Great River Blood-Strengthening Technique Perfected, Qi and Blood Surge!

At night, during the Mao hour. Due to the thriving black market, the southern part of the city was bustling with activity. Crowds came and went, but strangely, many had black cloths wrapped around their faces or wore masks. Lu Changsheng had likewise covered his face with a black cloth. After all, this was the black market, a place where dragons and fish mingled. Most people who came here were unwilling to reveal their identities, choosing to disguise themselves beneath masks and veils. Lu Changsheng strolled through the black market. The vendors did not hawk their wares, merely sitting in silence by their roadside stalls. Yet the items laid out on the stalls startled Lu Changsheng. There were potent knock-out powders and lethal poisons that killed at the slightest touch of blood. Such contraband would never dare be sold in an ordinary apothecary, yet here in the black market, it was brazenly displayed for sale. What was more, the shoppers took no notice; clearly, they were long accustomed to it. Lu Changsheng caught sight of an exquisite dagger. He had wanted to buy a dagger for self-defense for some time; after all, his Tiger Pounce Hand was best suited for small, short weapons like daggers. However, he had not had the chance to go out and buy one until now. In this black market, weapon stalls were the most numerous. Lu Changsheng crouched before a stall and asked, "How much for this dagger?" The stall owner was a weather-beaten, middle-aged man with a scar running across his face and hands thick with calluses. "Forged from hundred-refined steel. Five taels of silver each, no haggling." "Five taels of silver?" Lu Changsheng clicked his tongue inwardly. That was truly expensive! Yet picking up the dagger to test it, he found that while it might not slice a floating hair, it was exceptionally sharp. "Here, five taels of silver. I'll take it." Lu Changsheng handed over the silver without hesitation. After all, it was for self-defense and concerned his very life, so buying a better weapon was only sensible. Having bought the dagger, Lu Changsheng continued searching. He was looking for martial arts. In the vast black market, few stalls sold martial arts. Nevertheless, Lu Changsheng managed to find one. He walked up to the stall. The vendor was a veiled woman. Though her face was concealed, her build and attire suggested she was quite young. "All the martial arts you have here belong to the first stage of Body Tempering, the Strengthening Blood Realm. Do you have any for Tempering Bone or even Refining Organs?" Lu Changsheng asked. "Naturally, I have martial arts for Tempering Bone and Refining Organs, but they won't be laid out in the open. If you're interested, prepare a hefty sum of silver—those don't come cheap!" the vendor replied coldly. Lu Changsheng understood. Martial arts for Tempering Bone and Refining Organs were far from ordinary, and their exorbitant prices reflected that. Of course, there was likely another important reason they were not displayed openly: their origins were almost certainly questionable and could not bear scrutiny. "How much for these martial techniques?" "Ten taels of silver for each technique. No haggling." "Ten taels of silver?" Why did it feel to Lu Changsheng as though everything in this black market was outrageously expensive? He browsed through them and found they were mostly obscure martial techniques. For example, Zhao Clan Long Fist, Thirteen Route Kicks, Iron Sand Palm, and the like. Some were techniques even Lu Changsheng had heard of, belonging to the more common varieties. Still, these techniques were largely on par with Tiger Pounce Hand; once mastered to perfection, they would likely grant two points of comprehension each. "You have twenty-one techniques here, right? That makes two hundred and ten taels in total. How about I offer an even two hundred taels and take them all off your hands?" Lu Changsheng said, pointing at the manuals on the stall. "You want all of them?" The vendor looked surprised and raised her head to size him up carefully. Although she had insisted on no haggling, someone buying so many techniques at once was naturally a different matter. "Fine. Two hundred taels, and they're all yours." The vendor weighed the offer for a moment and agreed outright. After all, these techniques were mediocre at best, and finding such a lavish customer was no easy feat. Lu Changsheng handed over two hundred taels of silver on the spot. He did not have much silver left on him now. *A single trip to the black market, and I've spent over two hundred taels. Money truly flows away like water,* Lu Changsheng mused with a sigh. Of the five hundred-odd taels he had retrieved from the mountains, nearly half was already gone. He would also need to keep purchasing Eight Treasures Blood-Replenishing Powder, which would consume vast amounts of silver as well. Yet even if the silver vanished quickly, every tael was spent where it counted most. The twenty-one techniques he bought would keep him occupied for a long time. Once all twenty-one were brought to perfection, his comprehension would surely undergo a massive leap. The money was well spent! However, right after Lu Changsheng made such a lavish purchase, several pairs of eyes locked onto him. "Heh heh, this guy spends lavishly. He must have plenty more silver on him." "Anyone who drops two hundred taels on martial techniques has to have hundreds more in his pockets." "Keep a close eye on this fat sheep." Several shadowy figures crept along behind Lu Changsheng. Lu Changsheng was vigilant and vaguely sensed their presence. He knew he was being followed! The black market was a den of mixed sorts, crawling with all kinds of shady characters. As the saying went, never flaunt your wealth. Having spent so much silver, it was inevitable that he would become a target. With crowds everywhere, those stalkers dared not act rashly. Taking several twists and turns through the alleyways, Lu Changsheng managed to shake off his pursuers and vanished into the night. Staring at the empty darkness where Lu Changsheng had disappeared, the figures cursed in frustration. "Damn it, that brat was sharp. How did he slip away?" "A fat sheep like that doesn't come along every day, and our cooked duck flew right out of the pot! Infuriating!" "Consider the punk lucky. Next time, stay sharper and don't let another fat sheep slip through our fingers." The figures quickly retreated to the black market. "Phew..." Lu Changsheng sprinted all the way back to Miaoshou Garden. *They shouldn't have followed me here.* *The black market is a den of snakes and dragons, far too dangerous. I should avoid going there unless necessary.* *I need to advance the Great River Blood-Strengthening Technique as quickly as possible. If I can reach the third layer, my qi and blood will rise to an impressive level, and my strength will multiply! If I run into danger, I won't be completely helpless.* *Fortunately, twenty-one martial techniques will be enough to keep me busy for a long time...* Taking off his face cloth, Lu Changsheng returned inside Miaoshou Garden. Once back in Miaoshou Garden, Lu Changsheng settled down completely. He rose early each morning to practice martial arts, faithfully attended his daily studies under Master Mo, identified medicinal herbs under Old Wen's guidance, and practiced his martial arts again at night. His daily schedule was packed to the brim, leaving scarcely a moment of free time. Though hectic, life was deeply fulfilling. Meanwhile, Lu Changsheng's Great River Blood-Strengthening Technique advanced rapidly, his qi and blood swelling stronger by the day. In the blink of an eye, three months passed. Today was Lu Changsheng's monthly day off. Inside his room, Lu Changsheng was circulating his qi and blood. Boom! The next instant, a rumbling resonated within his body, and his qi and blood swelled rapidly at a visible rate. No, it was no longer merely swelling—it was surging. It surged several times over! His qi and blood surged like a torrent, making the entire room feel warm. Swish. Lu Changsheng opened his eyes. "Great River Blood-Strengthening Technique perfected. Comprehension +3." A line of small characters surfaced before his eyes. "The Great River Blood-Strengthening Technique has finally reached the third layer. This technique is now perfected, with no further progress to be made. "Still, granting three points of comprehension means the Great River Blood-Strengthening Technique isn't bad at all. It qualifies as a third-tier martial art!" Lu Changsheng muttered in a low voice. This concept of "third-tier martial arts" was a classification Lu Changsheng had devised himself based on the amount of comprehension gained. He had discovered that how much comprehension a technique granted upon reaching perfection was actually determined by its difficulty and depth. Therefore, he classified martial arts according to the points of comprehension they added. For instance, the most rudimentary techniques—like Basic Fist Technique, Basic Saber Technique, and Basic Sword Technique—granted only one point of comprehension, making them first-tier martial arts. Meanwhile, techniques like Tiger Pounce Hand, Twelve Route Tan Kicks, Iron Wire Fist, and similar arts granted two points of comprehension, making them second-tier martial arts. As for the Great River Blood-Strengthening Technique, having just added three points of comprehension, it was a third-tier martial art. This was also the only third-tier martial art Lu Changsheng had encountered so far. He had initially assumed that the Great River Blood-Strengthening Technique was merely common goods—readily available throughout Miaoshou Garden and likely quite mediocre. To think it was actually a third-tier martial art; he had truly underestimated it. Perfecting a third-tier martial art had made Lu Changsheng's qi and blood exceptionally formidable. Yet Lu Changsheng had a faint feeling that it still wasn't enough. It seemed his qi and blood could grow even further. He recalled the words of Master Meng from the Flying Crane Martial Arts Hall. In the three stages of Body Tempering, the firmer one's foundation, the greater the hope of transforming marrow, exchanging blood, and advancing to the Divine Strength Realm! Though Lu Changsheng had strengthened his qi and blood with the Great River Blood-Strengthening Technique, he had not reached his limit. There was still ample room for improvement. *Miaoshou Garden might have stronger Strengthening Blood Realm martial arts, but they won't teach them to apprentices. Even though I'm an apothecary apprentice now, I still can't access Miaoshou Garden's core martial arts.* *If I want to keep strengthening my qi and blood, I have to find another way. The best approach is to practice other martial arts that bolster qi and blood, especially superior ones.* *Last time at the black market, the female vendor mentioned having techniques for Tempering Bone and Refining Organs. Since they have arts for Tempering Bone and Refining Organs, they're bound to have superior Strengthening Blood Realm techniques as well.* A sharp gleam flickered in Lu Changsheng's eyes. It seemed he would have to pay another visit to the black market.