’According to the original plan, even if I had to use this trump card, it would have been to request assistance and have my superiors send people to handle the plague.’

’But having them send people in response to a plea for help means they’ll re-evaluate my abilities! It means I’ll lose that chance to compete!’

The Black-robed Steward knew Chang Younian’s thoughts. No one would take a measure that required a great sacrifice unless they were in a truly desperate situation.

But now, with the refugee riots, the huge number of casualties among the city’s populace, and the accelerating spread of the plague, a decision had to be made. Otherwise, there was a very high probability that Chang Younian would be dismissed from his post, or even arrested.

As Chang Younian’s Steward, he had to consider these things.

"Xuejin, is there no other way?" Chang Younian was still unwilling to accept it. "I’m over forty years old. This is my only chance! Without this opportunity, I’ll spend the rest of my life just..."

"My Lord!" the Steward interrupted, his expression calm. "As long as you’re alive, there’s always a chance!"

Chang Younian’s expression softened, and he fell silent.

Seeing this, the Steward quietly departed without disturbing him.

In the rear courtyard, Chang Younian’s face was a mask of conflict. ’After all the trouble to get this chance, how can I be willing to fail just like this?!’

’But if I don’t do it and the situation becomes truly irreversible, the consequences will be extremely severe!’

Slowly, his hesitant expression twisted into a ferocious, cruel snarl. But in the end, it all dissolved into a soft sigh.

’I still can’t bring myself to take that step! Maintaining the status quo is probably better than being convicted of a crime.’

Without his official position, he would truly have no more chances.

He returned to his study and wrote a letter.

Watching the carrier pigeon fly off into the distance, he murmured:

"For these last three days, even if I fail, they can forget about getting any benefits!"

With that, he walked toward the rear courtyard.

「At sunset.」

In the Wilderness World, by the large tree behind the market cabin, a red-skinned Cheng Zongyang was tirelessly striking his body, sweat pouring off him like rain and steaming from his skin.

He had just drunk another two taels of Tiger Bone Wine. The liquor burned like fire, and Primordial Qi surged through him while his blood and qi raged. Although the effect couldn’t compare to a medicinal meal stewed with Exotic Beast Flesh, it was far more fierce and domineering!

The effect was so addictive he found it impossible to stop, training over and over without any sense of fatigue.

「A quarter of an hour later.」

[Body Refining Skill, Proficiency +3]

As the notification chimed, Cheng Zongyang froze. He stopped his movements abruptly, his chest heaving.

A sense of Enlightenment dawned in his mind. An unending warm current originated from his spine and spread to his limbs and bones, coursing through all the muscles in his body, rapidly nourishing and strengthening them!

An endless sense of power filled his entire body. Clenching his fist, he could feel the new strength burgeoning within him, far more immense than before!

He went back to the same fallen log from before.

After his last breakthrough, he had used all his strength and could barely lift it to his waist.

This time, he prepared to try again.

As he mustered his strength, the muscles all over his body bulged, and his veins popped out like writhing earthworms.

"Up!!"

With a great shout, he once again gradually lifted the root end of the log.

Slowly, he lifted it to his chest this time, slightly higher than before, but it was still a struggle.

After all, the fallen tree was simply too big and heavy.

He relaxed his hands, and the trunk slammed into the ground, sending dirt flying.

Cheng Zongyang let out a breath, feeling the changes from this breakthrough.

"So this is the power of the Eighth Grade!"

"According to the Cultivation Technique’s records, each level of a Lower Three Grades Cultivation Method increases your power by about five hundred jin. By surging your blood and qi, you can multiply that by two to three times with your full strength."

"The Eighth Grade Realm gave me a power increase of about five hundred jin. Adding my own base strength, I can now normally exert about fifteen hundred jin of power. That’s about five hundred jin more than a normal Eighth Grade Martial Artist."

"If I surge my blood and qi for an all-out burst, a single punch can unleash two to three times that power! Even at a conservative two times, that’s three thousand jin of force, a full one thousand jin stronger than other Eighth Grade Martial Artists!"

The power change at the Ninth Grade wasn’t very obvious, as it mainly tempered the Skin and Flesh.

But entering the Eighth Grade was not just a breakthrough in Cultivation; more importantly, it was a physical transformation.

His muscles had become denser and more powerful, and his Endurance had also increased. These changes were the main reason for the significant increase in his Power.

But he was well aware that if he encountered another one of those Exotic Beasts with a special Ability, he didn’t think an Eighth Grade Martial Artist would have much of an advantage.

So he felt his power was still not enough.

His territory in the outside world was at the Inner Mountain Pass. Although he had never heard of any Exotic Beasts appearing there, he still needed to be prepared.

As for the Wilderness World, if he had seen one, he would surely see another, and it was even more dangerous there.

’Can’t get arrogant!’

He summoned his interface.

---

Name: Cheng Zongyang

Age: 15

Realm: Eighth Grade (Muscle Strengthening)

Points: 285

Skill: Archery (11429/20000, Specialization)

Martial Arts:

Body Refining Skill (1/3000, Entering the Hall and Chamber)

Basic Saber Technique (900/1000, Beginner’s Practice)

Wind-Stepping Step (12/100, Not yet Beginner)

---

Having broken through to the Eighth Grade, Cheng Zongyang breathed a sigh of relief. He spent five Points to rest and fully recover his energy, preparing to head back for now and train his Saber Technique at night.

He returned to the cabin, put on his clothes, picked up his back-basket and weapons, and left the Wilderness World with a wolf carcass and two pumpkins that weighed a total of ten jin.

He had now collected quite a few fruit and vegetable seeds, which he could plant at the Inner Mountain Pass in the future.

Once he successfully cultivated the Wilderness Rice, he could bring it outside to plant as well.

But this would take some time. Cultivating the land at the Inner Mountain Pass wouldn’t be fast, as it still required work like clearing the land and conditioning the soil.