Chapter 34: Consecutive Advancement

A month after Yan Liqiang attained the First Heavenly Layer in the art of archery, he had stayed in the Weaponsmith Quarter the entire time . He spent that time without heading out or any concerns regarding the events that were transpiring outside . He stayed within the Weaponsmiths Quarter to cultivate and train in peace .

Legend has it, that when Confucius was practicing the guqin, he never touched meat for three months . This was similar to the case with Yan Liqiang, someone who had already experienced the sweet taste of cultivation first-hand . He completely immersed his entire being into cultivating, even making adjustments to his own schedule and activity in the Weaponsmiths Quarter as a result .

Since it was too time-consuming for him to keep heading up and down the mountain to have his lunch and dinner, this entire month before going into the mountains, Yan Liqiang would bring some food from the dining hall along with him after having his breakfast . He would drink the spring water in the mountain whenever he was thirsty and would eat a bit of the food that he'd brought along when he was hungry . So like this, he would stay on the mountain every day until sunset before heading back .

Because of the familiarity that Yan Liqiang shared with the men in the Weaponsmiths Quarter, they weren’t bothered or bewildered by the things Yan Liqiang did . Moreover, the reason why Yan Liqiang would go into the mountain in the first place was to practice his bowmanship . Upon seeing a young man like him so diligent and hardworking, it was natural for each and every one of them to be glad .

There was one instance where a troop of soldiers who were responsible for patrolling the Weaponsmiths Quarter, went up into the mountain out of sheer curiosity to check up on what Yan Liqiang was doing . But before those soldiers could reach Yan Liqiang’s position on the mountaintop, an arrow came whooshing out from nowhere while they were only two to three hundred metes away from reaching the peak . The arrow landed in a tree trunk only a couple meters to the left of the leader of the troop . The arrowhead was buried three to four inches deep into the tree trunk, leaving the entire arrow shaft quivering incessantly .

When they saw the formidable power of the shot, the troop of soldiers were shocked to the point that they dared not take a single step forward, and hurriedly retreated down the mountain . During their encounter with Yan Liqiang on the very next day, when they brought this matter to his attention, Yan Liqiang responded with astonishment followed by a pure and innocent expression resembling a small white rabbit . "Ah! Big brothers went up the mountain yesterday? I wasn’t even aware of that! Yesterday, I was practicing my archery the entire time, sometimes the arrow would get launched high up in the air when trying to shoot down birds . I can’t control where it will land…"

After they listened to what Yan Liqiang had to say, several of them broke out in cold sweat and even the other men of the Weaponsmiths Quarter did not dare head up to the mountaintop out of curiosity anymore . Should one of them be unfortunate enough to get hit by Yan Liqiang’s arrows, they would die without being able to blame anyone else but themselves . They figured that Quarter Master Qian would just report it as an accident with one stroke of his brush, only needing to provide some form of compensation for the incident to come to an end .

After that day, nobody went up to the mountain to bother Yan Liqiang again . Even if Qian Su asked about his training, Yan Liqiang would answer with vague replies .

It wasn’t that Yan Liqiang didn’t want to tell Qian Su, rather it was because he was afraid that Qian Su would be shocked at the truth .

He had made his advancement into the First Heavenly Layer in the art of archery on his first day of practice, becoming an amazing bowsman . It was too alarming to have such a swift advancement, so much so that even Yan Liqiang himself was in a state of disbelief, unsure as to why it happened .

It had only been a week since he attained the First Heavenly Layer when Yan Liqiang’s cultivation in the art of archery once again resonated with Heaven’s will, giving rise to an advancement phenomena, signifying his success in entering the realm of the Second Heavenly Layer .

If it was said that the benchmark for the First Heavenly Layer in the art of archery was for one to be able to shoot arrows at still targets with great precision, then the Second Heavenly Layer was to possess the ability to shoot down a bird with every shot .

Shooting with great precision targeted still objects while shooting down a bird with every shot, targeted living, moving animals . The difficulty was definitely much higher in the latter more so than the former . That was the difference between a fixed target and a moving target . It was impossible for the majority of the people who had immersed themselves in cultivating the art of archery for a lifetime to attain the realm of the Second Heavenly Layer, yet, Yan Liqiang only required one week to do so .

In order to reach the realm of the First Heavenly Layer in the art of archery could possibly be done through sheer effort and sweat alone as Heaven rewarded the diligent . However, in order for one to achieve the realm of the Second Heavenly Layer in the art of archery, the precision necessary to hit down a bird within a hundred steps with every shot, would depend on luck as well as a person's natural talent, or would require the advice of a great master .

Within the short period of seven to eight days, he had gone from a person who had never touched a bow and arrow into someone who had suddenly obtained the art of archery with the cultivation of realm of the Second Heavenly Layer . How could Yan Liqiang explain this to anyone?

Was he a rare talent in the art of archery? Or was all of this due to the effects of the Muscle Tendon Changing and Marrow Cleansing Manual? Or was it because of a mix between the two? Yan Liqiang did not know about that, but what he did know was that if news of such a cultivation speed were to spread, it would definitely arouse controversy . In the innumerable years of history of the Silver Continent, there had never been an individual like him with advancements in the art of archery cultivation at such lightning speeds . The word ‘genius’ couldn’t even begin to describe it as it was now simply seemed demonic!

If Yan Liqiang really was a demon cultivating the art of archery, then that would be great . Yan Liqiang would not be afraid to be exposed because when it came to innate talent as this was not something that could be taken away by anyone . However, he possessed a background with the Muscle Tendon Changing and Marrow Cleansing Manual secret technique . Therefore, Yan Liqiang didn’t want to reveal everything about himself before he was strong enough . That would be too idiotic .

For the remaining twenty days cultivating alone after advancing the art of archery cultivation into the realm of the Second Heavenly Layer, Yan Liqiang felt that his own strength was seemingly growing day by day .

The most obvious growth was his own power .

Within those twenty days, Yan Liqiang had not been lax cultivating Muscle Tendon Changing and Marrow Cleansing . On one hand, he was using the manual to cleanse and change his body in a way that his body could absorb a great amount of the Spiritual Qi and energy of the Heaven and Earth . While on the other hand, he was also continuously cultivating the art of archery . At the same time, he would practise up to two sets of Tiger Roaring Consecutive Fist, allowing him to stretch his muscle tendons . Whenever he was unoccupied, he would take that time to comprehend and mull over the ‘Nine Palace Wind Shadow Steps’ secret manual that Qian Su had given him . His schedule was packed every day and he felt very enriched . As for his own power, it had reached another level under this productive and fulfilling lifestyle .

Before he even started to cultivate the art of archery, when he had received the Horned Python Bow, Yan Liqiang first tried to fully draw the formidable Horned Python Bow to its extent . He found that he was only capable of doing so for 30 times while releasing it with full explosive force . This caused him to feel exhausted as a result, but he also found it slightly strenuous to draw the bow after . After the timespan of a month and without realizing, Yan Liqiang could now fully draw the bow more than 40 times . Not only that, but he could also feel that the strain from drawing the bow was also gradually dissipating .

Since there were no changes that he could find in the Horned Python Bow, it had to mean that he was the one who was undergoing changes .

During the same time that his physical strength was improving, the formidable power of his Tiger Roaring Consecutive Fist was also improving step by step . But more than that, Yan Liqiang also found that under the driving force of each form and movement of the Tiger Roaring Consecutive Fist, all of the tendons in his body were becoming more and more flexible and nimble .

Stretching Tendon and Extending Bone was the second stage in one’s advancement towards becoming a Martial Warrior . As the name indicated, the purpose of this stage was to completely pull and open up the tendons within the entirety of one’s body .

If the Horse Stance stage was focused on the issue of where the strength was coming from as well as whether it was available, then the Stretching Tendon and Extending Bone stage would address the issue on where the strength went as well as the effectiveness of the transmission . To put it in a more precise manner, only after the Stretching Tendon and Extending Bone stage, would one’s body only possess the foundations of exhibiting the formidable might of martial techniques and learning the martial techniques of a higher cultivation level . Without this foundation, then the so-called cultivation would be nothing more than a hollow display, impressive-looking but useless . Some cultivators wouldn’t even be able to create an impressive display .

. . .

For these twenty or so days, apart from the abovementioned, Yan Liqiang’s art of archery cultivation was also still improving every day at a rapid rate . . .

. . .

By the end of the fifth lunar month, Yan Liqiang could sense that his art of archery cultivation seemed to be on the verge of another breakthrough .

On the 31st day of the fifth lunar month, which just so happened to coincide with the end of the fifth lunar month, Yan Liqiang woke up and practiced a set of Muscle Tendon Changing and Marrow Cleansing just like he had done every day . After that, he practiced his fist technique once, then went to eat breakfast . As he returned back to his own courtyard, he carried a meal box prepared by the dining hall for him to eat on the mountain . He then strapped on his bow bag and quiver before going up the mountain .

When he arrived at his usual training location, Yan Liqiang was not in a hurry to practice his bowmanship . He set aside the bow bag, quiver, and meal box and began his cultivation of Muscle Tendon Changing and Marrow Cleansing .

When he began training, Yan Liqiang practiced Muscle Tendon Changing and Marrow Cleansing four times in a row, taking a total of six to seven hours . Only after the arrival of noon did he finally stop .

As Yan Liqiang came to a halt, he felt a sensation from his own spirit and strength which made him feel as if they were on the verge of bursting . He opened the bow bag and took out the Horned Python Bow, impaling an arrow into the grassy land before him . He closed his eyes soon after, holding onto the Horned Python Bow with one hand .

The scorching hot sun was like a fire above his head, the temperature more than 30 degrees(Celsius) while cicadas and bird cries could be heard from within the mountain forest . Yan Liqiang sat on the grass in a cross-legged position, motionless, akin to a rock but also similar to a sculpture holding onto a Horned Python Bow . For almost more than two hours, sweat had formed on his body dampening his back, leaving behind large wet area, however, the hand he used to hold onto the Horned Python Bow remained firm and steady as metal . . .

The sun in the sky gradually began to incline towards the west . A wave of dense clouds floated by, shrouding the sun, casting a large shadow on the earth below . A gust of wind blew from the east over the treetop canopies on the mountaintop and the meadow, carrying with it a long-absent cool and refreshing breeze . However, after a while, the clouds in the sky gradually became denser, looking as though it was soon going to rain . . .

Yan Liqiang used his ears to catch any sounds made by the leaves of the trees in the mountain . The rustling sounds of the tree leaves gradually became louder as time passed . Yan Liqiang’s lips also slowly became firmer in resolution . . .

Suddenly, a gale swept through the mountainside . . .

Yan Liqiang abruptly opened his eyes, his body immediately bolting up from his seat on the ground . With lightning speed, he grabbed the arrow pierced into the ground and fired it in one smooth motion .

This arrow shot was as fast as lightning . The moment the arrow was released from the bowstring, it had practically hit the delicate stem of a purple wildflower with a width that was roughly the size of a finger . This was despite the fact that the flower was swaying in the wind on the mountainside, more than a hundred and seventy meters away .

The purple wildflower flew into the sky, carried up by the gale .

Another arrow was shot . This arrow instantly hit the direct center of the purple wildflower flying amidst the gale . The flower tore into pieces, its four petals tumbling apart in the gale . . .

It barely took three seconds before another four arrows were launched in succession . The four purple flower petals were instantly hit by the ice-cold solid metal arrowheads . Eventually, they were firmly pinned on four different tree trunks located around a hundred and seventy to two hundred meters away from Yan Liqiang, scattered and smashed, only leaving behind traces of its lingering fragrance .

Appearing on Yan Liqiang’s body was a familiar glow, and within that glow was a sinister-looking black battle bow . The battle bow assimilated into Yan Liqiang’s body soon after .

The white bow represented the realm of the First Heavenly Layer of the art of archery cultivation whereas the gray bow represented the realm of the Second Heavenly Layer . And as for the black bow, of course, it represented the Third Heavenly Layer .

"So this is the realm attained by the highly regarded Yingyang Commandant of the Great Han Empire’s military, who dominated the art of archery . He’s one rank higher than Uncle Qian . . . " As he muttered to himself, a trace of smile soon appeared on Yan Liqiang’s face . The grin became wider and wider until Yan Liqiang couldn’t refrain from bursting into hearty laughter on the mountaintop . . .

A sudden clap of thunder resonated from the sky, as a drop of rain fell, cascading down Yan Liqiang’s face . . .