Soon, the intelligence in the bamboo tube was completely read.
Zhang Rongfang was sowhat surprised that the internal troubles of this shadow in the forest seed quite significant.
Compared to the previous case of the mountain tiger blocking the road, the difficulty of this case was much greater.
’The intelligence indicates that the murderer in the shadow in the forest is suspected to be a mysterious figure fully ard and clad in a black Daoist robe.
This person is tall and never speaks, encountering three sieges by experts from Wushan Prefecture but always escaping unscathed.’
’The first siege involved two Sixth Grades, three Fourth Grades, and fifteen ordinary constables carrying knives, crossbows, and firearms.
After the team entered, contact was lost after two hours.’
’The second siege deployed one Eighth Grade, three Fifth Grades, and two hundred soldiers from the Thousand Households carrying crossbows, swords, and other weapons.
After the team entered, only one Eighth Grade escaped with serious injuries, but later died from the worsening wounds.’
"The third siege dispatched two Ninth Grades and two Eighth Grades.
After the team entered, in the end, only one Ninth Grade managed to escape, the escapee being Huang Yixi from the Huang family.
Afterward, Wushan Prefecture completely designated the depths of Yinhuai Forest as a forbidden zone.
Along with the entire Yinhuai Forest, watchtowers were established for surveillance."
’Later, Yinhuai Forest began infrequently capturing won.
Investigations by Wushan Prefecture discovered that as long as a woman was voluntarily thrown in at regular intervals, Yinhuai Forest would not autonomously draw in won.’
After reading all the contents, Zhang Rongfang was sowhat shocked by Yinhuai Forest.
The last investigation dispatched two Ninth Grades and two Eighth Grades, yet still returned without success, with only one Huang Yixi surviving.
Clearly, the dangers within Yinhuai Forest were such that even Ninth Grades couldn’t handle them.
Thinking about it, after all these years, if it could be resolved, Wushan Prefecture wouldn’t have let it persist and continue harming people.
"Additionally, Zhengming Association is said to be continually investigating this Yinhuai Forest...
I wonder if here are more details available now."
With this thought, Zhang Rongfang slowly paused.
"First, send soone to approach Zhengming Association to see if we can obtain more information.
If not, I’ll have to wait until I’m fully healed before going myself."
He had been accumulating attribute points all along, intending to wait until his injuries healed to breakthrough the Soul-Stabilizing Talisman, pushing it to the limit and entering the true Tenth Grade—Super Grade.
By then, the confidence in entering Yinhuai Forest would be greater.
With this plan set in his heart, Zhang Rongfang burned the intelligence scroll and began to ditate, cultivating literature skill.
*
*
*
Ti flew by, and soon more than half a month had passed.
Golden Wing Pavilion headquarters, Ten Thousand Miles Manor.
Zhang Rongfang, masked and draped in a silk black robe, exposing his chest.
Now standing at over 1.9 ters tall, his muscles were knotted all over, with black hair casually draped over his shoulders, exuding a faint wild aura.
Standing by the artificial lake, he gazed into the distance, seemingly resting his eyes.
But in reality, he was checking the accumulation of attribute points in his attribute column.
A few days ago, his life value finally fully recovered.
However, due to the injuries, his life limit had slightly decreased by two points.
Dropping from the previous 45 down to 43.
This also made him understand why many high-grade experts, despite later focusing on literature cultivation, still didn’t have high life values.
’Turns out, if the injuries are severe, they permanently shorten life...’
Zhang Rongfang recalled the saying from the previous life, that the number of tis cells divide is limited, slightly agreeing with this change.
However, what he cared about now was not the two points of life lost due to the serious injuries, but the Soul-Stabilizing Talisman which was already learned and soon about to be enhanced to break its limits.
The limit-breaking of the Soul-Stabilizing Talisman not only concerned this martial art.
It also concerned breaking the boundary from Ninth Grade to Tenth Grade.
Surpassing Ninth Grade can be considered Super Grade.
’So if I truly break through to Tenth Grade, it’s also a form of breaking into Super Grade. Just the thod is different from others.’
Zhang Rongfang glanced at the attribute column, clearly seeing four attribute points.
He intentionally waited a few extra days, firstly to consolidate injuries, allowing his body to recover to the peak state.
Secondly, to accumulate the four points required for breaking the limit.
For today, he specially ca to headquarters Ten Thousand Miles Manor, conducting the breakthrough in the safest location.
Although Ten Thousand Miles Manor’s location had been exposed before, due to its high safety level, Zhang Rongfang did not abandon it.
rely, this place turned from a dark departnt base to a bright departnt base.
"Soone, co."
Soon, a masked figure quickly approached, kneeling on one knee.
"Master."
"Pass down the order, from now on, do not let anything disturb .
I’m going to retreat temporarily for closed training." Zhang Rongfang instructed.
"Yes!"
Soon, by the artificial lake, layers of orders spread and passed down.
The entire lake gradually left only Zhang Rongfang alone.
He closed his eyes, looking at his attributes at the mont.
’Zhang Rongfang—Life 43-43.
Martial Arts:
Rejuvenation Purification Talisman Manual—Fifth Grade.
Soul-Stabilizing Talisman (Beginner)
Leg Technique—Third Grade.
Fist, Palm, Claw: First Grade.
Limit-Breaking Skill: Shrinking Step, Heavy Mountain, Song Yun.
Extre State: Critical.
Cultivation of Literature: Void Observation Skill (Fourth Realm—Golden Core Ninth Transformation)
Available Attributes: 4.’
"It’s ti to start...."
Without hesitation, he calmly applied the four attributes accumulated over ti to the plus sign behind the Soul-Stabilizing Talisman.
Imdiately, the text in parentheses behind the Soul-Stabilizing Talisman blurred.
Within less than two seconds, new text erged.
’Soul-Stabilizing Talisman (Limit-Breaking)’
Instantly, countless mories about practicing the Soul-Stabilizing Talisman surged into his mind.
Zhang Rongfang’s head ached fiercely for a while, blood vessels in his forehead and temple bulged.
But this feeling lasted only for a short ti before quickly dissipating.
Replacing it, his body began to heat up and feel feverish.
Especially the hands and arms.
The Soul-Stabilizing Talisman, being a talismanic martial art focused mainly on the arms, naturally also strengthened the arms.
The practice of martial arts naturally leads to enhancent, but what Zhang Rongfang values is the critical rank-breaking.
He wanted to see, after breaking through the ninth grade to the tenth grade, if it could be considered entering the super grade.
What exactly is the power amplification of this super grade?
Soon, the limit-breaking enhancent he desired also began.
Threads of warm currents started to naturally appear all over his body, as if manifesting out of thin air.
Once they erged, they quickly stimulated his internal organs, muscles, skin, and bones.
Making them rapidly beco more compact, solid, and firm.
But this stimulation enhancent.....
Was very weak....
Zhang Rongfang frowned deeply.
Suddenly, he recalled the explanation about the principle of grading by the Celestial Maiden.
’The so-called graded martial arts are a training thod to repeatedly break through limits, thereby allowing the body to exert its greater potential.’
’No matter what martial art, as long as it remains within the ranks, it primarily focuses on potential excavation.’
’And the ninth grade is the ultimate limit of the body’s potential excavation. Beyond that, one must utilize everything in the world to inversely enhance the body.
If the enhancent is successful, it becos super grade.
If it fails, then it’s severe injury or death.’
’Most major sects possess their unique super-grade secret techniques, but these often have strong life-shortening side effects.
Only so exceptionally rare top talents can mitigate these side effects due to special gifts, stepping into the highest realm. That is the pinnacle super grade infinitely close to the Grandmaster.’
"So now, am I even considered the weakest super grade? Such a slight amplification, even if it surpasses the ninth grade, has limited effect."
Zhang Rongfang frowned in thought.
"It seems that always following the nine-grade system indeed has little effect. Moreover, most existing martial arts are designed for ordinary physiques. And my current quality has long surpassed common folk.
Therefore, most of the existing martial arts may not suit anymore."
This point is actually easy to understand.
Just like the Iron Sand Palm.
When practicing, one starts by hitting grains of rice with the hand.
Then switch to sand, then iron sand, and finally, to scorching hot iron sand with poison.
Only in this way can it be fully mastered.
However, with the strength of his hands at this point, he could directly strike iron sand.
Then with such strength, what is the point of practicing the Iron Sand Palm’s thod again?
The body would not be enhanced at all.
Because the intensity of the martial art practice itself is not enough.
"Thus.... ordinary martial arts are no longer suitable for ; there surely must be martial arts suitable for soone at the pinnacle of the ninth grade like ...." Zhang Rongfang instantly grasped the key point.
In other words, the martial arts used below the ninth grade and for the super grade could be vastly different.
Up to now, he vaguely understood that his attribute points used on skills seem more like practicing a martial art diligently in a specific direction.
One attribute point is equivalent to three years of painstakingly practicing a martial art.
From the influx of mories into his mind, it can be deduced that this attribute point is equivalent to nonstop cultivation for three years.
"It seems.... I need to think carefully about how to maximize the effectiveness of the attribute points."
Standing by the artificial lake, Zhang Rongfang closed his eyes, reviewing everything he has learned so far.
At this mont, the warm currents within him had gradually faded and disappeared.
And the enhancent of his body did indeed break through the ninth-grade limit, but the degree of enhancent was minimal.
For instance, the normal strength at the tenth grade was at most equivalent to the level of him using the weight of a heavy mountain at the ninth grade.
This all seed normal, but what was his foundation? And what was the foundation of those people?
"Hmm, it’s pretty much like when the Snake King was there, but the Snake King was much older, and I’m just eighteen."
Zhang Rongfang analyzed in his mind.
He also knew that his problem was forcibly using martial arts within the ninth grade to break through the limit.
In fact, according to the explanation by the Celestial Maiden, after reaching the pinnacle of the ninth grade, one should integrate all learned skills and embark on a fully compatible martial path.
Upgrading one’s martial arts.
But currently, he was still using the Talismanic Skill of the Great Dao Teaching, and this was still soone else’s martial art, not his own.
"Soone, co." he abruptly spoke.
Soon, a masked figure in black approached and knelt down.
"My lord?"
"Deploy personnel; I want to enter Yinhuai Forest."
Expectation rose in Zhang Rongfang’s eyes. In every aspect, Gong Shuyin is related to the arrangents of the Celestial Maiden.
Since she ntioned that there might be sothing he needs in Yinhuai Forest.
Then why not personally explore it?
*
*
*
Two days later.
Inside Yinhuai Forest.
Groups of people dressed in gray-white sturdy outfits, carrying sticks, knives, and swords on their backs, were gathering in the outer periter of the forest.
A tall, robust old man with white hair and a white beard was holding a broad-bladed giant sword, loudly reprimanding the crowd.
People arriving for wild food outside the forest were mostly watching the excitent from not far away.
So were even shouting to form teams and enter the forest to search together.
The guards in the watchtower nearby were yawning, glancing for a while before going back to rest.
Among the onlookers, indeed, in a short while, several motley teams were indeed ford.
These people seed not to care at all about the terrifying legends of the forest.
Among the crowd, a sturdy man with a height of about six-foot-three, dressed in a dark green sturdy outfit, carrying a circular weapon on his back, was attentively observing the scene in front of him.
The murmurs around him intermittently reached his ears.
"Who disappeared this ti to cause such a big mobilization?"
"It seems to be the only daughter of Chen Xiping, the Youheng Saber. She’s his only child, born to him in old age, and now suddenly disappeared...sigh..."
"The Youheng Saber... that old man has been renowned for over twenty years. With such connections, it’s understandable."
"Indeed, as long as the search is carried out within three days of the person’s disappearance, there won’t be any issue.
This group of people is probably aiming to claim the reward, looking for a cheap win?"
"Why are people from the Zhengming Association here too?"
"I heard their previous investigative team suffered heavy casualties, so they must have brought real experts this ti."
Zhang Rongfang glanced around. He already grasped the situation.
This ti, he ca alone to find Shadow in the Forest.
If Gong Shuyin hadn’t deceived him, then the Daoist from Shadow in the Forest probably holds clues to the secret technique for breaking into the super grade.
Only in this way can there be a reasonable explanation for his breakthrough.
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