Chapter 10: Dragon Tendon and Tiger Bone

Pure Yang Skill and Red Flame Palm are both yang-based martial arts techniques that suppress demonic spirits. Coupled with Gu Chen's seventy years of inner strength cultivation, this Panic Level yin spirit comparable to a late-stage Breathing Realm was nothing to worry about. Along with several other strange yin spirits, they were all turned to ashes by this single palm strike from Gu Chen.

Witnessing the power of Gu Chen's strike, a look of fear flashed in Wu Qian's eyes. He hadn't expected Gu Chen's strength to be so terrifying.

"This Master Gu might have already reached the Pulse Unblocking Realm?!"

Wu Qian suppressed his inner shock and led a group of subordinates closer. Bowing respectfully, he said, "Master Gu, your strength is extraordinary. I am in awe. If not for you today, we few would not have been enough."

Gu Chen was checking his panel, wanting to know how many merit points he had earned from eliminating these demons and spirits. At this moment, he heard Wu Qian's words, smiled, and said, "Constable Wu, you overpraise me. This is merely my duty."

Wu Qian glanced at Gu Chen and, seeing that not even a corner of Gu Chen's clothing was damaged, felt even more admiration for him.

As for the constables behind Wu Qian, they were already too shocked to speak.

"Master Gu, what should we do now..." Wu Qian asked in a low voice.

Gu Chen replied, "The demons here have all been eradicated by me. The matter of Liu Family Village is settled. We can return now."

Hearing this, a look of joy flashed in Wu Qian's eyes, and he promptly said, "Yes!"

Then, under Gu Chen's lead, they returned to Ning City.

In the county office, County Magistrate Fang Yong had been waiting here all along. Seeing Gu Chen bring Wu Qian and the others back, he looked at Gu Chen with an inquisitive gaze.

Seeing this, Gu Chen smiled and clasped his fists, saying, "Lord Fang, fortunately, I did not fail in my mission. I have slain all the demons in Liu Family Village, leaving none."

Fang Yong, upon hearing this, stood up with a solemn expression and bowed deeply to Gu Chen, saying, "On behalf of the many citizens of Ning City, I thank Lord Gu!"

Gu Chen hurriedly walked forward to help Fang Yong up. Then, the two chatted for quite some time, during which Fang Yong suggested that Gu Chen stay in Ning City for a while longer so Fang Yong could fulfill his duty as a host.

After all, Gu Chen had rid Ning City of a major problem.

Fang Yong even wanted Gu Chen to stay in the county office during this time, for convenience in their work.

However, Fang Yong's suggestion was politely declined by Gu Chen. With Ning City's matter resolved, Gu Chen planned to stay one more night and then leave Ning City the next morning to return to Tiandu.

Seeing that Gu Chen had made up his mind and that no matter how he tried to persuade him, it was no use, Fang Yong felt deeply regretful but had no choice.

After finally getting rid of Fang Yong, Gu Chen left Ning City's county office and breathed a long sigh of relief.

"Dealing with these officials is truly troublesome." Gu Chen shook his head. The back-and-forth with County Magistrate Fang Yong had made Gu Chen feel more exhausted than fighting the demonic spirits.

Subsequently, Gu Chen returned to the inn. After closing the door tightly, he sat cross-legged on the bed, took out a deep black irregular crystal from his hand, and the room's temperature plummeted instantly. This was the soul crystal obtained from slaying the yin spirit of demon-level earlier.

Among demons, only those who reached the demon ghost level would produce a soul crystal upon death, which encapsulated all the power of the demon ghost.

As for strange spirits, killing them would not yield a soul crystal. This also proved that the power of strange spirits was much more dispersed compared to demon ghosts, making it hard to concentrate together.

As Gu Chen moved his mind, the soul crystal in his hand began to weather from the edges, slowly dissipating before his eyes.

After absorbing the soul crystal, Gu Chen's mind settled, and the next moment, the panel appeared.

Name: Gu Chen

Martial Arts: Iron Shirt Skill (perfection), Thirteen Grand Protectors' Horizontal Skill (perfection), Red Flame Palm (perfection), Dragon Tendon-Tiger Bone Fist (beginner)

Inner Skill: Pure Yang Skill

Cultivation: Seventy years

Realm: Great Perfection of the Breathing Realm

Merit Points: 20

Slaying the strange-level yin spirits had given Gu Chen a total of seven merit points, and slaying the demon-level yin spirit and absorbing its soul crystal had given him twelve merit points, making a total of twenty points with the one point left from before.

Previously, when Gu Chen raised his cultivation to seventy years, his body felt a sense of fullness again. Hence, this time he did not choose to increase his cultivation further but decided to enhance the martial arts realm first.

At this moment, his panel showed four martial arts, three of which had reached perfection, with only the "Dragon Tendon-Tiger Bone Fist" still at the beginner level.

This martial art was not obtained from the Jing Tian Department but left by the original owner's father.

Compared to Iron Shirt Skill, Thirteen Grand Protectors' Horizontal Skill, and Red Flame Palm, Dragon Tendon-Tiger Bone Fist was relatively more advanced.

In the world of the Nine Provinces, martial arts and inner skills are detailedly graded, ranging from the lowest to the highest in order of Mortal Grade, Lower Grade, Middle Grade, Upper Grade, Superior Martial Skills, Earth Grade, and finally Supreme Skills.

Among them, Mortal Grade is also known as entry-level. In simple terms, Mortal Grade martial arts are just some peasant techniques not fit for higher stages, hence referred to as entry-level.

Gu Chen's Iron Shirt Skill, Thirteen Grand Protectors' Horizontal Skill, and Red Flame Palm were obtained with the original owner's military merits from the Jing Tian Department, classified as Lower Grade martial arts.

However, Pure Yang Skill and Dragon Tendon-Tiger Bone Fist belong to Middle Grade.

But don't underestimate the Lower Grade martial arts because even a casual Lower Grade martial art would be worth at least hundreds, if not thousands of taels in the martial arts world. If it were an inner skill, the price would be even higher.

And a Middle Grade martial art or inner skill would start at the price of several thousand taels of silver at least.

Upper Grade martial arts and inner skills could reach prices as high as tens of thousands of taels.

Superior Martial Skills would demand at least hundreds of thousands of taels of silver and yet still be scarce in the market.

As for martial skills above Superior Martial Skills, they were beyond monetary valuation, scarce in quantity, considered priceless treasures, and forming the foundational heritage of major powers, rarely imparted to outsiders.

This highlights the preciousness of martial arts in the world of the Nine Provinces.

Of course, martial arts are not necessarily better the higher their grade because the higher the grade, the more profound the skill. Without corresponding martial experience, comprehending such profound martial arts is naturally difficult, making even entry into it impossible, with forced practice leading to going mad.

The original owner practiced Dragon Tendon-Tiger Bone Fist for a long time but always missed the key to entry due to this reason.

For Gu Chen, if it weren't for relying on the panel, even with another five years, he might not have achieved perfection in the three martial arts including Iron Shirt Skill.

Lower Grade martial arts are like this, let alone others.

Therefore, even in large clans, sects, or royal palaces, princelings and princesses generally start with low-grade martial arts to build a foundation, gradually accumulating martial experience for comprehending higher-grade martial arts later.

Subsequently, Gu Chen refocused his mind, and as he moved his thoughts, five merit points disappeared. Immediately, the "Dragon Tendon-Tiger Bone Fist" on the panel advanced from beginner to entry-level.

Instantly, a flood of martial arts experience poured into Gu Chen's mind.

Crackle!

At this time, a crisp sound came from inside Gu Chen's body as he sat cross-legged on the bed, the sound of his tendons and bones resonating in unison.

Dragon Tendon-Tiger Bone Fist, despite being a fist technique, its core philosophy can be seen from the name: it primarily focuses on tempering tendons and bones. Strong tendons and bones lead to stronger muscles and skin, enhancing the body's physique and explosive power.

According to the original owner's father, if this martial art reaches perfection, it will endow one with the power of a dragon and a tiger, easily wielding ten thousand pounds of force.

Unfortunately, the original owner's father never reached perfection with this martial art.

Moreover, the early death of the original owner's father left no one to explain this martial art to the original owner, one reason for his failure to grasp the entry key.

But now, with the panel, Gu Chen had no such concerns and could improve by spending merit points.

"It seems that the consumption of merit points for upgrading Middle Grade martial arts is incomparable to Lower Grade martial arts," Gu Chen thought to himself.

Previously, even raising Red Flame Palm to perfection only cost Gu Chen three merit points.

But now, merely advancing Dragon Tendon-Tiger Bone Fist to entry level cost him five merit points, a significant difference.

This clearly illustrates the disparity between Middle Grade and Lower Grade martial arts.

Feeling the significantly strengthened tendons and bones, along with the boiling qi and blood within, Gu Chen moved his thoughts again, resulting in the disappearance of another five merit points, advancing Dragon Tendon-Tiger Bone Fist to a minor achievement stage.