After Xu Yuan became the battle overseer, aside from the daily obligation of keeping an eye on the overall situation, he devoted the rest of his attention to cultivation.
Fortunately, the progress of the war was rather encouraging.
Ever since the Bai Family had one last brief rally before collapse and seized two streets from the Shangyang Residence, their momentum had been completely broken.
Under the fierce assaults of Xiao Han and the others, they melted away as quickly as ice under boiling water.
As a result, the regular army where Chen Sanli and the others served reaped battle merits in great quantities after the vanguard force had already worn the enemy down, earning so much that they were practically making a fortune.
Countless people were green with envy over this, yet none dared go complain to Xu Yuan.
The vanguard force might earn fewer battle merits, but at least they still had some to earn, did they not?
As for whether their dissatisfaction toward Xu Yuan would drive them to defect to the Bai Family—
With the situation so overwhelmingly one-sided, no one was foolish enough to do something so stupid at a time like this.
And among the several Workshop Masters, Huo Gang was the fiercest when it came to killing enemies. His body was already covered with wounds, yet he still showed no sign of slowing down.
After all, even though Third Young Master had said he could get him transferred away, the higher-ups still needed to see clear results from his efforts and determine whether he had truly redeemed himself through merit.
Yet despite being the one working the hardest, the battle merits he ultimately received were still inferior to those of a four-meridian martial artist in the regular army.
This intense sense of unfair treatment only made Huo Gang even more dissatisfied with Xu Yuan.
But since neither his strength nor his position could match Xu Yuan’s, no matter how bitter he felt, he could only swallow it.
He could only wait for the day when the Third Young Master held greater power and could help him recover his lost face.
…
October 24.
In the blink of an eye, more than half a month had already passed since Xu Yuan took over as battle overseer.
Inside the command tent, three Workshop Masters, together with Xu Yuan, were discussing the war on the front line.
“Battle Overseer Xu, by advancing steadily and securing each step, we’ve already stripped away nearly eighty percent of the Bai Family’s territory.”
Standing beside the strategic map, Xiao Han spoke with confidence, clearly in high spirits. “I imagine it won’t be long before we completely drive the Bai Family out of the Level Three zone.”
Over the past half month of offensives, this Workshop Master had gained quite a bit of battle merit, and his accumulation at six-meridian was already sufficient.
All he needed now was to exchange for a few more Meridian-Opening Pills, and then he could begin pushing toward seven-meridian.
“True, but at the same time we must be on guard against the Bai Family making a desperate last stand,” Yuan Danqing added in an equally gentle tone.
Though her contributions had not been as great as Xiao Han’s, under the tide of the broader situation she too had obtained considerable benefits.
If she could break through to seven-meridian before the Eldest Miss returned, then there would still be a path ahead for her in the future.
At the very end of the row, Huo Gang remained silent and merely watched the other two express their opinions.
In another three days, the transfer order from Third Young Master’s side should arrive.
Once he reached the Level Four zone, he would no longer have to endure the humiliation of serving under Xu Yuan.
Compared to Xiao Han and Yuan Danqing, he had already fallen far behind in progress.
If this dragged on any longer, he feared he might remain stuck in the Meridian Opening Realm for the rest of his life.
“Yes. Let’s set a target.”
Seated in the position of honor, Xu Yuan spoke calmly and settled the matter with a single sentence. “Within six days, drive the Bai Family completely out of the Level Three zone.”
After that, he did not stay any longer and rose to return to the battle overseer’s quarters.
…
[Skills: Jade Platform Stance Art (Mastery 90%) Benlei Fist (Perfected 67%) Wandering Dragon Step (Perfected 98%) Iron Garment Art (Perfected 96%)]
[Aptitude: 35 (One in Ten Thousand)]
[Martial Seed (0): Berserk]
Naturally, Xu Yuan had not been idle during this half month either.
With the terrifying boost from his 35 points of Aptitude, while continuing to cultivate his stance art, he had also trained Wandering Dragon Step and Iron Garment Art until they were nearly at their limit.
“Today, I’ll train these two martial arts to full perfection.”
As he spoke, Xu Yuan took out a large box of medicinal paste from a chest at his side.
This was Tiger Blood Paste, which Xiao Han had recommended to him. It could prevent physical damage, and prolonged use could even improve the body’s constitution and toughness. It was extremely well suited for training external martial arts, and it was the best medicinal ointment Xu Yuan could currently obtain.
Naturally, the price was steep as well.
A single portion cost twenty points of battle merit, and not even silver could buy it. It was considered an internal supply resource of the Shangyang Residence.
Xu Yuan’s rapid progress owed no small part to the Tiger Blood Paste.
‘Now, I’ll first bring the Wandering Dragon Step to completion.’
Whoosh!
Xu Yuan’s figure flashed and turned into a blur, darting back and forth at high speed.
Then he stepped directly out of the tent, causing the guarding martial artists’ vision to blur. They were just starting to peer ahead in confusion, trying to make out what they had seen, when Xu Yuan was already several hundred meters away.
As time passed moment by moment,
Xu Yuan quickly returned to the tent, and throughout the entire process, no one reacted at all.
The wind he stirred up lifted a sheet of white paper from the table. Xu Yuan clasped his hands behind his back and walked to the entrance, then turned and returned, casually catching the gently fluttering sheet, which had fallen only a tiny distance and had not even touched the ground yet.
His long-distance speed was now twice what it had been before, while at close range, his agility and shifting movements had become nearly twice as fast.
“Excellent. My time was well spent. Every day, whenever I grew mentally tired from cultivating my realm, I practiced a movement art or two and ground this one to its limit.”
Xu Yuan smiled faintly. Then he removed his clothing and smeared the Tiger Blood Paste over his skin, feeling a cool, soothing sensation spread across it.
Afterward, he stepped in front of a wolf-fang post forged from refined steel. Activating Iron Garment Art, he began continuously tempering his body against it.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Outside the tent, the two martial artists on guard heard the sound, deep and resonant like tolling bells, and both of them turned pale with shock.
“Is Battle Overseer Xu training? Dear heavens… is that really a sound a human can make?”
The tall man’s voice trembled a little.
“You’re new here, so watch your mouth. If you want to die, don’t drag me down with you.” The other man, who had thick eyebrows, shot him a glare and said in a low, measured voice,
“Battle Overseer Xu is seven-meridian. Of course he’s different from ordinary people. You need to get used to it. Once you’ve seen enough, you naturally stop reacting.”
“Really?” The tall man glanced at him. “Then why are your legs shaking?”
“Quit talking. I’ve got my own rhythm.”
The thick-browed man pinched his thigh and grumbled, “I’m telling you, Battle Overseer Xu is no ordinary man. I could tell he had something special about him from the moment he first came to the Level Three zone…”
The two of them continued their quiet conversation for who knew how long.
Only then did the tremendous crashing sounds inside finally come to a stop.
Xu Yuan’s whole body was crimson red. The medicinal paste smeared over him had evaporated into a faint mist, giving off a rich medicinal fragrance.
He looked silently at the wolf-fang post before him, now covered in cracks, revealing skin that looked as if it had been cast from pure steel.
[Skills: Jade Platform Stance Art (Mastery 93%) Benlei Fist (Perfected 67%) Wandering Dragon Step (Perfected 100%) Iron Garment Art (Perfected 100%)]
[Aptitude: 37 (One in Ten Thousand)]
[Martial Seed (2): Berserk]
“My Aptitude increased by 2 points, and I gained two more Martial Seeds…”
Looking at the panel, Xu Yuan stroked his chin and began to ponder.
Which skills should he use them on?
‘Let me try one on Benlei Fist and one on Wandering Dragon Step.’
Having made his decision, Xu Yuan used the seeds on those two martial arts.
In the next instant, a familiar sensation surged through his body.
A tingling, numbing feeling like an electric current spread through his entire body, leaving him aching and swollen from the inside out.
Only after it all settled down did he look back at the panel.
[Skills: Jade Platform Stance Art (Mastery 93%) Benlei Fist (Perfected 67%) Wandering Dragon Step (Perfected 100%) Iron Garment Art (Perfected 100%)]
[Aptitude: 37 (One in Ten Thousand)]
[Martial Seed (0): Berserk, Paralysis]
[Wandering Dragon Step attribute extraction failed.]