Chapter 88: Breakthrough to Bronze Grade

Next day, early morning.

Goose-feather-like heavy snow drifted down from the gloomy sky.

The entire Vanguard Valley was shrouded in silver.

In the training ground of the Lord's Mansion.

Roko was teaching Fula the follow-up cultivation method of the 【Flame Griffin Breathing Method】 in the wind and snow.

"Fula, after cultivating the 【Flame Griffin Breathing Method】 to the Great Knight realm, if you want to break through again, you need to condense a Battle Qi seed."

"And the key to condensing a Battle Qi seed lies in the extreme compression and control of Battle Qi."

Roko said while demonstrating the operation method of Battle Qi.

Fula stood aside, focused, listening carefully.

Her talent was already extremely high, and she had a comprehension ability far beyond ordinary people in the way of cultivation.

After Roko finished explaining, he said again.

"Besides the follow-up method of the Breathing Method, I will pass on to you a top-tier sword skill that complements our Raymond Family's Breathing Method, 【Great Sun Blazing Slash】."

A flash of expectant light flickered in Fula's eyes.

Anything the Young Master called a "top-tier sword skill" must be extraordinary.

"【Great Sun Blazing Slash】 is divided into three major realms."

"The first realm, Flame Slash."

"The second realm, Blazing Sun Slash."

"The third realm, Great Sun Slash."

"Between each major realm, the power is worlds apart."

"The temperature of the flames, the range of the slash, and the damage caused to the enemy will all increase geometrically."

"And each major realm is divided into four minor realms: entry, small accomplishment, great accomplishment, and perfection."

"Wanting to cultivate this sword skill to a profound realm requires not only arduous practice but also a profound understanding of fire elements."

Roko's tone carried a hint of solemnity.

This sword skill was a secret of the Raymond Family, with infinite power.

Next, Roko began to demonstrate the starting move of 【Great Sun Blazing Slash】 and the cultivation method of the "Flame Slash" realm to Fula.

He held an ordinary Knight longsword, and with the operation of Battle Qi, a layer of faint red light gradually appeared on the sword body.

"Flame Slash focuses on condensing the Battle Qi in the body onto the blade."

"When slashed out, it is like a prairie fire, burning everything."

Roko said, slashing out with a sword suddenly.

Of course, because Roko wasn't particularly familiar with the Great Sun Blazing Slash either.

So he could only pose.

He couldn't release the Flame Slash of the Great Sun Blazing Slash.

However, even so, Fula still watched without blinking.

She firmly remembered every movement and every explanation of Roko in her heart.

After passing on the sword skill to Fula, Roko began his own cultivation.

He took out a golden grape covered with dragon-scale-like patterns from his space ring.

It was the Golden Vein Dragon Blood Grape gifted to him by Great-Grandfather Bruce.

This level of magic fruit contained an extremely massive amount of energy.

Even with Roko's current strength at the initial stage of the Great Knight, he didn't dare to consume too much at once.

He carefully picked three and put them in his mouth.

The grapes melted in his mouth, turning into streams of majestic and pure energy torrents, surging into his limbs and bones.

Roko immediately sat cross-legged, operated the 【Flame Griffin Breathing Method】, guided this energy to impact the meridians in his body, and he could clearly feel the rapid improvement of his own strength.

This rocket-like upgrade speed made him intoxicated.

Time passed bit by bit.

Roko was completely immersed in the pleasure of cultivation.

The Battle Qi in his body was like a galloping river, surging and turbulent.

The bottleneck of the mid-stage Great Knight was quietly loosened.

Great Knight late stage!

Great Knight peak!

The energy of just three Golden Vein Dragon Blood Grapes allowed his realm to break through one after another, directly rising to the peak of the Great Knight!

He was only one step away from condensing the Battle Qi seed and advancing to a Bronze Knight!

Roko opened his eyes slowly, feeling the surging power in his body, and his mood became much happier.

As expected of a top-tier magic fruit, the effect was indeed astonishing!

Next, Roko began to practice 【Great Sun Blazing Slash】.

With the help of the attribute panel and the newly improved realm and comprehension of fire elements.

Roko's understanding of "Flame Slash" also advanced by leaps and bounds.

He swung the longsword in his hand over and over again.

From initial unfamiliarity to later gradual proficiency.

The red light on the sword body also became brighter and brighter.

Finally, after practicing I don't know how many times.

When Roko slashed out with a sword again.

Whoosh!

A red sword aura, half a meter long, surged out from the tip of the sword.

What was even more peculiar was that the sword aura was actually burning with raging flames!

Flame Slash, entry!

"Success!"

An excited smile appeared on Roko's face.

Although his talent could only be considered average.

But with the help of the "attribute panel" cheat that came with the transmigrator, his cultivation speed was not inferior to those so-called geniuses!

Even, it was even better!

Just when Roko was immersed in the joy of strength improvement.

Scout captain Bake walked in from outside with hurried steps.

His face carried a hint of solemnity.

"Young Master, important intelligence!"

Roko put away his longsword and looked at Bake.

"Speak."

Bake took a deep breath and said solemnly.

"According to our scouts' investigation, this Black Fire Bandit Group seems to have joined the 'Poison Scorpion Society,' which has quite a lot of influence in several other provinces of the kingdom!"

"Poison Scorpion Society?"

Roko frowned.

He seemed to have heard this name somewhere.

Martina also walked over at this time, holding a cup of steaming fruit tea in her hand.

"Poison Scorpion Society? I know!"

Martina handed the fruit tea to Roko and said.

"This is an underground organization that is very rampant in several southern provinces of the Black Kingdom."

"They act secretly, use vicious means, and advocate overthrowing all existing orders and establishing a brand-new kingdom controlled by them."

"It is said that the leader of the Poison Scorpion Society has unfathomable strength and is extremely inflammatory."

"In the southern provinces, many dissatisfied commoners and some down-and-out nobles have secretly joined them."

"I didn't expect their tentacles to have reached our Xin Feng Province."

Roko's eyes became a bit cold.

Overthrow existing order and establish a brand-new kingdom?

The ambition of this Poison Scorpion Society was not small.

However, this was Xin Feng Province, not their territory.

Although Xin Feng Province was newly pioneered, it had powerful figures like Duke Auston sitting in town.

Moreover, there were forces of major nobles entrenched here.

It wouldn't be so easy for the Poison Scorpion Society to stir up any waves here.

"It seems this Black Fire Bandit Group is even more troublesome than we imagined."

Roko pondered.

Hart said from the side.

"Young Master, since their background has been identified, can we take action?"

"Although this Poison Scorpion Society sounds scary, in Xin Feng Province, their foundation is not stable, and they may not have much influence."

Roko shook his head.

"No rush."

"The Black Fire Bandit Group dares to be so arrogant, they must have something to rely on."

"Before figuring out their true strength, we shouldn't act rashly."

"Moreover, my strength is currently only at the peak of the Great Knight."

"If I can go one step further and reach the Bronze Knight, I will have a better chance."

Roko's gaze became firm.

He decided to first raise his own realm to the Bronze level.

Then consider the matter of cleaning up the Black Fire Bandit Group.

After all, one's own strength is the foundation of everything.

"Bake, continue to monitor the movements of the Black Fire Bandit Group."

"If there is any movement, report to me immediately."

"Yes!"

Bake took the order and retreated.

For the next period, Roko devoted his main energy to cultivation.

He and Fula comprehended the 【Flame Griffin Breathing Method】 and 【Great Sun Blazing Slash】 together.

Fula's talent was indeed astonishing.

Under Roko's guidance, her understanding of the Breathing Method and sword skill advanced by leaps and bounds.

Roko also shared the remaining Golden Vein Dragon Blood Grapes with Fula.

With the help of this top-tier magic fruit, Fula's cultivation speed was even more astonishing.

Roko didn't skimp on Hart, who was loyal.

He also shared three Golden Vein Dragon Blood Grapes with Hart as a reward for his loyal service during this period.

Hart received this unexpected reward and was naturally moved to tears, and his loyalty to Roko was completely maxed out.

As for the newly accepted Guardian Knight Falco, Roko handed him over completely to Hart.

Letting Hart be responsible for guiding his daily cultivation and various Knight combat techniques.

Although Falco was young, with S+ level talent and a hard-working spirit, his progress was also rapid.

Soon, a month passed quietly in tense and fulfilling cultivation and territory development.

Time came to mid-February.

The severe winter in Xin Feng Province gradually showed signs of decline.

Although the weather was still cold, the sun was much brighter than before.

In the training chamber of the Lord's Mansion in Vanguard Valley.

Roko sat cross-legged, eyes closed.

His body exuded waves of scorching heat.

Floating in front of him was a sphere the size of a pigeon egg, exuding a faint bronze-colored halo.

That was the Battle Qi seed!

After a month of arduous cultivation, and with the help of the Golden Vein Dragon Blood Grape and the attribute panel.

Roko finally succeeded in compressing and condensing the Battle Qi in his body into a Bronze-level Battle Qi seed!

Hum!

The Battle Qi seed emitted a slight hum, then turned into a stream of light and merged into Roko's dantian qi sea!

In an instant, a Battle Qi far more majestic and pure than in the peak Great Knight period erupted from his body!

Initial stage of Bronze Knight!

Success!

Roko opened his eyes abruptly, his eyes flashing with light.

He could clearly feel that his strength had entered a brand-new level!

Not only was the total amount of Battle Qi several times higher than before.

The quality of Battle Qi had also undergone earth-shaking changes.

More condensed, more explosive!

At the same time, his comprehension of 【Great Sun Blazing Slash】 also went a step further.

"Flame Slash!"

Roko pointed like a sword and slashed lightly at the empty space in front of him.

Whoosh!

A red sword aura nearly a meter long instantly shot out.

The sword aura was burning with raging flames!

The temperature of the flames was at least twice as high as in the entry realm!

The power was even more incomparable!

【Great Sun Blazing Slash】 first major realm "Flame Slash" had already reached the small accomplishment realm!

"Phew," Roko exhaled a long breath of turbid air, a satisfied smile appearing on his face.

A Bronze Knight could be considered the first step into the extraordinary realm.

However, just when Roko was happy about his breakthrough.

A slightly depressing piece of news also followed.

Fula had already successfully condensed a Battle Qi seed and advanced to the initial stage of the Bronze Knight half a month ago.

This made Roko speechless.

He had worked so hard, with cheats and top-tier magic fruits, only to barely catch up.

This girl Fula broke through so easily.

The talent gap between people is sometimes really bigger than the gap between people and dogs.

However, fortunately, perhaps because of the blessing of the attribute panel.

In the cultivation progress of 【Great Sun Blazing Slash】, the gap between Fula and Roko was not very large.

Both were in the small accomplishment realm of "Flame Slash."

This made Roko feel a bit balanced in his heart.

Three days later.

Good news came.

After consuming three Golden Vein Dragon Blood Grapes and going through a period of closed-door cultivation.

Hart also successfully broke through the bottleneck and advanced to the initial stage of the Bronze Knight!

Up to this point, Roko had three Bronze Knights under his command!

For a Baron, this was already a force that could not be underestimated.

Lord's Mansion, in the study.

Roko sat upright, his fingertips tapping the hard tabletop unconsciously.

The fire in the fireplace crackled, reflecting his calm side profile.

That batch of missing blacksmiths always made him quite unhappy.

The development of the territory, the forging of weapons, the improvement of farm tools, all could not do without these professional craftsmen.

"Bake."

He called out in a low voice.

A moment later, the sturdy and honest scout captain Bake pushed the door and entered.

"Young Master."

Bake knelt on one knee, his voice steady.

"Any new movements from the Black Fire Bandit Group recently?"

Roko's gaze gradually became colder.

Bake lowered his head slightly, his tone carrying a hint of helplessness.

"Back to the Lord, since the last time they kidnapped our blacksmiths, the Black Fire Bandit Group seems to have evaporated from the world, with no major actions."

"They seem to have burrowed into the deep mountains and old forests stretching to the north, where the terrain is extremely complex, and it is very difficult for our scouts to conduct large-scale searches."

"Even if they occasionally find some clues, they are quickly interrupted."

Roko's brows couldn't help but furrow a bit tighter.

This Black Fire Bandit Group was even more cunning than he imagined.

Deep mountains and old forests were indeed their natural hiding places.

Wanting to completely clean them up in that kind of place was by no means an easy task.

"In other words, we don't have any good way to deal with them now?"

Roko's tone betrayed no emotion.

Bake's body lowered a bit more.

"Subordinate is incompetent, please punish me, Young Master."

Roko waved his hand.

"Get up, this is not your fault."

"Since they choose to be tortoises, let them live a few more days."

With Vanguard Valley's current strength, taking the initiative to enter the deep mountains and old forests to fight the Black Fire Bandit Group was not a wise move.

Rather than wasting time and energy searching in the vast mountains and forests, it was better to focus on improving one's own strength and developing the territory.

"Continue to monitor, don't relax your vigilance."

"If there is any movement, report to me immediately."

"Yes! My Lord!"

Bake took the order and retreated respectfully.

In the study, silence returned.

Roko stood up, walked to the window, and cast his gaze toward the snow-capped mountains in the distance.

Black Fire Bandit Group...

These rats hiding in the dark, he would eventually pull them out.

But now, what he needed more was time and strength.

Another day later.

The morning sun pierced through the thin mist and sprinkled on Vanguard Valley.

On the training ground, the cold was biting.

Roko was wearing thin training clothes, holding an ordinary Knight longsword in his hand.

His breathing was long and steady, and every breath brought up a ball of white mist.

The Bronze Battle Qi in his body flowed slowly under his deliberate guidance. After advancing to a Bronze Knight, his control over power reached a brand-new level.

And the "Flame Slash" of 【Great Sun Blazing Slash】 had also reached small accomplishment.

Today, he planned to thoroughly test his current strength.

By the way, also store some meat for the territory to spend the winter.

Mist Forest bordered Xin Feng Province, with many magic beasts inside, making it a good trial ground.

"Fula, Hart."

Roko's voice sounded in the cold air.

Two figures appeared in front of him almost at the same time.

Fula was still that cold look, her heterochromatic eyes, interwoven with deep blue and broken gold, quietly watching Roko, carrying a hint of imperceptible reliance.

Her aura had also reached the initial stage of the Bronze Knight.

However, unlike Roko, Fula seemed to have signs of breaking through again.

Hart was as steady and capable as ever, his eyes sharp.

He had also successfully advanced to the initial stage of the Bronze Knight, and his entire aura was more restrained and powerful than before.

"You two, come with me to Mist Forest."

"Also, summon fifty Storm Knights to go together."

Roko instructed.

"Yes, Young Master."

Fula nodded lightly.

"Yes, My Lord."

Hart responded respectfully.

Soon, fifty Storm Knights wearing standard armor and having fierce auras gathered on the training ground.

They were the elites under Roko, each possessing the strength of a Quasi-Knight or above, and there was no lack of Knight-level existences among them.

Falco stood aside, looking at the team about to set off, his eyes filled with longing.

He also wanted to go with the Young Master to see real combat.

But Captain Hart said he was still too immature and needed more tempering.

Roko's gaze swept over Falco's face and nodded slightly.

This kid's talent was indeed good; during this period under Hart's training, he had made rapid progress and already had faint signs of breaking through to the Knight realm.

Given time, he would definitely become a great talent. ===== CHAPTER 89 =====