Secret Chamber Cultivation, Third Stance, Nine Strands of Qi and Blood

The next morning, ten days later, the streets of Changyun County had returned to their usual liveliness. The cries of vendors and the chatter of citizens mingled, creating a vibrant atmosphere.

Wang Hezheng, dressed in a dark blue long gown, walked slowly along the street, his gaze sweeping over the shops and pedestrians. For the past ten days, he had personally patrolled the county town every day, observing the condition of the people and confirming whether the Refining Essence into Qi Great Formation had any impact on ordinary individuals.

As it turned out, the formation was indeed as Xu Weiwu had said, only drawing in free-floating essence. The citizens had rosy complexions and were full of vigor, showing no abnormalities. The worry that had weighed on his heart for days was finally lifted.

Returning to the ancient, simple mansion behind the Wang Clan Ancestral Hall, Wang Hezheng pushed open the door to the main house. Xu Weiwu was sitting in a grand armchair, idly playing with a black token. Seeing him enter, a slight smile touched his lips. "Hezheng, you've been patrolling every day these past few days. You must be relieved now, right? How could I lie to you? This formation causes no harm to the common people of the world."

Wang Hezheng walked over and sat opposite him, a hint of shame on his face. Previously, due to the matter with the Zhao Kingdom, he had been quite displeased with Xu Weiwu and was full of doubts about the Refining Essence into Qi Great Formation, even questioning Xu Weiwu multiple times. Now, it seemed he had been mistaken and had misunderstood the man.

"I was being overly worried. Please don't hold it against me, Brother Xu," Wang Hezheng said, cupping his hands.

Xu Weiwu waved his hand and placed the black token on the table. The front of the token was engraved with the words "Refining Essence," while the back bore a complex dragon pattern, exuding a unique solemnity characteristic of a sect. "It's alright. If it were me, I would have doubts too. This is the token to control the Refining Essence into Qi Great Formation in Changyun City. With this token, you can adjust the formation and check the aggregation of essence. The control authority is second only to my Dragon Transformation Sect's token."

He pushed the token towards Wang Hezheng, his tone solemn. "Remember to keep it safe. Do not lose it, nor let outsiders know about it. From now on, the formation in Changyun City will be entrusted to you."

Wang Hezheng looked at the black token on the table, his heart filled with emotion. He knew that to gain this "control," Xu Weiwu must have put in considerable effort within the sect. In the past, the Dragon Transformation Sect had mostly controlled the Wang Clan remotely, only sending disciples to convey instructions when matters arose. Now, handing over control of the formation was a sign of trust and a way to tie the Wang Clan firmly to the Dragon Transformation Sect's ship.

"Brother Xu, thank you," Wang Hezheng said, taking the token with both hands and carefully tucking it into his embrace. The token felt cool to the touch, as if imbued with a strange power that made the Qi and Blood within his body stir slightly.

Xu Weiwu's smile gradually faded, and his tone became serious, with a hint of warning. "Hezheng, you must understand that in the past, the sect mostly turned a blind eye to your Wang Clan. Even when giving benefits, they never considered you as one of their own."

"But now it's different. You have received benefits from the sect, not only gaining essence from the great formation but also obtaining the Nine Revolutions Dragon Transformation Force. From now on, your Wang Clan will be regarded as part of the Dragon Transformation Sect."

He paused, looking sharply at Wang Hezheng. "If the sect issues an order, whether it's to deal with the Zhao Kingdom or other forces, your Wang Clan must respond with all your might. Do you understand?"

Wang Hezheng's heart tightened. He knew Xu Weiwu was reminding him that there was no such thing as a free lunch. The more benefits the Wang Clan received, the greater the responsibilities they would have to bear in the future. Once the sect issued an order, the Wang Clan would have no room for refusal.

"I understand." Wang Hezheng nodded solemnly. "Since the Wang Clan has received the sect's favor, we will naturally follow the sect's lead from now on, without any objection."

Seeing that he understood his meaning, Xu Weiwu's face broke into a smile again. "It's good that you understand. If you hadn't risked your life to save me in the Broken Dragon Mountain Range back then, I wouldn't be where I am today. This is all I should do. There's no need for polite words."

He stood up and adjusted his clothes. "The sect is currently building a secret realm to gather and refine essence, which will be used to store the essence gathered by the great formations in each county town. I need to go back and lend a hand, I can't stay any longer."

"If everything goes smoothly, before spring next year, countless Refining Essence into Qi Great Formations will likely be constructed within the Great Chang Territory. At that time, both sect disciples and forces affiliated with the sect will benefit from it." Xu Weiwu's tone carried a hint of longing, as if he could already see the future prosperity of the sect.

Wang Hezheng stood up to see him off. "Brother Xu, travel safely."

"Take care." Xu Weiwu waved his hand, turned, and walked out of the mansion. His dark figure soon disappeared at the alley entrance.

After Xu Weiwu had completely departed, Wang Hezheng withdrew his gaze. Holding the black token, he turned and walked towards the storage room behind the mansion, where the Wang Clan stored the essence they received from the formation.

Pushing open the door to the storage room, a dense surge of essence greeted him. Dozens of stone slabs, previously buried, were embedded in the floor and walls of the room. Between the cracks of the slabs, a mist-like pure essence drifted. Just standing in the storage room, Wang Hezheng could feel the Qi within him subtly stirring, as if it wanted to break free from the confines of his meridians and merge with the surrounding essence.

He took out the Nine Revolutions Dragon Transformation Force that Xu Weiwu had given him earlier, walked to the center of the storage room, and sat down on a futon. He spread the secret manual open, his gaze falling on the characters on the pages, and slowly closed his eyes, immersing himself in cultivation. The surrounding pure essence, as if guided, slowly converged towards his body, entering through his pores and circulating along his meridians, blending with his own internal force. With the assistance of this essence, his cultivation speed for the Nine Revolutions Dragon Transformation Force increased several times compared to before. Wang Hezheng mused that the Zhao Kingdom, which had long established this formation and distributed it across the land, was likely stronger than Great Chang now.

The door to the storage room slowly closed, completely isolating the clamor of the outside world. Only the faint sound of essence flowing and Wang Hezheng's steady breathing could be heard.

In the evening, at the Wang Clan Martial Academy.

Wang Yue stood shirtless, sweat trickling down the grooves of his back, dripping onto the bluestone tiles and creating small damp patches. He had just finished cultivating the Blood Dragon Secret Method. The eight strands of Qi and Blood within him had been largely depleted, and a sense of fatigue permeated his limbs and bones, but his eyes shone with an astonishing brilliance. He had touched upon the threshold of the third stance of the Blood Dragon Secret Method and was only a few steps away from fully mastering it.

"If I master the first level of the Blood Dragon Secret Method, my Qi and Blood can double. How much Qi and Blood will I have then?" Wang Yue couldn't help but imagine. Such a total amount of Qi and Blood would undoubtedly be considered top-tier even among disciples of major sects. "Perhaps at that time, I can even contend with the peerless prodigies of sects throughout the world!"

However, his imagination was quickly interrupted by reality. He rubbed his throbbing temples and sighed helplessly. "It's still the lack of resources. Cultivating the Blood Dragon Secret Method consumes too much Qi and Blood. If I had an unlimited supply of elixirs and medicinal soups, my progress could be several times faster."

He smacked his lips, savoring the memory of the bottle of high-grade Blood Replenishing Elixir. "Right, alchemy?" A thought suddenly popped into his mind, but he immediately dismissed it. "I don't even recognize the medicinal ingredients, and I want to refine elixirs? It's simply wishful thinking, but... if there's a chance in the future, it might be worth trying."

Just as he was sorting out his thoughts and preparing to fetch a bucket of water to wash himself, a familiar voice called out, "Kid, come with me! Something big is happening!"

Wang Yue looked up and saw Wang Shuo walking quickly towards him, an unusual excitement on his face, as if he had found a treasure.

"Something big?" Wang Yue was puzzled but still followed Wang Shuo's steps. "Senior Brother, what exactly is it?"

Wang Shuo, however, played coy, only saying, "You'll know when you get there. I guarantee you won't be disappointed!"

The two walked through several quiet alleyways and arrived in front of the Clan Leader's mansion. Wang Yue looked at the stable, silver-thread-like line of essence at the mansion's entrance, which was slowly sinking into the ground. He had a vague premonition. Could it be related to the Refining Essence into Qi Great Formation?

Upon entering the mansion, he found Wang Daoling and several high-ranking disciples of the Wang Clan already waiting in the courtyard. Their faces were filled with confusion, clearly unaware of why they had been summoned.

"The Clan Leader suddenly called us here, perhaps to give us a lecture?" a disciple dressed in brocade robes muttered softly, nervously glancing around. Wang Daoling, on the other hand, was relatively composed, standing quietly to the side, his gaze fixed on the depths of the mansion, as if contemplating something.

Not long after, Wang Hezheng emerged from the direction of the storage room. He had just finished his cultivation and still carried a faint aura of essence. Seeing Wang Yue and the others, his expression turned serious, and his voice was low. "From now on, everything you see and hear must be kept strictly confidential. If anyone dares to spread even half a word, it will be considered treason, and you will be dealt with according to clan rules!"

If you find this book to be good, remember to add it to your bookshelf to avoid losing it next time.

As the words fell, Wang Hezheng suddenly exuded a pressure like a giant mountain. The pressure was heavy and vast, making Wang Yue's chest feel tight, almost suffocating him.

Wang Daoling stood in place, his expression calm, seemingly unaffected by the pressure. Clearly, the patriarch trusted Wang Daoling more.

The other senior disciples fared even worse. Their faces were as pale as paper, and their bodies trembled uncontrollably, as if they would collapse at any moment.

Just as everyone was about to buckle, Wang Hezheng suddenly withdrew the pressure, as if retracting an invisible mountain. Everyone instantly breathed a sigh of relief, gasping for air.

He took out the black formation control token from his embrace and lightly swept it in front of Wang Yue and the others.

Wang Yue's pupils contracted sharply. He clearly saw a very, very thin silver thread extend from the token, precisely linking to his wrist like an invisible shackle.

Can this thing track my whereabouts? Wang Yue's heart sank.

This was undoubtedly another ingenious use of the Refining Essence into Qi Great Formation. As long as they were within the formation's coverage, Wang Hezheng could find them through the token, even sense their condition.

Although Wang Daoling and the other disciples couldn't see the thread, they could feel a strange connection, their faces filled with confusion.

"Follow me." Wang Hezheng didn't explain and turned to walk into the secret chamber. Wang Yue and the others quickly followed, their curiosity growing even stronger.

Pushing open the door to the secret chamber, an aura of essence so dense it was almost tangible rushed out. Wang Yue was instantly dumbfounded. Inside the chamber, streams of transparent essence drifted in the air like a thin mist. Wang Yue could see these essences clearly, even the subtle energy particles contained within them.

The Blood Dragon Secret Method within his body began to operate unconsciously. Qi and Blood surged through his meridians, emitting roars of desire, as if wanting to break free from his body and devour the free-floating essence.

Wang Hezheng walked ahead, sensing the disturbance behind him. He looked back at Wang Yue a few times with confusion. He seemed to feel a faint trace of the Dragon Transformation Sect's cultivation aura from Wang Yue, but upon closer inspection, it vanished. He dismissed it as an illusion.

Although the others couldn't see the form of the essence, they could faintly feel a warm energy enveloping their bodies, causing the Qi and Blood within them to stir slightly. This was because a large amount of essence had gathered, forming an imperceptible energy field.

"Go inside." Wang Hezheng stood at the entrance of the secret chamber, stepping aside to clear the path. His tone was calm, "Although the essence in the secret chamber can aid cultivation, it also contains human distractions. If you feel agitated while cultivating, come out immediately and do not force yourself. You can all enter this place to cultivate in the future. Remember not to be greedy for quick progress, lest you suffer qi deviation."

Those senior disciples and Wang Daoling were stunned, their faces filled with shock. They had never imagined that their clan possessed such a treasure trove! With such a cultivation environment, breaking through realms would be effortless.

Wang Yue understood. This was undoubtedly the essence gathered by the Refining Essence into Qi Great Formation. He suppressed his excitement and was the first to step into the secret chamber. Wang Daoling followed closely, and the others hurried to catch up, their eyes filled with anticipation.

The interior of the secret chamber was larger than it appeared from the outside, about the size of several ordinary rooms. There were private rooms with stone slabs. Wang Yue chose a room and stood in place.

The body's craving for essence could no longer be suppressed. He sat down cross-legged, actively circulated the Blood Dragon Secret Method, formed hand seals, and the Qi and Blood within his body, like hungry beasts, began to madly devour the surrounding free-floating essence.

His Qi and Blood, which had been mostly depleted, recovered at a visible rate. In just half an incense stick's worth of time, it returned to its peak state.

He didn't stop, continuing to convert essence into Qi and Blood, channeling it into the cultivation of the third form of the Blood Dragon Secret Method.

This... it can actually balance income and expenditure! Wang Yue was greatly surprised. He discovered that when he cultivated the Blood Dragon Secret Method in the secret chamber, the consumed Qi and Blood could be replenished by the essence in real-time. Not only was there no deficit, but there was even a surplus. This meant he could cultivate the Blood Dragon Secret Method here indefinitely without worrying about running out of Qi and Blood!

What he didn't know was that his top-tier root bone talent gave him a Qi and Blood conversion speed far exceeding that of ordinary people. Moreover, the complete essence of Harmonious Flow Fist could automatically break down the distractions within the essence, allowing him to cultivate without needing to defend against interference, naturally making his cultivation efficiency far superior to others.

And his extraordinary comprehension talent allowed the moves of the Blood Dragon Secret Method to continuously evolve in his hands, one change after another, at an astonishing speed.

What originally took several days to master was now skillfully executed in the time it took for a single stick of incense to burn, with the boost from the essence.

The Qi and Blood within his body were also accumulating, showing signs of a breakthrough.

"Buzz..."

About an hour later, a rumbling sound suddenly came from within Wang Yue's body. The ninth strand of Qi and Blood, like the newly born morning sun, slowly rose in his meridians, standing shoulder to shoulder with the other eight strands, emitting a powerful aura!

At the same time, the last move of the third form of the Blood Dragon Secret Method was also completely mastered. The cultivation progress bar instantly filled up. The third form of the Blood Dragon Secret Method was complete!

Wang Yue didn't stop, continuing to circulate the cultivation method, attempting to break through to a higher realm. However, after a short while, he felt a strange thought swirling in his mind, making him restless. This was the distractions within the essence beginning to accumulate. Even with the suppression from the complete essence of Harmonious Flow Fist, it couldn't be completely eliminated.

I can't force it. Wang Yue decisively stopped cultivating and slowly opened his eyes. As he stood up, he realized his clothes were soaked with sweat.

He pushed open the door of the secret chamber and walked out. As soon as he reached the outer room, he met the gazes of Wang Daoling and the others. They looked at Wang Yue as if he were a monster, their eyes filled with disbelief.

Wang Yue had just broken through to the ninth strand of Qi and Blood, and his aura had not yet fully converged. The powerful Qi and Blood fluctuations were like an invisible pressure.

Wang Hezheng also noticed the change in Wang Yue, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. He couldn't help but exclaim inwardly, This child's talent is so high! He's even stronger than I was back then!

Wang Hezheng didn't know this was the combined effect of his transcendent comprehension and top-tier root bone talent.

He suppressed his shock and said calmly, "That's all for today. You can all go back and rest. Come back here to cultivate in three days."

Everyone cupped their fists in acknowledgment and turned to leave the patriarch's mansion.

As Wang Yue walked on the road home, after turning a corner into an alley, a figure suddenly emerged from the shadows. It was Wang Hezheng.

"You've condensed nine strands of Qi and Blood?" Wang Hezheng looked at him, his tone calm but with a hint of imperceptible praise.

Wang Yue's heart tightened, and he quickly lowered his head and cupped his fists. "Yes, Patriarch. My breakthrough today is entirely due to the family's cultivation and your discerning eye, which gave this junior the opportunity to cultivate in the secret chamber."

Wang Hezheng rolled his eyes and his tone became serious. "From today onwards, you can come to the secret chamber to cultivate every night. You don't have to wait three days. With your complete Harmonious Flow Fist, you can resist the distractions within the essence, unlike them. Your cultivation efficiency will be much higher."

He paused and added, "Remember, only after your Qi and Blood reaches the limit your body can accommodate should you attempt to condense force. Don't rush for success. With a solid foundation, the road ahead will be longer."

"Also, your praise was too stiff!"

"This junior will remember the Patriarch's teachings!" Wang Yue replied awkwardly.

Wang Hezheng said no more and turned, disappearing into the night, leaving Wang Yue standing in place, his heart filled with excitement. With the essence from the secret chamber to assist, how much faster would the Blood Dragon Secret Method progress!