Enlightenment: Beginning as a Disposable Warrior-Chapter 60 - 58: Five Zhang Force Discharge, Startled Sparrow Step Perfection!
After joining the Forging Workshop, Su Mu’s days became full once more, as if he had returned to his life in Qingshui Town.
Matters carry their own order of importance.
The remaining silver coins in Su Mu’s hands were set aside for purchasing medicinal herbs and left untouched for now; the Second Bone Forging was temporarily postponed.
"This may not be a bad thing... First, I’ll cultivate the Vajra Body to Small Success, then I can proceed with Bone Forging together—two birds with one stone."
The youth comforted himself thus; when has the world ever gone exactly as we wish, perfectly smooth and free of setbacks?
Aside from Five Animals Qigong, Su Mu now possessed seven Martial Arts, among which two had reached Perfection, two to Great Success, one at Small Success, and two entry-level. In the days to come, his energy would be focused on the techniques not yet perfected.
Strive to push the two at Great Success to Perfection, and bring those at Small Success and entry-level up to Great Success as well.
Each day, Su Mu went to the Forging Workshop to forge Hundred-Refined Elite Soldiers in the morning, and at night cultivated his Martial Arts in his residence on Yanque Street. Every so often, Su Mu would visit a medical clinic.
The time at the clinic was Su Mu’s way to relax; he found that balancing rest and intensity yielded better results than blind, relentless cultivation.
And since becoming a Blacksmith and joining the Forging Workshop, Su Mu realized he was in an increasingly good state; both his forging and martial training had grown more efficient.
With a path in his heart, beneath the stars and moon, each step pressed firm and steady.
In truth, Su Mu relished these busy yet peaceful days, where every day he could feel himself slowly growing stronger. This sense of progress—strengthening with each passing day—brought him unmatched calm and reassurance.
A sparrow from Qingshui Town had flown into the city, now biding its time on Yanque Street, gathering strength for the moment it would astonish the world—when a sparrow devours a python, a python swallows a dragon!
A gentleman ought to dwell among woods and wild geese, yet prepare for change like dragon and snake!
The youth lived his days calmly, focused solely on self-improvement, while inside and outside Qingyun City unrest brewed. Within the city, the great powers and gangs schemed against each other; outside, the Rebel Army continued its rampage, and the Cyan Cloud Army’s sweeps were frequent. Even scenes of warhorses thundering down the long streets had become a daily sight for the people.
Time slipped away like this—and in the blink of an eye, two months had passed.
The night was as dark as ink; north of Qingyun City, in the nameless small mountain, deep in the night, forest birds startled into flight.
Whsh! Whsh!
A dark figure flashed into a dense bamboo grove as if gliding on level ground, much like a startled sparrow sweeping through, rushing out, then leaping three zhang, landing lightly on a bamboo twig amid swaying cyan bamboo leaves.
The sparrow landed stably atop a small slope about five zhang high.
The next second, it leapt down again.
As his robes fluttered, the faint trill of a sparrow could be heard piercing the night air.
Thud.
Upon landing, a slight cloud of dust rose, the sound nearly inaudible.
The Five-zhang Unloading Force worked to perfection; the landing was all but silent!
Startled Sparrow Step (Perfection)
Where the sparrow paused, focusing its gaze, it turned out to be a youth. Su Mu felt a surge of Power at his feet; this Power was unlike the Tiger Subduing Fist’s steel-hard, nor the Rock Shattering Fist’s soft, nor Gale Fist’s focused force.
Instead, it was a unique Lightness Force.
Each Martial Art, once cultivated to mastery, would birth a distinct Power. Now, the fourth Power had arisen!
Startled Sparrow Step—the very first Lightweight Body Technique mastered by Su Mu; such techniques are often even more daunting to train than Fist Techniques.
After nearly a year of arduous cultivation, he had pushed forward again, breaking through from Great Success to the Realm of Perfection, and in doing so, giving birth to the Lightness Force unique to Startled Sparrow Step.
Now, Su Mu was already adept in Transforming Force. As soon as this Lightness Force appeared at his feet, it naturally fused into the river of Power, making Su Mu’s already formidable Power—above that of Martial Artists of the same realm—even more vast and solid.
The river of Power surged, echoing like rivers pounding the banks in the woods.
At this moment, Lightness Force stirred at his feet, while a warm current simultaneously formed in his abdomen. This was the gift of three more points of Comprehension—a warm current merging with his Power, making Su Mu feel every inch of flesh and skin, every pore, wholly relaxed.
The youth found the exhaustion from training Body Technique receding like the tide, and could not help but let out a long, contented breath.
He promptly pulled up his stat panel to review his gains from the last two months.
[Name: Su Mu (15 years old)]
[Lifespan: 185 years]
[Skills: Five Animals Qigong (Perfection), Tiger Subduing Fist (Perfection), Rock Shattering Fist (Perfection), Startled Sparrow Step (Perfection), Forging (Perfection), Gale Fist (Great Success 85%), Torrential Rain Spear Technique (Great Success 5%), Vajra Body (Small Success 25%), Small Faceless Transformation Technique (Small Success 21%), Alchemy (Small Success 18%), Medical Skill (Small Success 8%)]
[Comprehension: 36 (Instant-Insight Level)]
"In the past two months, Startled Sparrow Step reached Perfection, Gale Fist is nearly perfected, Torrential Rain Spear Technique achieved Great Success, and Vajra Body advanced to Small Success..."
"Comprehension has risen by nine points, lifespan increased by fifty-five years—not far now from two hundred years."
Su Mu glanced at his now abundant attribute panel, feeling pleased, and a sense of accomplishment.
His improvements in the last two months were nothing short of remarkable!
Setting aside other Martial Arts, just reaching Perfection with Startled Sparrow Step alone boosted his overall strength by at least thirty to fifty percent.
Lightweight Skill not only aids in combat, but is also crucial for survival. Given Su Mu’s current skill in Lightweight Skill, even if he met an undefeatable opponent, as long as he was set on escape, it would be incredibly difficult for his foe to hold him!
Once Martial Arts Secret Manuals reached Martial Arts Perfection, they lost their value to the individual—at this moment, Su Mu needed silver coins.
In two months, Su Mu forged six Hundred-Refined Elite Soldiers, earning one hundred taels from the Forging Workshop. After covering his medicine at the clinic, Three-in-One Body-Strengthening Soup, and daily expenses, he was left with sixty-five taels—still not enough to buy a single box of Bone-Forger Ointment.
"I can head to the Black Market the day after tomorrow and trade out manuals like Rock Shattering Fist and Startled Sparrow Step for other Martial Arts Secret Manuals, or just sell them."
"Recently, Vajra Body broke through to Small Success; Second Bone Forging can finally begin."
Su Mu made his plans, but could not help a faint sigh.
"Hundred Elixir Tower’s ointment is too expensive; I need to find a recipe for Bone-Forger Ointment to refine my own. I’ll try my luck in the Black Market."
But Su Mu did not hold out much hope for such recipes; and even if they existed, he didn’t have the silver coins to buy them right now.
Just then, Su Mu suddenly remembered a certain place.
"Black Heart Pharmacy... maybe I should check there first."
The next morning, once Qingyun City opened, Su Mu headed back into the city. As always, after a day at the forge, he slipped into an empty alley.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
A series of crisp bone-popping sounds rang out.
When he emerged again, Su Mu looked a great deal taller, his facial features now a cold, expressionless mask.
Over the last two months, Su Mu had advanced Small Faceless Transformation Technique to Small Success. Now, stepping into the Second Realm—Bone Transformation—he could stretch and compress his bones to alter his physique.
Leaving the alley, Su Mu quickly made his way to Renxin Pharmacy in East City market; presenting the token brought a flash of suspicion to the cunning shopkeeper’s eyes—he remembered that the previous bearer of this token was a young man.
But since someone approached to do business, how could he refuse? The round shopkeeper broke into his usual hearty smile.
"May I know your name?"
"Li Feiyu."
The two entered the pharmacy’s inner courtyard. Su Mu was straightforward: "I want the recipe for Bone-Forger Ointment. Can you get it, Shopkeeper?"
The recipe for Bone-Forger Ointment?!
The sly shopkeeper was visibly shocked—this Li Feiyu had quite an appetite! This recipe is held almost exclusively by Hundred Elixir Tower, the other great powers of Cyan Cloud, and even the Government Office.
"That’s not an easy thing to get." The shopkeeper shook his head, but then changed his tone, "However... it’s not entirely impossible."
Saying so, the shopkeeper rubbed his hands with a sly grin.
Su Mu understood, and produced a silver ingot—two taels. The shopkeeper took it and began slowly, "Ever heard of the White Jade Gang?"
"White Jade Gang, one of the Five Great Powers of Cyan Cloud—who hasn’t heard of them? Shopkeeper, you can’t mean that I should go targeting White Jade Gang?"
"You misunderstand. Both White Jade Gang and Qingfeng Gang made their name through commerce; but White Jade Gang deals more with wealthy merchants and the Government Office or other great powers."
"On the fifteenth of every month, White Jade Gang holds an auction on White Jade Ridge. A few months ago, a recipe for Bone-Forger Ointment surfaced there."
White Jade Gang, White Jade Ridge auction.
Having gained the information he wanted, Su Mu made a note of it and quickly left Black Heart Pharmacy.
Back at his residence, he continued his cultivation. As the setting sun dipped low, a visitor arrived.
"Brother Su, it’s me."
In the courtyard, Su Mu frowned—he recognized Shi Feng’s voice, and guessed his purpose: most likely, still unwilling to give up, he wanted Su Mu to join the Cyan Cloud Army.
Truth be told, Su Mu had no wish to get entangled with the Cyan Cloud Army for now.
...
