Perfection Once More

Liu Teng raised his head. Though his eyes were red-rimmed, his expression had regained its calm.

He rose and cupped his fists toward the two men, his voice hoarse. "Thank you, Senior Brothers. Liu Teng will remember this great kindness in his heart."

The nearby Liu Clan members looked at Wang Tianping and Wang Tianfan with several more degrees of reverence in their eyes.

They already knew that these two were from the Wang Clan Martial Hall in town.

The Wang Clan Martial Hall was a major force with Martial Artists stationed there. It was not something a tiny, impoverished backwater village could provoke.

A few quick-witted clansmen had already begun making plans. Once this matter was over, they would have to find a way to curry favor with these two young masters of the Wang Family.

If they could send one of their own children into the Wang Clan Martial Hall to learn a few moves, it would bring glory to their ancestors.

Meanwhile, Feng Chen had already brought Lin Qing'er home.

He pushed open the courtyard gate, entered, and bolted it behind them.

Only then did the two enter the inner room.

The moment Lin Qing'er entered, she grabbed the corner of Feng Chen's clothes. Tilting up her face, she was filled with worry.

Earlier, at Aunt Li's door, she had seen Liu Teng's fierce, vicious appearance, as well as the two men beside him wearing the clothes of the Wang Family Martial Hall. A stone had been hanging in her heart ever since, impossible to set down.

"Husband, what should we do now? Liu Teng has returned. Looking at him, it feels like he's about to stir up a huge storm in the village."

"Don't worry. None of them can beat me," Feng Chen said calmly.

"Husband, really? I heard Liu Teng learned martial arts at the martial hall. He's studied there for several years, so he should be very formidable, right?" Lin Qing'er asked anxiously.

Feng Chen smiled and rubbed the top of her head. "Rest assured, there won't be any problem. Your husband is far stronger than he is now."

Seeing how certain Feng Chen was, Lin Qing'er finally let go of the worry hanging in her heart.

Though she still felt faintly uneasy, if her husband said it was all right, then it would surely be all right.

Ever since her husband had killed Liu Heigou and the other two by himself, she had known that his abilities were far greater than she had imagined.

After saying a few more words, Feng Chen told Lin Qing'er to return to her room and rest first.

She had cried today and spent the entire day helping with the funeral. Her eyelids were already fighting each other.

She obediently nodded. Not long after returning to her room and lying down, steady breathing could be heard.

Feng Chen went to the adjoining room instead, sat beside the table, and turned up the oil lamp.

Earlier, Liu Teng had said he would go door to door questioning people about his father's murder.

Feng Chen's home stood at the very edge of Green Mountain Village, far from the village center, with only a few scattered households nearby.

For Liu Teng to question every household from the center of the village all the way to its outskirts would take at least several hours.

There was still plenty of time. He could not sit idle.

Feng Chen took out his long saber from the Spatial Ring and weighed it in his hand.

During the day, the Five Tigers Gate-Breaking Saber had already reached Great Mastery, only one final stretch of proficiency away from Perfection.

Though Liu Teng's realm was lower than his, he was still a disciple of the Wang Clan Martial Hall. Every additional scrap of strength meant another measure of certainty.

He would use this gap to push the Five Tigers Gate-Breaking Saber to Perfection, raising his strength another step and ensuring that nothing could go wrong when they fought.

He stood in the middle of the room, assumed the opening stance of the Five Tigers Gate-Breaking Saber, and began to practice.

The blade tore through the air with a deep howl. Coordinating with the footwork of the Meteor Step, he twisted, turned, and leaped through the cramped room.

A moment later, the first notification sounded in his mind.

Ding-dong, Five Tigers Gate-Breaking Saber proficiency increased by one.

He did not stop and continued swinging his saber.

His saber momentum grew sharper and sharper. He unleashed the twelve saber forms three times in one breath, from Tiger Bursts from the Forest to Tiger Tail Returns to the Mountain, each transition becoming smoother than the last.

An hour later, another notification sounded.

Ding-dong, it has been detected that the host is diligently cultivating the Five Tigers Gate-Breaking Saber. Destiny Talent A Thousand Miles a Day has activated.

His cultivation speed surged sharply.

A vast amount of insight into the saber technique poured into the depths of his mind like river water released from a floodgate. Every trajectory of every strike was honed again and again.

Another two hours passed.

Outside the window, the moon had climbed from the east to directly overhead. Moonlight shone straight through the window, bleaching the earthen floor white.

Feng Chen was soaked in sweat. The palm gripping his saber had been rubbed burning hot, yet he continued to swing without pause.

Ding-dong, Five Tigers Gate-Breaking Saber proficiency increased by one.

Ding-dong, Five Tigers Gate-Breaking Saber has reached the Perfect Mastery Realm. Host, please take note.

Along with the talent notification, an unprecedentedly immense wave of saber insights surged through his mind.

All the mysteries of the twelve forms of the Five Tigers Gate-Breaking Saber!

From the most basic points of exertion in every move, to the subtle shifts linking one form to the next, and then to every possible variation and counter against different opponents—everything merged together in that instant.

Feng Chen closed his eyes and quietly digested the flood of insight before opening them.

He raised his long saber and lowered his gaze to the blurred reflection of himself on its blade.

This time, he felt that the saber in his hand had become entirely different from before.

At Great Mastery, the saber had been like an extension of his body, moving as smoothly as his hand and following his heart. Now that it had reached Perfection, it was no longer merely like a part of his body—it had truly become an outstretched arm!

More than an arm!

It was an extension of his entire will.

Before the saber even left its sheath, his thoughts could already foresee what path its edge would trace and which part of his opponent it would strike.

He spread his stance and performed the Perfect Mastery Five Tigers Gate-Breaking Saber once more.

Swish, swish, swish! Saber light flashed through the room. The twelve saber forms poured through the confined space like an unbroken silver waterfall, and wherever the blade passed, only blurred afterimages remained.

After performing the entire technique, it flowed like drifting clouds and running water, far more rounded and effortless than it had been at Great Mastery.

Sheathing his saber, Feng Chen let out a long breath of stale air, satisfaction appearing on his face.

The Perfect Mastery Five Tigers Gate-Breaking Saber was indeed no weak technique.

He sank his consciousness into the Sea of Consciousness and looked toward the attribute panel, his gaze falling upon the description after the realm section.

That line of small text changed once again. It had previously read, Few could rival you within the Body Tempering Second Layer. Now it read, You can kill a Martial Artist at the Body Tempering Second Layer with a single strike.

Well now, this strength was truly not bad.

To kill a Martial Artist of the same realm with one strike—such combat power was enough for him to swagger sideways through a remote place like Green Mountain Village.

Just then, someone knocked on the courtyard gate.

The knocking was not loud. Someone rapped their knuckles against the door twice, paused, then rapped twice more.

Lin Qing'er had never been sleeping deeply to begin with. Her heart had remained taut as a drawn bowstring.

The instant she heard the knocking, she rolled over and got up, then ran barefoot to Feng Chen's room. Her face was full of alarmed tension. "Husband, someone is knocking at the door."