Blood Ridge Black Market!

With the thought issued, a dizzy spell struck his mind. When it settled, the rectangular barcode before his eyes had vanished, replaced by lines of subtitles.

[Name: Fuyang Saber Technique]

[Type: Yang Type External Skill]

[Function: Strengthens blood and qi, tempers skin and flesh, violent slaughter.]

[Description: A saber technique created by a Five Viscera Realm martial artist, focused on power, divided into four forms (Unrusting Cold, Reflecting Autumn Frost, Mountain-Cleaving Man, Breaking Spring Night). At mastery, blood and qi surge, enough to split stone and shatter tablets.]

[Note: This saber technique is extremely fierce and easily damages muscles and bones. Practicing it alongside a Yin-type martial art yields twice the results with half the effort and reduces side effects.]

Having used the Golden Finger before, Chen Mo focused directly on the note section.

Fortunately, the information there was still reliable.

It was as if God had opened his eyes, seeing through every weakness of this technique.

This delighted Chen Mo. "Uncle Zhou, are there any shortcuts or side effects to practicing the Fuyang Saber Technique?"

Zhou Liang shrugged dismissively. "Martial arts are always a process of squeezing human potential. Every technique has some side effects. Second Young Master need not worry too much. As for shortcuts... what shortcuts could there be in martial arts? It's all step by step, accumulated one footprint at a time.

The Fuyang Saber Technique is fierce and mighty. For an ordinary martial arts academy apprentice of average talent, even with medicinal support, it takes half a year just to get started and ten years to reach mastery. Second Young Master has only just begun martial arts—you can't compare to those thick-skinned academy students. A year to get started is already good. Don't rush and hurt your organs or bones."

After patiently listening to Zhou Liang's explanation, Chen Mo was inwardly shocked.

'So Zhou Liang doesn't even know that practicing this technique alongside a Yin-type martial art yields twice the results with half the effort and reduces side effects?'

If that was the case, the notes from this Golden Finger... were extremely valuable.

Chen Mo said, "Uncle Zhou, do you have any Yin-type martial arts?"

Zhou Liang warned sternly, "The Fuyang Saber Technique is pure Yang to the extreme. It clashes with Yin-type martial arts. You absolutely must not practice them together, or you'll suffer a qi deviation."

Chen Mo wanted to verify further, so he asked, "Has Uncle Zhou tried it himself?"

Zhou Liang said, "Yin and Yang clashing is common knowledge in the martial world. No need to test it to know. Besides, martial arts are dangerous—who would dare test that lightly?"

Hearing this, Chen Mo felt deeply: the value of the Golden Finger was still rising.

"Uncle Zhou, rest assured. I'll just take a look and then pick an easy one to practice."

Zhou Liang breathed a sigh of relief, then pulled out another yellowed booklet from close to his body. "This is the Mysterious Yin Hand. It's mostly practiced by women. Men get half the results for twice the effort. Second Young Master can just skim through it."

Chen Mo thanked him and took the booklet. "Uncle Zhou, could you explain stance training to me in detail?"

He had the martial arts manual and had identified the key training method. The only question left for Chen Mo was how to start.

And all martial arts begin with stance training—he had to ask.

When it came to martial arts, Zhou Liang was in high spirits and spoke at length. "Stance training is the foundation of all martial arts. Back in the day, I practiced the Thirty-Six Forms of Stance Training, which includes Eighteen Forms of Still Stance and Eighteen Forms of Moving Stance. Only with a solid stance foundation can you achieve steady breathing, body coordination, and perform all kinds of movements..."

Zhou Liang talked for several hours and even demonstrated some stance forms for Chen Mo before finally leaving.

Chen Mo excitedly opened the Mysterious Yin Hand.

In summary, the Mysterious Yin Hand was a technique for tempering the hands. It required a medicinal soup called Bone Softening Soup. Soaking the hands in it regularly would make them flexible, cold, dexterous, and versatile. At mastery, one palm strike could kill a fierce tiger, matching an Iron Bone Realm expert.

Every line of the Mysterious Yin Hand manual exuded a Yin-type feel, seemingly in conflict with the Fuyang Saber Technique.

On the surface, these two martial arts indeed couldn't be practiced together.

But Chen Mo still chose to trust his Godfather: practice both techniques simultaneously.

The reason was simple: Zhou Liang said Yin and Yang clashed out of habitual thinking, but he had never tried it himself. Besides, how could Zhou Liang compare to the Golden Finger?

However, the Fuyang Saber Technique emphasized wide, forceful movements using both hands and feet. Without a stance foundation, it was impossible—and Chen Mo couldn't even stand yet...

"But the Mysterious Yin Hand is a technique focused on the hands, with lower stance requirements. I can practice this first while recovering."

Having made up his mind, Chen Mo hesitated no longer and called in Qiulan, who was waiting outside the door.

"Qiulan, bring me paper and brush. I'll write you a prescription. Go to the Chen family pharmacy to get the ingredients."

The days that followed returned to calm.

Apart from observing the changes in the woman and Chen San's bodies daily, Chen Mo spent the rest of his time locked in his room, secretly grinding away at his training.

Half a month later, Chen Mo's hand and foot injuries had fully healed, and he had also finished practicing the Eighteen Forms of Moving Stance.

"After half a month of soaking and practice, my Mysterious Yin Hand has improved considerably. Now that stance training is done, I can finally start practicing the Fuyang Saber Technique."

Chen Mo was full of anticipation.

He picked up the broadsword he had prepared the day before, held it in his hand, and slowly drew it from its sheath.

The cold blade gleamed with a chilling light under the candle's glow, making his eyes feel a faint chill.

Chen Mo immediately felt a solemn atmosphere.

The basic techniques of the Fuyang Saber Technique included thirteen fundamental movements: chop, hack, slash, mince, lift, block, thrust, slide, stir, snap, point, and pull. Each corresponded to different power delivery methods and tactical needs in various offensive and defensive scenarios.

Combining these movements eventually formed four forms: Unrusting Cold, Reflecting Autumn Frost, Mountain-Cleaving Man, and Breaking Spring Night. These corresponded to the four basic martial artist realms of skin refining, flesh refining, bone refining, and organ refining.

After roughly completing the first round of basic movements, Chen Mo was panting heavily, his skin flushed red.

"Again."

He repeated the basic moves over and over again.

From the initial clumsiness to later familiarity.

After completing the fifteenth round of basic moves, Chen Mo suddenly felt a scorching heat inside his body. His muscles and bones became stiff and brittle, with a sensation as if they were about to crack and shatter. He could barely hold on.

"This must be the side effect of the Fuyang Saber Technique's fierce power, making my muscles and bones brittle. According to Uncle Zhou, I need to stop now. I can only continue after my muscles and bones recover their resilience. Otherwise, the excessive force will damage them. But I've cultivated the Mysterious Yin Hand..."

With that thought, Chen Mo hesitated no longer and activated the method of the Mysterious Yin Hand...

Hum!

As the Mysterious Yin Hand circulated, his originally stiff, brittle, and tense muscles and bones instantly became supple and resilient. The intense side effects dissipated into nothingness in the blink of an eye.

In just a few breaths, his body returned to its original state, even becoming more pliable.

"It really works. The Golden Finger's value keeps rising... No wonder he's my Godfather."

Though he hadn't yet stepped into the Skin Refining Realm, Chen Mo already felt deeply: with the foundation skill perfected and the Mysterious Yin Hand's support, his progress in the Fuyang Saber Technique was soaring!

And so, seven days passed in a hurry.

This morning, the sky was still dark.

Chen Mo got up early as usual to practice the Fuyang Saber Technique.

After days of hard training, Chen Mo's once weak and flabby body had grown much stronger. His formerly slack arms now bore streamlined muscle contours, and his slightly chubby face had become more angular and rugged.

At a critical point in his saber practice, Chen Mo suddenly stepped forward, swung the blade in sync, and thrust it fiercely ahead.

A seemingly ordinary strike, yet it was fierce and swift, breaking through like a splitting bamboo. It even stirred a faint tremor in the air, with a piercing saber whistle.

[Fuyang Saber Technique: Unrusting Cold (Not Yet Initiated)]

Yes.

Anything the Golden Finger identified left behind information, which Chen Mo could pull up to check at any time. When his saber technique made progress, the panel would update accordingly.

The last line of information left Chen Mo a bit disappointed.

"With my saber skill level, I still haven't initiated the Fuyang Saber Technique? That can't be right..."

Over the past seven days, Chen Mo had poured in the spirit of a tireless worker, spending every moment except sleep on practicing the saber. Thanks to the Mysterious Yin Hand's boost, he had made rapid progress.

He could even kill a grown man with one punch.

Still not enough?

"How strange..."

He tried multiple times, but the result was always the same.

Chen Mo realized this probably wasn't a problem that hard work alone could solve.

He had to stop. After breakfast, he called Ma Tie over and voiced his confusion.

Ma Tie listened and said, "Young master, could you show me a couple of saber moves? Then I can figure out the reason."

"Alright."

Chen Mo wiped the grease from his mouth with a silk cloth, then picked up his broadsword and walked to an open space nearby.

Gripping the saber, he stared ahead, then suddenly stepped forward like a tiger or leopard, thrusting the blade out in one fluid motion. In an instant, a blade wind swept up, shaking the air and producing a sharp saber whistle that made Qiulan's ears ring with a "buzzing" sound.

Even Ma Tie, a Skin Refining Realm late-stage martial artist, was greatly surprised. "Young master, is that Master Zhou's Fuyang Saber Technique?"

Chen Mo sheathed the saber. "Exactly."

Ma Tie praised repeatedly, "I've heard Master Zhou say this saber technique is extraordinary. For an ordinary martial artist, it takes at least a year just to initiate it. Young master is almost there in just half a month. Truly astonishing talent."

Being praised by Ma Tie, a late-stage Skin Refining Realm martial artist, on his first attempt at martial arts did make Chen Mo feel pleased inside.

But Chen Mo didn't show it. "You said 'almost there,' but I still feel like something is blocking me. What's the reason?"

Ma Tie thought for a moment, then said, "Young master, have you ever taken Tiger Bone Essence Soup?"

Chen Mo was taken aback. "Tiger Bone Essence Soup?"

Ma Tie said, "Yes. Ordinary people's bloodlines are very common. Relying solely on personal effort won't reach the Skin Refining Realm. You need medicinal supplements that enrich the blood and energy. In Honghe County, the most commonly used supplement for skin refining is Tiger Bone Essence Soup."

Chen Mo understood.

That made sense.

No wonder...

He'd been so focused on grinding through martial arts training that he'd overlooked this step.

"Where can I buy Tiger Bone Essence Soup?"

Ma Tie said, "The recipes for Tiger Bone Essence Soup are strictly controlled by the various martial arts schools. You have to buy it from them. Of course, you can also get it from the Martial Arts Hall run by the County Office."

Chen Mo breathed a sigh of relief. "If I buy Tiger Bone Essence Soup, can I break through to the Skin Refining Realm?"

Ma Tie shook his head. "Not necessarily. Tiger Bone Essence Soup has a mild medicinal effect. You need to take it long-term—at least three months—to break through to skin refining."

Three months...

Chen Mo thought of the baby face on his abdomen and mused darkly, How can I afford to wait three months?

But Chen Mo quickly realized: Ma Tie was talking about the norm, while he himself had money...

"Are there any other medicines that can quickly boost Qi and Blood?"

Ma Tie said, "Of course there are. There's one called the Qi and Blood Pill. They say after taking it, it rapidly fills your Qi and Blood, speeding up the breakthrough to the Skin Refining Realm. Back when I was on duty at the yamen, I saw Captain Wang buy a Qi and Blood Pill for his son, and within just a few days, he broke through to the Skin Refining Realm. I've seen the pill myself. It's truly miraculous, but it's expensive."

Chen Mo waved his hand dismissively. "Expense isn't the problem. The problem is, where did Captain Wang buy it?"

Ma Tie tilted his head, thought for a moment, and said, "The Blood Ridge Black Market."