Do Not Get Carried Away

Chapter 48: Do Not Get Carried Away

After eating the roasted meat, the young Martial Artists waited a while longer until the nourishing soup stewed from Demon Beast bones was finally ready.

Each of them downed another two huge bowls of bone soup, at last eating and drinking their fill.

However, tonight's meal had been too nourishing. Naturally, they needed to seize the chance to practice Tiger Roar Fist, promptly consuming and absorbing the surging energy that nearly overflowed from within their bodies and increasing their own strength.

This was especially true for the four monstrous geniuses—Li Dingguo, Ai Nengqi, Liu Wenxiu, and Zhang Huier. Tonight, they had eaten the Iron Tusk Pig King's meat and drunk the nourishing soup stewed from the Pig King's bones, so its strengthening effects were naturally even greater.

After resting for only the time it took to burn an incense stick, everyone felt heat spreading through their bodies and could no longer sit still.

One after another, they rose to their feet. Under the illumination of the courtyard's firelight, as bright as daytime, they formed four squads and began practicing the basic body-tempering fist technique, Tiger Roar Fist.

"Hey!"

"Hah!"...

Now that they had become Martial Artists, their fists whistled through the air, while explosive cracks rang out one after another!

This round of practice lasted roughly two hours. Only after converting the energy their bodies had just absorbed into their own Qi and Blood Power and Life Essence did they stop practicing Tiger Roar Fist. Then, in groups of three or five, they dispersed and returned to their rooms to bathe and rest.

Naturally, there was no time for cultural lessons tonight.

However, so much time had already passed since they had become Martial Artists that they had basically completed the initial stages of reading and literacy.

Therefore, even if their cultural lessons were interrupted for a day every now and then over the next two months, it would not have much of an impact.

"Good heavens!"

At daybreak, Li Dingguo had just emerged from a deep cultivation state of the Circumstellar True Scripture when he sensed that the Qi and Blood Power within him had increased by another large margin. Delighted, he thought, This Iron Tusk Pig King's meat and bone soup are far too nourishing, aren't they?

For a leader-class Demon Beast like this, it absolutely cannot be treated as an ordinary first-level Demon Beast. It probably isn't much weaker than those ordinary second-level Demon Beasts.

The more Li Dingguo personally encountered the affairs of this world, the more information unknown to ordinary people he learned.

Human Genius Martial Artists differed greatly from ordinary Martial Artists, and Demon Beasts were no exception.

I can feel it. I should break through to the second level of Martial Artist within the next couple of days.

Sitting cross-legged on his bed, Li Dingguo pondered, Zhang Xianzhong emphasized that as long as one has sufficient supplementary cultivation resources and outstanding talent, the first three Body Tempering Realm stages for Martial Artists in this world can be achieved rapidly.

Before reaching the Martial Dao Fourth Level Qi Refining Realm, there is simply nothing to be proud of.

I cannot become smug and get carried away just because my talent is a little better than others'.

From the information Zhang Xianzhong had constantly revealed over this period, Li Dingguo could easily infer that there must be a great many Martial Artists at the Martial Dao Third Level across this wondrous greater world.

After all, those Genius Martial Artists who lacked no cultivation resources could basically use sufficient resources to rapidly pile up their cultivation to that realm.

Over the past few days, Zhang Xianzhong had even mentioned the proportion of Martial Artists among soldiers in the Tartar armies while teaching them martial arts, especially the Later Jin Tartars who had rapidly risen in Liaodong.

According to Zhang Xianzhong's knowledge and experience, Martial Artist experts at the Martial Path Third Realm and above accounted for around a tenth of the Later Jin Tartar army!

And what about the Ming army?

Compared to the Tartars, among an equal number of soldiers, the proportion of Martial Path Third Realm experts and above in the Ming army was at most one-tenth of the proportion of powerful fighters in the Tartar army!

Thus, in wars against the Great Ming Empire, several dozen Later Jin Tartars could often easily defeat a Ming army force of a thousand men, and would even pursue them relentlessly afterward.

Such scenes had appeared time and again on the Liaodong battlefield over the past decade!

In the current Great Ming Dynasty, the vast majority of civil officials were greedy for money while military generals feared death. This was another major cause of the situation.

Mm, I must work twice as hard. Setting everything else aside, when the Eight Great Kings lead their army away from Dingbian City and flee, I must at least break through to the Martial Path Third Realm. Only then will I possess some ability to preserve my life amid chaotic armies.

Having made up his mind, Li Dingguo calmed his stray thoughts, then opened his eyes, got out of bed, and dressed, preparing to wash up.

"Dingguo!"

At that moment, Ai Nengqi, who had been sitting in meditation on the neighboring bed and cultivating a True Scripture Cultivation Method, was awakened by Li Dingguo's movements. After sensing the progress of his own Qi and Blood Power, he said to Li Dingguo with delight, "I have to say, the flesh and bones of that peak first-level Demon Beast, the Iron Tusk Pig King, are truly far too nourishing."

"Just this one night of cultivation, I feel like I gained more than I usually would in three days!"

"At most, in another five or six days, I should be able to break through to the second level of Martial Artist."

He then got up from bed and said cheerfully to Li Dingguo.

"Mm."

Li Dingguo nodded as he listened, but he held a different opinion. "Aqi, an increase in cultivation progress is certainly worth celebrating, but do not forget that first-level Martial Artists are merely the minimum standard for combat soldiers in the army."

"Setting everything else aside, any random low-ranking officer among those elite government troops or Tartars possesses cultivation at the Martial Path Third Realm."

"Compared with them, we are nothing more than tiny ants that can be crushed to death at any time. There is no reason to become smug."

Ai Nengqi was one of his current friends.

Regardless of their unforeseeable futures, Li Dingguo at least had a favorable impression of this straightforward fellow right now.

Pouring a little cold water over him also counted as helping him in another way.

"That's true."

After Li Dingguo's reminder, Ai Nengqi was no fool. He immediately snapped out of his complacency.

His expression turned solemn. Raising his right fist, he swung it toward the sky. "That's right! We must work twice as hard and strive to raise our cultivation to the third level of Martial Artist as quickly as possible. Only then will we have the ability to contend with enemy junior officers!"

"Li Dingguo, let's compete again and see who becomes a Martial Path Third Realm expert first!"

"Come on! Let's fetch water from the well to wash up first, then go train in the main courtyard ahead!"

With fighting spirit blazing, he swiftly grabbed his washing things, strode out of the side room, and headed toward the old well nearby.

"Hehe..."

Li Dingguo watched the fellow's retreating figure and gently shook his head. Then he chuckled softly and thought, Compete with me?

Ai Nengqi, you're afraid you've been thinking too much.

The farther time goes on, the greater the gap between you all and me will become!

Still, I need to hurry and cultivate both the Stealth Technique and the Breath Concealment Technique to perfection.

He maintained an exceptionally clear head at all times and would not get carried away.

He was alone, with no relatives to rely on, living in this wondrous greater world. How could he possibly go without concealing a few trump cards?

If he ever encountered a life-or-death crisis, he would need some means of turning the tables to preserve his own life before he could go farther.

In his previous life, he had been an ordinary person, living a speechless, helpless existence. Now that fortune had favored him and allowed him to live again, he wanted to see the view from the very highest peak. He had no wish to die young.