Greater Blood Essence Pill

"This is our Life-Slaying Martial Hall's Subduing Tiger Bone Refining Method. Junior Brother Li may review it often in the future, but remember not to pass it on to others."

"This Greater Blood Essence Pill is potent, but its medicinal properties are violent. Most newcomers need to train for at least ten days before taking it. Junior Brother, be careful when you take it."

"As for this medicinal bath packet, simply steep it in boiling water for half an hour, then pour it into the bath. Its medicinal properties are much gentler than the Greater Blood Essence Pill's. Two taels per packet. If you have plenty of spare money, Junior Brother, you can buy more. One bath a day will help you complete Skin Refining faster."

After finishing his explanation, Yu Xiangyang set everything directly on the stone table in the courtyard.

"Junior Brother can inspect and use these things tonight. Next, I'll teach you how to cultivate the Subduing Tiger Bone Refining Method."

With that, he stripped off his outer clothes, leaving only a pair of shorts and exposing his lean, powerful torso, thighs, and calves.

"Our Life-Slaying Martial Hall's Subduing Tiger Bone Refining Method is said to refine the bones, but in truth, it contains the complete methods from Stance Training to bone refining."

After saying that, Yu Xiangyang demonstrated the Crouching Tiger Stance move by move, then began guiding Li Xijun through it.

However, he had not expected Li Xijun to learn so quickly. He mastered virtually every stance movement after seeing it once.

In only a short while, he had already completed an entire set of the Crouching Tiger Stance.

Your Subduing Tiger Bone Refining Method proficiency has risen from Beginner 0% to Beginner 5%.

Yu Xiangyang, watching from the side, was stunned.

Li Xijun, meanwhile, silently considered it for a moment before shaking his head slightly.

The effect was decent, but when it came to increasing Blood Essence, it was inferior not only to his Azure Dragon Heaven-Reaching Method, but even to the other six basic methods.

"Junior Brother, you've practiced Stance Training before. No wonder your Blood Essence is so abundant."

Yu Xiangyang understood what was going on as well, though he did not find it particularly strange.

These days, martial halls in Jinmen did not prohibit students from bringing prior training with them. Besides, Li Xijun had paid five hundred taels of silver—he was an Inner Disciple!

"Since Junior Brother has learned Stance Training before, progress will be even easier. I just wonder whether Junior Brother wants to continue learning the Crouching Tiger Stance, or should I directly teach you the Tiger Demon Bone Refining Fist for Skin Refining?"

"I can skip learning the Crouching Tiger Stance?" Li Xijun asked.

"Ah, the Stance Training of most martial halls is more or less the same. It's all for building up Blood Essence to 'refine' the skin, flesh, tendons, and bones. The true core lies in each school's refinement methods. The Tiger Demon Bone Refining Fist is the essence of our martial hall."

This gave Li Xijun an even clearer understanding of what mattered most in this world's martial arts, and he immediately nodded.

Yu Xiangyang leaped backward into the more open space beneath a large tree in the courtyard. He began demonstrating the Tiger Demon Bone Refining Fist as he explained,

"Our Life-Slaying Martial Hall's Tiger Demon Bone Refining Fist has seventy-two forms. The first twenty-four refine the skin and flesh, while the latter forty-eight refine the tendons and bones. I'll demonstrate the entire set once, then focus on practicing the first twenty-four forms."

"Watch carefully for the changes in my skin and flesh while I 'refine' them."

One taught while the other learned.

The day quickly passed.

By the time the setting sun painted the sky blood-red in the evening,

Li Xijun, who had likewise bared his upper body and thighs, suddenly hunched his back and spread his legs. The muscles in his thighs and calves trembled. Power rose from the ground and surged through both legs. In an instant, his Blood Essence churned, and the muscles and fascia in his legs tightened with a faint crack.

He then kicked off the ground and lunged forward. The force and Blood Essence rushed up into his upper body, like a fierce tiger pouncing from its lair.

This was one of the movements in the Tiger Demon Bone Refining Fist.

After landing, Li Xijun continued practicing without pause. He felt the muscles in his legs, back, abdomen, and limbs growing hot and burning, while his skin and fascia suffered a continuous scorching sting. This only made him focus and exert himself harder. His breath came forcefully, his internal energy churned, and his Blood Essence boiled. He rose, stepped forward, and struck through the air with hands shaped like tiger claws.

The sound of tearing air rang sharply through the courtyard.

Li Xijun felt the muscles and fascia throughout his body trembling from the blow, while his Blood Essence was driven into a violent, scorching circulation. It gave him a sensation that was both agonizing and exhilarating.

Yu Xiangyang, who had previously demonstrated the Tiger Demon Bone Refining Fist with full vigor,

was now unconsciously leaning against a nearby wall, beginning to doubt himself. Especially whenever he looked at Li Xijun practicing in the courtyard, his eye would twitch.

After today's teaching, the more he taught, the more alarmed he became.

At first, he had assumed Li Xijun was merely a wealthy student returned from studying abroad, one who had perhaps learned some Stance Training overseas.

But when the man learned fist techniques, he practically remembered everything after one glance and mastered it after one lesson. Correct him once, and he would never make the same mistake a second time. He only kept improving, improving, and improving!

Genius. Junior Brother Li is definitely the kind of genius that only exists in storybooks!

I have to build a good relationship with him!

I'll observe him for a few days. If his character is good, I'll ask Master to take a look at him.

That night,

after telling Yu Xiangyang that he lived elsewhere, Li Xijun returned to his home on Blue Star.

He had already filled the bathtub with hot water and poured in the steeped medicinal bath packet. Then he submerged himself completely.

"Ah~~~~ So comfortable!"

The muscles torn and damaged during his Tiger Demon Bone Refining Fist practice, along with the skin and fascia 'refined' by his Blood Essence, were continuously repaired and strengthened as the medicinal effects seeped in. Li Xijun felt warm all over, indescribably comfortable.

After the bath,

Li Xijun practiced the Azure Dragon Heaven-Reaching Method for a while before bed as usual. This time, he noticed that the speed at which his Blood Essence increased had become slightly faster.

Others might not have been able to sense it, but with Spirit Refining and Orifice Opening, he could perceive the difference very clearly.

"No wonder Senior Brother Yu thinks Stance Training is unimportant. The refinement method is what matters most."

"This kind of martial refinement method may be somewhat brutal, but every improvement it brings is significant."

"My Blood Essence hasn't directly improved, but the muscles and fascia throughout my body have been greatly strengthened through refinement."

"As long as the medicinal bath can keep up with the nourishment my skin and flesh need after refinement, then refining my skin and flesh will not only fail to hinder my Blood Essence cultivation—it will actually help it."

Once Li Xijun realized that his stamina had more or less recovered, he did not stop cultivating to order Pin Hao Fan this time. Instead, he took out the Greater Blood Essence Pill he had prepared beforehand and swallowed it in one gulp.

"Hiss—!"

Li Xijun could not help sucking in a cold breath as he felt a ball of fire suddenly ignite in his Wei.

Next, as he cultivated the basic cultivation method, he felt the violent medicinal power take effect, entirely different from the gentle and easily absorbed Blood Essence Potion.

A burst of raging flame burned fiercely inside him, rolling through his body like flowing magma.

Yet accompanying this pain was a powerful, domineering medicinal force that continuously drove his Blood Essence to arise and circulate. Li Xijun kept cycling the Azure Dragon Heaven-Reaching Method, absorbing the energy and nourishing his body.

It was not until two-thirty in the morning, after he had finally digested all of the medicinal power and felt that he had already touched upon Blood Essence Level 6, that Li Xijun slowly exhaled a breath of scorching air.

"This Greater Blood Essence Pill really packs a punch!"