At the same time, a wave of external heat, mixed with the medicinal power of the snake gallbladder fruit, seeped through his skin into his body, repairing his external wounds.

"This combination of medicinal herbs is an excellent formula for body tempering cultivation. If one is wealthy enough to use such a prescription every day to temper the body, the progress in body refinement would surely be extremely rapid."

Charles Bennett felt the tremendous impact brought by the abundant medicinal power and recalled Mr. Bolton's explanation of the effects of this formula at the herbal shop. Moreover, what Mr. Bolton had mentioned at the time was only a third-grade herbal formula, not the sixth-grade herbs he was using now.

"I used to always use low-grade first- and second-grade herbs together, and the effects were very weak. Healing internal injuries was unsatisfactory, and progress in body tempering was also very slow. Now, using sixth-grade herbs directly, the medicinal power is dozens of times stronger—this effect is immediate!"

Charles Bennett thought to himself.

"A set of sixth-grade herbs costs at least several hundred taels of silver. That's enough to cover a commoner's household expenses in Wu Kingdom for ten years—it's ridiculously expensive! ...But the effects are also astonishingly good. If I regularly use this formula to temper my body, it seems I won't need long to reach the peak of the fourth level of the Body Refinement stage. There's a good chance I can break through to the sixth level."

Charles Bennett sat cross-legged in the medicinal basin, absorbing the power of the bitter ginseng, feeling a continuous surge of vigorous energy and blood arising within him, gradually filling his bones.

He was now fifteen years old. According to the academy's strict requirements, he must reach the sixth level of the Body Refinement stage before the age of twenty. Otherwise, he would be kicked out of the academy immediately.

...

Charles Bennett meditated for nearly an hour, absorbing all the medicinal power of the bitter ginseng and snake gallbladder fruit before getting out of the medicinal basin. He wiped off the wet medicinal liquid, feeling refreshed and light all over, as if he had become a new person. He changed into a clean coarse cloth shirt and lay down on the bed to sleep.

At night, a sliver of moonlight shone in through the window. Charles Bennett lay on the simple wooden bed, unable to fall asleep.

"There are still two sets of herbs left, enough for almost half a month. All these benefits come from the ancient painting scroll. I absolutely can't lose this scroll—I must hide it securely! If someone steals this ancient painting scroll, I'd have nowhere to cry."

Charles Bennett let his thoughts wander.

There were also petty thieves in the Northern Slope Academy; otherwise, the academy wouldn't have arranged for special disciples to patrol inside and outside the courtyard at night to prevent theft.

But his room was empty, with only a table and a bed—everything was in plain sight. He didn't know where to hide it.

Charles Bennett turned over and got up, racking his brains for a while. He searched around the room and found a hemp rope used for odd chores, tied the ancient painting scroll to his body, and lay back down.

"Keep it on me during the day, and tie it to myself even when I sleep at night. Let's see who can steal it!"

Charles Bennett showed a youthful smile and fell asleep contentedly. He still had to go practice the "Tiger Leaping Saber Technique" early the next morning. Improving his cultivation in the Body Refinement stage and tempering his body was certainly important, but without a top-notch martial skill, he'd just be a brute with great strength and not truly powerful in combat.

Chapter 6: Tiger Leaping Saber Technique

At dawn, as the sky was just beginning to lighten, revealing a sliver of morning light, Charles Bennett, still excited from yesterday, had barely slept. As soon as it was light, he got up, spent a few copper coins at the academy cafeteria to buy and eat five large meat buns, and then went to the spacious martial training grounds to practice martial skills.

It was still early, but already dozens of upper academy students were in the training grounds practicing martial arts.

The young students of the Northern Slope Academy's upper division generally had strength between the fourth and sixth levels of the Body Refinement stage, which was considered quite strong. As a warrior's physique improved, the amount of daily training they could endure increased—from two hours to three or four hours.

"Senior Brother Grant, morning!"

Charles Bennett saw senior brother Henry Grant from afar, quickly walked over, and cupped his hands in greeting.

Henry Grant completely ignored him, his whole body slightly bent and tense, still fully focused on practicing his saber technique—one hand on the scabbard, one hand on the hilt, repeatedly drilling each move of the saber art.

Henry Grant's saber skills were exquisite. The blade flashed as it left the scabbard, suddenly leaping forward in a slash, striking in quick succession. In a single breath, he executed four saber moves in a seamless flow. The blade cut through the air with a piercing, vibrating sound, dazzling to behold.

Charles Bennett stood to the side for a while, feeling waves of cold air pressing in.

Over the past ten days, although it was said that Henry Grant "instructed" Charles Bennett, in reality, it was just Henry Grant practicing his saber technique while Charles Bennett watched and learned from the side.

Henry Grant was extremely proud and aloof, focused solely on perfecting his saber technique, completely ignoring what others were doing. Expecting him to spend time guiding a new junior brother was simply impossible.

Some of the senior brothers and sisters from the upper division gradually arrived at the training grounds, many of them looking at Charles Bennett with schadenfreude.

"Senior brother Henry Grant is always cold and indifferent, never giving anyone the time of day. Learning saber technique from him is just asking for trouble!" "I bet in a month or two, this new junior brother Charles Bennett will be crying to the chief instructor, begging to learn some other martial skill." "'Tiger Leaping Saber Technique' is just too tedious—only Henry Grant can keep practicing it! Who else could stick with it?"

Charles Bennett said nothing, silently memorizing Henry Grant's moves. Then he took a regular steel saber weighing ten jin from the weapon rack and walked to an open area several zhang wide.