Extracting Pure Blood Body Refining

Wang Yue slowly shifted his feet below the high platform, about to find a corner to wait when Wang Hezheng's voice suddenly came from above. It was gentle but carried an undeniable authority: "Little fellow, come here."

His heart tightened, and he quickly stopped, looking up at the high platform. Wang Hezheng was seated on a chair, his gaze fixed on him. The sharpness from before was gone, but it still made one hesitant to relax.

"I heard from Wang Hu that you killed Zhang Li at Lianmang Mountain?" Wang Hezheng's tone was calm, but everyone on the high platform subconsciously perked up their ears.

Wang Yue tilted his head slightly, quickly glancing at Wang Hezheng's face before lowering his head again. His voice was respectful and honest, "Returning to you, Clan Leader, it wasn't solely my merit.

Jiang Peiling and Xu Li accompanied me that day. The three of us worked together to keep Zhang Li occupied, preventing him from getting his weapon, and we managed to kill him by chance."

Wang Hezheng chuckled softly, his voice carrying a hint of praise, "By chance? In the world of martial artists, there aren't that many chances."

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the martial arts field below, and continued, "Zhang Li, with nine Qi and Blood, facing off against someone with six Qi and Blood, and still being able to fight head-on without falling into a disadvantage... At first, I didn't believe it. But after seeing your Harmonious Flow Fist at the minor completion stage today, I'm about thirty percent convinced."

"That rat is incredibly cunning. I personally went to catch him several times, but he always managed to escape beforehand. I never expected him to finally fall into the hands of you youngsters."

Wang Hezheng waved his hand. "Go on, wait to the side. We'll talk after the assessment is over."

Wang Yue bowed slightly in greeting, secretly letting out a sigh of relief.

He turned and walked towards a corner of the martial arts field. The expressions of those on the high platform varied. After all, killing Zhang Li, who had achieved Blood Condensation Perfection, was something most of them could do. However, for a junior, it was quite noteworthy.

Wang Shanhai sat on his chair, his brow twitching slightly. He found Wang Yue a little more pleasing to the eye. Being able to kill Zhang Li, even with help from others, was enough to prove the young man's strength. Although he was at odds with the Clan Leader's faction, he wasn't that petty towards the younger generation within the clan.

At this moment, in the center of the martial arts field, it was Xu Li's turn to compete.

Xu Li took a deep breath, assumed the starting stance for Harmonious Flow Fist, and bowed to Wang Shuo, "Senior, I am Xu Li. Please guide me."

Wang Shuo nodded and, without any unnecessary words, threw a punch. It was still the entry-level Harmonious Flow Fist, but its speed was a few points faster than when he faced Wang Yue.

Xu Li gritted his teeth and blocked with all his might. He managed to block five moves, but on the sixth, Wang Shuo's punch landed on his shoulder socket. He staggered back two steps, unable to regain his footing.

"Not bad, better than those flashy moves." Wang Shuo, uncharacteristically, offered a compliment. He then sped up the assessment process, only using three moves each at the entry-level and proficient stages for the remaining disciples, scoring them based on the number of blocked moves.

Xu Li stood to the side, recalling Wang Shuo's lightning-fast punches, his face filled with disbelief. He couldn't even block six moves; how had Wang Yue managed to fight with the senior for so long?

However, his performance had far surpassed those disciples of external clans dressed in fine clothes, and was even more outstanding than some disciples of high-ranking Wang Clan members. Many disciples from the inner courtyard cast envious glances his way.

The last one to take the stage was Wang Qishan.

Wang Yue stood in the corner, intently watching the arena. Wang Qishan was the only one besides himself who had reached the proficient stage of Harmonious Flow Fist. He wanted to see what the strength of this elder's son truly was.

Wang Shuo sparred with Wang Qishan. Initially, he only used the proficient-level Harmonious Flow Fist, which Wang Qishan could barely cope with. However, after ten moves, Wang Shuo suddenly unleashed the minor completion stage of Harmonious Flow Fist. The fist shadows increased dramatically, and Wang Qishan was instantly at a disadvantage, only able to grit his teeth and hold on.

"Hmph, what are you trying to prove by holding on? Putting on a show."

Wang Shuo snorted coldly and no longer held back. He smashed a punch into Wang Qishan's chest, sending him flying off his feet and crashing to the ground. The assessment thus concluded.

Wang Qishan clutched his chest and struggled to get up, his face flushed red, but he dared not utter a word of complaint.

To Wang Yue's surprise, the few Martial Academy disciples who had been standing at the edge of the martial arts field never entered the assessment, merely observing from the side.

"Could it be that the clan has other arrangements for them?" Wang Yue guessed silently but didn't dwell on it.

As he turned to leave, Wang Yue's gaze inadvertently swept across the entrance to the martial arts field, where he seemed to spot a familiar figure. Jiang Peiling, dressed in Martial Academy attire, was standing with a few female disciples, her gaze fixed on the center of the field.

But when he rubbed his eyes and looked again, he only saw Jiang Peiling's retreating back as she turned to leave.

Not long after, Wang Shuo completed the assessments for all disciples and walked to the base of the high platform, cupping his hands towards Wang Hezheng. "Clan Leader, the assessment is complete. The list of selected disciples has been compiled. Please review it."

Wang Hezheng took the list and quickly scanned it. His gaze lingered for a moment on the names "Wang Yue First" and "Xu Li Fifth," then he handed it to Wang Bin beside him. "Announce according to the list and have the selected disciples report to the Martial Academy as soon as possible."

"Yes, Clan Leader!" Wang Bin took the list.

The martial arts field in the back courtyard had returned to its usual tranquility. Wang Yue found a secluded corner, sat down cross-legged, and slowly circulated the Harmonious Flow Fist breathing method.

The Qi and Blood consumed during yesterday's cultivation of the Blood Dragon Secret Method had not fully recovered. He needed to use the breathing method to replenish the deficit. More importantly, the cooldown period for extracting the Martial Soul had just ended today.

"Hoo," Wang Yue exhaled softly, his consciousness sinking into the panel, looking at the list of extractable options. He was momentarily at a loss.

[Black Cloud Fist: Minor Completion Harmonious Flow Fist Breathing Method (can overwrite current proficient level)]

[Blood Cloud Bead: Tier 2 Talent [Pure Blood Body Refining] (incomplete, needs supplementation)]

[Tier 1 Spirit Item - Scarlet Blood Ginseng: Spirit Gift [Strengthen Blood] (one-time use, can increase Qi and Blood capacity)]

[Tier 1 Mid-grade Spirit Item - Good Victory Saber: Martial Soul [Tiger Might Saber] (Great Completion, includes Great Completion Tiger Might Saber Art, Great Completion Tiger Might Breathing Method, Great Completion Tiger Might Footwork)]

Each of the four options had its advantages. Wang Yue rubbed his temples and began to analyze them carefully:

[Strengthen Blood] was a one-time spirit gift that could directly increase Qi and Blood. However, his current Qi and Blood were steadily growing, and he might not immediately encounter a bottleneck. It would be more cost-effective to extract it when he needed to break through;

[Tiger Might Saber] included Great Completion saber art and breathing method, offering a visible increase in strength. But the problem was also the most obvious: he had always practiced Harmonious Flow Fist within the Wang Clan. If he suddenly produced the Tiger Might Saber, which he had never encountered before, and was discovered by the clan, he would have no way to explain its origin. Ten mouths couldn't explain it;

Although he needed the minor completion breathing of Black Cloud Fist, the Pure Blood Body Refining looked even more enticing.

"I'll choose [Pure Blood Body Refining]!" Wang Yue no longer hesitated. He took out the Blood Cloud Bead and silently recited the extraction instructions.

As soon as the words left his mouth, a powerful, invisible force suddenly pierced his body, like fine needles, instantly piercing into his six Qi and Blood.

The next second, Wang Yue felt as if the Qi and Blood within his body were being repeatedly filtered by an invisible sieve. Each filtering was accompanied by bone-chilling pain, as if countless small knives were scraping his Qi and Blood, or as if his meridians were being scorched by a fierce fire. The pain made him convulse, his teeth grinding audibly.

But the invisible force showed no signs of stopping, continuously purifying his Qi and Blood until it was compressed and refined to the limit his body could withstand before slowly dissipating.

Wang Yue was drenched in sweat. The clothes on his back were completely soaked, and sweat dripped down his cheeks, splashing onto the bluestone slabs. This caught the attention of Xu Li, who was practicing his punches nearby.

"Brother Wang, are you alright?" Xu Li hurried over.

Fortunately, the purification process wasn't long. Wang Yue channeled his internal energy and shook his body vigorously. Sweat splattered onto the ground. He forced a smile, "I'm fine. I just had a minor setback during my cultivation. I'll be alright after a short rest."

As he spoke, Wang Yue suddenly felt a lightness in his body, as if a heavy burden had been lifted. His steps became much lighter, even giving him the illusion that he could leap off the ground with a gentle push.

He tried to circulate his Blood Essence. His previously sluggish meridians now felt smooth and seamless. The flow of Blood Essence was nearly twice as fast as before, and the strength in his fists was more solidified.

However, his joy was quickly replaced by worry. He looked inward and found that his six paths of Blood Essence were one-third weaker than before, like compressed cotton flowers, their volume noticeably reduced.

"Looks like I'll need to find a lot of resources to replenish my Blood Essence again," Wang Yue sighed inwardly with resignation. But he soon realized that the power of [Pure Blood Body Refining] hadn't completely disappeared. Instead, it had integrated into his meridians and Blood Essence. Much like [Ox-like Physique], it would accompany him long-term, slowly purifying his Blood Essence.

He took out the porcelain bottle of Blood Replenishing Pills from his pocket, poured out a dark red pill, and popped it into his mouth. The pill dissolved upon contact, and a warm current flowed down his throat into his dantian, slowly nourishing his weakened Blood Essence.

Just then, Wang Yue suddenly noticed that despite the decrease in his total Blood Essence, his strength hadn't diminished at all. On the contrary, due to the improved purity of his Blood Essence, the explosive power in his fists had become even stronger.

"If my Blood Essence recovers to its original volume, my strength might even increase further!"

Wang Yue rejoiced inwardly. He then glanced at his Martial Soul panel. The extraction cooldown displayed "Reset in one month." He silently put away the panel, not wanting to dwell on it.

"Brother Wang, we should go!" Xu Li spoke up from the side, holding a neatly packed bag. "Today is our first day at the Martial Academy. We can't be late."

Wang Yue snapped back to reality. He stood up and brushed the dust off his clothes. His gaze swept over the familiar backyard, where traces of his boxing practice, the shadows of his late-night arduous training, and the days he trained alongside Xu Li could be seen.

"Yeah, it's time to go," Wang Yue nodded, a hint of emotion surfacing in his heart. "This backyard... it's probably the last time we'll be here."