Breaking Through, Ascending to [Martial Master]

Luo Bin's entire body ached unbearably—far worse than leg day at the gym in his past life, many times over. Even with "Crimson" adding points to [White Ape Through-Arm Fist] and boosting his physical constitution considerably, he could barely endure it.

No wonder so few could cultivate the Primordial Stance. Truly, the more superior the technique, the more it demanded talent...

And Luo Bin's greatest talent was having no talent at all—pure cheater mode.

He lay sprawled out like the character "大," with his head, both arms, and both legs each supported by a young maidservant as they carried him toward the indoor bath. Luo Bin could feel the soft, delicate curve of the maids' arms against him.

At least he got to enjoy a taste of young master life.

Splash!

Several maids, around sixteen or seventeen years old, heaved Luo Bin into the wooden tub. Rose petals floated on the water, their fragrance unable to mask the bitter, medicinal scent of herbs.

Since Jiang Ling said this medicinal bath could ease the pain, it was better than nothing.

So Luo Bin slumped in the tub and began to relax. Three of the five maids left, leaving only two, both fairly pretty.

Luo Bin tried to strike up a conversation, smiling politely. "You two young ladies don't need to stand guard over me. After I finish soaking, I should be able to manage on my own."

One maid with slightly upturned eyes and an oval face looked serious. "No, sir. The master ordered us to attend to you and make sure you're cared for."

Luo Bin grumbled inwardly. Is this taking care of me or keeping an eye on me? I've never been one to assume the worst of these old-fashioned folks...

"Well... alright then. What are your names?"

The maid who had answered before said, "I'm Chuntao, and she's Xiahe. And you? I heard the master say your name, but it was a bit muffled. I remember you're surnamed Luo?"

Clearly, Chuntao was the more outgoing and cheerful one. Xiahe's gaze kept drifting, intentionally or not, to Luo Bin's physique. In the steaming, hazy mist, the young girl felt a touch of shyness.

Luo Bin didn't notice. Maids in a household like this usually knew plenty of important information—perfect for gathering intel.

"Right, I'm Luo Bin..."

At that moment, the Crimson panel suddenly popped up with a notification:

[Spirit Charm: 11+1]

Luo Bin's mind jolted. So the subtle energy contained in the medicinal herbs of this bath could be absorbed and still increase his Spirit Charm points.

He steadied himself and continued speaking to Chuntao and Xiahe:

"I'm new here, training in martial arts under Uncle Jiang. I'll be troubling you ladies to help and look after me these days..."

Chuntao felt a little embarrassed. They were just servants, after all, while Luo Bin could cultivate martial arts and was treated with such care by the master—he was certainly no ordinary person.

"Not at all. It's what we're supposed to do."

Luo Bin followed up smoothly. "By the way, today's my first day, and I noticed Uncle Jiang's residence is inside the Chen Residence. Going in and out from now on, I'll inevitably have deeper contact with the Chen family... Could you two sisters tell me a bit about the Chens?"

Chuntao perked up. This was the first time such a young guest had come to the garden, and he was willing to chat with them. He was handsome, had a good build... and a nice personality too.

For a moment, Luo Bin's image rose considerably in the two young maids' hearts.

"Of course! If you have any questions about the Chen family, I'll tell you everything I know!" Chuntao beamed, waving a little fist with confidence.

Luo Bin thought for a moment, then asked, "How did Old Master Chen pass away? Tell me about that—I don't want to accidentally offend someone by touching on a taboo."

Chuntao and Xiahe exchanged a glance. The latter gently pushed the room door half-closed.

"Old Master Chen was already quite old, plus he had hidden injuries from traveling far and wide with our master when they were young..."

After some careful probing, Luo Bin understood. Old Master Chen's death was certainly due to age and old wounds, but the most important factor was a trip he took to the "Long-Sound Ghost Mansion."

Not long after returning, he passed away—just two days ago.

The Chen family handled the funeral with unusual discretion, not making a public announcement. Today was already the third day, and the entire affair had been carried out swiftly, nearly concluded.

The Pei Family colluding with the Demon Den, monsters outside the city, nurturing yin grounds, and the Long-Sound Ghost Mansion Old Master Chen had visited.

How is this world so damn dangerous!!

He might end up killed by some "demon ghost" out of nowhere and not even know how he died.

Wen Li's daughter was still in Tianhai. Survival, advancement... all of it weighed heavily on Luo Bin's mind.

After much persuasion, he managed to send the two maids out to keep watch, then roared in his heart:

"Crimson, add points for me, damn it!"

All twelve points of Spirit Charm were dumped into [Primordial Stance]. Although this stance was merely a prerequisite technique for [Yellow Court Inner Landscape Origin-Returning Technique], there was no denying it was still a formidable, cultivatable main technique.

After all, it belonged to the "Eight Great Miraculous Arts." It would be hard to get such a powerful technique anytime soon, so he'd use it as a temporary bridge.

The whole process lasted about fifteen minutes.

At first, Luo Bin felt a scorching current rampaging through his body, similar to the sensation of the qi he drew in when performing "Raising Yang and Inhaling Breath."

It constantly tore at his meridians while also bringing a gentle, restorative force to mend them.

Gradually, the muscles beneath Luo Bin's skin felt like red-hot branding irons, as if they might dissolve at any moment. The water in the tub began to heat up.

"So swollen!"

When he first met Jiang Ling, the man had mentioned that the two most important hurdles in the first five martial realms were the Golden Skin and Jade Bone stages.

The Golden Skin Pass is the first realm of martial arts, and judging by Luo Bin's current experience, the name truly fits.

Muscles constantly tore and reformed, writhing beneath the skin like cramping sinews.

At the same time, a torrent of martial insight—far more vast and profound than before—poured into the depths of Luo Bin's soul in orderly fashion.

[Realm: Golden Skin (Initial)]

His realm had risen, but the transformation wasn't over. The insights from [Primordial Stance] and the earlier [White Ape Through-Arm Fist] seemed to react with each other like a chemical reaction.

They automatically corroborated one another. Luo Bin only now realized that without a main cultivation technique, he truly couldn't draw out the full power of the Through-Arm Fist.

The cultivation experience poured into his mind by "Crimson" was equivalent to hard training—as if he had spent countless days and nights sweating and practicing without cease.

The muscles on his clenched arms bulged, their density and aesthetic as fine as exquisite porcelain, emitting a crisp "crack" whenever he exerted force.

"So this is what the first realm of martial arts feels like?"

Feeling the power surging through his body, Luo Bin finally gained some sense of security. All these days he had been bouncing around so wildly—bullying people at the docks, beating up gang members in the courtyard.

But in truth, he had still been terrified, always thinking: what if one day he ran into a real tough nut and couldn't win?

Now, however, Luo Bin finally had a shred of confidence. The bone and tendon injuries from practicing [Primordial Stance] had also fully healed.

[Luo Bin]

[Realm: Golden Skin Pass (First Realm), Initial]

[Techniques: White Ape Through-Arm Fist (Second Layer, 0/6), Primordial Stance (Second Layer, 3/20)]

[Modification Value: 0]

[Spirit Charm: 0]