The moon shone bright, and the stars were sparse.
Wang Yuan deftly climbed through the window into the Small Courtyard.
No longer hesitating, he took out the bottle of Qi and Blood Pills Senior Disciple Brother Shi Long had given him. He tipped out a pill the size of a longan, crimson-red in color.
The pill felt warm in his hand and gave off a rich medicinal fragrance.
He raised his head and swallowed it.
The pill melted the moment it entered his stomach, instantly transforming into a torrent several times fiercer than Monster Beast Meat or Nourishing Origin Soup, exploding through his body.
The pure medicinal power was like wild horses breaking free of the reins, charging toward his limbs and bones.
Wang Yuan did not dare slacken. Following the first-layer diagrams of the Chasing Wind Leg, he began silently practicing in the cramped courtyard.
Taking the stance, lifting his leg, twisting his hips, exerting force...
His movements were still somewhat stiff at first.
But he possessed Dragon Tendon Tiger Bone, granting him control over his body far beyond that of ordinary people, while the Qi and Blood Pill supplied a vast reserve of energy.
As a result, his qi and blood flowed incomparably smoothly, and he could scarcely feel the slightest obstruction.
The dragon tendons gave his legs exceptional flexibility and explosive power, while the tiger bones provided a robust foundation of qi and blood and steadfast stability.
He focused his mind, guiding that blazing torrent of qi and blood to precisely strike and nourish the specific meridians and acupoints in his legs.
Once, twice, three times...
His movements grew faster and faster. His legs swept through the air in streak after streak of afterimages, stirring faint whispers of wind.
The newly born Rock-Solid Qi and Blood within him seemed to form some marvelous resonance with the qi-and-blood circulation route of the Chasing Wind Leg, each promoting the other.
No one knew how much time had passed. When the eastern sky finally showed the faintest, almost imperceptible sliver of pale dawn,
Wang Yuan felt his legs grow light, as though a thousand-pound burden had been lifted from them.
A nimble sensation of qi, swift as the wind, naturally arose from the soles of his feet and circulated between his legs.
It was as distinct as the waters of the Jing and Wei Rivers from his originally steady Rock-Solid Qi and Blood, yet faintly echoed it.
He suddenly shot forward in a burst, his figure far faster than before by more than a single measure!
He landed soundlessly beside the courtyard wall, making almost no noise at all.
Chasing Wind Leg, first layer, Entry Stage!
Feeling that nimble qi sensation flowing through his legs and the surging power within them,
A flicker of delight flashed through Wang Yuan's eyes.
With Dragon Tendon Tiger Bone and sufficient resources to support him, his cultivation speed truly was astonishing!
He glanced at the sky, then at the steady breathing drifting from his family's rooms, and slowly withdrew his technique.
After staying awake all night and enduring battle after battle, followed by cultivation,
Even with his physique, he felt a trace of exhaustion. Yet greater than that was the fulfillment and joy of growing stronger.
Moving house, growing stronger, protecting his family...
The road ahead had become ever clearer.
Time flowed like water, and seven days passed in the blink of an eye.
Within Panshi Fist Academy, a piece of news spread without wings. Like a stone cast into a tranquil lake, it stirred ripples upon ripples.
Wang Yuan, the new True Disciple taken in by Academy Master Zheng Shan, had cultivated the Panshi Fist to the Entry Stage and successfully nurtured his own qi and blood in only seven days.
Entry Stage in seven days!
This news caused an enormous stir among the ordinary outer academy disciples, who were still painstakingly laying their foundations and worrying over the examination three months away.
Many among them had not even touched the threshold of qi and blood.
They trained until their entire bodies ached every day, yet their progress was negligible.
And Wang Yuan had taken only seven days!
"Seven days... I still haven't even gotten my fist stances straight..."
"When people are compared to people, it makes people furious! Is a High Grade Bone Structure truly this terrifying?"
"I heard several of those who failed to reach the Entry Stage have already been persuaded to leave over the past few days... Sigh!"
Astonishment, envy, and even threads of jealousy flowed through the various whispered conversations.
At that moment, the gap in talent between people appeared so naked and cruel.
Zheng Shan had deliberately concealed the truth that Wang Yuan had reached the Entry Stage in one afternoon, claiming only that it had taken seven days.
Yet even so, it was enough to shock everyone and cement his reputation as a "genius."
At that moment, however, Wang Yuan's own feelings in the inner academy were even deeper.
Over the past seven days, not only had he stabilized the first layer of the Panshi Fist, and his qi and blood grown increasingly robust,
He had also relied on the advantages of Dragon Tendon Tiger Bone and the aid of Qi and Blood Pills to cultivate that copy of Chasing Wind Leg to Minor Accomplishment in its first layer.
His legs were nimble and powerful, his speed greatly increased, forming perfect mutual support with the steady Panshi Fist.
He could clearly sense that his qi and blood had already filled to a critical point.
Like a reservoir filled to the brim, it needed only an opportunity to break through the barrier and complete the First Blood Change!
Moreover, both his Rock-Solid Qi and Blood and Chasing Wind Qi and Blood had reached their critical points at the same time.
This meant that once he successfully completed the Blood Exchange, his foundation would be far more solid and profound than that of a martial artist who underwent Blood Exchange with only a single technique.
That evening, Zheng Shan summoned Wang Yuan to a secluded Quiet Room in the inner academy.
At the center of the Quiet Room stood an enormous wooden barrel half the height of a person.
It was filled with thick, dark-green medicinal liquid, from which fine bubbles rose with soft gurgles.
A bitter medicinal odor so dense it seemed impossible to dissolve mingled with the bloody stench of some Monster Beast blood, filling the entire room.
A hazy mist faintly rose from the surface of the medicinal liquid, a sign that its essence energy was overflowing.
"Your qi and blood has reached Perfection. Tonight, you will undergo your First Blood Change here."
Zheng Shan's expression was solemn.
"This medicinal bath was brewed from several precious herbs together with the essence blood of a second-rank Monster Beast, the Crimson Flame Python. Its medicinal nature is domineering, and it can help you cleanse your marrow and transform your qi and blood."
"The process will be extremely painful. You must guard your mind firmly, circulate the Panshi Fist mental method, and guide your qi and blood to strike the barrier!"
Wang Yuan looked at the rolling medicinal liquid. He could sense the immense energy contained within it, and he nodded solemnly.
"This disciple understands!"
Zheng Shan then instructed Zheng Ying, who stood waiting at the side.
"Ying'er, make a trip to the Wang Family in Bluestone Alley. Tell them that Wang Yuan is entering seclusion for cultivation in the academy tonight and will not be returning. Tell them not to worry."
"Yes, Father."
Zheng Ying accepted the order and departed.
Only Zheng Shan and Wang Yuan remained in the Quiet Room.
"Remove your outer clothes and enter the medicinal barrel."
"No matter how painful it becomes, you must not leap out halfway through!" Zheng Shan gave his final warning.
Following his instructions, Wang Yuan removed his gray training clothes, leaving only a pair of shorts. He took a deep breath and stepped into the rolling medicinal liquid.
Sizzle!
The instant he entered, an unimaginable burning pain surged from every pore across his body.
That dark-green medicinal liquid seemed to come alive, crazily burrowing into his body.
It was not merely his skin. That scorching, domineering power directly penetrated his tendons and bones, charging deep into his marrow.
"Urgh!"
Wang Yuan let out a muffled groan. Veins instantly bulged across his forehead, and his teeth ground together with loud creaks.
He did not dare slacken. He immediately sat down cross-legged and steady, forcing himself to ignore the agonizing pain as he circulated the qi-and-blood method of the Panshi Fist with all his strength.
Boom!
The robust qi and blood within him, which had long reached its critical point, erupted like ignited explosives under the stimulation and guidance of that tyrannical medicinal power.
The qi and blood that had once flowed tamely instantly became violent, like wild horses breaking free of the reins, rampaging through his meridians.
In the end, it gathered into a torrent and launched a savage assault against that first heavenly chasm.
Before you continue