"This token was a gift from my master when I became his disciple. It's a token that allows me to travel to any county town, to the mercenary alliance's headquarters, and to mobilize the wandering knights below the third rank. Although you may not need this, Flying Peng, it's still a token of my appreciation."
Upon hearing this, Lin Yang's eyes widened in surprise. In a historical world where individual martial prowess was not prominent, this token would be worth very little. However, in the Han Dynasty at this time, the status of wandering knights was quite high.
Especially after the second cycle began ten thousand years ago, the wandering knights witnessed the mercenary groups of the West, and thereafter the Han Dynasty established its own mercenary alliance. These wandering knights became the main force of the mercenaries.
At this time, Wang Yue was the leader of the Great Han Mercenary Alliance. With this token, things were indeed much more convenient. Therefore, Lin Yang did not refuse and immediately said with a smile, "Since Brother Shi is so sincere, then I will accept it without being impolite."
"Well, since Brother Shi is so sincere, I have no choice but to follow suit." After saying that, she took out a manuscript.
"This is my father's handwritten letter. After all, Feipeng, you are a scholar, and I believe that carrying it with you will definitely be of great benefit."
"Very well, then thank you both very much. Both this token and this letter," Lin Yang said with a smile.
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Chapter Twelve: Return
In the blink of an eye, a month has passed.
"Phew, this month really went by quickly." Without realizing it, Lin Yang exhaled a breath of stale air.
Glancing at the prison behind him, Lin Yang couldn't help but smile. The gains of the past month had been immense. He had absorbed the fates and destiny of hundreds of death row inmates. The improvement in his strength was far more than just a little.
Actually, this was considered good. If it were that ruthless Black Lotus Prince, he might have simply tried to massacre the entire city of Yangzhou. The thought of this destined enemy made Lin Yang anything but happy. There was also a vague sense of urgency in his heart.
At this moment, Shi A and Cai Yan had made a huge gain. Their storage equipment was already full, and they were even carrying several large packages on their backs.
Lin Yang was filled with envy, after all, he was just a penniless pauper. He had neither a storage ring nor a master or father with the strength of the fifth rank. Even if he had these books, they might not be of much use.
Looking at Lin Yang, who was now fully armed, Shi A smiled and said, "Oh, it seems that Brother Feipeng has made quite a harvest this past month."
At this moment, Lin Yang was draped in a layer of golden silk and held a precious sword in his hand. He looked like a muscular man, incredibly strong. He was completely different from the thin and weak appearance he had shown when they first met.
"A small achievement, a small achievement, but it's just the beginning of body refinement," Lin Yang said with a smile.
The so-called path of body refinement actually consists of six major processes: skin refinement, tendon refinement, bone refinement, marrow cleansing, blood exchange, and internal organ regeneration, corresponding to the first to sixth stages respectively. It is the preferred method for those military generals.
This path is extremely resource-intensive, but its power is immense; in a battle between equals, it's many times stronger than martial arts. Lin Yang certainly doesn't have that many resources, but he has luck—several hundred people in total.
"Although I don't know why you suddenly started cultivating the body-refining path, Feipeng, I still have to remind you that while it's good to cultivate multiple paths, if you invest too much energy in other areas, it will more or less affect your original path," Shi A reminded him.
Upon hearing this, Cai Yan couldn't help but nod. Seeing this, Lin Yang couldn't help but smile wryly. Could I say that in the future, cultivating two or even three systems simultaneously will be the mainstream?
Which of these rulers—Liu Bei, Cao Cao, Yuan Shao, and Sun Ce—didn't cultivate both martial arts and physical training?
Zhou Yu, Zhuge Liang, and Sima Yi were among the most outstanding scholars, some even practicing the three paths of literature, immortality, and martial arts.
In the past, without the extraordinary opportunity of the Land of Reincarnation, it was indeed best to focus on only one path of cultivation, as there simply wasn't enough energy. However, with the opening of the third reincarnation, everything has changed drastically. Holding onto outdated ideas will inevitably lead to serious consequences.
“Brother Shi is right, but times have changed. With the third cycle beginning, there are countless opportunities. Cultivating only one system can at best ensure survival. After all, no one knows what kind of world we will encounter in the future. Therefore, if you want to advance further, cultivating multiple systems simultaneously is just a foundation,” Lin Yang advised.
This is actually a very simple principle: in some worlds, martial arts flourish, but immortality is not prominent. Take the Tang Dynasty, for example. It's also a third-tier world, but martial arts are the mainstream. If an immortal cultivator were to arrive, they would definitely be suppressed.
Furthermore, there are modern worlds like those in Resident Evil where there's no spiritual energy at all. How would cultivators survive there? Would they be shot to death by ordinary people with guns?
Therefore, in order to prevent these situations from occurring, it will be normal for practitioners to practice two or even three systems simultaneously in the future.
Soon, with Lin Yang's prompting, the two realized these scenarios and were shocked; the situation was truly terrifying.
"Thank you for the reminder, Feipeng. I can only say that if you come to the capital in the future, I will certainly treat you well."
"I never expected Brother Feipeng to see so far ahead; he is truly extraordinary," Cai Yan said in surprise.
Upon hearing this, Lin Yang couldn't help but smile wryly. This wasn't something he had foreseen; it was something recorded in the original owner's memories.
...
A flash of light, and the three of them left the city, returning to the realm of reincarnation. Before they could even react, a large sphere of light suddenly appeared above them. Immediately afterward, a series of information flooded Lin Yang's mind.
Main quest: Survival (Newcomer Trial) completed, you will obtain the status of a formal Chosen One.
(As a formal chosen one, I gained the opportunity to continue traversing the myriad realms and the power to exchange items in the Land of Reincarnation.)
Side Quest: Obtain the Longevity Manual, Completed. Reward: One Cosmic-level Permission, 1000 Yellow Fortune Points.
Side Quest: Survive, Completed, Reward: 600 White Luck.
Note: One thousand white luck points can be exchanged for one point of red luck (second tier).
One thousand red luck points can be exchanged for one point of yellow luck (tier 3), and so on.
Note: The permissions are divided into Heaven and Earth, Xuanhuang and the Primordial Universe, which correspond to the eighth to the first level respectively.
Side quest: Stir up trouble, completed.
He successfully persuaded Shi Long to rebel, helped him break through to the Grandmaster level, and at the same time sowed discord between Yang Guang and the Yuwen Clan, making the Yuwen Clan suspicious and Yang Guang prepared in advance and did not go south. The course of the world was greatly changed.
The reward includes one Hong-level privilege and one thousand red luck points.
What is the purpose of these permissions?
"All cultivation techniques require the corresponding level of permission to exchange. The exchange of some special items, or items with limited production, also requires permission."
Upon hearing this, Lin Yang understood. Simply put, valuable or high-value items generally require authorization. Mass-produced items, on the other hand, are relatively cheap.
"So, besides that, what other uses does this authority have? Like free treatment, or returning to worlds you've experienced, or time acceleration, or..." Lin Yang continued. After all, the functions exhibited by the large sphere of light at this moment were rather limited, completely different from those in the original owner's memories.
"Please explore its specific effects privately."