Chapter 8

Lin Xun thought for a moment and said, "If it's just about strengthening the body, such cultivation can also be acceptable."

Xiao Tianren's eyes narrowed, and he said, "What if it's used to fight fierce beasts or battle strong enemies?"

Lin Xun was silent for a moment before saying, "Uncle Xiao, to be frank, in my view, if these children are to pursue the path of martial arts, such cultivation has already led them astray."

Xiao Tianren was taken aback, and after a moment of thought, his aged face changed slightly. He took a deep breath and said, "Lin Xun, are you sure?"

Lin Xun nodded; he had no reason to deceive him.

Seeing this, Xiao Tianren fell silent again, his expression fluctuating.

At this moment, a commotion suddenly arose at the village entrance, the ground trembling and dust flying.

"It's Uncle Lian and the others returning!"

From a distance, cheers could be heard.

Soon, Lin Xun saw a group of people galloping towards the village. Leading them was a middle-aged man in animal skins, with long hair cascading down his shoulders, a stern appearance, and muscles bulging like rock, exuding explosive strength.

He sat high on a massive, scaled horse that resembled a giant elephant, his gaze cold and sharp, radiating an extraordinary aura.

Behind him followed a group of figures, riding slightly inferior deer horses. Some carried long spears, others swords, and the deer horses were laden with piles of animal skins.

Seeing this scene, Lin Xun remained calm, but he was inwardly surprised.

"Those are the village guards, a total of nine. The leader is named Lian Rufeng, the head of the village guards, with the cultivation of the Fourth Level of True Martial Realm."

As he spoke, Village Chief Xiao Tianren led Lin Xun forward, and the children who were practicing boxing also ran over, cheering.

Not only that, but other villagers were also roused and came out, their faces beaming with joy as they welcomed Lian Rufeng and his group.

From this, it was clear how highly Lian Rufeng was regarded by the villagers.

"All the salt, cloth, and daily necessities needed in our village are obtained by Lian Rufeng leading the guards to the 'Qingyang Tribe' three thousand miles away, in exchange for the spirit grains harvested in the village."

"A round trip from our Feiyun Village to the Qingyang Tribe takes half a month, with numerous dangers along the way. A slight misstep could mean they might never return, and they truly work hard."

As they walked, Xiao Tianren explained to Lin Xun. Then, as if realizing something, he quickly whispered, "Don't let Lian Rufeng know about our discussion on the marching fist. I'll tell you the reason later."

Lin Xun understood and nodded, sensing a subtle wariness in Xiao Tianren towards Lian Rufeng.

Neigh!

At this moment, the massive, scaled horse let out a high-pitched neigh and stopped in front of Xiao Tianren, surrounded by the crowd.

Lian Rufeng dismounted and laughed, "Brother Xiao, we're back."

This man had a stern appearance and a towering, mountain-like figure, exuding a fierce and powerful aura.

Upon closer inspection, he had a long, steady breath, deep and steady breathing, tough and resilient tendons, and joints filled with explosive spiritual energy, characteristic of the Fourth Level of True Martial Realm, the "Spirit Aperture" stage.

The Third Level of True Martial Realm is the "Opening of the Palace," where the five organs are opened, each governing one of the five elements, forming the foundation of a cultivator's five elements. At this stage, the cultivator's spiritual energy circulates through the five palaces, reaching throughout the body, moving like tigers and leopards, and capable of lifting a tripod!

In the Purple Radiance Empire's army, this would be equivalent to a centurion commanding a hundred soldiers.

The Fourth Level of True Martial Realm, the "Spirit Aperture" stage, involves opening the spirit apertures of the limbs and the hundred bones. When the apertures are open, the spirit is focused, and the spirit being focused, the blood and qi are abundant.

At this stage, the cultivator's blood and qi boil like smoke rising to the sky, immune to cold and heat, unafraid of evil, leaving no trace in the snow, agile as a flying monkey, and able to go three days and three nights without food without weakening in spirit.

Lian Rufeng, standing before them, was a "Spirit Aperture" stage cultivator. To ordinary people, he was like a volcano ready to erupt, exuding a powerful aura.

Lin Xun couldn't help but be secretly surprised, not out of fear of his aura, but because it was quite rare to find such a cultivator in the remote Feiyun Village.

"Hmm? Who is this young fellow?"

At this moment, Lian Rufeng noticed Lin Xun's unfamiliar face, frowning slightly, his cold gaze filled with scrutiny.

"This is Lin Xun, who will now be part of our Feiyun Village."

Xiao Tianren smiled and explained.

Upon learning that Lin Xun was a spirit pattern apprentice, Lian Rufeng merely narrowed his eyes, not particularly surprised.

However, when he learned that Lin Xun had helped eliminate the pests from the spirit fields of Tieshan and Liu Dabiao, Lian Rufeng was somewhat moved.

Over the years, he had traveled far and wide and had seen many spirit pattern apprentices. He knew more than the other villagers and understood that a spirit pattern apprentice was merely a helper to a spirit pattern master.

However, a spirit pattern apprentice who could engrave spirit patterns and help eliminate pests from spirit fields was quite rare.

This was the reason for Lian Rufeng's reaction.

"Nice to meet you, Uncle Lian."

Lin Xun stepped forward, smiling and greeting him.

"Ha ha ha, from now on, we are family. Don't be too formal, work hard, and if our Feiyun Village can produce a true spirit pattern master, it would be a great honor."

Lian Rufeng laughed, patting Lin Xun's shoulder, his voice loud and warm.

However, Lin Xun keenly noticed that Lian Rufeng's gaze on him always carried a hint of scrutiny and suspicion, making it clear that this head of the guards, with the cultivation of the Fourth Level of True Martial Realm, was a man of deep scheming.

Lin Xun grew up in the dark, sunless prison mines, where he saw many imprisoned criminals. Once, Mr. Lu, after getting drunk, mentioned that if all these prisoners were released, they would cause chaos and disaster, and in the Purple Radiance Empire, it could even lead to a major upheaval.

From this, it was clear how formidable these prisoners were, each a top-notch villain, known for their cunning and ruthlessness.

Growing up in such a dark environment surrounded by evil, Lin Xun had developed a keen sense of reading people and discerning their intentions, even learning many techniques from the prisoners.

Therefore, Lin Xun was confident that his judgment was correct, and Lian Rufeng was indeed a man of deep scheming. Regardless of whether he was good or bad, he was not as simple as he appeared.

With this in mind, Lin Xun noticed some differences when he looked at Lian Rufeng again.

For example, although he wore an old animal skin coat, he had a light purple wooden pendant hanging from his waist. If Lin Xun was not mistaken, this light purple wooden pendant was carved from "Purple Sandalwood Cloud Fragrance Wood," which was very expensive, worth ten imperial silver coins.

Another example was the pair of gray boots he wore. Others might not notice, but Lin Xun immediately recognized that the boots were made from the feathers of the "Gray Crane Bird," with a pair of "Swift Wind Spirit Patterns" engraved on them. In battle, these patterns could make the cultivator as light as a swallow, enhancing their agility.

In terms of value, this pair of boots was even more expensive than the light purple wooden pendant!

This was interesting. How could a cultivator from a remote, impoverished mountain village afford such expensive treasures?

This man was definitely not simple!

Lin Xun was lost in thought.

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ps: This update is to celebrate Xiaozhi's promotion to "Gold Alliance Leader." I will add more updates in the future!

Additionally, I plan to push for the new book ranking next Monday. I hope everyone will vote and click more. When I released my new book, I never made it to the new book ranking, so this time, I will try to make it. This all depends on everyone's support.