Shen Lang Was Dead

The martial arts taught at the Iron Wire Fist School could only be used to train strength. To temper the body, one had to continue learning other body-tempering fist arts, such as the Iron Fist Thirteen Forms, Ironcloth Body Shield, Vajra Locking Jade Formula...

It was also worth mentioning that the Iron Wire Fist School divided the Body Tempering realm into two stages: Outer Tempering and Inner Refinement.

Among them, Ironcloth Body Shield was the Iron Wire Fist School's unique Outer Tempering technique, training a martial artist's sinews, bones, and skin.

The Vajra Locking Jade Formula, meanwhile, was an Inner Refinement technique that cultivated a martial artist's five viscera and six bowels.

"Outer Tempering for sinews, bones, and skin; Inner Refinement for the five viscera and six bowels.

It really does bring every aspect of the Body Tempering realm to perfection.

But the Tiger Demon Body-Tempering Fist I obtained as a reward from the Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror is a martial art that encompasses everything.

By relying solely on this fist art and proceeding step by step, I can cultivate all the way to the peak of the Body Tempering realm.

By comparison, the Tiger Demon Body-Tempering Fist is clearly the more profound one."

Chen Shaojun silently compared them.

He quickly reached his conclusion.

Thinking about it, that was only natural.

Nothing rewarded by the Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror had ever been bad.

The Iron Wire Fist School, on the other hand, was merely a relatively ordinary fist school. It did not even rank within all of Shengjing City, so the martial arts it taught naturally could not be considered particularly exceptional.

"Never mind. The two don't conflict anyway.

At worst, I'll cultivate the Iron Wire Fist School's martial arts when others are around, and practice the Tiger Demon Body-Tempering Fist in the appraisal room."

Chen Shaojun muttered as he openly assumed the stance of the Ironwood Stake Skill in the courtyard.

Earlier, Fifth Senior Brother Mao Qiuyang had taught him how to circulate the force of the Ironwood Stake Skill.

In fact, the instant he began circulating it, he felt the strength within his body continuously springing forth.

He did not need to transmit force at all. The strength inside him was already on the verge of overflowing throughout his entire body.

But he did not dare reveal it.

Instead, he concealed it as much as possible.

Now that he had returned to the pawnshop, most people around him were resting. Standing alone in one corner of the courtyard without fearing that anyone would see him, he finally began cultivating without restraint.

Then, he watched helplessly as his stake skill advanced by leaps and bounds.

Beginner, proficient, minor accomplishment, major accomplishment...

In almost the blink of an eye, he felt the strength within him surge like a tide, as though it were about to burst from his body.

Chen Shaojun's heart stirred, and he threw a punch.

Hiss!

A visible wave of air blasted forth like a hurricane, sending a pile of lumber in the distance scattering in all directions.

"According to Fifth Senior Brother Mao Qiuyang, force extending three inches beyond the body signifies that one's stake skill has reached major accomplishment.

When I threw that punch, my force extended far more than three inches from my body. It went beyond three zhang. Doesn't that mean my stake skill has reached perfection?"

Chen Shaojun blinked, puzzled.

"Perhaps it's because my accumulated foundation is too deep?"

He thought of what he had experienced during this period.

The Essence-Nourishing Pill, Blood-Qi Pill, Spirit-Nurturing Pill, and the Primordial Spirit Pearl that had reached the lower-grade treasure level... even if these were given to a Qi Sea realm martial artist, they would have been enough to let them break through one or two realms.

And him?

He was merely an ordinary person.

It was only because the medicinal effects of those spiritual pills were mild that most of them had merely strengthened his physique and consolidated his foundation, while the remaining medicinal power had all accumulated within his body.

Now, with the stake skill to cultivate, the medicinal power was released, naturally causing his strength to grow rapidly.

Over the next two days, nothing major happened at the pawnshop.

Zhang Ke did not meet with any misfortune.

Even though he was exhausted every night when he returned to his quarters, he could not resist boasting about what he had seen at Water Cloud Retreat, Third Master Zhang Gao's residence. Whenever he saw Chen Shaojun, he would even hypocritically ask why the Second Shopkeeper had not summoned him to help in the Gold Treasure Room.

Chen Shaojun merely smiled and said, "I was only lucky enough to cultivate the Divine Gaze Technique to the proficient level. Second Master does not think much of me.

Unlike Brother Zhang, who has directly won the appreciation of the Third Shopkeeper. You are definitely destined to soar into the sky someday."

Then he would sit silently against the edge of his bed, cultivating the Tai Shang Perception Scripture and visualizing the Cosmic Star Chart.

As for the daytime, he was quite busy then as well.

After receiving his routine appraisal assignments, he would generally remain in the appraisal room for a long time.

Cultivating the Tiger Demon Body-Tempering Fist.

When he had first begun practicing this fist art, he had found it rather difficult, and it consumed a great deal of stamina.

But now, the strength within his body surged and overflowed through his entire frame.

He only felt that everything came far too easily.

Every time he began cultivating, he felt an endless stream of strength arise, constantly tempering his flesh and blood, hammering his skin, membranes, sinews, and bones, refining his blood and marrow...

And his martial arts realm rose rapidly along with it.

First level of the Body Tempering realm, second level, third level...

After only a day of cultivation.

His martial arts realm had stabilized at the sixth level of the Body Tempering realm, the level of Blood Exchange.

Originally, he had thought his cultivation speed would slow afterward.

Unexpectedly, on the second day, he broke through two more realms in succession, reaching the eighth level of the Body Tempering realm, the level of Six Bowels Tempering.

He was only one step away from the ninth level of the Body Tempering realm, Inner Sight.

All he could do was sigh at how excessively profound his previous accumulation had been.

Even imperial clans and great aristocratic families would likely find it difficult to possess accumulations and opportunities like his.

That day, the sun was already high in the sky.

Chen Shaojun was waiting with the other apprentices for their daily appraisal assignments.

Yet he discovered that Shen Lang, Shen Piaotai, who was always early, was absent.

Then he saw Shopkeeper Liu enter with a young man dressed in a black constable's uniform and carrying a saber at his waist.

"This is Constable Ye from the yamen. He has something concerning Mr. Shen Lang that he wishes to ask you about."

Shopkeeper Liu gathered everyone in the pawnshop together before introducing him.

"Shen Piaotai? What crime did he commit?"

Xu Hongtao asked curiously.

"It is not that Shen Piaotai committed some crime.

It is that he is already dead."

Shopkeeper Liu shook his head.

"Dead?"

"How did he die?"

Everyone revealed expressions of disbelief.

How could Shen Lang have suddenly died when he had been perfectly fine?

Just yesterday, they had clearly heard him humming opera tunes as he returned home.

"His body was discovered this morning.

It seems he was tortured before he died. He died with his eyes still open."

Shopkeeper Liu looked deeply grieved.

"That is what we need to ask you.

You have all worked with him for so long. You should know who he had grudges against, or whom he had been in contact with recently.

Also, did he ever say anything strange?"

Constable Ye began his routine questioning.

The case itself was simple: it had been murder.

But catching the culprit would not be easy.

The other party seemed to be an experienced hand, and much of the evidence had been erased.

When it was Chen Shaojun's turn, he could only shake his head.

He had not interacted much with Shen Lang, so he did not know whom Shen Lang had offended. The image of that scar-faced man did flash through his mind, but without any evidence, he could not say much.