Chapter 36

"Perhaps the dreams of life have already been carried away by the wind."

Feng Yin sighed softly, recalling his past life's dreams. After a long silence, he spoke softly, "But do you have no dreams about martial arts?"

"We naturally have dreams about martial arts. Our current dream is to quickly cultivate to the innate realm. We had some hopes before, but as we grow older, we now realize that it is likely we will never achieve it in our lifetimes."

"…We are both at the seventh level of the postnatal realm. To advance to the innate realm, it would take several decades… with our talents, it is simply impossible."

Xu Lao San, after drinking, immediately became troubled when the topic turned to martial arts. He smiled bitterly and said, "The future path of blood and wind in the martial world, how to walk it, and to what extent… it is truly hard to say."

Xu Lao Si, who shared the same sentiment, felt melancholic as well. He raised his wine bowl and drank it all, speaking in a low voice, "Indeed, at any time, Mr. Feng might see two dried bones by the roadside, which could very well be us two brothers, hahaha."

"Both of you have considerable cultivation. Even if you are not among the top experts, you are far superior to ordinary martial artists. Why do you insist on pursuing the innate realm? Why not settle down and live a peaceful life?" Feng Yin, somewhat puzzled, asked.

He truly did not understand why the two brothers were so fixated on the innate realm.

"Reaching the innate realm is the only way to become a gold medal assassin."

Xu Lao San sounded somewhat dejected, "That is our lifelong goal! Our highest aspiration."

"Why do you have to become a gold medal assassin? Is there some other reason?" Feng Yin was even more puzzled.

The terms "innate" and "gold medal assassin" were the two words that Xu Lao San and his brother mentioned the most in the past few days.

It seemed to have become their obsession.

"Only by becoming a gold medal assassin can an ordinary martial artist step into a higher level."

Xu Lao San chuckled and looked at Feng Yin, speaking earnestly, "Mr. Feng, you have cultivation. Although you are a healer, you are also a martial artist, which we can see."

"Yes."

Feng Yin did not deny it. Although his cultivation had greatly improved due to the Spirit Transformation Classic and was now far beyond Xu Lao San and his brother, when they first met, their strengths were similar. Many traces had already been noticed by the two brothers, but they chose not to reveal it.

"Mr. Feng may have better talent, but from your words and actions, and the occasional display of martial arts, you are not much stronger than us in some aspects."

Xu Lao San smiled bitterly, "Although we know our limits, if we were to fight, even if we joined forces, we would likely not be a match for Mr. Feng. However, in terms of martial arts foundation, we are on the same level."

Martial arts foundation?

Feng Yin's eyes flickered, deep in thought, "Oh?"

"We are all self-taught, without any formal lineage." Xu Lao San added.

"Indeed, it is like that."

"Yes, some of Mr. Feng's small actions, including the way you walk and move, are very similar to us. They are all traces of a self-taught martial artist, what we call a wild fox Zen."

"The so-called orthodox cultivation methods are all controlled by the imperial court, sects, and major factions, and are not passed on to outsiders."

Xu Lao San sighed, "The orthodox methods, from standing, exerting strength, punching, to leaping, are all the most suitable for the human body. Our self-taught methods may seem fine at first, but over time, they will cause problems with our tendons, bones, and blood, gradually becoming irreversible."

"Furthermore, the longer one practices the self-taught methods, the more difficult it becomes to master any advanced techniques or profound martial arts, even if the opportunity arises. Even if one manages to learn them, they will come with significant flaws, greatly reducing their effectiveness."

As Xu Lao San and his brother spoke, Feng Yin nodded in agreement.

He deeply felt the truth in these words.

Indeed, it was exactly like that.

As Xu Lao San said, he himself was also a self-taught martial artist in his past life, with no formal training in martial arts.

Now, although he has cultivation methods, extraordinary experiences, and a golden finger, he still lacks the most fundamental aspects.

"So, the thing we brothers most desire is to become gold medal assassins."

"Because only by becoming gold medal assassins can we fundamentally change everything."

Feng Yin became interested, "Oh? What do you mean by that? How exactly will it change things?"

"After becoming a gold medal assassin, one can receive training from the Jun Tian Hand organization. This training is held annually, usually in September."

Xu Lao San looked dejected but spoke with longing, "The golden September, the legendary path of gold medal Jun Tian, begins at your feet. Unfortunately, it may take us many more years to step onto this legendary path."

Feng Yin's eyes flickered.

September?

Golden September?

It was now May, and September was still a few months away. If he worked hard, he might be able to make it this year?

"In September, all new gold medal Jun Tian assassins will receive a notification to gather at a specific place for the official training provided by the Jun Tian Hand organization."

"The official training by the Jun Tian Hand is not just talk; it surpasses even the royal family and major sects. Just the long history of its lineage is unmatched by any other force…"

"So, the training by the Jun Tian Hand is unparalleled and highly anticipated by cultivators in this world."

Feng Yin's eyes flickered, deep in thought.

Seeing Xu Lao San's low spirits, Xu Lao Si took over, "All new gold medal assassins are trained at the same time and initially have the same resources."

"But people are divided into different levels, and gold medal assassins have specific rankings. After the training, the top 100 are rewarded with a bone-setting pill and a suitable weapon. The weapon is custom-made by the Jun Tian Hand's craftsmen, perfectly matching your height, weight, hand size, finger length, arm length, and even your cultivation method…"

Xu Lao Si swallowed and took a sip of wine, clearly very tempted by the custom-made weapon.

"The bone-setting pill is not an ordinary pill. It has the miraculous effect of completely restoring any minor injuries or misalignments caused by self-taught methods. It is a rare and valuable treasure, essential for building a solid martial arts foundation."

"Bone-setting pill, repairing minor wear and tear…"

Feng Yin murmured to himself.

This seemed to be the kind of spiritual medicine he needed.

And the weapon… it also suited his needs.

"This is just the reward for the top 100. The top 10 receive even better rewards: a bone-setting pill, a divine weapon, and a D-grade martial arts manual."

Hmm, the higher the ranking, the better the rewards! And there are manuals, but what exactly is a D-grade manual?

Feng Yin's heart raced.

"For the top three, the rewards are even more astonishing. The second and third places receive a bone-setting pill, a divine weapon, a D-grade martial arts manual, and a life-saving movement technique."

"What about the first place? I imagine the rewards are even better!"

"Definitely. The first place receives an excellent bone-setting pill, a custom-made divine weapon, and a movement technique tailored to their characteristics, ensuring the best fit and compatibility. Additionally, they receive a Heaven-grade martial arts manual, which is a direct path to the top."

"Anyone who ranks first in the gold medal assassin training, as long as they do not die prematurely, will generally become a renowned figure in the future."

Xu Lao San sighed, but his envy was evident.

"The outstanding gold medal assassins of the Jun Tian Hand are truly recognized by all. It is said that the most influential members of the Jun Tian Hand can transmit their voice over thousands of miles… though I wonder if it is true."

"Our goal is just to become gold medal assassins and receive the training. We do not dare to have more ambitious hopes, but achieving this goal is extremely difficult for us. We do not know if we will ever achieve it in our lifetimes…"

Speaking of this sad matter, Xu Lao San and Xu Lao Si became even more dejected.

But Feng Yin's mind was now buzzing with ideas.

Gold medal assassin.

He was currently an iron medal, with copper and silver medals in between.

If he followed the usual path to gradually improve his ranking, it might take ten years to reach silver, but if he completed tasks beyond his rank… reaching gold might not be so difficult?

Feng Yin's thoughts rapidly turned, weighing the options.

This gold medal assassin training was the best choice for him, and he must pursue it!

The ranking was not the goal, but the training was essential.

Feng Yin knew that he had no foundation at all, and his current cultivation was entirely self-taught. This was his greatest weakness.

Even with the Spirit Transformation Classic, his future cultivation speed would be very fast, but after some time, it would be difficult to correct the bad habits of a self-taught martial artist.

Therefore, this gold medal training was a great blessing for him, and he must obtain it.

The wine was quickly finished.

Xu Lao San and Xu Lao Si were preoccupied with their thoughts, eating little meat but drinking a lot. The wine filled their sorrow, and they soon became drunk, unconscious.

A gentle breeze blew, and the moon shone in the sky.

The tree shadows swayed, and all was quiet.

Feng Yin stood up quietly, looking at the two men lying on the ground, and said softly in his heart, "Take care!"

"I cannot do more for your lives, but in terms of talent, I will give you a boost. The martial world is long and perilous; I will give you the talent of a gold medal assassin, hoping you will find a path to the heavens."

"Having been troubled by me, I will give you an opportunity; I will improve your talent, helping you achieve your dream."

Feng Yin's finger glowed, and the Spirit Transformation Classic was fully activated, gathering spiritual energy and forming a mysterious vortex.

Puff!

Feng Yin pointed at Xu Lao San's forehead.

The light flickered.

...

...

[The protagonist's character is basically understood by now. I wonder if any great soul can summarize and comment. I will see if it matches my thoughts.]