Lu Changsheng returned silently to Miaoshou Garden.
From a hidden compartment, he retrieved a porcelain vial and emptied out the bizarre black bugs contained within.
These were the bugs he had previously collected from the corpses dumped in the roadside ditch outside the city. He could now confirm that they were identical to the bizarre black bugs inside the demon martial artist Old Man Wang.
Pouring them onto the table, he saw that they were indeed dead.
"The bizarre black bugs are closely bound to the demon martial artist Old Man Wang. Once he dies, they die as well."
Since their fates were so tightly entwined that they rose and fell together, these bizarre black bugs could also serve as an indicator of whether Old Man Wang was truly dead.
With that in mind, Lu Changsheng put the bugs back into the vial.
If they revived after some time, it would mean Old Man Wang had revived as well.
Against demon martial artists, one could never be too cautious.
Next, Lu Changsheng took out his spoils from the Lin Family Mortuary—the Blood Demon Scripture.
Anything dignified with the title of "Scripture" was never simple.
Take the Myriad Poison Scripture, for example.
Though Lu Changsheng was at odds with the Myriad Poison Cult and had even killed Zhao Wuji in direct combat, he still held the Myriad Poison Scripture in high regard.
This Blood Demon Scripture was a treasure prized by a demon martial artist, so it was bound to be extraordinary.
Lu Changsheng opened the manual.
The very opening stated that practicing the Blood Demon Scripture required blood demon essence blood.
Even a single wisp of it would suffice.
Without blood demon essence blood, mastering the Blood Demon Scripture was entirely impossible.
"Blood demon essence blood..."
Lu Changsheng thought back carefully. He truly had not seen any blood demon essence blood inside the coffin.
Perhaps Old Man Wang had already integrated it into his own body. But Old Man Wang had been blasted to pieces, so where the essence blood had gone was anyone's guess.
Perhaps it had dissipated.
Even though one could not practice the Blood Demon Scripture without it, Lu Changsheng had never intended to become a demon martial artist anyway. Unbothered, he continued reading.
The text mentioned "Bloodthirsty Bugs," which seemed to be those bizarre black bugs.
Bloodthirsty Bugs lived in symbiosis with blood demon martial artists, assisting their cultivation and helping them eliminate enemies.
In addition to Bloodthirsty Bugs, there were also corpse bugs.
Corpse bugs were even more terrifying, and only demonized blood demon martial artists could breed them.
Unfortunately for Old Man Wang, he seemed to have only just completed his demonization and had lacked the time to cultivate any.
Had he been granted a little more time to breed corpse bugs, he would have been far more frightening.
And it did not stop at corpse bugs.
The Blood Demon Scripture also recorded a secret method unique to blood demon martial artists, known as the Blood Pill Secret Method.
The so-called Blood Pill was not a medicinal pill, but a technique for accumulating essence blood.
One gathered essence blood within the body to a certain threshold and detonated it when facing an enemy.
When unleashed, its destructive power was horrifying.
The longer it was accumulated, the more terrible its might became.
However, there seemed to be an upper limit.
The limit to which one could accumulate a Blood Pill was dictated by the physical toughness of the blood demon martial artist's own body.
Even so, the peak power of a Blood Pill could reach more than ten times the practitioner's own offensive strength.
It was a truly terrifying secret method.
Consider what more than tenfold implied.
For instance, Lu Changsheng currently possessed the strength of sixty tripods; tenfold would be six hundred tripods.
Moreover, ten times was not the absolute ceiling, merely the baseline for its upper tier.
It could potentially reach twenty or thirty times.
It was simply far more difficult to achieve twenty or thirty times.
Finishing the Blood Demon Scripture, Lu Changsheng could not calm his thoughts for a long while.
This time, he had indeed slain the demon martial artist Old Man Wang.
Yet the victory had relied heavily on good fortune.
Had Old Man Wang been a demon martial artist who had mastered demonization for months or even years, could he have slain him today?
Bloodthirsty Bugs paired with corpse bugs, topped with a Blood Pill...
Who would emerge victorious in such a fight was truly uncertain.
Lu Changsheng even had a faint premonition that had his opponent truly formed a Blood Pill, his own chances of dying would have been far greater.
"In physical constitution and secret methods, demon martial artists completely overwhelm human martial artists of the same realm.
"The sole advantage human martial artists hold might be martial techniques, especially martial conceptions..."
Lu Changsheng sensed that martial conceptions were far from ordinary.
Yet his understanding of them remained limited for now.
On the other hand, secret methods were something he could continue to explore.
For example, the Divine Dragon Transformation: reaching the Third Transformation would boost his physical body by twofold.
Lu Changsheng studied the Blood Demon Scripture again and again.
He could not breed Bloodthirsty Bugs or corpse bugs.
After all, he possessed no blood demon essence blood and was not a blood demon martial artist.
Both bugs were intimately tied to that lineage.
As for the Blood Pill, it was likewise bound to blood demon martial artists. Their innate talent lay in manipulating fresh blood and refining essence blood from it, an ability Lu Changsheng lacked entirely.
"Refining essence blood..."
"If blood demon martial artists can refine essence blood, what about human martial artists?
"Aside from the physical body, the advantage of human martial artists lies in qi and blood. Demon martial artists seem to lack qi and blood entirely, focusing solely on their physical flesh."
A spark of inspiration flashed through Lu Changsheng's mind.
He had stumbled upon an idea.
Qi and blood!
This was unique to human martial artists.
Qi and blood was not physical blood, but a distinct energy produced from a human martial artist's own vital essence.
It existed between the tangible and the intangible.
Yet it commanded immense power.
Take Lu Changsheng's Silken Thread Sword, for example.
Lu Changsheng recalled the Blood Pill Secret Method in the Blood Demon Scripture.
That technique accumulated essence blood little by little, only to release it all at once during battle.
What about qi and blood, then?
Could the same be done with it?
In fact, Lu Changsheng felt that qi and blood was even better suited to such a method. It could be continuously accumulated and endlessly compressed.
The more it was compressed, the more terrifying it would be once detonated.
"If I harness the qi and blood that normally dissipates from my body each day and compress it all... after a month, three months, a year, or ten years, when that endlessly compressed qi and blood is completely detonated one day, what kind of terrifying power will it unleash?"
Inspirations cascaded through Lu Changsheng's mind.
He already possessed the ability to create martial techniques; his comprehension was extraordinary, far exceeding that of ordinary martial artists.
Even among Divine Strength Realm experts, few could compare to him in comprehension.
All he had ever lacked was inspiration.
With inspiration, creating a powerful martial technique posed no problem at all.
Yet right now, Lu Changsheng was not designing a martial technique.
He had conceived an idea for a secret method.
Once perfected, it would likely become a frightening technique—one not inferior to the Blood Pill Secret Method, and perhaps even superior!
Recognizing the importance of this technique, Lu Changsheng threw his entire focus into it, ideas colliding in his mind.
"Compressing qi and blood is feasible.
"Moreover, there is no need to deliberately divert regular qi and blood to accumulate it. Bound by the physical body, qi and blood naturally has an upper limit, yet the body generates new qi and blood every day.
"Any excess naturally dissipates from the body. But if I can use a secret method to gather and compress this daily dissipating qi and blood, it will inevitably coalesce over time into an overwhelming force.
"Furthermore, qi and blood lies between the tangible and the intangible. As long as the compressed qi and blood remains stable, its volume will never grow too massive regardless of how tightly it is packed. It can be compressed and accumulated endlessly. This will be a secret method with no upper limit!"
Lu Changsheng's conceptual framework gradually took shape, forged from sparks of sudden inspiration.
It seemed rudimentary, even fanciful, yet it was precisely such imaginative leaps that held infinite possibilities.
Right now, this concept possessed boundless potential.
A secret method without an upper limit—how terrifying was that?
Naturally, it was still merely a concept, far from being fully formed.
No sooner had the thought occurred to Lu Changsheng than he took action.
He immediately began mobilizing threads of qi and blood.
These strands began compressing within his body.
*Mm, no issues.*
One thread, two threads, three threads...
Compressing countless threads presented no difficulty.
However, it required his active concentration. While the qi and blood handled it fine, the mental strain was substantial.
It consumed his mental energy.
Lu Changsheng could not spend every waking moment doing nothing else but exhausting his mind to compress qi and blood; that was simply unrealistic.
Moreover, even if he compressed the qi and blood, how should it be released?
Through a sword style, or a saber style?
All of these details required careful contemplation.
Currently, he had only a conceptual direction. Even with a comprehension score near 700 points, perfecting a limitless secret method would take time.
"No rush. As long as I have the concept and the inspiration, I can refine it gradually over time."
Lu Changsheng stowed the Blood Demon Scripture back in the hidden compartment, closed his eyes, and rested his mind to recover.
***
In the days that followed, Nanyang City returned to its former tranquility.
Yet discussions regarding the demon martial artist and "Hero Zhuang" were everywhere.
From taverns to back alleys, people talked of nothing else, the fervor showing no sign of waning.
Throughout Nanyang Prefecture, Hero Zhuang's reputation was truly at its zenith, his prestige unimaginable.
Yet even now, Hero Zhuang remained an elusive figure, seen only in glimpses like a divine dragon showing its head but never its tail.
Though people knew Zhuang Thirteen was somewhere in Nanyang Prefecture—perhaps right inside Nanyang City—no one knew his true whereabouts.
Lu Changsheng considered that operating under the identity of "Zhuang Thirteen" in Nanyang Prefecture might soon become inconvenient.
Being overly famous was not always a good thing.
Still, he possessed the art of disguise. If Zhuang Thirteen became too inconvenient, he could simply adopt another persona. It was no great trouble.
Without Zhuang Thirteen, there could be a Lu Eighteen, a Liu Twelve, a Zhao Nineteen, and so on.
When that happened, Nanyang Prefecture would become quite lively, with Divine Strength Realm experts springing up everywhere. In the eyes of the martial world, Nanyang Prefecture would truly resemble a dragon's pool and a tiger's den, where no one dared cause trouble.
Of course, there was no rush to switch personas just yet; things had not reached that point.
For the time being, "Zhuang Thirteen" served him well.
During this period, Lu Changsheng kept to treating patients, cultivating, and diligently practicing his martial techniques.
He poured most of his energy into his techniques,
significantly accelerating his progress.
He needed to raise his comprehension as quickly as possible.
Whenever he pondered that limitless secret method, he always felt something was missing.
He had been unable to finalize its creation.
Lu Changsheng suspected that his comprehension was still slightly lacking.
In any case, raising his comprehension could never go wrong.
*Clang, clang, clang! Clink, clank, clank!*
Just then, the sound of metal striking metal reached Lu Changsheng's ears.
*Blacksmithing?*
Lu Changsheng glanced toward the adjacent street.
There seemed to be a blacksmith shop over there.
Usually quiet, why was it now surrounded by a large crowd?
Curious, Lu Changsheng walked over.
"Look, everyone! Today is the final day of the agreement between Blacksmith Ou and Hero Liu! Will he actually be able to forge a divine weapon?"
"Tsk, tsk. This time Hero Liu provided a piece of celestial meteoric iron, entrusting Blacksmith Ou to craft a handy divine sword. Hero Liu has watched over it every single day. If the sword is ruined, he won't let Blacksmith Ou off easily!"
"Hasn't Blacksmith Ou always boasted that his ancestor was the master divine smith Ou Yezi? Now we'll see how much of his ancestor's skill he actually inherited."
Neighbors crowded around, enjoying the spectacle and eager for excitement.
Lu Changsheng squeezed through the throng.
He caught the chatter of the onlookers.
"A divine weapon?"
Lu Changsheng naturally understood what divine weapons meant in the martial world. For many martial artists, an exceptional weapon could significantly boost their combat strength.
Of course, Lu Changsheng had no need for one now.
A Divine Strength Realm martial artist's own body was already the most terrifying weapon.
Blacksmith Ou was a smith of great renown in Nanyang City. Rumors held that his ancestor was Ou Yezi, though whether that was true was hard to say.
Regardless, Hero Liu wanted a divine sword and had even provided celestial meteoric iron, pinning all his hopes on Blacksmith Ou.
Blacksmith Ou was burly, his muscles coiled and knotted, giving him a rugged appearance.
Bare-chested, he brought his hammer down repeatedly.
Again and again.
Tempered through a thousand strikes, a longsword gradually took shape.
"Hero Liu, the blood-forging method requires extreme care. A single mistake will lead to failure. Are you truly determined to forge this divine weapon with the blood-forging method?" Blacksmith Ou asked.
"I am determined!"
"I nearly bankrupted myself to obtain this piece of celestial meteoric iron. If I can't forge a divine weapon, won't all my previous efforts have been in vain?
"Blacksmith Ou, do it."
Hero Liu's expression was resolute.
Blacksmith Ou had Hero Liu step forward and made a light slit on his wrist.
Instantly, fresh blood poured out.
It was not merely a few drops, but a continuous stream washing over the divine weapon mid-forge.
Blacksmith Ou hammered rapidly, driving the blood deep into the weapon.
*Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle!*
At last, the divine sword was plunged into cold water to quench.
Soon, the sword was fully forged.
Panting for breath, Blacksmith Ou beamed with immense excitement.
"It worked! A divine weapon forged through blood-refining truly works!
"Hahaha! Who will dare say I cannot forge divine weapons now?"
Blacksmith Ou threw his head back and laughed with boundless delight.
Hero Liu gripped the hilt and gave a casual slash.
A sharp edge seemed to ripple through the air, sending a chill across the distant onlookers.
"What a divine sword!"
"Blacksmith Ou truly forged a divine sword!"
"With this sword, Hero Liu will hardly find an equal in the Refining Organs Realm."
Many eyes sparkled with awe.
Yet no one stepped forward seeking to forge a sword of their own.
For one, Blacksmith Ou's price was steep; for another, celestial meteoric iron was something one could only encounter by luck. Obtaining a piece was as difficult as scaling the heavens.
Otherwise, the martial world would be littered with divine weapons, and they would hardly be prized.
Yet as Lu Changsheng witnessed this, a flash of inspiration struck his mind.
He fell into deep contemplation.
Within his mind, sparks of inspiration burst forth. The secret method that had made no progress for days suddenly seemed to yield.
A breakthrough had appeared.
"Forging a divine weapon...
"A divine weapon is tempered through a thousand strikes, turning an ordinary piece of rough iron into an incomparably sharp weapon capable of severing a hair blown against its blade. What if I treat qi and blood as rough iron, applying the techniques of forging divine weapons to temper and refine it a thousand times over? Could I create a terrifying divine weapon of my own?
"Or rather, whether it becomes a weapon is unimportant. What matters is that qi and blood can be tempered and continuously compressed, growing unimaginably formidable over time! When unleashed against a foe, it would require no special technique—simply striking the opponent would cause the qi and blood to detonate on its own, unleashing peerless destructive force!"
Lu Changsheng's eyes grew brighter and brighter as countless sparks of inspiration collided. In the end, a clearer, more direct framework emerged in his mind.
In fact, it was no longer just a framework—it was a brand-new secret method!
All it lacked was practical trial.
"Time to head back."
Without hesitation, Lu Changsheng skipped going to Miaoren Hall and returned straight to Miaoshou Garden.
He needed to test whether this brand-new secret method would truly work.
Chapter 84