Encirclement of the Rebirth Sect

In the courtyard.

Li Chuan was holding a horse stance, fine beads of sweat seeping from his forehead.

"The requirement for Thunder Shadow Leg is to train the legs by first training the lower body. Only when the lower body reaches the level of 'waist and stance as one' can it be considered Minor Mastery."

[Held a horse stance for a quarter hour, proficiency increased]

[Held a horse stance for half an hour, proficiency increased]

[Held a horse stance for one hour, proficiency increased]

Only when his legs had gone weak and begun to tremble did Li Chuan stop to rest.

[Skill: Thunder Shadow Leg (Initiation)]

[Proficiency: 111/500]

Li Chuan wiped away his sweat, then looked closely and discovered that his proficiency was rising faster than before.

When he had first practiced Through-Arm Fist, how could he have progressed this quickly?

"Looks like as the levels of my other martial arts rise, my understanding of martial principles deepens as well. That makes learning new techniques much faster!"

Li Chuan thought it over and found the explanation perfectly reasonable.

After all, it was impossible for him to be a Transforming Force expert yet improve at the same pace as someone who had never trained in martial arts...

"At this rate, reaching Major Mastery before the Martial Exam should not be a problem!"

Li Chuan felt somewhat exhilarated. This meant he had ample confidence in facing the coming Martial Exam!

"Grrr."

His stomach let out a pained cry, bringing Li Chuan back to his senses.

He was hungry!

Li Chuan took out a pound of tiger meat, blanched it first, then put it into a pot to stew.

As it cooked, he added a large handful of scallions, ginger, and star anise.

Tigers were savage beasts of the mountains and forests, running and hunting all year round. Their meat could not be prepared as lightly as chicken or duck.

It carried a strong, wild gaminess.

Without enough spices, there was no way to suppress that flavor!

"Only because life has improved can I eat like this. Back then, I probably could only have sprinkled on some salt... That would not have tasted good."

In this world, scallions and ginger were manageable, but spices such as star anise were not cheap.

The poor simply could not afford to use them.

Once the tiger meat was cooked, Li Chuan scooped it out in one go.

After letting it cool slightly, Li Chuan began wolfing it down.

"Firm. Much firmer than donkey or venison, with a hint of springy toughness." Li Chuan smacked his lips.

Tigers ran and hunted all year long. Their meat contained very little fat and was practically all lean.

Ordinarily, pure lean meat was not tasty and easily got stuck between the teeth.

Yet with the flavor of the spices, this tiger meat actually tasted fairly good?

Li Chuan soon finished the entire pound of tiger meat.

He was only just full.

"Looks like my appetite has increased again after breaking through to Dark Force..." Li Chuan gave a bitter smile.

A pound of tiger meat per meal meant three pounds a day.

He had truly become a bottomless pit!

"Hiss!"

Not long after he finished eating, steaming heat suddenly rose from Li Chuan's body.

The qi and blood contained in the tiger meat were surging through the muscles and tendons throughout his body!

Unlike the mildness of venison, the qi and blood of tiger meat was fiercer and purer!

"What a perfect time to train!"

Li Chuan sprang to his feet and immediately assumed a horse stance.

With the boost from the tiger meat, Thunder Shadow Leg proficiency rose even faster!

After training like this for five days.

With a thought, Li Chuan summoned his panel.

[Skill: Thunder Shadow Leg (Minor Mastery)]

[Proficiency: 376/500]

"In another two days, I can break through to Minor Mastery at the Bright Force level!"

When that time came, his strength would undergo no small increase.

"Knock, knock, knock."

Three soft knocks sounded at the door.

"Senior Brother Li, Master is calling you all to the Outer Courtyard!"

Li Chuan opened the door and found a familiar face outside.

Zhuang Beiwang.

The Outer Courtyard disciple who had previously held a post for him.

After slightly straightening his clothes, Li Chuan said:

"Let's go. Have you had any questions about cultivation lately?"

Delight appeared on Zhuang Beiwang's face as he forcibly suppressed his excitement.

"Reporting to Senior Brother Li, I wish to seek guidance on a form of Through-Arm Fist..."

As they walked, Li Chuan answered:

"The essence of Through-Arm Fist is 'Formless Movement.' When practicing, do not deliberately think about which move to use. Instead, feel the flow of force."

He casually offered a few pointers, which took little effort.

Yet those few brief words made Zhuang Beiwang nod again and again, suddenly seeing the light.

The other disciples watched with envy in their eyes, hating only that they were not the ones beside Li Chuan!

Upon arriving at the Martial Arts Arena, Li Chuan found that many people had already gathered.

When Master Liang Hangzhou saw Li Chuan arrive, he nodded at him.

"Now that you're here, I'll discuss something next..."

Everyone waited for several breaths, only to discover that Liang Hangzhou had closed his mouth.

There was no follow-up at all!

Seeing everyone's anxious expressions, Liang Hangzhou stroked his beard in satisfaction.

"Recently, a new force called the Rebirth Sect has emerged in Anning County."

"They specialize in taming and directing refugees, stirring unrest throughout the major county towns. They began in Huangshi County, and now they have reached our Anning County."

"If they are allowed to gather strength, they may well bring about a great calamity!"

Liang Hangzhou sighed.

"Neighboring Huangshi County suffered a terrible loss precisely because they did not clear out the Rebirth Sect believers in time!"

"Therefore, the County Magistrate has summoned all the Lineages and Martial Halls in the county to form a force to campaign against the Rebirth Sect."

"Kill one Rebirth Sect believer, and you will be rewarded five mace of silver!"

"Who wishes to go?"

Zhuang Beiwang, beside Li Chuan, said excitedly:

"Senior Brother Li, killing one person from the Rebirth Sect earns five mace of silver. Kill two, and that's one tael! Normally, a tael of silver is terribly hard to earn!"

Li Chuan shook his head.

"Do you think they'll hand you silver for nothing?"

The implication was clear: this silver would not be easy to take!

Tang Xiang was the first to step forward and state his position.

"Master, I'll go!"

Qin Feng also took a step forward.

"With the Martial Exam approaching, how could I miss such an excellent chance for experience?"

He declared loudly:

"Master, you once said that martial arts are arts of killing!"

"How can one comprehend their essence by striking wooden posts every day?"

Liang Hangzhou was greatly satisfied by Qin Feng's answer.

Then he turned to look at Li Chuan.

"A-Chuan, what about you?"

Li Chuan cupped his fists.

"Master, I won't be going."

He had enough silver to cultivate until the Martial Exam, and his practical combat experience was exceptionally abundant.

It could be said that in all of Pine Wind Martial Hall, few had better practical combat experience than he did.

Moreover, he had personally experienced the might of the Rebirth Sect.

Back when he had delivered medicine, a group of refugee youths who had not even entered the Force realm had been able to command a pack of hungry wolves.

Now that they had grown into a force, who knew whether they might draw out a few Dark Force, or even Transforming Force, demon beasts!

As long as he cultivated peacefully in the Martial Hall, he could steadily train Thunder Shadow Leg to Major Mastery.

Why risk wading into these dangerous waters?

Liang Hangzhou nodded and did not force the matter.

Qin Feng glanced at Li Chuan with contempt.

He did not even dare see blood, yet he still trained martial techniques?

Tang Xiang also secretly shook his head, feeling that he had misjudged Li Chuan.

He did not even dare leave the city to exterminate the Rebirth Sect while following Anning County's main force.

If he were sent out alone on a mission, would that not be even worse?

For a moment, Tang Xiang felt fortunate that Li Chuan had rejected him.

If he had recruited such a retainer, he would surely become the subject of gossip among friends and relatives.

Li Chuan paid no attention to what others thought and simply turned back on his own.

Zhuang Beiwang stood where he was, hesitating over whether to participate.

One Rebirth Sect believer was worth five mace of silver!

"Forget it, forget it. Senior Brother Li must have his reasons for saying so."

In the end, Zhuang Beiwang chose to trust Li Chuan.

Li Chuan swiftly returned to his courtyard and immediately began practicing Thunder Shadow Leg without stopping for even a moment.

[Held a horse stance for half an hour, Thunder Shadow Leg proficiency increased]

[Held a horse stance for one hour, Thunder Shadow Leg proficiency increased]

[Held a horse stance for two hours, Thunder Shadow Leg proficiency increased]

Three days later.

[Thunder Shadow Leg has broken through to Minor Mastery!]

[Skill: Thunder Shadow Leg (Minor Mastery)]

[Proficiency: 1/2000]