Fang Ye was Cultivating.
The eighth-grade of Martial Dao is called Flesh Refinement.
Its essence is to integrate all of one's Qi and blood into their muscles, achieving a perfect fusion of skin and flesh, slowly refining all the muscles into place…
Then, when the limit is reached, a Breakthrough occurs, and the entire body's muscles will suddenly strengthen, becoming even more powerful!
It can even Breakthrough the Physical Body's limit, comparable to refined steel!
Therefore, it is also known as 'Flesh Refinement Breaking Limits'!
The Martial Dao knowledge in this world is widespread, unlike the worldviews in some novels where 'Cultivation Technique is not lightly passed down' or 'Disciples prefer quality over quantity'.
Throughout the Great Qian, from Sects to Families, from mountain bandits to the Imperial Court, any Martial Dao force provides great convenience to Martial Artists.
For example, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, even if an ordinary person joins, can immediately obtain a Spring Embroidered Saber and a Blood Body Martial Skill.
Although more Advanced Cultivation Techniques and Martial Skills require merit points for exchange.
But there is only a merit point threshold, no other thresholds!
This can definitely be called generous!
Much knowledge about Martial Dao is also widely circulated, with no intention of blocking information.
So, even though Fang Ye had only been in this world for a little over half a year, he was already aware of many common facts.
For example, the ninth-grade of Martial Dao is Skin Grinding, which can be refined up to nine times, known as 'Nine Skin Grinding'.
The eighth-grade Flesh Refinement, on the other hand, can break limits up to seven times, known as 'Seven Limit Breaking'!
The seventh-grade Tendon Transformation is also similar, known as 'Eight Tendon Transformation Resonances'…
The Seven Limit Breaking of the eighth-grade Flesh Refinement Realm is the limit of the Flesh Refinement Realm, capable of shaping an incomparable and magnificent Foundation, opening the door to the Realm of Gods and Devils.
Of course, it does not mean that one must achieve Nine Skin Grinding and Seven Limit Breaking before being able to Breakthrough.
In fact, the Skin Grinding and Flesh Refinement stages are manageable; as long as one has a solid Family background, spends more time, and uses some resources, they can always achieve it.
However, the limits of the subsequent Tendon Transformation and Bone Forging are difficult for ordinary Geniuses to reach.
The limits of the higher Realms, such as Organs and Marrow, are a state that even top Prodigies are powerless to pursue.
But it doesn't matter; Nine Skin Grinding can Breakthrough to the eighth-grade Flesh Refinement Realm, but eight Skin Grinding, or even seven or six Skin Grinding, can also Breakthrough to the eighth-grade.
It's just that the difference in Foundation between the two leads to different combat strengths.
Fang Ye, of course, wanted to pursue the most perfect Foundation.
'Blood God Art' continuously circulated, Qi and blood surged, impacting the skin and flesh all over his body.
His muscles, amidst this surging Qi and blood, gradually became solid and tough.
It's just that normal Cultivation ultimately takes time.
So Fang Ye chose to cheat.
“Red Lotus Blood Qi, go!”
Ten streams of Red Lotus Blood Qi poured in.
【Blood God Art (Beginner) → Blood God Art (Minor Achievement)】
The slightly unskillful operation of the Blood God Art instantly became smooth, and the flowing blood was like a surging river, rushing endlessly.
The Qi and blood accumulated from the previous few operations of the Blood God Art, in this sudden surge of flow, frantically scoured his entire body.
His muscles tensed instantly, then, as if breaking through a limit, suddenly relaxed.
Eighth-grade Flesh Refinement Realm, first limit broken, complete!
“Actually, this is equivalent to using a more skilled Cultivation Technique to instantly unleash the potential that had not yet been activated when the Cultivation Technique was operated unskillfully.”
Fang Ye thought to himself, “It has a certain auxiliary effect on breaking through, but in fact, it's easier to improve Cultivation by using a more skilled Cultivation Technique from the very beginning.”
“Especially in the early stages where there are almost no thresholds, it's best to use the optimal proficiency from start to finish…”
As Fang Ye thought, his heart stirred, and he poured in the Red Lotus Blood Qi.
【Blood God Art (Minor Achievement) → Blood God Art (Major Achievement)】
【Blood God Art (Major Achievement) → Blood God Art (Perfection)】
Blood God Art had also reached Perfection!
Of course, the consumption was also enormous.
Each step forward in a threshold consumed ten streams of Red Lotus Blood Qi.
This single Cultivation Technique alone used a full thirty streams of Red Lotus Blood Qi!
“Fortunately, killing and arson make one rich! This is indeed true!” Fang Ye let out a long sigh: “If it weren't for the experience point gift package brought by Liang Yi, I'm afraid I would still have to patrol diligently for another month!”
“Liang Yi, what a good person!”
“And my choice to join the Embroidered Uniform Guard back then was also an excellent one, otherwise, I would probably still be hiding and killing…”
The advantage of being a great Devil Head who kills like a butcher is rapid progress in the early stages.
Leaving aside when one is an ordinary person, once one becomes a Martial Artist, killing ordinary commoners is very simple.
Wiping out a few villages full of ordinary people is not difficult at all.
Killing a hundred or so people is easy, and a thousand is not impossible; this way, one can easily gain considerable Karma.
But from the fact that Liang Yi was targeted by Commander Lin Chengze and a group of Embroidered Uniform Guards after only wiping out a single Zhou Family, it can be seen that although the Great Qian is a feudal Dynasty, its ability to monitor the country is not bad.
If Fang Ye were to kill indiscriminately, he would inevitably be hiding from the Imperial Court's encirclement and suppression.
Of course, the main reason Liang Yi was targeted was that this was the Great Qian Imperial Capital, at the Emperor's feet.
If it were a remote small county, the problem would not be as significant.
But Fang Ye's location when he Transmigrated was around the Divine Capital.
With the Great Qian's technological level, ordinary people who want to go to remote areas can only take merchant caravans and carriages…
He might not even reach his destination after half a year!
And this doesn't even account for the trouble of being besieged by Righteous Path heroes who would inevitably appear after he had committed countless killings and become a Devil Head — the Karmic Red Lotus ignores strength and only looks at Karma!
Even a first-grade Great Grandmaster, if he had never killed anyone, would still have the same Karma as an ordinary commoner.
However, the difficulty gap in killing the two is as vast as heaven and earth!
Imagine if Fang Ye, after exhausting all his strength, means, and efforts, finally killed a Grandmaster who came to slay demons and eliminate devils, only to find that the harvest was not as good as casually slapping a few ordinary people to death…
The cost-effectiveness is simply too low to bear!
In contrast, being an official not only allows him to legitimately kill various criminals now but also, with the support of the Righteous Path intelligence network, he can easily find those Devil Heads who 'sacrificed several cities with blood' or 'slaughtered millions' in the later stages, harvesting their Karma and greatly increasing efficiency.
So, even though Fang Ye 'doesn't treat NPCs as people', he still chose to be a Righteous Path Devil Head.
Fang Ye was filled with emotion.
Suddenly, his stomach rumbled.
“Ugh, I'm hungry again.” Fang Ye sighed helplessly: “It's true that 'poor scholars, rich Martial Artists'; practicing Martial Arts really consumes too much meat.”
Without enough food, one cannot expect to have a strong enough physique.
Fang Ye glanced at the money left in his pocket and decided to freeload at the guard post's cafeteria.
Living in the Imperial Capital is not easy, and expenses are already high.
The Embroidered Uniform Guard's salaries are uniform, and as Martial Artists, their consumption is high, so it's no wonder that Embroidered Uniform Guards try every means to earn extra money.
Fortunately, the Imperial Court still has some benefits; at least they can freeload at the guard post's cafeteria to ensure their needs for Martial Arts practice.
Fang Ye strode into the guard post and immediately saw Commander Lin Chengze.
“Fang Ye, you're here!” Lin Chengze said with a smile: “I was just about to look for you.”
“You've come at just the right time. The reward I applied for from Lord Qianhu has arrived. Starting today, you are the fourth Banner Commander in my guard post. You must continue to work hard and not disappoint me…”
“Also, you don't need to worry about the Grand Minister of the Court of the Imperial Stud anymore. I've spoken to my Family, and the Jingbian Marquis Estate has given him a warning. He won't do anything against you; this matter ends here…”
As he spoke, he handed over a complete set of new Banner Commander Flying Fish Robes, as well as the Banner Commander's waist token, a more refined Spring Embroidered Saber, and a series of other standard equipment.
Fang Ye opened his mouth, taking the complete set of new equipment.
Under normal circumstances, he would certainly thank Lin Chengze profusely first.
After all, Lin Chengze definitely contributed greatly to Fang Ye's promotion.
Although the title of Banner Commander sounds insignificant, it actually holds low rank but significant power, responsible for public order in a district. Such an official position, which allows for the legitimate killing of criminals, clearly has a significant positive effect on Fang Ye's Cultivation.
The significance of this favor was even more pronounced.
But…
Fang Ye did not thank him; instead, he looked at Lin Chengze, hesitating to speak, then wanting to speak again.
Finally, he couldn't hold back and said.
“Commander, what happened to your face?”
Lin Chengze's face was bruised and swollen.
His eyes were swollen like tennis balls, almost invisible, and the corner of his mouth was also a little crooked…
Who beat him so badly?
Lin Chengze chuckled twice and said, “It's nothing, I just accidentally fell when I got home…”
How could a fall result in this?
And if you look closely, there's a footprint on your Flying Fish Robe… did you fall onto someone's foot?
Lin Chengze chuckled, touched his face, and then immediately hissed, secretly cursing in his heart.
“The old man hits really hard, he doesn't care about his own son's face at all.”
That's right, he was beaten by his own father, Marquis Jingbian!
The main reason was that he went to ask his father to stand up for Fang Ye, which then angered his father—it wasn't that the Jingbian Marquis Estate was afraid of a mere Grand Minister of the Court of the Imperial Stud, but rather that the Marquis was angry that Lin Chengze didn't gain any benefit from it!
Just for a small Embroidered Uniform Guard, who isn't even your Family retainer, you go and offend the Grand Minister of the Court of the Imperial Stud?
What a joke!
You should at least get some benefit, right?
Lin Chengze, however, gave the reply: “Fang Ye is a righteous man; how can he be insulted by a scholar? We, the nobility, share the fate of the nation; at this moment, we should lend a hand.” But this only angered the old Marquis even more.
—We are the nobility!
The nobility who don't do human affairs and only seek benefits!
How can you be such a prodigal son!
Of course, under normal circumstances, a father would know to save his child's face; although he would hit his child, he wouldn't at least beat Lin Chengze's face into such a pig-like state.
But Lin Chengze's excellent character couldn't be helped.
Seeing his old father angry, he immediately remembered his teacher's advice to learn to care for his parents.
So, while being beaten, he said to the Marquis.
“Dad, haven't you eaten?”
……