70: Chapter 70 Lin Tian's Advancement! Choosing a Martial Art!

The discussions on the training grounds gradually died down. Instructor Gao, the middle-aged instructor responsible for new recruit affairs, walked over with large strides, holding a document with a serious expression.

Everyone's gaze was involuntarily drawn to him, especially Lie Yun, whose smug smile was almost impossible to suppress.

Several people nearby, who were good at reading the room or wanted to curry favor in advance, whispered their congratulations to him.

"Congratulations, Senior Brother Lie!"

"It seems this time it belongs to none other than Senior Brother Lie!"

"Please look after us in the future, Senior Brother Lie!"

Lie Yun nodded reservedly, but his gaze crossed the crowd, landing precisely on Lin Tian, who was standing a little further away.

That look was mixed with undisguised superiority, provocation, and a hint of satisfaction as if a great revenge had been exacted—it was as if he were saying: "See that? No matter how good your talent is, or how strong your background is, here in the Imperial Guard, you must rely on concrete progress to speak!"

"I, Lie Yun, am the true standout among this batch of new recruits!"

Lin Tian took all of this in, his expression calm and unruffled. Just as Instructor Gao was about to speak and make the announcement, he suddenly stepped forward. His voice was not loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears:

"Instructor Gao, hold on. Regarding this promotion, this Disciple believes that as to who will ultimately receive it, I am afraid... it is still too early to say."

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire field fell silent.

Everyone looked at Lin Tian in astonishment, not understanding why he would interrupt at this moment.

The smile on Lie Yun's face instantly froze, then turned into annoyance: "Lin Tian, what do you mean by this? Do you think you have the qualifications to compete with me?"

Instructor Gao also frowned, looking at Lin Tian, about to reprimand him for disrupting order, but the moment his gaze touched Lin Tian, a light flashed in his eyes. A look of disbelief suddenly appeared on his face, and he blurted out: "Your Qi-blood... you have achieved a Breakthrough?!"

"That is correct." Lin Tian nodded slightly, no longer intentionally suppressing it. A surge of majestic Qi-blood, far more dense, vigorous, and surging like a tide than that of any other new recruit present, rose explosively from within his body!

The strength of that aura far exceeded the Second Grade Early Stage; it was undeniably and solidly the Second Grade Middle Stage!

As his Qi-blood surged, those standing a bit closer to him even felt their breathing slightly stifled, and their own Qi-blood was faintly suppressed, rolling uncontrollably!

"Second Grade Middle Stage?!" "My god! Senior Brother Lin actually achieved a Breakthrough!" "This... how long has it been?!" "Such vigorous Qi-blood! It seems even stronger than the average Second Grade Middle Stage!"

Exclamations and gasps instantly erupted! Everyone was stunned by this sudden turn of events.

The transition from the Second Grade Early Stage to the Middle Stage is a clear threshold that requires long-term, painstaking effort to temper one's Qi-blood; it is by no means something that can be achieved in just over a month. Yet, Lin Tian had managed to do exactly that!

Senior Sister Chen Yu's beautiful eyes widened, her pretty face first showing a daze, then surging with irrepressible surprise, her gaze towards Lin Tian filled with brilliant light.

As for Lie Yun, the expression on his face had turned from annoyance to shock, then from shock to a livid blue, and finally, it became completely twisted. His teeth ground together with a clacking sound, and his eyes were almost spitting fire!

He had bitterly practiced his blade technique, giving his all to reach Mastery, thinking it was a surefire way to claim the top merit and be enough to trample his nemesis, Lin Tian, underfoot. But in the blink of an eye, the other party had achieved a more difficult and significant Breakthrough in cultivation!

This was no different from being slapped hard in the face in public! All his pride, all his anticipation, had turned into a joke at this moment!

Instructor Gao suppressed the shock in his heart, took a deep look at Lin Tian, then swept his gaze over the ashen-faced Lie Yun, having already made up his mind. He said in a deep voice: "Quiet! Lin Tian's Breakthrough to the Second Grade Middle Stage is true. This matter... I must report it upwards immediately. You all wait here!"

After saying this, he took the document and left in a hurry. The waiting time was not long, but for Lie Yun, it felt like several hours had passed.

Standing in the crowd, he only felt that the surrounding gazes, which were originally envious and flattering, had now turned into silent mockery, making him feel like he was on pins and needles, wishing he could escape immediately.

About half an hour later, Instructor Gao returned, holding a new decree in his hand. He scanned the crowd, whose expressions were mixed, and finally let his gaze fall on Lin Tian, announcing loudly:

"After verification and deliberation by the superiors, the candidate for this promotion has been decided. Probationary Minor Flag Officer Lin Tian, diligent in his duties, has rendered meritorious service in the case of capturing the wanted criminal Chief Constable Liu Heng, and furthermore, has made progress in his Martial Dao, achieving a Breakthrough to the Second Grade Middle Stage, with a solid Foundation and outstanding potential.

He is hereby promoted to 'Acting Minor Flag Officer,' temporarily leading the patrol affairs of this batch of new recruits, serving as the head of the new recruits. His monthly stipend is increased to forty taels, and his monthly ration of qi-blood powder is increased to four portions. Additionally, he may enter the first floor of the Library Pavilion to select one Martial Art as encouragement!"

"Acting Minor Flag Officer! Leader of the new recruits!" "Monthly stipend of forty taels! Four portions of qi-blood powder!" "And he can enter the Library Pavilion to choose a Martial Art!"

Gazes of envy, amazement, and even jealousy fell squarely on Lin Tian. The increase in benefits was far beyond everyone's expectations!

Although the Acting Minor Flag Officer is not an official rank, it already carries a grade, serving as a stepping stone to an official Minor Flag Officer, and it holds the authority to lead the new recruits! The monthly stipend doubled, the qi-blood powder doubled, plus the Martial Art from the Library Pavilion... This is the true carp leaping over the Dragon Gate!

Senior Sister Chen Yu smiled like a flower, genuinely happy for Lin Tian. As for Lie Yun, he only felt darkness before his eyes, his chest tight and flustered, and a mouthful of blood almost sprayed out. These honors, these resources, these benefits that made people green with envy... they should have all been his! They were all snatched away by this damn Lin Tian! Why?!

He clenched his fists tightly, his fingernails digging deep into his palms. Looking at Lin Tian's back, the resentment in his eyes almost solidified into substance.

Lin Tian's expression remained calm. He stepped forward and accepted the brand-new token handed to him by Instructor Gao—it was still made of iron wood, but the patterns were more exquisite, and the three characters "Acting Minor Flag Officer" on the back were inscribed with powerful, silver-hook iron-stroke calligraphy.

He also collected the two extra portions of qi-blood powder issued for this month as instructed, and adding the ones he hadn't collected before, he received four portions at once. Combined with the portion from the martial arts hall, he now had five portions of qi-blood powder at his disposal each month! His cultivation resources were now far more abundant than ever before.

"Follow me." Instructor Gao said to Lin Tian, leading him toward the independent, heavily guarded three-story pavilion deep within the Centurion Office. The Imperial Guard Heishan City Centurion Office, Library Pavilion.

The first floor of the Library Pavilion was not large, but it had an air of solemnity and dignity. Rows of sandalwood bookshelves were neatly arranged, mostly displaying thin booklets and scrolls, and the air was filled with a faint scent of ink and old paper. The number of Martial Arts was not large, but those that could be kept here were by no means ordinary.

Lin Tian's gaze slowly scanned the area. His movement technique had reached Perfection, and his fist technique included the Five Elements Fist and its combined attack techniques, providing a solid Foundation and versatility. Currently, it seemed there was room for improvement in his weapon skills, and the Xiuchun Saber Technique was a symbol of the Imperial Guard; cultivating it deeply would be beneficial and harmless.

He passed over several movement and fist/palm Secret Manuals and walked straight to the area marked "Blade Technique." Soon, he locked onto several advanced Secret Manuals related to the Xiuchun Saber Technique: "Xiuchun Saber Technique · Crescent Moon Chapter," "Xiuchun Saber Technique · Wind-Breaking Eight Styles," and "Xiuchun Saber Technique · Wind-Facing Slash."

The "Crescent Moon Chapter" emphasized trickery and change, with tricky Moves; the "Wind-Breaking Eight Styles" emphasized combos, with dense offensives; and the "Wind-Facing Slash"... Lin Tian picked up the thin booklet, which had only a dozen pages. Opening the first page, there was only one sentence: "The blade strikes like the wind, slashing against the wind, taking its speed, taking its sharpness, taking its no-return."

He read through it carefully and discovered that this "Wind-Facing Slash" was not a set of complex blade techniques, but rather a special blade-wielding method that condensed spirit, Qi, and essence, exploding speed and power to the extreme in an instant, or rather... an ultimate Move.

It emphasized accumulating momentum, explosion, and an indomitable spirit, placing extremely high demands on the Basic Blade Technique, and requiring the support of powerful Qi-blood and precise control.

"This is it." Lin Tian had already made his decision. His Perfection-level movement technique could provide excellent speed and advancement, his vigorous Qi-blood could support the explosion, and his Major Achievement-level Basic Blade Technique provided a solid Foundation. This "Wind-Facing Slash" might look simple and brutal, but it perfectly matched his combat style of pursuing extreme lethality and defeating enemies in one strike.

"You chose the 'Wind-Facing Slash'?" Instructor Gao was slightly stunned when he saw the Secret Manual Lin Tian handed over, then reminded him with a serious expression, "Lin Tian, you must remember that although this Move has considerable power, it has extremely high requirements for the practitioner. Not only must you have practiced the Basic Xiuchun Saber Technique to the 'Major Achievement' realm, but you also need condensed Qi-blood and a stable mind. Otherwise, forcing yourself to Cultivate it will not only make it difficult to grasp its essence, but it is also easy to damage your Meridians, and even cause a backlash. Remember, if your Foundation is not stable, you must never be greedy for quick success or advance rashly!"

"This Disciple understands and will certainly proceed step by step, not daring to slack off." Lin Tian accepted the Secret Manual with both hands and promised solemnly. Naturally, he would not tell Instructor Gao that his Basic Blade Technique had long since reached the "Major Achievement" realm.

After collecting the Secret Manual and completing the simple borrowing registration, Lin Tian prepared to leave the Library Pavilion and return to the Lin Family Mansion, unable to wait to start comprehending this "Wind-Facing Slash."

However, just as he stepped out of the Library Pavilion's gate, he was surrounded by a group of people. Led by Senior Sister Chen Yu, along with several other new Imperial Guard recruits who had a decent relationship with Lin Tian, they were all waiting outside with smiles on their faces.

"Senior Brother Lin, congratulations on your promotion!" "Captain Lin, please take care of us in the future!" "Such a big happy event, it wouldn't be right not to celebrate!"

Senior Sister Chen Yu also looked at him with a smile, her beautiful eyes curving into crescents: "That's right, Lin Tian, everyone is waiting for you to treat them."

Looking at everyone's smiling faces, Lin Tian pondered for a moment and felt that this promotion was indeed worth celebrating, and he could use this opportunity to build closer relationships with his colleagues. He smiled and waved his hand: "Alright! Today, I will host. Sihai Restaurant, we won't return until we are drunk!"

"Alright!" "Captain Lin is generous!" "Let's go, to Sihai Restaurant!" The crowd cheered enthusiastically and, surrounding Lin Tian, lively walked toward the famous restaurant in the city, "Sihai Restaurant."

The atmosphere was lively, but two people were missing—Lie Yun and his companion, who also came from the Liehuo Martial Arts Hall. As soon as the results were announced, they had already left quietly with livid faces.

Liehuo Martial Arts Hall, inner hall. The atmosphere was suffocatingly oppressive. Lie Yun's face was so gloomy that it could almost drip water, and his eyes were burning with raging anger and unwillingness. His companion also stood to the side with an ugly expression.

The Disciples in the hall were all surprised to see the two return in such a state, but no one dared to step forward and ask.

Before long, Hall Master Lie Fentian, having received the news, walked over with a dark face, waving away those around him, leaving only Lie Yun and his companion in the hall.

"What happened? What changed over at the Imperial Guard?" Hall Master Lie Fentian's voice was low, carrying a trace of displeasure. He had just finished dealing with the matter at the water pool and was already feeling pent-up, and now seeing his most valued Disciple in such a state, he felt even more irritable.

"Hall Master!" Lie Yun could no longer suppress it and recounted everything that happened in the Imperial Guard today, especially Lin Tian's sudden Breakthrough to the Second Grade Middle Stage and his snatching of the promotion and resources that should have belonged to him, embellishing the story as he told it. By the end, he was gnashing his teeth, his face distorted, "... That brat must have used some underhanded methods! Otherwise, how could he have broken through so quickly? This Disciple is not convinced!"

"Lin Tian... Second Grade Middle Stage..." Hall Master Lie Fentian listened, his brows knitting tighter and tighter, the expression on his reddish face shifting uncertainly. When he heard that Lin Tian's cultivation had achieved a Breakthrough, a sharp glint flashed in his eyes, and a thought that he had previously ignored, or rather, dared not think deeply about, suddenly darted out like a poisonous snake!

"Boosting Qi-blood... cultivation skyrocketing in a short time..." Hall Master Lie Fentian repeated in a low voice, his eyes suddenly becoming as sharp as knives, staring fixedly at Lie Yun, "Are you sure he only broke through recently? Is his aura stable, not floating?"

"This Disciple is sure! That Qi-blood is vigorous, far exceeding an ordinary Second Grade Middle Stage, it cannot be fake!" Lie Yun said hatefully.

"The red blood vermilion fruit..." Hall Master Lie Fentian slowly spat out the four words, his voice carrying a trace of icy chill and... sudden realization.

"What?" Lie Yun was stunned.

"The treasure that old bastard Magistrate Zhou Wenhai has been thinking about day and night is the 'red blood vermilion fruit,' which can significantly boost a Martial Artist's Qi-blood!"