Chapter 60: Encountering Lin Qingfeng, Dual Blade Style

Chapter 60: Chapter 60: Encountering Lin Qingfeng, Dual Blade Style

SWOOSH!

Ghost Fang darted swiftly in one direction.

Lu Ming and Wei Changgong watched but did not give chase. They couldn’t defeat him, nor could they intercept him, so what was the point?

SWOOSH!

Lu Yuan climbed out of the well and quickly looted the battlefield. He then looked at Lu Ming. "Will you take over here while grandfather and I head back?"

With such a huge commotion, the people from the Demon Suppression Bureau would arrive shortly. The three of them being here, given their special relationships, would inevitably arouse suspicion.

"Mhm, you two leave first," Lu Ming nodded.

"Be careful," Wei Changgong instructed before he and Lu Yuan quickly departed.

It didn’t take long for them to return to the Wei Family’s home.

"You brat. I knew you wouldn’t come to my house for no reason," Wei Changgong scolded.

"Grandfather, you wrong me by saying that! Have I ever been that kind of person?" Lu Yuan immediately cried foul. "Do I always have an ulterior motive when visiting your family?"

"Alright, I’m going to deal with your second uncle." Wei Changgong waved his hand and headed to the ancestral hall.

The family’s internal issues had to be resolved. To actually believe in the Evil Cult’s nonsense? Lu Yuan had no idea how the matter would be handled in the ancestral hall.

Early the next morning, he returned to the Lu Family.

Coincidentally, he bumped into his prospective father-in-law, Lin Qingfeng, who was just heading out at the entrance. This was the head of the Lin Family, the future Southern Guardian Marquis, and a Second Grade expert.

He was dressed in the cyan robes of the Demon-slaying Bureau. A grayish-white Pixiu was embroidered on his chest, and a black belt woven with golden threads wrapped around his waist, adorned with two pieces of white jade. His face was authoritative, his gaze as profound as an abyss.

He exuded an overwhelmingly powerful pressure on Lu Yuan. Perhaps his Cultivation was not yet at the absolute pinnacle, but he already possessed the bearing of a mighty marquis.

[Life is full of surprises; where do we not meet? Your greatest test today is encountering a Second Grade expert—your future father-in-law, the Southern Guardian Marquis, Lin Qingfeng. Whether this is an opportunity or a disaster depends entirely on a single thought.]

[Mission issued: Maintain eye contact with him for five breaths without backing down. Completion Reward: 10 Bone Aptitude points, Time of the Prodigy, and 5,000 EXP.]

As expected of his prospective father-in-law, a triple reward! He absolutely had to get these!

Lu Yuan looked at Lin Qingfeng, and Lin Qingfeng looked back at him. The two locked eyes in silence. Both sides were scrutinizing each other, clashing on some unseen level, maintaining a peculiarly strange atmosphere.

One breath!

Two breaths!

Three breaths...

One breath was roughly equivalent to five seconds; five breaths would be twenty-five seconds—nearly half a minute. Staring at someone for such a long time was definitely not normal. And for Lu Yuan, it was even more difficult.

Fortunately, Lin Qingfeng was not yet the Southern Guardian Marquis, a peerless Second Grade existence. Furthermore, the relationship between them hadn’t deteriorated to the awkward and hostile state it would reach twenty-five years later.

Five breaths!

[Congratulations to the host for completing the mission. 10 points of Bone Aptitude, Time of the Prodigy, and 5,000 EXP have been credited.]

Lu Yuan lowered his gaze and took the initiative to step forward and greet him. "Mr. Lin."

"Mhm," Lin Qingfeng replied flatly. "You’ve been performing well lately. Both your Cultivation and Martial Dao have grown significantly. Did you join some Sect and practice a special Cultivation Technique?"

"Due to a moment of enlightenment, my Martial Arts and Cultivation have grown a lot. I also joined the Demon Suppression Bureau and have indeed practiced some Martial Arts. You truly have a keen eye, Mr. Lin," Lu Yuan replied with a smile.

This was clearly not the answer Lin Qingfeng was looking for. He already knew about Lu Yuan’s epiphany, as well as his joining the Demon Suppression Bureau. But he knew the Martial Arts and rules of the Demon Suppression Bureau even better. There was absolutely no way Lu Yuan could have obtained a Cultivation Technique that improved his Bone Aptitude right after joining the Demon Suppression Bureau.

Moreover, in just a short span of ten days, Lu Yuan’s Bone Aptitude, Martial Arts, and Cultivation had all improved drastically, as if he had been completely reborn. Without the intervention of some other power, this would be absolutely impossible!

"Keep working hard. If you can break through to the Seventh Grade before the age of seventeen, I’ll give you a reward," Lin Qingfeng said.

"A reward? Thank you, Mr. Lin." Lu Yuan bowed respectfully.

Lin Qingfeng patted Lu Yuan on the shoulder, turned around, and strode away.

"So this is a peak Fifth Grade, or perhaps even a Fourth Grade expert?" Lu Yuan thought to himself. "The most outstanding, peerless prodigy of Daqian in the last five hundred years..."

His eyes flickered as he entered his courtyard.

With 10 points of Bone Aptitude added to his body, his physique was elevated once more. The change had never been this noticeable. He could even feel that his Bone Tempering progress had advanced significantly. As his Bone Aptitude improved, his essence evolved, leading to a massive increase in strength.

Then there was the 5,000 EXP.

Without hesitation, Lu Yuan spent 1,393 points to bring the Nine Glories of Archery to major completion, unlocking the Nine-Star Linked Beads. With this, his ranged attack power was solidified, vastly increasing his combat prowess.

He had 3,607 points left.

There were two options. The first was to spend 2,000 EXP to push the Cloud-Brushing Hand to Perfection. The remaining 1,607 points would be enough to bring the Little Heavenly Gang Meteor Hammer to minor completion and advance it significantly. The second option was to directly push the Little Heavenly Gang Meteor Hammer to major completion to pass Yan Qing’s test.

However, there was no rush for the latter. Therefore, Lu Yuan chose the first plan.

[Congratulations to the host for bringing the Cloud-Brushing Hand to Perfection. Rewarded: Two-Handed Communication Talent.]

"Two-Handed Communication! Two-Handed Combat!" Lu Yuan thought, his eyes lighting up with immense surprise.

The benefits of Two-Handed Communication went without saying. From now on, he could practice Left-Handed Saber Techniques to catch his enemies off guard. He could even adopt the Dual Blade Style. Furthermore, the technique and power of his Hidden Weapon Techniques would drastically improve, sending his combat strength soaring.

This level of Perfection was truly worth it!

Now, for close combat, he had the perfected hidden weapon technique, the Cloud-Brushing Hand. For melee slaughter, he had the dual-blade Wind-Breaking Nine Slashes. For long-range attacks, he had the Nine Glories of Archery and the majorly completed Nine-Star Linked Beads.

He had basically no flaws. The only thing lacking was his sheer physical strength.

[Host: Lu Yuan]

[Age: 40]

[Bone Aptitude: Intermediate (150)]

[Cultivation: Eighth Grade (Bone Tempering)]

[Martial Arts: Little Heavenly Gang Meteor Hammer (Minor Completion 1645/3000), Nine Glories of Archery (Major Completion 3000/10000), Cloud-Brushing Hand (Perfection), Azure Gang Fist (Perfection), Wind-Breaking Nine Slashes (Perfection)]

[Talents: Undying Martial Body, Unyielding Will, Intermediate Blade Dao, Two-Handed Communication, Time of the Prodigy (Half an Hour)]

[EXP: 0]

Lu Yuan noted that his Bone Aptitude had reached the intermediate level.

Bone Aptitude was incredibly important. It was a person’s physical endowment and the foundation of practicing Martial Arts. For an ordinary person, the maximum Bone Aptitude score was around 100 points. A frail man might only have fifty or sixty points.

Because Lu Yuan’s ancestors in the Lu Family practiced Martial Arts, his innate talent was slightly better than an ordinary person’s, starting at around 120. Having increased it by 30 points recently, he finally reached the intermediate level (150-199).

This was roughly on par with Jianng Hongfei. Even if he was slightly lacking, the difference was marginal.

Within the system, high-grade Bone Aptitude ranged between 200 and 299. Among the people he knew, probably only Mu Lingche could reach that level. As for that little monster, Lin Siheng, his score was likely above 300.

Of course, his prospective father-in-law, Lin Qingfeng, and his fiancée, Lin Siyao, were exceptions. They both possessed special physiques.

Having digested his rewards, the only thing left unused was the Time of the Prodigy. Lu Yuan wouldn’t use it lightly. It was simply too rare to come by. Moreover, he already knew its benefits and effects. Only by using it at a critical moment and in a crucial situation could its maximum potential be unleashed.

CLANG!

Lu Yuan drew his blade, holding it in his left hand, and began practicing the Wind-Breaking Nine Slashes. Because it was at Perfection, he had long achieved the Unity of Man and Blade. Paired with his Intermediate Blade Dao talent, it was inherently easy for him.

Now, armed with the Two-Handed Communication talent that cleared the crucial acupoints in both arms, it became even more effortless.

SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!

Lu Yuan rapidly mastered executing the Wind-Breaking Nine Slashes with his left hand, soon able to unleash the technique freely and at will.

Following that, he drew another blade and began pondering the Dual Blade Style...