At the start of the game, you have one equipment slot; the effects of unequipping the equipment rema

[Ding! Thirty-Six Mace Techniques +1 equipped!]

In an instant, a surge of powerful qi and blood coursed through Mu Yang's body.

Mu Yang was already used to this surge of blood and qi.

But the next second, a torrent of memories suddenly flooded his mind.

He closed his eyes and pondered deeply.

In my memory, he seemed to be a natural-born martial arts prodigy, having mastered the Thirty-Six Mace Techniques to perfection in just a few years.

With his unique mace technique, he could kill demons and humans alike, leaving no one in his path.

Even the most basic techniques such as chopping, sweeping, smashing, stabbing, and throwing have been perfected to the point of being beyond practice.

But deep down, he always felt that this was not the end of this mace technique.

To be more precise, this is not the end for him!

And so, he took a four-sided mace and began to cultivate himself day after day, year after year.

In summer, he went to the mountains to watch monkeys dance with sticks; in winter, he went into caves to watch pythons coil up.

The originally exquisite moves gradually blurred in my mind, but an unprecedented inspiration gradually became clear in my heart.

He got it!

Mu Yang suddenly opened his eyes and subconsciously drew out the black gold four-sided mace from his waist.

The black gold four-sided mace in his hand sometimes resembled a monkey dancing, and sometimes a python winding, powerful yet flexible and unpredictable.

In the background, there were even faint traces of martial arts routines such as the Dragon Subduing Tiger Saber Technique, the Coiling Serpent Spear, and the Gentle Breeze Sword.

a long time.

"Phew~~"

Mu Yang put down the black gold four-sided mace in his hand and let out a long sigh of relief.

"Is this what they call breaking the limit...?"

He now felt that with this "Thirty-Six Styles of Mace Techniques" which had reached the limit level, he could easily kill himself who only used the Imperial Feather Broadsword.

It wasn't a transformation in power, but rather a difference in the control over that power.

He used to exert only one unit of strength, but now he can exert two units, or even more.

Even though his own strength and realm have not changed, his combat power has actually increased significantly.

And this is only the limit-breaking achievement for blue quality.

I wonder what effect the purple affixes above the limit will have.

After a moment, Mu Yang pulled himself out of his thoughts and focused his attention on the only remaining skill, "Iron Body Skill."

Although the biggest benefit of the +1 to the Thirty-Six Mace Techniques was the transformation in his combat power, the total amount of health and mana it brought was also considerable.

Now, he is only one-tenth away from the perfect Blood Marrow Realm.

"Equip yourself with the Iron Body Kung Fu!"

[Ding! Iron Body Skill is now equipped!]

A surge of energy, far weaker than before, welled up within Mu Yang's body.

Although the total amount was not large, it was just enough for Mu Yang to make a breakthrough.

"Crackling sound—!!"

As the last breath of blood and energy merged into his body, Mu Yang's entire body resonated with a powerful tremor.

Every muscle, every tendon, and every bone in the body merges together at this moment, becoming a unified whole.

An immense power surged from Mu Yang's body.

Blood Marrow Realm Perfection Achieved!

One arm can gain 14000 pounds of strength!

It is almost twice that of the late stage of the Blood Marrow Realm.

Adding the 3,000 jin of strength boost from Hu Xin, Mu Yang's single-arm strength had now reached --

Eighty thousand catties!

Among them, the Blood Marrow Realm alone provides a force of 30,000 jin.

In other words, a martial artist who has broken through to the Blood Marrow Realm three times through the process of tempering his tendons and bones possesses a total strength of 40,000 jin, which is greater than the strength of Hu Wanshan, who was risking his life.

Sure enough, a martial artist with a solid foundation doesn't need any fancy tricks; their basic strength alone is enough to crush the opponent.

"Next, we need to find a Qi Condensation martial art."

The fourth-stage Qi Condensation Realm is unlike the first three stages of martial arts.

Even without cultivation techniques, as long as one has enough qi and blood, one can still force a way out by spending time in the first three realms.

For those in the Qi Condensation Realm, without proper cultivation techniques, simply finding the meridians to build the dantian is enough to stump a large number of people.

At least, Mu Yang, who considered himself to have only average martial arts talent (meaning he hadn't even entered the gate of low-grade martial arts after three months of training), didn't think he could figure it out on his own.

..................

at the same time.

Inside the Liu family mansion, the only remaining one of the three major families.

The hall was brightly lit, as if it were daytime.

Sitting in the main seat, Liu Qingke was not as calm and composed as he had been the night before, sipping his tea. Instead, he frowned and tapped his fingers lightly on the table.

On his left and right were several Liu family elders with half-gray hair.

An elder with a fiery temper was the first to erupt in anger: "Too arrogant! This boy is simply too arrogant!"

"Yesterday the Wang family was gone, today the Hu family is gone, will he wipe out our Liu family tomorrow? What collusion with demons? I think he's just using the guise of slaying demons to try and seize the wealth accumulated by our three families over generations!"

"Their wolfish ambitions are blatantly obvious!"

Some elders nodded, while others frowned and said, "What's the point of shouting? What good will it do to shout all you want here? The most urgent thing isn't to get angry, but to find a way to ensure the safety of my Liu family!"

"Why don't we prepare a generous gift and send it to Mu Yang's house to sound him out? If he really wants money, we're willing to bleed a little. As long as no one dies, we'll agree to anything," one of the elders suggested.

"What gifts are you offering! How can we so easily hand over the Liu family's century-old legacy!"

"Then what should we do? Go and kill Mu Yang? Can you beat Wang Rudong, or Hu Wanshan?"

"..."

Everyone started talking at once, creating a noisy argument.

Some wanted to befriend him, some wanted to admit defeat, and some, though brainless, had short tempers and wanted to fight Mu Yang.

"Alright, everyone, be quiet!"

Liu Qingke slammed his hand on the table, and the hall immediately fell silent.

He looked around and said in a deep voice, "What's all the arguing about? We're gathered here to brainstorm solutions, not to fight!"

"Then, clan chief, what should we do?" an elder asked worriedly.

Liu Qingke pondered for a moment and said, "Tomorrow I will personally go to the county government to find Zhou Heng and sound him out."

"If Mu Yang is truly after a little gold and silver, and he murders me for money, then I will risk my life to go to the county seat and file a complaint against him!"

"But if the Hu family really is like the Wang family, colluding with demons, then we have nothing to say."

Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent.

This may not be the best method, but it is the only one available at the moment.

We can't really start a war with Muyang.

They don't have the strength, let alone the courage.

..................

The next day, early in the morning.

Liu Qingke, dressed in the official robes of a county magistrate, arrived at the county government office early and went straight to Zhou Heng's office.

"Lord Liu? What brings you here today?" Zhou Heng asked, a perfectly timed look of surprise on his face when he saw Liu Qingke.

"Lord Zhou, we've worked together for many years, so I'll cut to the chase!"

Liu Qingke asked, "What were the specific reasons behind yesterday's incident involving the Hu family?"

"The Hu family?" Zhou Heng picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said slowly.

"It's laughable, really. Hu Wanshan was blinded by lust and bewitched by Hu Xin, the fox demon in human form. Not only did he become a puppet, but he also tried to hold a banquet to undermine Mu Ban Tou, which forced Mu Ban Tou to fight back."

"As for the servants of the Hu family, most of them were frightened by Hu Xin's high-pressure tactics and left on their own."

Zhou Heng did not hide anything, after all, Mu Yang acted with integrity and the evidence was conclusive, even if the matter went to the county government, it would be in the right.

"Speaking of which, Lord Liu's family shouldn't have much contact with demons, right?"

Zhou Heng suddenly looked up at Liu Qingke, changed the subject, and asked meaningfully.

"What are you saying, Lord Zhou!"

Liu Qingke's face immediately darkened, and he said righteously, "My Liu family has lived in Qingxi County for generations, upholding the tradition of farming and scholarship, and abiding by the law!"

"Moreover, humans and demons are fundamentally different. To collude with demons is an act of betraying one's master and ancestors, a despicable act unworthy of being a son. I, Liu, and the members of the Liu family would never do such a vile thing!"

"Lord Liu, please don't get agitated. I was just asking casually," Zhou Heng said with a smile, waving his hand to reassure him.

"I trust Lord Liu completely, so there's no need for you to worry too much."

"I know Mu Yang well. He's righteous, kind-hearted, and can distinguish right from wrong. He would never hurt someone without a reason."

Kind-hearted?

Liu Qingke's lips twitched.

Are you saying that the person who single-handedly defeated Huang Fengshan, wiped out the Wang family overnight, and then slaughtered the entire Hu family last night is kind-hearted?

Of course, Liu Qingke only thought these things to himself and didn't say them out loud.

After a moment's hesitation, Liu Qingke, still somewhat uneasy, continued, "I trust Lord Zhou's words, and I am quite certain of Mu Yang's character."

"To be honest, the main reason I came here today is to ask Lord Zhou to act as an intermediary and invite this young talent, Mu Bantou, to my residence for a chat."

..................

"Another banquet?"

Upon learning that the Liu family had invited him to a banquet in the constable's office, Mu Yang raised an eyebrow.

Could this be another trap?

If so, then he can give this black gold four-sided mace a try.

If not, then getting a free dinner is still a good deal.

And so, after finishing his shift that afternoon, Mu Yang followed Zhou Heng and Xue She to the Liu family mansion.

When Mu Yang learned that Zhou Heng and Xue She were also among those invited, he felt a little disappointed.

After all, no matter how crazy the Liu family was, they wouldn't go so far as to kill Zhou Heng, the county magistrate, as well.

The county constable was not a constable; he was a real official appointed by the imperial court.