[Your horsemanship had reached the realm of consummate mastery!]
At that moment, Zhao Cheng felt his thoughts—or rather, his spirit—extend through his waist and legs, spreading over the horse.
He felt as though the horse had become part of his own body. Wherever he wanted it to go, it went; if he wanted it to raise a foreleg, it would never lift a hind leg instead.
He could even feel the force supporting the horse as it stood on the ground.
He could feel the strength coursing through the muscles beneath him and the limits of what its bones could bear. He could also sense that this not particularly spirited horse had grown gentler and more obedient because of his transformation.
The sensation was incredibly subtle, as though he had truly spent ten years devoting himself wholeheartedly to horsemanship, practicing day and night until he had entered an indescribable, almost divine state.
An ordinary person might not achieve such results even after ten years on horseback. But Zhao Cheng had already reached mastery in Flesh Refining, and his understanding of strength and the body far surpassed that of ordinary people. That was why ten years of wholehearted training had brought him to such an incredible realm.
He closed his eyes and savored the sensation, then couldn't help sighing. "Alas, this horse is mediocre. It can't bring out even three-tenths of my horsemanship!"
Nearby, the County Commandant's tiger eyes widened, and he nearly stumbled from the shock of hearing that.
You hadn't been thrown off the horse only because you were strong enough to hold on, and now you were complaining that it couldn't bring out your horsemanship?
Could you have a little shame?
He looked at Zhao Cheng, only to see the man close his eyes again and sit upright on the horse, still as Mount Tai. Strangely, the horse seemed to obey his will as well, standing perfectly still as if it, too, had closed its eyes to meditate.
The scene was so bizarre, and the air of an expert so palpable, that the County Commandant couldn't bring himself to call him out.
How strange. Could the horse have been worn out from his rough handling?
Had it given up resisting?
The County Commandant stood there staring at the horse, which had been restless until it suddenly settled down. He couldn't believe it would stay obedient for long. He was just waiting for it to lift its rump—then he'd get to see Zhao Cheng's composure crumble with his own eyes!
If he didn't make fun of Zhao Cheng a little afterward, he wouldn't be able to get this out of his system!
Meanwhile, in Zhao Cheng's thoughts, the system continued investing lifespan to deduce archery.
[Beginning lifespan investment to train in archery...]
[Year one: You practice archery day and night. Though your control over your physical strength has reached its peak, your arrows keep landing in places you don't expect. You begin to realize that you may have no talent for archery.]
[Year two: You are certain you have no talent for archery. You still prefer charging forward and hacking people with a blade. But all that practice and accumulated experience have not been for nothing: you can now reliably hit a target thirty paces away when shooting from a standstill.]
[Year three: You find your rhythm with stationary archery, and you can't stop. Fifty paces, seventy paces, eighty paces—you discover that the farther the target, the harder it is, and your accuracy plummets. At last, you understand the true worth of the tales about piercing a willow leaf from a hundred paces...]
[Year four: You can finally hit the mark every time from eighty paces away. Your archery has reached an accomplished level. But when you ride at speed, you still often miss, so you begin practicing mounted archery.]
[Year five: Because your horsemanship is consummate, you quickly grasp the key. From eighty paces away, you can hit the mark every time even on horseback. But your enemies won't just stand still and let you shoot at them, so you begin deliberately practicing against moving targets...]
[Year seven: Once you have grasped the key, your archery improves by leaps and bounds. Now, even while galloping at full speed, you can easily hit moving targets eighty paces away. Your archery is now perfectly mastered!]
[Year eight: You grow ever more skilled, and the distance at which you can hit the mark keeps increasing. Gradually, you can hit the mark every time from a hundred paces away. At a full gallop, you can easily shoot birds flying through the air. Your archery has reached the realm of consummate mastery!]
[Year nine: You become captivated by the allure of archery, eager to unlock more strength and greater range. Since your body has been refined, strength is no problem for you. You begin practicing until you can hit the mark every time from a hundred and fifty paces away... Your archery improves day by day, and you lose yourself in it.]
[Year ten: You practice archery with rapt devotion. Gradually, you can pierce anything within a hundred and fifty paces with a single arrow. Your aim is no longer the limiting factor; it is your eyesight. You begin unconsciously circulating the Body Refining Technique to train your eyes, hoping to make out details at even greater distances...]
The deduction abruptly stopped there. Zhao Cheng suddenly felt an emptiness in his heart, so without hesitation, he invested another five years of lifespan.
[Year eleven: You discover that the Body Refining Technique really can train your eyesight. Whenever you try to see farther and more clearly, the technique has already begun circulating on its own, steadily improving your vision. You can see farther and farther, and your eyesight continues to sharpen...]
[Year thirteen: Now, you can make out the patterns on the wings of a fly two hundred paces away. You draw your bow and shoot, certain to hit—but at that moment, you discover that your bow can't withstand such force. It breaks...]
[Year fourteen: Your eyesight is no longer what limits your range. What you need now is a bow and arrows capable of bearing your strength. With no suitable bow at hand, you practice with the bow in your heart. Your archery has long since become one with your very being. Even with the bow in your heart, your skill keeps improving, and you feel the distance at which you can hit the mark every time growing ever greater...]
[Year fifteen: You shoot with the bow in your heart: two hundred paces, three hundred, four hundred, then five hundred. You feel that your eyesight and strength have reached their limits. At last, you are confident that you can pierce anything within five hundred paces with a single arrow. Your archery has reached the divine!]
In the outside world, the County Commandant stared intently at Zhao Cheng and the horse with his tiger eyes.
After a long while, neither had moved. The air of an expert around them had grown even stronger, leaving him more and more perplexed.
How bizarre!!
It was understandable that a man might stay still, but how could this hairy beast be so docile too? It had been restless just moments ago, so why was it now as meek as a little wife!?
His brow furrowed deeper and deeper, and his eyes grew ever more bewildered.
Just then, Zhao Cheng, still astride the horse, let out a long sigh. "Alas..."
His sigh was laden with endless melancholy, helplessness, and a loneliness as cold as snow.
It was as if a gust of desolation had sighed straight into the depths of one's heart.
The County Commandant felt desolate too, and even more baffled.
Why were you sighing when everything was going just fine?
Then Zhao Cheng raised his head and said, his expression calm and forlorn, "So what if my archery has reached the divine? There isn't a good bow in this world that can bear my strength. I might as well give up practicing archery..."
He lowered his head desolately. The horse seemed to understand his feelings and turned at his silent command, preparing to leave and offer the County Commandant nothing but its back!
The County Commandant's vision went black. His heart was gripped by utter madness!
Before you continue