Chapter 61: Chapter 61: Penetration The renaming of the era to "Guangxing" had absolutely no impact on the residents of Gu’s Manor. The emperor was too distant from them, and his authority was even less intimidating than the county magistrate’s. If someone gave them a few flatbreads, they might even lavish gratitude in return. Only a few insightful individuals within the manor vaguely discerned a sense of desperation behind the change in era name; the new emperor apparently intended to turn the tide, facing significant resistance along the way. Gu Sheng was not optimistic. He was still practicing his archery. As he progressed in Martial Arts and continuously trained with Iron Stone Fist, Gu Sheng’s strength steadily increased, now surpassing an ordinary adult. Drawing a two-stone bow fully became effortless for him. At this moment. His posture stood tall like a pine tree, shoulders squared, hands steady, and his gaze focused. He released the arrow from his fingers with a gentle motion, and the projectile sped toward the target like a meteor chasing the moon, instantly embedding itself deeply into the wooden stake, the arrowhead buried entirely. A mere two hundred meters was no challenge for Gu Sheng at this point. He didn’t stop. With practiced ease, he grasped another arrow, entirely focused on his task. One arrow after another shot out, spinning slightly, producing sharp, whistling sounds in a steady rhythm, almost akin to a musical symphony. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺 Visibly. The depth to which the arrows embedded themselves into the wooden stake grew increasingly profound. Gu Sheng entered a peculiar state. In his vision, the distant wooden stake magnified endlessly, and he seemed to "see" countless "flaws" on its surface. Of course, this was merely a sensation. And what he sought was precisely this mystical sensation. Arrows flew continuously, and Gu Sheng’s eyes grew ever brighter. Suddenly. Whiz! A sharp, fine whistling sound pierced the air. In Gu Sheng’s intense gaze, the released arrow began spinning at full force, with what seemed like white currents of air forming around its arrowhead. Then. The arrow pierced effortlessly through the wooden stake and struck the stake behind it, the arrowhead bursting out the other side, while the shaft split in half with a loud crack! Gu Sheng froze for a moment, then his eyes gleamed with delight. Success! After days of relentless practice, his archery skills had finally transcended perfection, achieving a breakthrough! As he stared at the arrow that had penetrated two wooden stakes in a row, Gu Sheng felt a twinge of unease. This terrifyingly powerful arrow—if aimed at a person—would be utterly devastating. Not even a Stone Skin Martial Artist could withstand it, and even Iron Skin Martial Artists would face significant threats! Eagerly, Gu Sheng brought up his interface. [Name]: Gu Sheng [Age]: 15 [Realm]: None [Martial Arts]: Chopping Wood (Special Effect: First-level Tearing), Archery (Special Effect: First-level Penetration), Iron Stone Fist (Small Success 58%) ... With the arrival of spring. Gu Sheng had turned 15, and the proficiency of his Iron Stone Fist had reached Small Success at 58%. But his full attention was placed on the Martial Arts column for Archery. "As expected, just like Chopping Wood, mastering Archery at perfection unlocks its special effect—First-level Penetration!" Gu Sheng’s heart quivered. Recalling the sensation of shooting moments earlier, the arrow spinning at high speed seemed to generate some mysterious force, effortlessly piercing through the sturdy wooden stake, and even retaining enough power to penetrate the second stake. That level of power was already exceedingly formidable. This was the might of the Penetration special effect! "First-level Penetration! Now, my ranged attacks can threaten Martial Artists—even more so!" "If a Stone Skin Martial Artist encounters me, they’ll die without a doubt!" "Even an Iron Skin Martial Artist would need to shield their vital spots, or they too would fall to my arrows. This is a power unique to me, Gu Sheng!" Gu Sheng’s eyes sparkled with determination. In recent days. He had indirectly asked Gu Xiaojiang: when Martial Arts reaches perfection, it is already the pinnacle. The Iron Stone Fist practiced by the Gu family was inherited from their ancestors, who had learned it elsewhere. Rumor had it that someone had once cultivated Iron Stone Fist to perfection, but anything beyond perfection was unheard of. Which meant. The special effects beyond perfection were abilities granted exclusively by the interface to Gu Sheng! The Penetration special effect greatly enhanced Gu Sheng’s strength, giving him a certain level of self-defense capabilities at last. Currently, he had Chopping Wood and Iron Stone Fist for close combat, and Archery for ranged attacks. Although Gu Sheng was not yet a Martial Artist, he surpassed ordinary Refining Skin Martial Artists by far! "It’s unfortunate that after mastering Archery with First-level Penetration, the progress bar disappears as well. I don’t know if this marks the limit of Martial Arts itself or the limit imposed by the interface?" A sense of regret surfaced in Gu Sheng’s heart; originally, he had thought Archery was more challenging to advance than Chopping Wood, and perhaps it would undergo further changes, but unexpectedly, the same limit appeared after the breakthrough. But then he chuckled, understanding he was being a bit greedy. "Let’s see if Iron Stone Fist can undergo some change after reaching perfection." He closed the interface and turned his gaze toward the fractured arrow shaft. Mastering Archery with First-level Penetration brought a downside: using the skill at full power meant ordinary arrows could no longer withstand the strength of the Penetration special effect. After one shot, the arrow would break apart completely! This was proving to be a headache for him. "Looks like I’ll have to find a chance to get better arrows." Although Gu Sheng could choose not to use the Penetration special effect and employ ordinary arrows instead, it was essential to have high-quality arrows on hand. Otherwise, his offensive power would be compromised. Archery was one of his greatest assets. Now that it had reached its limit, if he wished to make further advancements, he would need to change his approach. "I see three directions." "First, upgrading weapons—using a stronger bow and better arrows!" "Second, increasing physical strength. My current strength already surpasses that of an average adult. Once I advance to Stone Skin Martial Artist, my strength will multiply, and the arrows I shoot will naturally become more powerful. This complements the first point." "Third, developing Archery-related Martial Arts!" Gu Sheng’s train of thought momentarily paused. The path of Martial Arts encompasses countless possibilities. Iron Stone Fist, for example, combines techniques for both training the body and for combat, but many Martial Arts disciplines are designed specifically for battle. Similarly, Archery-related Martial Arts largely focus on killing and combat. Gu Erniu had mentioned before that he had heard of advanced Archery Martial Arts endowed with all sorts of mystical variations far beyond the capabilities of basic Archery. "If the opportunity arises, I must learn Archery Martial Arts!" Gu Sheng had a clear understanding of his own development. His aptitude wasn’t particularly high, so if he wanted to save time on entry-level learning and practicing, he needed to adopt a strategy of specialized progression. Now that his Archery had reached the realm beyond perfection, if he were to study Archery Martial Arts in the future, his progress would undoubtedly outpace that of any other discipline! The same applied to Chopping Wood. Any Martial Arts focused on hacking and slashing would inevitably come more easily to Gu Sheng. "But such opportunities can’t be forced—they just come when they come, step by step." "For now, I need to devote all my energy to Iron Stone Fist and tempering my skin, striving to become a Martial Artist as soon as possible. That’s the right path!" Gu Sheng was filled with motivation. He had never been afraid of hard work or effort; constantly feeling himself progress was enough to pull him deep into this rewarding cycle. ... With the arrival of spring. Gu Sheng resumed hunting in the mountain, as did hunters from nearby villages. However, having just emerged from winter, the animals’ fat reserves were largely depleted, leading to lower yields for the hunters compared to autumn. Gu Sheng’s mastery of Archery beyond perfection, however, allowed him to hunt with unparalleled ease. As a result, his harvest vastly exceeded that of other hunters. Gu Sheng planned that after becoming a Martial Artist, he would try his luck with bigger prey like tigers or bears to make up for the monthly expenses of three to four taels of silver. Otherwise, he risked exhausting his resources, relying solely on the fortune from the silver fox hide he had obtained earlier. If things continued like this, a day when the well runs dry would inevitably come.