NOVEL NEXT Chapter 75: Bright Strength Stage
Chapter 75: Bright Strength Stage
There were no more bargains to be had, and the real treasures were off limits. Xu Lian couldn’t find a way to profit, so he decided to head back.
However, he remembered that the city gates were already closed, and they wouldn’t open again until dawn. He had no choice but to walk around.
He waited until the first light of dawn began to paint the sky pale.
Xu Lian left the valley, took his horse and mounted it.
He urged the horse forward and headed back toward Pingyang County.
Suddenly, he heard a rustling sound coming from the mountain forest by the side of the road. Instantly alert, he gripped the reins with his left hand and drew the one-star longsword he had purchased with his right hand.
He rode on, alert for any movement in the forest. It could be a wild beast, or it could be some kind of demon or strange creature. No matter what it was, he couldn’t afford to be careless. This was his personal motto for life.
In the distance, he saw it.
A black leopard, with a person riding on its back, carrying a bow and arrows.
“Whoosh!”
A sharp sound cut through the air as an arrow flew towards Xu Lian!
Even before it reached him, he felt a prickling sensation on his skin – a dangerous feeling.
It reminded him of when Pei Zhaoxi, that little firecracker, had shot an arrow at him once. After he had caught her, their exchange of arrows had led to a bond between them.
But Pei Zhaoxi wasn’t at the level of a martial artist, and her arrows didn’t pose the same kind of threat. Clearly, the person riding the leopard was a martial artist.
“Who’s there?!”
There was no time to think. Xu Lian tilted his body slightly on the horse, narrowly avoiding the first arrow and shouted in a booming voice, hoping to scare off the attacker.
The response he received, however, was more arrows. “Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!”
His gaze sharpened as he saw three arrows shooting toward him in a “品” formation, their angles precise and deadly, blocking all his escape routes.
If he couldn’t dodge them, he’d fight them.
Although Xu Lian was cautious, he was also decisive when his life was in danger.
With one hand pressing on the horse’s back, he leapt into the air, drawing his one-star longsword from the saddle.
“Bang! Bang! Bang!”
The one-star longsword slashed through the air, knocking the three arrows aside.
Xu Lian did not retreat, but charged forward into the forest, sword in hand.
The person riding the leopard was stunned. Realizing their mistake, they immediately turned to flee, clearly underestimating Xu Lian’s strength.
“Whoosh!”
Xu Lian gave chase with his one-star longsword in his hand. He unleashed the Breaking Wind Sword Technique, sending a gust of sword wind towards the fleeing figure!
The difference in quality was obvious. With the star-rated weapon, Xu Lian could feel its smoothness and precision, and the sword wind he unleashed was sharper and more powerful.
“Poof!”
In an instant, blood blossomed and the rider’s head was severed. The rider’s body lost control and fell off the leopard.
Startled, the leopard quickly fled deeper into the forest.
Xu Lian didn’t pursue it. The leopard was of no value to him. He wasn’t interested in having a leopard as a mount, and he understood the old saying: “Don’t chase a cornered enemy,” wary of a possible ambush deeper in the forest.
Still, looting the body was necessary. He searched the decapitated corpse and found several spirit stones, which he quietly pocketed, spitting once as he did so.
“You are young and foolish, and you dare to follow others like a lovesick fool with only the strength of the Muscle Refining level.”
Xu Lian glanced at the decapitated head rolling in the grass. It was a young man, probably someone who had followed him from the black market.
Perhaps the man had noticed that he was a newcomer to the black market since Xu Lian wasn’t wearing a cloak, which led him to think of robbing and killing him.
Without lingering, Xu Lian left the forest, mounted his black horse, and continued on his way back to Pingyang County.
After he left, a black mist began to emerge from the decapitated head, gradually taking the shape of a human face. It looked in the direction Xu Lian had gone, then slithered into the deeper forest… probably in search of the leopard.
Clearly, this young man had been possessed by some kind of demon or strange creature.
Xu Lian was unaware of this, and just as he had done when he arrived, it took him less than half an hour to return to Pingyang County.
The city gates had not yet opened at this point, so he had to wait.
Besides him, there were a few others who had returned from the black market.
Those who went to the black market were either selling counterfeit goods or trying to find a bargain. Few people there were really involved in fair trade. No one was trustworthy, and everyone knew it… They kept their distance, kept to themselves without speaking.
After a while, more and more ordinary people arrived and the scene became more lively.
Some carried baskets on their backs, others pushed carts or one-wheeled chicken carts. The baskets and carts were filled with vegetables, obviously brought by villagers from nearby towns to sell at the market.
Still others came with empty hands, only a bamboo water bottle hanging from their waistbands. They had probably come to the city to earn wages.
The people in Pingyang County and the surrounding villages seemed to live better than those in the small towns. At least they didn’t have to pay blood for the night watchmen.
With a creaking sound, the heavy city gates were pushed open from the inside, and a group of soldiers appeared, shouting orders to maintain order.
“Form a line!”
“Form a line!”
The commoners outside the city had already formed a line, eagerly waiting to enter.
Entering the city earlier meant more chances to earn money or grain – everyone understood this simple logic.
Xu Lian, not wanting to compete with the commoners for space, stayed at the back of the line.
After a while, it was Xu Lian’s turn. He pulled out a copper coin with a missing chip and tossed it into the basket, leading his horse through the gates. It was a personal habit of his-no matter how rich and powerful he became, he still kept a few copper coins on him for emergencies.
The soldier guarding the basket cast a disdainful glance at the chipped copper coin and muttered irritably, “Dressed like someone of importance, with a horse, and still using this inferior coin… stingy.”
Xu Lian pretended not to hear the soldier’s grumbling and rode off in the direction of Third Street.
Pingyang County was centered around the Spirit Tree, with each street forming a circle. The families on First Street were aristocratic, Second and Third Streets were home to powerful families, Fourth and Fifth Streets housed wealthy households, and beyond Sixth Street, the area was inhabited by common folk.
He returned to the Lin residence.
The west wing of the courtyard.
Xu Lian immediately took out the Condensation Pill, silently praying that it wasn’t a fake.
Holding the Condensation Pill in his hand, he began to chant, adding the necessary ingredients.
【Adding Condensation Pill, advancement successful】
A prompt appeared, and Xu Lian couldn’t help but feel overjoyed. He breathed out a sigh of relief – this wasn’t a fake, and his careful decision to buy this Condensation Pill after much deliberation had paid off.
In an instant, the Condensation Pill turned to ash.
At the same time, a surge of powerful energy began to flow through Xu Lian’s body. With a slight clench of his fist, a burst of power exploded in his palm.
Refining the skin, tendons, bones, and marrow were all steps in tempering the body. The stage of Bright Strength marked a shift to a new level where the internal energy manifested as vital force-this was a qualitative change.
He grabbed the one-star longsword and tested it. Sure enough, he was able to channel his energy into the sword, and the tip of the blade emitted a fog-like sword light.
[Name: Xu Lian]
[Rank: Bright Strength Stage, First Stage]
[Technique: Breaking Wind Sword Technique (Volume 1)]
[Item: Longsword (Rusty one-star longsword, forged from cold iron, sturdy and sharp, capable of enhancing vital force)]
[Note: You currently have no available progression points.]
Looking at his status bar, Xu Lian pondered.
The Bright Strength rank was clearly different from the previous ranks, as it now had a subdivision into layers.
How many ranks were there? That was one question.
The second question was that solely relying on the first volume of the Breaking Wind Sword Technique wouldn’t be enough in the long run. It worked against lower-level cultivators, but once he faced small masters, it would become tricky, and against greater masters… well, he’d better start using the Purple Token to request help.
As for the third question, he currently had no Progression Points, so he would have to find ways to improve his relationship with others in order to gain Progression Points!
Sister Xiya’s favorability was 93/100, which was already high. Getting it higher would be difficult. It would be great if Sister Xiya could get pregnant. Sister Xiya is a woman who can give birth well. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have… this function yet.
Yang Chan’er’s favorability was 90/100, which was also hard to improve. As for having children… that wasn’t an option for her.
Chuntao’s favorability was 60/100, and it would take a long time to reach 90/100.
Little Pepper Pei Zhaoxi’s favorability was at 50/100, and there was still a long way to go before it increased.
After thinking it over, Xu Lian realized that Xu Xiaomei was his best bet. Her favorability was 85/100, and if he could raise it a little more, he would be able to gain one progress point.
“I need to find time to visit Stone Town,” Xu Lian thought, making plans for the future… now he was becoming a master of time management.