Tomorrow, Leaving the City

The Azure Lord Eagle circled in the sky, its sharp, vicious gaze fixed on the prey below.

Jiang Yan had no long-range attacks, so for the moment, there was truly nothing he could do about the beast.

Second by second, time passed. Jiang Yan discovered that the Azure Lord Eagle's endurance was indeed as formidable as the textbooks described. After one failed strike, it never attacked rashly again, always seeking to kill with a single blow.

The textbooks recorded that an Azure Lord Eagle could circle the skies without rest for three days and three nights. The so-called eagle-wearing tactic had originated from it.

"Damn, bugs really aren't that easy to find." Jiang Yan thought helplessly. He had assumed he could slowly grind down the monsters in the Combat Space with the unbeatable nature of Heaven Rewards Diligence, but these beasts were so cunning, having completely inherited the habits of Fierce Beasts in the outside world.

"I need a movement technique martial skill—preferably one that can keep me airborne for a while."

With that thought, he exited the Combat Space and entered the Study Space again.

System Log Updated

You diligently practiced "Basic Saber Technique." Proficiency slightly increased; physique slightly improved.

You diligently practiced "Basic Saber Technique." Proficiency slightly increased; physique slightly improved.

You diligently practiced "Basic Saber Technique." Proficiency slightly increased; physique slightly improved.

...

Daytime passed in the blink of an eye.

Jiang Yan looked at his Status Panel.

Host: Jiang Yan

Realm: Late Body Tempering Stage

Martial Skills:

(Unranked) "Basic Saber Technique" — Perfect

(Yellow Grade Low Rank) "Fierce Bull Strength" — Subtlety

Traits: Heaven Rewards Diligence (Innate) Desperate Truth (Blue) Swiftness (Blue)

In a single day, he had pushed the Basic Saber Technique to Perfection. Moreover, every practice session gradually strengthened his physique, and the barrier of the Late Body Tempering Stage had loosened by several degrees.

An outrageous speed.

"At this rate, getting into a key university won't be a problem."

The only thing troubling Jiang Yan now was the Azure Lord Eagle in the Combat Space. That thing was far too clever and simply refused to fight him, leaving him no way to gain combat rewards from it.

A movement technique martial skill was urgently needed.

Liu Hair-Ren had been right about one thing: if ordinary people did not study, they would have no chance at all of pursuing martial arts.

Expensive martial skills and training equipment were only provided by schools. Outside, they required vast amounts of money.

Jiang Yan had no money, but a dangerous idea arose in his heart.

"How about giving the Wilderness a try? I heard Wilderness Hunters earn a great deal, though it's a little dangerous."

Jiang Yan was a man of action. After exiting the Divine Martial Space, he began searching online for relevant guides.

Armor, maps, weapons—Jiang Yan had to buy all that equipment himself. Equipment from the Divine Martial Space could not be brought into the real world.

That evening, Uncle Wang returned home, and Jiang Yan brought up the matter of leaving the city.

As expected, he met with firm opposition. Uncle Wang was so angry at Jiang Yan that his face and neck turned red.

"Fierce Beasts are everywhere outside the city. How is a mere Body Tempering martial artist like you supposed to survive?"

"Uncle Wang, I can guarantee that nothing will happen to me."

"Fine. Since you're so determined to leave the city and hunt Fierce Beasts, I'll give you a chance."

He dragged Jiang Yan to the rooftop.

The moon shone bright while the stars were sparse. The pitch-black night draped Uncle Wang in a layer of mystery. He stood ramrod straight, and the decisiveness and killing intent of a soldier filled the rooftop.

Wang Zhong's expression was grave as he spoke word by word. "I'm not trying to raise you into a flower in a greenhouse, but I also don't want you to run off and throw your life away for nothing."

He paused, then continued.

"Though my strength is far from what it once was, dealing with a brat like you is still more than easy enough."

"If you can defeat me today, I'll allow you to leave the city and hunt Fierce Beasts."

As soon as he finished speaking, Uncle Wang's aura erupted. His body drew taut like a bowstring, and a hard, domineering presence radiated from within. His eyes were sharp as a hawk's, while a killing intent Jiang Yan had never seen before spread from his body.

Jiang Yan narrowed his eyes. This was the first time he had seen Uncle Wang with such a crazed aura. He was completely unlike the kind, easygoing uncle he usually was.

Only one who had tempered themselves amid mountains of corpses and seas of blood could forge such an aura. It naturally inspired awe and terror, as if it could suppress every evil spirit and petty villain.

Jiang Yan did not remain idle either. Activating Fierce Bull Strength at Subtlety, he charged toward Uncle Wang, powerful force roaring through his body.

His figure was swift as the wind. With the Swiftness Trait's enhancement, his speed had increased by at least thirty percent. Not only that, even his attack movements had sped up, surpassing ordinary Late Body Tempering Stage martial artists by a wide margin.

This move had already reached the strength of Body Tempering Perfection.

"Good lad!"

Wang Zhong did not stint on his praise, but if this was all Jiang Yan had, he still could not rest easy about letting him leave Linjiang City.

His gaze sharpened. His fingers curled tight, and his body bent slightly. In an instant, Wang Zhong shot forward like a cannonball, one hand lashing out straight for Jiang Yan's vital points.

Only by thoroughly beating the stubbornness out of this brat could he extinguish his desire to leave the city.

Clang!

Wang Zhong's expression changed as he realized something was wrong. That grab of his could tear even steel to shreds. Though he had secretly held back some strength, Jiang Yan should not have emerged completely unscathed.

"Could it be his awakened talent?"

Wang Zhong's keen instincts told him he could no longer greedily press the attack. He immediately made his choice, driving off the ground and rapidly retreating.

At his original position, Jiang Yan threw a punch, making the air tremble.

Wang Zhong's eyelid twitched as he cursed, "You brat, you really don't hold back, do you?"

"Hahaha, in battle, one should naturally go all out!"

Jiang Yan laughed loudly, his assault unrelenting as he continued pressing toward the retreating Wang Zhong.

"Good. Then I'll accompany you."

Wang Zhong gave a hearty laugh. No longer holding anything back, he advanced instead of retreating and crashed toward Jiang Yan head-on.

Boom!

Their fists collided, then quickly separated as they tested one another.

"Huff... huff..."

Wang Zhong panted heavily.

Jiang Yan, on the other hand, looked as lively as a dragon and as fierce as a tiger, without the slightest trace of exhaustion.

"Sigh... forget it. Uncle Wang is old. I shouldn't keep restraining you young people."

The spar had yet to yield a winner, yet Wang Zhong was the first to surrender.

He had not used battlefield killing moves, nor had he employed Cultivation Techniques or martial skills. It was as though he had understood something midway through the fight. Facing Jiang Yan, the son of his comrade-in-arms, he chose to let go.

Wang Zhong's expression was complicated. His eyes flickered in the darkness as he glanced at Jiang Yan, but in the end, he said nothing more.

There was a kind of love called letting go. Young people could not be held back. Hadn't he been the same when he chose to enlist?

Jiang Yan stood where he was, watching Uncle Wang's slightly stooped figure disappear from view. The soldier brimming with killing intent from moments ago seemed like nothing more than an illusion.

"I lost."

Jiang Yan laughed at himself, but there was no sadness in him. Instead, a smile hung on his face.

The shackles of old quietly dissolved, and the aura of a new age stretched before him.

Tomorrow, he would leave the city!