Blood Exchange

Jiang Liu lived in a small courtyard. Early this morning, Wang Zhuang came looking for him to spar.

Ever since Wang Zhuang began Bone Tempering, Jiang Liu had not sparred with him. Today was their first time.

Half a month before Guanyin's Birthday, Jiang Liu had already completed Bone Tempering. Whenever he recalled that moment—the sensation of his qi and blood flowing through his entire body—he still felt refreshed all over.

Now, when Jiang Liu threw a punch, he no longer needed to deliberately circulate his qi and blood for it to gather around his fist. Once activated, his qi and blood formed a protective layer around his entire body, as though he were wearing a suit of armor. This was the key sign that his Bone Tempering had been completed throughout his body, as well as the embodiment of Bone Tempering combat power.

Now, when Jiang Liu sparred with Wang Zhuang, he could fight him to a standstill without deliberately circulating his qi and blood. He merely allowed his qi and blood to circulate automatically and gather around his fists. Anyone who had begun Bone Tempering could do the same when circulating their qi and blood.

After fighting for a quarter of an hour, the two stopped. Wang Zhuang was the one who called it off. He looked at Jiang Liu, who had not broken a sweat, then at himself, drenched in perspiration. He was speechless. We fought for ages, but he didn't even feel it. What's the point of fighting? Meanwhile, his own hands were faintly aching.

"Jiang Liu, tell me honestly. How far along are you in Bone Tempering?" Wang Zhuang asked, staring seriously at him.

"Actually, I've already completed Bone Tempering!" Jiang Liu said, slightly embarrassed.

The moment Wang Zhuang heard that, he leaped up. "What? You've completed Bone Tempering? You finished it in just over four months?"

"How are you so fast? Every day, apart from eating and sleeping, I spend all my time on Bone Tempering, and I've only finished more than sixty bones! You're simply not treating yourself like a human being!" Wang Zhuang wailed miserably.

The thought of the pain of Bone Tempering left him gloomy. Especially when he remembered that days like these would last for at least another year, Wang Zhuang grew even more depressed.

"I don't want to talk to you anymore! I'm leaving! I have to go back and continue Bone Tempering. I can't fall too far behind you!" Wang Zhuang said before walking away without looking back.

Watching Wang Zhuang stride toward his own courtyard, full of fighting spirit, Jiang Liu thought, It looks like Wang Zhuang wasn't too badly hit. I won't need to hide my strength from him anymore.

If Wang Zhuang knew what Jiang Liu was thinking, would he cut ties with him? After all, this was far too discouraging.

With a thought from Jiang Liu, a deep-blue light screen appeared.

Auxiliary System:

Name: Jiang Liu

Realm: Body Tempering (Blood Exchange 16%)

Alchemy (Beginner 45/100)

Five Elements Fist (Perfection) (Trait: Qi and Blood Generation)

Wandering Steps (Great Accomplishment 708/1500)

Jiang Liu looked at his Blood Exchange progress. Hmm. A one-percent-per-day Blood Exchange rate isn't bad. However, he had heard that many people with poor aptitudes relied on pills to forcibly complete Blood Exchange.

Although they could keep up in speed, the foundations they forged were much weaker. The four realms of body tempering were all about laying a foundation and preparing for breakthroughs to higher grades in the future. The stronger the foundation, the farther a martial artist could travel along the martial path.

I can complete Blood Exchange in a little over three months. That shouldn't be considered slow, right? Every day, when he completed part of the Blood Exchange process, he would clear his meridians once. That way, when Blood Exchange was complete, all his meridians would be open, his dantian would awaken, and he could enter a grade in one stroke.

After entering a grade, he could choose an elemental martial art. The ordinary elements were the Five Elements martial arts of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. The special elements were wind, thunder, ice, and lightning. Each person could choose only one elemental martial art. He could ask Master Ma for guidance so that he could make a convenient choice later.

The White Lotus Sect's movements today had alarmed all the major forces in Cloud Sun City.

"Shadow! What is the situation with the White Lotus Sect outside the West City Gate?" Qian Luoying asked Shadow.

"Guild Leader, the White Lotus Sect has opened a branch altar in Cloud Sun City!" Shadow replied.

"The White Lotus Sect came here to open a branch altar too? Has it developed that quickly? It's sticking its foot into even a small place like Cloud Sun City? It seems Cloud Sun City is about to descend into chaos as well!" Qian Luoying said worriedly.

After all, his Fallen Blossom Gang occupied the wealthiest Southern District of Cloud Sun City. Though it did not have exclusive control, it was the foremost gang in South City. It would certainly bear the brunt of the impact.

"Keep a close eye on them. See what the White Lotus Sect does, and find out what stance the Martial Prohibition Hall takes!" Qian Luoying ordered.

"Yes!" Shadow turned and vanished outside the door.

The Vast Ocean Gang and Sky Roc Gang in South City were also closely watching the White Lotus Sect's development, each sending people to inquire about the news.

The Chen, Li, and Wang Families of East District went even further, sending people to join the White Lotus Sect and investigate. They treated it as the highest-level threat. After all, their main families in the commandery city were already locked in a life-and-death struggle with the White Lotus Sect.

Perhaps to the White Lotus Sect, opening a branch in a single commandery city was nothing more than an ordinary undertaking. But to the Chen, Li, and Wang Families, it was a struggle for survival. Now that they knew the White Lotus Sect had opened a branch altar in Cloud Sun City, how could they dare underestimate it?

As for the Hu and Ma Families, they merely paid it some attention before deciding not to spend too much effort on it. After all, their main priority was devouring the Pan Family.

The Pan Family did not even bother to acknowledge it. They were already barely able to look after themselves, so where would they find the leisure to concern themselves with matters involving these major sects?