Longevity by Grinding Skills

"Wuzhou isn’t far from Qingzhou. From Qingzhou State City Changyi, it’s only about 3,500 li to Thunder Accumulation Mountain and the Celestial Cicada Sect. Once you get to the Celestial Cicada Sect, just show them this Token, and they’ll naturally accept you. The Celestial Cicada Force is the most balanced and gentle art. No matter how mottled and chaotic the Blood Qi in your body is, it can smelt it all into a single, pure essence.

"The day you achieve the Golden Cicada Shell, perhaps the Outer Three Harmonies won’t be far off..."

Xu Yunfan took the token and examined it. It was polished to a glossy shine, clearly having been handled often.

Then, Liu Tianyun added helplessly, "Right now, the Incense and Candle Sect is causing trouble in Wuzhou. I’m afraid the journey will be long and dangerous. Those madmen from the Incense and Candle Sect are blocking the main roads in Wuzhou. Whenever they encounter someone carrying a sword, they gouge out their eyes and cut out their hearts as a sacrifice to their damned Ming Venerable. If Younger Brother Xu is determined to go, you must be careful along the way. I’ll be setting off to return to Beiye City in a few days."

Xu Yunfan smiled. "It’s a path I must take, one way or another. Thank you, Brother Liu!"

With only half a jar of wine left, Xu Yunfan couldn’t be bothered to be stingy anymore. The two of them drank it dry.

As they parted ways, Liu Tianyun watched the swaying figure of Xu Yunfan on horseback, his expression somewhat complicated. Xu Yunfan didn’t look the least bit drunk.

’Master, your disciple has been unfilial. I have now found a fine talent with excellent aptitude. Though he seems cold, he is a man of his word... I hope this can lessen your prejudice against me. I hope he can bring glory to our sect.’

After riding his horse around the street corner, Xu Yunfan’s slightly swaying body immediately straightened. He was lost in thought, carefully recalling Liu Tianyun’s words.

At the table just now, he had deliberately tried to get Liu Tianyun drunk, all to probe for some useful information.

Unfortunately, Liu Tianyun was very tight-lipped. He only spoke of the Celestial Cicada Sect’s origins and said little else, simply telling Xu Yunfan that he would understand once he went there.

’Wuzhou...’

’I should set out after I’ve cultivated the Iron Bridge Town Bone Training Chapter to Great Success.’

’When I later obtain a Bone Strengthening Skill that can be trained to the Perfection Realm, I can just stack the cultivation.’ For now, he had also picked up the Thunderous Waves Palm again, practicing it from time to time, and his progress was extremely fast.

Arriving at his rented courtyard, Xu Yunfan pulled two bronze tokens from his robes. One was engraved with the character for ’Divine Weapon,’ the other with ’Celestial Cicada.’

He hadn’t spent the last few months running around for nothing. Divine Weapon Ridge was located near the border of Wuzhou and Qingzhou. Thirty years ago, a top-tier expert, wielding a Divine Weapon, had smashed Divine Weapon Ridge, causing half the mountain range to collapse. Since then, Divine Weapon Ridge had never recovered. Even its Martial Arts that led directly to the Bone Marrow Cleansing Grandmaster realm were stolen.

The Great Zhou Imperial Court had likely played a significant role behind the scenes back then. Otherwise, how could the Red Rope Copper Body Cloak Hammer, a technique belonging to Divine Weapon Ridge, have appeared in the Great Zhou Arsenal for Li Haomiao to discover?

Today’s Divine Weapon Ridge no longer had a Master of Weapon Forging capable of creating Divine Weapons. It had become like Hundred Refinements Manor; being able to forge sharp blades or even Treasure Artifacts was already considered quite an accomplishment.

’But since I’ve decided to go, I’ll check it out when the time comes and then make a plan.’

Although he had been traveling these past days, he hadn’t slacked off for a moment. Whenever he had free time, he would practice his Martial Arts.

Not to mention the Flying Leg and Cloak Hammer techniques, even the Iron Bridge Town Bone Training Chapter was about to reach the Great Success Realm under his training.

In less than a month, the Iron Bridge Town Bone Training Chapter would definitely reach the Great Success Realm.

Early the next morning, while the thin mist still lingered, Xu Yunfan was already standing in the center of his courtyard.

He was bare-chested, his muscle definition as sharp as if carved by a knife, his skin glowing with a bronze luster in the morning light.

In his hands, he held the Drumming Jar Golden Hammers. The hammerheads were carved with ferocious beast patterns, and the handles were wrapped in sweat-soaked hemp rope.

He took a deep breath, and the Blood Qi in his body surged like a torrential river, flowing through his flesh and blood to every corner of his being.

The muscles in his arms suddenly tensed, veins bulging like coiling Qiu Long dragons.

He swung the twin hammers abruptly. The wind from the hammers howled, kicking up fallen leaves and dust from the ground into a small whirlwind.

The afterimages of the hammers were like flashes of red lightning, carving sharp arcs through the air. Each strike carried the force of several thousand catties, making the air hum and vibrate.

CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!

The hammerheads smashed onto the Bluestone Slabs in the courtyard, and the stones shattered on impact, sending fragments flying. Xu Yunfan’s movements grew faster and faster, the afterimages of the hammers blurring together until they resembled a red cloak swirling around him.

’You practice the Red Rope Copper Body Cloak Hammer again and again, gaining a deeper understanding of each and every move. Your state of mind resonates with the rhythm of the Hammer Technique. Skill Level for the Red Rope Copper Body Cloak Hammer has increased.’

’You continuously swing the Red Rope Copper Body Cloak Hammer. Each swing matches the rhythm of your own heartbeat. Your body and the Hammer Technique merge into one. Power flows unceasingly from the soles of your feet to your arms. Following the exhilarating strikes, your control over the Red Rope Copper Body Cloak Hammer becomes increasingly deft. Your Skill Level has increased significantly.’

’...’

After one set, Xu Yunfan’s Blood Qi was boiling like hot water. The sweat pouring from his body was instantly evaporated by the intense heat he was radiating, shrouding him in steam.

After a whole morning of practice, his Skill Level for the Cloak Hammer had only increased by six or seven points.

The words that appeared in his mind made him frown slightly. At this rate, it would take at least half a year to train the Cloak Hammer to the Perfection Realm.

The well water in the bathing tub was quickly brought to a boil by the extremely high body temperature caused by his hyperactive Blood Qi. Xu Yunfan simply scooped up a ladle of cold water and poured it over his head. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

"Young Master Xu, your breakfast has arrived."

A servant boy’s voice came from outside the courtyard, followed by the soft click of a food box being opened.

Xu Yunfan threw on a simple robe and pushed the door open, a rich aroma immediately washing over him.

Inside the mahogany food box, plates of delicacies were neatly arranged. The most eye-catching was the platter of Exotic Beast Flesh in the center. It was from a "Red-scaled Beast," unique to Qingzhou. The meat was as red as blood, with faint golden threads running through its grain. This plate alone cost fifty taels of Patterned Silver.

That single plate of Exotic Beast Flesh was worth fifty taels.

The scholar’s path is poverty; the martial path is wealth.

He remembered how back in Beiye City, a single meal would easily start at a hundred taels. Now, he was already being frugal, yet this spread still cost a staggering sixty taels.

An ordinary commoner, after a year of hard work, might only save a dozen or so taels of silver. His one meal was equivalent to several years of their savings.

Of course, a typical Martial Artist wouldn’t spend money like it was water the way Xu Yunfan did. Sixty taels of silver, if used to buy medicinal herbs to brew Qi Replenishing Soup or make Strengthening Pills, would be enough to last one or two months if used sparingly.

Who would be as extravagant as Xu Yunfan?

’I have to be more frugal!’

While sighing internally, Xu Yunfan picked up his chopsticks, his expression animated. The fatigue from his earlier training seemed to lessen somewhat.

Time to eat!

’In this life, it’s all about eating and drinking.’

「After resting at noon.」

Xu Yunfan stood in a mountain hollow outside the city.

His legs were slightly bent, the soles of his feet pressed firmly against the ground, feeling the pulse of the earth beneath him. Blood Qi surged into his legs, and his muscles compressed like springs, accumulating astonishing power.

Xu Yunfan suddenly exploded with force, his body shooting forward like an arrow released from a bow. He left deep footprints in the ground where his feet had been.

He was so fast his figure was nearly a blur; all that could be heard was the whistling of wind in his ears.

His legs pushed off the ground alternately, each step carrying explosive power. He left a trail of shallow pits in the earth, kicking up clouds of dust.

The Blood Qi in his body surged through his legs. His muscles were continuously strengthened by the high-speed movement, and the blood vessels under his skin throbbed faintly, as if countless tiny flames were burning within them.