Corpses Everywhere, Blood Flowing into Streams

"Blood and Qi Body Tempering is one of the realms of martial arts. Even if I explained it to a scholar like you, you might not understand."

The big man answered.

"I am very interested in the martial path. What exactly is it? I hope this hero will enlighten me."

Su Que cupped his hands.

Although martial artists could kill scholars with a single punch, those scholars had always looked down on martial artists, believing them to be nothing more than brutes with well-developed limbs.

Su Que's enthusiasm immediately stirred the big man's love of teaching.

"Fine, scholar, I'll tell you!"

"The first realm a martial artist must step into is the Blood and Qi Realm."

"What this realm requires is Blood and Qi Body Tempering."

"First, you must make the blood and qi within your body surge and boil."

"There are several ways to make one's blood and qi surge and boil."

"Cultivating inner energy, taking medicine, medicinal baths, borrowing another person's true qi, and so on—any of these can make the blood and qi surge and boil."

"But the method most martial artists use is cultivating inner energy."

"The other methods are mostly used as support."

"Cultivating inner energy is also called 'Heavenly Man Furnace Building' among us martial artists."

"When one circulates inner energy, it is as though a furnace is built within the body, causing the blood and qi to surge and boil."

"Then, one moves the blood and qi to temper the body's skin, flesh, tendons, bones, and organs!"

"And within the Blood and Qi Realm, there are five levels!"

"The first level is called First Blood Skin Refining."

"After passing this realm, one's skin becomes extraordinarily resilient, and one's strength surpasses that of ordinary people!"

"The second level is called Second Blood Muscle Refining."

"After passing this realm, the physical body surpasses that of ordinary beasts. A single punch is enough to snap a tree!"

"The third level is called Third Blood Tendon Strengthening."

"After passing this realm, the tendons become supple and powerful. A single punch can shatter rock!"

"The fourth level is called Fourth Blood Bone Forging."

"After passing this realm, the bones become exceptionally hard. A single punch can break iron armor!"

"The fifth level is called Fifth Blood Organ Refining."

"Very few people reach this realm—not one in a thousand."

"I've heard that upon reaching this realm, one touches upon a higher level of the martial path and can stand against a thousand-man army clad in heavy armor!"

Having said this, the big man swallowed and continued:

"What's wrong, scholar? Stunned silly, aren't you?"

"I've only given you the rough outline. Its finer points are no simpler than those books you read every day!"

Su Que nodded and began considering his own level of strength.

With his current ability to shatter stone with one punch, his realm, in terms of strength alone, was at the level of "Third Blood."

However, as his mastery of the Seven Injuries Fist rose, his five organs became increasingly resilient and powerful.

Though he had not cultivated inner energy, he had already tempered his five organs ahead of time.

In other words, his current level of strength might be somewhat greater than "Third Blood."

Moreover, from what this big man had said, martial artists all began by cultivating inner energy.

Big Beard must also have cultivated inner energy to reach "Third Blood."

If he himself cultivated inner energy, he would become even stronger.

"Hero, are there realms beyond the Blood and Qi Realm?"

Su Que asked the big man.

The big man scratched his head. "I'm only a Two-Blood Warrior myself. Those who reach the realms beyond are peerless martial experts, fewer than one in ten thousand. They're far too distant from ordinary martial artists. I've never heard of them."

Boom!

As Su Que and the big man spoke, an ear-splitting crash suddenly rang out ahead.

The White Lotus Monk's whisk had collided with Big Beard's Eight Trigram Saber.

The force of their collision formed a gust of wind that spread outward in all directions.

Their battle was extremely fierce. Even if the disciples behind them wanted to help, they could not intervene.

"For this White Lotus fiend to trade blows with Big Beard so evenly, he must also be a Three Blood Martial Artist!"

The big man said as he watched.

Su Que focused his gaze ahead.

This was his first time witnessing a battle between two Three Blood Martial Artists.

His Talent Value was now twelve points, and his comprehension was extraordinary. Even without personally fighting in the field, merely watching from the side caused insights to arise within him again and again.

Whoosh!

Suddenly, he saw the White Lotus Monk flick the whisk in his hand.

The whisk's tail coiled around the Eight Trigram Saber like a flood dragon emerging from the sea, instantly entangling it.

Big Beard wanted to pull back his saber and slash again, but the weapon was firmly held by the whisk.

In an instant, the White Lotus Monk and Big Beard entered a contest of strength.

Su Que's eyes were sharp. He suddenly saw the White Lotus Monk's wrist tremble slightly, and an almost imperceptible flash of white light shot out from the center of the whisk.

Big Beard's eyes abruptly widened, and he violently turned his head. Yet just as his head moved, his body suddenly shuddered.

It seems the White Lotus Monk fired some sort of hidden weapon and struck Big Beard!

Su Que silently judged.

"You..."

Big Beard glared at the White Lotus Monk and had barely uttered a word.

The White Lotus Monk tugged at his whisk. The Eight Trigram Saber, which Big Beard had been gripping tightly, immediately flew from his hand.

A chunk of flesh was also torn from Big Beard's palm by the saber hilt, and blood immediately streamed from his right hand.

"Master!"

Seeing Big Beard lose his weapon, the disciples behind him rushed forward with Eight Trigram Sabers in hand.

The White Lotus Monk flung away the Eight Trigram Saber tangled in his whisk, then immediately thrust forward.

The originally scattered whisk strands suddenly generated a spiraling force, twisting into a helix as they shot straight toward Big Beard's chest.

The White Lotus Monk's hidden weapon had been coated in poison. After being struck by it, Big Beard's movements and reactions became greatly slowed.

When the White Lotus Monk launched his attack, he could not evade it at all. His chest was immediately smashed inward by the whisk.

He spat out blood with a "wah," staining the clothes over his chest red.

His entire body flew backward, crashing into two disciples behind him.

The two disciples immediately broke several ribs from the impact.

Seeing that the White Lotus Monk had won, the other White Lotus Disciples seized the opportunity to surge toward Big Beard's disciples.

Very quickly, Big Beard and his disciples were slaughtered to the last by the White Lotus Monk and his men.

For a time, corpses lay everywhere across the street, and the gathered blood flowed into streams.

The commoners watching from the sidelines saw several lives that had been alive and well moments ago suddenly die such miserable deaths, and fear rose in their hearts.

After killing everyone, the White Lotus Disciples still wore mournful expressions as they hypocritically chanted incomprehensible incantations over the corpses on the ground.

After a while, when the chanting ended, the White Lotus Disciples blew their suonas, shook their bells, sang their doctrine, and swaggered away.

Only then did the Yamen runners come forward, loading the corpses one by one onto carts and pushing them toward the Grave Mound outside the city.

Some of the watching commoners dispersed, while those with stalls continued tending their stalls.

From then on, they feared the White Lotus Sect even more.

Su Que also left with the commoners.

The Yamen men actually did not dare interfere at all. They only dared come out to collect the bodies after the White Lotus Disciples had left.

This world is truly chaotic beyond measure. The imperial court cannot be relied upon at all.

If I want to live peacefully, I'll still have to rely on myself!

As Su Que walked, he thought to himself.