My martial arts skill bar can be infinitely merged.

The inner city was the base of power for various wealthy families and gentry. The city remained as usual, bustling with people during the day and having its own ways of protecting itself at night.

In the backyard of the yamen, in an octagonal pavilion, County Magistrate Ding Juren, dressed in a blue official robe, sat upright in a grand chair with his eyes half-closed.

He was of medium appearance but very tall, and possessed an air of official authority.

He held a pair of three-inch, reddish-brown lion-tip walnuts in his hands, humming a folk tune, his head swaying slightly to the beat.

He looked quite relaxed and happy.

But this leisurely scene was soon interrupted when a yamen runner with a knife strode in from outside and stopped in front of them.

The yamen runner raised his hands in a fist and palm salute: "Your Excellency, that clerk Lu has come again to ask when we can enter the inner city."

Ding Juren's eyes flashed with displeasure, but he wouldn't show it in front of others. He gently placed the warm walnuts on the stone table in front of him.

His voice was neither too loud nor too soft as he slowly said, "Let him wait a little longer. The outer city is in such chaos right now. As officials, how can we act for our own benefit? Let's give the opportunity to the people of the outer city first."

The yamen runner who came in to report had his head down, a fleeting look of disdain on his face. Everyone knew that County Magistrate Ding Juren was extremely greedy. He had agreed to Lu Li's matter but hadn't done it yet, because he still hadn't spent enough money.

As for the so-called people of the outer city, that's even more of a joke. When has this official ever regarded the people of the outer city as human beings? The so-called people are just wealthy households in the outer city who have some assets and have handed over their land deeds to him.

"yes!"

When he looked up, the bailiff had already put on an extremely respectful expression, bowed, and left the backyard.

After waiting anxiously outside for a long time, Lu Chen's eyes lit up with joy when he saw the person who was reporting come out. Before he could ask anything, he saw the other person shake his head. He was struck dumb, his body swayed, and he left the yamen without knowing how.

Today, Lu Feng did nothing else. He left home, carrying a total of six taels and thirty-one copper coins, and headed to the inner city academy, the venue for selecting disciples.

As you walk across the stone bridge, you see various vendors hawking their wares along the river near the inner city, their voices a cacophony that contrasts sharply with the emptiness of the outer city across the bridge.

Some people noticed Lu Feng coming from the outer city, but they only glanced at him and then stopped observing. These vendors had seen plenty of poorly dressed teenagers like Lu Feng, so he didn't attract any attention.

The aromas mingled and wafted into my nostrils. The smells from outside the city faded to a faint odor here, disappearing completely in the face of the various snacks being sold.

As Lu Feng walked, he breathed in the fresh air, a sensation that made him feel as if he had finally been released from prison.

Stepping onto the clean and smooth bluestone road, walking along the main inner city road where all kinds of people gather, one can see rich young ladies in brocade clothes going in and out of cosmetic shops, and elegantly dressed noblemen gathering with their friends, accompanied by servants.

Even those with the worst clothes still wore clean cloth shirts and had a good appearance.

Lu Feng's outfit was not only inconspicuous, but it could even be described as eye-catching.

After passing through several bustling streets, we stopped under a willow tree. Looking up, we saw a small courtyard about fifty meters away, with snow-white walls and black tiles, which was very well-maintained and exquisite.

At this moment, the courtyard gate was open inwards, and in the square open space outside the courtyard, a group of people stood. There were nobles sitting in sedan chairs, guarded by four or five guards, while ordinary people were squatting in the shade.

Lu Feng glanced around to make sure someone else had entered the courtyard before he felt relieved, which meant the academy's selection process hadn't ended yet.

Without stopping, he strode towards the courtyard gate, attracting many curious glances.

Basically, those who come to have their physique tested are all children, or slightly older, mostly under eight years old.

Suddenly, a boy about 1.5 meters tall with a youthful face appeared, catching all the waiting adults off guard.

"This person? Going to take the test?"

Someone blurted it out, seemingly with a hint of disbelief.

Someone chimed in, "It seems so. Does anyone know them?"

The test here is the fairest, regardless of whether it's inside or outside the city. As long as you have the money, you can go in for the test.

Suddenly, a man in the crowd looked thoughtful, as if he had thought of something. He clapped his hands and said, "I remember now, the Lu family boy from Calabash Alley. My family lives at the beginning of the alley, so I'm quite familiar with their family."

It was a rare topic of conversation, and even the dignitaries were listening intently, eager to hear what was going on.

The man waved his hand dismissively: "I know about his family situation. We tested them before; they have no natural talent."

Upon hearing this, the others suddenly felt relieved, as if they had heard a satisfactory answer, and couldn't help but smile.

As for the other party coming over, they probably haven't given up yet. After all, innate talent is still quite mysterious. It's not something that stays unchanged. As you grow older, your innate talent might emerge.

The nobles in the inner city send their children here almost every year, unless they are over fifteen years old and have no hope left, in which case they give up on entering the Taoist academy.

"Another brat wasting his family's money. If I were his father, I'd give him a good spanking!"

The crowd burst into laughter again.

Lu Feng remained calm, finding the distant noises only annoying.

When I got to the door, there was a table and a chair outside the courtyard. A man dressed in a blue robe, who looked like a schoolteacher, was sitting on the chair.

A thin sheet of paper was spread out on the table in front of the man. He was about to pick up the calligraphy when he muttered, "Five taels of silver. Leave the person here and they can go in."

Clearly, he knew this matter inside and out; he didn't even look up, just staring at the half-written paper.

Lu Feng took out a money pouch from the lining of his pocket, poured out five taels of loose silver, placed it on the corner of the table, and waited for what would happen next without saying a word.

The man glanced at the silver, his tone becoming more sophisticated, and tapped the tip of his pen: "Five taels of silver is no problem. Name, address, age, please provide them."

"Lu Feng, from Hulu Lane in the outer city, is thirteen years old."

With a flourish of his brush, the man finished writing the characters and continued, "Go inside."

Lu Feng entered the courtyard and immediately saw familiar characters.

The Taoist disciple with the character for "root bone" above his head was standing in a corner of the courtyard, watching the children who came to take the test, until he looked up and saw Lu Feng.

Unsurprisingly, his gaze returned to what was in front of him, not lingering on Lu Feng at all.

Lu Feng suppressed his emotions and silently recited the instructions.

[Talent Replication: Low-Grade Root Bone / Increases Physique and Cultivation Speed]

[Replica Successfully Completed]

Martial arts points instantly decreased by ten.

[Martial arts points: 9]

The remaining points were the result of his hard work over this period of time.

With family members no longer going out, it becomes extremely difficult to find out which family was destroyed by the night ghost.

After completing the replica, Lu Feng did not load it immediately. Instead, he pretended to have a stomachache, asked where the outhouse was, and then hurriedly went to the backyard.

The backyard wasn't a large area, and there was practically no one around at this time. Just to be on the safe side, he pretended to go there and, incidentally, refreshed his talent.

As for which talent to exchange for, naturally both will have overlapping physical strength.

The moment he removed it, Lu Feng felt as if something important was missing from his body, but it did not affect his overall condition; his strength and state remained unchanged.

Next comes loading!

[Current grid count 3/3: Loaded/Sturdy/One Ox's Strength/Low-Grade Root Bone]

Instantly, my body began to heat up, but fortunately the temperature wasn't too high. Then, the muscles and fascia in my body began to swell and stretch.

I feel a little uncomfortable, but it has little impact.

Seeing that there was no major problem, Lu Feng lingered for a few moments before going out and returning to the front yard from the backyard.

As he walked, the strange sensations on his body disappeared, and his entire body seemed to change.

His physical body felt lighter, his strength increased, and he could feel the fiery aura within his body.

Lu Feng's return went unnoticed; he simply stood quietly at the back of the testing line.

No one knew that in that short period of time, he had completed the most important transformation.