). Available Attributes: 0.'

"My Life maximum increased by one, and the Yue Type Talisman went from Beginner to Mastered. But there's no way to compare my strength with others'."

Zhang Rongfang frowned slightly. The Attribute Panel could only display Life and skills; it was somewhat sparse.

But on second thought, actual combat strength and victory were not determined only by martial arts and Life. They also depended on tactics at the time, equipment, physique, the force used in a strike, striking speed, and more.

Even if you possessed the strength of a hundred tons, if you used only one hundred-thousandth of it in your strike, it would still be useless.

It was understandable that the Attribute Panel did not directly compare strength.

"Never mind. As long as it can directly raise my Martial Arts Level, that's enough. In an extremely short time, I can gain the strength that other martial cultivators have accumulated over many years!"

Zhang Rongfang rose from the bed, quickly wiped down his body with clean water, and changed into another set of clothes.

Only then did he stand in the room and experience the Yue Type Talisman he had just improved.

A Cultivation Disciple's room was at least five meters long and wide. Standing in the middle, it was fairly spacious, enough for him to move around a little.

Zhang Rongfang raised his hand as though holding a brush, drew it downward, and began the Yue Type Talisman's opening stance—Dot Clear Wind.

The Great Dao Sect's Returning Spring Purifying Time Talisman Classic had originally derived from the hand gestures and postures used by Daoism for drawing talismans.

Later, combat techniques and training methods were incorporated into it, forming a unique Daoist Sect martial art.

Within the Talisman Classic, the first seven Talisman Arts were used for self-defense, while the latter five were used to treat injuries and heal wounds.

The Great Dao Sect's Medicine and Martial Arts Integration was also a martial arts system with distinct characteristics.

In the room, Zhang Rongfang threw punches with rigid precision and force. His footwork shifted back and forth, yet he remained rooted to the ground like tree roots.

Whether in moves, speed, or strength, he was far superior to when he had sparred with Zhao Dacong during the day.

Only after practicing ten times in one breath did he slowly relax.

"This one point is worth at least three years of work!"

He often trained at the Martial Arts Daoist Temple, and had gathered roughly enough information on the martial cultivators there. Comparing horizontally now, he immediately found his bearing.

After the excitement faded, Zhang Rongfang tossed and turned in bed. Only after a long while did he extinguish the lamp and fall asleep.