Muscle Realm, Three-Pronged Vajra Scepter

Even so, Li Cunxiao listened intently as Zhang Yuelu explained her insights on breakthroughs.

Preparation could never be too much; he wouldn't let his guard down just because he had treasures.

After giving some more pointers, Zhang Lishi looked at his daughter once Li Cunxiao had left the study.

"How was it?"

Zhang Yuelu sighed, "Only today do I understand how difficult it is for you, Father."

"The families in the city all have their own agendas, and the senior disciples within the sect are all calculating. The escort agency appears majestic, but in reality, it's a delicate balance where pulling one thread moves the entire tapestry."

"Yet, we can't do without these people. Dad, when will Senior Disciple Brother return?"

"Before the autumn hunt. Although he's no longer a youth, when it comes to clashes among the younger generation, he needs to make an appearance."

Zhang Lishi stroked his beard with his right hand and suddenly asked:

"What do you think of Ye Chengxiao?"

Zhang Yuelu pouted, "His judgment is clouded by lust; he'll likely stumble at Senior Sister Xiao's hands."

Zhang Lishi chuckled, "Young people are full of vigor; it's not surprising."

"I had high hopes for him before. Although we now have Li Cunxiao, keeping him around is still a good move to keep the Ye family in check."

"Then, Yue'er, what do you think of Li Cunxiao?"

Zhang Yuelu was about to answer when she noticed the smile in her father's eyes and immediately became vigilant:

"Dad, you promised me that after I broke through to the Muscle Realm, you'd let me choose my own marriage. A dignified Great Escort, going back on his word?"

"Oh, my good daughter, Dad isn't..."

"There are distinctions in strength even among martial arts."

Li Cunxiao threaded demon meat for roasting, reviewing the questions he had asked Zhang Lishi today.

Martial arts begin with "Seed Demon"; martial arts without the Demon Seduction Method are considered unranked.

Among ranked martial arts, they are further divided into low-grade, mid-grade, and high-grade.

The Tiger Demon Fist is a top-tier low-grade martial art. Its strengths lie, first, in its complete cultivation methods for the Blood Qi Realm, which can build a solid foundation.

Second, its breakthrough method is relatively gentle, at most damaging vital energy, and if it fails, one can recover and try again.

For example, the Pure Yang Sixteen Hands obtained from the Green Snake Gang, once failed, attempting to cultivate it again is a pipe dream; one would suffer physical dismemberment with no chance of recovery.

Within the Inner City, apart from the Three Great Families, the martial arts of other families have such problems, which is why Zhang Lishi can be so influential.

Third, the Tiger Demon Fist grants demonic and monstrous powers upon breakthrough to the second realm: Steel Muscles and Iron Bones.

The second realm, Muscle Realm, has three minor stages: Tendons, Bones, and Skin, corresponding to tendons and fascia, bones, and skin and fur respectively.

During body tempering, there isn't a situation where tendons, bones, and skin are trained separately. Therefore, the strength of a Martial Artist isn't measured by separate Tendon, Bone, or Skin stages, but by how many stages are perfected, which is what is meant by First Training, Second Training, and Third Training.

The Tiger Demon Fist's "Steel Muscles and Iron Bones" enhances both the Tendon and Bone stages within the Muscle Realm.

After breaking through to the second realm, not only is the progress in cultivating these two stages faster, but combat power is also far superior to ordinary martial artists.

It is often said in the martial world that "an inch of tendon length adds ten units of strength," and also that "stronger bones lead to stronger tendons," illustrating their connection. Steel Muscles and Iron Bones grant immense strength; this is the hallmark of the Flying Tiger Escort Agency's fame.

Moreover, tigers are creatures of extreme Yang, beasts that can sleep on snow in the dead of winter. The increase in a martial artist's strength by augmenting their body with this tiger demon is immense.

As for the ultimate technique, the Minor Yaksha Saber Art, he only knew it was a mid-grade martial art. Zhang Lishi didn't elaborate further, clearly deeming it not yet time.

"Once you break through to the Muscle Realm and become an inner disciple, you'll naturally have opportunities to learn more."

Li Cunxiao saw that the meat was cooked and swallowed it in one gulp.

Glancing at the empty bag beside him, he thought to himself that seven hundred taels really didn't last long. As the demon meat released warmth in his stomach, he reverently took out a crystal bottle the size of a fist from his chest.

The crystal bottle was finely crafted, transparent inside and out, revealing a special amber-colored medicinal wine within, and a worm egg soaking in the wine.

The shape of a Tiger Worm could be vaguely seen, and it seemed to be wriggling slightly.

"This great medicine for the Tiger Demon Fist is truly terrifying."

The light of the Vajra Scepter continued to grow, and soon, even the last trace of dimness was covered, emitting a brilliant golden radiance.

Li Cunxiao gritted his teeth, uncorked the bottle, and swallowed the worm egg.

His mouth felt a slippery, disgusting sensation, like a bursting soup dumpling, but Li Cunxiao dared not be distracted. Soon, a scorching medicinal power erupted like a volcanic eruption, and a terrifying feeling surged into his heart.

His flesh and blood seemed to come alive and riot!

Tendons, bones, and flesh, all at once, seemed to receive fertilizer and grew ravenously. Li Cunxiao's body swelled like an inflating balloon, his skin turning red-hot, his veins turning black, as if he would explode with a slight poke.

Fortunately, Li Cunxiao had received guidance from Zhang Yuelu and knew this was merely an illusion caused by the surge of blood qi. He immediately drew a short knife beside him, aimed at several specific acupoints on his body, and stabbed them a few times—

A fountain of blood spurted out over a foot high!

Li Cunxiao, naked, instantly became a bloody mess, but his aura did not weaken; instead, it seemed to reach a subtle balance as the pent-up blood qi was released.

This was the greatest danger during the Tiger Demon Fist breakthrough. The so-called "bone marrow cleansing and blood replacement" involved the great medicine supporting the hematopoietic function to surge to a superhuman level, using demonic power to cleanse the bone marrow.

The success of bone marrow cleansing hinges on capturing this subtle balance, visualizing a demonic entity, and even settling it in one's heart, transforming the illusory false demon into a true demon.

If too much time passes, the medicinal effects wear off, and bleeding isn't stopped in time, the martial artist will die from excessive blood loss.

If the timing was seized but clarity couldn't be found within the limits of body and mind, instead truly submitting to the visualized demonic entity, then the potent Blood Essence would instantly spiral out of control, leading to a direct explosion and death!

Of course, this was the worst-case scenario.

Li Cunxiao was a cautious person. Ever since he learned of the dangers of the Demon Seduction Method, he no longer entertained thoughts like, "I'll just try it, what if I don't need the Vajra Scepter?" or "The Vajra Scepter should be saved for breaking through later stages."

At this very moment, as his vision turned increasingly blood-red, the divine general on the distant diagram twisted into a blood flame fierce tiger, and the intense negative emotions from the Tiger Worm's medicinal effects crashed against his mind wave after wave. His body was weak from blood loss, yet it ached and tingled due to the transformation deep within his bone marrow. Without any hesitation, he reached for:

The Vajra Scepter!

BOOM!!!!

An unprecedented sensation, like a waterfall crashing down from above, instantly cleared Li Cunxiao's mind. Frenzy, worry, tension—all emotions vanished, leaving his heart as calm as a lake.

Within the clear, mirror-like lake of his heart, a mass of crimson mist twisted and coiled, eventually forming a blood flame tiger demon. It leaped down from his spiritual platform and dispersed into his entire bone marrow.

Its haste was as if it were fleeing from something. Li Cunxiao even saw the blood tiger turn back, almost humanly, before it dissipated. Seeing this, he couldn't help but turn his head back as well, and was stunned.

On the Vajra Scepter, the light hadn't dissipated as before. Instead, it converged towards both ends, growing like specks of golden sand, molding the originally single-pronged spike into three venomous dragons, spitting out coiled forks from their mouths, which ultimately converged into a single point.

A Three-pronged Vajra Scepter?

It had upgraded?!!