Earth Accumulation Art

Jiang Ping An practiced body arts, so he knew the flow of blood vessels well.

This cultivation method might be somewhat difficult for other cultivators, but it was simpler for him.

As he guided spiritual energy into his blood vessels, they could not withstand that energy and began to swell and burst. Blood seeped out beneath his skin.

After being tempered by the Overlord Body Art, Jiang Ping An felt that this bit of pain was nothing.

An hour later, Jiang Ping An suddenly revealed a stunned expression.

He had originally been at Qi Refining Level 6, but had become Fifth Level of Qi Refining!

What was going on? He had actually dropped an entire realm!

There was actually a cultivation method in this world where the more one cultivated, the lower one's realm became!

If Jiang Ping An had not been planning to abandon the path of a Spirit Cultivator, he would have started cursing in the street by now.

The realm he had worked so hard to cultivate had actually fallen!

Though Jiang Ping An was somewhat depressed, he grew even more curious about this cultivation method and continued cultivating.

In any case, he was planning to give up Spirit Cultivation and specialize in body arts.

Two hours later, Jiang Ping An's face twitched again.

He had dropped another realm.

Qi Refining Fourth Layer.

All those pills he had taken before had gone to waste.

As he became more and more skilled at operating the cultivation method, Jiang Ping An's cultivation level fell faster and faster.

No one would believe it if this got out.

At midnight, Jiang Ping An looked at his cultivation, which had been reduced to only Qi Refining First Layer, and fell into deep thought.

Which senior had been so bored as to create a cultivation method that caused one's realm to fall?

He had actually wasted most of the night on this kind of cultivation method.

Jiang Ping An stopped cultivating and put away the "Earth Accumulation Art."

He would just treat this cultivation method as a keepsake Uncle Meng had given him.

Jiang Ping An sat in meditation to rest, but soon, his brows knitted tightly.

Why was this inn's soundproofing so poor? The snoring next door, the sound of guests downstairs turning over, the waiter yawning, the sound of energy circulating within Little White outside the door...

No!

Jiang Ping An abruptly opened his eyes.

It was not poor soundproofing! His hearing had improved!

Why was his hearing so sharp?

Normally, he could only hear this clearly when he gathered spiritual energy in his ears... Wait! Spiritual energy!

Jiang Ping An suddenly thought of something.

Although his realm had fallen, the energy inside his body had not decreased!

Under normal circumstances, as a cultivator's realm increased, the amount of spiritual energy stored in their body would increase as well.

And cultivators of lower realms would undoubtedly have less spiritual energy in their bodies.

Yet after his realm fell, his spiritual energy had not decreased at all!

In other words, although he was now at Qi Refining First Layer, his spiritual energy reserves were the same as when he had been at Qi Refining Level 6!

Jiang Ping An raised his hand and cast the Fireball Art.

"Whoosh~"

A huge ball of flame appeared in his hand.

Jiang Ping An's eyes widened. It was actually even more powerful than the Fireball Art he had cast before!

The source of spiritual energy was actually the spiritual energy within the blood in his body!

Jiang Ping An was filled with shock. "What kind of cultivation method is this 'Earth Accumulation Art'?"

Suddenly, he sensed something, and his face darkened.

Downstairs, three black-clad men appeared at the entrance of the inn amid the night.

"That white horse is here, so that person must be here too!"

The most rotund black-clad man said in a low voice, "Go in and ask where those two are. Kill the man and keep his Storage Bag. Drug the woman unconscious."

Although this man wore black, his body shape had already exposed his identity.

There was no one fatter than Zhang Ling in all of Minghai City.

Earlier that day, when Zhang Ling saw Meng Jing, endless desire rose in his heart. It was the first time he had ever seen such a beautiful young girl.

He had been pondering whether to secretly snatch the girl away until he saw the youth take out a Foundation Establishment Pill, which solidified his resolve.

Anyone who could casually take out a Foundation Establishment Pill had to be rich.

Even if they were not rich, that treasured blade and that adorable young girl alone were worth making a move over.

The two black-clad subordinates entered the inn, held blades to the owner's neck, and asked in low voices:

"Are two young people staying here? The man is handsome and the woman is beautiful. Which room are they in?"

The owner did not dare hide anything and replied tremblingly, "Room Two, Heaven Grade."

Zhang Ling snapped the owner's neck, then turned and said softly, "Uncle Zhao, those two may be cultivators. Be careful."

One black-clad man said casually, "Young Master, don't worry. They are only two children. The three of us are at Qi Refining Tenth Layer. Dealing with the two of them will be effortless."

"Besides, the medicine we bought this time will reduce a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator's combat strength by more than half if inhaled, much less them."

No matter how strong that youth was, even if he was said to be in the Foundation Establishment Realm, the three of them were at Qi Refining Tenth Layer. They had prepared special medicine and were launching a sneak attack. How could their target fight back?

What was more, that youth could not possibly have reached the Foundation Establishment Realm.

It could be said that their target had no chance of victory.

Arriving before Room Two, Heaven Grade, the black-clad man called Uncle Zhang gently poked a small hole through the window and blew the specially made knockout drug into the room.

The three took the antidote to the knockout drug and waited quietly for a cup of tea.

One black-clad man used the Remote Object Manipulation Art to quietly open the door bolt.

The three moved with practiced skill and extreme caution. One look was enough to tell that they had done this sort of thing often.

Zhang Ling swallowed and impatiently pushed open the door, entering the room.

Candlelight flickered. Upon the sandalwood bed lay a petite, delicate body, so enticing.

Meng Jing hugged her sword, drool dripping from the corner of her mouth as she slept soundly.

At the sight of that peerlessly beautiful youth, Zhang Ling's heart nearly leaped from his chest. Beautiful, truly too beautiful!

The more than ten women he had could not compare to even one of the other's toes!

Now, this woman was his!

Suddenly, Zhang Ling thought of something and swept his gaze around the room. Where had that youth gone?

Zhang Ling heard movement behind him. Just as he was about to activate a spell, his body suddenly stiffened, and intense pain shot through his neck.

Plop~

A round, rotund head fell to the ground.

Before Zhang Ling lost consciousness, he saw the other two corpses that had fallen, as well as that youth with the indifferent expression.

How was this possible? All three of them were at Qi Refining Tenth Layer, yet they had been silently assassinated.

Who exactly was this youth? An assassin? Why had he noticed their arrival? Why was he so strong? Why had his body suddenly stiffened just now?

Zhang Ling died, filled with countless doubts and unwillingness before death.

He was the City Lord's son. He had more than ten women and countless riches, yet he would never have the chance to enjoy any of it.

"Stupid Woodhead, what happened?"

Hearing the sound of a head falling to the ground, Meng Jing murmured her question without opening her eyes. She felt extremely tired and could not open them.

"Nothing. I accidentally kicked something while going to the toilet."

After dealing with the three men, Jiang Ping An's mood did not fluctuate much.

He swiftly tossed the corpses into his Storage Bag to prevent the smell of blood from becoming too strong.

"Stupid Woodhead..."

Meng Jing turned over and muttered before continuing to sleep.

Jiang Ping An found the medicine the three had taken earlier and stuffed it into Meng Jing's mouth.

"When traveling outside, danger lurks everywhere. You must remain vigilant at all times. It would be best to buy some special talismans, though those talismans seem rather expensive."

Talismans were expensive, and buying them made his heart ache. Later, he would see whether he could learn to make them himself.

He had previously found a copy of the "Rune Basics Encyclopedia" in the bandits' den on Great King Mountain. When he had time, he would study how to draw runes.

Jiang Ping An sat in the corner and briefly took stock of the supplies.

More than three thousand Spirit Stones, thirty-five Qi Gathering Pills, and a bottle of Spirit Gathering Pills used by Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators for cultivation.

The status of Spirit Gathering Pills was equivalent to the Blood Spirit Pills used by Martial Masters. They were extremely valuable to low-level cultivators.

The most valuable item here was a Foundation Establishment Pill.

Seeing this Foundation Establishment Pill, Jiang Ping An's expression turned strange.

It seemed to be the one he had sold that morning.

By that calculation, he had gained a blade for nothing.

The rest were all junk, and Jiang Ping An's current wealth no longer made him care about them.

He had used the Treasure Accumulation Basin to duplicate many Foundation Establishment Pills. Each one was worth ten thousand Spirit Stones.

After sorting and storing everything properly, Jiang Ping An swallowed a Spirit Gathering Pill he had looted and began cultivating the "Earth Accumulation Art."

The name of this cultivation method was ordinary beyond ordinary, but it was absolutely not as simple as it seemed.

Cultivating this art could actually make all spiritual energy fuse into the blood, and the energy stored at Qi Refining First Layer was comparable to Qi Refining Level 6!

If he returned to Qi Refining Level 6, he would definitely become even stronger!

He suspected that this cultivation method was not truly called the "Earth Accumulation Art" at all. Its name had most likely been casually changed to conceal the cultivation method.