Chapter 274: Lightness Skill Breakthrough

With the authorities’ final ruling on the Red Moon Studio incident, dozens of people within 《spirit realm》 were thrown into prison. Zhou Maoming and a few others were placed on the Six Gates Maritime Arrest Warrant list and disappeared from the Jianghu.

The Qingfeng Escort Agency rose rapidly.

Using his influence, Wangchuan not only took control of the Qingfeng Escort Agency in Huishui County and another escort agency in Hejiang Town, but also acquired an escort agency in Rong County with the help of the county magistrate, as well as one in Heilong County.

The headquarters of the four escort agencies was established in Hejiang Town. The three branch agencies recruited one hundred and twenty Quasi-Martial Artists, seventeen full-fledged Martial Artists, and three First-Rank Martial Artists.

To ensure control over the operation of the Qingfeng Escort Agency, he specifically arranged for Fei Zai to serve as the Chief Escort Leader.

Fei Zai regularly traveled by boat between the three branch agencies. With former Yulong Gang brothers looking after him and with his familiar connections among local families and merchants, everyone knew that he now followed Wangchuan, the Helm Leader of the Caobang Sanjiang Branch Helm.

Knowing that his backing far surpassed the escort agency’s previous situation, people treated him with respect, and the escort agency’s business quickly stabilized.

During this time, Wangchuan did not neglect his training.

In fact, because of the eerie Blood Moon incident on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, he became even more focused on cultivation and improving his strength. He trained diligently in 《Water Strider》 and finally, on the seventh day, heard the system notification.

“Ding!”

“《Water Strider》 has advanced from ‘Practice Makes Perfect’ to ‘Entry-Level Mastery.’ Reward: +3 Agility.”

At the moment of the breakthrough, Wangchuan felt his body become lighter. His footwork flowed like the wind, and the surface of the river seemed to provide firmer support.

Walking on water now consumed less internal energy.

With his internal strength supporting him, a single step carried him five to six meters. He stepped across the water more than twenty times in succession, covering over one hundred meters across the Sanhe River before his body finally felt heavy and his internal energy began to run dry. He had no choice but to climb onto a nearby boat.

On the Sanhe River, there was hardly a boatman who did not recognize the Helm Leader of the Sanjiang Branch Helm. The boat captain quickly bowed.

“Greetings, Helm Leader!”

“Hahaha…”

Wangchuan waved his hand and looked toward the distant riverbank more than one hundred meters away, laughing heartily.

Finally!

His 《Water Strider》 could now easily carry him one hundred and fifty meters across the river’s surface. At last, he possessed something of the bearing of a true expert.

He checked his Status Panel again.

Wangchuan: Male (Hunger 78/100)

(Life Profession: Blacksmith)

(Combat Profession: Second-Rank Martial Artist)

Strength: 44; Attack: 14–15

Agility: 53; Defense: 10.6; Speed +53

Stamina: 59; Health: 590/590

Spirit: 14; Internal Energy: 140/140

Free Attributes: 5 (Available)

(Cultivation Methods Folded)

“I can begin closed-door training of the 《Xuanwu Art》.”

In high spirits, Wangchuan returned to the branch helm.

As soon as he entered, he saw Wang Yuehui and Hong Kaibao walking out with bright expressions.

“Helm Leader.”

The two quickly saluted, clearly in a celebratory mood.

Wangchuan looked Hong Kaibao up and down.

“You look well.”

“Helm Leader’s eyes are sharp. I have just broken through to the Second Rank.”

Although Hong Kaibao had entered the Blackstone Village blacksmith shop at the same time as Bai Yuhui, he had lagged far behind Bai Yuhui in his path toward the Second Rank. After shutting himself away to train for a long time, he had finally caught up and officially become a Second-Rank Martial Artist.

“Excellent.”

Wangchuan could not help smiling.

The Sanjiang Branch Helm had gained another Second-Rank Martial Artist.

At this moment, the five core members he had brought from Huishui County—Wang Yuehui, Chen Ergou, Zhao Heiniu, Bai Yuhui, and Hong Kaibao—had finally all reached the Second Rank.

The only regret was that the Sanjiang Branch Helm currently had no fifth Deputy Helm Leader position to place Hong Kaibao.

“It is good that you caught up.”

“I will report to Old Seven and request a Third-Rank martial arts manual from the hall.”

“Thank you, Helm Leader!”

Hong Kaibao knew that within the Caobang, only those with the status of Deputy Helm Leader or higher could receive a Third-Rank martial arts manual for free. Everyone else had to purchase them with their own money.

“How is your cultivation of 《Qingcheng Heart Method》 progressing?”

“I have already cultivated 《Qingcheng Heart Method》 to ‘Practice Makes Perfect.’”

Hong Kaibao had also spent his own silver to purchase martial arts manuals from the studio. The 《Qingcheng Heart Method》 was one of the mandatory cultivation methods everyone practiced.

“That is not enough. At the very least, you must reach ‘Entry-Level Mastery,’ and the same goes for your lightness skill. Until the Third-Rank martial arts manual arrives, focus on training your lightness skill and the Qingcheng Heart Method.”

“Yes!”

“As for your first Third-Rank martial art, I will request 《Dragon-Elephant Body-Protection Technique》 for you. It will allow you to improve quickly and will also help the First-Rank Martial Artists of the branch helm train through sparring.”

“Yes!!”

Hong Kaibao nodded eagerly. He had already heard about the training benefits of the 《Dragon-Elephant Body-Protection Technique》 and naturally had no objections.

Returning to his room, Wangchuan glanced at his martial arts.

At present, he still had two niche techniques he had not cultivated: 《Snake Fist》 and 《Snake-Driving Staff Art》.

In addition, there were four Third-Rank martial arts he had yet to train: 《Po Jun Twelve Spear》, 《Parting-Waters Saber Art》, 《Shadowless Dart》, and 《Five Tigers Soul-Shaking Axe》.

The studio had actually prepared three Third-Rank martial arts manuals for him, but they were fairly common techniques—《Qingcheng Sword Art》 and 《Wudang Sanshou》—so he had handed them over to Chen Ergou and Zhao Heiniu for training.

He had already calculated it carefully.

As long as he cultivated these six martial arts to “Practice Makes Perfect” and raised the 《Xuanwu Art》 by one more realm, both his Agility and Stamina would surpass the threshold of 60 points.

Only his Strength attribute would remain slightly insufficient, which he could easily compensate for using the free attribute points he had saved.

At that point, he could advance to the Third Rank.

Once he reached the Third Rank, within the Caobang and across this entire water region, it would become extremely difficult to find anyone capable of opposing him.

Unless a rare incident like encountering a Crimson Pavilion assassin occurred, even experts from the Beggar Sect or the Five Poison Sect would find it difficult to threaten him within the city or along the waterways.

Before logging off, he instructed Chen Ergou, Bai Yuhui, and the others that he would once again enter closed-door cultivation. If anything happened, they were to inform Bai Yuhui or Hong Kaibao.

Wangchuan once again submerged himself in the bath pool, cultivating the 《Xuanwu Art》 beneath the water.

He planned to share this training trick with Bai Yuhui and Hong Kaibao only after his 《Xuanwu Art》 advanced to “Entry-Level Mastery.”

For now…

Everyone remained stationed at the branch helm, guarding it.

While cultivating the 《Xuanwu Art》, he could clearly feel the circulation speed increasing, becoming smoother and more stable. Even the water in the bath pool began to ripple along with the flow of his internal energy.

One major circulation took five minutes.

It required fifteen major circulations to gain a single point of experience.

It was agonizingly slow.

But Wangchuan knew that improving the 《Xuanwu Art》 would bring tremendous benefits.

Once it reached “Entry-Level Mastery,” the ability feedback would be astonishing.

It would temporarily increase the Stamina cap by 12 points, raising the health cap by 120 points. Both his defense and body-protection defense would increase by forty percent.

It would also temporarily increase Strength by 12 points and boost attack power by thirty percent.

This was a comprehensive enhancement to both offense and defense.

With the additional 12 points of Strength, even when facing a Third-Rank Martial Artist, he would hold a considerable advantage.

Compared to a branch helm leader whose cultivation was openly at the Third Rank…

A branch helm leader who was only a Second-Rank Martial Artist yet possessed the combat power of a Third-Rank Martial Artist seemed far more discreet.

And far less likely to become a thorn in the eyes of every faction.