Saber Technique

Anping Street residence.

In the small courtyard, Lu Zhen placed the heavy Black Gold Long Blade onto the stone table and pulled the Three Yang Breathing Technique manual from his robes.

Half an hour later, he closed the book and shut his eyes to regulate his breathing.

"Hoo—hah—"

Following the methods in the thin manual, Lu Zhen shifted from his usual rough breathing rhythm to a pattern of three short inhalations followed by one long exhalation, breathing slowly and steadily.

Ever since he had stepped into the realm of Bright Force, the violent, scorching energy within him—which felt like a furnace constantly threatening to overflow from his skin—was suddenly pulled taut by an invisible thread.

The outward-radiating heat began to retract inward.

Threads of scalding blood energy followed specific meridians, slowly seeping into his internal organs deep within his chest and abdomen, as if peeling silk from a cocoon.

"Gurgle..."

In the silent room, a muffled sound like the croaking of a toad emanated from Lu Zhen's abdomen.

The sensation was akin to parched, cracked earth finally receiving the nourishment of the first spring rain.

It really works.

Lu Zhen opened his eyes.

The Coiling Dragon Stake only tempered the skin, flesh, muscles, and bones, reaching a bottleneck that was difficult to surpass; but this internal cultivation method was a genuine refinement of the five internal organs, generating enduring internal energy—it was the very ladder to ascend beyond Bright Force!

Suppressing the joy in his heart, Lu Zhen grabbed the Black Gold Long Blade from the table.

The night breeze rustled.

He had already memorized the Army-Breaking Eight Slashes manual by heart.

"Clang—!"

The long blade left its scabbard like a pool of dark, autumn water.

Weighing over fifty pounds, the blade felt incredibly heavy in his grip.

Lu Zhen planted his feet, lowered his stance, and slashed out with a fierce strike!

"Whoosh—!"

The heavy blade tore through the air, producing a shrill, ghost-like whistling sound.

After the first strike, Lu Zhen did not pause; he twisted his waist and rotated his hips, using the heavy momentum of the blade to unleash a second and third strike in quick succession.

As the blade's momentum grew more ferocious, the bones and fascia within Lu Zhen's body began to pop and crack.

He suddenly felt an extremely familiar sensation.

This blade technique, focused on heavy hacking and slashing, emphasized wide, sweeping movements.

In terms of the root of force generation, it was identical to the Iron Wire Fist he had practiced to the limit!

Iron Wire Fist trained the tendons to snap and recoil, treating the spine like a great dragon, with power rising from the ground and flowing through every joint to the fists.

And at this moment, this long blade was merely an extension of his arm!

"Boom!"

Lu Zhen stomped hard onto the bluestone floor, his back arching instantly as the Bright Force energy within him erupted like a mountain flood, surging up his spinal "great dragon" and straight into his right arm.

The force flowed unimpeded, passing through his palm and into the Black Gold Long Blade.

Hum—!!

The blade vibrated violently, carving a visible white arc of air through the space in front of him!

Everything is connected; so that's how it is!

Lu Zhen sheathed his blade and stood tall, his chest heaving slightly as he exhaled a plume of scorching white mist.

In the path of martial arts, once one reaches a high level, the boundary between weapons and unarmed combat blurs.

As long as one masters the core method of "force generation," any weapon can be wielded with ease.

With his mind clear, Lu Zhen sheathed the blade and turned his focus inward.

[Daily Settlement Panel Activated]

[Today's Settlement: Practiced Three Yang Breathing Technique for one hour, performed Army-Breaking Eight Slashes 100 times...]

[Base Gains: Silver +0, Profession EXP +10, Martial Art EXP +50, Physique EXP +30, General EXP +20]

[Level Bonus Triggered: Daily Settlement Lv.4 (Daily rewards multiplied by 4)]

[Final Gains: Silver +0, Profession EXP +40, Martial Art EXP +200, Physique EXP +120, General EXP +80!]

[Lu Zhen (30 years old)]

[Realm: Bright Force (Early Stage)]

[Level: Daily Settlement Lv.4 (0/3000)]

[Three Yang Breathing Technique Lv.4 (1210/3000)]

[Army-Breaking Eight Slashes Lv.4 (840/3000)]

[Physique: Blood-Qi Like a Furnace Lv.5(710/10000)]

[General Experience: 340 points]

Lu Zhen's gaze narrowed.

On the panel, the Coiling Dragon Stake, which had reached its limit and was no longer of any use, had completely vanished. In its place was the newly mastered Three Yang Breathing Technique.

The Iron Wire Fist, derived from the martial arts hall, had also been replaced by the Army-Breaking Eight Slashes.

What thrilled Lu Zhen the most was that these two brand-new, profound cultivation methods and combat techniques had perfectly inherited the proficiency of his original stake work and fist techniques!

They were directly at Lv.4 proficiency!

The panel's judgment is based on my martial foundation and muscle memory.

This meant he didn't need to suffer through the grueling entry-level stages of a new technique like everyone else.

As long as the principles of force generation were compatible and the foundation of his realm remained, the roots of his old methods could be perfectly grafted onto the new ones, erupting with astonishing power!

Lu Zhen felt satisfied.

He collected his thoughts and let his gaze drift down the panel.

Finally, it landed on the most critical column.

[Physique: Blood-Qi Like a Furnace Lv.5(710/10000)]

He knew very well that having just entered the Bright Force realm, if he wanted to advance further to the mid-stage of Bright Force, relying solely on closed-door training and grinding the Three Yang Breathing Technique would result in agonizingly slow progress.

The pen is for the poor, the sword is for the rich.

At the Bright Force stage, what one competes with is not just technique, but massive amounts of resources to nourish blood and qi.

Consuming these things would, firstly, transform into surging essence, accelerating the birth of internal energy and force.

Secondly, it would tangibly nourish his physical body and elevate his physique.

According to the panel's rules, physique was equivalent to aptitude and bone structure.

The higher the aptitude, the wider the meridians, and the more robust the blood-qi that could be contained and circulated.

What was even more terrifying was his Daily Settlement multiplier.

The foundation experience gained from consuming rare treasures would be exponentially amplified during the nightly settlement.

Resources elevate the physique, the settlement amplifies the gains. Physique improves aptitude, and aptitude feeds back into cultivation.

They complemented each other perfectly.

This was truly one plus one being greater than two!

Like a snowball rolling, as long as the resources kept coming, his martial progress would advance by leaps and bounds, leaving others far behind.

The ten-thousand-point experience cap still leaves a rather large gap.

Lu Zhen looked at the physique column and calculated silently.

It was clear that a significant amount of time would be needed before he could truly break through to the mid-stage of Bright Force.

Therefore, his current goal was clear and singular.

Acquire resources.

Seize as many highly nourishing medicinal herbs and flesh as possible.

The Garrison Bureau was a dangerous place where one gambled their life for a future.

It was dangerous, true, but it also offered many opportunities. The military merit rewards earned from slaying fierce beasts were exactly what he needed most right now.

The night wind had turned chilly.

Lu Zhen grabbed the Black Gold Long Blade beside him and stood up to return to his room.

"We'll see what kind of assignment I can get at the bureau when I report in tomorrow."

The next day, at the entrance of Anping Street.

Clang, clang...

Accompanied by the harsh sound of a bell, an electric tram with peeling paint slowed to a stop along the tracks.

Lu Zhen, dressed in black brocade with red trim and the heavy Black Gold Long Blade hanging at his waist, stepped onto the vehicle with a calm expression.

Beside the door, the ticket collector had a chipped tin box hanging around his neck.

Lu Zhen casually pulled out two copper coins and tossed them into the box, producing two crisp "clangs."

The carriage was originally packed with laborers and gaunt commoners heading to work early, filled with the stench of sweat and cheap tobacco.

But as Lu Zhen stepped into the carriage, everyone's gaze involuntarily fell upon the interwoven gold and silver "Garrison" character on his chest, then shifted to his iron-tower-like physique and the faint, terrifying aura of slaughter radiating from him.

With a sudden rustle, they all pulled back.

The crowd shoved themselves toward the rear carriage, not daring to even draw a full breath, and in that cramped space, they managed to clear a wide, empty circle around Lu Zhen.

On a nearby seat, a pregnant woman with a bulging belly turned pale, trembling as she gripped the chair to pull herself up.

Keeping her head low, she didn't even dare to glance at Lu Zhen, only terrified, she tried to offer up her seat.

Lu Zhen looked at her.

He said nothing, nor did he move to sit. He simply reached up to grip the overhead iron handrail, standing quietly in the empty space.

Watching the terrified commoners throughout the carriage, who didn't even dare to lift their heads, Lu Zhen lowered his gaze.

In these chaotic times, might is right.

He withdrew his gaze and narrowed his eyes.

Using the jolting motion of the tram as it stopped and started, he stood as steady as Mount Tai, silently circulating the Three Yang Breathing Technique within his body.

Threads of scalding hot blood energy flowed along his meridians, slowly and tenaciously nourishing his internal organs.

The tram moved very slowly, swaying for a full hour before finally coming to a halt at the Inner City District station.

Lu Zhen stepped off the vehicle and exhaled a breath of turbid air.

Looking at the somewhat deserted street, his heart stirred.

It was much faster and smoother when I rode in Gu Yanzhi's car last time.

But he quickly reined in his thoughts.

Vehicles and carriages were, after all, merely external things. Now that he had just entered the realm of Bright Force, the most important thing was to use this time to polish his martial path. As for such displays of luxury, there was no rush.