Transmigration? Infinity?

Three days later.

At the Wu Family Fortified Village, on the training grounds.

Wu Ming faced a wooden post, chest in and back straight, throwing a punch: "Five hundred and seventy-three!"

The wooden post thudded loudly, and deep impressions even appeared on its dense, solid grain.

The maids and servants nearby were almost stunned.

When had their young master ever been this serious?

Wu Ming, however, was utterly focused, continuing to sweat profusely.

He was an extremely pragmatic man. Since he had confirmed the crossing and couldn't go back, he could only accept his fate!

But accepting fate didn't mean seeking death! To keep living, and even live better, he had to become someone above others!

Relying on his sister, he could still play the wastrel, but what if the secret was exposed one day?

Wu Ming had never liked pinning his hopes on others, so he decided to fully pick up his own capital.

And the Great Zhou, where martial arts could reach the divine, Daoist arts could ascend to immortality, and even eclectic schools and three thousand paths could grant longevity, gave him great expectations.

In his past life, mediocrity was the norm, and all mortals shared the same lifespan—that was that.

But here, it seemed he could pursue longevity, or even eternity?

"One thousand three hundred and eleven!"

"One thousand three hundred and twelve!"

"Ha!"

Wu Ming let out a low shout, suddenly throwing a punch that slammed heavily into the wooden post.

Crack!

With a loud noise, the thigh-thick wooden post, specially used for martial training, snapped clean in two, drawing startled cries from several maids.

"Young Master Ming! Let this servant wipe your sweat!"

A maid in a lotus-green long dress, swaying gracefully with a bright smile, stepped forward, her eyes seemingly sparkling with stars.

"No need, I'll do it myself!"

Wu Ming took the towel, wiping his hot sweat, and nodded inwardly: "Finally picked up the old skills again!"

Though the Great Zhou had three thousand paths, all wondrous and profound, the most widespread was still the martial path!

After all, with the lowest entry requirements and the least resource consumption, it was inevitable that martial arts spread far wider than Daoist, Legalist, and other traditions.

Earlier, Wu Ming had naturally thought of learning Daoist arts from his sister, but unfortunately, while humans were the most spiritual of beings, Daoist arts demanded too much. With his pitiful talent, he'd probably achieve nothing even if he studied until death, so he could only take the martial path, which had the lowest talent requirements.

"Martial arts have Nine Layers of Body Refinement: Heart Settling, Skin and Flesh, Muscles and Bones, Internal Strengthening, True Qi, Innate, External Gang, Internal Gang, Extreme Change!"

"My predecessor reached the fourth layer, Internal Strengthening, with skin, flesh, bones, and organs all refined, qi and blood strengthened to the peak. Just one more step and I could generate Internal Breath and break through to the fifth layer, True Qi!"

No matter the path, one must first settle the heart, establish a firm resolve, then practice according to the method, step by step.

And in Wu Ming's memories, that former wastrel had been stuck badly at this stage.

Fortunately, with his sister's pressure, he barely passed, and she scoured for large amounts of precious herbs, finally polishing his foundation to completion.

Now, through several days of hard training, Wu Ming had finally fully inherited his predecessor's legacy, and his control over his body and the condensation of his strength even surpassed that useless wastrel.

"Young Master Ming, the person sent by the eldest young lady has arrived!"

A servant boy hurried over, bowing to report.

"Oh? I'll go greet them in person!"

Wu Ming felt a surge of joy and followed the servant boy to the fortress gate, where he saw a middle-aged man in black tight-fitting clothes, with an aquiline nose, around thirty to forty years old.

"You are Young Master Wu Ming?"

The aquiline-nosed man bowed slightly, his sharp eyes scanning Wu Ming: "Skin and flesh taut, muscles and bones solid... Not bad, not bad! This Humble One is Feng Han, sent by Miss Wu Qing. This time, aside from clearing obstacles for the young master, I am also here specifically to teach martial arts..."

"Strong!"

Wu Ming's pores tightened under Feng Han's gaze, and he thought in surprise: "At least Innate, no... maybe External Gang or Internal Gang! Big sister really went all out, I wonder how she managed to get him..."

Outwardly, he said humbly: "Greetings, Master Feng. Please come inside to rest. As for the trouble... perhaps it won't be necessary..."

Wu Ming was halfway through his sentence when he saw Feng Han wave his hand, suddenly turning to look at the end of the road.

Thump-thump! Thump-thump!

A black dot moved quickly, growing larger, revealing a person who seemed to be carrying something, rushing over at a speed faster than a galloping horse.

"You are Wu Ming?"

The newcomer stopped in an instant, the dust he kicked up flying in Wu Ming's face, his nostrils pointing skyward with an air of arrogance: "Is this old dog sent by you?"

Bang!

He casually tossed the broken-limbed, unconscious Steward Wu to the ground like trash.

Wu Ming fell silent, watching the usually respectful Steward Wu reduced to this state. He felt uncomfortable and asked, "I instructed him to be humble and polite, and I even dropped the matter of Ghost Hand Lao Liu's death. Why do you still insist on making trouble? ...Is it for Miss Yun?"

Ghost Hand Lao Liu was that Wu Ming's attack dog, with many vengeful spirits on his hands, so he deserved to die. At this point, Wu Ming had no real intention of seeking revenge, but the man opposite him didn't seem to see it that way.

"That slut?"

Lin Qi's face twisted with malice: "How dare she throw herself into another man's arms? I've already killed both her parents, and today I'll kill her too... DIE!!!"

"If someone touches one of my dogs, I kill their whole family! You touched my woman, so I'll slaughter your entire fortress!"

Such a Dragon Pride-style declaration made Wu Ming roll his eyes.

He knew there was nothing left to discuss with this man, so he tilted his head and said:

"Get him!"

The martial arts instructor from the fortress let out a sharp whistle and charged forward with a group of guards.

This instructor had cultivated True Qi and was a notable figure even in the county. The guards beside him were all burly and strong, their muscles and bones cracking audibly.

"Hmph! Ants!"

Lin Aotian... no, Lin Qi sneered. A flash of green light appeared in his hand and swept across in an arc.

The Body Refinement Realm fifth-level instructor and the guards froze, then bloodlines appeared on their foreheads and necks as they fell to the ground.

"Murder!"

The maidservants nearby collapsed in terror, and the crowd scattered like birds and beasts.

"Impressive skill. Your Gang Qi blends hardness and softness—at least the eighth level of Body Refinement, the Internal Gang realm. I, Feng Han, shall test you!"

Whoosh!

As he spoke, Feng Han turned into a black shadow, leaping into the air. His long hands gleamed with the luster of refined steel as he struck downward:

"Thirteen Eagle Claw Strikes!"

Sssss!

Streams of Gang Qi shot outward, sharp and fierce, bending and straightening at will—clearly at the Internal Gang level or higher.

"Another expert?"

Lin Qi seemed somewhat surprised: "I'll deal with that lying butler dog later!"

But his face showed no fear. The green light in his hand condensed into a Finger-Wrapping Soft Sword of Refined Steel, and in an instant, it split into three sword shadows: "Light Splitting Sword Technique!"

Wu Ming slowly retreated, inwardly furious: "If only I'd mustered the militia and brought out the bows and crossbows... even an Extreme Transformation Expert could be driven off!"

As a fortress housing civilians in chaotic times, its defenses were naturally formidable. Properly prepared, its armaments could even withstand a siege by a large army.

But Wu Ming was just a spoiled son, and there was no way he could waste farming season to assemble the militia in peacetime—people would think he'd lost his mind.

Watching Feng Han locked in combat with Lin Qi, seemingly evenly matched, his heart sank.

'He couldn't fight at all before, and now he's above Internal Gang?'

'Progress this fast? Something's wrong! If I hadn't brought Feng Han, no one in the fortress could stop him! I'd be dead today!'

Wu Ming felt both regret and relief as he retreated into the fortress. His right hand silently reached into his embrace and put on an object.

"Where do you think you're going, you little dog?"

Seeing his target trying to flee, Lin Qi grew anxious. The fortress had high walls and deep moats—he couldn't be sure he'd find Wu Ming and kill him quickly.

"Be honored! You're the first to force me to use a secret technique!"

He gritted his teeth, his face flushing red. The soft sword in his hand writhed like a snake, and its green Gang Qi suddenly extended three feet.

Rip! Caught off guard, Feng Han took a blow to the shoulder, grunted, and fell to the ground.

"Your life is mine!"

Lin Qi's steps wavered, his face turning deathly pale, but he pressed forward. Seeing Wu Ming scrambling on the ground, a smug smile spread across his face: "Haha... little dog, kneel and kowtow, and I might let you die quickly!"

"What are you doing? Don't come closer! I... I have a very, very powerful sister... she won't let you off..."

Wu Ming seemed panicked, scrambling and pretending to kneel, when suddenly his expression hardened and he threw a punch.

Bang!

The fist was solidly caught by Lin Qi's palm, and he laughed: "Desperate, aren't you? You think I didn't notice your little tricks? I wanted to give you hope, then crush it... AHH!!!"

In a flash, Lin Qi screamed. His palm showed burn marks.

Wu Ming didn't waste the opportunity. His fist, wreathed in flames, slammed hard into Lin Qi's cheek.

"Flying Eagle Striking Claw!"

At the same time, Feng Han, who had been lying on the ground, gathered power in his right hand. A steel claw flew out and struck Lin Qi square in the back, blood spurting.

Bang!

Lin Qi fell to the ground, his face blackened and torn, a pool of blood spreading beneath him.

"Haah... haah..."

Wu Ming panted heavily, pulling back his right fist with the Fiery Red Thumb Ring, staring blankly at Lin Qi on the ground: "Don't you know the rule—don't act tough, or you'll get struck by lightning?"

"Kill him!"

A wise man does not stand beneath a perilous wall. Wu Ming did not step forward to claim first blood; instead, he retreated swiftly and issued the order.

Although Lin Qi appeared to be a dead dog, it was hard to say whether he still had some mutual-destruction technique or trump card in hand.

"As you command!" Several servants had the courage to beat a dog that was already down, and they immediately stepped forward.

"What a pity!"

At that moment, Lin Qi on the ground suddenly let out a fierce shout. He sprang up like a carp leaping, a layer of green light enveloping him as his flesh and blood healed at lightning speed. With a sweep of his palm, several servants spat blood and flew backward, and he charged at Wu Ming: "Die!"

A sudden turn of events!

No one could have imagined that Lin Qi, who had been like a dead dog moments before, would suddenly become so ferocious again!

"Even this won't kill you? So you really are a protagonist with a cockroach's life? But even so, wanting my life is a dream!"

Wu Ming's whole body tensed, ready to fight to the death.

"Hah! Surrender your life!"

At that moment, a crisp shout rang out. Amidst the rolling sound waves, a circle of black light flew through the air and struck Lin Qi squarely in the waist.

Crack!

Lin Qi's face froze in shock. His body was suddenly cut in half, the upper and lower parts separated, broken into two segments.

"How... is this possible..."

His half-body still crawled on the ground, blood spilling from his mouth: "...I obtained a great opportunity, crossed over from the Outer Heavens world, have great fortune, and am the protagonist!!! How could I die here? At the hands of a native?"

Lin Qi cast one unwilling glance at Wu Ming, then breathed his last.

Now his body was severed in two, dead beyond any doubt.

Wu Ming's face was wooden. Suddenly, from the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of an emerald green object rolling off Lin Qi's body.

His heart stirred, and he immediately stepped forward, scooping it up into his hand.

"Eh?"

The object felt warm to the touch—it was a verdant jade pendant, with what seemed to be golden stars flowing within.

Wu Ming was about to examine it closely when his vision suddenly went dark.

Before he lost consciousness, a mechanical, rigid voice reached him: "Main God Hall activated! Reincarnator, prepare!"

"Damn! So it's not a transmigration story, but an infinite flow one!"

This thought spun through Wu Ming's mind. He also seemed to see a beautiful figure rushing toward him, and then he sank completely into darkness.