Chapter Four: The Ways of the World

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Moreover, his primal emotions began to fade, until desire and craving vanished completely…

Overthinking wouldn’t help his current predicament; solving his immediate troubles had to come first!

Su Ling cleared his mind. When his previously pitch-black vision gradually returned to normal, he cautiously rose and pushed open the dilapidated wooden door.

A cold night wind rushed in, sharp and bone-chilling, nearly freezing his body on the verge of death stiff.

Pale-faced, lips tinged purple, Su Ling braved the biting cold, trembling as he began to run forward.

Before long, until every last ounce of strength was drained, he collapsed weakly on the roadside grass. At that moment, all the prerequisites for the Limit Breaker had been fulfilled!

Like a centenarian flickering on the edge of extinction, Su Ling could clearly feel his time was near, as though death awaited him in the next moment.

Yet at that instant, a strange yet warm force surged deep within his soul, manifesting across his frail body.

Bathed in this warm and powerful mysterious energy, his various pains began to fade.

His deathly pale complexion flushed with life, as if he had swallowed a miraculous elixir, swiftly recovering.

The threat of death receded. Waves of strength radiated throughout his body, leaving Su Ling barely able to distinguish reality.

“So this is… what it feels like to cheat?”

He sat up, gazing at his once near-dead body now suddenly robust and healthy thanks to that mysterious power.

He loved this feeling; he had found a way out of the deadlock.

That was…

“To shatter all methods with sheer force!”

Though the town was on the verge of collapse, there were still at least three years for him to grow.

He knew well that Saitama had trained persistently for three years before becoming invincible.

Now standing in the same spot, there was no reason he couldn’t become that one-punch bald hero.

For now, he only needed to live humbly, secretly growing stronger, then overturn the world in three years!

—

A splash stirred wide ripples across the clear water, droplets flying.

“Got you!”

In late summer, a patchy-clothed youth waded barefoot, bent over with a bright smile, catching a lively, large crucian carp.

Just as the youth was about to place the fish into a basket by his feet, a clear, resonant voice rang out.

“Chen kid, how much for the fish?”

By the ancient creek, Su Ling lounged casually atop a three-meter tall boulder, smiling faintly as he looked at the youth in the stream.

The youth hesitated, then grinned honestly and offered the fish.

“If Brother Su likes it, you can have it for free.”

“That won’t do. As the saying goes, you get what you pay for. I can’t just take your fish.”

Su Ling sat up, pulling out a string of copper coins, weighing them briefly before casually tossing them.

Chen Ping’an caught the coins deftly, quickly threading a grass line through the fish’s gills and handing it to Su Ling.

“Brother Su, fish isn’t that expensive…”

“Enough talk.”

Su Ling jumped down from the boulder, grumpily took the fish, and after some casual chat, they headed toward Mud Bottle Alley together.

Along the way, Chen Ping’an glanced at Su Ling hesitantly, seeming about to say something.

Such behavior didn’t escape Su Ling’s notice; probably this kid was envious of his martial realm again…

Martial arts had realms. Su Ling’s current level was at the third stage of Body Training: light as a swallow, Qi and blood united in the Mercury stage.

Reaching such a rare mastery in a short time, starting from a mere nobody, was thanks to the Limit Breaker.

As for Chen Ping’an, he was about to step into the first stage of Body Training, the Mud Clay stage, requiring constant physical cultivation.

Three months had passed since arriving at Liyu Cave Heaven.

With his strong self-discipline, Su Ling transformed from a near-death scrawny monkey into a robust warrior.

The Limit Breaker’s dual enhancement of strength and physique propelled him into the Mud Clay stage within seven days.

With such a powerful body, while not soaring to legendary heights, he had enough to live comfortably without struggling for survival.

Then, like a racecar at full throttle, he surged to the third stage of Body Training.

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Moreover, he advanced without any master’s guidance.

However, this rapid progression had largely plateaued; future martial arts enhancements would enter the realm of soul refinement.

Without a formal martial arts manual, no matter how strong his body became, he could not reach the Qi Refinement stage.

But he wasn’t worried; he already had his goal—to become the one-punch bald hero and worked relentlessly toward it.

“Brother Su, how can I increase my martial arts realm as fast as you?”

Chen Ping’an could no longer restrain himself and looked earnestly at Su Ling.

“Um… do a hundred every day…”

“Stop, stop, stop!”

Chen Ping’an quickly waved him off, then rolled his eyes.

“Brother Su, you’ve told me that countless times. My ears are calloused. I’ve tried it, but it doesn’t work.”

“Maybe it varies from person to person.”

“…”

Clearly, the sincere Chen Ping’an didn’t believe him and gave Su Ling a forlorn look.

Su Ling watched him hurry ahead, speechless. That method truly depended on the person; the foolish kid was different—exercise merely strengthened his body.

The sun blazed overhead—noon.

Lunch was at Chen Ping’an’s house. They were neighbors, and since Chen couldn’t return home, he stayed in Mud Bottle Alley.

Although Su Ling hadn’t read the entire original “Sword Come” story, he knew Chen’s early life was miserable enough for anyone to trample on.

But that was partly due to the hidden talents among the town’s residents.

Liyu Cave Heaven was a place teeming with geniuses; its townsfolk were dragons and phoenixes in hiding—the Arkham of another world.

Out of pity, Su Ling helped the rough-around-the-edges Chen Ping’an openly, and over time, they grew close.

After the meal, just as Su Ling pushed open the rickety door, a deep and proud voice called out.

“Kid, interested in becoming my bodyguard?”

Su Ling stopped, looking toward the source—a finely dressed youth leaning casually on a wooden chair opposite the dilapidated mud wall.

That person smiled, with a graceful maid fanning him beside.

Seeing this, Su Ling recognized him immediately—Song Jixin, the great benefactor living next door to Chen Ping’an, secretly a prince of the Great Li Dynasty.

Rich in material wealth but spiritually lacking, the envy toward the great benefactor was well deserved.

“No interest.”

Leaving the words hanging, Su Ling turned without looking back and headed home.

“…”

“Ungrateful brat!”

Song Jixin snorted coldly, unaware that the maid, Zhi Gui, hidden from his sight, had eyes that shifted from black and white to snake-like vertical pupils, gleaming with a strange light.

“Strange—this man’s fortune should have withered and died long ago. How is his martial luck flourishing now?”

Zhi Gui whispered to herself, mystified but unheard by Song Jixin.

“Master, he has reached the third stage of Body Training.”

A low, eerie voice came from behind—an undercover servant reporting.

Hearing this, Song Jixin furrowed his brow.

“To reach the third stage of martial arts so quickly…”

Su Ling’s drastic transformation had caught Song Jixin’s attention, prompting the earlier invitation.

Based on gathered intelligence, three months ago, Su Ling was nothing but a malnourished, barely alive wretch. How could he suddenly possess such strength?

Such miraculous improvement was unbelievable without some hidden trick.

“Is it a family heirloom or a great opportunity he found…”

Lost in thought, Song Jixin suddenly smiled brightly, as if an excellent idea had struck.

“I heard the Lu family’s scions are troubled by their martial progress…”

If one won’t serve me, no matter how gifted, they can be crushed with one hand!

—

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Before long, Su Ling pushed open his old wooden door, glanced inside at the bare, bleak room, and twitched his mouth.

“Looks like it’s time to fix up the house.”

Though his current funds came from hunting in the mountains and selling in the market, and were tight, he couldn’t live so shabby forever.

That explained why he often mooched meals from Chen Ping’an’s place—their home had nothing but dusty, broken pots and pans, no traces of life.

He grabbed the broom behind the door and tidied the messy room.

Soon, dressed in gray training clothes, Su Ling bent down and began exercising.

Though the weather was hot and dry, white mist like steam rose from him.

This showed his current training intensity; warm sweat soaked through his clothes.

After finishing a few exercises, he stood and sprinted down the dirt road outside for a final 10-kilometer run.

When he returned, drenched in sweat that soon dried in the breeze, he didn’t go home but headed straight to a nearby stream.

Shedding his sweat-soaked, stinky clothes, Su Ling bared his torso and leapt into a three-meter deep pool with a splash.

Like a cannonball, he sent water flying, then dived to the bottom.

The clear water didn’t impair his vision, sweeping over colorful stones lying there.

He picked up a fist-sized jade-like mineral and surfaced, oddly rubbing it on his body as if it were soap.

Soon the water’s surface was stained with green powdery grime.

Incredible—the hard mineral, under Su Ling’s brute force and without a scratch, turned directly to powder.

Since discovering this money-saving trick, Su Ling no longer worried about bathing: mineral baths eliminated body odor and even left a faint, ethereal aura.

These minerals littered the streambed nearby and seemed worthless locally.

But Su Ling knew that though worthless in town, outside the cave heaven, they were priceless and rare.

After a refreshing mineral bath, he washed his sweat-smelling clothes.

Wearing damp training gear, Su Ling moved his body by the shore, adapting to his enhanced physique, striving for perfect control.

Every day ended like this, as strength was hard-won and precious.

Though somewhat dull, Su Ling enjoyed quietness and had few distractions.

As for the matter of the Life Porcelain, he hadn’t forgotten, but he wasn’t arrogant—he wouldn’t rush to solve such a life-threatening issue just because he’d grown stronger.

Su Ling only acted when confident and was self-aware.

Liyu Cave Heaven was filled with cunning masters disguised as fools; if the guards of the Dragon Kiln were strong, attacking now would be suicide.

So, to be safe, he decided to wait three years, gaining invincible power before storming the Dragon Kiln.

Besides, though the town seemed peaceful, there were rules everyone had to follow.

Life Porcelain was important, but he hadn’t forgotten that strength came first. He would grow quietly and then amaze the world.

However, things seemed beyond his original plan…

“A little bastard finally returns. Thought the stray dog wouldn’t come back.”

In front of his home, three youths in elegant green robes surrounded him. The leader, a Lu family scion, looked haughty and sneered, provoking laughter from his companions.

Su Ling frowned upon recognizing them.

The Lu family, one of the four great clans of Liyu Cave Heaven, held high status but ranked lowest among the noble houses.

Strange—they came here to cause trouble?

“Good dogs don’t block the way.”

Su Ling spoke bluntly, provoking the three Lu scions to glare fiercely.

“You insolent mutt!”

“You’re blind not to recognize the Third Young Master of the Lu family!”

The leader snorted but surprisingly held back from attacking, which puzzled Su Ling.

He knew the Lu family’s youth were famously hot-tempered, and this suggested ill intent.

Trouble was coming!

Su Ling cursed his luck—just as he was quietly growing in a corner of town, someone had to stir up trouble…