Becoming a Saint From the Iron Armor Skill

He drank the Internal Medicine Soup and climbed into the prepared barrel of Herbal Decoction. The familiar sensation, like being enveloped in magma, washed over him again.

As his body absorbed the medicinal potency, the thick, dark-brown Herbal Decoction gradually thinned out at a visible rate.

After a long while, streams of cool energy spread from his skin throughout his body. Chen Cheng felt a profound sense of comfort, an indescribable feeling of refreshment.

When his cultivation was complete, he stepped out of the wooden barrel. The bruised, purpled skin all over his body had mostly healed. It was now firm and hard, far tougher than cowhide—it was like Copper Hide.

Skin as hard as copper was the sign of a Body Tempering Technique cultivated to the Perfection level.

’That can’t be right.’ Amid his joy, Chen Cheng felt a flicker of confusion and quickly summoned his panel to check.

[Name: Chen Cheng

Realm: Skin Grinding Realm (Great Success)

Skills: Iron Armor Skill (Great Success 1476/10000), Wind Chasing Saber Technique (Perfection 3331/100000), Bear Skin Grinding Technique (Great Success 450/10000)]

Over the past month of continuous cultivation, his Iron Armor Skill had already reached Great Success.

His progress with the Bear Skin Grinding Technique was even more rapid, advancing through Small Success all the way to Great Success.

He was clearly only at the Great Success stage of the Skin Grinding Realm, yet his body was exhibiting the traits of Skin Grinding Realm Perfection. Chen Cheng grew pensive.

’Perhaps it’s because I’m cultivating an Inner Breath Technique and a Body Tempering Technique simultaneously. The two must have a synergistic effect on tempering the skin. That would explain why my skin’s durability is already on par with a Perfect Martial Artist of the Skin Grinding Realm.’

’If I cultivate both to Perfection, could I attain the legendary Iron Hide, or even the Profound Gold Hide?’

’It seems the Inner Breath Technique is truly wondrous! The future is full of possibilities!’

He clenched his fist lightly, feeling a surge of immense power. A faint smile touched Chen Cheng’s lips.

’A single punch from me now probably carries over a thousand jin of strength. That’s precisely the power level of a Perfect Martial Artist of the Skin Grinding Realm.’

’In other words, even though I’m only at the Great Success stage of the Skin Grinding Realm, my actual Martial Arts Power is probably on par with a Perfect Martial Artist of the same realm.’

’If I reach Skin Grinding Realm Perfection, wouldn’t I be invincible within this realm? I might even be able to go toe-to-toe with a Martial Artist from the Muscle Strengthening Realm.’

’After all, a Perfect Martial Artist of the Muscle Strengthening Realm only has about two thousand jin of strength.’

The more Chen Cheng thought about it, the more excited he became. He quickly dressed, picked up his Constable’s Saber, and began practicing the Wind Chasing Saber Technique in the courtyard.

Compared to the Iron Armor Skill and the Bear Body Tempering Technique, Chen Cheng’s progress with the Wind Chasing Saber Technique was even more astounding. He had already reached the Perfect Level several days ago.

He hadn’t just reached Perfection; he had surpassed it by a significant margin, making him comparable to a Martial Artist who had been at the Perfect Level for many years.

If he weren’t deliberately holding back, Chen Cheng could have easily defeated Mu Zhenhai.

After all, Mu Zhenhai was old and his body was in decline; his Qi Blood Power was only equivalent to that of an ordinary Martial Artist at Great Success in the Skin Grinding Realm.

The Wind Chasing Saber Technique was a Mid-level Saber Technique. When cultivated to its absolute limit, one could develop Saber Momentum. Even at the Perfect Level, there was still a progress bar. Clearly, by maxing out that progress, he could develop the legendary Saber Momentum.

Mu Zhenhai had once mentioned that a Martial Artist who developed Saber Momentum could easily defeat ten Martial Artists of the same realm who had achieved Saber Technique Perfection. They could even cross a realm to defeat an opponent with Saber Technique Perfection.

A Perfect Martial Artist of the Skin Grinding Realm who developed Saber Momentum could defeat a Martial Artist from the Muscle Strengthening Realm who had achieved Saber Technique Perfection.

Such was the power of External Martial Arts Skills cultivated to their pinnacle.

Any Martial Artist who could develop Saber Momentum was a prodigious talent. You might not find a single one among a hundred Martial Artists with Saber Technique Perfection. Even among a thousand such masters, only two or three might succeed.

Two or three in a thousand might not seem like a low ratio, but one must remember that for a Martial Artist, simply cultivating a Saber Technique to Perfection is already an arduous feat.

Even for those with outstanding aptitude, mastering a single Saber Technique to the Perfect Level requires three to five years.

As for those with average aptitude, they might not reach Perfection even after ten or twenty years. This is why many disciples from Martial Arts Halls graduate once they achieve Great Success in their Saber Technique.

By that calculation, a Martial Artist who could develop Saber Momentum was truly one in ten thousand.

’To other Martial Artists, Saber Momentum is a distant, unattainable dream. But to me, it’s just a progress bar. As long as I keep cultivating, I can fill that bar and eventually develop Saber Momentum.’

’What’s more, my progress isn’t even slow. If I focus on it, I can gain several hundred points a day. At this rate, developing Saber Momentum is only a matter of months.’

At this thought, Chen Cheng’s eyes gleamed, his heart pounding with excitement.

He thought to himself once more, ’The future is full of possibilities!’

Developing Saber Momentum was only a matter of time. The one thing Chen Cheng lacked right now was that very time for cultivation.

Although time was tight, he couldn’t just resign from his post as an official constable in the City Guard Department.

The moment he gave up his status as a constable, he would be powerless, and the Zhou Family would undoubtedly eliminate him without a second thought.

Moreover, Chen Cheng had also learned that cultivation in the Muscle Strengthening Realm, which came after the Skin Grinding Realm, also required supplements. One needed Muscle Strengthening Elixirs to fortify the tendons and membranes. This was similar to how the Skin Grinding Realm Body Tempering Method required soaking in an Herbal Decoction and consuming an Internal Medicine Soup.

Muscle Strengthening Elixirs were far more precious than the Medicinal Materials for the Skin Grinding Realm’s decoctions and were monopolized by the Government Office and the Four Great Clans of the Inner City.

Even a major business like Luo’s Shop had no supply. While some occasionally surfaced on the Black Market, the prices were exorbitant, and they were instantly snapped up by various figures from the Jianghu.

To obtain Muscle Strengthening Elixirs from the Government Office, one needed to be at least the rank of Chief Constable and exchange them for Merit.

For Chen Cheng, the only way forward now was to find a way to get promoted to Chief Constable.

Besides, being a Chief Constable in the City Guard Department didn’t require daily patrols. You only had to show up for roll call, and the rest of your time was your own. You just had to go to the City Guard Department when issues arose.

However, getting promoted to Chief Constable was no easy task. While Su Chenglin was considering retirement, he wouldn’t be stepping down anytime soon. After all, the position came with considerable power, and he would naturally cling to it for as long as possible.

’Whatever. I’ll just get by for now and wait for an opportunity.’

Chen Cheng thought to himself and walked out of the inner courtyard.

Xi’Er was crouched down, holding out a handful of millet grains to tease a few small birds on the ground.

The young girl was usually home alone, and with the courtyard swept and chores done, she had nothing else to do.

But she had found her own way to pass the time, often sprinkling millet in the courtyard to entice birds to come and keep her company.

Among these birds, a black and a white pigeon had recently made a home for themselves at the Chen residence. They were the boldest of the bunch, occasionally hopping up to peck millet directly from Xi’Er’s hand.

"Xiaohanzi, you’ve eaten enough! Let Xiaobai have some!"

"That’s it, Xiaobai, eat up until you’re full."

A faint smile graced Chen Cheng’s face as he watched the scene.

"Young Master, are you finished with your cultivation?"

Xi’Er asked quickly when she saw Chen Cheng emerge.

"Yes," Chen Cheng smiled. "Go and make dinner. I’m on the night shift today, so I need to go for roll call early."

"Okay!" Xi’Er scattered the remaining millet onto the ground and scurried toward the kitchen.

...

After dinner and a brief rest, Chen Cheng arrived at the Ruyi Square Sub-Department.

In the Government Office Hall, a number of constables were gathered in small groups, discussing something.

After checking in for roll call, Chen Cheng saw Liao San and Li Ze among a small group and went over to join them.

"Third Brother, what’s going on?"

Liao San said in surprise, "Ah Cheng, there was a massacre in Ruyi District last night, right in your squad’s patrol area. You didn’t hear?"

Chen Cheng said, "I’m on the night shift. I just got here for roll call."

"No wonder." Liao San’s expression turned serious. "Last night on Pingshun Street, in Bu Yun Lane, Gentry Zhao’s entire family, young and old, were murdered in their home, along with their Household Guards. All the valuables in the house were stolen."

"Gentry Zhao?" Chen Cheng was taken aback. "Didn’t the City Guard Department constables on duty notice anything?"

Bu Yun Lane was only two main streets away from Chen Cheng’s own Shisong Street.

Chen Cheng knew this Gentry Zhao. His name was Zhao Gui, and he was a Great Success Martial Artist of the Skin Grinding Realm. He also had more than ten Household Guards.

Annihilating the entire Zhao Family would be a difficult feat even for a Perfect Martial Artist of the Skin Grinding Realm. And even if they succeeded, the sounds of the fight would have inevitably been heard by the neighbors, drawing the attention of patrolling City Guard Department constables.

Liao San said, "The City Guard Department didn’t find out until this morning. One of the Zhao family’s neighbors was passing by, smelled blood, and reported it when they realized something was wrong."

Chen Cheng’s expression shifted. "You’re saying Gentry Zhao and his family were killed without anyone hearing a thing?"

Liao San nodded. "That’s what makes this such a major case."

"According to the men who were at the scene, the culprits were incredibly brazen. They left thirteen bloody handprints. This was very likely the work of the South City Thirteen Thieves."

"You’re new to the City Guard Department, so you might not have heard of them. The South City Thirteen Thieves are a gang of notorious bandits who have been operating in the South City District for the last couple of years. They leave thirteen bloody handprints behind every time they strike."