The day after returning to the city, news that Chen Sanshi had captured a prince spread throughout all of Poyang County.
His reputation soared overnight—so high it even overshadowed Thousand-Household Xiang Tingchun himself.
Within a day, another two hundred men came forward to enlist.
Xiang Tingchun welcomed them all, submitting a petition to the Commander's Office to temporarily expand his Thousand-Household Division.
With war looming so close, the higher-ups wouldn't refuse.
In addition, Xiang Tingchun requested reinforcements to further fortify Poyang's defenses.
The great battle was coming.
Based on the information Chen Sanshi's team brought back, the Xi River tribe had conservatively increased their numbers to five thousand.
There was a good chance this had something to do with the rumored "immortal treasure."
If so, the Witch God Sect might also infiltrate Poyang soon.
Leaving was out of the question.
Chen Sanshi had never really had a choice.
If he had joined a martial hall, he'd probably still be licking boots in Tianyuan Martial Hall, begging Senior Brother Liang for favors—and he might not even have gotten a tempering bone-level cultivation method.
Joining the army, he got real methods to cultivate—but he had to gamble his life for them.
Every choice came with its price.
The only thing he could do was keep growing stronger.
The grassland mission, at least, had brought rich rewards.
[Technique: Undying Golden Serpent Spear (Upper Scroll) — Mastery]
[Progress: 885/1000]
That desperate fight, the madness of blood and life on the line, had pushed his body to its limits.
The spiritual grain he ate before departure had been fully digested, and the technique's proficiency had skyrocketed—so fast it was almost absurd.
At this pace, he could break through to tempering skin within a few days.
There was no need to make a spectacle of it.
He'd already shown off his talent once. That was enough.
From now on, he needed to stay low-key, especially with men like Duan Yuanzhi and Luo Dongquan—cultivators at the tempering organs stage—watching. No need to make them wary.
Besides, until he reached tempering organs, promotion was impossible anyway.
So why bother showing off?
[Technique: Tracking and Hiding — Minor Achievement]
[Progress: 705/1000]
…
[Skill: Commanding Troops — Beginner]
[Progress: 233/500]
[Effect: Backbone of the Army]
…
[Skill: Horsemanship — Mastery]
[Progress: 109/500]
Come to think of it, Little Xun, his White Swan horse, had saved his life more than once.
Without that stallion's speed, there was no way he could have captured the Ninth Prince alive in such a short time.
Aside from all the skill progress, the greatest prize of all—
Was this sword.
"Clang—"
Chen Sanshi unsheathed the blade, startling Gu Xinlan, who was resting in his arms.
The two of them had been through life and death together.
And the night after returning, they'd cherished that fact in the most intimate way possible.
The sword's scabbard was made from black ebony, its surface inlaid with golden vine patterns. A blood-red gem gleamed at its center, sparkling brilliantly under candlelight.
The blade itself was three chi and six cun long—symbolizing 360 days of the celestial cycle—and one cun and eight fen wide, corresponding to half the stars of heaven. It was flawless from hilt to tip, shining with a cold, sharp light. Its weight was perfectly balanced—not too heavy, not too light.
"The Mountain-Suppressing Sword…"
Chen Sanshi recognized it immediately from a book he'd read.
Before the Great Sheng Dynasty unified the land, there had been a previous dynasty called Great Yan.
This very sword had been forged by the Great Yan Emperor who restored the nation. Who would've thought that, a century later, it would end up in the hands of the Yu Wen clan?
After Great Yan's fall, the Central Plains plunged into over a hundred years of chaos and division.
The foreign tribes who conquered the land gradually became "Sinicized"—they read Central Plains books, wore Central Plains clothing, spoke the Central Plains tongue.
It wasn't until the Great Sheng Taizu Emperor, Cao Xie, drove them back to the steppes that the barbarians' "Sinicization" began to fade again.
Even so, they never forgot the language.
"What a fine sword!"
Chen Sanshi couldn't put it down.
This very blade had nearly destroyed his Reed-Leaf Spear, which now sat in the forge for repair.
Back in Poyang, no one had asked about the sword—so naturally, he claimed it.
After reaching tempering skin, he'd make time to train in swordsmanship too.
As for the Yu Wen Ninth Prince, he had already been sent away under heavy guard that very night—first to the prefectural capital, then to the imperial city.
Royal blood was no small matter.
Men like them had no say in what would happen next.
"Well, that's one hell of an achievement," Chen Sanshi muttered. "Wonder if the old Emperor will reward me with something good for it."
Still, with war coming and the northern border far from the capital, it would take a long time for any imperial reward to reach him.
For now, power was what mattered most.
The next morning, Chen Sanshi went to the camp.
Zhu Tong, Xu Bin, and the others were all recovering well.
Of the ten who went out, six had survived—a miracle made possible largely thanks to the Chariot Suspension Formation and the Commanding Troops skill that kept them calm under pressure.
Otherwise, they wouldn't have lasted even a few minutes before being crushed to pieces.
"Wang Li," Chen Sanshi said, taking out twenty taels of silver, "you knew Li Dazhi and the others, right? Take this money to their families. Also, check if the Thousand-Household's promised funeral expenses and compensation have been paid in full. If anything's missing, come tell me."
They were just martial soldiers, true—but they were still men, still lives.
Unlike Xiang Tingchun, Chen Sanshi didn't see casualties as mere numbers. As long as he had the ability, he would help.
He didn't trust the officials to handle things properly either—who knew how much of the soldiers' due pensions might get skimmed along the way?
"Zhu Tong," he continued, "the garrison will cover your medical costs, but for your future training—everything you need for the tempering blood stage, I'll handle it. Drink as much Blood-Replenishing Soup and Vitality Soup as you need."
His tone was generous and commanding.
Xiang Tingchun couldn't afford to reward them with anything worthwhile anyway.
At least he could provide these essentials.
Otherwise, why would anyone follow him into hell again?
"Thank you, my lord!"
Zhu Tong and the others clasped their fists gratefully.
For poor soldiers like them, the hardest thing to get was proper medicine.
With enough supplies, their cultivation speed would more than double.
"Fatty, how's your injury?"
Chen Sanshi asked quietly.
"Can't die that easily," Wang Zhi grinned bitterly. "I'm at tempering bone perfection after all. Two slashes won't take my life."
He paused, voice lowering. "Still, it pisses me off that I couldn't kill Luo Dongquan! Do you know what realm he's at now?"
"Didn't he just get promoted to Deputy Thousand-Household? Should be just entering tempering organs, right?"
Chen Sanshi frowned. "No higher than that?"
"Higher. Absolutely higher."
Wang Zhi glanced around, then led him to a quiet spot before lowering his voice. "Even though I've fallen in realm, I still know exactly how each stage feels. And I've been stationed in Poyang for over ten years—I even know what cultivation method he's practicing.
He's definitely not just at tempering organs beginner stage. At the very least, he's reached tempering organs mastery. He's hiding his true strength!"
Chen Sanshi nodded slightly, keeping it in mind.
He'd only just begun to consider concealing his own realm—yet Luo Dongquan had already done it long ago.
He wanted to hide his cultivation to deal with tempering organs experts.
But Luo Dongquan? Who the hell was he preparing to fight?
"Don't worry too much," Wang Zhi said, patting him on the shoulder. "Now that we're back, with your senior brother Buqi and Sun Li here, Luo Dongquan won't dare lay a finger on you. Just focus on cultivation—you'll catch up to him soon."
"What about Duan Yuanzhi?" Chen Sanshi asked. "Has he concealed his realm too?"
"No," Wang Zhi shook his head. "Back at the Ji family manor, when you were practicing martial arts, I used the excuse of being drunk to test him. He's definitely at the early stage of tempering organs—but his foundation's solid, not weak."
Chen Sanshi understood.
Cultivation realms were tricky.
You could usually see through those weaker than you, but almost never through someone stronger.
Wang Zhi's case was special—he had deep experience, even if his strength had declined.
After finishing their talk, Chen Sanshi didn't rest for even a day. He immediately went into closed-door training, determined to break through to tempering skin in one go.
…
At the Thousand-Household residence, Xiang Tingchun was practicing with his saber in the courtyard.
A maid led Luo Dongquan in. "My lord, you wanted to see me?"
Xiang Tingchun said nothing, continuing his practice as if the other man didn't exist.
Luo Dongquan stood motionless in silence.
It wasn't until an entire hour had passed that Xiang Tingchun finally sheathed his saber.
He took a steaming towel from the maid, wiped the sweat from his brow, then sat down slowly in his rattan chair and sipped his tea—still silent.
Luo Dongquan remained standing there like a wooden stake, motionless.
"Tell me, Old Luo," Xiang Tingchun said at last, setting down his teacup. "Why did you have to do it?"
"I don't know what you mean, my lord," Luo Dongquan said, head lowered.
"Don't play dumb with me!"
Xiang Tingchun slammed his palm down, his tone sharp with suppressed fury. "Leaking your comrades' location—what's the difference between that and treason? You wanted Chen Sanshi dead so badly you couldn't even spare me the embarrassment?!"
"My lord," Luo Dongquan finally dropped the pretense. "It was for my own survival.
Once Chen Sanshi rises to power in the northern frontier, a single word from him could end my career—or the entire Luo family's future."
"Pa—!"
Xiang Tingchun's slap cracked through the air like a whip. Luo Dongquan's head snapped to the side, a deep red handprint blooming across his cheek.
"Luo Dongquan!" he roared. "Don't you forget who took pity on you back then—who brought you into the army and personally taught you martial arts! Who handed you resources so you could reach the realm you stand in today!"
"I wouldn't dare forget!"
Luo Dongquan's face burned and throbbed, but he didn't move, didn't even flinch. "Your lordship's kindness, I'll repay it with my life if needed!"
"Good thing there's no evidence," Xiang Tingchun said coldly. "I'll suppress the matter for now. But if it happens again—pray for your own soul. Now get out!"
Luo Dongquan bowed low, retreating a few steps before turning and leaving.
Once outside, he stopped by the gate, coughed up a mouthful of blood, and spat it onto the ground—expression cold and unreadable.
…
"Splash—"
In a cave deep in the mountains, Chen Sanshi poured the last batch of Condensed Dew Body-Refining Decoction into a large wooden tub.
For several days now, he hadn't gone to the Ji family manor.
Instead, he'd ordered them to deliver the prepared medicine to his home each day.
Today's was the final dose—just enough to push him through the breakthrough.
After that, he'd be out of medicine anyway.
First, he ground his skin against iron sand until his entire body was bleeding.
Then he jumped into the medicinal bath.
The icy liquid seeped into his wounds, mending the damage while nourishing his body from the inside out.
After soaking for a while, Chen Sanshi leaped out of the tub, grabbed his newly repaired Reed-Leaf Spear, and began to practice.
As his technique unfolded, the medicine that had soaked into his blood was reabsorbed, the remaining power diffusing through his body before seeping back out through his pores. Tiny transparent droplets clung to his skin like dew—hence the decoction's name.
With the tonics, beast meat, and—most importantly—the spiritual grain sustaining him, Chen Sanshi once again approached the edge of breakthrough.
He could feel it.
His qi and blood no longer just strengthened his tendons and bones—now they were hardening his very skin. When he infused his spear with qi and blood, it also flowed into his flesh, forming a protective layer like a suit of thick leather armor over his body.
"Bang—!"
He thrust his spear forward, the blow punching a massive hole into the cave wall.
His overall strength surged again. His skin toughened, dense and unyielding—far thicker than ox hide, even stronger than blacksteel skin!
[Technique: Undying Golden Serpent Spear (Upper Scroll) — Minor Achievement]
[Progress: 0/2000]
[Effect: Blood of the Dragon and Elephant; Nine Dragons Temper the Tendons; Innate Vajra; Skin as Hard as Bone]
[Skin as Hard as Bone: When qi and blood are abundant, the skin becomes impenetrably tough—its defense equal to that of external variant bones. Blades and arrows cannot pierce it.]
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Chen Sanshi clenched his fists and slammed them against the rock wall. Dozens of blows in rapid succession left deep craters in the stone.
He didn't feel the slightest pain.
His skin's defense had reached the level of bone armor—no, stronger than that.
It wasn't ordinary bone—it was variant bone, the kind only forged through high-grade cultivation methods.