Martial Saint with Passives

Jiang Che nodded, taking in their looks of envy and awe.

He couldn’t help but feel a wave of emotion.

’Not long ago, I was one of them.’

’And now, without even realizing it, I’ve become the powerful senior brother I once looked up to.’

When he arrived at the Disciple Courtyard, only the servant, Ah Shan, was sweeping the grounds. There were no other formal disciples around.

’Looks like they’ve all gone out to gain experience...’

After greeting Ah Shan, Jiang Che headed to the back courtyard where his master was.

He saw his master, Luo Kun, giving Jiang Ling a private lesson in martial arts.

However, Jiang Ling’s movements were clumsy and unpracticed.

But Luo Kun’s expression was gentle—a far cry from how he used to be when teaching them. Back then, the slightest mistake would earn a harsh scolding. The unlucky ones might even get kicked.

’Is this really my master?’

Jiang Che smiled wryly to himself.

"Master!"

Jiang Che called out from a distance.

Seeing Jiang Che, Luo Kun smiled and nodded.

Ever since discovering Jiang Che possessed an Innate Iron Body, Luo Kun’s attitude toward him had improved significantly.

The two chatted idly for a bit, and Jiang Che mentioned that he had recently been going out with the Seven Stars Gang’s Hunting Hall to hunt Black Beasts.

He didn’t mention that he had become a key member of the hunting party, claiming instead that he was just tagging along to help out and learn the ropes.

Otherwise, such a rapid improvement in such a short time would arouse suspicion.

’Besides, Master has already decided to invest heavily in my training. There’s no need to reveal all my cards.’

Luo Kun frowned slightly at this and warned him to avoid dangerous activities like hunting Black Beasts until he broke through to the Iron Skin Realm.

Jiang Che knew his master was concerned for his well-being, so he promised to focus on his cultivation for the time being.

When Jiang Che later mentioned that he was there to take Jiang Ling home, his master seemed reluctant to let her go.

"Ling’er, do you want to keep training at the Martial Arts Hall?" Jiang Che asked.

Jiang Ling looked back and forth between Luo Kun and Jiang Che, seeming hesitant.

Jiang Che could tell that she wanted to continue her training, so he said,

"If you want to keep training, you can stay here. I’m not home much these days anyway, and I’d have more peace of mind knowing you’re here with Master."

"Okay!" Jiang Ling nodded.

"Master, it seems Ling’er will be troubling you for a while longer then," Jiang Che said.

"What trouble? I’m just happy to have some company for this old man!" Luo Kun laughed.

After bidding his master farewell, Jiang Che made a trip to Seven Stars Castle.

When he arrived at Tingzhu Garden, Zhang Jinghuai was busy administering an antidote to two Martial Artists.

Not wanting to disturb him, Jiang Che decided to walk around for a bit first.

He headed straight for a teahouse where many Martial Artists were chatting over tea in small groups.

After ordering a pot of Biluochun tea, Jiang Che began to listen in on the conversations around him.

He’d been to the teahouse once before and discovered it was a much better source of information than the streets outside.

So he had started coming regularly to drink tea and gather information.

He listened for a while but didn’t hear any major news.

He did, however, overhear a rumor about Situ Xuan gifting the Kunji to a Martial Artist with an Innate Iron Body.

The only problem was that the person they were describing was a hulking brute over two meters tall, weighing five or six hundred jin, with a face of ferocious muscle.

Jiang Che was speechless. He had no idea how the rumor had gotten so distorted.

After listening a bit longer and hearing nothing else of use, Jiang Che left.

In the days that followed, Jiang Che once again buried himself in his training.

Of the basic Martial Arts, only the last one, the *Long River Sword*, remained.

Since he had no prior experience with swordsmanship, it took Jiang Che over a month to fully master the technique.

[Talent Acquired: Insight]

[Insight: A chance-based, passive skill.]

[Description: When observing an opponent, you have a higher chance of discovering their weak points.]

’This skill...’

Jiang Che’s eyes lit up.

’Heart Stream already has some ability to spot weaknesses.’

’But that’s not its primary function.’

’Heart Stream works by dramatically boosting my concentration, cognitive ability, and reflexes.’

’It makes it easier for me to perceive things and act on them.’

’I bet Insight will make it even easier to find an enemy’s weaknesses than Heart Stream does!’

’If only I had someone to test it on...’

’But I’m afraid I’d injure someone at a lower Realm.’

’As for those at a higher Realm, like a Force Integration Artist... who knows if they would even agree to practice with me.’

’Besides, I wouldn’t stand a chance against them.’

’So for now, I don’t have any suitable sparring partners.’

Jiang Che mulled it over and decided that hunting Black Beasts was the most suitable option.

Having made up his mind, he headed to Moon Viewing Mountain again.

He didn’t dare venture too deep, so he stuck to the outskirts, searching for lone Black Beasts. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

But these Black Beasts were extremely cautious; very few were active during the day.

They either moved in packs or hid in unknown locations, making them incredibly difficult to find.

Working alone was indeed far less efficient than working in a group.

Combined with his lack of experience, Jiang Che searched for a long time with no success.

Fortunately, he had bought some bait before he came.

After using several pieces of bait in a row, Jiang Che finally lured out an Ironhoof Bull.

The bull was likely in the Early-stage of the Iron Skin Realm, so its strength wasn’t overwhelming.

After confirming there were no other Black Beasts nearby, Jiang Che drew his saber and charged.

Seeing Jiang Che, the bull showed no fear. It lowered its horns and charged right at him.

Saber in hand, Jiang Che fixed his eyes on the Ironhoof Bull’s body.

Suddenly, he saw a red line appear on the bull’s neck!

He had a feeling that if he struck that line, he could grievously wound the Ironhoof Bull—perhaps even kill it in a single blow!

He held his breath and focused. Just as the bull was about to crash into him, he dodged to the side.

Then, he brought his saber down, striking the red line with perfect accuracy.

The blade instantly sliced deep into its neck.

Unfortunately, the strike didn’t trigger the critical hit effect of [Break Extreme].