Chapter 29: Four Trials of the First Realm

Wu Mi gazed at the five hundred troops before him and nodded with satisfaction.

He raised his hand slightly, and his personal guard, understanding the gesture, hurried away. In an instant, they returned carrying chests filled with a dazzling array of rewards—direct and impressive.

The soldiers who had distinguished themselves on the battlefield were all wide-eyed with anticipation; the lingering dissatisfaction they had felt moments ago vanished into thin air.

At Wu Mi’s signal, the guard solemnly produced a scroll, cleared his throat, and began to read the list of military merits and rewards. A sudden, profound silence fell over the assembly; everyone held their breath, waiting in hushed anticipation.

"Qin Jue, in the Battle of Lishan, killed a total of 103 enemies, achieved the feat of being the first to breach the enemy lines, and surpassed the courage of the three armies..."

Boom!

The guard’s voice echoed in the air, each word striking the listeners' ears like a thunderclap. For a moment, the entire field seemed frozen, followed by a collective intake of breath. Even Xu Panyue, who had remained composed throughout, wore a look of astonishment.

One hundred and three!

Such a record was likely only possible for a second-realm martial artist. Could this truly have been achieved by someone at the third-gate level? The soldiers in the ranks looked at one another in disbelief.

Before they could recover, another earth-shattering announcement exploded among them.

"Specially awarded a mansion in the city, one thousand taels of silver, and one hundred bolts of silk..."

Hearing the string of rewards, everyone present widened their eyes, their mouths hanging open, their faces etched with shock. Some even rubbed their ears subconsciously, doubting what they had just heard.

A house, wealth, vitality-enhancing herbs...

These rewards! Are you telling me this is what a military commander should receive? Many soldiers began to question reality, though once they recalled the 103 enemies he had slain, they felt it was perhaps justified.

In the crowd, Qin Jue’s eyes brightened. The military rewards this time were even more generous than he had imagined, especially regarding the wealth. "Scholars are poor, warriors are rich." For a martial artist, the importance of wealth went without saying. With these rewards, his future path in martial arts would be much smoother.

After Qin Jue’s awards were read, the others followed. But with Qin Jue’s brilliant performance setting the bar, the subsequent rewards seemed lackluster by comparison. The two were simply incomparable.

Half an hour later, the reading of the awards concluded. Wu Mi offered a few words of encouragement before dismissing everyone to familiarize themselves with their new units.

"Commander Qin, congratulations!"

As soon as Wu Mi departed, many crowded around Qin Jue, offering constant congratulations and attempting to curry favor. However, Xiao Wushan and the others were quick to step in, blocking the crowd and dispersing them.

Qin Jue instructed Zhang Qi to have the rewards moved into his own tent. Having been promoted to a military commander, he was now entitled to his own quarters.

Qin Jue then looked over his unit of one hundred men. After expanding the army, the Qingfeng Stronghold had almost completely adopted the Great Zhou military system: five men to a squad, two squads to a platoon, five platoons to a company...

As a result, a company was expanded to fifty men. This meant there would be only one captain per platoon, as Qin Jue, as the commander, required his own personal guard. Naturally, the role of captain fell to Xiao Wushan. Firstly, he was the strongest in the unit, and secondly, he was skilled in drilling troops. It was perfectly fine to have him as the second-in-command of the unit.

As for his own personal staff, Qin Jue needed an assistant to manage the remaining soldiers. He scanned the group; Zhang Qi was naturally the most suitable, but as he was currently only at the first realm, first gate, his strength might not command sufficient authority. Among the others, when it came to familiarity...

Qin Jue’s gaze landed on Chen Xi in the ranks.

"From today on, Chen Xi will serve as my deputy!" he announced immediately.

Chen Xi’s head snapped up, his eyes wide as he stared directly at Qin Jue, his face full of astonishment and his gaze filled with deep confusion; he could not believe his ears. Only a short time ago, he had openly targeted Qin Jue, yet now he was being appointed as his deputy. It was unbelievable.

Chen Xi stood frozen, looking at Qin Jue with complex emotions. He had joined Qin Jue’s unit partly due to Wu Mi’s arrangements and partly to atone for his previous offenses. The moment Qin Jue was promoted, he knew they were no longer on the same level. He had joined voluntarily, hoping the other would be the bigger man, but he never expected to be valued so highly.

Chen Xi wanted to ask why, but Qin Jue gave him no chance. After the appointment, he dismissed the meeting and told everyone to go and get to know their companions.

...

Inside the tent, Qin Jue looked at the large chest in the center. He walked over and began sorting through the vitality-enhancing herbs, hoping to help himself master his cultivation technique. The military rewards were a hodgepodge, likely scavenged from various places, but fortunately, they were all labeled with their names and effects.

Finally, Qin Jue selected a few herbs and gave them to Zhang Qi to brew into a soup. About forty minutes later, the medicinal soup was brought into the tent.

Qin Jue took it and drank it in one go. The scalding liquid flowed down his throat, and a searing heat instantly flooded his limbs and bones. Qin Jue immediately sat cross-legged and, following the incantations of the fourth part of the *Iron Bone Technique*, guided the energy and power within his body.

Because of the strengthening of his vitality, his control over his energy and power was also improving, allowing him to coordinate the ratio between the two with greater precision. Even so, Qin Jue could not yet achieve a perfect balance.

Once, twice... Each attempt was accompanied by slight vibrations in his bones and the churning of his vitality. He gritted his teeth, silently enduring the stinging pain from the impact on his bones.

After what felt like an eternity, aided by the medicinal soup and his own unremitting efforts, Qin Jue finally found the balance point where his energy and power could reach a perfect state.

He immediately began to condense his energy into his bones and refine his power into his marrow!

As he moved, Qin Jue could clearly feel the energy, like agile threads, winding around his power and weaving tightly into every minute structure of his bones. His bones began to emit a warm, lustrous glow! Previously fragile areas were gradually becoming tough and resilient under this dual nourishment.

The entire process lasted for a full hour. Qin Jue suddenly opened his eyes and looked at his personal panel.

[Name] Qin Jue
[Age] 16
[Realm] Skin and Flesh Realm "Tendon-Changing Gate"
[Attributes] [Strength] 5 [+], [Constitution] 8 [+], [Agility] 8 [+]
[Technique] Iron Bone Technique IV (Entry) [+]
[Martial Skills] None
[Skills] Archery (Great Completion) [+], Blade Technique (Perfection)
[Victory Points] 64

He succeeded!

Seeing the change in his technique, Qin Jue felt a surge of joy. He did not hesitate to choose to upgrade the technique.

Twenty victory points vanished!

Instantly...

A strange and gentle power welled up from deep within Qin Jue’s body, like a babbling brook thawing in spring, flowing softly to every part of his being. He could clearly feel this power, like a master craftsman, meticulously sculpting every bone in his body. His once ordinary bones were quietly undergoing a transformation under the nourishment of this force.

A moment later, as the power fully integrated into his bones, Qin Jue slowly opened his eyes.

His gaze was bright and clear, tinged with joy.

Bone-Refining Gate, Minor Success!