Daliang.
Outside Black Stone City.
In a deserted little grove, a streak of azure light moved according to Fang Xi's thoughts, performing all kinds of difficult maneuvers.
Whoosh, whoosh!
Within a radius of several dozen zhang, Sword Qi pressed menacingly against the air. One could vaguely see a sword shadow shaped like a green leaf darting back and forth through the woods. Wherever it passed, branches were sliced apart as easily as tofu, revealing smooth cross-sections.
Puff!
The sword even pierced effortlessly into a section of blue stone, penetrating three inches deep with peerless sharpness.
A moment later, the 'Green Grain Sword' appeared before Fang Xi, swimming through the air like a green fish.
He reached out and beckoned, catching the hilt of the Green Grain Sword. Muttering to himself, he said, "As expected, the circulation of magical power is somewhat sluggish in several places. It isn't a problem with the Object Control Art, but with flaws in the array markings of the artifact itself!"
Every Cultivator knew the Object Control Art. It was considered the knack for controlling magical artifacts.
For those high-end flying swords, there might even be specialized sword arts to match.
But Fang Xi obviously couldn't have anything like that.
Even the Object Control Art alone required him to spend tremendous effort cultivating it.
Of course, in the past, without a magical artifact, he wouldn't have been able to cultivate it at all.
At this moment, holding the Green Grain Sword, Fang Xi truly felt that it would be hard to find an opponent in all of Black Stone City.
"Controlling a sword gives me the same thrill as flying a model aircraft in my previous life. Even if I spend all my spirit stones, it'll still be worth it."
After forcibly convincing himself that he hadn't lost out, Fang Xi set the Green Grain Sword aside and began practicing his punches!
"White Cloud Palm!"
During this period of cultivation in the Southern Barrens, he had felt the Blood Qi in his body becoming easier and easier to control. Tonight, he had finally reached the brink of a breakthrough!
Bang, bang!
Fang Xi moved his palms like flying and viciously struck an ancient cypress before him.
Smack!
Bark flew everywhere, and a clear palm print appeared.
Fang Xi withdrew his palm and stood upright, sensing the Blood Qi in his body slowly stirring under his control.
"Huff, huff!"
He breathed heavily as copious sweat emerged across his body and rapidly evaporated.
"I finally broke through. Blood Qi Transformation One!"
Fang Xi's eyes shone brightly.
He could feel his blood flowing slightly faster. Within his limbs and bones, an indescribable force was surging.
It wasn't blood, but something even more profound—the power of Blood Qi!
With the enhancement from this layer of Blood Qi Power, the skin, bones, tendons, and muscles throughout his body had all been strengthened to a certain degree!
"My entire body has been strengthened, but the most important part is still my hands!"
Fang Xi looked at his hands. He could confirm that ordinary mortal blades would probably have to be wielded with considerable force to cut through his skin.
"As expected, the strengthening from Blood Qi Martial Arts is still different from that of the Cultivation World."
He was extremely satisfied. If Blood Qi Transformation One was already like this, then there was no need to mention the changes after the Second Transformation and Three Changes of Qi and Blood.
Once Martial Hall Master reached that realm, he would truly take flight, becoming comparable to a Body Refining Cultivator in the Qi Refining Stage.
It could also save him a great deal of body-tempering resources!
The next day.
Fang Xi followed behind Mu Piaomiao into the White Cloud Martial Arts School.
The White Cloud Martial Arts School was located in the western part of Black Stone City, nestled among a residential district and appearing exceptionally secluded.
Though it was called a martial arts school, it was actually just a large courtyard. The front courtyard housed apprentices who had paid to learn martial arts, while the rear courtyard was where Mu Canglong's family lived.
"Senior Disciple Sister!"
"Senior Disciple Sister!"
It was clear that Mu Piaomiao was very popular here. Many disciples greeted her along the way.
With a smile on his face, Fang Xi followed Mu Piaomiao into the rear courtyard.
"This time, my father decided to accept you as a formal disciple because your talent is outstanding!"
Mu Piaomiao turned around, a hint of envy seemingly in her eyes. "I seem to have misjudged you before as well. To break through to Blood Qi Transformation One in less than a month... You definitely have talent in martial arts."
As she spoke, she seemed somewhat puzzled and muttered under her breath, "The entry standards for Yuan He Mountain are already this high?"
In her eyes, Fang Xi's aptitude already qualified him as a minor prodigy.
Fang Xi had no intention of explaining. Following Mu Piaomiao into the rear courtyard, he saw Mu Canglong seated in a Grand Tutor's chair.
Several sharp-aura disciples stood beside Mu Canglong, attending him.
He held a purple clay teapot with an air of complete composure and was drinking tea directly from its spout.
"Greetings, Master!"
Fang Xi stepped forward, bowed, and presented the apprenticeship gifts prepared by the old steward, A Fu.
"Hmm."
Mu Canglong unhurriedly took a sip of tea. "You broke through Blood Qi Transformation One within a month. Perhaps your body is exceptionally compatible with the White Cloud Palm martial art. Practice diligently, and don't disappoint this talent of yours."
"Thank you, Master."
Fang Xi bowed once more before straightening.
"At the White Cloud level, cultivating the White Cloud Palm mainly involves using sandbags to train palm strength. However, after reaching Blood Qi Transformation One, you can add some new training methods."
Mu Canglong curled his lips. A broad, thickset disciple with an honest-looking face immediately walked onto the training ground and plunged both hands into an iron pot filled with burning iron sand.
"Forging Method! This is the cultivation method for the Second Transformation of Qi and Blood. At the same time, it must be combined with the special secret medicine and incantation of the martial arts school."
Mu Canglong began explaining.
While he spoke, the disciples behind him listened attentively.
Seeing this scene, Fang Xi felt the corner of his mouth twitch.
Clearly, even some formal disciples had never received such detailed instruction. They probably learned most of it from their senior brothers and sisters.
Only when they encountered a wealthy patron like him could they mooch off their master's lessons!
Mu Canglong had many matters to attend to. After telling Fang Xi to return and train on his own, he went back into the house.
Mu Piaomiao, meanwhile, introduced Fang Xi to his fellow senior and junior disciples.
Mu Canglong had quite a few formal disciples. Mu Piaomiao was the Senior Disciple Sister. Besides her, there were Second Senior Brother Wu Ji, Third Senior Brother Tang Xuan, Fourth Senior Sister Liu Taotao...
Third Senior Brother Tang Xuan was the person who had demonstrated the Forging Method just now.
As for Second Senior Brother Wu Ji, he was an exceptionally handsome young man with a very amiable smile.
Fourth Senior Sister was plain-looking, but her long legs were extraordinarily alluring.
As for the other senior and junior disciples, Fang Xi took a cursory look at them and secretly committed them to memory.
"Junior Brother, to train your palm strength, it would be best to add medicinal liquid to the iron sand as well."
Mu Piaomiao stared fixedly at Fang Xi, as though she were looking at a golden mountain.
Sure enough, Fang Xi raised his hand with extraordinary boldness. "Let's buy a hundred portions first, just in case!"
Hiss!
As expected, a chorus of sharp intakes of breath immediately rang out around them.
"Junior Brother Fang is certainly rich and imposing." Liu Taotao's eyes sparkled. If Mu Piaomiao hadn't been there, she seemed as though she might pounce on him the next moment.
"With sufficient financial resources, and with the medicinal liquid, Junior Brother might be able to reach for the Second Transformation of Qi and Blood within three months." Mu Piaomiao's tone revealed no emotion as she continued showing Fang Xi around the martial arts school.
After walking around once, Fang Xi seemed somewhat listless. "I wonder if there's a faster way to cultivate the White Cloud Palm? I heard... the martial arts school seems to have access to Demon Meat?"
"Junior Brother certainly has well-informed sources."
Mu Piaomiao glanced at Fang Xi in surprise, then shook her head and said solemnly, "In martial arts, one must not aim too high. Demon Meat is still far too dangerous for you..."
After a pause, she leaked a little more information. "The martial arts school only occasionally obtains Demon Meat through a channel in the black market. Usually, it's reserved for Father's own cultivation. At most, it's used occasionally when breaking through a bottleneck at the Three Changes of Qi and Blood..."
Upon hearing this, Fang Xi immediately looked at Mu Piaomiao.
This Senior Disciple Sister was an expert at the Three Changes of Qi and Blood. There was no doubt that she could come into contact with Demon Meat.
He wondered whether the demons of the Great Liang World were actually the same as the Yao Beast Meat of the Cultivation World.
His pockets had already been emptied in the Cultivation World, but even so, he had no intention of transporting Demon Meat there to sell.
After all, in the Great Liang World, once he drew his flying sword, he would even dare to fight Mu Canglong.
But in the Cultivation World's Southern Barrens, he was still a little novice. He still had to keep a low profile.
As a result, his conduct in the two worlds was utterly different.
However, Senior Disciple Sister is still underestimating me.
Fang Xi thought to himself.
According to his estimation, if he trained in the Cultivation World, his speed in breaking through the Second Transformation and Three Changes of Qi and Blood would be astonishing.
By then, he would naturally come into contact with the Demon Meat resources.
That would be much safer than painstakingly plotting for them.
It simply required a little time to ferment.
He was still young, and he was a Cultivator besides. He had the patience to wait.
Southern Barrens Cultivation World.
Winter passed and spring arrived.
The snow around Green Bamboo Mountain had completely melted, revealing a lush green landscape brimming with vitality.
In the bamboo forest, Fang Xi wore only a coarse cloth shirt, seemingly no longer minding the chill of early spring at all.
Muscles bulged across his body, giving him an exceptionally masculine and well-defined appearance. His Blood Qi surged vigorously, and compared with the frail youth he had once been, he looked like an entirely different person!
"After a year of hard work, the Jade Bamboo Rice is ready to harvest as well."
Looking at this six-fen plot of bamboo forest, Fang Xi was filled with the joy of an old farmer bringing in a bumper harvest.
This spirit rice was sown in summer and fertilized in autumn. It had to endure the trials of an entire winter before being harvested in spring, making it entirely different from ordinary crops.
After a year of diligent labor, he estimated that he could harvest two to three dan of spirit rice. The yield was fairly good.
Not only that!
Through cultivating day and night—and perhaps because the Spiritual Energy of the Southern Barrens Cultivation World was abundant—his progress in Blood Qi Martial Arts had advanced by leaps and bounds.
By now, he had long since broken through the Second Transformation of Qi and Blood, and was only one step away from the Three Changes of Qi and Blood!
Once I reach the Three Changes of Qi and Blood, I'll be able to come into contact with the Demon Meat resources.
Fang Xi gazed at the bamboo forest, somewhat lost in thought. "Perhaps I should join some circles in the Cultivation World as well, and explore channels for selling Demon Meat in the future..."
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