Chapter 2

The Flying Tiger Team may sound impressive, but in reality, they are just a group of garbage collectors.

In the Tianlang Mountain Range, beasts and ferocious creatures roam freely. The martial artists rely on hunting these beasts and ferocious creatures to earn high rewards, which they use to purchase resources for cultivation. Only with greater martial prowess can one obtain more resources, thus creating a cycle that ensures the Tianlang Mountain Range is never short of martial artists or conflicts.

The "Flying Tiger Team" is a group organized by a merchant guild to collect items that martial artists disdain to pick up in the mountains.

A civilian with no martial prowess cannot survive in the Tianlang Mountain Range, even in the outer regions. A single wild beast could be fatal. Therefore, these merchant guilds organize groups of civilians, hire two martial artists to lead them, and have them collect items that martial artists disdain to pick up.

These items have no value to martial artists but are highly attractive to ordinary villagers. For example, the money his mother earned was mostly contributed to such merchant guilds.

By now, Ye Feng has been working for the Flying Tiger Team for over four years, making him one of the most senior members. As a result, his待遇 is quite good; at least his younger brother has the resources for cultivation, and his mother can eat well.

A while ago, he heard from the leading martial artist that there was a medicinal liquid that could strengthen the meridians. So, every time, he brought out more items than others. Besides the money for his family, he saved the extra. After three months, he finally saved up 100 silver taels to buy a bottle of the medicinal liquid.

Who knew his meridians were too fragile to withstand the medicinal power, causing them to rupture completely.

"Damn, what a quack! A real quack, who doesn't even know how to match the patient's constitution when prescribing medicine, what kind of pharmacist is that?" Ye Feng couldn't help but curse inwardly.

Pharmacists prescribe medicine based on the patient's constitution; otherwise, an excess could be fatal, just like in his case. A deficiency might have no effect, but the pharmacist sold the medicine in a package without considering the constitution, charging 100 silver taels per pack. What else could this be but a quack?

"Wait, wasn't I supposed to have ruptured meridians? Why do I feel no problems now?" Suddenly, Ye Feng thought of this.

With this in mind, Ye Feng supported himself on the bed with both hands, applying a little force to try to sit up. As he exerted himself, "Crack!" his hands easily pierced through the bed.

This left Ye Feng stunned.

Breaking through the bed was not a difficult task for him, but he hadn't used much force just now. Moreover, he could control his strength, and he knew that the force he used wouldn't damage the bed. Now, however, he felt that the same force had pierced through the bed.

Suddenly, Ye Feng thought of a possibility. The thought excited him, and he quickly sat down cross-legged, carefully sensing his body's condition.

"Stage 5 of the Iron Body Technique? What's going on? I was only at Stage 2 yesterday. How did I advance three stages in one night? And how did my meridians heal so mysteriously?"

Seeing his body's condition, Ye Feng was completely stunned.

The Iron Body Technique is a basic cultivation method distributed by the merchant guild to the Flying Tiger Team.

Generally, those who join the Flying Tiger Team are poor civilians who cannot cultivate. Those who can cultivate wouldn't do this job because the village provides some level of assistance, ensuring basic living standards.

For those who cannot cultivate, their bodies are weak. Even if they go to collect items, they won't get much. Moreover, with wild beasts rampant in the mountains, their weak bodies would just be food for the beasts. Therefore, the merchant guild provides them with a cultivation method to strengthen their bodies, increasing their strength and defensive capabilities, allowing them to collect more items.

For ordinary poor civilians, reaching the first stage of the Iron Body Technique is already impressive. Ye Feng survived for four years in the Flying Tiger Team because his Iron Body Technique reached the second stage, significantly enhancing his strength and defensive capabilities.

This second stage of the Iron Body Technique had saved his life more than once.

Without any resources, relying on his own efforts to reach the second stage of the Iron Body Technique, Ye Feng's comprehension was evident. However, his meridians were naturally narrow and fragile, making his comprehension useless. His only path was to strengthen his body.

Strengthening the body is considered a marginal practice in this world, being a hundred times harder than orthodox cultivation and fraught with danger. A single mistake could be fatal. Moreover, strengthening the body offers no significant development, and they had never heard of anyone becoming a high-level martial artist through this method, only of many who died prematurely.

"Ten years of strengthening the body is not as good as one year of cultivating martial arts." This is how people view strengthening the body. Most people who practice it end up with hidden injuries and die prematurely. Most importantly, strengthening the body requires a large amount of resources.

Ye Feng could reach the second stage of the Iron Body Technique thanks to his comprehension and a crucial reason: two years ago, while collecting items with the Flying Tiger Team, he found a piece of high-grade ferocious beast flesh.

Hiding a piece or two of beast flesh in the Flying Tiger Team was not a secret, and even the team's boss knew about it. If the rules were too strict, no one would work for them. So, the boss turned a blind eye. This piece of ferocious beast flesh provided him with sufficient vitality to advance to the second stage of the Iron Body Technique.

This was his reliance for survival. Over four years, the Flying Tiger Team members changed one after another. The previous members either died in the mountains or died from overexertion while strengthening their bodies.

Even so, his body was riddled with hidden injuries. If left untreated, he wouldn't live for more than three years. These hidden injuries prevented any further progress in his Iron Body Technique, a fact Ye Feng was well aware of. That's why he saved money to buy the medicine to strengthen his meridians, hoping to cultivate martial arts and resolve his physical issues. But it didn't work out as he expected...

"Hmm? This is... Vitality Energy?" While checking his body, Ye Feng suddenly discovered a trace of Vitality Energy in his meridians.

Seeing this, a look of surprise appeared on Ye Feng's face. Vitality Energy was a special ability from his previous life, and he didn't expect it to follow him to this world.

Ye Feng understood that Vitality Energy was his greatest reliance in this world, especially after realizing the nature of this world. He was very cautious, as his body lacked the talent for martial arts cultivation.

Without the ability to cultivate martial arts, he would be like an ant in this world, easily killed by any martial artist. Ye Feng didn't like leaving his fate in others' hands; he wanted to control his own destiny. Therefore, he was very happy to see the Vitality Energy.

Seeing the Vitality Energy, Ye Feng also understood why his meridians had healed and why his hidden injuries had disappeared.

He knew that Vitality Energy could heal any injury.

Now, Ye Feng understood that his Iron Body Technique had reached the fifth stage for two reasons: first, he had practiced diligently, even to the point of madness, but his hidden injuries had prevented any progress. Second, his vitality was depleted, and strengthening the body primarily relies on vitality. Without sufficient vitality, he couldn't make any progress, and surviving was a stroke of luck. Now, with all his hidden injuries healed by the Vitality Energy, he naturally advanced to the fifth stage of the Iron Body Technique.

Taking a deep breath, Ye Feng calmed his excited heart.

In the evening, at the dinner table, Ye Feng looked at the two types of wild vegetables and the wild boar meat in his bowl, feeling a warm current in his heart.

Ye Feng knew the family's situation. His younger brother's cultivation was at a critical stage, and he was trying to save money to buy medicine. The family was penniless, and this piece of wild boar meat had cost all their savings.

"Mother, your body is weak. You should eat this meat," Ye Feng said, passing the meat to his mother.

Ling Wanrong's eyes instantly reddened. She returned the meat to Ye Feng, "Mother won't eat it. Your body needs to recover. You eat! Besides, I already ate in the kitchen."

Hearing his mother's words, Ye Feng's eyes also reddened. In his previous life, his mother had sacrificed everything for him and died trying to save him. Now, the Ling Wanrong before him was gradually merging with his original mother.

"Whether in this world or the previous one, maternal love is equally great!" Looking at the meat in his bowl, Ye Feng sighed inwardly.

"Xiao Hao, you are at a critical stage of cultivation. This meat is for you!" After a moment of thought, Ye Feng put the meat in his younger brother Ye Hao's bowl.

His younger brother was ten years old, just one step away from the Quasi-Warrior realm. These days were crucial for his cultivation. If he could enter the Quasi-Warrior realm, he wouldn't need Ye Feng's care anymore, as the village would provide cultivation resources. Moreover, a ten-year-old Quasi-Warrior was considered a genius in the surrounding area.

"Brother, I..."

"Listen to me, eat it! Try to gather your spirit and enter the Quasi-Warrior realm in one go!"

Ye Hao was about to refuse but was scolded by Ye Feng.

Hearing Ye Feng's words, tears instantly streamed down Ye Hao's face. The three of them had relied on each other since childhood. Ye Feng had risked his life to join the Flying Tiger Team to help his brother cultivate better. Therefore, he didn't say anything more, nodded firmly, and said, "Brother, you can rest assured!" Then, he picked up the meat from his bowl and ate it with big bites.

Seeing her two sons, Ling Wanrong shed tears, but a smile appeared at the corners of her mouth.

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