Chapter 43: Advanced

The next morning, sunlight streamed into the camp early, but it could not disperse the gloom hanging over everyone's hearts.

On the camp square, the soldiers lined up neatly, yet the atmosphere was somewhat oppressive.

The Lord's Personal Guard Captain Barin stood on the platform, holding a box containing Secret Medicine, and announced in a booming voice: "This is the Lord's special compensation for you; strive to break through quickly and become Formal Knights—if you get knocked down there, get back up from there!"

As soon as his words ended, a slight stir rose among the ranks.

Eric stood in the line, his hands tightly gripping the two Apprentice Breathing Method Secret Medicines he received, his expression indecipherably complex.

Tomson carefully took the one that belonged to him, his eyes showing both a yearning to become stronger and a hint of bewilderment.

Robin stared at the two Secret Medicines in his hand, sinking into deep contemplation.

The Secret Medicine glimmered faintly in the sunlight, yet he felt no joy at all.

In his view, this so‑called compensation was more of a perfunctory gesture, a measure the Lord took to quell the crowd's anger and restore morale.

Unbidden, Lily's frail figure on the sickbed floated in his mind, his anger and sorrow deepening, his gaze turning even colder.

Malizi and several other camp Knights stood aside, brows knit, equally unable to see through this sudden turn of events.

Although the Lord's move seemed to successfully regain much of the troops' morale and rekindle the young Apprentices' fighting spirit, the blow to the Lord's prestige in the soldiers' hearts was obvious.

The soldiers' sense of fairness had already tipped; the absolute trust they once had in the Lord now showed cracks.

Moreover, the cost was exorbitant—issuing over a hundred Apprentice Breathing Method Secret Medicines at once is almost half a year's production of the Lord's Manor.

After returning to the camp, Robin stepped into the barracks, barely had time to sit down before a sarcastic voice rang out: "Good morning, little brother!" Looking up, he saw Leimeng lounging against the doorway, a contemptuous, mocking grin on his face.

They had clearly fought to the death last night, yet today they were unusually in sync, not bringing up the incident.

Robin saw Leimeng, a flash of cold light in his eyes, and bluntly said, "Want another hit?"

Leimeng paid no heed to Robin's threat, merely shrugged and, feigning ease, said, "I'm just stopping by, and to remind you: never reveal that you've broken through to Knight Level." With that, he turned and sauntered away without waiting for a reply.

Robin watched Leimeng's departing back, his gaze steely, a flood of questions rising within him.

Why did Leimeng go out of his way to remind him of this?

What conspiracy lies behind it?

He pondered for a while, then decided to first go see Eric.

When Robin entered Eric's barracks, he found Eric immersed in cultivation, his expression focused. Beside him lay an empty Secret Medicine Bottle.

Robin let out a slight sigh, feeling both grateful for Eric's diligent cultivation and uneasy about the current complicated situation.

He then turned and returned to his own room.

A few days later, Eric found Robin and said, "Robin, I've become a Formal Knight!"

Robin merely gave a faint nod, showing no overt joy.

Because Leimeng's words hung over his mind like a lingering gloom, preventing him from feeling at ease.

Eric felt the same; his excitement faded in an instant.

He suddenly recalled the condition he had promised Lily: once he broke through to Knight Level, he would propose to her.

But now Lily was gone, and that joy was instantly replaced by endless sorrow.

The two sat silently in the room, the air thick with heaviness.

The once‑loud laughter seemed to echo still, yet now only deep longing for Lily and uncertainty about the future remained.

After a long while, Eric finally spoke slowly, breaking the oppressive silence: "I'll go report to Malizi Knight Captain first." With that, he lifted his head, his eyes showing a complex mix of resolve and bewilderment.

Robin nodded in understanding, then added, "When you obtain the Knight-level Breathing Method, tell me about it."

Eric gave a knowing nod, rose to straighten his clothes, and left the room with a tangled heart.

At dusk, Eric hurried back; upon entering, he said nothing and sat directly before Robin, beginning to cultivate the newly acquired Knight-level Breathing Method.

His expression was focused and reverent, as if performing a solemn ceremony.

Robin, seeing this, did not hesitate; he swiftly placed his hand lightly on Eric's shoulder, carefully channeling a Qi Mechanism into Eric's body, letting it flow together with his Breathing Method.

Soon, Robin understood why Malizi Knight Captain had said it wasn't suitable for his current cultivation.

It turned out that the operational pathways of the Knight-level Breathing Method differed entirely from those of the Apprentice Level; those key pathways only gradually emerged after breaking through to Knight Level.

Moreover, the first run of these pathways was extremely difficult, usually requiring assistance from a Great Knight-level strongman to complete successfully.

Fortunately, with Robin's help, Eric smoothly completed a full cycle. He slowly opened his eyes, a blend of fatigue and joy flashing within.

Robin gave him a slight nod; the two shared an unspoken understanding and, in perfect sync, did not discuss the matter further.

At that moment, no words were needed; they both knew what the other was thinking.

Then, Robin followed Eric's method and began attempting to cultivate the Knight-level Breathing Method. Unexpectedly, the cultivation process proved remarkably simple.

Although those meridians had never carried Qi Mechanism before, for some reason they now flowed unusually smoothly, as if they had been perfectly opened long ago.

Robin devoted himself wholly to cultivation; after just a week of operation, he found his efficiency more than five times faster than Eric's.

After finishing, he couldn't wait to check his Data Panel.

【Name】: Robin

【Profession】: Knight Apprentice

【Level】: Knight (Entry)

【Skills】:

First-level Swordsmanship: sword attacks increase power by ten percent, Experience: 1997/2000

First Rank Hand-to-Hand: close‑combat attacks increase power by ten percent, Experience: 1994/2000

Second-tier Archery: arrow attacks increase power by twenty percent, Experience: 141/20000

Archery Skill: Earth Explosion Arrow (condenses Earth Primordial Force Archery, explodes on impact, consumes greatly)

Soil Dragon Breathing Method (Advanced Knight Level): accelerates life recovery, Apprentice Level Experience: 1025/10000

【Equipment】: Fine Longsword, Leather Armor

Global Experience: 177

Robin stared wide-eyed; the first run increased his experience by five points. At this rate, following his previous cultivation efficiency, he could easily grind fifty points a day.

(End of chapter)