Chapter 72: Refining the Liver
The moment Lu Yuan spoke, his body began to change. His muscles grew stronger, more powerful, and visibly firmer.
The wound on his shoulder began to heal at a rate visible to the naked eye.
New flesh began to granulate in just a few moments.
The scorching energy in his chest grew slightly stronger, continuously nourishing his internal organs.
[Third-Grade Cultivation Skill: Mixed Element Golden Bell Shield (948/10,000 to Perfection)]
CLANG!
He slammed his arms together, producing the clang of colliding metal.
A flood of insights about Arrays then appeared in his mind.
Solutions to problems he previously couldn’t conceive of or solve now leaped to the forefront of his thoughts.
[Second-Grade Array: One-Character Long Snake Formation (431/10,000 to Perfection)] Additional Effects: Defense Enhancement, Chasing Kill
Simultaneously, insights and experience related to his Arrow Skill surged forth.
A moment later, a new Cultivation Technique was derived.
[Second-Grade Cultivation Skill: Torrential Rain Arrow Skill (0/1,000 to Minor Achievement)]
A smile touched Lu Yuan’s lips.
’If my old Arrow Skill could only take down one enemy per shot, this new one can handle many more. Once I master it to Perfection, my Wolf Hair Arrows will fall like a torrential downpour.’
And its power would be immense.
’With this Cultivation Technique, I’ll definitely be able to rack up more military honors on the battlefield.’
He then took out the Lotus Heart Fruit and tossed it into his mouth.
’Eating this should be enough to reach complete Perfection.’
He planned to achieve Divine Containment today.
The next moment, a vast wave of energy surged toward Lu Yuan’s heart.
Essence Qi erupted from every pore of his body.
Even from the crown of his head.
His blood began to race through his veins as if it were boiling.
Each beat of his heart boomed like thunder.
As time passed, Lu Yuan felt a sense of Perfection welling up inside him. He took out a stalk of Heart Fire Grass—another Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasure for Heart Refining—and stuffed it into his mouth.
The moment it went down,
intricate patterns appeared on his heart.
This was the Divine Essence.
The strand of Mixed Element Qi he had previously refined also underwent an imperceptible change, its effects seemingly enhanced.
An unknown amount of time passed. When Lu Yuan finally felt his condition stabilize,
[Third-Grade Cultivation Skill: Tiger Subduing Posture—Refining the Liver (0/1,000 to Minor Achievement)]
’Just as I thought. After that breakthrough, my Refining the Liver stage has directly reached Minor Achievement.’
With the advancement of his Mixed Element Golden Bell Shield,
even though he hadn’t started cultivating his other organs, they had all reached Minor Achievement under the tempering of the Mixed Element Qi.
At this point, his cultivation had once again taken a great leap forward.
He glanced outside and saw it was still early, so he lay back down and went to sleep.
「The next day」 Just as the sky began to lighten, a commotion started outside.
Zhou He’s booming voice followed. "Sir, it’s time to set out."
He was now a Centurion under Lu Yuan’s command, tasked with managing the logistics for the Personal Guard Camp.
So far, Zhou He had performed his duties exceptionally well.
"Coming!"
Lu Yuan called back as he rose to his feet. He put on a new green battle robe, and then, with Zhou He’s help, donned his armor.
Carrying his Crescent Saber, he walked outside.
Zhou He looked at Lu Yuan’s gear and couldn’t help but sigh in admiration. "Damn, you put all that on, and you look just like a General."
Lu Yuan shot him a glance but said nothing.
He vaulted onto his Red Scale Horse.
Its powerful hooves gouged small pits in the ground with every strike.
In addition to its natural scales, Lu Yuan noticed that the warhorse was now covered in a layer of light armor.
Noticing his confusion, Zhou He immediately explained, "I saw the General reward you with the warhorse yesterday, so I rooted around in the storeroom and managed to piece together a set of horse armor. It’s makeshift, but better than nothing."
"Mm." Lu Yuan nodded, a warmth spreading through his chest. ’This is why you need your own brothers on the battlefield.’
At that moment, the other nine Centurions rode up, Zhou Xiong among them.
He looked at Lu Yuan, his eyes filled with a wealth of emotion.
’I knew the kid was talented, but I never expected him to shoot up the ranks this fast. My own nephew is even basking in his reflected glory.’
’He’s already at the same rank as me.’
’And it wasn’t easy for me, either. Even though I’m from the Zhou Family, it took me decades of hard work to finally make Centurion.’
’After all, there are too many wolves and not enough meat. And not everyone has Lu Yuan’s kind of strength.’
"Greetings, Sir!"
the group of Centurions said, cupping their fists from atop their horses.
Despite Lu Yuan’s youth, none of them felt any resentment. His military achievements alone—earned through bloody combat, one blade and one spear thrust at a time—commanded their respect.
Besides, everyone knew he was the General’s trusted aide.
He even ate his meals with Zhou Hongling, and his name was known to the Marquis himself.
There weren’t many Thousand Men Commanders whom the Marquis of Jiuse would bother to remember.
Lu Yuan was one of the few.
So, anyone who dared to challenge him would just be asking for death.
"Move out."
Lu Yuan said nothing more. With that one quiet command, he led his troops, falling in behind Zhou Hongling’s contingent as they marched forward.
An army of tens of thousands marching was a different beast from a few dozen or a hundred scouts. Their speed was much slower, but the sheer scale of their procession was immense.
The Iron Kites that had been harassing the army’s scouts scattered the moment the main force began to move.
They didn’t dare to get any closer.
Within the column, Lu Yuan and his men formed a protective screen around Zhou Hongling.
He made idle conversation with her as they rode.
Lu Yuan was surprised to find that his normally taciturn General was actually quite the chatterbox today, constantly peppering him with questions.
He could barely keep up.
"How’s your wound?"
"Once the fighting starts, you must be careful."
"Stick close to me for the next few days. Don’t go off on your own."
...
Lu Yuan could only answer her endless stream of questions one by one.
Nearby, Zhou Ming simply smiled without saying a word.
’As a man of experience, he could naturally tell what was on Zhou Hongling’s mind.’
’Since Hong Xiu from the fourth branch of the family looked down on Lu Yuan, perhaps Hongling is a possibility.’
’Though Lu Yuan’s status is a bit low, his talent is extraordinary.’
’If a man like that were to become Hongling’s husband, the benefits to the family would be immense.’
’Once this war is over, I’ll have a good talk with my niece and see what she thinks.’
’If she’s willing, brokering a match between them would be a fine thing.’
When he saw a lull in Zhou Hongling and Lu Yuan’s conversation,
Zhou Ming spurred his horse forward to offer a word of caution. "This King Yan who defected to the Northern Barbarians... his forces’ overall strength can’t compare to the Northern Barbarian Warriors, but their Lone Wolf Array is uniquely formidable.
’You must be extremely careful when the battle begins.’
"’Furthermore, King Yan is an expert at building staunch fortifications. Breaching his camps will be no easier than taking a city. You should be mentally prepared.’"
Lu Yuan nodded. "Thank you for the warning, Sir."
Zhou Ming chuckled. "We’re all family here, no need for formalities. The only way to break the Lone Wolf Array is to counter it with another Array. I know you have a unique understanding of them, but when the time comes, do not act rashly."
"Yes, sir!" Lu Yuan said at once.
Only then did Zhou Ming nod in satisfaction.