Mang Niu Jin

Several soldiers in the vicinity regarded one another with a sense of dismay.

Was he astoundingly powerful?

Sheng Huai'an, with his rather delicate and handsome countenance, and those slender limbs, seemed more like a fragile and scholarly young man. There was scarcely any indication of the great strength he might possess.

Noticing that Sheng Huai'an was reluctant to withdraw to the rear, the veteran commanded, "Fetch him a fine bow and ten arrows."

"Uncle, I desire fifty arrows. Today, I aim to have a magnificent hunting spree." Sheng Huai'an declared with exuberant enthusiasm.

The veteran was rendered speechless. This fellow had transformed with astonishing rapidity. Merely a few minutes prior, he had been quivering like a terrified quail, gripped by extreme fear.

Now, he resembled a battle-hardened veteran who had weathered numerous campaigns.

Though somewhat perplexed, the veteran still uttered, "Fetch him twenty arrows."

A soldier received the order and hastened to procure the bow and arrows.

The remaining soldiers persisted in clutching steel knives and spears to maintain their guard, or they picked up stones and hurled them downward, smashing the enemy soldiers ascending the scaling ladders to their deaths and causing them to tumble.

The scalding "golden liquid" was also poured down in a single, torrential rush.

In any case, as long as they could slay the attacking foes, that was satisfactory.

Sheng Huai'an espied several arrows that the enemy had shot and lying on the ground. He promptly went over and extracted them.

"Not too bad. They can still be put to use."

After retrieving the six arrows scattered around on the ground, Sheng Huai'an resumed shooting at the enemy with that aged and dilapidated bow.

"Whoosh!"

With one arrow, a life was extinguished, and the kill value incremented by a single point.

Soon, the six arrows were expended, and six Xiongnu soldiers lay dead.

This spectacle left the surrounding soldiers gaping in astonishment. Wasn't this precisely the act of feigning weakness to ambush the strong?

Could this be called a conscripted laborer?

Whose conscripted laborer presented such a visage? He effortlessly dispatched ten enemies without even a flicker of change in his expression.

The kill value soared to ten points, and a plus sign finally materialized behind the common-level archer.

He could enhance his level with a single click!

Without a moment's hesitation, Sheng Huai'an activated the upgrade, and the common-level archer evolved into a bronze-level archer.

A copious amount of archer experience inundated his mind, and concurrently, his strength augmented to some extent.

After attaining the bronze-level archer status, Sheng Huai'an felt that he was now formidably powerful.

The veteran and the several other soldiers in the vicinity regarded Sheng Huai'an with altered perspectives.

With merely a broken bow, he had slain eleven enemies. This archery aptitude was truly terrifying.

If he could secure the heads of these eleven enemies, with such military merit, he could be directly promoted to a squad leader.

In the Great Wei Dynasty, a corporal could lead five soldiers, and a squad leader could command ten soldiers.

The veteran served as a squad leader, and the ten soldiers in the vicinity were under his jurisdiction. Sheng Huai'an had also been assigned to his unit.

Now that there was this budding marksman like Sheng Huai'an in the team, the veteran conceived the notion of safeguarding him.

Shortly thereafter, the soldier who had gone to fetch the bow and arrows returned.

"Kid, slay the enemies valiantly and strive to survive. Perhaps you could ascend to the rank of a general in the future." The veteran remarked with a smile.

After switching to the new bow and arrows, Sheng Huai'an tested them. They were not bad. They were far superior to that old bow.

"Slaying the enemies to serve the country is the quintessential trait of a man. Uncle, observe attentively. I shall surely consign these Xiongnu scoundrels to perdition." Sheng Huai'an stated as he nocked an arrow and drew the bow.

After becoming a bronze-level archer, Sheng Huai'an sensed that his posture of drawing the bow had become considerably more elegant.

"Whoosh!"

An arrow was discharged, striking the center of the enemy's forehead. A Xiongnu soldier perished in a daze.

Before long, the twenty arrows claimed the lives of twenty Xiongnu enemy soldiers.

By this time, some Xiongnu soldiers had managed to climb up, but they were all hacked to death by the defending soldiers and plunged off the city wall.

Beneath the city wall, a considerable number of Xiongnu soldiers' corpses had amassed.

Blood had dyed the city wall a vivid red.

Yet, the Xiongnu soldiers below continued to ascend fearlessly, treading upon the bodies of their comrades.

As long as the war drums for retreat were not sounded, the siege would persist. Those who dared to retreat without legitimate justifications would be beheaded!

Their relatives would be demoted to slavery.

Consequently, the Xiongnu soldiers attacking the city would not recoil even a single step, even if it meant their demise.

After exhausting his arrows, Sheng Huai'an was instructed by the veteran to take a rest.

The battle endured until noon when the Xiongnu army finally beat the drums to withdraw.

The Xiongnu soldiers assaulting the city also retreated like the ebbing of the tide.

This morning, the Xiongnu army had failed to scale the city wall, leaving behind thousands of cadavers.

It was a pity that this golden finger only conferred kill values for the enemies he himself had slain. Otherwise, Sheng Huai'an would have soared to great heights instantaneously.

The Xiongnu army did not retreat any further. Evidently, today's battle was not yet concluded.

Sheng Huai'an withdrew to the rear to take a respite and examined the light curtain.

Name: Sheng Huai'an

Race: Human

Cultivation Method: None

Talent: Bronze Archer (+)

Kill Value: 20

With a kill value of twenty points, a plus sign emerged behind the bronze archer, yet Sheng Huai'an was not in a hurry to level up.

For the present, during the city defense, the experience of being a bronze-level archer was scarcely sufficient.

He had to contemplate learning martial arts. In this world, martial arts prevailed. To endure on the battlefield, one had to be robust and powerful.

During the noon break for lunch, everyone introduced themselves to become acquainted with one another.

"I'm Sheng Huai'an. The 'Sheng' is from 'prosperous', the 'Huai' is from 'cherish', and the 'An' is from 'peace'." Sheng Huai'an elucidated.

"Prosperous, cherish, peace. Quite agreeable. It's an excellent name." The veteran commented, then heaved a sigh.

Prosperous times...

In the northern border of the Great Wei Dynasty, wars had been raging ceaselessly for years. Only heaven knew how many bones of the sons of Great Wei had been interred there.

He, too, yearned to behold what prosperous times were like.

"I'm Wang Wu." A rugged and tough man announced.

"I'm Zhang Daniu." Zhang Daniu, who was as brawny as a bull, declared.

"I'm Li Busi." Li Busi appeared rather emaciated.

"Li Busan!"

After uttering this, Li Busan sealed his lips. He seemed rather aloof and was somewhat tall and slender.

"He and Busi are two brothers, genuine siblings." Wang Wu said with a grin.

Sheng Huai'an was on the verge of dropping his jaw in astonishment. Were the parents of these two brothers so lackadaisical when bestowing names?

Neither three nor four!!

"..."

After everyone had completed their introductions, only the veteran had remained silent.

"Uncle, what's your name?" Sheng Huai'an inquired curiously.

"The squad leader is simply known as the veteran. He has no name." Zhang Daniu replied.

No name? Could there be an underlying tale?

"A name is merely a symbol." The veteran stated indifferently.

Sheng Huai'an scratched his head. Now he was even more intrigued by the veteran.

After becoming familiar with everyone, Sheng Huai'an looked at the veteran and said, "Uncle, is there martial arts within the army?"

The veteran eyed Sheng Huai'an and then responded, "It's indeed essential that you learn some martial arts. Otherwise, with those slender arms and legs, the Xiongnu brigands could cleave you to death with just two strokes."

"Uncle, must you belittle me in such a manner!?" Sheng Huai'an was at a loss for words.

"You slew thirty-one enemies today and are now officially a member of our Anning Pass defenders. I can make the determination to impart the martial arts practiced in the army to you."

Upon hearing that the veteran claimed there was martial arts, Sheng Huai'an was overjoyed in his heart.

"The martial arts practiced by the Anning Pass defenders is called 'Mang Niu Jin'. Once you achieve success in cultivation, you can be as potent as a wild bull, with an arm strength exceeding ten thousand catties." The veteran informed.

"I yearn to learn it! I'm eager to learn it!"

"Very well, I'll transmit it to you forthwith!" The veteran nodded.

Taking advantage of the noon break following lunch, the veteran instructed Sheng Huai'an in the cultivation formula and postures of "Mang Niu Jin" practiced in the army.

The veteran only demonstrated the postures once and then queried Sheng Huai'an.

"How about it? Have you committed it to memory?"

Sheng Huai'an nodded: "I have remembered it."

How could he have failed to remember? On the golden light curtain, "Mang Niu Jin" had already manifested.

Name: Sheng Huai'an

Race: Human

Cultivation Method: "Mang Niu Jin" (+)

Talent: Bronze Archer (+)

Kill Value: 20

"Truly remembered it?" The veteran said with a tinge of disbelief.

"Truly!" Sheng Huai'an nodded earnestly.

The veteran was somewhat suspicious. Remembering it merely by glancing at it once? Could Sheng Huai'an be a martial arts prodigy?

"Execute it once for me to witness." The veteran said.

"Certainly!" Sheng Huai'an nodded.

Then he directly initiated the upgrade. Instantaneously, a warm current coursed throughout Sheng Huai'an's body. He felt that his entire being was brimming with might at this moment and could pulverize a cow with a single punch.

Simultaneously, the memory and experience of cultivating "Mang Niu Jin" seemed to surface in his mind as if by divine inspiration.

The kill value was directly depleted by ten points, and "Mang Niu Jin" also instantaneously reached the minor accomplishment level.

Sheng Huai'an adopted a stance and performed the postures of "Mang Niu Jin" once.

The veteran and the other soldiers stared at Sheng Huai'an in incredulity.

Was this truly the manner of performing "Mang Niu Jin" with such proficiency just by observing it once?

Everyone regarded Sheng Huai'an as if he were an otherworldly being.

"Did you truly only look at it once? Had you never cultivated it before?" The veteran asked in disbelief.

Sheng Huai'an nodded and said, "Yes. Is there a problem?"

"Monster!" Zhang Daniu murmured softly.

"A one-in-ten-thousand martial arts genius?" Li Busi also chimed in.

"Feels like we're all inept." Wang Wu self-mockingly remarked.

When they had first enlisted in the army, they had been compelled to practice for two and a half months before they could scarcely master the body cultivation postures of "Mang Niu Jin".

Everyone gazed at Sheng Huai'an as if he were a freak of nature.

"Mang Niu Jin" only yielded results when the body cultivation postures were combined with the cultivation formula.

Sheng Huai'an stroked his nose. Well, with the golden finger, wasn't he a monstrous genius?

This northern border battlefield was ideally suited for him.

Looking at the golden light curtain anew:

Name: Sheng Huai'an

Race: Human

Realm: Early Martial Apprentice

Cultivation Method: ["Mang Niu Jin" (Beginner)]

Strength: 300 catties

Talent: Bronze Archer

Kill Value: 10

The golden light curtain now boasted two columns for realm and strength. Sheng Huai'an had directly metamorphosed from an ordinary individual into a martial cultivator at the early stage of the Martial Apprentice realm.

"Uncle, does the cultivation of martial arts possess a realm classification?" Sheng Huai'an asked.

"Of course there is a realm classification." The veteran nodded and said.