Second-Rate Expert Realm! Kill!

Two days later.

Early morning, the rising sun climbed into the sky.

Five li beyond the river behind East Street, on an uninhabited stretch of high ground.

"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 Lin Changsheng soaked up the sunlight, notifications continuously popped up on the panel, and warmth spread through his entire body.

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 Realm!

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

After basking in the sun all day today, I should be able to reach Grand Perfection, right?

Lin Changsheng looked at the panel, anticipation filling his heart.

His cultivation had been stuck at 499, unable to break through into the Second-Rate Realm. He wondered whether bringing the Reflecting Sun Breathing Method to Grand Perfection could make him a Second-Rate Expert.

If he could become Second-Rate, he would become Pasture City's fifth Second-Rate expert!

At noon, Lin Changsheng simply gnawed on two flatbreads and continued soaking up the sun.

[Reflecting Sun Breathing Method advanced to Grand Perfection!]

[Successfully advanced to a Second-Rate Expert!]

At a quarter past noon, a notification suddenly popped up at the edge of Lin Changsheng's panel.

At the same time.

A vast torrent of heat welled up like the surging Yellow River, flowing through his limbs and bones before finally returning to his dantian.

An overwhelming sense of power swept through his entire body!

At the same time, a flood 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!

"Hm?"

"I've advanced to a Second-Rate Expert?"

Lin Changsheng looked at his hands, delight appearing in his eyes.

He could feel that his current strength was far greater than when he had been Third-Rate!

If his internal force had once been a brook, it was now a river!

Within his dantian, internal force surged and roared!

Moreover, he discovered that perhaps because of the panel, his cultivation aura was restrained. 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!"

Excited, Lin Changsheng looked at the boulder beneath his feet, half a zhang in diameter. He circulated his surging internal force and threw a punch!

Boom!

A tremendous crash rang out!

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

"Second-Rate internal force can split steles and shatter stones!"

Looking at the shattered boulder, satisfaction appeared in Lin Changsheng's eyes. He muttered, "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 the ability to protect myself!"

Lin Changsheng examined the panel.

[Great Dao Made Simple: Level 1]

[Lin Changsheng: 16/55]

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

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

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

[Spend a certain amount of silver to simplify techniques, martial skills, and more.]

[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 display on the panel, Lin Changsheng was overjoyed.

The fact that this yin energy could be weakened was truly good news.

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

Lin Changsheng returned home.

He decided to cultivate the Reflecting Sun Breathing Method while carving some arrows, so neither task would delay the other.

With Second-Rate internal force supporting his Grand Perfection Hundred-Paces Piercing-Yang Archery, even a Second-Rate expert would find it difficult to withstand it!

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

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

"Changsheng, are you all right?"

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

"Sister Zhen, I'm fine. I was originally planning to tell you today, but something delayed me. I... probably won't be going to work anymore. Thank you for taking care of me all this time!"

When Lin Changsheng saw Yan Zhen, he considered for a moment before speaking.

"Ah?"

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

"My Iron Sand Palm has already gotten me through the door. I'm planning to find another line of work."

Lin Changsheng said.

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

"Really? That's wonderful! Congratulations!"

Joy appeared on Yan Zhen's pretty face.

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

Nightfall.

In the courtyard, Lin Changsheng bathed in moonlight while carving arrows.

Fifty arrows already lay beside him.

"The time is about right."

"There are enough arrows too."

Lin Changsheng muttered to himself. He went inside, wrapped a piece of cloth around his face, slung his bow over his back, gathered the fifty carved wooden arrows, and headed for Ma Zhankui's manor.

Before long.

Lin Changsheng arrived at Ma Family Manor. Quite a few lights burned inside, accompanied by the sound of voices.

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

Ma Family Manor resembled a large quadrangle residence. From the rooms on the left came the sound of dice being shaken for gambling.

The main hall of Ma Family Manor.

Dressed in a brocade robe, Ma Zhankui held a purple clay teacup. He took a light sip, then looked at his capable enforcer Lin Li before him and said, "Tomorrow morning, 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 instantly alarmed at the sound and darted aside to evade it. But the arrow flashed like lightning, and he could not dodge in time. He could only twist his body aside, avoiding a shot through the heart, yet the arrow still pierced his right shoulder blade!

"Ah!"

Ma Zhankui groaned in pain and leaped backward!

But.

Another arrow came flashing toward him like lightning. Ma Zhankui held his sword in his left hand and swept it, creating a curtain of sword light that cleaved the arrow apart!

Yet that delay in his movements allowed the third arrow to shoot in from a vicious angle!

It struck squarely through his left eye!