With An Yanbing and the others gone, Shuanglin Village returned to peace.
But the news that Su Mo had become a Martial Artist had caused an uproar in Shuanglin Village and even several neighboring villages. It turned out that someone really could become a Martial Artist without ever leaving their remote, impoverished mountain village.
To the old hunters who had seen much of the world, it was simply inconceivable.
And it wasn't just them. Even Li Xian, and later his senior brother Xiao Yingkai and senior sister An Yanbing, had been astonished when they learned about Su Mo. He had managed to cultivate and break through into the Body Tempering Realm without relying on a cultivation technique for tempering his body. It was simply unbelievable.
In truth, An Yanbing, a heaven's favorite of the Black Eagle Sect, had heard of people like him before—and had even met some. But there was one major difference between them and Su Mo: they had all been under eighteen, and had broken into the Body Tempering Realm without using a body-tempering cultivation technique.
More importantly, they had possessed special physiques and bloodlines, and could unleash countless wondrous powers. They were known as those blessed with special physiques and bloodlines, and that was why they could break into the Body Tempering Realm without body-tempering techniques.
But An Yanbing had examined Su Mo. Not only did he lack any special physique or bloodline, but because he had started cultivating so late, his bones and meridians had become blocked and rigid, nearly sealing off his path in martial arts.
In the eyes of heaven's favorite An Yanbing, that made Su Mo a mediocrity. The Black Eagle Sect accepted geniuses, not just anyone.
Although Su Mo hadn't joined the Black Eagle Sect, he was a bona fide Martial Artist, and An Yanbing had made that known. The villagers now faced him with nothing but awe.
Some village ruffians who had once harbored ill intentions had even considered stealing Su Mo's prey. After all, he was such a skilled hunter, bringing back game every time he went into the mountains. Naturally, that made people envious.
But after Su Mo had stood his ground against the Black Wind Stockade guards, and his identity as a Martial Artist had been made public, those ill-intentioned people had all backed down. They were thoroughly frightened.
If they let envy get the better of them and tried to steal Su Mo's prey, they'd be finished.
Some villagers respected Su Mo, while others looked on coldly. Li Goudan's family, for instance, thought Su Mo was less promising than their own Li Goudan. Su Mo might be a Martial Artist, but—
So what?
Li Goudan's mother went around telling everyone that her Goudan had joined the Black Eagle Sect, a major sect in Anyuan County Town, and would surely become an incredibly powerful Martial Artist one day—one Su Mo could never compare to.
Chen Mazi's parents felt the same way.
After all, their son had joined the Black Eagle Sect, and their status in the village had risen accordingly. No one dared look down on them now.
Zhang Tieshan and Liu Guihua, on the other hand, kept a low profile. Although both Zhang Hai and Zhang Qian had become disciples of the Black Eagle Sect, the old couple had settled down after their initial excitement and didn't go around bragging about it.
There was no need to. The villagers already knew that Zhang Tieshan's family had two genuine golden treasures. Zhang Hai and Zhang Qian were sure to become Martial Artists. After all, during the Black Eagle Sect's recruitment, An Yanbing had declared Zhang Qian the most talented among all the aspiring martial artists.
Not only was Zhang Qian's talent and bone structure the best, but she was also the youngest, not yet sixteen.
That had made An Yanbing value Zhang Qian greatly.
As for Zhang Hai, although his bone structure and talent weren't as good as his younger sister's, he still ranked in the middle among the eight aspiring martial artists—not bad at all.
So even though Zhang Tieshan and Liu Guihua didn't go around talking about it, everyone in Shuanglin Village and several neighboring villages knew that their family was extraordinary and would produce two Martial Artists.
Some people even went out of their way to bring meat and game to the Zhang family, hoping to curry favor.
Su Mo paid no attention to the changes in the village. He still got up early every day to temper his body and hone his martial arts. At present, aside from the Basic Saber Technique, he had no other martial arts.
But Su Mo had noticed that although he had long since mastered the Basic Saber Technique, as time went on, every time he used it, a faint golden gleam appeared along the blade of his ancestral hunting knife.
When Su Mo had mastered the Basic Saber Technique, the Ancient Profound Pearl inside him had trembled and turned slightly. But the golden gleam didn't seem to add any power to his saber technique.
Was it just there to make the blade look prettier?
Su Mo didn't dwell on it. His most pressing concern was getting a body-tempering cultivation technique. He had a feeling that as soon as he obtained one, he'd be able to break through to the middle stage of the Body Tempering Realm instead of remaining stuck at the peak of its early stage.
"Going by what Li Xian said, that old martial master in the Tendon Changing Realm should have returned to Qingshan Town to retire by now."
Su Mo estimated the timing. He had been waiting for the old martial master in the Tendon Changing Realm to return to Qingshan Town and open a martial arts school for his retirement. Martial Artists in the Tendon Changing Realm were stronger than those in the Meridian Opening Realm. To reach the Tendon Changing Realm, a Martial Artist first had to open all twelve extraordinary meridians in the body and connect them into a whole.
Experts in the Tendon Changing Realm tempered their major sinews, and the internal energy in their bodies condensed into True Strength. True Strength had devastating power. Internal energy could be sent outside the body to strike an enemy, while True Strength could shoot three feet beyond the body, killing without a trace.
Martial Artists in the Meridian Opening Realm cultivated internal energy; those in the Tendon Changing Realm cultivated True Strength.
That showed just how powerful Martial Artists in the Tendon Changing Realm were!
The old martial master was willing to return to Qingshan Town to retire because he was advanced in years and had suffered a serious injury when he was young. His vitality had now greatly declined, and Qingshan Town was his hometown.
Perhaps, in his later years, the old martial master had come to see things differently and wanted to return to Qingshan Town to open a martial arts school and benefit the people there.
Besides, the requirements for joining his school weren't as strict as those of the sects in Anyuan County Town.
That was why Su Mo still had hope.
As long as he could get a body-tempering cultivation technique, his strength would surge once again.
Word that the old martial master in the Tendon Changing Realm was returning to Qingshan Town had now spread throughout the town. Even several large towns and villages nearby had heard the news.
Many wealthy families in the towns were eager to send their descendants to study under him.
As a result, Qingshan Town had become extremely lively lately.
Many people came with their sons and daughters to seek admission to the old martial master's school, bringing substantial sums of silver with them.
It was tuition for taking a master, as well as a greeting gift.
Only then would the old martial master look kindly on them and accept them as apprentices.
But the old martial master seemed to charge a hefty tuition for admission, unlike the major sects in Anyuan County Town, which based acceptance on bone structure and talent. If you had enough talent, you could become an inner disciple.
This old martial master in the Tendon Changing Realm, however, seemed to care more about the tuition money. Bone structure and talent came second.
"So this is Qingshan Town? It's far bigger than Shuanglin Village, and there seem to be quite a few wealthy families here. I hope I can get a good price for the meat."
"I heard the martial arts school charges a hefty tuition fee before you can become a disciple or apprentice."
Su Mo pulled an ox cart into Qingshan Town. Five Green Wolves and more than a dozen wild rabbits were piled on the cart bed behind him. He had brought them to town to sell for cash.
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