18: Perfect-level Chopping Wood Technique

Days at the Martial Arts Academy quietly slipped by amidst seemingly peaceful Cultivation, but beneath the surface, the undercurrents between the apprentices of the Poor Faction and the Wealthy Faction grew increasingly turbulent.

Among the Poor Faction Disciples, a youth named Zhang Yang suddenly rose to prominence.

His talent was indeed extraordinary; in just seven or eight days, he trained the Hunyuan Pile Posture Technique to the Initiate. His Qi and Blood sensitivity far surpassed his peers, and he even began showing signs of Skin Quenching, his skin faintly glowing bronze when circulating Qi, drawing extra attention from the Instructors.

This rate of progress made him stand out like a crane in a flock of chickens among the generally slow-progressing Poor Faction Disciples.

Zhang Yang was naturally restless, and after gaining the title of "Genius," he became even more spirited, clearly regarding himself as the leader of the Poor Faction Disciples.

He often gathered a group of people, expressing dissatisfaction with the resources enjoyed by the wealthy youths. Sometimes, he would even deliberately cause disturbances when they were practicing, or cut in line to snatch portions of the Meat Soup.

The wealthy youths, on the other hand, were led by Liu Mingyu, the youngest son of Squire Liu.

Liu Mingyu came from a wealthy family and had taken Nourishing Medicines since childhood, giving him a naturally stronger Foundation than ordinary people. Although his progress was slightly slower than Zhang Yang's, he had also steadily entered the Initiate and was accumulating Qi and Blood at a stable pace.

He mostly responded to Zhang Yang's provocations with cold sneers, and a few veiled, cutting remarks were enough to make Zhang Yang flush crimson.

The hangers-on around him often showed contempt for the Poor Faction Disciples, and friction between the two sides increased daily.

Chen Linsheng saw all this but remained undisturbed.

Relying on the Five Senses Clarity and "Agile Mind" brought by Tracking (Perfection), his comprehension of the Hunyuan Pile Posture Technique was profound, and his Cultivation efficiency far exceeded that of ordinary people.

Coupled with the continuous nourishment from the Meat Soup every day, his progress was actually slightly faster than Zhang Yang's. His Qi and Blood were abundant, and he had quietly begun Quenching his True Skin.

But he knew well the principle that the tallest tree catches the most wind, especially since he had no background.

Therefore, every time he practiced, he deliberately restrained his aura. Although his movements were perfectly standard, he contained the feeling of surging Qi and Blood, making him appear only slightly better than an average Poor Faction Disciple, ensuring he was not conspicuous.

He was like a silent shadow, staying on the fringes of the two factions' conflict, observing dispassionately and dedicating all his energy to improving himself.

His schedule was packed tight.

He rose before dawn every day to enter the mountains, utilizing his Skills for both Hunting and Herb Gathering.

He Cultivated at the Martial Arts Academy in the afternoon and returned home in the evening. The money he earned, besides supplementing his household expenses, was occasionally used to buy common Blood-Invigorating Medicinal Herbs from the Pharmacy to aid his Cultivation.

Under such a high-intensity cycle, the proficiency of his various Skills soared.

This day, in the Deep Mountains, just before dawn.

Chen Linsheng stood before a Massive Rock, tightly gripping his heavy cleaver.

He closed his eyes and focused his mind, his aura becoming perfectly integrated and harmonious.

The next moment, his eyes snapped open, shining brightly, and the cleaver in his hand, seemingly slow, actually struck out like lightning!

There was no earth-shattering boom, only a slight "hissing" sound.

The cleaver sliced through the Massive Rock as silently as a hot knife cutting butter, embedding itself and leaving a cut surface half a foot deep and smooth as a mirror!

Even more miraculous, the Force contained within the blade did not fully erupt but surged into the rock and immediately retracted like a tide, preventing any cracking or fragmentation of the stone around the cut.

[Skill: Cleaver Technique (Perfection)]

[Effect: Force Emission Throughout Body, Butcher's Art, Combining Hardness and Softness. Fully mastered the technique of channeling all Body Strength into a single burst of Force. Control over the body reaches the Mortal Peak, allowing rapid proficiency and considerable power with any weapon held.]

Success!

Cleaver Technique, Perfection!

Chen Linsheng slowly retracted the cleaver, feeling the ceaseless power flowing within him and the control he had over every muscle and bone in his body, as if they were extensions of his will.

He casually picked up a dry branch from the ground and swung it; the sound of it cutting through the air was sharp like a whistle. The tip of the branch struck a small stone, which shattered instantly, while the branch remained undamaged.

"Is this the control level of a Mortal Peak..."

A surge of Heroic Spirit rose in Chen Linsheng's heart.

With this Foundation, learning any Weapon Technique would yield twice the result with half the effort.

During these fifteen days, his [Disguise] also successively entered the Major Achievement realm, while [Trapping] and [Skinning] advanced to Minor Achievement.

His overall abilities were worlds apart from half a month ago.

However, not all news was good.

Just a few days ago, when he routinely went to the Hunter Gang Market to sell Furs, he clearly heard several hunters talking with fearful expressions:

"You can't go to the Old Forest in the east anymore! A few days ago, Wang Laowu and his team of three went in, and only one escaped. He said they ran into a ferocious, Striped-Forehead Tiger with Piercing Eyes! It shattered a man's Hunting Fork with one swipe!"

"Exactly! I heard that big beast is a circle larger than a regular tiger; it might be close to becoming a Strange Beast! The County Yamen has already posted a notice, offering a reward of five hundred Silver!"

A Fierce Tiger in the mountains was injuring people, with a five-hundred-tael reward offered.

Chen Linsheng noted this information but did not act immediately; he needed more thorough preparation.

Another piece of news, however, set off alarm bells in his heart.

That was at the Market controlled by the Medicine Gang, where he went after disguising himself to sell a batch of Processed Common Herbs.

While waiting for the transaction, he used the auditory aspect of Five Senses Clarity to catch the whispers of two Medicine Gang Members in a corner:

"...The Boss wants us to check out Xiaohe Village. He said Zhang San and Li Si, those two Scoundrels, disappeared without a trace, and he wants us to go look tomorrow..."

"Neither of those two guys are from our gang, so why bother investigating?"

"Who knows, but we're unlucky that out of so many people, he had to call us two. Hmph, tonight is Master Liu's Birthday Banquet, we should eat and drink a lot to make up for all the trouble!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Linsheng's pupils suddenly constricted.

The Medicine Gang was actually starting an investigation because of the disappearance of Zhang San and Li Si.

"Why Force my hand..." Chen Linsheng coldly snorted in his heart, a mix of coldness and Killing Intent rising within him.

He glanced at the two men, then left the Market directly and used the effect of [Disguise (Major Achievement)] to completely transform himself.

[Skill: Disguise (Major Achievement)]

[Progress: (1/2000)]

[Effect: Complete Transformation, Voice Mimicry, Aura Theft. Can significantly alter height and physique, precisely control facial muscles for shaping, and vividly mimic the voice and habitual mannerisms of a specific target. Difficult for anyone other than immediate family to see through.]

After achieving Major Achievement, Disguise could change his physique, so Chen Linsheng transformed himself directly into a Robust Hunter and went to the Hunter Market.

Besides selling game here, there was also a Blacksmith Shop that forged Bows and Arrows.

He stepped steadily into the Blacksmith Shop located in a corner of the Hunter Market.

The shop was steaming hot, filled with the continuous clang of hammering iron. A muscular, bare-chested Strongman was sweating profusely while forging a glowing red iron bar.

Seeing a customer, the Blacksmith stopped his work, wiped his face with the towel draped around his neck, and asked roughly, "What do you need?"

Chen Linsheng deliberately lowered his voice, speaking with the hoarseness common among hunters: "Arrows. Heavy, Armor-Piercing Arrows, suitable for a Two-Stone Hard Bow."

Hearing this, the Blacksmith looked up and scrutinized him carefully.

A Two-Stone Bow was not something an ordinary hunter could draw; it required immense arm and Core Strength.

He pointed to a bundle of arrows leaning against the corner: "Over there, take a look. The Arrow Shafts are hard wood, the arrowheads are Fine Iron, Three-Edged Armor-Piercing Cones, and the fletching uses Mountain Eagle Feathers, guaranteed stable. One tael of silver for five arrows, no negotiation."

This price was extremely expensive; ordinary Hunting arrows were decent at a few dozen Copper Coins each.

But Chen Linsheng knew that Steward Liu of the Medicine Gang was definitely a Skin Tempering Realm Martial Artist, and he didn't know how many times he had trained, so he had to prepare thoroughly.

He did not haggle, walked over, and picked up an arrow to weigh it.

It felt heavy in his hand; the shaft was straight, the arrowhead gleamed coldly, and it had three deep Blood Grooves—it was certainly a killing tool.

Using the extraordinary eyesight and perception of Force granted by Cleaver Technique (Perfection), he carefully checked the uniformity of the shaft and the forging quality of the arrowhead, nodding slightly.

"I'll take five."

Chen Linsheng took a tael of Broken Silver from his pocket and tossed it precisely to the Blacksmith.

The Blacksmith took the silver, expertly counted out five Heavy Arrows, tied them with a Leather Rope, and handed them to him, adding a rare extra comment:

"Good arrows need a good bow, and good strength to use them. Be careful, this thing can easily shoot through a Wild Boar."

Chen Linsheng took the arrows, feeling their hefty weight and cold touch, and felt a little more at ease.

Without saying more, he simply nodded, placed the five expensive Heavy Arrows into the temporarily prepared Quiver, turned, and disappeared into the crowd of the Market.