Breakthrough

Lu Yuan's blade technique was fierce and forceful. The Blade-Breaking Eight Styles itself had been purchased by the Zhang Clan at great expense, and it paired best with the Crouching Tiger Stance. Both were techniques most suited for fighting and killing in the army.

Clearly, the Zhang Clan was now desperate for its younger generation to make a name for themselves in the military.

To give their descendants a foothold in the army, they spared no expense.

Therefore, Lu Yuan's techniques were not common street goods. On the contrary, they were quite profound—at the very least, they were excellent within the army.

As he practiced.

Wisps of white mist gradually rose from his body.

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Who knew how much time had passed before the system's voice rang out in his mind.

[Technique: Blade-Breaking Eight Styles (10042/10000 Mastery) Break through?]

A smile appeared on Lu Yuan's lips.

Then, without the slightest hesitation, he chose to break through.

The next moment, he felt a vast flood of memories and insights regarding blade techniques emerge in his mind, as though he had cultivated the blade for decades.

His understanding of the Blade-Breaking Eight Styles became exceptionally thorough.

At the same time, the muscles in his arms changed. His entire forearm became sturdier, more powerful when moved, and faster as well.

"Whoosh!"

With a light sweep of his long blade, it produced a piercing howl.

[Technique: Blade-Breaking Eight Styles (42/30000 Perfection)]

It's finally reached Perfection, he thought.

Now, even if he faced someone in the Bone-Forging Realm, so long as their technique had not reached Perfection, he could stand against them.

After that, he took out a booklet and began studying the Arrowhead Formation.

This was Great Yong's most basic formation.

A squad of ten soldiers could use it, but the formation's true strength depended primarily on the commanding officer's understanding of it.

The more thorough one's understanding, the greater the attack power it could unleash.

Wei Yong and the others were all veteran soldiers, so they were naturally familiar with the formation. What mattered most now was Lu Yuan.

Thus, for the following period, he spent nearly all his time studying this formation while drilling alongside the military formation.

In the blink of an eye, the entire morning had passed.

After finishing his cultivation, Lu Yuan got dressed and opened his status panel again.

[Name: Lu Yuan]

[Age: 16]

[Technique: Blade-Breaking Eight Styles (42/30000 Perfection)]

[Tiger-Subduing Stance Body-Tempering Realm (201/1000 Lesser Mastery)]

[Golden Bell Cover (83/100 Beginner)]

[Arrowhead Formation (8/10 Not Initiated)]

The Golden Bell Cover is close to Lesser Mastery too. If I practice a few more times tonight, I should be able to break through. Then I'll be able to bring out part of its power, and my body will rival the peak of the Body-Tempering Realm. I'll have even greater confidence against Bone Forging Realm cultivators, Lu Yuan thought.

Then he went back into his room, picked up the braised meat and some cooked dishes, and headed next door.

The moment he entered, a hazy wave of heat washed over him.

A basin on the table already held half a basin of steamed buns. Xiao Hua truly was quick and efficient at her work.

When she saw Lu Yuan enter, she came over to greet him. "Brother Yuan, I only steamed half a sack of flour this morning. I should be able to finish it all before dark."

Her forehead glistened with sweat. She was clearly exhausted as well.

After all, kneading so much flour was no easy task for a young woman.

"No rush. You've worked hard today. Come eat," Lu Yuan said, placing the cooked dishes on the table.

Then he turned to the woman lying on the bed. "Auntie, how are you feeling?"

Over these past days, the two households had helped each other, and their relationship had grown much closer.

The woman had also let down her guard. Smiling warmly, she said, "Much better after taking the medicine. I have you to thank for that."

"What are you saying, Auntie? Xiao Hua has helped me plenty these past days too." Lu Yuan smiled as he opened the wrapped braised dishes on the table and served a portion to the woman.

Then he sat down and began eating with Xiao Hua.

She was someone who repaid kindness. In the days since she had moved in, whenever she saw Lu Yuan's dirty clothes, she washed them for him. If his clothes were torn, she would mend them without a word.

He remembered all of it.

"You went out of the city because you accepted a mission at the Merit Pavilion, didn't you? Be more careful. Don't ever try to show off," the woman softly reminded him.

She had seen far too many people leave the city and never return.

"Thank you for the reminder, Auntie. I'll be careful."

After placing a chicken leg in Xiao Hua's bowl, Lu Yuan grabbed a chunk of meat and began eating heartily himself.

As his cultivation rose, his appetite had grown considerably larger.

Xiao Hua's face flushed slightly, but she did not refuse his kindness.

After the meal, Xiao Hua went to wash the dishes, while Lu Yuan took his leave.

He intended to continue cultivating.

A little hardship and exhaustion meant nothing now. Every bit of strength he gained meant another measure of capital to preserve his life after leaving the city.

So he practiced with great diligence.

The spring cold still cut to the bone. Bare-chested, he repeatedly rammed into an ironwood tree.

The massive tree, thick enough for two people to encircle, shook with loud bangs. Even as blood covered his body, he did not care.

Finally, as darkness fell.

The system's prompt sounded in Lu Yuan's mind.

[Golden Bell Cover (121/100 Beginner) Break through?]

"Break through."

The next moment, Lu Yuan felt changes spread throughout his entire body. The small wounds across him visibly scabbed over and shed their skin.

Revealing muscles as solid as rock.

The strength in his body also grew greater, more than tripling compared to before.

[Golden Bell Cover (21/1000 Lesser Mastery)]

This time, it should be in the bag. As long as we don't run into a hundred-man unit of Northern Barbarians, there shouldn't be much of a problem, Lu Yuan thought.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

"Brother Yuan, are you home?"

It was Xiao Hua's voice. Lu Yuan hurriedly threw on his clothes and went to open the door.

When the courtyard gate opened, he saw her standing there prettily, carrying a huge basket over her arm.

"Brother Yuan, all the buns are steamed."

"Thanks for the trouble. Come in and sit for a while," Lu Yuan said as he took the basket.

"I won't come in. Just return the basket to me when you get back." Xiao Hua waved her hand, turned, and left.

Lu Yuan carried the steamed buns inside, found a sack to pack them in, and added more than ten pounds of dried meat.

He poured all the strong liquor into a wineskin.

It was still cold outside, and the snow had not fully melted. Liquor was indispensable.

It could ward off the cold once they were outside.

After preparing everything, Lu Yuan ate a little and began cultivating again. While lying prone on the ground and practicing the Crouching Tiger Stance, he also studied the Arrowhead Formation.

He discovered that each additional reading gave him a little more understanding, so he spent the entire day studying it with great care.

He did not rest until the latter half of the night.

The next day, while the sky was still barely light, he rose, slung his bundle over his back, and left.

"Creak."

Just as he pushed open the door, the courtyard gate next door opened at the same time. Xiao Hua blinked her bright eyes and said, "Brother Yuan, be careful. I'll wait for you to come back."

Her voice was crisp, and tiny specks of frost clung to her eyelashes. She had clearly been waiting for quite some time.

"Don't worry. It'll be fine." Lu Yuan smiled and waved.

Then he turned and headed toward the city gate.

Xiao Hua watched until he disappeared around the alley corner before closing her courtyard gate.

At the North City gate, Zhou He had arrived ahead of time. One of the men beside him stamped his feet and said in a low voice, "Boss, Lu Yuan is a newcomer after all. This time, we're going out to deal with the Northern Barbarians. Can he really handle it?"

This man was named Li Xing, an old brother under Zhou He.

His strength had already entered the realm as well.

Bang! Zhou He's riding whip struck his helmet, producing a dull sound.

"Just do your own job. Do you know better than I do?"

Though he had not seen Lu Yuan make a move that day, the four Northern Barbarian scouts who had been cut down were real enough.

Besides, could someone recognized by his old uncle possibly be useless?

"Fine, if you say he can, then he can. But I'm not the only one doubting him—the brothers all have their doubts," Li Xing muttered, then took off his wineskin and swallowed a mouthful.

At that moment, Lu Yuan's men also began arriving at the city gate one after another.