Your Black Tortoise Body Refining Technique

Abbot Huineng had come over today intending to use Buddhist teachings to enlighten Zhou Cheng. Hearing that Zhou Cheng now wanted to listen to his teachings of his own accord, he was naturally more than willing.

However, the main hall wasn't a suitable place, so the two of them went to Zhou Cheng's courtyard.

But moments of sudden enlightenment were rare and impossible to seek out. Zhou Cheng didn't enter that state again.

Even so, listening to the profound Buddhist teachings of a master like Abbot Huineng greatly sped up Zhou Cheng's cultivation of the Indestructible Vajra Divine Technique.

Zhou Cheng discovered that listening for one hour increased his progress in the Indestructible Vajra Divine Technique by 3.

If he listened for ten hours, that would be 30.

An hour later.

Zhou Wei returned from the morning court session with good news.

Since he had injured his heart meridian and could no longer take the field to kill the enemy, Emperor Zhu Xuan of Great Feng had relieved him of his post as General of the Nation that morning and appointed him Minister of the Ministry of History instead.

The central government of the Great Feng Dynasty had six ministries: the Ministry of History, Ministry of Revenue, Ministry of War, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Rites, and Ministry of Works. The Ministry of History was the foremost of the six. The Minister of Personnel was equivalent to the head of the central organization department, overseeing officials' promotions, transfers, and evaluations. It was a position of immense power.

Zhou Cheng was happy for his father. Being General of the Nation was certainly a fine position, but it meant guarding the border year-round, leaving him only a few days at home each year.

The Minister of the Ministry of History, however, had it differently. From now on, his father could stay at home in the Capital City all year.

What's more, fighting the enemy at the border meant living in constant danger. The Capital City was peaceful by comparison.

It was six in the evening when Abbot Huineng finally left the Grand General's Mansion. He had stayed for exactly ten hours.

Not long after Abbot Huineng left, Zhou Cheng's eldest brother, Zhou Li, arrived at the Grand General's Mansion with Chen Genfeng, the sect master of the Sun Moon Sword Sect, and the others.

When Zhou Li returned, Zhou Wei and Luo Shui were naturally delighted. They hosted a banquet for Chen Genfeng and the others. But Zhou Li had joined the Sun Moon Sword Sect as a child and spent years cultivating there, so Zhou Cheng wasn't very close to him. The two brothers didn't have much to say to each other at the banquet.

After the banquet, Zhou Cheng returned to his courtyard.

Only then did he open the Realm-Breakthrough Gift Pack for reaching the eighth level of Body Refining.

As Zhou Cheng waited eagerly:

"You received a Marrow-Cleansing Pill."

"You received a Bronze-Armored Guard."

"You received a young Azure Dragon Divine Beast."

"Would you like to swallow the Marrow-Cleansing Pill now?"

Zhou Cheng immediately swallowed the Marrow-Cleansing Pill.

"The Marrow-Cleansing Pill has cleansed your meridians and marrow and improved your bone structure. Your aptitude has increased."

"Your superior aptitude has increased to 50."

Finally, 50.

He needed only two more pills to advance his superior aptitude to a century-level genius.

"The potent medicinal power of the Marrow-Cleansing Pill has greatly increased your cultivation progress in the Black Tortoise Divine Technique and the Indestructible Vajra Divine Technique."

"Your Black Tortoise Divine Technique cultivation progress has greatly increased by 1."

"Greatly increased by 2."

"Greatly increased by 15."

Since the increase to the Indestructible Vajra Divine Technique was double that of the Black Tortoise Divine Technique, its progress shot up by 30.

Zhou Cheng checked his character panel.

Host: Zhou Cheng

Black Tortoise Divine Technique: Seventh Layer, progress 39

Indestructible Vajra Divine Technique: Eighth Layer, progress 61

Wind-Facing Willow Steps: Mastery Realm, progress 13

Roaming Dragon White Tiger Fist: Mastery Realm, progress 9

Demon-Subduing Saber Technique: Mastery Realm, progress 11

Originally, the Roaming Dragon White Tiger Fist had been the first to reach the Mastery Realm, but now it was the slowest to cultivate.

After the three martial arts techniques entered the Mastery Realm, they cultivated automatically for a day, gaining only about 2 progress.

Zhou Cheng released the Bronze-Armored Guard.

The fourth Bronze-Armored Guard was called Yang Yu. He was also at the Xiantian Seventh Level, but wielded a long spear.

When Zhou Cheng released the young Azure Dragon Divine Beast, green light filled the entire courtyard, and waves of moisture flowed through it.

The young Azure Dragon was about the same size as the Ice Snow Phoenix—over ten meters long.

"Congratulations, host, on obtaining an Azure Dragon Divine Beast. By observing the Azure Dragon Divine Beast's form, your Roaming Dragon White Tiger Fist has gained a tremendous increase in cultivation speed."

Zhou Cheng was taken aback. He checked, and sure enough, the Roaming Dragon White Tiger Fist was progressing much faster than before. In no time at all, it had reached 14.

Zhou Cheng felt a weight lift from his heart.

That evening, after soaking in a medicinal bath, Zhou Cheng went to the Green Demon Mountain Range as usual to hunt demonic beasts.

With the help of Qin Meng and the other three Xiantian Seventh Level guards, as well as the three divine beasts, Zhou Cheng found demonic beasts much faster. After killing dozens of them, he went to the cave and began practicing the Wind-Facing Willow Steps, sneaking back to the mansion at two in the morning.

The next two days went the same way.

During the day, Huineng came to lecture Zhou Cheng on Buddhist teachings. At night, after soaking in a medicinal bath, Zhou Cheng went to the Green Demon Mountain Range to hunt demonic beasts and use the cave's raging winds to practice the Wind-Facing Willow Steps.

Of course, Zhou Cheng never forgot to swallow an Ancient Body Refining Pill each day.

At the same time, Zhou Cheng instructed Qin Meng to help him buy iron ore. He used the Earth Cauldron to forge weapons and raise its grade.

As for the superior-grade steel sabers he forged, which were ordinary weapons, Zhou Cheng rented a shop in a good location to sell them. Since he priced them below the market rate, business was brisk.

These past two days, since Zhou Wei had become Minister of the Ministry of History, the mansion had been packed with visitors. One after another, people came to pay their respects and offer congratulations.

His good friend Jiang Feng had come with his father, Jiang Haidong. When Jiang Feng saw Zhou Cheng, he gave him a thumbs-up and said, "I heard Abbot Huineng comes to your courtyard every day to enlighten you, giving you ten hours of Buddhist teachings."

Then he looked Zhou Cheng up and down. "You're the Great Buddha reincarnated? How come I couldn't tell before?"

Zhou Cheng smiled. "There are plenty of things you can't tell."

Jiang Feng laughed. "I heard Vice Minister Chen from the Ministry of War has been smashing things these past two days."

Zhou Cheng feigned surprise. "You even know about that?"

Jiang Feng chuckled. "I heard it, that's all."

On the evening of Zhou Cheng's seventh day in this world, after soaking in a medicinal bath, his Indestructible Vajra Divine Technique finally broke through to the ninth layer.

The ninth layer!

Feeling the changes in his body, Zhou Cheng punched a stone stool. It shattered at once, bursting into a heap of rubble.

I wonder how I'd fare against Big Brother now. Zhou Cheng mused.

His elder brother Zhou Li was currently at the peak of the third level of Qi Refining.

With his current strength, Zhou Cheng might well be able to fight him.

"Second Brother, are you asleep?" Zhou Li's voice sounded from outside the courtyard.

Zhou Cheng answered and asked Qin Meng to clear away the rubble, then opened the courtyard gate.

After entering, Zhou Li came to the stone pavilion. Noticing a stone stool was missing, he joked, "Did a thief break into the house and steal your stone stool?"

Zhou Cheng smiled. "Qin Meng shattered it while practicing just now."

Qin Meng was speechless.

Last time it was him. Why was it him again this time?

Zhou Li glanced at Qin Meng and the other three, who were waiting respectfully nearby, then said to Zhou Cheng, "I didn't come over for anything in particular. I joined the Sun Moon Sword Sect as a child and spent years cultivating at the sect, so you and I haven't really had a heart-to-heart. I just wanted to come talk with you."

"How's your Black Tortoise Body Refining Technique coming along?"