Blood Refining Method

The Squad Leader's authority and Zhou Han's explicit support brought tangible benefits.

The fifty soldiers under Chen Qing's command were quickly outfitted with brand-new iron armor, issued sufficient strong bows and crossbows, and their daily meat rations were significantly increased. Zhou Han even specially approved some basic body-tempering medicinal herbs. While they had little effect on Chen Qing, they were enough to give Old Niu, Sun Quezi, and other veterans who had been stuck in the Skin Refining Realm for years a glimmer of hope for a breakthrough, motivating them to train even harder.

Chen Qing himself gained greater autonomy. He no longer needed to participate in daily patrols and chores, only needing to focus on training his own men and being ready to execute assault missions directly ordered by Zhou Han.

He dedicated more time to exploring and integrating his own power.

His late-stage Bone Forging Realm cultivation, combined with the slightly accomplished Fierce Tiger Iron Body, had brought his physical strength to an astonishing level. Ordinary blades could barely wound him, his stamina was immense, and his recovery rate was monstrous. However, he also clearly felt that the progress of the Fierce Tiger Iron Body had significantly slowed down.

Relying on the mixed fierce energy and qi and blood absorbed from battlefield combat, though plentiful, was of inconsistent quality, and the refining efficiency was decreasing. To quickly break through to the "Mastery" realm, or even to attempt the Meridian Condensing Realm, he needed a purer, more massive source of energy.

He set his sights on the three Qi and Blood Condensing Pills he had never used, as well as a small bottle of Hundred Refinements Blood Pills that Zhou Han had privately gifted him. The latter had a more potent effect and was a common pill for Meridian Condensing Realm martial artists.

"Perhaps... I can try that method."

Chen Qing recalled some fragmented information that had appeared in his mind after achieving slight accomplishment in the Fierce Tiger Iron Body. It mentioned an extremely perilous cultivation method—Blood Refining.

It wasn't simply about swallowing pills, but using oneself as a furnace and fierce energy as fire to refine multiple berserk energies simultaneously, seeking rebirth and breakthrough amidst extreme pain and destruction. This method was a one-in-nine-lives gamble, but success yielded immense rewards.

The night was deep.

Chen Qing set up simple wards within his Squad Leader's tent and sat cross-legged in the center. Before him lay three dragon-eye-sized Hundred Refinements Blood Pills, deep red bordering on black, along with the three Qi and Blood Condensing Pills.

Without the slightest hesitation, he first swallowed the three Qi and Blood Condensing Pills.

The familiar scorching torrent exploded within his body. However, instead of guiding it to gently nourish his physical form as usual, he abruptly circulated the Fierce Tiger Iron Body!

BOOM!

The fierce energy, like ignited fuel, instantly boiled! It was no longer a gentle embrace but transformed into countless fine, icy black flames, scorching and tearing at the immense medicinal power! Pain like a tsunami swept over him, far exceeding any previous experience!

Chen Qing's face instantly turned deathly pale, veins bulging on his forehead, his body trembling uncontrollably. But he held his mind steady, controlling the berserk process with an incomparably resilient will.

Once the medicinal power and fierce energy reached a dangerous initial balance, a fierce glint flashed in his eyes, and he unhesitatingly popped all three Hundred Refinements Blood Pills into his mouth!

If the Qi and Blood Condensing Pills were a torrent, then the Hundred Refinements Blood Pills were a breaching magma flow!

An even more berserk, more scorching energy, almost bursting him, erupted violently within him! Three energies of different natures, yet equally potent, clashed and collided wildly within his body!

Sizzle! Sizzle! Sizzle!

On his skin's surface, capillaries burst, oozing not bright red blood, but a viscous liquid containing black-red fierce energy! His muscles twisted and knotted, his bones groaned under the unbearable strain, as if they would completely disintegrate at any moment!

[Simultaneously refining multiple berserk energies, Fierce Tiger Iron Body proficiency +100! Qi and blood violently clash, meridians damaged!]

[Warning! Host is in extreme danger!]

The system's prompts became urgent.

An aura of destruction permeated the tent.

Chen Qing felt as if he had been thrown into the furnace of purgatory, every inch of his flesh and every fraction of his soul being repeatedly crushed and forged. The negative emotions contained within the fierce energy were like the whispers of ghosts, frantically assaulting his consciousness, tempting him to give up, to embrace utter madness and destruction.

"Roar--!"

An irrepressible, inhuman growl was forced from the depths of his throat. His eyes turned blood-red, black and red light flashing wildly in his pupils, almost losing his sanity.

Just then, the Mastery-level Black Tiger Fist intent, and the similarly-sourced Black Tiger Saber Technique true intent, seemed to be stimulated and began to circulate spontaneously!

No longer specific techniques, but a deeper level of "intent"! An overbearing will of a king of beasts looking down upon the world, suppressing all, acted like a stabilizing needle, forcibly steadying his mind, which was on the verge of collapse!

Concurrently, at the great dragon of his spine, the unified qi and blood hub, guided by the Black Tiger True Intent, began to vibrate at a mystical frequency! It was as if an invisible giant black tiger had awakened within his body, opening its massive maw and devouring the clashing, rampaging energies!

The fierce energy and medicinal power, under the unification of this overbearing true intent and the vibration of the spinal qi and blood, began to be forcibly compressed, purified, and fused!

The pain remained, even intensified, but it was no longer mere destruction. Instead, it carried a tragic meaning of breaking and then establishing, of moving towards life from the brink of death!

The black-red liquid seeping from his body began to solidify, forming a dark red, scab-like shell that encased him entirely. Beneath the shell, his body was undergoing earth-shattering changes.

The black-red patterns on his bones became deeper and more complex, like natural runes. His skin and membranes grew tougher, faintly exuding a metallic sheen. Qi and blood flowed through his meridians, no longer purely scorching, but carrying a hint of the fierce energy's coldness and ferocity, yet maintaining a strange balance under the command of the Black Tiger True Intent.

After an unknown amount of time, as the first ray of dawn's light pierced through the gaps in the tent.

Crack... Crack...

Cracks appeared on the surface of the dark red shell, which then shattered violently, turning into dust and dissipating.

Chen Qing slowly opened his eyes.

His pupils regained clarity, though the hint of dark red deep within seemed more refined. His aura was contained, yet the invisible pressure he exuded was more than several times stronger than before!

He moved his body, and a muffled, thunder-like explosion sounded from within. He clenched his fist slightly, and the air itself produced a sonic boom, his strength feeling incredibly full.

[Successfully completed Blood Refining, Fierce Tiger Iron Body proficiency +800! Qi and blood purity increased, Black Tiger True Intent further awakened!]

[Fierce Tiger Iron Body proficiency has reached 5000/5000, realm advancement: Mastery (0/)]

[Cultivation advancement: Bone Forging Realm (Peak)!]

Mastery! Peak Bone Forging Realm!

Feeling the utterly different power within him, and the fierce energy that was now more like an extension of his own will, Chen Qing let out a long breath of turbid air that carried a hint of blood.

The method of Blood Refining was indeed perilous, and indeed effective!

He looked at the system interface. Besides the advancement in realm and Fierce Tiger Iron Body, a small annotation had appeared behind Black Tiger Fist and Black Tiger Saber Technique: "(True Intent Initial Awakening)".

He understood that this adventure was not just about breaking through in cultivation techniques and cultivation levels, but more importantly, it truly touched the core of his ancestral Black Tiger martial arts—that domineering, suppressing true intent! This true intent seemed to be the crucial reins for controlling the fierce beast that was the Fierce Tiger Iron Body.

Just then, hurried footsteps and Zhao Tie's deliberately lowered voice came from outside the tent:

"Squad Leader Chen! Urgent military intelligence! The Captain has summoned all officers at the Squad Leader rank and above to the main army tent for an immediate meeting!"

A sharp glint flashed in Chen Qing's eyes.

The storm was finally coming, wasn't it?

He stood up, changed into a clean uniform, and hung the ring-pommel saber at his waist.

Perfect, he would use this newfound strength to face the turbulent waves of this chaotic era.