Marrow Transformation Complete, Qi and Blood Surging!

"How should we address you, righteous hero?" the yamen runner asked. "Shen Ying." Tearing down the Righteous Heroes Notice, Shen Ying strode directly into the yamen. Outside the yamen, the crowd exchanged bewildered glances. "Who is Shen Ying? I've never heard of him." "I haven't heard of him either, but to dare tear down the Righteous Heroes Notice—regardless of his strength, that courage alone is admirable." "Indeed. Ever since the Seven Brothers of Yunshan, the One-Armed Hero, and the others fell, no one dared touch the notice. Let's hope this Shen Ying truly possesses exceptional ability and can deal with the Thirteen Desert Riders." Whispers rippled through the crowd, yet virtually no one knew anything about Shen Ying. Lu Changsheng, however, did. *Shen Ying... How could it be him?* Lu Changsheng was thoroughly surprised. He had crossed paths with Shen Ying once and had even dealt with him. During the Strengthening Blood Pill incident at the Xu Family Manor, Lu Changsheng had made Shen Ying's acquaintance. Shen Ying hailed from the Shen Family Manor in Taicang County and bore a blood feud with the Myriad Poison Cult. Back then, to concoct the Myriad Poison Great Elixir, the Myriad Poison Cult had slaughtered over three hundred people of the Shen Family Manor. Only Shen Ying survived, and he had pursued the cult ever since, seeking vengeance. Yet when Lu Changsheng witnessed Shen Ying's martial prowess last time, the man was merely a Refining Organs martial artist—not even at peak Refining Organs. With strength like that, tearing down the Righteous Heroes Notice was practically courting death, wasn't it? After all, the Seven Brothers of Yunshan and the One-Armed Hero—which of them hadn't enjoyed renowned reputations? Yet every single one of them had died after accepting the notice! *Since Shen Ying dared to take it down, he must have some backing or reliance.* *Could it be poison?* A possibility crossed Lu Changsheng's mind. Shen Ying had pursued the Myriad Poison Cult for years. After dealing with them for so long, his understanding of poisons was bound to be extraordinarily deep. If poison was involved, he might truly stand a chance against the Thirteen Desert Riders. As for whether Shen Ying was after the gold, the Divine Strength Realm martial art, or was truly a compassionate hero seeking to rid the world of the bandits, none of that mattered. The outcome was what counted. Lu Changsheng sincerely hoped Shen Ying could successfully eliminate the Thirteen Desert Riders. *** Time flew, and over a dozen days passed in the blink of an eye. Lu Changsheng could clearly sense that the marrow within his bones had been completely replaced. His marrow transformation was a success! With a thought, his internal qi and blood surged forth instantly, permeating outward. "Fifty percent! My qi and blood actually increased by a full fifty percent!" "And that was from just a single marrow transformation..." Lu Changsheng was deeply shaken. His qi and blood had already surpassed ordinary limits long ago, boasting more than ten times that of a typical peak Refining Organs martial artist. Yet now, that terrifying reserve of qi and blood had grown by another fifty percent. "Marrow transformation and blood exchange truly are extraordinary," Lu Changsheng murmured in amazement. Innumerable martial artists yearned for marrow transformation and blood exchange. Once achieved, not only could one's qi and blood shatter limits and surge to terrifying heights, but physical constitution would also improve drastically. Lu Changsheng's current physical constitution was immensely robust. Even naturally endowed martial artists like the Blade-Trailing Heavenly King, Li Ji, possessed constitutions far inferior to his. Lu Changsheng even felt that his physical constitution had already crossed into the realm of the superhuman. And yet, this still was not the Divine Strength Realm! Just how terrifying would a true Divine Strength Realm martial artist be? Lu Changsheng attuned his senses inward. He could distinctly feel fresh blood welling up endlessly from his marrow. That fresh blood circulated unceasingly through his body, nourishing every part of his flesh and sinew. If this continued, his physical constitution would only grow stronger. Though slow, it was a virtuous cycle. One could say that marrow transformation and blood exchange were essentially a metamorphosis, gradually transforming him toward an entirely different tier of life. "After marrow transformation and blood exchange comes breaking through the life-and-death gateway to ascend to the Divine Strength Realm." Lu Changsheng opened both the Myriad Poison Scripture and the Overlapping Peaks Divine Strength Art. The Myriad Poison Scripture also contained a chapter on Divine Strength. Though he could not cultivate it, he could still draw inspiration from it and cross-reference it with the Overlapping Peaks Divine Strength Art. Both manuals coincided on one critical point: to reach the Divine Strength Realm, the key lay in the life-and-death gateway. The life-and-death gateway was an ethereal, intangible concept. No one knew its exact location; a martial artist had to sense it on their own, roughly somewhere within the mind. "Within the mind?" Lu Changsheng closed his eyes and began to probe carefully. Yet no matter how hard he concentrated, his mind was a vast blank. Where was there any sign of a life-and-death gateway? However, the Divine Strength chapter of the Myriad Poison Scripture recorded a method to help perceive it. The method recorded therein involved a rare poison known as illusory poison. Once exposed to illusory poison, one would plunge into an illusion. By relying on the myriad experiences within that illusion, one could naturally sense the life-and-death gateway. Unfortunately, Lu Changsheng possessed no illusory poison. Such poison was exceedingly rare and difficult to concoct, treated as a secret inheritance even within the Myriad Poison Cult. For an ordinary person, obtaining it was out of the question. That was the method from the Myriad Poison Scripture. The Overlapping Peaks Divine Strength Art also offered a method to perceive the life-and-death gateway, summarized in just eight characters: *When the mind condenses, one's intent flows unobstructed.* It listed specific approaches: fulfilling a long-held wish, taking vengeance on an old enemy, or doing something immensely exhilarating. In short, one had to elevate emotion to its peak, plunging the entire mind and spirit into a state of intense turbulence. Whether through extreme joy or profound sorrow, one could perceive the life-and-death gateway. This method was vastly superior and far more practical. Yet when Lu Changsheng looked within himself, did he have anything to feel extreme sorrow or joy over? Sifting through his memories, he recalled that he had transmigrated into this world. His original body had been an orphan beggar with no parents. Even if he were to find his original body's parents and kin now, they would be utter strangers to him, stirring no emotional ripples whatsoever. Furthermore, amid the chaos of war and turmoil, how difficult would it be to track down his original body's family? *What could stir me to extreme fury, sorrow, or joy?* Lu Changsheng sank into deep contemplation. Without resolving this, he would not be able to sense the life-and-death gateway anytime soon. Still, overall, sensing it was not an insurmountable hurdle; it was merely a matter of time. Refusing to fret, Lu Changsheng gathered his qi, rose, left the courtyard, and headed toward Miaoren Hall. He had spent so many days undergoing marrow transformation; waiting a few more days to perceive the life-and-death gateway would hardly hurt. Passing by the yamen, Lu Changsheng saw a crowd gathered outside once more. A yamen runner was posting a new Righteous Heroes Notice, calling out loudly, "The Thirteen Desert Riders plague Nanyang, bringing catastrophe to our lands and inflicting immense harm! Successive righteous heroes stepped forward to eliminate the bandit menace, yet all were slain by the riders. "The bounty on the Righteous Heroes Notice has now been raised: whoever wipes out the Thirteen Desert Riders will be rewarded with one thousand taels of gold and one Divine Strength Realm martial art!" Lu Changsheng's heart sank. The authorities had raised the bounty again. One thousand taels of gold was no small sum—equivalent to ten thousand taels of silver. Last time, when calling upon the imperial army, the wealthy merchants and gentry had barely scraped together a meager three thousand taels of silver. For the yamen to put up a thousand taels of gold this time proved that the affluent merchants and gentry of Nanyang City were genuinely desperate. Lu Changsheng pushed his way through the crowd. He saw a corpse lying on the ground, riddled with wounds that looked like dozens of blade cuts. The facial features were already unrecognizable, but the clothes on the body were unmistakably the attire Shen Ying had worn. Clearly, the corpse was Shen Ying. This man had pursued the Myriad Poison Cult relentlessly for over a decade, bearing an ocean of blood vengeance. Stubborn and driven, he had not fallen at the hands of the Myriad Poison Cult, but had perished instead under the blades of the Thirteen Desert Riders. Lu Changsheng did not ask how Shen Ying had died, as onlookers around him were already discussing it. "Hero Shen used poison, tainting the water supply in the stronghold of the Thirteen Desert Riders." "He actually poisoned a great number of bandits, but unfortunately, he was discovered by White Demons' people and met a gruesome end." "Look at the state of Hero Shen's remains. He was slain with various deadly poisons, suffering a horrific death. The Thirteen Desert Riders and the White Demons are monstrously cruel!" "Sigh, now that Hero Shen is dead, who else would dare accept the notice?" Many shook their heads and sighed, mourning Shen Ying's demise. Too many lives had already been lost in the effort to eradicate the Thirteen Desert Riders. "Quick, make way!" "Prefect, Lord Prefect, please send the army to crush the Thirteen Desert Riders!" "Over a hundred members of our Liu family caravan paid the toll fee, yet they were still butchered by the Thirteen Desert Riders!" "They even left a letter on the corpses to be delivered to the prefectural yamen!" Just then, members of the Liu family arrived outside the yamen, carrying corpse after corpse. One hundred and thirty-six bodies in total! A stench of blood and decay instantly washed over the square, causing many onlookers to turn pale. More than a hundred corpses arrayed before the yamen was a shocking, harrowing sight. The head of the Liu family had followed the rules obediently. When the Thirteen Desert Riders demanded tolls, the caravan had complied without the slightest resistance. Yet they were slaughtered all the same. The Prefect stood outside the yamen, his face dark with fury. "Open the letter and read it aloud!" "Yes, Your Honor." A runner opened the letter from the Thirteen Desert Riders. The letter stated that they had butchered the Liu family caravan in retaliation for the yamen's repeated dispatch of "righteous heroes." Furthermore, the Thirteen Desert Riders issued a threat: for every assassin sent against them by the yamen, they would massacre a nearby village. This time, not only had they wiped out a caravan, but they would also slaughter Xiaohe Village. "What?" "Xiaohe Village is a large village with hundreds of people! How could they dare?" "What wouldn't those damned bandits dare to do?!" "Report—!" Right then, a city guard soldier came sprinting over. "Reporting to the Prefect! Refugees from Xiaohe Village outside the city report that their village has been slaughtered to the last person by bandits! They beg Your Honor to dispatch troops to eliminate the brigands!" The Prefect swayed, nearly collapsing to the ground. "They push too far..." Gritting his teeth, fire seemed to blaze from the Prefect's eyes. Yet he was powerless. Noble though he was as the Prefect, he could do nothing against the Thirteen Desert Riders. The citizens in the city seethed with righteous outrage, but it went no further than that. Lu Changsheng did not linger to watch. Instead, he made his way straight to Miaoren Hall. Inside, he found Wang Ruhai pale-faced, with faint traces of tears in the corners of his eyes. "Physician Wang, what's wrong?" Lu Changsheng asked. His eyes red, Wang Ruhai ground his teeth and said, "Those damned bandits slaughtered Xiaohe Village. I was born in Xiaohe Village; that was my hometown..." Moreover, Wang Ruhai's parents were still alive, living out their old age in Xiaohe Village. Now, they had almost certainly perished under the bandits' blades. No wonder Wang Ruhai was overwhelmed by grief and fury. Yet Wang Ruhai was merely a physician, entirely helpless. Not to mention Wang Ruhai alone, even Miaoshou Garden as a whole could do nothing against bandits like the Thirteen Desert Riders. "Physician Lu, is there truly no way to deal with the Thirteen Desert Riders?" Wang Ruhai looked up, his eyes bloodshot. "There is a way." "What way?" "If a Divine Strength Realm martial artist steps in, they could naturally eliminate the Thirteen Desert Riders!" Wang Ruhai's eyes brightened. Not being a martial artist, he did not understand the weight carried by the words "Divine Strength Realm." He was likely already pondering where he might inquire about one. Lu Changsheng did not explain further. What Wang Ruhai needed right now was time to settle the grief and rage in his heart. *** Dusk arrived before long. Lu Changsheng went to his master Wu Jing's medicine shop. Wu Jing had not left yet. Seeing Lu Changsheng arrive, Wu Jing looked pleased. "Changsheng, sit." Lu Changsheng sat down and said with a smile, "Master, it's been a while since your disciple came to visit you." "Heh, what's there to see about an old fellow like me? I can eat, drink, and walk; I won't be dying anytime soon." "Ah, the world is chaotic these days. Bandits run rampant outside the city. I heard even Xiaohe Village was butchered by those damned bandits. I had a few old friends there, and now they're all gone..." Wu Jing shook his head with a heavy sigh. Lu Changsheng chatted with his master for a while. Wu Jing was indeed in good health; despite his advanced age, there was no cause for concern. Afterward, Lu Changsheng walked toward Miaoshou Garden. Along the way, refugees begged everywhere on the streets. Some were emaciated children, mere skin and bones. When Lu Changsheng asked around, he learned they were all refugees from villages surrounding the city. Fearing slaughter by the bandits, they had no choice but to seek shelter inside the walls. Yet how much food could begging provide? If this went on, they would starve to death sooner or later. If the number of refugees continued to climb, Nanyang City might even consider shutting its gates. *** Lu Changsheng returned to his small courtyard. By now, darkness had completely fallen. He did not light a lamp; the room was pitch-black, dark enough that one could not see five fingers outstretched. *Thump. Thump. Thump.* The steady, powerful beating of Lu Changsheng's heart echoed faintly in the room. "I still can't sense the life-and-death gateway," Lu Changsheng murmured under his breath. He had just attempted to perceive it. Unfortunately, he felt nothing; his mind remained an empty blank. Moreover, his thoughts refused to settle. Images kept flashing through his mind: Shen Ying's gruesome death, the more than one hundred corpses of the Liu family caravan, Wang Ruhai, his master, and the refugees begging along the streets. Scene after scene drifted across his thoughts. *When the mind condenses, one's intent flows unobstructed—only then can one sense the life-and-death gateway.* *Yet right now, my mind is not condensed, and my intent does not flow freely...* Lu Changsheng was not someone who liked meddling in others' affairs; he only wished to cultivate in peace and protect himself. Yet once a person had social ties and a circle of acquaintances, they naturally formed a familiar territory around them. Much like a wild beast possessing a sense of territory. Lu Changsheng had no urge to meddle. Bandits, the imperial army, or even people like Shen Ying—they were nothing more than brief acquaintances. Even so, an uneasy friction chafed at his heart. Deep inside, faint embers of anger burned. The reason was simple: Lu Changsheng had subtly come to regard Nanyang Prefecture as his own territory. No matter how chaotic the outside world became, he did not want his territory thrown into disarray, much less the people around him. *When the mind is not at peace, one must kill!* Lu Changsheng recalled the night he had slain the Blade-Trailing Heavenly King, Li Ji. That night, his mind had not been at peace. Now, it was not at peace either. "Those who disturb my mind must die!" Lu Changsheng opened his eyes, only a single thought remaining in his mind. Next, applying the disguise techniques taught to him by Li Hongzhuang, he altered his appearance and changed his clothes. In a flash, he turned into a burly, full-bearded man. *Whoosh.* The next instant, Lu Changsheng pushed open the door and vanished into the night.