Chapter 8: Lu Ming’s Pride

Chapter 8: Chapter 8: Lu Ming’s Pride

Lu Ming did not dare to disturb him, terrified of interrupting the process. Instead, he carefully kept watch over the surroundings, acting as Lu Yuan’s guardian. This was the destiny of the Lu Family, and it absolutely could not be severed!

Saber Techniques were not necessarily better just because they were faster or more complex. Based on what he had learned, felt, and comprehended, Lu Yuan upgraded the Wind-Breaking Slash into the Wind-Breaking Nine Slashes.

It consisted of exactly nine moves. Each strike delivered more cuts than the last, and each was more exquisite and formidable, with the power gradually accumulating. The final move could only be withstood by relying on powerful Gang Qi—it was practically an unsolvable attack. However, Lu Yuan’s current power was limited, and he could only execute up to the sixth slash.

The upgrade was complete, and not even half an hour had passed. Lu Yuan then practiced the Cyan Gang Fist, improving and upgrading it as well.

The talent and comprehension of a prodigy were truly overwhelming. Compared to an ordinary Martial Artist, it was like the difference between heaven and earth; they were like two entirely different species. Even though there wasn’t much time left, Lu Yuan still managed to perfect the Cyan Gang Fist once over. Its power and potential were both significantly elevated.

[Martial Arts: Cyan Gang Fist (Great Success 2259/5000), Wind-Breaking Nine Slashes (Great Success 4834/10000)]

Lu Yuan glanced at the panel, feeling both joyous and slightly bewildered.

He thought, "Half an hour is equivalent to ten years of bitter training! That’s not even mentioning the improvement and upgrading of Cultivation Techniques. Such people are simply too terrifying. I will have to compete with existences like this in the future... Luckily, I have the system."

"PHEW."

Lu Yuan let out a long breath. A sudden wave of exhaustion welled up and quickly swept through his entire body. He felt incredibly sore and just wanted to lie down.

"Eat this," Lu Ming said, appearing beside him and pressing a Pill to Lu Yuan’s lips.

Lu Yuan swallowed it without hesitation. Soon, a surge of heat emerged, circulating through his entire body to nourish and repair his fatigued physique.

"Is this a Nourishing Essence Pill?" he asked.

"Yes. I exchanged for it at the Government Office. I originally thought your power was insufficient and that it might be a bit of a waste, but now it’s just right." Lu Ming smiled.

This Nourishing Essence Pill was even more expensive than a Qi Nourishing Pill. It consolidated the foundation and nourished the essence, making it perfect for a Ninth Grade Martial Artist. He had initially intended to give it to his son as an engagement gift to help him break through to the Ninth Grade sooner. He never expected Lu Yuan to give him a surprise—an absolutely massive surprise.

"Your epiphany just now and the improvement to the Martial Arts were incredible," Lu Ming said. "Do you know the monumental significance of what you’ve done, and your contribution to the Lu Family?

"You are my pride, and the pride of our Lu Family!"

An individual’s increase in strength was ultimately just for the individual, but Cultivation Techniques were a family’s legacy. They could allow a family to prosper for hundreds of years, or even longer. Its significance was so immense that Lu Yuan could be granted his own dedicated page in the family genealogy.

"Heh, it was alright," Lu Yuan replied, unable to stop the corners of his mouth from curling up. It was rare for a son to be able to puff out his chest so proudly in front of his old man. "How about the newly improved Martial Arts?

"Do you want to learn them? I can teach you."

There was no reason to refuse.

Lu Ming learned them earnestly and practiced hard throughout the night. With his Seventh Grade Cultivation, he was far more formidable than Lu Yuan. He easily brought both the improved Cyan Gang Fist and the Wind-Breaking Nine Slashes to Great Success, and then pushed them toward Perfection.

The next morning.

Lu Ming eagerly went to work at the Government Office, walking with a spring in his step. Everything he saw looked pleasing to the eye, even the dogs mating by the roadside.

"Chief Lu."

Upon entering the Government Office, sixty-year-old Gatekeeper Li greeted him with a smile. Looking at Lu Ming’s glowing face, he couldn’t help but pause. "Is there another happy occasion at home?"

"A happy occasion! A great happy occasion!" Lu Ming beamed.

"Even happier than Little Yuan’s engagement? Could it be that your wife is expecting?" Gatekeeper Li’s eyes widened. The only happy occasion greater than a son’s engagement had to be exactly that. He knew Lu Ming had always wanted another child.

"No." Lu Ming shook his head, the smile on his face slightly retracting. "It’s because my son had an epiphany and broke through. Not only did his Martial Arts reach Great Success, but he also upgraded and improved our Cultivation Techniques."

"An epiphany? Upgrading and improving Cultivation Techniques?" Gatekeeper Li’s eyes instantly widened as large as a bull’s balls.

For a Martial Artist, the most important and longed-for event was an epiphany. It allowed one’s Martial Arts to advance by leaps and bounds, breaking through upward limits. However, it was something that could only be encountered by chance and not actively sought; the probability of it occurring was infinitesimally low. With the Jade Capital’s population of over ten million, it would be considered good if two or three people experienced one in a year.

And for a family, the most important thing was the inheritance of Cultivation Techniques. Improving and upgrading a Cultivation Technique held unparalleled significance—it merited elevating one’s tablet in the ancestral hall and opening a dedicated page in the family genealogy. Of course, it also depended on the extent of the upgrade: whether it was truly completely transformed, with its power and potential visibly surging. If it was just a minor, barely noticeable change, it didn’t count.

"Are you serious? To what level?" Gatekeeper Li asked.

"Heh, Superior," Lu Ming said smugly.

The Wind-Breaking Nine Slashes had absolutely reached the Superior Martial Arts Level; it was incomparably exquisite. After practicing it for a night, he felt his combat power had increased quite a bit.

"Chief Lu, you’ve struck it rich! The Lu Family has struck it rich and is going to prosper immensely!" Gatekeeper Li immediately congratulated him.

With Superior Martial Arts, one’s combat power from cultivation would be stronger, and the probability of breaking through to the Seventh Grade would drastically increase, as would the chances of breaking through to the Sixth Grade. If a family had five Seventh Grade experts, it was a completely different story than just having one. Add to that the Eighth Grade and Ninth Grade Martial Artists, and the family’s overall strength would be elevated by a massive tier, quickly widening the gap between them and their original standing.

Not long after, the other chiefs and constables arrived for work and learned of the matter through Gatekeeper Li’s mouth. They were all utterly amazed and came forward to congratulate Lu Ming.

"Chief Lu, congratulations!"

"Like father, like son."

"Each generation truly surpasses the last."

Lu Ming was a Seventh Grade Martial Artist and a chief of a branch Government Office, making him one of their strongest combatants. Everyone naturally wanted to curry favor with him, especially now that double blessings had descended upon his house.

There were only two ways for a small family to rank up: one was to produce a genius, and the other was to obtain a high-level Cultivation Technique. The Lu Family had just formed a marriage alliance with the much stronger Lin Family, and now they had obtained Superior Martial Arts...

Of course, there were also those who didn’t believe it.

"Heh, his son just got engaged and isn’t even an adult yet, and he’s already in such a rush to pave the way and build a reputation for him," scoffed Vice Chief Yangg Lian in private. He had never gotten along with Lu Ming. "An epiphany to upgrade and improve Cultivation Techniques? He really dares to say it. He isn’t afraid of becoming a laughingstock when a true genius shows up at his door to slap him in the face."

"What do you mean, Mr. Yangg? You don’t believe him?" a junior constable immediately asked.

"Naturally, I don’t. Do you?" Yangg Lian rolled his eyes. "He didn’t have an epiphany earlier, and he didn’t have one later—why did it have to be right at this exact moment?

"Besides, is having an epiphany really that simple? Does that brat from the Lu Family even have the qualifications? Is he worthy? The Lu Family formed a marriage alliance with the Lin Family, so Captain Lin probably didn’t want his son-in-law to be too terrible and get looked down upon, which is why he stepped in to help out a bit.

"I just didn’t expect the Lu Family to actually concoct such an excuse. Heh, he really isn’t afraid of biting off more than he can chew. Forcing such a massive reputation onto his kid’s head—can that brat even handle the weight?"

"I see." The junior constable was hit with a sudden realization. "Mr. Yangg, hearing you say that clears it right up."

"Heh, just wait and watch the good show later," Yangg Lian gloated.

He felt that with Lu Ming parading it around like this, it wouldn’t be long before someone came knocking to slap them in the face and expose the lie. A good reputation was nice, but without true capability to back it up, one would be swiftly crushed under its weight.

Back at the Lu family’s home.

"Lu Yuan, I’m here to spar with you again!"

Early in the morning, Lin Siheng leaped down from the wall. "I spent half the night thinking, and I came up with a way to defeat you."

"Oh? What way? Let’s hear it," Lu Yuan said, stopping his fist practice.

Interacting with a genius was beneficial to himself as well. After the Cultivation Technique was improved, the True Qi he produced was purer, but the consumption was also greater, so it wasn’t suitable for prolonged practice.

"I heard my second sister say that your Fist Technique reached Great Success and you broke through to the Ninth Grade?" Lin Siheng asked.