Demon-Wraith Plagued World: From Commoner to Supreme

Name: Lin Feng

Cultivation Manual: Battle Array Breaker

Cultivation: External Refinement Realm – Body Forging (3/100)+

Divine Ability 1: Devour

Techniques:

Tiger Roar Fist (0/20)+

Upgrade Points: 1

Lin Feng adjusted the panel in front of him, then added another point to his cultivation. In the next moment, he felt a warm current flowing through his body, and his strength seemed to increase a bit. Although it wasn’t as dramatic as when he first entered the early Body Forging stage, every little bit helped, and small increments would eventually add up.

“Maybe if I can increase it again tomorrow, I should put a point into Tiger Roar Fist. That would significantly boost my combat power,” Lin Feng thought to himself.

Tiger Roar Fist was a basic set of techniques that came with the military’s Battle Array Breaker manual. Techniques generally progressed through the stages of Initiated, Minor Mastery, Major Mastery, and Perfected. Although Lin Feng had acquired this fist technique some time ago, he couldn’t afford to waste his limited resources on martial arts training. Practicing martial arts consumed energy quickly, leading to hunger. As a result, he only learned the superficial forms for physical fitness, not for actual combat, and hadn’t even reached the Initiated stage.

“Right now, I have less than Two Taels of silver, which might allow me to increase a few more points, but it’s not enough to reach 25 points and break through to the mid Body Forging stage! Silver! Money! How do I get it?” Lin Feng pondered, pacing back and forth.

“Without strength, going solo is definitely not an option. It’s best to rely on a powerful backer. In Kaiyang County Town, there are three main forces. The first is the County Yamen led by the County Lord and its subordinate units, which is clearly out of reach. Cross that off the list!

The other two forces include local Families and Gangs, which could serve as backup options.”

“If my cultivation reaches the mid Body Forging stage, I might be able to work as a guard for wealthy families to get by temporarily and gradually build up my strength. Alternatively, I could join a Gang like Yu and at least secure a basic livelihood. But having a formal position is always better!”

“The last option is the Demon Exorcism Division’s reserve camp, which offers great benefits and security. Outstanding performance could even lead to joining the Demon Exorcism Division, promising a bright future! Although it involves facing powerful Demon-Wraiths, the benefits are incredibly tempting. However, even the reserve camp has strict requirements, needing to reach perfected Body Forging before the age of twenty. With the panel, that shouldn’t be a problem, but the key issue is the lack of money!”

After some thought, Lin Feng decided to head into town the next day to find some quick-paying odd jobs with his current cultivation level, to resolve the issue of repaying the neighbors in three days.

The night passed without incident.

The next morning, Lin Feng got up early. Mother Lin had already prepared breakfast-Rice Husk mixed with some Corn Porridge. It was hard and difficult to swallow, but to survive, the family of three had been eating this for several months.

After breakfast, Mother Lin went to work, taking Lin Man with her.

Lin Feng set out according to his plan, heading into the city to find opportunities to earn some money.

However, he hadn’t gone far when Old Wu from the slaughterhouse hurriedly approached him.

“Morning, Lin-Ge’er!”

“Morning, Uncle Wu! Why aren’t you at the slaughterhouse? What brings you to the shantytown?” Lin Feng asked, puzzled.

“Well, it’s like this. Butcher Zhu has quit these past few days! You know how it is,” Old Wu said with an awkward smile, worried that mentioning Butcher Zhu might upset the young man in front of him.

“Hehe, it’s fine. Uncle Wu, just tell me what’s on your mind,” Lin Feng replied with a smile, sensing that Old Wu needed his help.

“Here’s the thing. A big one came to the slaughterhouse today. With Butcher Zhu gone, no one else can handle it! We need your help. After all, you’ve helped him quite a bit over the years and are familiar with the work,” Wu the Third said, scratching his head with an embarrassed grin.

“I see. In that case, I’ll go with you,” Lin Feng agreed. Wu the Third was a good and honest man, the brother-in-law of the slaughterhouse owner, and he often helped manage the place. Lin Feng had frequently assisted Butcher Zhu, and Wu the Third would often invite him to stay for meals and even give him some money. It was a favor worth returning.

Having a variety of skills never hurts. Although Butcher Zhu hadn’t formally taught Lin Feng, he had picked up a few tricks. He had even handled some of the bigger animals before.

As they chatted, they quickly made their way to the slaughterhouse. According to Wu the Third, a large wild boar had arrived, and it was quite aggressive. Slaughtering such a boar required precision and speed. If the first strike didn’t hit a vital spot, it could suddenly lash out, causing potential injuries or worse.

Soon, Lin Feng and Wu the Third arrived at the slaughterhouse. Wu the Third gathered a few workers and led Lin Feng to the iron cage where the wild boar was kept. The boar’s front leg had been caught in a trap, and it was clearly exhausted from struggling. It lay in the cage, but as soon as it sensed humans approaching, it became alert, its bristles standing on end, and its bloodshot eyes glaring at them while snorting heavily.

The beast weighed four or five hundred jin, and even a slight movement made the heavy iron cage shake.

“Be careful. Earlier, when we tried to handle it, it went berserk and injured Dali. It almost broke free!” Wu the Third warned Lin Feng with lingering fear.

Then, a burly worker took advantage of the boar’s distraction and slipped a noose around its neck. But the boar shook its head with such force that the noose flew out of the worker’s hands, and the rapid movement of the pole stripped a layer of skin from the worker’s hand.

“Ah!” the worker cried out in pain.

Seeing this, everyone was at a loss.

“What do we do now? This creature seems almost supernatural! Who can subdue it?” Wu the Third said, sending the injured worker to get treatment, looking worried.

Everyone exchanged glances, hesitant to make a move.

“How about I give it a try?” Lin Feng suggested.

“You?” The others knew Lin Feng as a young lad, just sixteen, and doubted his ability to handle the boar.

“Maybe not. If you get hurt, there’ll be no one left to finish the job,” Wu the Third said.

“Don’t be fooled by my size; I’m stronger than I look! Besides, there’s no other choice right now. Let me try,” Lin Feng insisted, eager to finish the task and head into the city for other matters.

Seeing the others’ reluctance, Wu the Third reluctantly allowed Lin Feng to try.

With someone distracting the boar from the other side, Lin Feng seized the opportunity, grabbed the noose, and deftly looped it around the boar’s neck. With a firm pull, the noose tightened securely.

The boar was taken by surprise and thrashed its head, trying to break free. But it was no use. Despite the immense force dragging Lin Feng a short distance, leaving two tracks on the ground, the noose remained firmly in his grip.

“Quick!” he urged the others, who were still in shock, to join in.

With the boar’s wild strength, even Lin Feng couldn’t hold it for long. Five people quickly sprang into action. Four grabbed its legs, and one held onto its tail. The boar, unable to find leverage, was finally subdued.

Lin Feng handed the noose to someone else, picked up the nearby Pig-killing Knife, opened the cage, and swiftly and accurately stabbed the boar in the neck, twisting the blade to sever its artery.

Blood spurted out instantly.

Lin Feng was taken aback.

“Divine Ability 2: Calamity Transcendence”