The divine manifestations began at the Gongwei Division.

Zhou Heng's casual act of giving the ghost wooden staff to Lü Zi'an provoked Chen Zhaowu.

Chen Zhaowu, who considers himself the team leader, absolutely will not allow anyone to outshine him.

Isn't it just throwing money around?

Who have I, Chen Zhaowu, ever been afraid of?

Chen Zhaowu thought to himself, but he didn't feel very confident.

This ghostly wooden staff is not a tree branch picked up casually by the roadside. It is an extremely rare thousand-year-old yin wood, which has been tempered by an eighth-rank evil ghost for many years. It is a rare treasure.

Even Chen Zhaowu's all-out attack had failed to leave any mark on it.

Zhou Heng might not know, but Chen Zhaowu did. If this ghost wooden staff were sold, it could fetch at least a thousand gold pieces.

He wanted to overshadow Zhou Heng, so the gifts he sent out couldn't be too bad.

Even if he's rich, it's not easy to give a gift better than the Ghost Wooden Staff.

He could have given Zhou Heng a precious sword, but after seeing the sword at Zhou Heng's waist, he gave up on the idea.

Zhou Heng's own sword could even cut through the Ghostwood Staff; Chen Zhaowu didn't even have such a fine sword.

After much thought, only seventh-grade martial arts techniques are worth mentioning.

Zhou Heng had just joined the Guardian Division, and his merits were not yet enough to exchange for a seventh-grade martial arts skill.

My gift was both impressive and valuable; it truly lived up to my reputation.

Chen Zhaowu thought smugly.

"Zhou Heng, although you have joined the Guardian Division, in our Guardian Division, martial arts skills are not free; they must be earned through merit."

"You haven't been with the company long enough to earn enough merit to exchange for a seventh-grade martial arts technique."

Chen Zhaowu said, "But if you want to break through to the seventh-grade Martial Master realm, you definitely can't do it without seventh-grade martial arts."

Martial Arts Rank 7, also known as Martial Master.

At the ninth rank, one focuses on strength; at the eighth rank, one emphasizes technique; and at the seventh rank, strength and technique are integrated, making one qualified to be a teacher, hence the name "Martial Master."

"In that case, I would be ashamed to refuse."

Zhou Heng hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"Captain Chen is so magnanimous!"

Lu Zian praised them, stroking the two ghost wooden staffs with obvious affection.

Chen Zhaowu became increasingly smug, and even the pain in his chest lessened somewhat.

"The martial arts techniques exchanged from the Guardian Division can only be practiced by the individual and are forbidden from being passed on privately. However, this particular martial art of mine is a family heirloom, so you can learn it with peace of mind."

Chen Zhaowu said, "Look, I was just struck hard by that eighth-rank evil ghost's ghost wooden staff. Anyone else would probably have broken their bones, but I only coughed up blood."

Why?

"It's because I cultivated this Mysterious Tiger Overlord Body technique."

Zhou Heng sized up Chen Zhaowu.

Yeah, it's definitely tough.

He had just acquired sixty years of cultivation and didn't know how to use it.

It would be good to practice this martial art.

Developing a strong physique provides an extra layer of protection when facing danger.

Chen Zhaowu initially appeared aloof, but after getting to know him, his talkative and pretentious nature was revealed.

He kept rambling on and on, occasionally changing the subject to show off a few times. It took him a full two hours to completely pass on the Xuanhu Overlord Body technique to Zhou Heng.

This is a body-refining martial art, ranging from the ninth rank to the seventh rank. After mastering it, one can develop an invulnerable body, impervious to swords and spears.

While Chen Zhaowu was still repeating over and over how strong the Xuanhu Overlord Body was, Zhou Heng was already silently repeating it in his mind.

Sixty years of cultivation were poured into the Xuanhu Overlord Body like a torch.

In an instant, Zhou Heng's consciousness was swallowed up by his memories.

He recalled the scene from "sixty years ago" when he began cultivating the Xuanhu Overlord Body.

Deep in the mountains, he tirelessly tempered his flesh and blood.

At first, he kept ramming his body against trees and rocks.

After his body became stronger, he imitated the movements of the black tiger under the waterfall, letting the water wash over his body.

And so it went, day after day, year after year.

It took him more than ten years to harden his body like a rock, and then he began to temper his physique with his qi and blood.

…………

Year after year, for a full sixty years, he never once relaxed his cultivation.

His body, like refined steel, had been completely tempered, free of impurities, becoming pure and powerful.

Sixty years of single-minded cultivation have allowed his physical body to reach a new level, and at the same time, the blood and qi within his body have surged to their peak.

Just one more move and I'll reach the Qi and Blood Transformation stage and advance to the middle third rank.

……

Zhou Heng opened his eyes again, still immersed in the memories of cultivation, as if he had been in another world.

While devouring the food that Lü Zian had bought, Chen Zhaowu was still muttering about the power of the Xuanhu Overlord Body.

"I started taking medicinal baths when I was three years old, and I officially began cultivating the Xuanwu Overlord Body when I was eight. It has been exactly ten years now."

Chen Zhaowu said, "In two more years at most, I will be able to fully master the Xuanhu Overlord Body. At that time, my bones will be as hard as a tiger, and ordinary swords and blades will not be able to hurt me."

"Zhou Heng, you started practicing late, but as long as you work harder, you can reach my level in twenty years. You'll still be under forty by then."

A 40-year-old seventh-rank martial artist is considered young and promising even within the Imperial Guard.

After all, not everyone can be like me, breaking through to the seventh rank at the age of twenty.

Zhou Heng glanced at Chen Zhaowu, who thought too highly of him.

He practiced swordsmanship for ten years without ever achieving mastery, and he certainly wouldn't be able to master the Xuanhu Overlord Body even after twenty years.

It took him a full sixty years.

If you lack talent and aptitude, then you can only make up for it with hard work.

"Brother Zhou, may I borrow your knife?"

Lu Zian suddenly said to Zhou Heng.

"I want to fix this ghostly wooden staff. Ordinary knives can't cut it, not even Captain Chen's knife."

Chen Zhaowu: "..."

Hit people without slapping their faces, and curse people without revealing shortcomings.

Also, why do you call him Brother Zhou and me Captain Chen?

"Scholar, please call me by my name, or call me Brother Wu!"

Chen Zhaowudao.

Lu Zian looked at him strangely. "I'm borrowing a knife, why are you causing trouble?"

Zhou Heng drew the Dragon Sparrow Blade and handed it to Lü Zi'an.

"The scholar is older than you. If we don't use his official title, he should call you—Xiao Wu."

Zhou Heng addressed Chen Zhaowu.

Lu Zian's hand trembled, and he almost missed the target.

He quickly composed himself and carefully carved the ghost wooden staff with the Dragon Sparrow Knife.

Although the Dragon Sparrow Blade was sharp, the Ghost Wood Staff was also very hard. Lü Zian spent a whole day working hard, sweating profusely, and finally managed to carve the two Ghost Wood Staff into two wooden swords.

We owe a lot to Zhou Heng's help in this.

Looking at the two wooden swords, Lü Zian became even more excited.

"Scholar, you use these to attack me. I'll test their power."

Zhou Heng said.

"Stop fooling around. Although this ghost wood sword is not sharpened, once the ghost spirit attaches to it, its sharpness will not be weaker than that of ordinary swords."

Let me do it, I'm made of steel—"

Chen Zhaowudao.

Zhou Heng merely glanced at him without saying a word, and walked straight into the courtyard, where he stood in the moonlight.

He wasn't carrying a knife, and his hands hung naturally at his sides.

"Scholar, test your swords. You must master them completely so that you won't be flustered when you encounter an enemy."

Zhou Heng said calmly.

"it is good."

Lu Zian nodded, straightened his posture, closed his eyes, and a gust of cold wind blew by, causing one of the wooden swords to immediately float up from the table.

"Those who don't heed the advice of their elders will suffer the consequences."

Chen Zhaowu pursed his lips and reminded him, "Scholar, be careful, don't really hurt Xiao Zhou!"

He still harbors resentment towards "Xiao Wu".

Swish!

The Ghostwood Sword flew out like lightning, accidentally hitting the door frame and instantly slashing a deep gash in it.

No sooner said than done.

The Ghostwood Sword pierced Zhou Heng's forearm.