Seventh Rank

Azure Dragon Cave Heaven.

Crane Claw Imprints Sand.

Red Cliff Copper Wall.

Ten Mile Thunderclap.

In the courtyard, Zhong Lin assumed his stance and practiced his fist techniques methodically. There were only four moves in total, yet Zhong Lin unfolded every variation of each move. He moved like a crane and stood still like a pine.

The medicinal power of the Bone Strengthening Pill began to spread through his body with every punch and kick, slowly seeping into his bones in tandem with his breathing.

The muscles all over Zhong Lin's body constantly surged, while blood began circulating from his heart. Faintly, Zhong Lin could even hear the sound of his blood flowing like rolling waves.

Suddenly, Zhong Lin sharply drew in his stance and stood rooted where he was. A series of crackling explosions, like beans popping in a wok, rang out from his tendons and bones.

The muscles throughout his body rolled and readjusted once more, increasing his strength by at least thirty percent.

His bone density had increased, making them as hard as stone.

His body had become heavier as well.

Zhong Lin estimated that he now weighed at least over two hundred jin, yet he still looked like a lean, 1.77-meter-tall youth.

After a long while, Zhong Lin slowly opened his eyes and loosely clenched his hand, feeling immense strength coursing through his body.

"Is this the Seventh-Rank Bone Forging Realm?"

With Bone Forging complete, every aspect of his physical constitution had improved enormously.

Strength, reaction speed, and so on.

With a flick of his right hand, a sword shadow flashed beneath the sunlight, then vanished at once, making it seem like nothing more than an illusion.

"Good. The Instant Kill Technique is more concealed and more powerful now. Both its speed and might have improved drastically."

Zhong Lin then summoned the System Panel.

Host: Zhong Lin

Skills: Archery (Max Level), Flying Locust Stone (Max Level), Three-Dimensional Painting (Max Level), Calligraphy (Max Level), Cooking (Max Level), Iron Mountain Skill (Max Level), Instant Kill Technique (Max Level), Black Tiger Fist (Max Level), Willow Catkins (Max Level), Wind Breaking Saber Technique (Max Level), Medicine (Max Level), Pharmaceutical Crafting (Max Level), Iron Sand Palm (Max Level), Rolling Stone Fist (Max Level), Disguise Technique (Max Level), Aura Tracking Technique (Max Level), Ventriloquism (Max Level), Lockpicking (Max Level), Aura Concealment Technique (Max Level)

Skill Points: ∞

Over the past few days, aside from training, Zhong Lin had also found these folk skills with Old Man Xu's help.

He had learned ventriloquism from a storyteller. At max level, he could imitate the sounds of all kinds of wild beasts, birds, men, and women.

Zhong Lin had used it once before to summon a great flock of birds. His imitation had been lifelike in every detail.

He had learned disguise from a traveling performer, also through Old Man Xu's introduction, for three taels of silver.

Using concocted potions, specialized tools, and even acupuncture, Zhong Lin could directly reshape his face into another appearance. If he specifically imitated someone, he could achieve seventy or eighty percent resemblance.

Its only flaw was that it could change only his face, not his body.

Zhong Lin did not mind. After all, it was merely a folk trick; he could not expect too much from it.

What pleased Zhong Lin most was the "Aura Tracking Technique," which he had learned from an old hunter. As its name implied, it was a skill for finding people and objects through scent. Put simply, it trained him a "dog's nose."

There was also lockpicking and Aura Concealment Technique.

Old Man Xu's family had made a living in Black Mountain County for generations. It could be said that he knew every blade of grass, every person, and every object here.

It was also thanks to his introductions that Zhong Lin could find people who knew these skills. Otherwise, even if he had wanted to, he might not have been able to find them, much less pay silver to learn from them.

Though it was already autumn, the autumn heat still raged fiercely, shrouding all of Black Mountain County in sweltering heat.

"The county's Reserve Army has been defeated, and the Rebel Army will soon besiege the city." This earth-shattering news swept through Black Mountain County like a hurricane, turning hearts already made restless by the heat into erupting volcanoes.

"Zhong Lin, it's true. The county's Reserve Army really lost. They say the entire army was wiped out, and the Rebel Army is coming."

Old Man Xu pushed open the door and entered, panic plainly visible on his face.

"The news has spread everywhere. The whole city is in chaos, with trouble breaking out all over. Zhong Lin, what should we do?"

Zhong Lin set down the towel in his hand and casually said, "Do what we should do. Have you forgotten what I told you before?"

"But I'm still worried! Zhong Lin, why don't you take Little Shi and Xiu Ge'er and leave? When chaos is small, hide in the city; when chaos is great, hide in the countryside. Black Mountain County is not safe. Besides, how could you be so unlucky as to run into the Rebel Army on the road? Take those two to the countryside to lie low, then come back after the war is over," Old Man Xu said anxiously.

"Come back for what? To collect your corpse?" Zhong Lin snapped irritably. "Put your heart back in your belly. If you're really worried, move here and stay with me. As long as I'm here, I won't let anything happen to you."

Xu fell silent for a long time before finally speaking in a low voice. "Zhong Lin, tell me the truth. You've stayed in Black Mountain County all this time without leaving—what exactly are you trying to do?"

Zhong Lin shot the old fellow a glance. Sure enough, the older the ginger, the spicier it was.

"You figured it out?"

"Isn't it obvious? Look at the things you had me introduce you to these past few days—disguise, lockpicking, concealment, tracking. They're all skills of burglars. With your strength, the only ones who could make you so cautious are the County Yamen and the Zhang and Du families. Zhong Lin, listen to my advice. We can't afford to provoke them. If you really need money, I'll give you the formula for the Qi and Blood Pill," Old Man Xu said earnestly.

"Oh? You're willing to give me the Qi and Blood Pill formula now? Really?"

Zhong Lin's face was full of teasing.

"As long as you can protect Xiu Ge'er, even if Hundred Herbs Hall hunts me down for leaking the formula, I'll accept it. At worst, I'll die."

Zhong Lin looked deeply at Old Man Xu. It had to be said, his love for his grandson was displayed to the fullest in him.

"Forget it, keep it. The Qi and Blood Pill is useless to me now. And after I get through this war, I'll head to Heavenly Sun County. If I get the chance, I'll visit Hundred Herbs Hall too."

Zhong Lin looked up at the sky, his tone heavy. "The Martial Path Ninth Rank: the Lower Three Ranks forge the body, the Middle Three Ranks condense the blood, and the Upper Three Ranks refine Qi. Blood Condensation means condensing one's qi and blood, but ordinary people cannot come into contact with methods for condensing qi and blood at all. Only these Noble Families possess them. This Rebel Army uprising is an opportunity. Only at a time like this will the defenses of those Noble Families be weakened."

Zhong Lin finally understood why Yun Ye had revealed such pity in his eyes when Zhong Lin rejected his recruitment that day.

Of the Martial Path Ninth Rank, the Lower Three Ranks were Body Forging. Though Body Forging martial arts techniques were precious, anyone determined enough could find them—for example, at martial arts schools.

Strictly speaking, the Lower Three Ranks merely trained the body, making one run faster, jump higher, and grow stronger. Though one could fight ten men alone, ordinary people could still kill them if they put their minds to it.

Only the Middle Three Ranks truly began to touch upon the extraordinary; only then did the path of power truly begin. Yet methods for cultivating the Middle Three Ranks had long been monopolized by these Noble Families, and outsiders had no way to access them.