Second-Rate Expert Realm! Kill!

Two days later.

Early morning, the rising sun climbed into the sky.

On an uninhabited stretch of high ground five li beyond the river behind East Street.

"Reflecting Sun Breathing Method experience +1!"

"Reflecting Sun Breathing Method experience +1"

"..."

Lin Changsheng had not gone to work at the noodle shop. Instead, he sat atop a large boulder, basking in the sun—no, cultivating the Reflecting Sun Breathing Method. As he soaked in the sunlight, prompts continuously popped up on the panel, and his entire body felt pleasantly warm.

He discovered that the Reflecting Sun Breathing Method gained experience several times faster than the Moonlight Breathing Method.

As a result, although he had begun cultivating the Reflecting Sun Breathing Method later, it had already reached the Perfect Stage!

[Reflecting Sun Breathing Method (Perfect Stage 59900/62500)]

After basking in the sun for an entire day, it should reach Grand Perfection, right?

Lin Changsheng looked at the panel, his heart filled with anticipation.

His cultivation had been stuck at 499, unable to break through into the Second-Rate Realm. He did not know whether bringing the Reflecting Sun Breathing Method to Grand Perfection could make him a Second-Rate Expert.

If he could reach the Second-Rate Realm, he would become Pasture City's fifth Second-Rate Expert!

At noon, Lin Changsheng merely gnawed on two flatbreads and hurriedly continued basking in the sun.

[Reflecting Sun Breathing Method advanced to Grand Perfection!]

[Successfully advanced to a Second-Rate Expert!]

At a quarter past noon, a message suddenly popped up in the corner of Lin Changsheng's panel.

At the same time.

A vast torrent of heat surged forth, like the rushing Yellow River, flowing through his limbs and bones before finally gathering in his dantian.

An overwhelming sensation of power swept through his body!

At the same time, a vast stream of information appeared in his mind and instantly fused with his consciousness. It was the cultivation insights and techniques of the Reflecting Sun Breathing Method!

At that moment.

Lin Changsheng felt as though he had cultivated the Reflecting Sun Breathing Method for decades!

"Hmm?"

"I've advanced to the Second-Rate Expert Realm?"

Lin Changsheng looked at his hands, delight filling his eyes.

He could feel that his current strength was vastly greater than when he had been in the Third-Rate Realm!

If his inner force had once been a small stream, it was now a river!

Within his dantian, inner force surged and roared!

Moreover, he discovered that, perhaps due to the panel, his cultivation aura was concealed. So long as he did not make a move, no one could tell that he knew martial arts!

"I wonder how powerful my punch is now!"

Lin Changsheng was exhilarated. He looked at the half-zhang-wide boulder beneath his feet, circulated his surging inner force, and threw a punch!

Boom!

A thunderous crash rang out!

Lin Changsheng's fist was still half an inch from the boulder, yet his inner force burst through his fist, and the boulder instantly shattered into four pieces!

"Second-Rate inner force can split steles and crack stones!"

Looking at the shattered boulder, Lin Changsheng's eyes showed satisfaction as he murmured, "I've now become Pasture City's fifth Second-Rate Expert! With Grand Perfection Iron Sand Palm and Grand Perfection Hundred-Paces Piercing-Yang Archery, I finally have the beginnings of self-preservation!"

Lin Changsheng checked the panel.

[Great Dao Made Simple: Level 1]

[Lin Changsheng: 16/55]

[Cultivation: Second-Rate Realm (0/2500)]

[Techniques: Moonlight Breathing Method (Perfect Stage 27809/62500), Reflecting Sun Breathing Method (Grand Perfection)]

[Martial Arts: Arrow Technique (Grand Perfection), Iron Sand Palm (Grand Perfection)]

[By consuming a certain amount of silver, techniques, martial skills, and more can be simplified.]

[Status: Yin Energy Invasion (Weakened)]

"Eh? After the Reflecting Sun Breathing Method reached Grand Perfection and my cultivation entered the Second-Rate Realm, this Yin Energy Invasion weakened too! Wonderful!"

Seeing the panel's display, Lin Changsheng was overjoyed.

The fact that the yin energy could weaken was indeed good news.

As long as he continued cultivating the Reflecting Sun Breathing Method, this yin energy would surely be driven away without a trace!

Lin Changsheng returned home.

He decided to cultivate the Reflecting Sun Breathing Method while shaving arrow shafts, so neither task would delay the other.

With the boost of Second-Rate inner force, the Grand Perfection Hundred-Paces Piercing-Yang Archery would be difficult for even a Second-Rate Expert to withstand!

Sister Zhen had treated him well. He might as well deal with Ma Zhankui for her.

Ma Zhankui was a Second-Rate Expert, so he surely had secret manuals. As one of Pasture City's two major gangs, the Green Snake Gang had run rampant for years and must have extorted plenty of silver.

"Changsheng, are you all right?"

Just then, a clear female voice came from the doorway.

"Sister Zhen, I'm fine. I had planned to tell you today, but something delayed me. I... may not be coming to work anymore. Thank you for taking care of me all this time!"

When Lin Changsheng saw Yan Zhen, he pondered briefly before speaking.

"Ah?"

Yan Zhen's beautiful eyes widened in surprise. Then, with a complicated expression, she said, "Then... what are you planning to do from now on?"

"My Iron Sand Palm has reached the Entry Stage. I'm planning to make a living some other way."

Lin Changsheng said.

With his current Second-Rate strength, there was naturally no need for him to work at the noodle shop anymore.

"Really? That's wonderful! Congratulations!"

Joy appeared on Yan Zhen's lovely face.

She was sincerely happy for Lin Changsheng. However, when she remembered that tomorrow was the final day of Ma Zhankui's ultimatum, her heart darkened.

Night fell.

In the courtyard, Lin Changsheng bathed in moonlight while shaving arrow shafts.

Fifty arrows already lay at his side.

"The time is about right."

"There are enough arrows too."

Lin Changsheng muttered to himself. He went inside, covered his face with a piece of cloth, slung his bow and the fifty sharpened wooden arrows over his back, and raced toward Ma Zhankui's estate.

Before long.

Lin Changsheng arrived at Ma Family Manor. Quite a few lights were lit within, and voices could be heard.

Lin Changsheng leaped over the wall and entered the courtyard. Although he had not learned Lightness Skill, his Second-Rate strength had greatly improved his jumping ability.

Ma Family Manor resembled a large traditional courtyard residence. From the room on the left came the sound of dice being rolled in gambling.

The main hall of Ma Family Manor.

Ma Zhankui, dressed in a brocade robe, held a purple clay teacup in his hand. He took a light sip and looked at Lin Li, his capable enforcer, before saying, "At daybreak tomorrow, go bring that widow to the manor!"

"Yes, Gang Leader!"

Lin Li bowed and clasped his fists in acknowledgment.

Whoosh!

Just then, the sound of an arrow tearing through the air rang out!

"Guards—"

As a Second-Rate Expert, Ma Zhankui was immediately startled upon hearing it. He dodged aside, but the arrow flashed like lightning, leaving him no time to evade. He could only twist his body and avoid an arrow through the heart, yet the feathered arrow still pierced his right shoulder blade!

"Argh!"

Ma Zhankui groaned in pain and leaped backward!

But.

Another feathered arrow came like lightning. Ma Zhankui swung the sword in his left hand, sweeping out a curtain of sword light and slicing the arrow apart!

Yet that delay in his movement allowed the third arrow to shoot in from a treacherous angle!

It struck his left eye dead-on!