Another morning had arrived.
The azure sky looked as though it had been washed clean, without a cloud for ten thousand miles.
After a full day of grueling training yesterday, another night of bitter cultivation, and growing proficiency in his primary cultivation method, the Circumstellar True Scripture, Li Dingguo discovered upon waking early in the morning that he had unknowingly broken through to the Martial Path Second Realm!
Before he could even rejoice, he caught a strange odor coming from his body!
There was no need to think about it. After breaking through this major realm, he had once again undergone a Qi and Blood Limit Break, Marrow Cleansing and Tendon Transformation.
He hurriedly opened his eyes and glanced at the neighboring bed. Seeing that Ai Nengqi had yet to wake, he could not help letting out a breath of relief.
Li Dingguo swiftly restrained his aura. After sitting cross-legged on the bed and cultivating through the night, he quickly got down, grabbed a change of clothes and his washing supplies, then strode out of the room toward the bathhouse at the end of the corridor!
"Alas!"
He sighed inwardly. This is the only bad thing about this place. Sharing a room with someone else means that if I am not careful, my secrets might be discovered.
Still, there is nothing I can do about it. I can only hope to solve this problem as soon as possible.
This was currently Li Dingguo's greatest headache.
Yet judging by the current situation, it was impossible to resolve within the next month or two.
He could only hope that his luck would be better and that no one would discover him.
For now, he could only place his hopes on the progress of those two unorthodox techniques.
The sooner he raised the Stealth Technique and Breath Concealment Technique to perfection, or even to the realm of consummate mastery, the more advantageous it would be for Li Dingguo.
At that point, so long as he deliberately concealed himself, he could completely fool Ai Nengqi, who shared his room.
The reason Ai Nengqi did not notice this accidental breakthrough was most likely because I have accumulated enough Fortune Value.
If I had used my Fortune Value to add points earlier and burned through most of my fortune, without sufficient fortune protecting me, then my accidental breakthrough last night would probably have caused considerable trouble. Ai Nengqi might have noticed something.
After this close call, Li Dingguo understood even more clearly just how important fortune was.
Unless he found another way to gather fortune before long, he would not casually consume his Fortune Value again unless it was necessary.
He even suspected that fortune seemed more important than a Martial Artist's talent, and even more unfathomable.
About a quarter of an hour later, after finishing his washing and heading back toward the rooms, Li Dingguo finally had the spare attention to sink a thread of consciousness into his mind and inspect the changes in his attributes:
Host: Li Dingguo Age: 10 Realm: Martial Path Second Realm, early stage (four Qi and Blood Limit Breaks) Constitution: 50 (Constitution includes overall physical attributes such as strength, speed, and agility) Spirit: 15 Talents: Innate Divine Strength+ (Intermediate), Spirit Beast Affinity+ (Beginner), Photographic Memory (Cannot be upgraded) Skills: Tiger Roar Fist+ (Proficient), Horsemanship+ (Minor Achievement), Archery+ (Proficient), Thunderbolt Spear Technique+ (Proficient), Medicine+ (Proficient), Stealth Technique+ (Major Achievement), Breath Concealment Technique+ (Major Achievement) Cultivation Method: Circumstellar True Scripture+ (Proficient) Fortune: 20 (When Fortune Value reaches zero, calamity is inevitable) Star Destiny: Army Breaker (Not activated)
Without question, Li Dingguo's various attributes had increased greatly once more.
He was likely considerably stronger than many ordinary Martial Artists at the peak of the Martial Path Second Realm.
He should be able to contend with those Genius Martial Artists at the peak of the Martial Path Second Realm.
As for who was stronger or weaker?
Li Dingguo considered himself no inferior to them.
Most gratifying of all, with this breakthrough into a major realm, his fortune had also increased by five points.
That meant that, with his current cultivation realm, as long as he remained cautious, he now possessed a certain degree of confidence in preserving his life amid this chaotic age.
He was no longer a tiny ant. At the very least, he could be called a sturdy mole cricket.
"Li Dingguo, why are you up so early today?"
Having only just returned to the doorway of the room, he saw Ai Nengqi coming out with his washing supplies.
Ai Nengqi was about to head to the well to wash up when he said, "It is only just beginning to grow light! You got up far too early."
"Even if the Great King is taking us out for the second round of practical combat training today, there is no need to be in such a hurry."
He looked around and saw that the doors to Liu Wenxiu's and Zhang Huier's rooms had also opened. He quickly waved at Li Dingguo and said, "I will not talk to you anymore. I need to hurry and finish washing, or the Great King will be kept waiting!"
With that, he hurried past Li Dingguo and headed toward the old well in the courtyard.
The invisible competition in Ai Nengqi's heart with Liu Wenxiu and Zhang Huier was growing increasingly fierce.
There was no helping it. Those two were now far too proactive, trying every possible means to close the gap between themselves and Ai Nengqi and Li Dingguo.
That gave Ai Nengqi a certain sense of urgency.
Before long, the twelve genius youths living nearby also rose and came out one after another, each hurrying off to wash up.
After about the time it took to drink a cup of tea, everyone was fully armed, bows on their backs and primary weapons in hand, as they briskly arrived at the main courtyard ahead.
At this time, the forty-eight ordinary Martial Artist youths living in the front courtyard also began arriving in twos and threes.
Today's atmosphere was even more oppressive than it had been the morning before yesterday.
There was no other reason. The target of today's trip beyond the city for practical combat training was different.
Eight Great Kings had already said that this time, their practical combat target would be a small village that had been massacred and occupied by a group of ordinary Malevolent Spirits.
Ghosts and monsters were the inhuman creatures ordinary people feared most at any time.
Even though these youths were all Martial Artists, some nervousness was unavoidable when they had never formally encountered ghosts or monsters before.
Just as on the morning before yesterday, the cooks had delivered breakfast to the Orphan Youth Camp early.
The difference was that today's breakfast included not only Spirit Rice Meal and Vitality and Blood Soup, but also a bowl of Demon Beast meat for everyone.
After everyone had eaten breakfast, rested briefly, gone to the stables to lead out their respective horses and fit them with saddles, then formed up in ranks, Eight Great Kings Zhang Xianzhong arrived with three trusted subordinates and a logistics convoy.
Riding a Spirit Beast Warhorse to the front of the formation of young soldiers, he did not waste words. He raised his right hand high, swung it down forcefully, and shouted, "No more words. Move out!"
Everything that needed to be said had already been explained to these young Martial Artists during yesterday's training, so there was naturally no need for further instructions now.
A moment later, a cavalry force equipped almost exactly like the one from the morning before yesterday rode out of the Wang Family Courtyard and galloped along the streets at an unhurried pace toward the East City gate.
Unlike the direction of their march before yesterday, this time their destination lay in the exact opposite direction.
Today's practical combat target was a remote village less than thirty li southeast of the county city.
The cavalry force raced all the way there. In less than the time it took for an incense stick to burn, they had already passed through the East City gate and galloped down the official road stretching southeast.
Once outside the city, the horses ran faster and faster, and before long, they vanished at the end of the official road...
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