Chapter 56: Strength of Three Bulls
The academic exchange conference was held for three consecutive days.
During this period, some scholars who originally had little fame displayed outstanding talent in the County City and were recommended to successfully take office, obtaining a position of some kind in Donglai Prefecture.
Even more directly joined the Governor’s Mansion to work!
This greatly stimulated the enthusiasm of the younger generation, and the wave of studying persisted from summer into winter, as the climate continued to cool.
Today, at Houli Street, Song’s Courtyard.
The leaves on the two old trees had mostly fallen by this time, leaving only the bare branches.
The dog house under the trees had been expanded several times and was much larger now.
The hay inside had also been replaced with more comfortable and warm thick cushions, and the one yellow and one white dogs had long since changed their appearance.
From the wobbly little puppies they were, they had grown into large dogs nearly a meter tall.
It’s hard to believe how quickly these two dogs grew; anyone who saw these towering and formidable dogs would find it hard to imagine they were less than a year old.
Fortunately, though White and Dahuang looked fierce, they showed no signs of aggression.
Otherwise, even with emotional attachment, Song Changming wouldn’t have left these two dogs with his parents, just in case.
Inside the room, having just finished body refinement, Song Changming was soaking in a large wooden barrel.
Murky medicinal liquid floated in the barrel, steaming with a strong herbal scent.
Song Changming closed his eyes, trying his best to relax completely.
He could feel every pore of his skin expanding, greedily absorbing the nutrients from the herbal decoction.
The exhaustion accumulated from several hours of intense training seemed to dissipate in the herbal soak.
It made sense, considering that a barrel of this herbal decoction cost a whole ten silver, far more valuable than any he had used in the past.
The reason for the extravagance this time was that Song Changming wanted to quickly break through his current body refining cultivation.
The closer one got to a breakthrough, the harder it became to resist the anticipation.
Thus, he spared no expense in selecting high-quality materials for the decoction this time.
After soaking for about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, Song Changming suddenly felt warmth surging through his body.
Inside and outside the room, energy-formed air currents began to move chaotically, pouring into Song Changming’s body.
Joining in was the medicinal power of the decoction.
Song Changming was not unfamiliar with this scene; he felt delighted rather than surprised.
This was a sign of a breakthrough.
Upon checking the panel, sure enough, his Great Strength Bull Demon Skill had reached another round of experience accumulation, hitting a critical point.
Heat spread continuously, and the energy thrashed around inside him, causing some pain and soreness.
But fortunately, despite the pain, the breakthrough wouldn’t actually harm his body.
In fact, the structure of his organs was enhanced with every wave of heat!
Finally, when the heat receded like a tide and the decoction in the barrel cooled, Song Changming completed this qualitative breakthrough.
[Great Strength Bull Demon Skill: Strength of Three Bulls (0/400)]
The panel updated to show that he now possessed the strength of three bulls!
After drying off and changing into light clothing.
Even at the onset of winter, he felt as if he had a furnace inside him, completely unaffected by the cold.
In the courtyard, White and Dahuang perked up their ears at the noise, then raised their heads to watch Song Changming exiting the room.
Song Changming casually picked up the chopping knife from the ground and, with a gentle swing, split the logs into pieces.
Still feeling unsatisfied with measuring his increased strength, he suddenly exerted his force and swung the chopping knife at an iron stake by the wall.
A piercing metal clang followed by sparks appeared, leaving a visible knife mark on the iron stake, while the chopping knife in his hand broke apart under the impact.
His qi power had indeed increased significantly, to the point where the chopping knife couldn’t withstand the force.
"Oh dear, my chopping knife for eight years," Father Song remarked, eyes widening.
"Uh, I’ll buy you another one," Song Changming scratched his head, expressing some embarrassment.
Father seems quite nostalgic...
Despite breaking Father Song’s chopping knife, Song Changming gained substantial insight into his power growth.
After some thorough tests, his strength of three bulls meant a burst of force estimated at over four thousand pounds.
With exceptional exertion, he could even approach five thousand pounds of force!
This improvement was quite significant.
"With this bull strength, combined with the Perfection Realm Soul-breaking Saber, I’d like to see who can stand against me!" Song Changming thought assertively after practicing saber.
Previously, he was already considered the most valiant in the Houli Street Patrol Armor Bureau.
But now, with his current body refining cultivation and martial arts mastery, he was confident that even if the other five Patrol Captains along with the new Director Liang Chuan Mountain were to challenge him, he could emerge victorious!
Though body refining skills were difficult to practice, each breakthrough in the bottleneck brought a significant qualitative change in strength.
More importantly, now his body refining cultivation matched his Perfection Realm sword skill, allowing him to exert maximum power without the constraints of insufficient physical strength as before.
Nearby, White and Dahuang, the two dogs sat upright on the floor, watching Song Changming’s entire saber practice intently, obediently silent, and would not suddenly interrupt him.
Only after Song Changming finished did they, with tongues out, orbit around Song Changming’s feet like two satellites.
Their tails wagged like propellers.
The two dogs maintained a loving fondness for Song Changming, who had taken them in.
As long as Song Changming appeared in their view, they would happily circle him all day.
"In a good mood today, I’ll treat you to something special," Song Changming chuckled as he rubbed the dogs’ heads.
Speaking of these two big dogs, their rapid growth was partly due to their appetite; the bigger they get, the more they eat, and they needed meat with every meal, much like his martial practice, or else their nutrition would lag, making them listless all day.
Song Changming had no clue what breed or lineage these dogs belonged to, only knowing that ordinary family conditions couldn’t afford to care for such large dogs.
"Woof!"
The two dogs seemed to understand Song Changming’s words, happily rising and almost hanging on him.
"When I’m not around, you must keep watch and guard the house, and you won’t be lacking in food and drink," Song Changming instructed the dogs.
Although these two dogs appeared simple-minded, they were actually quite intelligent, akin to human children.
They could understand emotions and also grasp some simple intentions of Song Changming.
Guarding the house and protecting Father Song and Song’s Mother from harm were the primary training tasks Song Changming set for these two dogs.
So far, their training seemed promising, with goals likely achievable.
...