Brocade Robe Unparalleled

Chapter 8 Extraordinary Talent
"Bone Tempering Liquid is made from forty-nine kinds of precious medicinal herbs using the Nine Li secret method. It has the effect of tempering the body and cleansing the marrow and purifying the skin. It is especially effective for bottlenecks between the ninth and eighth ranks. This small bottle is worth a thousand taels of silver, and it is priceless..."

The man in black glanced at Lin Xuan and said, "You were helpful in providing intelligence last time, so this is something I specially applied for for you."

Lin Xuan immediately clasped his hands in thanks: "Thank you, sir."

The man in black robes said calmly, "I told you, as long as you serve me wholeheartedly, you'll be rewarded. Take off your clothes, pour the Bone Tempering Liquid into the bathtub, soak naked, and circulate the Mountain Suppressing Technique. After absorbing all the medicinal power, you should be able to advance to the eighth rank..."

After a while.

Inside the room, Lin Xuan poured the last bucket of water into the bathtub, and the man in black robes silently handed over the dark porcelain bottle.

Lin Xuan took the porcelain bottle with both hands. It felt slightly heavy and cool to the touch.

He uncorked the cork, and an indescribable, strange medicinal fragrance, mixed with the scent of herbs and trees, instantly filled the air.

The liquid was not transparent, but rather had a viscous, almost dark green color, with a faint shimmering effect under the dim light of the oil lamp.

The man in black robes said in a hoarse voice, "Pour it all in. It might hurt a little, but bear with it."

Without any hesitation, Lin Xuan flipped his wrist and poured all the dark green bone-tempering liquid into the bathtub.

The viscous liquid spread rapidly after being added to the water, and the originally clear water in the bucket was visibly stained a light green, giving people a very eerie feeling.

"Take off all your clothes and come inside."

The black-robed man's command was concise and cold.

After saying that, he turned around and faced away from Lin Xuan, looking out at the deep night.

Lin Xuan looked at the tub of strangely colored bathwater and wasn't worried that the man in black robes intended to harm him.

His life was entirely in the hands of this man in black robes. If the man wanted to kill him, he could do so with just a flick of his finger; there was no need for all this trouble.

He readily removed his outer robe and inner garment, revealing his well-defined physique. After a moment's hesitation, he looked at the black-robed man's back and tentatively asked, "Sir, could I leave my underwear on?"

The man in black robes said coldly, "Take it all off."

Lin Xuan stopped talking nonsense, took off his last pair of underwear, and stepped into the bathtub.

The diluted bone-tempering liquid felt cool. Lin Xuan spread his legs apart, the water level just covering his neck. He assumed the "Embracing Mountain Stance" posture and activated the Mountain-Suppressing Skill. In an instant, he sensed a strange power entering his body from the water.

At the same time, an indescribable stinging sensation suddenly appeared, as if countless fine ice needles were piercing through his pores and penetrating deep into his bone marrow. Lin Xuan almost instinctively wanted to jump out of the bathtub.

A hand wrapped in black silk, containing terrifying power, pressed heavily on his head.

The man in black robes did not turn around, his gaze fixed on the window. He said in a deep voice, "If you can't even bear this little bit of pain, what kind of martial arts are you cultivating? Endure it, circulate your inner energy, and guide the medicinal power into your marrow!"

Lin Xuan gritted his teeth and persevered.

After all, this pain is nothing compared to the onset of the Heart-Eating Gu.

He forced himself to calm down, grit his teeth, maintain the posture of embracing the mountain, his feet firmly planted on the bottom of the bucket like roots, his arms loosely embracing, and continuously circulating the mental techniques of the Mountain-Suppressing Exercise.

The man in black robes withdrew his hand, glanced at Lin Xuan in the bathtub, whose body was tense, veins bulging on his forehead, yet he was stubbornly maintaining his stance, and said nothing more. He turned and quietly left the room, gently closing the door behind him.

Inside the room, with each breath Lin Xuan took, it was as if he was forcibly drawing the icy, bone-chilling liquid containing strange energy from the bucket into his body, bringing an even more intense, bone-deep tearing sensation. With each long exhale, he would painstakingly expel a small amount of impurities, blockages, and excruciating pain from his body.

Time seemed to slow down amidst the extreme pain. Lin Xuan's consciousness was nearly blurred by the onslaught of agony. Only the stance training and mental techniques of the Zhenyue Gong, like instincts ingrained in his bones, kept him from collapsing.

He didn't know how much time had passed, but just as that hellish pain reached its peak, as if it would crush every inch of his bones into dust—

"Crack!"

A crisp sound, emanating from the depths of Lin Xuan's soul and audible only to him, suddenly erupted!
The strange medicinal power that had been lingering and surging within his body and flesh broke through the invisible shackles like a flood bursting its banks, surging wildly into the depths of his bones!

Extreme pain instantly transforms into extreme... pleasure!
It was as if a parched and cracked riverbed had suddenly encountered a torrent of sweet rain; every thirsty cell was greedily sucking and cheering, making Lin Xuan unable to help but let out a low and satisfied groan.

Even Lin Xuan himself didn't realize that at the very moment he broke through, an invisible and intangible yet vast and boundless strange power suddenly surged from the deepest part of his consciousness, instantly sweeping across the entire room!
This power came quickly and went quickly, receding rapidly like the tide and returning to the depths of the body, as if it had never existed.

outside the room.

The black-robed figure, who had been standing motionless like a statue with his back to the door, suddenly shuddered!
She turned around abruptly, and from the shadow of her hood, her cold eyes flashed with an incredulous light as she stared intently at the door!

"What powerful mental strength!"

The moment Lin Xuan broke through, she clearly sensed an immense, almost tangible, spiritual fluctuation sweeping out from the room!

This is a mental strength that a mere junior officer who has just entered the eighth rank could not possess!

The sheer power and concentration of this spiritual force... is comparable to that of a fifth-rank master!
No wonder he was able to deceive the Mind-Asking Mirror; a fifth-rank master's mental strength is enough to make him immune to the Mind-Asking Mirror's mental intrusion.

Moreover... this means that unless it's one of those top-tier experts from the highest ranks, any mental manipulation, shock, or even soul-capturing techniques will be completely ineffective against him!
At this moment, even she was overwhelmed with emotion!

Martial arts have nine ranks: the lower three ranks are for body refinement, the middle three ranks are for qi refinement, and the upper three ranks are for spirit refinement.

The strength of one's mental power is crucial throughout the entire process of martial arts cultivation!
At the lower three ranks, strong mental power means that one's perception of the primordial energy of heaven and earth far surpasses that of ordinary people, making it twice as effective in guiding qi to temper the body.

At the middle third grade, powerful mental strength means that the circulation of true qi is as easy as using one's own limbs, seizing the initiative is only a matter of moments, and breaking through cultivation realms is also one step ahead of others.

At the highest level, martial artists transition from Qi Refining to Spirit Refining, and the strength of their spiritual power becomes the absolute benchmark for measuring their strength!
With such immense spiritual power born of birth, cultivating martial arts is practically a gift from heaven! This person's future is limitless!

She's struck gold this time!
Immediately, an uncontrollable surge of anger welled up in his heart.

Despite possessing such an astonishingly high talent, it took him three whole years to barely reach the peak of the ninth rank!
How negligent he was in his martial arts training during those three years!
What a waste of natural resources!

hateful!

"Bang!"

Just then, a sound of a wooden barrel breaking and a heavy object falling to the ground came from inside the room!

The man in the black robe felt a sudden tightness in his chest!
At this moment, Lin Xuan's importance in her heart had risen infinitely!
He absolutely cannot afford to make a mistake!
Her body transformed into a blurry afterimage, smashing open the door with lightning speed and rushing inside!

The sight inside the room made her freeze in place.

Lin Xuan stood up somewhat disheveled from a puddle of water and broken pieces of wood. He was soaking wet, his private parts tightly covered by his hands, and stared in astonishment at her bursting into the room…

Lin Xuan saw the black-robed man suddenly barge in and quickly covered his private parts.

After his breakthrough, his strength increased several times over. Before he could adjust, he accidentally stepped into the thick bathtub and cracked it. Before he could even put on his clothes, the man in black robes barged in...

Lin Xuan looked at the black-robed man who had barged in, his Adam's apple bobbed, and he forced himself to remain calm before speaking, his voice carrying a hint of barely perceptible embarrassment: "Sir, could you please let me put on my clothes first?"

The man in black robes was silent for a moment, then slowly turned his back, his voice returning to its usual coldness: "Wear it."

Lin Xuan quickly grabbed the clothes beside him, dressed himself, and once again clasped his hands deeply in thanks to the black-robed man's back: "Thank you for the medicine, sir!"

The man in black robes then turned around, his gaze, hidden in the shadow of his hood, sweeping over Lin Xuan for a moment as if trying to see through him inside and out.

A moment later, the cold voice rang out again: "Your aptitude is good. Be more diligent in your cultivation in the future, and don't be lazy..."

Lin Xuan immediately bowed respectfully: "Your subordinate will remember your teachings and will certainly live up to your kindness in nurturing me!"

The man in black robes nodded and said, "You're already an eighth-rank martial artist. Reinstate your position as soon as possible and continue gathering useful intelligence. I'll come back to find you..."

Before she finished speaking, her figure had already drifted away like a ghost, disappearing into the thick darkness outside the door.

Watching the dark figure completely disappear into the darkness, Lin Xuan's tense heartstrings finally relaxed, and he let out a long breath.

We've finally survived this ordeal safely.

Tonight's gains were truly significant; not only did my strength improve, but a weight was also lifted from my heart.

The man in black robes was even willing to give him the precious bone-tempering liquid, so he probably wouldn't treat him like a pawn like last time.

At least with the man in black, his life was protected for the time being.

As for the Jingbian Division, Lin Xuan was conflicted about whether Commander Wu would keep his promise.

He preferred not to be a banner officer, because that way he wouldn't be able to do much for Nanzhao, allowing him to focus on cultivation, improve his strength, and perhaps find a way to cure the Heart-Eating Gu...

At this moment, in a secluded dark room within Sizhou City.

The large black robe was carelessly discarded on the ground, with a hideous demon mask and a pair of thin, black silk gloves on top of it.

A woman with a captivating figure and a charming yet sharp appearance sat at the table.

Her skin was as white as snow, and her eyebrows and eyes were as beautiful as a painting. At this moment, however, her expression was solemn. Her slender hand held a fine brush dipped in bright red cinnabar, and she wrote quickly on a delicate silver mirror the size of a palm, with intricate patterns carved on its edges.

The cinnabar fell onto the mirror surface and flowed slightly like mercury, making the writing crystal clear:
"Subject: Report on espionage potential"

"Target: Flag Officer of the Border Defense Command"

"Observation: The target's strength is indeed at the eighth rank, but his spiritual power is vast and refined, comparable to a fifth-rank martial artist. It is suspected that he has a strong innate divine soul, and his potential far exceeds the original 'Profound' level assessment. I humbly request your review and prompt evaluation to upgrade him to the 'Earth' level."

"To: Intelligence Division"

Name: Mandala

After writing these few lines, she sat quietly at the table and waited.

After an unknown amount of time, the seemingly sleeping silver mirror suddenly lit up with a faint glow.

On the mirror, the bright red cinnabar characters began to twist, flow, and recombine as if they were alive, eventually solidifying into several new, more ancient and vigorous characters.

"I understand: Such talent is extremely rare in the world."

"Decision: Promote its potential to the 'earth' level."

"Imperial Edict: You are hereby rigorously examined. If you are determined to serve me faithfully, I will provide you with ample resources and training; if you harbor any disloyal intentions, you will be executed without exception!"

Name: Black Lotus

The writing on the mirror slowly disappeared. The woman put the silver mirror away and murmured softly, "Such a talent is indeed worth the time and effort to examine..."

(End of this chapter)