Martial Skills

Of course, merely reaching the Body Refining Realm Fourth Level was not enough to secure him an outstanding result at the Coming-of-Age Ceremony.

Because he did not yet possess a single martial skill he could use.

Martial skills were naturally the means by which warriors fought their enemies. Usually, a powerful martial skill was a necessary condition for victory. The Yang family naturally had the Limitless Pavilion as well, the foundation of their martial skill collection. Many Yang family disciples carried powerful martial skills with them.

These martial skills each had their own strengths, but overall, if he attended the Coming-of-Age Ceremony without any martial skills, even a Body Refining Realm Third Level genius with martial skills could likely defeat him.

There is enough time—around two months remain. I will use these two months to cultivate martial skills. Yang Chen thought to himself.

Naturally, his mind from his previous life contained quite a few martial skills.

Once these martial skills were brought out, not to mention the Great Wilderness, even all of North Mountain County would be whipped into a bloody storm.

That was precisely the problem.

None of these martial skills could be cultivated at his current stage, and he truly did not have many martial skills suited for the Body Refining Realm. How to choose something suitable for himself without being so dazzling that it frightened others was indeed a matter worth considering.

After all, he could not guarantee that someone would not set their sights on him because of the exquisite martial skills he displayed.

At this thought, Yang Chen murmured to himself, "It seems I will need to make a trip to the Limitless Pavilion."

The Limitless Pavilion was where the Yang family stored its martial skills.

In Yang Chen's memories, it was not particularly unforgettable, but finding the place was no difficult task.

"Fourth Master, I wish to enter the Limitless Pavilion and browse through some martial skills." When Yang Chen arrived at the Limitless Pavilion, he spoke respectfully to the white-bearded old man guarding it.

This white-bearded elder was one of the Yang family's Nine Elders. She was the Fourth Elder, known as Fourth Master Yang, and held the same status as Second Master Yang. Responsible for guarding the Limitless Pavilion and overseeing its martial skills, her position was equal to Second Master Yang's, second only to the Yang Family Elder and the clan chief.

Fourth Master Yang had originally been resting with her eyes closed. Hearing his voice, she opened them. When she saw Yang Chen, a trace of disgust flashed across her face. "Yang Chen, is that you?"

"It is indeed this junior." An awkward expression appeared on Yang Chen's face.

It seemed that he was equally infamous in Fourth Master Yang's eyes.

Otherwise, he did not believe that she, the Yang family's Fourth Elder, whose status far surpassed his own, would remember him.

Seeing that it was Yang Chen, Fourth Master Yang spoke stiffly. "Yang Chen, can't you not cultivate martial arts? What are you doing at the Limitless Pavilion?"

Yang Chen said, "Fourth Master, who told you that this junior cannot cultivate martial arts?"

"Who in the Yang family does not know about this? Enough, do not waste this old woman's time. If you have nothing else to do, hurry up and leave." Fourth Master Yang spoke expressionlessly. Still, as an elder, she restrained herself, and her words were not too harsh.

Yet even so, this contempt made Yang Chen deeply displeased.

His visit to the Limitless Pavilion today to browse martial skills was something he was determined to accomplish. How could he retreat over such a minor setback?

Seeing that Fourth Master Yang paid him no heed at all, his expression hardened. Then he threw a fierce punch, followed by a resounding bang.

In the next instant, dust flew everywhere. The lion stone statue on the Limitless Pavilion's gate suddenly shook, and with a clatter, one of its ears actually fell off and dropped to the ground.

This sight made Fourth Master Yang's eyes widen, and she could scarcely believe what stood before her.

This stone statue had been made from special materials and possessed extremely strong defenses. Without the force of a thousand jin, it was utterly impossible to shake it.

Yet Yang Chen had casually knocked one ear off the statue with a single punch. This meant that his strength had already exceeded a thousand jin.

What did the strength of a thousand jin represent?

It represented that Yang Chen possessed, at the very least, cultivation at the Body Refining Realm Fourth Level.

"This junior took the liberty of being presumptuous out of helpless necessity. May I ask whether Fourth Master still has any advice regarding Yang Chen's martial cultivation?" Yang Chen said with cupped hands, assuming a posture of utmost respect. He was not worried that Fourth Master Yang would play favorites or abuse her authority.

Fourth Master Yang was evidently an upright person as well. Her brows furrowed, and stormy waves surged within her heart.

But she was, after all, a Yang family elder with broad experience. She quickly calmed down and asked in a somewhat astonished tone, "Yang Chen, what level of the Body Refining Realm have you reached now?"

"To be honest with Fourth Master, Yang Chen's martial cultivation has already reached the Body Refining Realm Fourth Level," Yang Chen answered truthfully.

Fourth Master Yang paused slightly and muttered, "As expected, as expected—it truly is the Body Refining Realm Fourth Level. Good boy, with cultivation like yours, how did your reputation become so terrible?"

"Fourth Master, rumors stop with the wise. I trust that you, honored elder, would not judge a person based solely on one-sided rumors," Yang Chen said with a smile.

"That is well said!" Fourth Master Yang stroked her beard, then sighed. "As an elder, I actually looked at someone through a crack in the door, judging a person by rumors. This old woman was indeed at fault. At such a young age, you have reached the Body Refining Realm Fourth Level. You should have received generous treatment from the clan. I will report this to the clan chief at once."

What did it mean for Yang Chen to reach the Body Refining Realm Fourth Level with such cultivation?

It meant that Yang Chen was unquestionably a genius.

Among the Yang family's thirteen-year-olds, those on the verge of adulthood, how many had reached the Body Refining Realm Fourth Level?

Only two or three.

Those two or three had long been designated as the Yang family's key training targets. Every one of them was a carefully nurtured prospect of the Yang family.

After all, one day, these people would become the pillars holding up the Yang family.

She had originally thought that this generation of the Yang family's younger disciples would produce only two or three Body Refining Realm Fourth Level cultivators. Yet another Yang Chen had emerged, one with an exceedingly poor reputation. And judging from the move Yang Chen had just displayed, his martial cultivation was likely already faintly approaching the Body Refining Realm Fifth Level.

"Good boy!" Fourth Master Yang could not help praising him.

Yang Chen hurriedly said, "Fourth Master, this junior only wishes to focus on studying martial skills during these days, so that I may have some means of self-preservation at the Coming-of-Age Ceremony. As for this junior's martial cultivation, I hope Fourth Master can help keep it secret!"

Fourth Master Yang was very clever. With a turn of thought, she immediately understood. "You little rascal, you are planning to make a name for yourself with one astonishing feat. Good, good, good! Neither arrogant nor impetuous, able to keep your composure—this is a good thing!"

Yang Chen smiled faintly. Making a name for himself with one astonishing feat was a minor concern; exposing his strength too early would undoubtedly mean losing a trump card at the Coming-of-Age Ceremony.

Only by catching one's enemies off guard could one win every battle.

With her hands behind her back, Fourth Master Yang said solemnly, "All right. Now that you have reached the Body Refining Realm Fourth Level, martial skills are indeed especially important for you. Whichever martial skill you wish to choose, go into the Limitless Pavilion and select carefully."