Cultivators Are So Weak in This World-Chapter 169 - 158 Rupture Down

"Exactly." Zhang Rongfang nodded with satisfaction, "Indeed, transferring you from the death squad system to take on the role of Black Eagle was the right decision. Though your stature is short, your talent far surpasses others."

"You flatter me, sir." Bao Ning’s heart warmed. Zhang Rongfang did not shy away from mentioning his physical disability but instead pointed it out directly.

This attitude of equal and honest consideration greatly resonated with him.

Despite his strong potential, because of his stature, even some subordinates would talk behind his back, look down on him, and call him a short-legged monkey.

But in the eyes of this Spirit Court envoy Zhang Rongfang, there was no trace of discrimination.

This sense of fairness increased Bao Ning’s admiration and respect for him.

"Then, sir, should we investigate this matter?" Qingsu asked in a deep voice.

"Look into it briefly. It would be best if we could confirm who it was. If not, there’s no need to spend extra resources." Zhang Rongfang replied.

"Understood."

The two bowed their heads in response.

Zhang Rongfang gazed at the flames, momentarily lost in thought.

Now, he could extend the simultaneous use of Shrinking Step and Heavy Mountain to twenty seconds.

These twenty seconds represented the limit of his current physical capacity.

Unlike the fusion of limit-breaking skills in Shrinking Step and Heavy Mountain, this was a state of sustained duration.

Zhang Rongfang named this state ’Critical.’

The meaning was clear, referring to the critical state of his body.

During these twenty seconds, both his power and speed maintained over half the potency of a limit-breaking skill.

His speed steadily increased beyond the normal scope of the Ninth Grade.

His strength could also consistently reach the level where every move was akin to a Ninth-Grade limit-breaking skill.

His speed and body technique had already surpassed the typical Ninth Grade in small ranges; now, he had advanced even further, reaching unknown heights.

With his eyes still on the flames.

Suddenly, Zhang Rongfang seemed to sense something, his gaze shifted downward, seeing three robust figures quickly dart across the street.

In the shadows, the figure at the forefront seemed to notice the gaze and abruptly halted, looking up.

Their eyes met.

"What’s the matter, sir?" Bao Ning sensed something was amiss from behind.

"It’s nothing, just a few petty thieves." Zhang Rongfang said calmly.

The person in the lead had impressive body technique, agile and composed in their steps, already possessing half his accomplishments.

That was why he took a little notice of the person.

But that was all.

Though strong, in Wushan Prefecture, the massive flow of people concealed numerous experts.

If he paid attention to each one, would he not accomplish anything all day?

After killing Cyan Horn and slaughtering the Huang family, everyone in Wushan, save for those two Super Grades, no longer registered in his eyes.

Moreover, now that his Critical State was newly formed, with his physical prowess, he could even overlay limit-breaking skills during this state.

The power... could no longer be considered within the Ninth Grade’s domain.

"That person’s eyes..."

The three passing figures known as the Wandering Mountain Tigers suddenly halted in their steps.

Ding Yu looked up and locked eyes with Zhang Rongfang.

"I feel like killing him..."

Ding Yu had seen many people’s eyes, but among the experts, few had that kind of gaze like the one he just encountered.

Although they gazed at each other, the person’s eyes seemed to look down from above, not registering anyone else.

Just like looking at ants.

"Then go kill him. After all, with your skill, big brother, it won’t take more than a single move, won’t delay you long." Xu Xin said in a deep voice.

"Alright then." Ding Yu turned and abruptly rushed in Zhang Rongfang’s direction.

But just as he leapt forward, a sharp whistle sounded from afar, and a crimson firework shot into the sky.

That was the signal flare for gathering soldiers.

"Forget it..." Ding Yu suddenly lost his spirit. "Even Yue Shenwei was nothing special in Wushan Prefecture..."

He sank into a deep sense of boredom.

"Let’s go; it’ll be hard to escape if we’re surrounded." Even he, if surrounded, under crossbow bolts and expert obstruction, with musket volleys, couldn’t safely withdraw.

The combat strength of the Spirit Court’s army wasn’t comparable to the constables in the yamen.

"Let’s go."

The three didn’t hesitate any further and sped toward the distance.

*

*

*

The next day.

"What!?"

Yue Hanquan dropped the wooden gavel he held in shock to the ground.

He stood up from behind the desk, his face turning pale, eyes quickly filling with blood, turning red.

After a brief silence.

A suppressed, trembling question erupted from his mouth.

"Second brother... where’s the body?"

The newly appointed chief constable Yang Hongyun sighed inwardly, clasped his hands, and reported.

"Sir, it’s already outside the hall."

Yue Hanquan quickly descended and rushed outside the hall.

Soon, he saw a tall, sturdy corpse lying flat on the open ground outside.

The body was covered with a white cloth, motionless.

He approached with trembling hands, slowly lifting the white fabric.

Inside was Yue Shenwei’s pale, bloodless, pained face.

"Who is the killer? Who did this?!"

Yue Hanquan closed his eyes and growled lowly.

"Sir, it was the Wandering Mountain Tigers. They left an inscription at the widest part of the Yue family’s grounds, saying...." Chief Constable Yang Hongyun hesitated.

"Saying what!?"

"Saying... that they will set up a ring at the bifurcation of the Huazhi River outside the city by Wujiang River.

Challenging all ranked experts in Wushan to determine the strongest in Wushan.

They also said if no one comes, all land trade routes in Wushan would henceforth be severed. In the future...."

"What about the future!?"

"In the future... any passing team, they would kill one if one passes, kill a pair if a pair passes!"

"Such arrogance! Absolutely audacious!" Yue Hanquan’s veins bulged, shaking with rage, breath caught in his chest, nearly choking him.

But now within Wushan Prefecture, the previously strongest Huang family has been completely annihilated.

His Yue family, Yue Shenwei, also met his demise.

Only the commanding Shangguan family remains.

"Gather the token, follow me immediately to the commander’s camp! I want to see Shangguan Qingrong!"

The super-grade expert Qianshan Yijian is beyond his ability to invite, but if the commander intervenes, a mere Shanga Tiger can definitely be taken care of with ease.

It was because of Shangguan’s commander’s suppression of Wushan Prefecture that neither the Huang family nor Sea Dragon dared to act recklessly.

This was an absolute red line not to be crossed.

Now, regardless of everything, Shanga Tiger has crossed it.

Thus he must pay the appropriate price.

*

*

*

The case of Shanga Tiger reached Zhang Rongfang via Golden Wing Pavilion after several days.

He did not care about how the case was handled, nor whether anyone challenged Shanga Tiger in the arena.

The Wushan Prefecture was massive, with many hidden talents among hermits, and naturally numerous experts.

There were always those who were enigmatic masters.

Therefore, Zhang Rongfang did not worry that Shanga Tiger would cause trouble. In such a vast Wushan Prefecture, there would surely be experts to deal with him. It was not his concern.

All his energy was focused on perfecting the Critical State.

After several days of waiting, finally, the last attribute point arrived.

Exhale!

A breath of faint white gas was expelled long into the cool morning air.

Zhang Rongfang stood in the courtyard’s center, eyes shut, observing the newly emerged attribute point.

The heart was filled with anticipation.

He was already at the eighth transformation of the Core Formation Stage, just one step away from the Ninth-Turn Golden Core.

Perhaps no one at his age had ever accomplished this step. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Typical literary cultivation was different from martial arts; most literary cultivation required accumulating over time.

Even those exceptionally talented needed to start accumulating from the First Layer before reaching the Golden Core Stage.

Then came body transformation, Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, until reaching the Golden Core, at the very least, around sixty or nearly seventy...

Xu Yi Daoist could achieve the Nascent Soul at such an age, indicating considerable talent.

Retracting his thoughts.

Zhang Rongfang sighed inwardly, quickly allocating this new attribute point to the Void Observation Skill.

Soon, the Void Observation Skill transformed from the eighth transformation to the ninth.

’Zhang Rongfang—Life 42-45.

Martial Skills:

Rejuvenation Purification Talisman Manual-Fifth Grade.

Leg Techniques-Third Grade.

Fist, Palm, Claw: First Grade.

Limit-Breaking Skill: Shrinking Step, Heavy Mountain, Songyun.

Literary Cultivation: Void Observation Skill (Fourth Realm-Golden Core Ninth Transformation)

Available Attributes: 0.’

Pausing slightly, Zhang Rongfang only felt the Dantian converging streams of scorching currents, concentrating and beginning compression.

The currents, blood, all gathered into clusters, forcibly pulling the surrounding entire body’s Qi and Blood.

Unaware, he sat down on the ground, sitting cross-legged.

With the airflow’s guidance, a vortex formed within the Dantian.

The vortex rotated slowly but began relentlessly expelling impurities from the Qi and Blood.

This expulsion was so slow it was almost imperceptible.

Ordinary humans had the function of detoxifying and expelling impurities as part of the body’s metabolic cycle.

But this time, Zhang Rongfang felt completely different.

This Ninth-Turn Golden Core’s vortex created a brand-new system apart from the existing bodily systems.

He could sense his entire blood becoming livelier and lighter in this impurity removal, freed from burdens.

A feeling like the whole body being revitalized.

He was only eighteen, still in the growth phase.

And now with the Golden Core formed, it lingered to accelerate this growth phase.

Simultaneously, the numerous insights, experiences, and memories from Golden Core cultivation surged into his mind.

These were memories spanning three years.

Zhang Rongfang closed his eyes and felt deeply.

"This step marks the second stage, refining Qi into divinity.... From the Golden Core, to breaking the core forming a Nascent Soul, through the Nascent Soul’s three realms, ultimately reaching Divinity Transformation... Returning to Void..."

Soon after, he stood up, slowly practicing the Soul-Stabilizing Talisman’s moves.

Every maneuver was executed with utmost precision, sincerity, and effort.

Soon, a complete set of Soul-Stabilizing Talisman techniques was completed.

Zhang Rongfang felt no internal pain whatsoever.

A heavy stone on his heart finally fell.

He opened his eyes, gazing at the attribute column ahead.

Among them, a new martial skill was slowly forming.

’Rejuvenation Purification Talisman Manual: Soul-Stabilizing Talisman (Entry Level)’

"Finally able to practice new talisman techniques..."

Moreover, this meant he was about to entirely transcend Ninth Grade, entering the tenth level!

In other words, into the super-grade realm.

"I wonder if there is anyone in this world who has entered the Golden Core Stage at my age. If not... that would mean achieving a certain degree in literary cultivation can promote further growth, development, and breaking new limits.

This secret is known only to me...."

Zhang Rongfang closed his eyes, a sudden thought occurred.

If he could find the Great Dao Teaching’s secret method to enhance the body, break into the super-grade realm, then combine with his current attribute point enhancements...

At that point, how high could he reach....?

"However, during these years with the Great Dao Teaching, flipping through numerous books, I’ve never heard of any hidden secret techniques.... Could it be my rank is too low? Unable to access the sect’s true secrets?"

Zhang Rongfang recalled some information found previously in the Golden Wing Pavilion.

Regarding the Great Dao Teaching, its full name was True Great Dao Teaching, hence...

Could there really be a False Great Dao Teaching?