Azure Bird Scroll

Breaking through to the Viscera Refining Realm isn't that easy.

Each realm in the Martial Path has a difference as vast as heaven and earth.

Entering the realm is merely the beginning of cultivating Blood Essence, opening and strengthening the meridians within the body.

Viscera Refining, however, allows one to gather the Blood Essence within, causing a transformation, and automatically forming a cycle. From then on, the Blood Essence circulates throughout the body, continuously tempering the body's bones, muscles, and flesh.

Under the state of Blood Essence activation, one can even achieve a body of bronze skin and iron bones, making them difficult to injure with swords and blades!

To go from refining Blood Essence to Blood Essence forming a cycle, this step has stumped countless martial artists without heritage or guidance from a master, forced to rely on their own exploration.

Many rural families, in order to cultivate a martial artist at the Viscera Refining Realm, might need to spend generations of exploration before their descendants could finally break through to the Viscera Refining Realm and above, becoming a local influential family.

However, crossing this step is incredibly difficult for others.

But for Yang Qingyun, it wasn't that difficult.

After all, in his previous life, he had already broken through once.

This time, he only needed to follow the established steps, accumulate enough Blood Essence, and strengthen his internal meridians to a certain extent. With a thought, the Viscera Refining Realm could be considered a natural progression for him.

It had only been a month or two since he began cultivating anew, and he had already reached the Peak of the Entering Realm.

This speed, for other martial artists, could be considered astonishing!

Even some direct disciples of major powers, or even the children of Grandmasters, might not be able to achieve such a cultivation speed!

However, it was precisely because his realm had improved so rapidly

that Yang Qingyun had some concerns.

His Dantian and meridians had not been tempered by Blood Essence for long enough.

His meridians and Dantian might not be able to withstand the surging Blood Essence after breaking through to Viscera Refining, nor the powerful pressure generated by the Blood Essence circulating within his body!

This could potentially lead to bodily damage!

Therefore, Yang Qingyun decided to slow down a bit, and cultivate for another month or two, waiting for his Dantian and meridians to be sufficiently strengthened through the tempering of Blood Essence.

However, just as Yang Qingyun was about to step into the Viscera Refining Realm, someone else had already advanced to Viscera Refining.

That person was Zhou Weilong!

"Brother Zhou, congratulations on your breakthrough!"

In the courtyard, Yang Qingyun and Zhou Weilong sat facing each other.

Yang Qingyun cupped his fist in congratulation and said with a smile.

Not long after receiving Yang Qingyun's pills and guidance on the subsequent path, Zhou Weilong had gone into seclusion.

And not long ago, he had finally broken through to the Viscera Refining Realm in one go!

Perhaps the Viscera Refining Realm is only considered a third-rate master in the Southern Wilderness martial world of the Chu Kingdom, not worth mentioning.

But in a small place like Huangshi Town, it can already be considered reaching the heavens in a single step!

Even if it's just third-rate, he is still a master, someone who ranks among the notable figures!

He has already reached the pinnacle of Huangshi Town!

If not for the conflict between the Sifang Society and the Black Tiger Gang, establishing a great enterprise here would not be a problem.

"I feel like I've lived these past ten-plus years in vain. If not for Brother Yang's help, I would have likely been buried and died in obscurity, with no chance to glimpse the marvels of this realm."

Zhou Weilong sighed deeply.

However, the excitement in his eyes was evident.

Anyone who had been stuck at the Peak of the Entering Realm for many years, thinking they had no chance and were ready to give up, only to be helped by a benefactor and step into the new world they had always dreamed of, experiencing the realm they had always longed for.

It was natural for him to be excited.

"Thank you, Brother Yang, for this second chance at life!"

As he spoke, Zhou Weilong stood up and bowed deeply to Yang Qingyun.

Yang Qingyun then rose and gently pressed him down.

"No need to be so polite, Brother Zhou, you flatter me. This was merely a casual effort on my part."

Yang Qingyun shook his head slightly.

He had a decent impression of this man.

The fact that he would go to Black Wind Mountain to reason with the Black Wind Bandits for a disciple, and to seek justice for a group of weak and innocent civilians, was enough to show his character.

Although the other party also had ulterior motives, wanting to build some reputation from this to make his Weilong Martial Arts School a family legacy.

At least, he actually did it!

If the other party had been a little stronger, and able to defeat that Golden-Eyed Leopard, perhaps his past self could have been saved then.

Otherwise, his past self's path would have been cut off, leading to a miserable fate of wandering and hardship.

"Brother Yang's casual effort is a debt of gratitude as heavy as a mountain to me!"

Zhou Weilong shook his head.

However, under Yang Qingyun's persistent persuasion, he eventually sat back down.

"By the way, besides thanking Brother Yang, your elder brother has something important to discuss."

"What is it?"

"It's about that incident years ago when a fiery bird descended outside the city, and the Black Tiger Gang obtained a mysterious object from it."

Zhou Weilong said with a solemn expression.

"Your elder brother recently learned from a Black Tiger Gang captive that what the Black Tiger Gang Leader Shi Meng obtained from that mountain back then was a scroll, burning with crimson flames, depicting a seemingly living azure bird!"

"No one knows how that scroll appeared, but it was found in the mountain amidst a raging fire, completely undamaged by the flames, which is extremely strange!"

"One could even suspect that the culprit behind that mountain fire was likely that very scroll!"

"The Black Tiger Gang captive was one of the elites who first rushed into the volcano and witnessed the scene firsthand."

"But later, due to the smoke and heat, he accidentally stepped on a loose rock and fell to the bottom of the mountain, which fortunately saved his life."

"Because everyone who rushed in first and saw that painting was killed by the Gang Leader who arrived later."

"At that time, he crawled up from the foot of the mountain and happened to witness the killing. He hid himself, and with the fierce flames raging, he luckily escaped. However, after fleeing back, he never dared to mention this matter again. It wasn't until he was captured a few days ago. After breaking through, my status in the Sifang Society rose, so I thought of casting a wider net and secretly interrogated these individuals who were already scheduled for execution. I never expected to actually uncover such a significant lead."

"A scroll burning with crimson flames, depicting a large azure bird?"

Upon hearing this, Yang Qingyun frowned slightly.

Immune to water and fire, and even the Black Tiger Gang Leader personally killed everyone who had witnessed the scene.

Such mystery...

It was likely an extraordinary treasure!

What could it be?

Yang Qingyun fell into thought. He vaguely recalled that in his past life, whether it was the old era or the new era, there were some mystical arts in the martial world.

However, he had mostly interacted with low-level martial artists, and the path of mystical arts seemed to be only a legend among martial artists of higher realms after the Spiritual Qi Resurgence.

Before Yang Qingyun could speak, Zhou Weilong added solemnly.

"Brother Yang, if I'm not mistaken, Hall Master Feng's visit this time might also have this as his target!"

Thanks to Brother Yang's help, I was able to advance to the Viscera Refining Realm, and I'm considered somewhat mid-to-high level in the Sifang Society, which has given me the qualification to know some secrets.

"From Hall Master Feng, it seems the Great Dragon Head of the Sifang Society, like you, has been sending people to search for local legends and oddities."

"Not long ago, Hall Master Feng instructed me that if I could find any unusual rare treasures, the Great Dragon Head would offer a generous reward."