Many Possibilities

For the next two months, Lin Shu focused entirely on cultivating and training. His progress was undeniable—his mastery over Ivory Dominion had improved significantly, and his body had grown much stronger.

One day, as a test, he punched a tree, and to his surprise, his fist sank into the wood, leaving a small hole.

"So this is the 'bonus effect' Jiang Jian mentioned…"

It truly was comparable to a low-tier Rank 1 body refinement technique. But that only led to a more exciting thought—

"What if I combine this with an even stronger body refinement technique?"

If better refinement techniques meant a stronger body and bones, then wouldn't that also enhance his Ivory Dominion?

The realization made him grin from ear to ear.

His cultivation, on the other hand, was frustratingly slow.

To break through to the middle stage of Rank 1, he needed to gather and refine enough external Qi within his dantian. But the process was grueling—even after all this time, he had only accumulated one-tenth of what was required.

Still, there was something that brought him satisfaction—his mastery over Ivory Dominion had grown significantly.

He could now form a bone blade in seconds and shape a gauntlet in around ten. However, a full suit of armor was still beyond him; his Qi would deplete before completion. He had managed to create wrist guards, though, and surprisingly, they didn't restrict his movement.

The bone was flexible, as long as it wasn't too thick.

That discovery hadn't been mentioned in Jiang Jian's writings. At first, Lin Shu wondered if the old man had deliberately hidden the full potential of the technique. But after some thought, it didn't make sense—why would he cripple his own avenger by giving him a broken blade?

Most likely, Jiang Jian never had the chance to uncover this ability himself. Either he hadn't experimented enough before his downfall, or he simply didn't have time to record it in his final moments.

"Well, it doesn't matter anymore. Better to forget about it for now."

Lin Shu pushed those thoughts aside and returned to his training.

Two more months passed. In that time, he managed to fill a quarter of his dantian with refined Qi—still far from a breakthrough, but steady progress nonetheless.

The body refinement effects of Ivory Dominion had reached their limit. His strength had grown immensely—he could now punch a large hole through a tree and run at speeds comparable to the wind rabbit he had hunted months ago. His stamina had also improved significantly.

Surprisingly, he had grown taller as well. It seemed that both cultivation and body refinement techniques could influence a person's growth. Though still three months away from his tenth birthday, he already looked closer to twelve.

A fresh scar now marked his back—a reminder of the bandits he had slaughtered a week ago.

Their territory now belonged to him.

Using bone blades emerging from the back of his hands and his overwhelming strength, the fight had been nothing but a one-sided massacre. A single punch from him could crush a man's bones—no ordinary adult was a match for him anymore.

He had barely needed to expend any Qi, using it only to form his weapons. His speed had been enough to dodge most attacks, except for one careless mistake that left him with a scar.

After looting their hideout, he made sure not to settle in their base. That would have been reckless. Instead, he claimed their land as his own but left no survivors to spread rumors about what had happened.

He also made sure to avoid anyone who looked like a cultivator—or those who acted too carefree.

Lin Shu wanted others to believe that the bandits still controlled the area—not that they had been wiped out.

It was safer that way.

If people thought the bandits were still around, they would stay away or come prepared for a group of criminals. But instead of facing mere bandits, they would find a cultivator.

So, he left no signs of change. He didn't burn their hideout or scatter their bodies in the open. Instead, he let the place remain untouched, as if the bandits were simply lying low for a while.

This way, he had a territory, but without the attention or trouble that came with claiming it outright such as a cultivator coming for him after hearing about his abilities.

Another two months passed.

In that time, Lin Shu managed to hunt down two merchant caravans. The only reason he succeeded was that their guards—mercenaries, but not cultivators—were easy prey. He struck at night, using ambush tactics to spread chaos in their camps before picking them off one by one.

From these two hunts, he gained 20 gold coins.

However, most of the merchants that passed through the area were too well-guarded, often escorted by too many men or cultivators. He knew his limits and refused to take unnecessary risks. Instead, he continued using his previous strategy—killing in the exact same way the bandits had two months ago.

That way, if a cultivator found these attacks annoying enough to step in, they would be hunting bandits, not him. To any outsider, he was just a nameless child, probably the son of some hunter living in the forest. No one would suspect him.

During these two months, Lin Shu's mastery of Ivory Dominion grew even further. His mind raced with new possibilities.

"What if there's a battle skill that lets me turn my bones to iron or steel?"

"Or at least coats them in a layer of metal?"

With something like that, his armor would be stronger, and his weapons sharper, deadlier. The thought made his blood burn with excitement, a hunger for even greater power.

But he knew better than to lose patience.

Wanting something and having the power to take it were two different things. Just because he desired something didn't mean he could obtain it. He also had no idea where he stood in terms of talent.

Was he strong for his level? Mediocre? Pathetically weak?

Among mortals, he was a killing machine. But he had yet to cross blades with a true cultivator. And until he did, he wouldn't dare assume where he stood in the world of the strong.

Lin Shu returned to his training, determined to reach at least half of the necessary Qi quota to advance to the middle stage of Rank 1.

A few days passed, and he finally achieved his goal.

With that milestone reached, he turned his attention to the map he had taken from his victims. It was time to leave. He needed to find a town—but not just any town.

Too big, and he might run into someone too powerful.

Too small, and he'd only see mortals.

He wanted a place in between—somewhere that cultivators passed through, but not one crawling with the strong.

Lin Shu picked up his belongings, securing his weapons and the valuables he had gathered. Greenwood Hollow was his destination—a town that met his criteria, neither too large to attract powerful cultivators nor too small to be devoid of them entirely. It was close enough that he wouldn't waste too much time traveling, but far enough from his recent crimes to avoid suspicion.

Before setting off, he also reinforced his body with bone armor beneath his clothes. Whenever he exhausted his Qi, he would rest, recover, and continue shaping the armor until every part of his body—except his face, neck, and hands—was covered. He didn't want others to know he had armor; it was always better to be underestimated. That way, his prey would come to him without the need for searching.

With everything in place, Lin Shu left the cave, his steps steady and his eyes filled with cold determination.

The town wasn't too far, but traveling on foot still took Lin Shu a while. When he finally arrived, he wasted no time taking in his surroundings. His first priority was gathering information—he needed to learn about the average strength of cultivators, the ranking of cultivation talent, and most importantly, whether there was a place where he could further his knowledge of cultivation.

He knew that clans existed, but joining one was a last resort. Clans were restrictive—an outsider would never be fully trusted and could only enter as an external disciple. In contrast, sects were different. While loyalty played a role, strength was the deciding factor between external and internal disciples. That much he had gathered from his victims after rounds of threats and torture. But they were mortals—their knowledge was limited. Now, it was time to hear the truth from those who actually mattered.