Chaos and monsters begin with the red dragon's clone.

"I?"

Zhang Xun had almost used up all his money in his efforts to break through to the second realm, and now he was worried about how to make money again, which made him feel helpless.

Then came the information about the Rebirth Cult and the Fog Zone.

The red dragon's body probably can't cross the fog zone in the short term, and the passage has been dug for nearly two hundred meters. Although the soil layer has become more obviously loose, it is still unknown when it will be completed. However, he estimates that it can be completed before the fog moon period at the latest. Therefore, the situation there can be put on hold... The main thing is the statue of the Holy Child of the Rebirth Cult, but there is no clue about that at the moment.

"There's still one more shipment left at Jia's place. Let's see how it goes after that," Zhang Xun said.

"If you don't have any plans, you can also consider staying at the Boxing Academy," Zhao Shaoting said with a smile. "Every three years during the Fog Moon period, the Boxing Academy needs to add more manpower for patrols. Although the money is not much, only a subsidy of two thousand, it's not busy, so it's equivalent to staying at the Boxing Academy to practice martial arts."

Chang Zhiliang was somewhat tempted by what he heard.

"Furthermore, in order to cope with the Fog Moon period, according to past practice, the government will recruit some temporary patrol officers to maintain order. The three major boxing academies all have some quotas, and we Flying Stone Realm disciples each have ten. Therefore, Senior Brother Fan and Senior Brother Chen are already discussing holding a small training session for the Second Realm disciples to strengthen their combat abilities."

Zhao Shaoting paused.

"You guys don't have much of a chance to compete for those spots, but if you stay at the boxing academy, I'll ask around, and you should be able to get some training... It's a really good opportunity to improve your practical combat skills, not just in terms of technique. It would be a shame to miss it, since the essence of martial arts training is to be able to fight!"

"Oh." Zhang Xun's heart stirred, and his companion asked him many questions on his behalf.

"Senior brother, temporary patrol officers seem to be in high demand. What's the reason?" Chang Zhiliang asked curiously.

"First of all, there's the compensation. Although it's only about two months, the basic salary is 10,000 yuan per month. If you make contributions to maintaining order by driving away criminals or ghosts, there will be additional bonuses," Zhao Shaoting explained with a smile. "Not to mention there are some other hidden benefits, which you can only use if you have the opportunity to break through to the Body Tempering stage. These alone are enough."

Chang Zhiliang lost interest upon hearing about body tempering, and then asked curiously, "What kind of method is it that improves combat ability without relying on technique?"

"Haha, I'll keep you in suspense for now. You'll find out when you go." Zhao Shaoting laughed heartily.

"I haven't even considered it, I'm definitely going." Chang Zhiliang looked at Zhang Xun, "Xun, what about you?"

Zhang Xunguang was immediately tempted when he heard about the monthly salary of over 10,000. He didn't commit murder or arson; he worked hard as a deliveryman for Jia's company, earning only a hundred or so coins a day! This kind of spot was probably a competition, and if he used his dragon power, he would definitely be able to win it—but if he used it openly and honestly, it was really hard to explain how he could have such an aura.

He pondered for a moment, but said aloud, "With so many benefits, let's go!"

"Okay, I'll go ask for you." Zhao Shaoting said with a smile.

After he left, Zhang Xun and Chang Zhiliang practiced diligently until nearly evening. Thinking they needed to further refine their Toad Breathing Technique, they went back a little earlier. Unexpectedly, another job came knocking on their door...

*

*

evening.

Zhang Family, Dongluo Town.

"Mother, I'm back."

Zhang Xun pushed open the door and saw his aunt Zhang Ru, uncle Gao Hongcan, and a middle-aged manager in a gray-white coat with a centipede-shaped button, sitting on the guest chairs in the hall. Yao Cuiling was pouring tea for them.

"Aunt, Uncle, you've arrived!" Zhang Xun exclaimed in surprise as he took the teapot and poured water.

"My home is simple; besides tea, there are no snacks. Please forgive me. And who is this gentleman?"

"This is your uncle's sixth brother, the manager of the leather workshop. Your mother relies on Manager Gao for a lot of care," Yao Cuiling introduced. She smiled with pride as her son made a name for himself in front of the relatives.

"So it's Uncle Gao Liu, I'm extremely grateful." Zhang Xun clasped his hands in a gesture of respect.

In any case, the stable job at the leather workshop really helped the family a lot.

"You are Hongcan's relatives, so you're not outsiders. Besides, your mother is hardworking and conscientious, so there's no need for any special treatment," Gao Hongde said with a wave of his hand and a smile.

The atmosphere inside the room became harmonious.

"Xiao Xun, I heard you've reached the second level of Body Tempering? Congratulations!" Aunt Zhang Ru congratulated him.

"Xiao Xun...you've reached the second realm!?" Yao Cuiling exclaimed in surprise. She glanced at her son and noticed that his complexion was different from before. She was so excited that she trembled. Entering the first realm was nothing. Now he had truly become a useful person. He would not have to worry about making a living and could easily support his family. He was worlds apart from ordinary people.

"Yes, I originally wanted to wait until things settled down before saying anything." Zhang Xun smiled as he sat down, and thanked Zhang Ru and her husband, "If it weren't for your constant help, I wouldn't be where I am today. I will always remember your kindness."

Aunt Zhang Ru listened with a beaming smile, and Uncle Gao Hongcan also smiled and offered his congratulations. After a brief chat about family matters and recent events, the topic was changed.

"Xiao Xun, training in martial arts, reaching the second stage of Body Tempering is just the beginning. The later stages are even more expensive, and you can't do without a job to support you. We're not outsiders, would you like to come and work for the Gao family? I guarantee it won't be too busy, and you'll have time to train. The salary is six thousand coins a month, which is higher than elsewhere," Uncle Gao Hongcan asked.

"Six thousand coins!?" Yao Cuiling exclaimed. This was almost half a year's wages for her. She had a direct feeling of the improvement that her son's breakthrough had brought to the family.

"Yes, the general wage for a second-stage Body Tempering cultivator is around five thousand coins. This year, due to the Mist Moon period, various forces, large and small, want to recruit more people, but it's only a few hundred more," Gao Hongcan said.

Zhang Xun immediately understood that all the major and minor families would hire more guards during the Fog Moon period to deal with the situation.

On the other hand, it's likely that Gao Hongcan's branch of the family wanted to cultivate influence within the Gao clan, and since they hadn't yet inquired in detail about how he rapidly reached the second realm thanks to Zhao Shaoting's donation of exotic beast meat, they assumed he had good aptitude and tried to win him over. But he never intended to become a guard, let alone after hearing about Chang Zhiliang's ordeal.

"Thank you, Uncle, but I just broke through to the next level, and I'm still working on the Jia family's cargo escort job. How about I get back to you after I finish that?"

"That's true. Think about it first."

A hint of displeasure flashed across Gao Hongcan's face, but he didn't show it. After exchanging a few polite words, he took his leave.

After leaving the Zhang family's residence, he walked a few steps away from Gao Hongde on the street before lashing out at Zhang Ru: "I've helped your elder brother's family so much, and now your nephew's putting on airs, is that it? I kindly came to their door and gave him such good treatment, and he doesn't even give me face? Don't forget he only just entered the first realm after a year of training. What kind of talent is he? A mere second-realm cultivator, what's so great about him!?"

Zhang Ru carefully observed her husband's expression and said with a forced smile, "How about I ask him about it privately?"

Gao Hongcan snorted coldly, his face full of displeasure: "Do you really think your nephew is a treasure?"

"Yes, yes." Zhang Ru said in a low voice, following closely behind, and even secretly glanced back at the Zhang family when they reached the street corner.

…………

"No wonder your aunt and uncle wanted to come, and they even brought gifts. I was wondering why." After the guests left, Yao Cuiling, the old woman, was still excited and happy. "Your uncle has never come to our house before. Your mother knows that he looks down on us. But now that you, Xiao Xun, have broken through, things are different. He's even rushing to offer you a well-paid job. With you as his nephew, he'll definitely treat your aunt better from now on."

Zhang Xun looked at the dim light outside the door, listened to his mother's excited chatter, smiled, and felt a strange sense of peace in his heart.

The pedestrians in the town were in an increasingly hurried manner, their expressions showing the anxiety of the approaching foggy moon.

As night fell after dinner, the night wind outside faintly carried the rustling and hissing sounds of a monster crawling.

Zhang Xun returned to his room, ignoring everything, and sat cross-legged on the bed, recalling the secrets of "Toad Breathing Exercise".

The next moment, he took a deep breath, his abdomen slowly contracted, his chest expanded, and a surge of heat flowed through his body. His whole body made a series of subtle crackling sounds as he inhaled and exhaled, his breathing becoming a strange rhythm. Gradually, the faint croaking of frogs seemed to rise in the room, intertwining with the hissing of the strange shadow.

Zhang Xun soon felt a warm, full sensation coming from his internal organs, like a pig's bladder being slowly inflated. A light, agile, and strong feeling arose from within him, as if he could leap onto the roof beam with a little effort in his legs.

Although it was an illusion, it was completely different from the other realm.

If it weren't for Long Wei, he would have had a hard time killing Hao Jing, Guo Lie, and others.

Flying Stone Fist Technique: 304/999, Proficient.

'Flying Sand Blade Technique: 211/300, Proficient'

"Toad Breathing Exercise: 6/100, Beginner Level."

After a long while, Zhang Xun exhaled a breath of stale air and pondered as he looked at the progress of the moves in the Red Dragon's field of vision.

The first level of Toad Breath, "Breath Roar," is the ability to instantly mobilize heat when one becomes a martial artist. The second level, "Internal Tremor," is for protecting internal organs in hand-to-hand combat. Since life-or-death battles often involve weapons, it doesn't have a significant impact on strength. Only the third level, "Synchronization," provides a considerable boost, but without money to buy medicinal soup and exotic beast meat, it's difficult to progress in a short time.

He decided to prioritize advancing his swordsmanship to the level of mastery before the arrival of the foggy moon, thereby improving his combat abilities.

Senior Brother Zhao is right. In the end, martial arts training is about who can fight better—of course, adjustments should be made depending on the specific circumstances of the training session.