Sheng Huai'an craned his neck and began listening intently.
There was far too much about this unfamiliar world that he did not know.
After all, his former self had merely been a frail scholar, the sort who kept both ears shut to matters beyond his window and devoted his whole heart to reading the books of sages.
To put it bluntly, he had been ignorant—immersed in his own little world, with little contact with the outside, much like a socially anxious shut-in.
Yet despite reading all those sage books, he had not even managed to pass the county-level scholar examination. Truly tragic.
The Old Soldier slowly began, "Martial cultivation is divided into Martial Disciple, Martial Artist, Martial Master, Houtian, and Xiantian."
"Martial Disciples temper the body. The Martial Disciple realm is the first realm of martial cultivation, primarily focused on honing the body and making it strong and resilient."
"Upon reaching the Martial Artist realm, one can generate Martial True Essence within the body. This realm mainly involves refining essence into qi, condensing the spiritual energy between heaven and earth into one's own true essence."
"Upon reaching the Martial Master realm, one begins refining qi and tempering blood."
"Above that is the Houtian Realm, where one refines tendons and tempers bones."
"The Xiantian Realm washes the marrow and purges the bones, remaking the entire person from the ground up, transcending the ordinary."
"Only upon reaching the Xiantian Realm could one be considered a true powerhouse of martial cultivation."
"After cultivating into a Martial Disciple, the strength of one arm can reach one hundred to one thousand jin. Against ordinary people who know no martial arts, taking on ten alone is no problem."
"After becoming a Martial Artist, Martial True Essence forms within the body. The strength of one arm rises from one thousand to three thousand jin, enough to shatter mountain rock with a fist."
"Martial Masters can wield three thousand to five thousand jin with one arm, their blood like lead and mercury."
"Houtian Martial Artists possess bronze skin and iron bones, their strength reaching five thousand to ten thousand jin."
"Xiantian Martial Artists can possess ten thousand to fifty thousand jin of strength, one person able to stand against an army of a thousand."
Sheng Huai'an listened earnestly, feeling that this was far too fierce. What kind of concept was ten thousand jin of force in a single punch?
Could one punch a child into scattered bits?!
Having reached this point, the Old Soldier stopped speaking and did not continue.
"What comes after that?!"
Sheng Huai'an was listening with great interest. Seeing the Old Soldier stop, he asked.
"What comes after that?"
The Old Soldier glanced at Sheng Huai'an. "Young man, do not reach for the heavens before you can walk. Keep your feet on the ground."
Sheng Huai'an scratched his head and looked at his Martial Disciple Early Stage cultivation. Cultivation?
Was it difficult?
Wouldn't one-click point allocation make it all okay?!
The Old Soldier did not continue explaining the later martial realms, so Sheng Huai'an could only let it go.
The battle had paused for now, and everyone was relaxing and resting.
The Old Soldier also brought over a set of armor and helped Sheng Huai'an put it on.
"Put it on. It'll be safer. Don't let the enemy shoot you dead with one arrow."
Sheng Huai'an was speechless. Why did the Old Soldier keep talking about death? Inauspicious.
The Old Soldier helped Sheng Huai'an don the armor.
"Mm, not bad. You look somewhat the part now." The Old Soldier smiled and nodded.
Wearing the armor, Sheng Huai'an always felt uncomfortable. He was not used to it.
Thud, thud, thud...
Beyond the pass, war drums sounded, like symbols calling for death.
"Quick, take your weapons and get onto the walls!" the Old Soldier shouted.
Everyone grabbed their weapons and rushed toward the city walls.
The soldiers of the other units did the same, hurrying toward the walls.
Sheng Huai'an carried his bow and arrows, with more than thirty arrows on his back, following behind the Old Soldier and the others.
Once they reached the walls, the Xiongnu army outside had already begun their assault.
A Colonel shouted, "Archers, step forward! Fire every arrow in your hands!"
The archers from every small unit stepped forth, nocked their arrows, drew their bows, and fired at the Xiongnu army.
A rain of arrows filled the sky above the walls.
Sheng Huai'an expertly nocked an arrow, drew the bow, found his target, and released. The arrow tore through the air.
A burly Xiongnu soldier running forward was pierced through the heart and fell to the ground.
Slaughter Value +1.
Arrows rained down from the walls, and Xiongnu soldiers constantly fell along their charge.
By now, Sheng Huai'an had adapted to the battlefield. Coldly nocking and drawing, he swiftly fired one arrow after another, each taking away a Xiongnu soldier.
This was a battlefield. Either you died or I lived; there was nothing else to speak of.
He fired rapidly. Before long, all thirty-five arrows had been loosed, and every arrow had taken a Xiongnu soldier with it.
His Slaughter Value rose to forty-five.
After firing all the arrows in their hands, the archers withdrew to the rear.
Sheng Huai'an was also ordered back. Spearmen and swordsmen stepped forward, preparing to block the enemies scaling the walls.
The afternoon assault was even more brutal than the morning's. The Xiongnu army had twice as many men as before, surging in like a raging tide.
The fearless Xiongnu soldiers, after sacrificing quite a few men, soon made it onto the walls.
Having retreated to the rear, Sheng Huai'an began allocating points to improve his cultivation.
Name: Sheng Huai'an Race: Human Realm: Martial Disciple Early Stage (+) Cultivation Method: "Ferocious Ox Strength" (Beginner) (+) Strength: Three hundred jin Talent: Bronze Archer (+) Slaughter Value: 45
Sheng Huai'an directly added points to Ferocious Ox Strength. Right now, martial cultivation was the most important thing.
After allocating the points, a warm current poured into his body. Then Sheng Huai'an felt every inch of his cells growing stronger.
He looked at the golden screen again.
Name: Sheng Huai'an Race: Human Realm: Martial Disciple Middle Stage Cultivation Method: "Ferocious Ox Strength" (Minor Accomplishment) Strength: Seven hundred jin Talent: Bronze Archer (+) Slaughter Value: 25
His cultivation had instantly risen from Martial Disciple Early Stage to Martial Disciple Middle Stage, while his strength had increased to seven hundred jin.
Going from Martial Disciple Early Stage to Martial Disciple Middle Stage had cost twenty points of Slaughter Value, and the Ferocious Ox Strength cultivation method had also reached Minor Accomplishment.
Sheng Huai'an moved his arms and felt as though his entire body brimmed with strength.
Watching the fierce battle on the walls, Sheng Huai'an's heart itched. Those Xiongnu enemies were all sources of power for him to grow stronger.
"Captain, give me a blade. I want to fight." Sheng Huai'an found a captain and said.
"You just came down from battle. Archers are not participating in the fighting now," the Platoon Leader said.
"Who says archers cannot fight? I want to fight, kill enemies for my country, and repay the nation. Men like us should spill hot blood to defend the borderlands!" Sheng Huai'an declared with righteous grandeur.
The Platoon Leader looked at Sheng Huai'an strangely. Where had this fool come from, rushing up to offer his life?
"Give him a blade," the Platoon Leader said.
A soldier handed over a blade.
Sheng Huai'an accepted it and said, "Thanks!"
Then he turned and climbed onto the walls, continuing to kill enemies.
Watching Sheng Huai'an's back, the soldiers all sighed inwardly. Fools like Sheng Huai'an were truly rare these days.
Without military orders, who would be willing to fight the Xiongnu enemies to the death atop the walls?
Sheng Huai'an climbed onto the walls and joined the fighting. He picked out a target and slashed at a Xiongnu man currently fighting an allied soldier.
Caught off guard, the Xiongnu man was killed by Sheng Huai'an in a single stroke.
With seven hundred jin of strength in one arm, that slash nearly cleaved both man and armor in two.
After killing one Xiongnu soldier with a stroke, Sheng Huai'an continued looking for his next target.
At that moment, a Xiongnu soldier climbed onto the wall. Seeing Sheng Huai'an, he gripped his blade, leaped from the wall, and hacked toward him.
Sheng Huai'an raised his hand and blocked with his blade, but the enormous force knocked him back two steps.
The newcomer was also a Xiongnu enemy at the Martial Disciple realm, with thick arms and a face full of brutal flesh.
"Die!"
The man swung his blade and hacked fiercely toward Sheng Huai'an.
Sheng Huai'an met him with his blade, his attacks devoid of any form or pattern. After all, he had never learned any blade technique.
He was relying entirely on brute force to fight the enemy.
One slash sent the Xiongnu enemy back. Sheng Huai'an felt that the opponent was not actually that strong. That earlier blow must have borrowed the momentum of leaping down from the wall, which was why it had carried enough force to drive him back.
Seeing that the enemy was nowhere near as strong as he had imagined, Sheng Huai'an pressed his advantage without mercy.
He hacked wildly with his blade, forcing Li Guyu back step by step.
Feeling the force behind Sheng Huai'an's blade, each slash heavier than the last, Li Guyu could not help but feel horrified.
This man who looked like a frail scholar actually possessed considerable strength.
Driven into a corner by Sheng Huai'an, Li Guyu hardened his heart and fought him head-on.
Clang!
Li Guyu's blade was severed by Sheng Huai'an's slash, and at the same time, a bloody line appeared between his brows.
He looked at Sheng Huai'an, then fell to the ground unwillingly.
Having dealt with one enemy, Sheng Huai'an continued searching for targets to fight.
Slash!
With one stroke, he severed a head, killing another man.
Li Man cut down an Anning Pass defending soldier with one slash, then noticed Sheng Huai'an and immediately charged toward him.
Sheng Huai'an sensed an intense killing intent. His heart tightened, and as he turned, he saw a brawny Xiongnu enemy charging at him.
Facing the opponent's Mount Tai Cleaves strike, Sheng Huai'an raised his blade to block, but the blow sent him flying five or six steps backward.
"Kid, you're quite capable. No wonder you killed my younger brother. But with this little strength, you can go accompany my good younger brother in the grave." Li Man continued swinging his blade at Sheng Huai'an.
Judging by his expression, he did not seem saddened by his younger brother's death at all.
Sheng Huai'an raised his blade to block, but Li Man kicked him away. He crashed to the ground and could not get up for a long while, his internal organs seemingly kicked out of place.
Li Man possessed Martial Disciple Great Perfection strength, with one thousand jin in a single arm. He was completely beyond what Sheng Huai'an could withstand.
Li Man walked toward Sheng Huai'an, raised his sharp war blade, and swung down, intending to cut off Sheng Huai'an's head.
Watching the blade descend, Sheng Huai'an's pupils widened. I've gone too far. Am I really going to die here?
Just as he closed his eyes, he heard a clang.
Opening his eyes, he saw that the descending blade had been blocked by a war blade.
"Kid, didn't I tell you to go to the rear? Why did you run back onto the walls? Are you tired of living?"
Hearing the Old Soldier's voice, Sheng Huai'an relaxed. He would not die.
"I wanted to kill enemies, so of course I came up here to kill them," Sheng Huai'an said.
"You're an archer. Close-quarters fighting is our business," the Old Soldier said.
"Who says archers cannot wield blades to kill enemies?" Sheng Huai'an said.
"If you're not dead, get up. The ground is cold!" After saying that, the Old Soldier ignored Sheng Huai'an and began battling Li Man.
The gratitude in Sheng Huai'an's heart vanished completely. Did he not know the ground was cold? He had been kicked by the enemy and could not catch his breath.
Though the Old Soldier was somewhat hunched and thin, his strength was not lacking in the slightest. Li Man was beaten back step by step.
After catching his breath, Sheng Huai'an climbed up from the ground, rubbed his aching chest, and raised his blade to continue killing enemies.
This time, Sheng Huai'an had learned his lesson. He specifically targeted enemies who looked relatively weak.
He could not beat the strong ones.
After all, he was only a rookie himself.
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