23: Let's start by taking control of this city.

"Furthermore." Lin Mo turned and looked at the long sword on the table, which was still covered in rust.

After hearing about the Extraterrestrial Meteorite Iron today, he ordered Wu to carefully inspect the sword body again.

At the extremely concealed juncture between the guard and the hilt, Wu discovered a barely perceptible intaglio mark.

It wasn't writing, but a pattern: a majestic mountain peak encircled by seven points of starlight.

Lin Mo did not recognize this pattern.

But he was certain that this was definitely not a decoration carved by an ordinary craftsman.

"Increase efforts to nourish the rusted sword," Lin Mo finally said. "I need it to awaken faster."

"Understood."

The Death Warriors withdrew.

Lin Mo stood alone in the Secret Chamber, his fingertip brushing over the words Qinglan City on the map of influence.

The Martial Academy, Hundred Treasures Pavilion, Black Wolf Gang, City Lord's Mansion... these were just what was visible on the surface.

What was the real reason beneath the surface that caused the Imperial Court to suddenly impose an additional defense tax and unsettled the Northern Region trade routes?

Was it truly a change in Dynasty?

Or... something else?

He did not know. But he had enough time, and enough eyes and hands that would never betray him, to slowly uncover it.

"Let's start by taking control of this city."

The candlelight crackled, illuminating his calm profile.

Just after the Hour of Yin, Lin Mo opened his eyes.

The Qi Sea Acupoint in his body rotated slowly. After a night of Cultivation and the continuous feedback from the Death Warriors, his Inner Breath had solidified slightly more.

He could feel himself getting closer to the Critical Point—the Qualitative Change where Bone Forging transitions to Muscle, and Inner Breath transforms into internal qi.

But Lin Mo was not anxious to Breakthrough.

The Foundation provided by the Aperture Condensation Method was too solid; the Qi Sea Acupoint was like a bottomless abyss, capable of holding far more Inner Breath than those at the same rank.

He planned to continue accumulating, waiting for the moment when success came naturally to break through in one go, releasing his stored power.

In the courtyard, the Death Warriors had already begun their morning training. Fist winds, footwork, and breathing sounds intertwined in perfect order.

Lin Mo walked out of the room. Fang Han was already diligently practicing the basic Stake Exercises of the Bedrock Fist in the corner of the courtyard, sweat beading on his forehead.

"Young Master." Fang Han stopped his movements and bowed.

"Continue." Lin Mo nodded, his gaze sweeping over the Death Warriors in the courtyard.

The new directives he issued last night had already begun execution.

At this moment, besides the Death Warriors Cultivating Martial Skills, five others were sitting on stone stools with books spread open before them.

These were the Records of Qinglan Scenery, General Knowledge for Merchants, and Basic Accounting, purchased from Wenhua Street.

The Death Warriors read and memorized expressionlessly, as if executing the most precise commands.

"The efficiency is still too low," Lin Mo mused internally.

The learning ability of the Death Warriors was based on their fundamental intelligence, roughly equivalent to a normal adult, but they lacked the capacity for proactive thought and drawing inferences.

However, with the System Feedback Mechanism, knowledge learned by one Death Warrior could be synchronized to him with 80% integrity, and then "taught" by him to other Death Warriors via command.

This was a centralized information dissemination model.

"A Knowledge Base needs to be established."

Lin Mo had an idea. "Let a portion of the Death Warriors specialize in different fields, then gather and summarize all the knowledge feedback, which I will integrate and instill directionally."

This would take time, but it was worthwhile.

At the chen hour, Lin Mo brought Fang Han to the Martial Arts Training Hall again.

The atmosphere inside the hall was noticeably different today.

Instructor Zhao Zhenshan stood in front with his hands behind his back. Beside him were three life-sized Fine Iron Mannequins, their surfaces covered with diagrams of Meridians and Acupoints.

"Today, we will discuss Inner Breath refinement," Zhao Zhenshan stated directly.

"In the Bone Forging realm, the core lies in using Inner Breath to nourish the bones, making them tough as iron. But where does Inner Breath come from? How does it circulate? How do we improve its quality?"

He walked to one of the iron mannequins and lightly tapped the Shanzhong Acupoint on its chest with his fingertip.

"The Inner Breath of an ordinary person originates from the circulation of Qi and Blood and is stored in the Dantian. But the Dantian is like a pond, limited in capacity. To achieve a Breakthrough, one must widen the Meridians and condense the quality of the Inner Breath."

"The Martial Academy's basic method, the Qinglan Breathing Technique, teaches you how to use a specific breathing rhythm, coupled with mental guidance, to circulate Inner Breath through the Twelve Primary Meridians. Each cycle refines it slightly."

As Zhao Zhenshan spoke, he pressed his palm against the Mingmen Acupoint on the back of the iron mannequin. Several major Meridian lines on the mannequin's surface lit up slightly, demonstrating the path of Inner Breath circulation.

The students watched, holding their breath.

Lin Mo, however, frowned slightly.

The circulation path of the Qinglan Breathing Technique was far too simple compared to the Aperture Condensation Method, and its efficiency was clearly inferior.

The Aperture Condensation Method required the Inner Breath to first gather at the Qi Sea Acupoint, a hidden acupoints not found in conventional Meridian diagrams.

Using this as a hub, it then scoured the entire Physical Body along a special route. Every cycle provided nourishment to the Physical Body and refinement to the Inner Breath that far surpassed ordinary methods.

"No wonder the method recorded on the beast-skin parchment was so obscure; it's simply not the common Cultivation method of this era," Lin Mo realized internally. "Its level is likely higher."

After Zhao Zhenshan finished the demonstration, he said, "Now, everyone sit cross-legged and attempt to circulate one Major Cycle according to the route I showed you. I will check on you individually."

The students complied one after another.

Lin Mo also sat down, but naturally, he circulated the Aperture Condensation Method.

However, he slowed the flow of his Inner Breath, only passing through the Meridian segments involved in the Qinglan Breathing Technique, feigning the awkwardness of a beginner.

Zhao Zhenshan walked among the students, nodding occasionally and correcting movements at other times.

When he reached Lin Mo, he stopped, observed for a moment, and a trace of surprise flashed in his eyes.

"Have you studied Inner Breath circulation methods before?" Zhao Zhenshan asked.

Lin Mo opened his eyes and calmly replied, "My family passed down some rudimentary breathing methods, but they weren't systematic."

Zhao Zhenshan reached out and placed his hand on Lin Mo's wrist pulse, and a gentle yet solid Inner Breath probed inward.

Lin Mo immediately controlled his own Inner Breath, displaying only the strength and purity of Bone Forging Minor Achievement, a moderate level he chose based on his assessment of the other students present.

"Hmm..." Zhao Zhenshan pondered. "Your Inner Breath is quite refined, and your Foundation is solid. Although the circulation route is unfamiliar, your control is good."

He withdrew his hand, showing a rare trace of approval: "Continue."

After the Time for an Incense Stick to Burn, Zhao Zhenshan returned to the front and said, "That is all for today. Remember the route and practice diligently when you return. Inner Breath Cultivation is like sailing against the current—fail to advance, and you retreat. Furthermore—"

He scanned the entire hall: "The Service Pavilion has released the first batch of tasks for this month. Grade A students must complete at least two tasks each month to earn contribution points. Those with insufficient contribution points will have deductions on their End-of-Month Assessment."

Everyone's expression turned serious.

"Now, proceed to the Service Pavilion yourselves. Dismissed."

The Service Pavilion was located on the east side of the Martial Academy, a three-story building. In the main hall on the first floor, several wooden walls were covered with Task Bamboo Slips.

The tasks were divided by color.

White indicated ordinary chores (cleaning, organizing, assisting Instructors, etc.), worth 1-5 contribution points.

Green indicated internal academy tasks (patrols, sparring partners, guarding the Medicinal Garden, etc.), worth 5-15 points.

Blue indicated external tasks (escort, gathering, investigation, etc.), worth 15-50 points.

There were also rare purple tasks, with contribution points ranging from 50 to 200, but the difficulty was extremely high, often involving life-and-death combat.

At this moment, many students were already selecting tasks in the main hall.