Martial Arts Longevity Begins with the Equipment Slot

Chapter 101 The Nine Thieves Attack, and a Great Battle Erupts

Chen Yu nodded.

"Commander Sun, let me see you circulate your qi and blood."

Sun Feipeng was overjoyed and assumed a horse stance.

"ha!"

He took a deep breath and threw a punch.

The force of the punch was considerable, with a whooshing sound.

Immediately afterwards, he brought his fist to his waist and circulated his qi and blood according to his breathing technique, which he had been accustomed to for many years, letting out a deep groan from his throat.

The humming sounded powerful, but it was just a normal vibration of energy, completely different from the roar of the tiger in the Spirit Tiger Technique.

After humming, he retracted his fist, turned to look at Chen Yu, his eyes filled with both anticipation and nervousness.

"How's it going, Brother Chen Yu? How's my foundation?"

Chen Yu stood beside Sun Feipeng, placing his palm on Sun's shoulder blade and feeling it for a moment.

"Commander Sun, your bones have already taken shape."

"7

"Is it finalized?"

Sun Feipeng's smile froze on his face.

"What do you mean?"

"It means that your bones have adapted to your current cultivation method."

"Forcing you to switch to Tiger Roar Thunder Sound is incompatible with your existing bone structure. It's not a question of whether you can train it or not, but that your bones will crack."

Chen Yu looked at him directly, without beating around the bush.

"Unless you are willing to give up your current power and start from scratch to temper your bones all over again."

"Otherwise, you won't be able to practice the Spirit Tiger Skill."

Sun Feipeng stood on the gravel beach.

The wind blew in from the mouth of the valley, making his clothes flutter.

He had heard this saying before: one should be careful when choosing a method for strengthening bones.

The strength of the bone-refining technique largely determines the strength of a martial artist.

Once you've mastered the basics of bone refinement, you can only stick to one technique until the very end; there's no turning back.

Sun Feipeng recalled that night ten years ago.

He stood in the library, with two cultivation manuals laid out in front of him for him to choose from.

One book is the Wild Ox Mountain-Breaking Technique, a common martial art, and the other is the Jade Marrow Bone-Cleansing Scroll, a more advanced technique.

He hesitated for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn before finally choosing the Wild Buffalo Mountain-Breaking Technique, which was more effective.

The Jade Marrow Bone Cleansing Scroll was chosen by another junior brother.

At the time, he also mocked that junior brother for being overly ambitious and overestimating his abilities.

As a result, after practicing the Wild Ox Kung Fu for ten years, he was still stuck at the minor stage of Bone Refinement.

That junior brother entered the basics of bone refining in three years and reached the minor mastery of bone refining in five years.

Now that he has mastered the art of bone refinement, he has become a deputy commander.

He had been telling himself not to regret this, but Chen Yu's words today lifted the stone slab that had been pressing on his heart for ten years.

"Commander Sun."

Chen Yu patted his shoulder.

"You have a solid foundation and your combat experience is among the best in the Sword Guard Hall. Although your skeletal structure can no longer be refined, it can be honed through actual combat."

"If you practice with me for half an hour every day from now on, your boxing skills will improve by at least 20%."

Sun Feipeng suddenly raised his head.

He cannot rebuild his skills after his practice has been disrupted.

He's a commander with fifty men under his command.

If he loses his power, what will he use to lead troops?

But sparring with Chen Yu for half an hour every day was an opportunity he couldn't ask for.

"Alright! I don't have the luck to start over, but Brother Chen Yu, you're doing me a lot of face by practicing with me for half an hour every day!"

He now truly sees things clearly.

The gap between myself and Chen Yu cannot be bridged by hard work alone.

There is a three-fold gap between the two: their cultivation techniques, their talent, and their comprehension.

Since Chen Yu was willing to lend him a hand, he was willing to exchange his future loyalty for it.

Xue Linglong stood by the edge of the stone wall the whole time, without saying a word.

But she heard every word of their conversation.

Sun Feipeng's skeletal structure is complete, but what about yours?

She knew very well that her skeletal structure was different from Sun Feipeng's.

The Xue family has a small-scale alchemy technique passed down through generations.

Although it is an incomplete version, it is still superior to the techniques practiced by most of the leaders of the Sword Guard Hall.

Therefore, Xue Linglong had a good foundation in bone cultivation.

The bones in his hands, wrists, and ulna were all refined to a level more delicate than those of other martial artists of the same rank.

Even before the bone refinement process reached a minor level, it could already emit a faint, pale jade-like luster.

This is something she has always been proud of.

But compared to Chen Yu, this level is nothing.

If a fight really breaks out, he probably won't even be able to withstand three of his punches.

Pei Shifeng has been away from Niutou Mountain for twelve days.

There is still no news of reinforcements from the Sword Forging Manor.

According to Pei Shifeng's plan before he left, the follow-up supplies and reinforcements would definitely arrive in ten days to half a month.

Chen Yu would send out scouts every day to prepare for a meeting at the foot of the mountain.

But neither the direction of Wangjiang City to the east nor the direction of Luori City to the south could see the shadow of that black flag.

"What exactly happened?"

Fang Dachuan stood on the stone wall at the mouth of the valley for two hours.

He gazed at the empty plains at the end of the mountain path, feeling uneasy.

It takes two days by fast horse from Sunset City to Ox Head Mountain, and no more than five days with supplies.

It has been twelve days now.

Either the council hall at the mountain villa is still arguing, or the deputy commander-in-chief has encountered trouble on the way.

Fang Dachuan became increasingly confused, so he went into the makeshift tent to discuss it with Chen Yu.

"Based on the dates, the Deputy Commander should have arrived in Sunset City at the latest seven days ago. Even if he doesn't come back, the message from the hawk should have arrived by now."

Chen Yu sat in front of the stone platform, with a map of Niutou Mountain spread out in front of him.

After listening to Fang Dachuan's words, he couldn't help but ponder them.

Pei Shifeng led thirty light cavalrymen, taking the official road, with strongholds of mountain villages along the way.

If someone could intercept thirty elite sword guards on the official road, preventing Pei Shifeng from even launching his hawk, then the opponent's strength must be terrifyingly formidable.

Thinking of this, Chen Yu raised his head and issued an order to Fang Dachuan.

"Send two more scout teams, one to search along the main road towards Wangjiang City, and the other to take a side road south to Sunset City."

"If you discover anything unusual, do not engage in battle, report it immediately! Also, summon Commander Sun and Commander Xue."

"Yes, sir!"

Fang Dachuan stepped out of the tent and began to relay orders.

Soon, Sun Feipeng rushed down the rocky slope.

As soon as he entered the tent, he asked anxiously.

"Brother Chen Yu, the deputy commander hasn't come back yet. My squad leaders may not say it, but they're all wondering about it."

"To be honest, not only do they not understand, but I'm also unsure myself."

He sat down, took a big gulp of cold water, and looked up to ask a crucial question.

"How long can the supplies last?"

"Including the supplies we seized from Black Wind Stronghold, we can last for at most ten days."

Xue Linglong walked in from outside the tent.

A few strands of hair at her temples were blown away by the mountain wind.

She held the grain and ration booklet in her hand and reported it to Chen Yu item by item.

"There are still 12 shi of brown rice, 100 jin of cured meat, and 800 dried cakes in the Gukou granary."

"Adding to the 15 shi of unpolished rice and 200 jin of dried meat seized, all of these are barely enough to feed 120 people for 10 days."

After hearing this, Sun Feipeng felt even more uncertain.

This consumption is calculated at 50%.

The sword guards were all martial artists, and their appetites were much greater than those of ordinary people.

If you only eat this little bit every day, you might not even be able to lift a knife.

Chen Yu understood this perfectly well.

Even the most composed sword guards started secretly glancing south during their changing of the guard.

He saw all of this.

If Pei Shifeng is indeed intercepted on the road, then the 120 people from Niutou Mountain will be left isolated.

Black Wind Stronghold will absolutely not give them a second chance to seize the grain.

"Regardless of the Deputy Commander's situation, we must do what we are supposed to do."

"From today onwards, stop sending people to search for the fire monkeys. Gather all forces and defend the mine with all your might!"

Chen Yu rotated the map halfway around.

Then, pointing to the three mines—Ghost's Sorrow, Eagle's Beak Cliff, and Wild Wolf Gully—he assigned tasks to each one.

"Commander Sun was stationed at three cliff passes above the rocky slope."

"That place is closest to the route where the fire monkeys appear, and it is also the passage that Black Wind Stronghold knows best. It must be guarded by the most experienced elders."

After Chen Yu finished speaking, Sun Feipeng clasped his hands in acceptance of the order.

"Commander Chen, rest assured! I, Old Sun, can handle three places by myself, no problem! If any of the Black Wind Stronghold's people come, I'll chop them down one by one!"

Xue Linglong was assigned to the stone wall defense line at the front of the valley entrance.

Sun Feipeng delivered a passionate speech, and she was not to be outdone.

"Please rest assured, Commander Chen! I've left two oil cauldrons at the fortifications; any Black Wind Stronghold members who come will be scalded to death!"

Chen Yu himself was in charge of the main entrance to the mine tunnel in the center of Ghost's Sorrow.

This place connects all the main passages and underground river branches of the entire Niutou Mountain.

It can be said to be the Achilles' heel of the entire defense zone, and also the direction from which Black Wind Stronghold will first exert pressure when they truly attack.

Finally, Chen Yu went through all the defenses again.

He held the line head-on, flanked the enemy, and personally guarded the main entrance.

If these three lines of defense can hold for ten days, Pei Shifeng still has a chance to return during this grace period.

Just as the deployment was completed, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the tent.

A scout, covered in sweat, rushed in.

"Commander, Black Wind Stronghold cavalry has been spotted on the official road sixty miles to the south. They number no less than five hundred and are moving towards Niutou Mountain!"

"Their scouts have reached our first sentry line, which is thirty miles away, and briefly engaged our sentries."

"After succeeding, the enemy did not pursue. Our men recognized the black tassel on one of their swords—the insignia of the Black Wind Nine Thieves' henchmen!"

"You're here so quickly?"

Chen Yu stood up and his gaze fell on the map.

"Prepare to close the mountain!"

"Immediately withdraw all visible sentry posts from the perimeter, and have all hidden sentry posts switch to night duty!"

"Yes, sir!"

Sun Feipeng and Xue Linglong responded and quickly left the tent.

That evening, the vanguard of Black Wind Stronghold surged down from the ridgeline surrounding Niutou Mountain like a dark, surging tide.

Mei San Niang rode a tall, iron-gray horse, standing on a high hill with a wide view on the north slope.

At the mouth of the valley at the foot of the mountain, the black flag of the Sword Guard Hall fluttered in the twilight.

Behind her, the elite troops of Black Wind Stronghold gathered in ever greater numbers.

The longswords and crossbows gleamed with the cold sheen of iron in the firelight.

Below the north slope, the closest to her was the scout team of the Left Vanguard Battalion.

Looking further ahead, skilled climbers have already begun tentatively making their way up the western cliff face.

Behind her, from the direction she came from, a large number of heavy vehicles were slowly advancing.

High above the cliff, deep within Niutou Mountain.

The troops from Black Wind Stronghold continued to sweep past, and firelight began to appear along the ridgeline.

From where the torchlight was at its densest, a black-maned, short-legged horse emerged unhurriedly from around the bend in the mountain path.

The person sitting on the horse was small and thin, wrapped in a gray cloth cloak.

He was followed by six riders, each of whom deliberately kept at least two horse lengths away from him.

In Black Wind Stronghold, the only person who could make all the leaders keep their distance was the stronghold chief.

"Black Wind Demon" Li Tianlong reined in his horse and looked up at the black flag at the entrance of the valley.

Beside him stood a burly figure, none other than Xiong Kuo, the sixth leader known as "Black Cloud Axe".

Xiong Kuo held a pair of mountain-splitting axes in his hands, and had a throwing axe on his back.

In the firelight, the cold gleam of the axe flashed intermittently.

"Boss, Seventh Brother and Eighth Brother have already set up a flanking position on the western cliff, and Fourth Brother and Fifth Brother have also arrived."

Li Tianlong pointed his whip towards the valley entrance, relaying orders to the army behind him.

"Surround them from all sides, take the valley entrance first, then flood the mine tunnels with smoke to force Chen Yu out!"

Li Tianlong dared not underestimate his enemy and act rashly, but instead chose to proceed steadily and made preparations in advance.

Black Wind Stronghold did not launch its first attack until the morning of the following day.

The first major battle broke out in Wild Wolf Gully on the east side.

Sun Feipeng directed the sword guards to fire three volleys of arrows, but the effect was not very good.

The Black Wind Stronghold's vanguard of swordsmen charged in through a hail of arrows.

"Damn! These bandits are really reckless!"

Sun Feipeng stood above the stream, his long knife slashing down two bandits who were climbing up the rocks.

"Left-wing crossbowmen, cover! Don't let them circle around from the bottom of the ditch!"

Before he could finish speaking...

A mountain-splitting axe spun out of the smoke and dust at the bottom of the ravine.

"Whoosh!"

The axe blade drew a cold arc in the sunlight.

Sun Feipeng quickly dodged the axe.

"Bang!"

The axe blade cleaved into the crevice in the rock behind him.

Immediately afterwards, a burly man leaped up from the bottom of the ditch.

"Sun Feipeng, is it? I'm Xiong Kuo, the sixth leader of Black Wind Stronghold. Your head is mine!"

"A monument-breaking style!"

Xiong Kuo roared and brought his right axe down from above his head.

"Wild buffalo carrying mountains!"

Sun Feipeng's arms were bulging with veins, and he slashed his long sword diagonally upwards.

This move was a defensive stance he derived from the Wild Buffalo Mountain-Breaking Technique.

The imagery is of a bull's horn thrusting upwards from the mud, using an oblique approach to break a straight line, and using offense as defense.

"clang!"

In the instant the knives and axes clashed, Sun Feipeng's left elbow suddenly sank downwards.

The blade was changed from a rigid front support to a slanted sliding cut.

Clang!

With a piercing scraping sound, the axe blade slid a few inches along the spine of the blade and cleaved into a crevice in the rock at his feet.

"Little brat, you did a good job removing it!"

Xiong Kuo grinned, and Zuo Fu swept in right behind him.

"You're so good at deflecting force, then show Grandpa how you deflect another one!"

"Cut in half!"

This axe strike was a horizontal slash.

The axe blade was pushed horizontally, covering a large area with no room for slippage.

This is how Xiong Kuo's axe path is.

A flying axe strikes, the right axe clears the way, the left axe takes the life.

Even if you manage to dodge the first, second, and third axe blows, they can still take you down.

"not good!"

Sun Feipeng didn't have time to change his tactics.

His sword had just been removed from the cleaver-shaped handle, and the blade was still humming and trembling from the lingering shock.

His tiger's mouth was shattered and bleeding, and his muscles had not yet regained control, so there was no time to prepare for another "Buffalo Carrying the Mountain" strike.

At that moment, all he could do was grip the back of the blade with his left hand and push the longsword horizontally with both hands to block the axe blow.

"clang!"

The moment the axe blade struck the middle of the sword, Sun Feipeng felt as if his arms had been struck head-on by a mad bull.

"Bang!"

He was thrown back ten steps by the shock, his back slamming heavily against the rock wall.