Perfected Muscle Tempering

Lu Shaolin lowered his head and carefully examined the River Demon.

Unlike the River Demons he had hunted before, this one was not only taller, but its muscles were far more pronounced and its scales much thicker.

Its strength was definitely comparable to Tendon Tempering.

"How are the four of you?"

Lu Shaolin turned and asked.

"We're fine. Thank you for saving us, Chief!"

The four clasped their fists in thanks.

"We're brothers. No need for thanks."

Lu Shaolin waved a hand.

"You handle the corpse. I need to head back; it's too dangerous for Ma San to be alone."

Lu Shaolin pointed at the corpse.

"Yes, Chief."

The four clasped their fists and accepted the order.

Lu Shaolin pulled the steel fork from the River Demon's head, walked to the Black-Mane Horse, swung himself into the saddle, flicked the reins, and headed back the way he had come.

Upon returning to the outpost, Ma San came out when he heard hoofbeats.

"Chief, how did it go?"

Ma San took the reins and asked.

"It's fine. It's been dealt with."

Lu Shaolin replied with a smile.

Hearing that it had been resolved, Ma San secretly let out a sigh of relief.

By then, dawn had begun to break. Neither of them could be bothered to rest, so they sat at the Stone Table and drank tea.

As he drank, Lu Shaolin summoned the System Panel:

Name: Lu Shaolin

Source Points: 12.8

Martial Arts Realm: Mid Tendon Tempering

Cultivation Method: Reckless Bull Force (Fifth Layer)

Martial Skills: Three Absolutes Spear (Perfected), Eight Extremes Fist (Minor Mastery), Mad Demon Staff Technique (Minor Mastery).

Looking at the twelve Source Points on the panel, the corners of Lu Shaolin's lips curled upward slightly.

Once daylight fully broke, Lu Shaolin picked up the bundle of River Demon left ears from the corner of the courtyard wall, mounted the Black-Mane Horse, and headed for the Water Fortress.

Ma San went straight back to his room to rest. Since he was alone, it made no difference where he slept.

In half an hour, Lu Shaolin arrived at the Water Fortress and exchanged the River Demon ears for forty-five taels of silver at the External Affairs Hall.

When the dark-faced burly man saw Lu Shaolin take out a bundle of River Demon ears, even he could not help but be moved.

After exchanging for silver, Lu Shaolin went up to the Martial Arts Pavilion on the second floor.

The white-haired old man clearly did not remember Lu Shaolin's previous visit.

After Lu Shaolin took out ten taels of silver, the old man snatched the silver away and brought out the Savage Bear Skill.

After memorizing the Savage Bear Skill's Martial Dao True-Intent Diagram on the spot, Lu Shaolin took the copied cultivation manual and left the Water Fortress.

With a fortune and a cultivation method tucked against his chest, Lu Shaolin first found a pharmacy in the county town and asked about the price of ginseng.

When he learned that even a ginseng plant only a few years old cost ten taels of silver, Lu Shaolin temporarily abandoned the idea of using pills to level up.

Better to honestly fill his belly!

He found a restaurant and asked for a private room.

Lu Shaolin ordered more than a dozen meat dishes in one breath, along with a basin of rice.

Seeing Lu Shaolin's exceptionally burly frame, the attendant did not dare ask any questions. He wrote down the dishes and withdrew.

Lu Shaolin took out the Savage Bear Skill and began studying it.

Unlike Reckless Bull Force, which strengthened the entire body, Savage Bear Skill mainly strengthened the upper body, especially the chest and back.

Practicing Savage Bear Skill did not require medicinal oil for entry. One only needed to find a tree as thick as a thigh, visualize the True-Intent Diagram, and ram the tree with one's shoulders, chest, and back!

Just like a true savage bear rubbing against a tree, one had to persist for a long time. Whenever one could break that thigh-thick tree by ramming it, that was when Skin Tempering was perfected!

As for the Tendon Tempering section of Savage Bear Skill, it likewise consisted of several strange postures, merely different from those of Reckless Bull Force.

There were no other diners at the restaurant in the morning, so the dishes Lu Shaolin ordered were served quickly.

Loosening his belt, Lu Shaolin began to feast heartily.

Half an hour later, Lu Shaolin drank tea and summoned the System Panel:

Name: Lu Shaolin

Source Points: 0.8

Martial Arts Realm: Perfected Muscle Tempering

Cultivation Method: Reckless Bull Force (Full Level), Savage Bear Skill (First Layer)

Martial Skills: Three Absolutes Spear (Perfected), Eight Extremes Fist (Minor Mastery), Mad Demon Staff Technique (Major Mastery).

He had finally reached Perfected Muscle Tempering. His explosive power had greatly increased, and he was only one step away from entering the Organ-Tempering Realm!

But cultivation methods for the Organ-Tempering Realm were not so easily obtained. Even now, Lu Shaolin had not so much as laid eyes on He Zhonglang, the Blackwater Gang's leader.

That was also why Lu Shaolin had cultivated the Savage Bear Skill.

The first layer of Savage Bear Skill gave Lu Shaolin another hundred and fifty jin of strength.

At this moment, Lu Shaolin's strength alone had surpassed seven hundred jin!

The stronger he became, the greater his chance of obtaining subsequent cultivation methods!

And there were still two and a half months left before the three-month deadline.

Lu Shaolin exerted a little force with his left hand and crushed the teacup in one grip.

He tossed away the shards in his hand, rose to his feet, and walked out of the private room.

At the counter, he settled the bill. This meal had cost eight mace of silver.

Walking out of the restaurant, Lu Shaolin felt no obvious change in his build. Perhaps because Savage Bear Skill had only reached the first layer, and Reckless Bull Force had already laid the foundation for his body, there was no noticeable change.

Swinging onto his horse, Lu Shaolin began searching for a blacksmith shop.

Other than the long Dao at his waist, he had no other weapon.

His long spear had already been damaged, and he needed to buy another one.

The Blackwater Gang's standard-issue weapon was the long Dao. If one wanted another weapon, it had to be custom-made.

Lu Shaolin rode around for a while and arrived at the county town's largest blacksmith shop. The signboard read: Jin's Blacksmith Shop.

The shop was filled with all kinds of swords and Dao.

Lu Shaolin dismounted and entered the shop.

"What kind of weapon does the customer need?"

The attendant came forward and asked eagerly.

"Do you have spears?"

Lu Shaolin swept his gaze around the shop and asked.

"Yes, yes! Customer, take a look. How about this bright silver spear?"

The attendant picked up a gleaming silver spear and handed it to Lu Shaolin.

"Too light!"

Lu Shaolin took it, weighed it in his hand, and said.

"Then how about this steel-tipped spear? Forged from pure steel, it weighs a full eighteen jin!"

The attendant picked up another long spear and handed it over.

Lu Shaolin accepted it one-handed, weighed it again, and said, "Do you have anything heavier?"

"Heavier? This..."

The attendant froze where he stood.

"Go bring out the Black Iron Spear from the storeroom!"

The shopkeeper stepped out from behind the counter and said to the attendant.

"Right away!"

The attendant suddenly understood and hurried toward the storeroom in the back.

"Customer, if the Black Iron Spear still does not suit you, then this little shop has no heavier weapons."

The shopkeeper said with cupped fists.

"Oh? How heavy is this Black Iron Spear?"

Lu Shaolin's interest was piqued.

"Sixty-two jin! This spear has been in our shop for years, but few martial artists use spears. Those who want one find this spear too heavy, so it has never sold and was placed in the storeroom."

The shopkeeper said.

No sooner had he finished speaking than the attendant came over, struggling as he carried a black long spear as thick as a child's arm.

Lu Shaolin strode forward and grabbed the long spear in one hand.

The spear was two meters long and entirely black. Both sides of its spearhead were edged; it could thrust or slash, and was incomparably sharp.

"Fine spear!"

Lu Shaolin laughed heartily.

"I'm glad the customer likes it."

The shopkeeper wore a smile as well.

"How much?"

Lu Shaolin asked directly.

"Twenty taels of silver! Please don't think it expensive, customer. This spear is forged entirely from Black Iron. Black Iron's hardness is second only to Meteoric Iron! The Black Iron alone is worth that price."

The shopkeeper said with a smile.

"Deal!"

Lu Shaolin waved a hand, took out twenty taels of silver, and handed them over.

"Thank you, customer!"

The shopkeeper accepted the silver with beaming delight.

Lu Shaolin nodded, carrying the Black Iron Spear as he walked out of the shop.