Indestructible Vajra Divine Technique

Luo Shui saw how certain her son looked and smiled. Back then, she had been one of the famed beauties of Dafeng Capital; when she smiled, everything around her paled in comparison.

"You child, stop trying to sweet-talk your mother." Luo Shui smiled.

How could she not know her youngest son's talent? For him to break through to Body Refining Level Four before the age of fourteen, it would take nothing short of a miracle.

Luo Shui added, "Cheng'er, Mother knows you don't like practicing martial arts. That's fine. Later, Mother will speak with your father and tell him not to keep forcing you to train. Martial arts aren't the only road to success."

Then she said, "Since you like literature, study literature. Once you pass the imperial examination and become a jinshi, have your father pull a few strings and get you a civil official's post at court. With our Cheng'er's literary talent, perhaps you might even become a Grand Academician someday."

As she spoke, she took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from Zhou Cheng's forehead. "Look at you, your sweat is about to run into your eyes." Her gaze was full of tender affection.

Warmth filled Zhou Cheng's heart.

Though his martial talent was only ordinary, his mother, Luo Shui, loved him just as much as she loved his elder brother, Zhou Li.

In fact, because he was the younger one, she loved him a little more.

As for his father, Zhou Wei, though he always wore a stern face and demanded much of him, he was cold on the outside but warm within. He loved him just the same.

Luo Shui chatted with Zhou Cheng about household matters in his courtyard for a while before leaving.

Zhou Cheng checked the system character panel and discovered that in this short while, the progress of the third layer of the Black Tortoise Divine Technique had already risen by one. The Indestructible Vajra Divine Technique cultivated even faster and had already reached the first layer, six.

Zhou Cheng estimated the time. At this rate, his Black Tortoise Divine Technique should break through to the fourth layer in seven or eight days. By then, he would be able to break through to Body Refining Level Four.

At the thought, Zhou Cheng's heartbeat quickened. The Black Tortoise Divine Technique truly deserved to be called a God Grade cultivation technique. Previously, it would have taken him at least a year to break through to Body Refining Level Four, but now, he would not even need ten days.

At this rate, wouldn't he soon catch up to his elder brother, Zhou Li?

His elder brother, Zhou Li, possessed extraordinary bones and was praised as a martial arts prodigy rarely seen in the Great Feng Dynasty in a hundred years. Though only sixteen, he was already at the Qi Refining Third Level!

"Qi Refining Third Level..." Zhou Cheng muttered.

With his former talent, breaking through to the Qi Refining Realm had been nothing but a fool's dream. But now, Zhou Cheng naturally no longer worried about whether he could break through to the Qi Refining Realm.

Since the Black Tortoise Divine Technique and the Indestructible Vajra Divine Technique could cultivate automatically and required no effort from Zhou Cheng, he instead found himself with free time on his hands. With nothing else to do, he entered the study and began reading the Martial Classics.

The Martial Classics was a book on martial arts compiled by several grandmasters of the Great Feng Dynasty after gathering all kinds of martial techniques. It was over a thousand pages thick. While it did not record any peerless cultivation techniques, it contained the insights of several martial grandmasters and detailed records of the major martial sects of the Great Feng Dynasty.

The Great Feng Dynasty was vast, with thirty-six provinces in total. Its martial sects came in every conceivable variety, numbering in the thousands.

The three strongest sects were the Shaolin Temple, the Sun Moon Sword Sect, and the Ten Thousand Stars Sect.

His elder brother, Zhou Li, was now an inner disciple of the Sun Moon Sword Sect, as well as the personal disciple of the Sun Moon Sword Sect's master.

Zhou Cheng read with great relish.

Before he knew it, the sky had darkened.

At that moment, in the main hall of Zhou Mansion, Zhou Wei had just returned from court, his face full of fatigue.

Luo Shui came over and helped Zhou Wei remove his official hat. "What is it? Why the long face?"

Zhou Wei rubbed his brow, sat down, and said, "The borders have been restless lately."

Hearing this, Luo Shui asked, "Is the Mongol Kingdom causing trouble again?"

Zhou Wei nodded. "The Mongol Kingdom is causing unrest along the northern border. In the south, the bandits and mountain brigands of Heng Mountain are running rampant. Not only do they rob and kill merchant caravans, but they often enter cities and plunder them clean. And the remnants of the Demonic Cult in Dongsheng Province have emerged once more."

"The Demonic Cult's evildoers have emerged again?!" Luo Shui was shocked.

Thirty years ago, the Demonic Cult's influence had spread across every province of the Great Feng Dynasty, nearly reaching the point of overturning the dynasty. Only after the Great Feng Dynasty joined forces with the Shaolin Temple, the Sun Moon Sword Sect, and the Ten Thousand Stars Sect was the Demonic Cult eradicated.

She had never expected that after thirty years, the remnants of the Demonic Cult would emerge again.

Zhou Wei sighed. "It is the Demonic Cult's Prince of Southern Ming. Back then, the master of the Ten Thousand Stars Sect struck Prince of Southern Ming down Cliff of Despair. Who would have thought he had not died?"

He continued, "For the past half year, there has been a drought without a single drop of rain. Over in the Western Desert, the crops have failed completely. Farmers have either starved to death or fled from famine, and many villages do not even have a single human shadow left."

"The Great Feng Dynasty appears peaceful, but in truth, it is beset by troubles within and without. The signs of chaotic times are already showing."

"In these troubled times, surviving will not be easy."

As he spoke, Zhou Wei took a sip of the spiritual tea Luo Shui handed him.

This spiritual tea was a tribute item for the court, something only a small number of ministers could drink. Drinking it over time could strengthen the body.

Luo Shui sat down beside Zhou Wei.

Zhou Wei continued, "With troubled times about to rise, I am not worried about Li'er. What worries me now is Cheng'er." Thinking of his younger son Zhou Cheng's martial talent, Zhou Wei shook his head.

Luo Shui had originally wanted to persuade Zhou Wei not to force Zhou Cheng to practice martial arts, but she opened her mouth and ultimately could not bring herself to say it.

"Cheng'er's martial talent is somewhat ordinary, but if we can find a century-old spiritual medicine, there is still hope that he may break through to the Qi Refining Realm within his lifetime," Luo Shui said thoughtfully.

Zhou Wei set down his teacup and said, "A century-old spiritual medicine—how could it be so easy to find? There are two plants in the dynasty's treasure vault, but even His Highness the Crown Prince cannot enjoy such treasures."

Then he said, "In another half year, the Sun Moon Sword Sect will open its gates to accept disciples. By then, I will have Li'er ask Sect Master Chen for a favor and let Cheng'er enter the Sun Moon Sword Sect as an outer disciple."

"If Li'er speaks up, Sect Master Chen should grant him this favor, shouldn't he?"

Yet even he did not sound certain.

As one of the three great sects of the Great Feng Dynasty, the Sun Moon Sword Sect had extremely strict rules. Many officials of the Great Feng Dynasty had used connections to send their children into the Sun Moon Sword Sect, only for them to be sent back in the end.

To enter one of the Sun Moon Sword Sect's three great sects, one could only pass the Sun Moon Sword Sect's disciple recruitment examination.

But passing the Sun Moon Sword Sect's recruitment examination was far too difficult. Applicants had to be at Body Refining Level Seven and no older than fourteen.

Half a year later, Zhou Cheng would find it hard even to break through to Body Refining Level Four, let alone Body Refining Level Seven.

Luo Shui said, "Although Li'er is Sect Master Chen's personal disciple, I fear Sect Master Chen will not make an exception because of that."

The two fell silent.

After a while, Zhou Wei spoke. "His Majesty summoned me today. He intends to send me to the border." After all, they could not allow the Mongol Kingdom to continue causing trouble indefinitely.

Luo Shui was stunned. "Then I will go with you."

Zhou Wei said, "No. The household still needs you. If both of us leave, who will supervise Cheng'er's martial training?" As he spoke, he clasped Luo Shui's hand. "Don't worry. I will return safely."

Luo Shui finally nodded.

The night deepened.

After Zhou Cheng finished dinner, he had only read for a while in the study when the guard Chang Qing came to see him and said that the medicinal bath was ready.

Every day, Zhou Wei had people prepare a medicinal bath and send it to Zhou Cheng, making him soak in it for two hours each night. These medicinal baths were extremely valuable and greatly benefited Body Refining.

Although he now had the system and his martial techniques could cultivate automatically, since the medicinal bath was useful for Body Refining, there was no harm in soaking in it.

Zhou Cheng came to the large wooden barrel filled with medicinal bath water and stepped inside. Not long after he entered, the system's voice rang out: "Your Black Tortoise Divine Technique and Indestructible Vajra Divine Technique have automatically absorbed the medicinal power within the medicinal bath. Their cultivation speed has greatly increased!"

(The new book has been uploaded. The road through the martial world is long; I hope my brothers will still accompany me. Brothers, please bookmark it, leave comments, and cast recommendation votes. Thank you.)