Black Clouds and Black Rain Descend
"..."
Cao Fengqi felt that his father was getting more and more outrageous. Now he wanted him to marry three wives?
He had only gotten a cheat, not a more-children-more-blessings system!
The value of the strongman manuals, however, had exceeded his expectations.
"Honey, Chunying, Fengqi."
Cao Jiancheng swept a heated gaze over them and continued, "Don't tell anyone that our Cao family currently has four strongman technique manuals. Possessing a treasure can bring disaster. These things are far too precious. Four strongman technique manuals are enough to tempt even Transcendents."
Strongman technique manuals were also quite useful to Transcendents, and were even greater treasures to the other members of Transcendent families.
Liu Chunying and the others immediately nodded.
Cao Fengqi did not place too much importance on the strongman technique manuals.
His goal had always been the runes of the Transcendent Sequence.
That mysterious transcendent power!
"Fengqi, your physique is still a little behind those elite family experts in Liangmin County. Keep improving it."
Cao Jiancheng looked at him and laid out a plan. "Then practice a movement technique and saber technique or archery. Once you've made some progress in your techniques, our Cao family will be able to join the ranks of the elite families."
"Dad, how strong are the physiques of those elite family experts in Liangmin County?"
Cao Fengqi asked curiously.
"Around 45."
Cao Jiancheng didn't know the exact number either.
"Around 45?"
Cao Fengqi nodded slightly.
His physique was currently 32. After consuming the Mystic Devouring Beast's flesh, it could rise to 36.
There was indeed a gap between him and those elite family experts.
"Practice these technique manuals well. Don't underestimate them."
Cao Fengqi gave him a pointed reminder. "The human history of the Lost Land is much, much longer than Blue Star's. Although these technique manuals can't compare to transcendent power, they are still the pinnacle of techniques, passed down and improved over ten thousand years by the Lost Land's countless living beings. They're far beyond anything on Blue Star."
"I've heard..."
He pursed his lips as he spoke. "Some Transcendents in the Lost Land also practice strongman techniques to improve their combat skills. You may not know how technique levels work. Unlike the minor mastery, major mastery, and perfection we're familiar with, they're divided into ranks. Take swordsmanship, for example. Some swordsmanship manuals are ordinary, and even if you fully master everything in them, you'll only reach rank four or five. Other swordsmanship manuals are profound, and if you can master them completely, you'll reach rank six or seven."
"Reaching rank three usually takes two or three years, and it gets several times harder after that. I hear a rank-three technique can boost your combat power by at least thirty percent. What does that mean? To use a somewhat imperfect analogy, someone with a physique of 45 can unleash the combat power of someone with a physique of 60. Techniques are hard to learn, but you're still young. You have time."
Cao Jiancheng went on at length.
Although he was "broke as fuck," he had ten years of experience and knew quite a lot.
As Cao Fengqi listened, he gained a deeper understanding of techniques.
But by the end, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly in a crooked-mouthed Dragon King pose.
Techniques are hard to learn?
Reaching rank three takes two or three years?
He had already fully mastered and integrated these techniques.
My archery is at rank six now. When my physique reaches 36, will I be able to unleash 57.6 combat power?
Most importantly, his movement technique was also at rank five.
With his weapons and equipment, plus the help of his cheat, he might not be any weaker than those elite family experts.
"Dabao and Xiaobao are still too young to practice techniques, but they can start in a few years."
Cao Jiancheng continued excitedly, "Especially after Dabao and Xiaobao digest the Earth Abundance Fruit, Xiao Gallbladder Wine, and Mystic Devouring Beast, they'll have 11 more physique points than their peers. By the time they're fifteen, their techniques will be at least rank three or four. They'll have a natural advantage when they enter the Lost Land. Our Cao family will grow stronger and stronger."
"..."
Cao Fengqi looked at his father, lost in his beautiful fantasies, and was a little speechless.
But he understood. His father naturally hoped their Cao family would become an elite family, or even one of those lofty Transcendent families.
This was his dream, his ambition. Now that it was within reach, he simply couldn't contain his excitement.
As Liu Chunying listened to her father, light shimmered in her eyes.
An elite family! An elite family!
The Cao family had a chance to become an elite family.
And with so many treasures, her children would also be far ahead of their peers. How could she not be happy as their mother?
Moreover, she was still young. She hadn't gained much in the Lost Land before, but now, thanks to her brother-in-law's resources, her physique had also increased by 11.
That was no small amount. Her physique had previously been only 19.
After increasing by 11, it had reached a full 30.
Liu Chunying looked at her youthful brother-in-law, who carried a hint of carefree, unrestrained charm. She pursed her red lips, and an inscrutable gleam flashed in her eyes.
"Stop fantasizing, Dad. Let's eat."
Cao Fengqi looked at the excited family members and patted his father on the shoulder, interrupting him.
"Hehe, all right, all right!"
Cao Jiancheng composed himself somewhat and nodded with a smile. "I'll eat quickly. The group will be setting off again soon."
Breakfast was soon over. With the excited family hard at work, the shelter was dismantled, and the Liangmin County group continued its migration.
But something unexpected happened on the road that day.
"Why is it raining?"
"Look at the sky ahead. It's completely covered in dark clouds."
"It's noon. Why is it so dark ahead? Could there be evil spirits and evil beasts?"
After the Liangmin County migration group had traveled for more than three hours, black rain suddenly began to fall.
The sky ahead was shrouded in black clouds.
Everyone looked over, their faces showing surprise and concern.
The black snow had only just passed, and now black rain had suddenly arrived, with black clouds covering the distance.
Were these bad weather phenomena coming one after another some kind of ominous omen?
Cao Fengqi looked over and frowned as well.
The weather over the past few days had indeed been strange and unsettling.
"The county magistrate and the others investigated this area of black clouds and black rain. It covers who knows how many miles, and there's no way around it, so we can only continue forward."
"The road ahead is unknown. Everyone must be careful and stay alert from here on, in case anything happens."
Before long, a saber-carrying middle-aged man in a Liangmin County law enforcement uniform came from the front, speaking loudly as he walked.
"Be careful and stay alert? Officer Liang, could there be danger ahead even during the day?"
A middle-aged man asked, his brow tightly furrowed.
"We're not sure. It's best to be careful."
Officer Liang shook his head, a trace of worry flashing in his eyes.
Evil spirits and evil beasts moved about at night, and the area ahead covered by black clouds was only a little brighter than nighttime.
Whether the evil spirits and evil beasts would be active was unknown.
"Visibility is down to about a kilometer."
When the migration group entered beneath the black clouds, visibility around them dropped drastically.
Previously, although the sky had been gray and overcast, visibility had still been two or three kilometers.
It had dropped by a factor of two or three.
"Be careful."
Cao Jiancheng's thick brows were also tightly furrowed as he reminded Cao Fengqi and the others.
The family nodded.
Fortunately, nothing happened as they traveled for another two hours, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.