"Nine-Turn Golden Armor Art" (1 / 2)

When Zhao Er arrived, he found the place deserted. Inside, there was only an old man sitting and dozing.

"What do you need?"

Zhao Er had barely entered when the old man raised his eyes, glanced at him, and asked.

"I'd like to have my bone structure tested, see which weapon suits me, and then perhaps buy a manual."

Zhao Er stepped forward to explain why he had come, handing over the token his sister-in-law Ning Mu had given him.

"A bone structure test, eh..."

The old man pursed his lips and muttered, then accepted the Iron Token while casually sizing Zhao Er up.

"Neither fat nor thin, neither tall nor short. Your arms and legs aren't long, your waist isn't thick, and your shoulders aren't broad. Practice whatever you like. If you want a manual, read the descriptions on the wall. If not, you can leave!"

The old man tossed the Iron Token into a basket beside him. Having finished looking Zhao Er over, he pointed at the wall, apparently intending to ignore him from then on.

"Uh..."

Zhao Er looked at the old man and mulled over his words. Nothing he had said seemed wrong, yet something still felt off.

This was not the bone structure test he had imagined. Even if there was no stone that glowed when touched, surely it should involve more than a single glance.

"Senior, I'm just a village lad who hasn't seen much of the world. I don't know much about the different weapons either. Could you please explain a little more...?"

Smiling, Zhao Er discreetly slipped half a tael of silver into the old man's hand.

"A rogue cultivator practicing martial arts? Now that's a rare sight. Come here."

The old man squeezed the silver in his hand, a smile immediately spreading across his face. His earlier impatience vanished, and he beckoned Zhao Er closer.

Once Zhao Er approached, the old man placed both hands on his shoulders and began squeezing hard.

There was little flesh on the old man's arms, yet his strength was astonishing. His hands pressed into Zhao Er's body as though he intended to squeeze every last gap between his bones.

What tremendous strength. This man is definitely beyond the Blood Condensation realm.

An ordinary martial artist subjected to such bone squeezing might not burst into tears, but would at least grimace in pain. Zhao Er barely felt anything, however, and even had the leisure to ponder the old man's strength.

The pain simply could not compare to what he endured while cultivating the five poisons returning to origin body.

"Actually, I wasn't lying earlier. Someone with long arms and broad shoulders is best suited to archery. If those long arms are also nimble, paired swords are the best choice. If they come with a tall frame, a spear is best... As for you... your arms aren't long, and your bones aren't particularly thick."

Perhaps because he had been paid extra, the old man kept explaining as he squeezed every inch of Zhao Er's bones.

"A thick, powerful waist suits heavy weapons: heavy sabers, hammers, rigid whips, metal truncheons... Hmm... yours is merely average."

After finishing with his arms, the old man moved his hands downward, squeezing the bones of Zhao Er's upper body as he continued talking.

"Long legs and a stable lower body are best suited to spears and long halberds, as well as movement techniques and footwork... You... are average!"

"Does good bone structure only mean being long and thick?"

After listening, Zhao Er could not help asking.

"Eh? You can still speak?"

Hearing Zhao Er speak without even a tremor in his voice, the old man looked him over again. Zhao Er's expression had not changed, and he was watching him as though nothing was happening. Only then did the old man nod slightly, though he immediately shook his head again.

"There's no good or bad bone structure, only whether it suits something. Besides, a person chooses a weapon, but the weapon also chooses the person. Even a frail person who trains with heavy weapons will eventually develop strong arms and a thick waist."

"And length has its advantages, but shortness naturally has its benefits too. Short people are suited to short sabers, claws, and stabbing weapons, while slender people are suited to lightness techniques."

"Being average isn't necessarily bad. You may not get twice the results for half the effort, but you can practice whatever you enjoy. As I said, a person chooses a weapon, and the weapon trains the person too."

"Your physique is average. Just follow your preferences!"

After squeezing Zhao Er's entire body, the old man shook his head once more and returned to his seat.

Zhao Er frowned after listening to the explanation. He now had some understanding of what bone structure meant, but he was not satisfied.

He had no master. His cultivation relied entirely on the understanding of techniques that came with the progress increases granted by the Settlement Panel.

Yet he practiced very few cultivation and fist techniques to begin with, and his understanding of anything beyond them was extremely limited.

This old man not only possessed a higher cultivation realm, but also seemed exceptionally knowledgeable. Zhao Er was reluctant to leave just like that.

After a brief silence, Zhao Er gritted his teeth, took a five-tael silver ingot from inside his robe, and discreetly slipped it into the old man's hand.

"Senior, your knowledge is vast. Please offer this junior some advice."

Zhao Er had truly steeled himself this time. Five taels of silver was no small sum. Together with the half-tael he had already paid, it could buy nearly six shi of grain.

Hmm? This lad... really has some steel in him!

The old man squeezed the small silver ingot Zhao Er had slipped him, surprise flashing in his eyes.

While examining his bones earlier, he had already learned most of what there was to know about Zhao Er's foundation.

Although his bones were hard, they could not compare with those of a Blood Condensation martial artist practicing orthodox martial arts. Combined with his clothing, height, and build, it was easy to see that Zhao Er practiced an unorthodox technique, and his background matched his claim of being an ordinary village lad.

The advice he had given someone like that was actually quite sound. It was not that he looked down on him; rather, there was little harm in his choosing any weapon at all.

After all, someone from such a background, if he was clever, would certainly choose the simplest and cheapest option. Practicing a saber technique with the woodcutting blade beneath his robe, for instance, would be perfectly decent.

He had never expected Zhao Er to invest so heavily, slipping him an ingot weighing five taels.

"Wait here a moment!"

Looking at Zhao Er, the old man shed his somewhat indolent manner. After a moment's thought, he spoke, then turned and went into the inner room.

Before long, the old man emerged with two manuals and laid them out in front of himself.

Zhao Er looked closely and saw that the manuals were titled "Nine-Turn Golden Armor Art" and "Eight Methods of the Classic Twin Halberds."

Rather than reach for the two manuals, Zhao Er looked at the old man, hoping for an explanation.

"What you practice should be something similar to the Five Poisons Art, correct? Unorthodox techniques like that have certain flaws after you break through to the Blood Condensation realm. This Nine-Turn Golden Armor Art is a Body-Tempering Art, and cultivating it alongside the Five Poisons Art won't cause any conflict.

"With every level you reach in this art, your strength and defense will increase greatly. It does have one drawback, though: cultivating it is excruciatingly painful, beyond what most people can endure. That... shouldn't be a problem for you, should it?"