Chapter 36 Great Advancement in Strength

The night passed quickly. Early the next morning.

"Shopkeeper Tao, why are you leaving so soon? Can't you stay in Linshui Prefecture for a few more days?" Zhao Hui asked with a curious tone.

In the past, after finishing their business, things were never this urgent!

First, yesterday afternoon, Great Hero Duan made an excuse and didn't go to Fenglai Pavilion with them. Now, Shopkeeper Tao was in a rush to leave!

Shopkeeper Tao forced a bitter smile, "Escort Leader Zhao, I'd like to stay too, but there's an emergency. I received a letter from home saying my father is critically ill; I have to go back!"

"Sigh! Alright then!" Escort Leader Zhao sighed.

Suddenly, he noticed something, "Eh? Where is Great Hero Duan? Is he not up yet?"

"Escort Leader, Great Hero Duan left early this morning and asked me to give this letter to you!" At this moment, a young escort from the agency handed over a letter.

Zhao Hui took it and saw it was a letter from Duan Zhengchun.

It only contained a few short lines, stating that he had some urgent business and would not be returning to Longhua Prefecture with them, telling them to head back on their own.

Zhao Hui looked up and happened to lock eyes with Shopkeeper Tao. The two old Jianghu veterans immediately understood something and said no more.

Meanwhile, in another inn, Yan Chu looked at the panel before him, unable to hide his excitement.

【Host: Yan Chu】【Cultivation: Fourth Realm Qi Sea Early Stage】【Cultivation Technique: Nine Yang Divine Art (Fourth Layer 82/16000), Thirteen Protectors Hardened Golden Bell Shield (Third Layer 980/7500), Iron Cloth Shirt (Major Achievement)】【Martial Skill: Rushing Thunder Palm (Major Achievement), Wind-Splashing Saber Technique (Major Achievement), Golden Goose Skill (Soaring Upwards 40/4000), Great Demon Subduing Fist (Minor Achievement 840/1300), Wood Burning Saber Technique (Entry Level 1/500), Shifting Stars (Object Turning Stars 1/300)】【Secret Art: Disguise Art (Major Achievement)】【Experience Points: 6800】

What a huge amount of experience points. The two Fourth Realm Martial Artists had provided him with 2000, plus several Third Realm and Second Realm Martial Artists. Of course, besides the experience points, the two Martial Skills that dropped also made him very excited.

He didn't know what was up with this System. There was absolutely no pattern to how it dropped Cultivation Techniques! It was like scratching lottery tickets; either you never win, or you keep winning.

Especially Shifting Stars—returning the other's own way to them—this was the ancestral unique skill of the Gusu Murong family. Although Murong Fu, due to weak Internal Energy and lack of focus, hadn't mastered it, Murong Bo had cultivated this Martial Skill to a very high Realm.

Murong Bo had once used Shifting Stars to neutralize the Dragon Subduing Eighteen Palms, which was touted as the best in the world. The founder, Murong Longcheng, had even cultivated this martial art to the highest Realm, making him a legendary figure in the Tianlong world. In Yan Chu's view, this Martial Skill would be completely useful even if he cultivated to the Fifth Realm in the future.

"I need to think carefully about how to allocate these!" Originally, he felt the experience was quite a lot, but looking at so many martial arts on the panel, he felt the experience points weren't that much after all.

First, he definitely couldn't put it all into Nine Yang Divine Art; he could add a portion. Tonight's battle made him realize his means of dealing with enemies were still relatively weak; Wind-Splashing Saber Technique was not quite enough.

Facing the hidden weapons of that Green Uniform Head Constable, Wind-Splashing Saber Technique couldn't fully defend against them. "First, add 2000 experience to Nine Yang Divine Art!"

As 2000 experience was added, the Qi Sea within Yan Chu's Dantian expanded by a circle, and a wisp of misty True Qi flowed into the Qi Sea, giving his total True Qi a significant increase. However, it still hadn't reached the Middle Stage of the Qi Sea Realm.

【Nine Yang Divine Art (Fourth Layer 2082/16000)】 "As expected!" Once cultivation reached the Qi Sea Realm, one or two thousand experience points no longer boosted his power as significantly as before. Even if he added all the remaining experience, it might only raise his cultivation to the Middle Stage of the Qi Sea Realm. His strength wouldn't undergo a qualitative change.

Moreover, he had a feeling. Ever since he broke through to the Qi Sea Realm and cultivated the Nine Yang True Qi, this Nine Yang Divine Art made his fire increasingly large. In the lower three Realms, he could endure it, but now it was really hard to bear!

He looked down, seeing it standing tall and proud. Yan Chu couldn't help but sigh: "No wonder when using Nine Yang Divine Art to heal a man, one doesn't need to take off their clothes, but for a woman, one must take them off."

"So that's what it meant!" Shaking his head, Yan Chu forcibly suppressed the distracting thoughts. "Add 2000 experience to Wood Burning Saber Technique!"

Boom! A continuous stream of memories flooded into Yan Chu's mind. In these memories, he seemed to become a young monk, holding a precept knife and swinging it continuously in front of a pile of firewood. Year after year, day after day.

Finally, one day, a flash of the blade appeared. The pile of firewood suddenly began to burst into flames. Wood Burning Saber Technique, Major Achievement!

【Wood Burning Saber Technique (Major Achievement 301/2500)】 Yan Chu opened his eyes with a snap, raised his hand as a blade, and a layer of crimson Saber Qi appeared on his palm edge. As long as his mind moved slightly, the Saber Qi could fly out, enough to decapitate someone within a distance of ten feet.

Next, Shifting Stars. This Martial Skill is divided into seven Realms: Object Turning Stars, Implement Turning Stars, Force Turning Stars, Momentum Turning Stars, Qi Turning Stars, Law Turning Stars, Shifting Stars. As it progresses layer by layer, the required experience points will certainly increase. Yan Chu added 2000 experience points anyway.

Waves of cultivation memories emerged in his mind, and his True Qi began to circulate automatically according to the movement route of Shifting Stars. In an instant, he reached the Momentum Turning Stars Realm.

【Shifting Stars (Momentum Turning Stars 201/1800)】 This meant he could transfer the Aura imposed by most Martial Skills. If he were to fight the person holding the Water-Fire Dragon-Prison Staff again, Yan Chu wouldn't need to clash head-on; he could directly deflect eighty percent of his force.

After adding to all three martial arts, Yan Chu added the remaining experience to Great Demon Subduing Fist. This fist technique was at the same level as the Wood Burning Saber Technique and had been proven many times in actual combat, so no more need be said.

【Great Demon Subduing Fist (Major Achievement 340/2600)】 Thus, after some diligent point allocation. Although his cultivation hadn't improved much, his strength had definitely gone up more than one level. With this, his self-preservation ability increased by a few more points.

Suddenly, Yan Chu's ears twitched. A burst of noise and shouting came from the street. Among it were also many screams.

Yan Chu pushed open the room window and saw three young men in bright clothes and riding fine horses galloping past on the street, each looking high-spirited and dressed in brocade. Behind the three youths, there was a group of more than ten guards, all riding tall steeds. Among them were several Fourth Realm Martial Artists, and the others were all Third Realm.

With more than twenty riders galloping through the busy market of Linshui Prefecture, the consequences could be imagined. Many street vendors and pedestrians couldn't dodge in time and were hit by the large horses, immediately ending up dead or injured.

"Hahaha! Giddy-up! Giddy-up!" "Third Brother, Fourth Brother, your mounts are ultimately not as good as my little red horse!!" The youth charging at the very front shouted excitedly.

This horse was truly a valuable breed sent from Northern Mang, and its speed was more than a little faster than the local horses of Linshui Prefecture. In such a short time, it had already left them far behind.

"Fifth, slow down, don't hurt yourself!" The two youths behind shouted a reminder. "Hahaha!" The youth called Fifth didn't care about all that and shouted excitedly: "Faster! Faster!"

Bang! Bang! "Ah!!!" This horse was not only fast but also very powerful. Two passersby were knocked flying by the horse in succession, screaming as they fell to the ground with their brains splattered.

"Ah!! Daddy!!" Just at this moment, pedestrians in front retreated one after another, and a two- or three-year-old child sat on the ground crying. The horse's hooves were about to stomp on the infant's tiny head.