Martial Saint through Reading

Huo Buyan lowered his eyes towards the front, scanning past Ling Hao and Ji Yong, finally locking onto Fang Xiao.

At this moment, Fang Xiao was breathing heavily, and a tinge of redness appeared on his wrinkled face.

"Huo... Commander Huo."

"Fang Xiao," Huo Buyan lightly tapped his toes, and he gracefully descended from the towering Blazing Fire Tiger Horse, walking towards Fang Xiao, "It’s been many years since we last met."

They know each other?

Ling Hao and Ji Yong dared not speak.

"Commander Huo, I... I..." Fang Xiao seemed a bit nervous.

Despite Huo Buyan’s appearance being of a middle-aged man, he was actually older than Fang Xiao.

Back then, when Fang Xiao was in the Tiger Armor Army, he served under Huo Buyan.

However, at that time, his highest rank was just a Squad Leader, and he only had one direct encounter with Huo Buyan.

"There’s no need to be restrained." Huo Buyan patted Fang Xiao’s shoulder, unexpectedly revealing a smile on his resolute face: "Won’t you invite me in?"

The Commander was so courteous to Fang Xiao?!

Ling Hao and Ji Yong were internally shaken with surprise.

Something feels off...

Could it be that Old Fang is truly not just a Ten Thousand Soldiers Commander this time, but...!

Fang Xiao’s body trembled slightly, he quickly stepped aside and invited Huo Buyan and his group into the residence.

...

Banquet hall.

Wine, sumptuous food, continuously brought forth.

Huo Buyan sat on one side, two Ten Thousand Soldiers Commanders and a Chiliarch seated behind him, while Ling Hao and Ji Yong obediently sat further back.

On the other side was Fang Xiao alone.

Once the wine was properly served, Huo Buyan raised his hand slightly, and one of the Chiliarch behind closed the hall doors.

Then, he directed his piercing gaze towards Fang Xiao, raised his wine cup, and smiled: "Congratulations."

The four behind him followed in raising their cups, and Ling Hao and Ji Yong, by this point, couldn’t help but follow suit, realizing something significant was happening.

The commotion caused by the two Blood Circulation Realm cultivation techniques seemed even greater than they had anticipated.

Fang Xiao excitedly raised his cup.

Everyone in the hall downed their drink.

Huo Buyan set down the cup, once again looking at Fang Xiao: "Fang Xiao, I won’t beat around the bush with you."

Saying this, he took out two cultivation techniques, precisely Tiger Blood Technique and Blood Python Technique.

"Were these two techniques derived and deduced by you?"

Fang Xiao nodded.

"Good," Huo Buyan’s grin widened upon hearing this, "You’ve made a significant contribution to our Tiger Armor Army; Commander Xiang instructed me to bring two items."

First, he revealed a black object resembling a sculpture: "Ten Thousand Soldiers Commander’s Seal."

Ten Thousand Soldiers Commander?

Ling Hao and Ji Yong were a bit baffled.

He’s merely a Ten Thousand Soldiers Commander, yet why is Commander Huo so courteous?

Fang Xiao’s heart raced, his gaze fixated intensely on that commander’s seal.

Huo Buyan set down the Ten Thousand Tigers Talisman, speaking solemnly: "However, Commander Xiang believes this Ten Thousand Tigers Talisman might not necessarily suit you."

The Tiger Armor Army’s Ten Thousand Soldiers Commander’s Seal, also known as ’Ten Thousand Tigers Talisman.’

His expression unchanged, he then took out another slightly larger, pitch-black object, similar to the Ten Thousand Tigers Talisman:

"This item, currently the Tiger Armor Army in Xirong County has only two."

Huo Buyan placed down that seal alongside the Ten Thousand Tigers Talisman.

At this moment, the small wine table held two major Tiger Armor Army seals, one being the Ten Thousand Tigers Talisman, the other appeared even more special.

"This seal serves as both the seal and..." Huo Buyan’s eyes shone with respect: "The symbol of the Commander’s Personal Attendant, known as the Tiger obeying Talisman."

Tiger obeying Talisman?

Fang Xiao appeared puzzled, as he had never heard of this seal or of Commander Xiang having a Personal Attendant.

"Simply put, the Commander’s Personal Attendant holds a status equivalent to a Direct Disciple. Commander Xiang has had only two Personal Attendants, of whom I am one," explained Huo Buyan, noticing Fang Xiao’s confusion.

The Commander’s Personal Attendant, Direct Disciple?!

Fang Xiao’s eyes vibrant with realization as he stared at those two items, taking a long time to compose himself.

"Commander Huo..." he found himself at a loss for words.

Whether it was the Ten Thousand Tigers Talisman or the Tiger obeying Talisman, for him, these were things he never imagined encountering in his lifetime.

But now...

Huo Buyan toyed with the two seals, his expression suddenly stern: "Whether this Tiger obeying Talisman can choose its master depends on today."

He suddenly focused his gaze, looking directly into Fang Xiao’s eyes: "At the very least you’re at Strong Bone Realm Perfection now, right?"

As Fang Xiao had battled against the Blood Evil Sect’s Strong Bone Realm experts, news of it had reached the Tiger Armor Army.

Huo Buyan believed that Fang Xiao’s strength had absolutely reached Strong Bone Realm Perfection, otherwise, he couldn’t have defeated a middle-stage Strong Bone Realm martial artist burning Qi and Blood.

Fang Xiao remained silent.

His current strength was merely at the stage of re-condensing his ninth strand of Qi Blood; he hadn’t even begun to hammer his limb bones, let alone achieve Strong Bone Realm Perfection.

Yet, to prevent Chu Ming from being exposed, he had to bear everything.

Huo Buyan continued his inquiry: "You didn’t break through to Strong Bone Realm using the Tiger and Python Body Refining Technique, did you?"

"If I’m not mistaken, you’ve not only deduced a cultivation technique superior to the Tiger and Python Body Refining Technique for the Blood Circulation Realm, but have also comprehended another higher-level Strong Bone Realm Technique?"

Huo Buyan addressed the true purpose of his visit.

Fang Xiao’s heart stirred with anticipation.

Sure enough, as the young master had expected, the Tiger Armor Army inquires about how he broke through to Strong Bone Realm.

Feigning difficulty, he maintained his silence.

Seeing this, Huo Buyan’s eyes brightened, he picked up the Tiger obeying Talisman, "Commander Xiang personally stated, if you’re willing to provide the Strong Bone Realm Technique, Commander Xiang will accept you as the third Personal Attendant."

"Additionally, I can tell you one more thing: as long as you break through to the Refining Organ Realm, the Tiger Armor Army will establish the Seventh Tiger Camp."

Currently, the Tiger Armor Army has six great tiger camps, each with a commander, Huo Buyan being the commander of the Third Tiger Camp.

The implication is that although Fang Xiao is temporarily a Personal Attendant, as long as he breaks through to the Refining Organ Realm, he’ll be the commander of the Seventh Tiger Camp.

Initially, Huo Buyan intended to test him, but Fang Xiao’s complex expression made Huo Buyan feel that the other really held a more advanced Strong Bone Realm Technique.

This wasn’t just his probing; it was a task given to him by Commander Xiang Yue of the Tiger Armor Army.

The Tiger Blood Technique and Blood Python Technique can condense Qi Blood, but only up to twelve strands.

Strong Bone Realm martial artists hammer the skeleton to enhance physical defense power, but they still rely on the power of Qi and Blood.

The more Qi and Blood Power, the stronger the strength.

If they could acquire an advanced technique to the Tiger Blood Technique or Blood Python Technique, allowing condensation beyond twelve strands, the overall strength of the Tiger Armor Army would undergo a qualitative leap.

Most importantly, in the eyes of Huo Buyan and Xiang Yue, if Fang Xiao could comprehend cultivation techniques beyond the Tiger and Python Body Refining Technique for the Blood Circulation Realm and Strong Bone Realm, might he someday comprehend a superior Refining Organ Realm technique?

"By the way, as far as I know, the West Glory County Imperial Examination Hall plans to thoroughly investigate the Chu Family and Blood Evil Sect matter, possibly implicating both you and Chu Librarian."

Huo Buyan’s tone sank as he spoke solemnly, "From my understanding of the Imperial Examination Hall, without unforeseen circumstances, both you and Chu Librarian may be convicted of treason like the Blood Evil Sect."

"However, being a Tiger Armor Army Ten Thousand Soldiers Commander, Personal Attendant, and Commander isn’t something an Imperial Examination Hall can dare touch!"

Huo Buyan maintained a calm demeanor, yet his words strongly emphasized the Tiger Armor Army’s authority.

Balancing kindness and might!

Fang Xiao feigned shock, yet inwardly felt uneasy.

’The young master offering the Tiger Blood Body Refining Technique should have also anticipated this aspect...’

He pretended to grasp the wine cup tightly, appearing angrily conflicted, pondering fervently.

For a long while, Fang Xiao slowly released the cup, took out a book from his bosom.

Huo Buyan’s instantly focused his gaze on it.