Night fell.
Lin Yan stood in the courtyard, his focus turned inward. Inside his mind, the Martial Arts Tree was currently a little over three feet and four inches tall.
CRACK.
The next moment, he snapped the Purple Lingzhi in his hand apart and began to chew it.
Any Treasure Medicine could be eaten raw.
As the Purple Lingzhi entered his mouth, it was at first intensely bitter, like chewing on gall. The bitterness was so strong it made his brows furrow. But after the initial shock, a warm sweetness welled up from the root of his tongue, flowing down his throat and straight into his Dantian.
At first, the warmth was like a gentle, trickling stream.
But soon, the trickle became a gushing brook, and the brook swelled into a mighty river.
In just over a dozen breaths, Lin Yan felt as if a fire had been lit inside him. The flames erupted from his Dantian and spread wildly through his meridians, searing every inch of his body. His skin began to flush red, his veins bulged, and his heart hammered so fast it felt like it would burst from his chest.
The Medicinal Power of the Purple Lingzhi was even fiercer than he had imagined.
Lin Yan dared not delay. He stripped off his shirt, revealing his crimson skin, then immediately sat down cross-legged and began to circulate the Swallowing Technique.
As the Swallowing Technique activated, his body began to expand and contract rhythmically, like a giant bellows. Each contraction absorbed the Medicinal Power, transforming it into Qi Blood, which he then guided to slam into his very bones.
Previously, Lin Yan had always used the Mountain-Splitting Fist to refine Medicinal Power. But ever since learning the Swallowing Technique, he’d discovered it was even more effective for the task.
POP! POP! POP!
Each impact of Qi Blood against his bones was like forging iron—the more they were struck, the harder and stronger they became.
This process continued for a full two hours.
The burning heat inside Lin Yan’s body finally began to recede.
During those two hours, the Martial Arts Tree in his mind had grown continuously, finally stopping at a height of just over three feet and six inches.
Lin Yan didn’t stop. Even though the Purple Lingzhi’s Medicinal Power had been completely refined, he could still use his own Qi Blood to temper his bones. This was the standard cultivation path for a Third-Time Skin Smoothing Martial Artist.
Half an hour later, when the Martial Arts Tree was just a hair’s breadth from reaching three feet and seven inches, he finally stopped, feeling the exhaustion in his body.
’Without Qi Blood replenished by external Elixirs, continuing to temper my body would be pointless.’
Lin Yan stood up and stretched his limbs. His bones let out a series of crisp cracks, like the sound of popping beans.
He looked down at his palm, then raised his arm and clenched his fist.
It had been just over two hours since he had consumed the Purple Lingzhi, but the Qi Blood in his body was already over twenty percent more abundant than before. This wasn’t just an increase in quantity; even his meridians had widened slightly.
’The only thing I regret is that the greatest effect of a Treasure Medicine is breaking through a bottleneck, which I don’t need. In a way, this was a waste.’
’If I had traded the Purple Lingzhi with another Martial Artist, I definitely could have gotten enough Martial Arts Resources to increase a Third-Time Skin Smoothing Martial Artist’s Qi Blood by more than twenty percent. But in a sense, this ’waste’ was worth it. It shortened my Cultivation Time.’
’Whether it’s Qian Shuhang targeting me or the current situation in Guangping County Town, I need to increase my strength as quickly as possible.’
Lin Yan walked to the stone table and picked up the scabbard lying there.
SHING!
The longsword left its sheath.
The blade glinted coldly in the moonlight. A faint luster flowed along the edge, which was as thin as a cicada’s wing.
With a flick of his wrist, he executed the first form of the Jinghong Sword Technique.
The flash of the sword was like a silk thread, silent and traceless.
But this time, the "silken" quality felt even finer, more continuous than before.
The sword’s edge sliced through the air, leaving behind a white trail of displaced air that was nearly invisible to the naked eye. The trail hung there, condensed and unmoving, for a full two breaths before slowly dissipating.
’Before, one breath was my limit.’
Lin Yan didn’t stop.
The second sword, the third, the fourth...
The sword flashes were continuous, fine and silent like a spring drizzle nourishing the earth.
When he had completed the entire sword form, Lin Yan sheathed his blade and stood in place, closing his eyes to feel the results for a moment.
When he opened his eyes, the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.
’Just as I thought.’
’The increase in my Qi Blood hasn’t just boosted my Power. It’s also raised the ’Penetration Power’ of my Sword Intent to a whole new level.’
’With my Qi Blood at nearly three feet seven inches, plus my Sword Intent... when I go to the Qian Family tomorrow, even if something unexpected happens, I should be able to protect myself.’
Qian Mansion.
Qian Shuhang was carousing in a courtyard, his arms around two women dressed in flimsy, sheer silk.
In a corner, the raging fire in a brazier drove away the winter chill.
"Young... Young Master Qian, perhaps we should go inside?"
The two women in his embrace, their faces flushed like peach blossoms from Qian Shuhang’s wandering hands, couldn’t help but speak up.
If they let this Young Master Qian continue, they were afraid it would happen right here in the courtyard pavilion. There were still many servants around; no matter how professional they were, it was still a bit embarrassing.
"Of course we’ll wash up. Go run a bath for me."
Qian Shuhang gave them each a light pat, which earned him a string of flirtatious complaints as they quickly broke free from his embrace and ran shyly into the house.
Watching the women’s retreating figures as they ran into the house, a look of satisfaction appeared in Qian Shuhang’s eyes. ’Life is so much more comfortable back in Sanshan County.’
’In Deng State Prefecture, I have to live such a plain and simple life to maintain my image as an upright gentleman in front of Miss Wang of the Wang Family. It’s only when I come home that I can really let loose for a few days.’
"Beauties emerging from their bath... How could I possibly miss that?"
After a moment, Qian Shuhang stood up. Just as he was about to head into the house, the steward’s voice came from the courtyard entrance. "Young Master, the Master requests your presence."
"Why is he calling for me at this hour?"
"The Master only said it was urgent."
A look of displeasure crossed Qian Shuhang’s face. He could hear flirtatious giggles coming from inside the house, but in the end, he followed the steward out of the courtyard.
In the Qian Family’s main hall, Qian Zhengchu looked at his son’s disheveled state and his old eyes glared. "This is absolute nonsense!"

Comments

Loading...