Startling Swan Saber Technique

"Xiao Ming, regarding Blade Skills, Grandpa Liu is giving you two choices."

"First, Xiao Ming, tell Grandpa Liu your preferences and requirements, and Grandpa Liu will find you a suitable Blade Skill."

"Second, Grandpa Liu will give Xiao Ming a Blade Skill that Grandpa Liu has privately collected."

"However, if Xiao Ming chooses the second option, then your quota in the Scripture Pavilion will also count as used. Xiao Ming, the choice is yours now." Grandpa Liu spoke to Lin Ming.

Lin Ming knew the family rules. At the Dou Qi stage, one could learn two Yellow Tier Dou Techniques in the Scripture Pavilion. After advancing to Dou Zhe, one could also choose one Mysterious Tier Dou Technique and one Mysterious Tier cultivation method from the Scripture Pavilion.

As for whether they were Black Tier Low-grade, mid-grade, or High-Grade Dou Techniques and cultivation methods, that depended on one's own strength.

He had heard that cultivation methods and Dou Techniques above the Mysterious Tier in the Scripture Pavilion were protected by an Energy Wall. Whichever one you took would be immediately detected.

This was both a protective measure and a test for the members.

The family could provide you with resources, but if you lacked the ability to obtain them yourself, you could blame no one. It was also a form of encouragement.

"Grandpa Liu, Xiao Ming chooses the second option." Lin Ming answered without even thinking.

Wasn't this blatantly using connections for personal gain? Of course Lin Ming did not need to think about it.

"Hahaha, you clever little rascal." Grandpa Liu laughed heartily.

With a flash from Grandpa Liu's Storage Ring, a scroll of Dou Technique appeared in his hand. Then Grandpa Liu said, "Here, take it." He tossed the Dou Technique to Lin Ming.

Lin Ming hurriedly caught the Dou Technique and looked at the description on the scroll.

Startling Swan Saber Technique, Mysterious Tier Mid-grade Blade Skill.

When he saw the words "Mysterious Tier Mid-grade," Lin Ming knew he had struck gold, but he still asked, "Grandpa Liu, this Dou Technique is..."

Before Lin Ming could finish, Grandpa Liu interrupted him. "What do you mean, 'this'? If I give it to you, take it. I'm giving a Dou Technique to my own grandson. Who dares to babble about it?"

Lin Ming quickly put the Dou Technique into his Storage Ring and said, "Grandpa Liu, then Xiao Ming won't stand on ceremony with you."

"Alright, you've just received a Dou Technique, so I know you're eager to go back and practice. Grandpa Liu won't keep you any longer. Remember to train properly when you return. Don't disgrace the Lin Family." Grandpa Liu said.

"Your Grandpa Liu is still waiting to see you become an Alchemist. If there's anything you don't understand, come ask Grandpa Liu." Grandpa Liu told Lin Ming again.

"Hehe." Lin Ming scratched his head awkwardly, then said with a serious expression, "Grandpa Liu, don't worry. Xiao Ming won't disgrace the Lin Family. I'll definitely become an Alchemist too."

Hearing Lin Ming's promise, Grandpa Liu smiled and nodded.

Seeing this, Lin Ming spoke again. "Grandpa Liu, then Xiao Ming will head back to cultivate first."

"Go on!" Grandpa Liu waved his hand.

After leaving the Scripture Pavilion, Lin Ming thought, Today I really hit the jackpot—two Mysterious Tier Mid-grade Dou Techniques!

The more he thought about it, the more Lin Ming could not help laughing.

He walked all the way out without the guards stopping him again, then followed the path he had taken back home, his heart brimming with joy.

The moon hung like a silver plate, and stars filled the sky.

When everything around him had fallen silent, Lin Ming ended his cultivation.

The greatest taboo during cultivation was impatience, so after returning, Lin Ming first ate dinner. Only after he had washed up did he sit down to meditate and cultivate Dou Qi.

It was already deep night. Once Lin Ming's excitement had completely settled, he took out the two Dou Techniques he had obtained that day from his Storage Ring.

After careful consideration, Lin Ming put the Blade Skill Startling Swan Saber Technique back into his Storage Ring. Then he picked up the Fist Skill Explosive Thunder Fist and studied it seriously.

As for why he chose to learn Explosive Thunder Fist first, it was because this Dou Technique belonged to the Scripture Pavilion and had a time limit.

Although Grandpa Liu had not said that it needed to be returned within half a year, there were some things Lin Ming needed to understand on his own.

For someone at Grandpa Liu's level, even keeping this Dou Technique without returning it might not count for much. But Lin Ming still had to follow the rules that should be followed within the family. The fewer troublesome matters, the better.

Opening the cultivation method for Explosive Thunder Fist, Lin Ming first carefully examined the Fist Skill's training method.

"Whew..." After reading through it once, Lin Ming slowly let out a breath.

Although Lin Ming had not completely understood the Explosive Thunder Fist Dou Technique after one reading, he grasped the general idea.

Moreover, the final page of the Explosive Thunder Fist Dou Technique included a diagram of meridian circulation. In Lin Ming's view, as long as he cultivated according to the diagram, there should not be much of a problem.

Lin Ming had never been someone who dragged things out, so he immediately began cultivating according to the Dou Technique's description.

As Lin Ming's breathing steadied, the surroundings fell silent once again.

He calmed his mind and used his consciousness to control his Dou Qi, guiding it through the meridians required by the Dou Technique.

"Cock-a-doodle-doo!" The rooster's crow announced the end of the night. After half a night of trial and error, Lin Ming finally mobilized a strand of Dou Qi and guided it with his consciousness to the starting point of the meridians.

But once that strand of Dou Qi arrived there, it was as though it sensed that entering would mean leaving its companions. No matter what, it refused to move forward another step.

This nearly angered Lin Ming to death. He knew it was because his control over Dou Qi was inadequate, so he could only slowly work at it.

It also sounded an alarm for Lin Ming. If he could not even properly control the Dou Qi inside his own body, then when fighting others in the future, how could he rapidly mobilize Dou Qi for battle?

Now that he had noticed the issue with controlling Dou Qi, Lin Ming knew he needed to strengthen his command over it as well.

Cultivation was dull. Aside from spending one afternoon out playing with Ya Fei, Lin Ming spent nearly half of the past half month cultivating Explosive Thunder Fist.

If not for the progress he could see every day, Lin Ming probably would have thrown in the towel.

By today, the meridian circulation of Explosive Thunder Fist had reached the Critical Moment. Lin Ming believed that today was the day he would master the Dou Technique.

He calmed his mind and sank his Qi into his Dantian. Under the guidance of his consciousness, Dou Qi swiftly coursed through the specific meridians of Explosive Thunder Fist.

At a certain moment, Lin Ming's eyes snapped open, and he let out a fierce shout, "Explosive Thunder Fist!"

As the sound left Lin Ming's mouth, his hand shot forward in a punch, smashing with all his strength into a rather cheap Large Vat.

"Bang..." The sound of the Large Vat shattering rang out.

"Damn it, it hurts, it hurts!" Immediately afterward, cries of pain came from Lin Ming's mouth.

"Hahaha!" A moment later, Lin Ming burst into loud laughter.

From the shattered Large Vat, it was clear that Lin Ming had successfully cultivated Explosive Thunder Fist.

Although Lin Ming was still very slow when using Explosive Thunder Fist, he believed that as long as he practiced often in the future, reaching the point where he could execute Explosive Thunder Fist instantly would definitely not be a problem.

Shaking his hand, Lin Ming looked at his fist. It was bright red, with faint traces of blood seeping out.

"Ah, this really hurts like hell." Lin Ming sighed, while thinking to himself.

This won't do. With this soft, tender Flesh Body, even if I defeat someone in a fight later, I'll still end up covered in injuries.

Looks like I need to find a way to train my body. Then I can make a pair of gloves to wear, and that should make things much better.

That was humanity: knowing how to find ways to make up for one's shortcomings. Whether by strengthening oneself or borrowing external tools, as long as the desired effect was achieved, it was enough.

"Bring it in, bring it in. Here, here. Good, good, put it down." As soon as Lin Ming finished speaking, a "Bang!" rang out.

A massive stone vat, about one zhang in length and width and roughly one meter tall, crashed heavily onto the ground.

Then a Big Man came over and asked, "Young Master Lin, is it fine placed like this?"

"Alright, that's fine." Lin Ming said.

He then took out twenty-five Gold Coins and handed them to the Big Man. "Here's the agreed price. Also, help me carry in those sandbags outside and pour the sand into the vat."

"Alright, Young Master Lin, don't worry. We'll get everything properly sorted out for you." After taking the Gold Coins, the Big Man said with a beaming smile.

After putting the Gold Coins into his pocket, the Big Man called out, "Brothers, hurry and help Young Master Lin carry all the sandbags outside in here. Pour all the sand into the Large Vat."

These ordinary people only earned twenty or thirty Gold Coins a year. This time, helping Young Master Lin with this work would earn each of them at least two Gold Coins after costs, so naturally they worked especially hard.

Lin Ming also knew he was paying quite a high price, but he needed it urgently. A higher price was fine.

After all, Lin Ming was not short on money. Not only did the family give him one hundred Gold Coins every month as an internal member, but the wealth his parents had left behind amounted to tens of thousands of Gold Coins. Added to the compensation for his parents' deaths, Lin Ming now had around two hundred and fifty to two hundred and sixty thousand Gold Coins.

Therefore, since Lin Ming did not care about a few Gold Coins, when he spoke with the owner yesterday, he did not haggle over the quoted price. He only demanded good quality and fast delivery.

It was delivered this morning, so Lin Ming was quite satisfied.

This Large Vat was the method Lin Ming had devised for cultivating Explosive Thunder Fist.

It would be filled with fine sand, allowing his fists and arms to be tempered and strengthened through repeated practice.

This idea had come from the martial arts novels he had read in his Previous Life, where people trained Iron Sand Palm.

In those stories, those who trained Iron Sand Palm would place a pot over a fire, fill it with sand, and temper and strengthen their hands through repeated friction with the grains of sand.

But Lin Ming had no need to torture himself that much. Sand alone would be enough; there was no need to heat it over a fire.

After all, Lin Ming was not a masochist. He had also ordered a pair of gloves, modeled after Motorcycle Gloves from his Previous Life, except without the parts covering the fingers.

He had also told the owner to add Metal around the knuckles to increase the damage.

That way, they could increase his damage, protect his fists, and barely hinder his hand movements. It was simply perfect.