The suddenly awakened Xu Guang sat up, looking at the interface.
He hadn't expected that the source of experience for the Martial Artist Profession would be like this.
Is it a daily settlement?
But this experience is too little, not to mention compared to a beggar, even less than an Elephant Envoy.
If there's only this one profession, the difficulty of leveling up makes Xu Guang's scalp tingle.
"I wonder if there is a standard for this daily settlement, whether the Qi Gathering Pill I took at midnight counts as experience."
With these thoughts, Xu Guang fell into a deep sleep.
His daily schedule was very full, with many things to do.
...
Days passed by one after another.
After Song Di stayed in the Zhu Family, he kept a low profile, and apart from the Zhu Family members and Tie Kuang, the Sect Leader of the Iron Armor Sect, few knew that Song Di was currently staying there.
Xu Guang had not seen this mysterious Young Master Song of the Song Clan even once.
The Shepherd's Manor was very small, and Old Li would occasionally have meals with Xu Guang.
He was a Fan Maker, and in these times, those with skills never lacked food, especially since he worked for the Zhu Family.
With one mouth to feed, the whole family doesn't go hungry; his biggest enjoyment daily was dining with Xu Guang and his old friend who worked as a Protector.
Occasionally, Xu Guang and Uncle Liu, the head of the Shepherd's Manor protectors, would also be invited by Old Li.
"Uncle Liu, how long did it take you to become a Martial Arts Ninth Grade?"
Xu Guang casually asked after popping a peanut into his mouth.
Indeed, Uncle Liu, the head of the Shepherd's Manor's protectors, possessed the strength of a Martial Arts Ninth Grade.
Uncle Liu: "About two and a half years."
Two and a half years?
Xu Guang was speechless.
"You don't think that's a long time, do you? Martial cultivation isn't as easy as you think. Back in the army, the flag officer valued me, and I built a good foundation. After joining the Zhu Family, the master nurtured me further, so I succeeded in entering the grade in two and a half years."
Pausing, Uncle Liu's face showed a hint of regret, "But it's been twelve years since I entered the grade, and due to limitations in my aptitude, I've completely failed to grasp the path to the Eighth Grade; this life is just going to be like this."
Upon hearing this, Xu Guang fell into silence.
The challenges of martial arts cultivation in this world were far greater than he had imagined.
The entry test for the Iron Armor Sect required successfully reaching the grade within a certain period, yet among more than three hundred disciples, only over sixty have broken through from Ninth Grade to Eighth Grade!
In his mind, Xu Guang recalled the martial cultivation realms Zhu Cheng had explained to him.
"Since the founding of the Great Zhou, the Human Emperor stabilized the eight directions, defining the Martial Arts Nine Grades.
Martial Dao cultivates oneself; the Ninth Grade is skin and flesh, the Eighth Grade is tendons and bones, the Seventh Grade is Blood Marrow, and above that, the Sixth Grade enters the wondrous realm of the Martial Dao, known as Innate Experts, which is absent in the entire Qingshuo County town."
Entering the grade in martial arts is easy, but reaching the Ninth Grade is just a glimpse into the doorway. Progressing further makes each step extremely difficult.
...
Zhu Mansion.
Song Di stood in the courtyard, watching the accumulated snow.
Zhu Fu stood behind him, feeling an intensely heavy pressure emanating from this young man.
"Young Master Song, the people of the Thirty-Six Giant Bandits of the Northern Lands are all contacted by my second brother, but my second brother has always been at odds with me..."
Zhu Fu unconsciously shook his head as he spoke.
He hadn't expected Zhu Huai to bring so much trouble.
Song Di came for the Thirty-Six Giant Bandits of the Northern Lands, not out of a vengeance, but for cooperation.
As for what kind of cooperation, Zhu Fu didn't know and didn't want to know; he only wanted to quickly contact the people of the Thirty-Six Giant Bandits of the Northern Lands and send Song Di away.
Song Di had stayed for a few days, and Zhu Fu already had an extremely ominous feeling.
The matters involved with this person were absolutely significant, far beyond what the small stature of the Zhu Family could bear; he finally realized why Tie Kuang had introduced Song Di to the Zhu Family.
Tie Kuang had likely passed a hot potato over to him.
At this thought, Zhu Fu wanted to slap himself, as he had happily picked up this hot potato.
Song Di seemed to ignore Zhu Fu's words, catching the falling snow from the sky, clenched his fist, and crushed it.
"Since ancient times, chivalry has been forbidden, and during the heyday of the Great Zhou, there was a nationwide martial ban. However, the martial spirit couldn't be fully suppressed by a single Jade Order.
Almost overnight in Zouchuan Dao, large and small black markets were established everywhere, harvesting enormous profits and creating a livelihood for martial artists. Although the Great Zhou is now nominally existent, the black markets everywhere remain prosperous..."
As Zhu Fu listened to Song Di speaking of unrelated matters, a terrifying suspicion arose in his heart.
His voice became hoarse.
"Young Master Song is saying... the people behind the black market..."
"The Thirty-Six Northern Bandits."
Song Di replied softly.
In an instant, both fell into silence.
Only the howling wind remained, accompanied by swirling snowflakes, reflecting a shimmering brilliance.
...
Snow fell for three days and nights.
The whole world seemed to return to a primal, hazy white state.
Xu Guang, bare-chested, continuously threw punches in the wind and snow; his strong qi and blood coursed through his veins, unfazed by the chill of the harsh winter.
His arms moved through the air.
The [Martial Artist] profession had reached Level 2.
Pile Skill naturally rose to Level 2 (30/30).
The upgrade of Pile Skill directly reflected in his body, but his body, strengthened by the Elephant Contract, seemed like a bottomless pit; after two upgrades, he had already spent over a hundred taels of silver on medicine to replenish his qi and blood.
Yet, he still had not touched the threshold of reaching the grade.
Besides, the enhancement of Pile Skill also significantly increased his cultivation speed.
Although two enhancements did not make him reach the grade, Xu Guang's mindset shifted from being anxious to calm; he was no longer in a rush, instead becoming unhurried.
With the Golden Finger, he did not have to worry about failing to reach the grade.
Suddenly.
He felt his whole body boil with hot blood, his qi and blood running rampant between muscles and skin, so much so that he could hear the sound of it flowing through his flesh.
In the midst of this sudden change.
A hint of joy flashed in Xu Guang's heart.
This is...
He clenched his fists, looking at his hands in disbelief; his strength had unexpectedly doubled!
Moreover, a layer of crystal-clear outer skin, resembling fine sweat beads, appeared on his palm, tough and resilient to the touch.
This is... reaching the grade!
"Strength like a wild ox, Jade Skin encompasses flesh, this is the Ninth Grade realm!"
Xu Guang's face was filled with ecstasy.
Since acquiring Pile Skill, he had successfully broken through in less than a month of cultivation.
Although he had been anticipating it, he still found it hard to believe as he touched the skin on his body after it truly happened; all the changes clearly told him he had stepped into the Ninth Grade.
"Indeed, after the dark willows, there's another village!"
Xu Guang's face bore a joyful expression.
After calming down, Xu Guang reviewed all the changes in himself.
Firstly, the change in strength; his strength directly doubled. Ordinary people breaking into the Ninth Grade, since their skin and flesh could bear more strength, usually experienced a seventy percent increase in strength.
For ordinary people before reaching the grade, two hundred catties was considered strong-bodied, three hundred was deemed talented.
But Xu Guang, before the breakthrough, due to continuous growth under General Wei, already possessed arm strength exceeding seven hundred catties!
This was a power incomparable to typical Ninth-Grade Martial Artists.
With such a large base, his strength more than doubled post-breakthrough, surpassing fifteen hundred catties.
What kind of inhuman strength is this?
Apart from strength, there was the Jade Skin, covering his body like cowhide; not only could it slightly resist sharp weapons, but it could also deflect the force of attacks, greatly enhancing his overall defense.