Writing

"Man, walk, dog, tree..."

In the backyard, Jiang Ding held a string-bound book in his hands, occasionally murmuring something under his breath.

Thousand Character Classic

Bored out of his mind, he had gone out for a stroll and acquired a primer for young children, complete with simple illustrations, specifically to learn the writing of this world.

His progress was quite fast. They were both square-shaped characters, and with the illustrations as reference, plus occasional trips to the front courtyard to ask Huang Deyou for guidance, learning was not difficult.

After thinking for a moment, he took out the Divine Firmament Hundred-Step Flying Sword that Gong Caiyu had given him.

Over the past two days, he had easily gathered information about the founder of the Seven Profound Sect.

Legend had it that a thousand years ago, Seven Profound Master had been invincible in the martial world and established a vast legacy. Even changes upon the imperial throne required the crown prince to ascend Seven Profound Mountain and receive his approval before inheriting the grand rule.

Seven Profound Master's most famous martial art was the Hundred-Step Flying Sword. Rumor said that within a hundred paces, it could take a man's head at will; even innate martial artists were no exception. Its ferocious might was renowned far and wide.

Unfortunately, after Seven Profound Master, the Seven Profound Sect swiftly declined, and no one had ever succeeded in mastering this sword art again.

"Actually practicing it is out of the question. Native martial arts come with all kinds of risks and cut off one's future path."

Jiang Ding touched the grip of the pistol hidden at his sleeve cuff. "But if I can master the Immortal Sect's Hundred-Step Flying Sword, my ability to protect myself will soar. I won't need to worry about exposing modern firearms and attracting unknown trouble."

This world was far from peaceful.

In the front courtyard, Huang Deyou was leading a group of temporarily hired workers in cleaning up and building new counters and such, the place ringing with bangs and clatters.

Then, it suddenly fell silent.

Huang Deyou hurried over at a small run, sweat beading faintly on his forehead. Lowering his voice, he said, "Boss, people from the Wild Wolf Gang have come. They say they're here to collect the monthly fee—the protection money."

"They're certainly well-informed." Jiang Ding smiled. "Just give it to them. It's nothing."

In this sort of feudal society, the government's ability to govern was extremely limited. Thus, many vacuums of power existed, occupied by gangs, clans, and the like. It was unavoidable.

More sweat appeared on Huang Deyou's forehead. "Boss, it's not just that. Besides one tael for the monthly fee, they also want five taels as an opening fee, four times more than the other shops in the same area. The key is that these wolf pups can never be fed full—no matter how much you give, it will never be enough."

Jiang Ding said mildly, "They've taken us for a soft persimmon. Invite them in."

Before long, three burly men who had deliberately exposed their muscular chests kicked the door open and strode in.

The scar-faced burly man in the lead said coldly, "Shopkeeper, what a grand show you're putting on, making us brothers come see you. I, Liu Qi, can let it slide, but this is you not putting the Wild Wolf Gang in your eyes!"

The two men behind him chimed in, "You've got some damned nerve!"

Jiang Ding looked at these street toughs with mild curiosity.

A blue dragon was tattooed on the left arm, a white tiger on the right. Scars covered their chests, arms, and other places. Long objects wrapped in black cloth hung behind their waists, most likely sabers.

They reeked from head to toe of desperadoes who had licked blood from knife edges. No wonder Huang Deyou could not handle them.

Clang!

A streak of cold light slowly rose from the scabbard.

Jiang Ding stood up. He had none of that lofty pride about his sword not slaying the nameless. The strong could be killed, and he did not disdain killing ants either.

Scar-faced Liu Qi's expression changed. His hand shot backward to grip his saber hilt. His reaction was extremely fast; he clearly possessed rich combat experience.

"Come. Slash me once."

Jiang Ding said.

Liu Qi's gaze tightened, as though some savage beast had fixed its eyes upon him.

The two men beside him stopped their stream of curses.

Huang Deyou secretly glanced over and discovered that the desperado aura around these men seemed to have suddenly vanished. They looked utterly harmless.

"Young hero, we failed to recognize Mount Tai before us..."

After waiting for a while and seeing that the three still did not move, Liu Qi forced a smile onto his face.

For those who made their living in the martial world, eyesight was the most important thing.

"I told you to slash me once."

The smile vanished from Jiang Ding's face, leaving it expressionless.

"Otherwise, I'll kill you."

Liu Qi's face changed. He had a very clear premonition of something.

"Young hero, forgive my offense!"

Gritting his teeth, he chopped forward. The strike was steady, accurate, and swift. The saber light swept up a fierce wind sharp enough to cut skin. Within the Wild Wolf Gang, he had earned the name Wind-Shattering Saber.

Clang!

He saw a silver star flash out after his strike yet arrive before it, accurately striking the weak point three inches above his saber hilt without the slightest deviation.

Then a tremendous force erupted without warning, smashing him into the wall behind him. He coughed up blood in great mouthfuls without stopping.

The two burly men who had been about to step forward to help rooted their feet in place. They froze where they stood, not daring to look ahead.

They were ferocious beyond measure toward ordinary small merchants and peddlers, but their eyes were sharp. They knew that even if the two of them joined in, they would only be courting death.

"Convinced?"

Jiang Ding sheathed his sword and asked mildly.

"Convinced, convinced! Thank you, young hero! Thank you, young hero!"

Ignoring the blood covering his chest, the scar-faced burly man repeatedly kowtowed with astonishing smoothness.

"I have matters to attend to here, so I won't keep you three for tea."

Jiang Ding sat back down and lowered his gaze to the book.

The three scrambled and crawled away, wishing their parents had given them an extra pair of legs as they fled the backyard like flying.

"Steward Huang."

"Boss, yes!" Huang Deyou jolted.

Jiang Ding said mildly, "Take one tael for the monthly fee and one tael for the opening fee to them. Tell them that if they dare not come collect the monthly fee next month, I'll break their legs."

"Yes, Boss!"

Huang Deyou quickly followed after them.

These small gangs might appear insignificant, but any that could stand firm had patrons sheltering them. He did not want to stir up more trouble.

Inside the high school cultivation room.

Sweat poured from Jiang Ding's entire body like spring water, soaking his clothes. He downed a bowl of Essence-Consolidating Bone-Strengthening Soup in one gulp, then glanced at the pale-blue little figure before him.

His straight yet faintly curved spine twisted like a dragon and snake. Most of it had already been tempered, with only thirteen vertebrae remaining at percentages ranging from 23% to 5%.

"Only us Immortal Sect students have the assistance of Array-Spirit Computers." Jiang Ding sighed. "For martial artists from other planes, it would already be impressive if they could temper their breastbones and lumbar vertebrae, and at most they could only temper them to forty or fifty percent."

"Beyond that, it's impossible. Inner qi realm and even innate realm martial artists cannot observe it, let alone temper it."

Flesh, bones, skin—he left not the slightest bit untouched, tempering every part to the utmost limit.

The ultimate result was one of the Immortal Sect's important crystallizations of wisdom, a product that would appear miraculous to outsiders from beyond the world—the Artificial Dao-Body Prototype.

[Name: Jiang Ding]

[Student ID:]

[Realm: Peak Bone-Tempering Realm]

[Training Subject: <Eagle Hatchling Takes Flight Sword Art, Sixty-Eighth Set> (Proficient 99%)]

The proficiency on the panel flickered slightly, jumped to 100%, then blurred and changed.

Minor Mastery 1%!

Jiang Ding's mind went slightly dazed. Countless days and nights of uninterrupted sword practice, scenes of practicing the sword ever since obtaining the broken sword tip, and the scene of one man and one sword charging into bandits as flesh and blood flew everywhere.

Countless accumulations burst forth, shattering some sort of bottleneck.

Something seemed to have been added to the sword art that had previously been impossible to advance even an inch further.

Clang!

Before he knew it, his sword had left its scabbard, and a bright silver, perfectly regular arc blossomed.

The arc was still an arc, still flawless. Even measuring it with vernier calipers would reveal not the slightest error, yet he could clearly sense an additional trace of liveliness.

So that was it.

A realization arose in Jiang Ding's heart. The extreme of proficiency is merely executing a sword art rigidly and precisely, like a machine program. Minor Mastery, however, allows one to make preliminary adjustments to a sword art, transforming another's technique into one's own sword art.

Sword light flickered, now on the left, now on the right, seeming to fill the entire cultivation room.

After completing one set of sword moves, Jiang Ding's face was deathly pale and sweat covered his body.

"No. The training efficiency of the Minor Mastery <Eagle Hatchling Takes Flight Sword Art, Sixty-Eighth Set> is too high. It taxes the body too severely; forcing myself to continue will harm my body!"

"I must have qi-replenishing medicinal supplements!"

The Essence-Consolidating Bone-Strengthening Soup issued by the school was meant for all students. It was simply not enough.

Jiang Ding returned his sword to its scabbard and rested for a long time before bathing, changing into a fresh set of clothes, and returning to the classroom.

School ended.

Figures flew through the sky one after another. Among the treetops, someone used the Wind-Riding Art to cover more than ten meters in a single step, while the two people on the ground looked straight ahead.

"Congratulations."

After studying him carefully for a moment, Jiang Ding said to Li Junhao, "You've broken through to the Flesh-Tempering Realm."

The three realms of body tempering did not have anything like an aura, but one could judge by features such as stride length and skin luster. Li Junhao had especially just broken through and could not perfectly control his strength, so his walk was somewhat awkward.

"Haha!"

Li Junhao was brimming with high spirits. "Old Jiang, I, Li Junhao, am actually a martial arts genius too—a great vessel that took long to mature, and today is the day!"

After laughing, he sighed. "I listened to your advice and thought you were right, so I added extra training these past few days. I never expected to break through all at once. I feel like I have quite a bit more energy than before."

"Academic subjects and cultivation subjects complement each other in the first place—one is theory, the other practice." Jiang Ding nodded. "Once we reach the inner qi realm, our academic grades should improve somewhat as well."

Although inner qi could not compare with dharma power, it was still a form of energy.

With it as a foundation, naturally, understanding talismans, cultivation techniques, mountains and rivers, spiritual veins, and the like would become easier.

After waving goodbye to Li Junhao, Jiang Ding boarded a bus, but it was not headed home. It went toward the city center library.