"If only I had a gang of nearly a thousand people at my beck and call. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"
Qin Shuang looked at the three tigers he had killed, regret in his eyes.
He couldn't take the three tiger carcasses with him. Leaving them here would be such a waste.
After all,
Tiger blood and bones were the main ingredients for refining Tiger Blood Pills. And then there were tiger penises, tiger paws... Those were potent tonics!
If he had a gang to work for him, things would be so much more convenient.
Besides,
with underlings at his beck and call, he could have them handle the "dragonflies," "earthworms," and "pig slaughtering" he needed to simplify martial arts, as well as buy medicinal herbs for his decoctions and find stone tablets. They could run around and bring everything to him, saving him the time and effort!
He could use that time to simplify more martial arts and improve his strength.
In this martial world where the weak were prey to the strong, only by constantly improving his strength could he feel safe.
"With my current strength, I'm on par with the Qi and Blood Like Dragon stage of the Marrow Jade Realm. Add in Tiger Form Divine Intent, and I should be a match for a Martial Arts School's master, right?"
Qin Shuang quietly weighed the matter in his mind. Once he returned, he would find a way to recruit some people and put them to work for him.
After all,
he now had nearly seven thousand taels of silver, which was quite a fortune.
Qin Shuang dragged the three tigers over to a large boulder and left them there. He decided to hunt eight more tigers and then advance Tiger Roar Divine Intent Skill to proficiency.
"Whoosh!"
Qin Shuang used Grass on Flying and headed deeper into the Xuan Yin Mountain Range, searching for tigers along the way.
By noon, Qin Shuang had stuffed grass into the soles of his shoes. He gave a low tiger's roar and stood fifty li from a mountain stream, listening quietly to see if he could hear any tigers nearby.
He had already killed nine tigers. He needed just two more to advance Tiger Roar Divine Intent Skill to proficiency. But after searching for two hours and covering fifty or sixty li around the area, he still hadn't found a tenth tiger. His brows furrowed.
"Could there only be nine tigers within a hundred li? Did I kill them all?"
Qin Shuang pondered to himself.
He remembered that tigers and other fierce beasts seemed to be territorial. It looked like he would have to expand his search if he wanted to find a tenth tiger.
With that in mind,
Qin Shuang broke into a run and sped off into the distance.
"Hm??"
Qin Shuang had run twenty li when he suddenly heard a racket of voices and shouts of alarm five li to the northeast. He could vaguely make out more than ten figures wielding swords and sabers, racing toward him from the cliffs five li away. Behind them, sand and stones flew and trees toppled, as if some terrifying thing were hunting them down.
Standing on a boulder covered in green moss, Qin Shuang watched the group flee in his direction. In a flash, he slipped into a tree.
Before long, the group had fled to within half a li of Qin Shuang. At last, he could see what was chasing them: a white python as thick as a barrel and four or five zhang long!
Just then, the dozen or so martial artists with swords and sabers ran past beneath the tree where Qin Shuang was hiding. When he spotted two of them, his eyes widened. "Huh? Liu Hao? Jin Yang?"
He hadn't expected to run into Liu Hao, the senior disciple of Golden Tiger Martial Arts School, and Jin Yang, the old man who had recruited disciples at the entrance!
It seemed Liu Hao and Jin Yang had both escaped when the Martial Arts School met with disaster.
"Rustle, rustle!"
"Crash! Crash! Crash!"
At that moment, the giant white python came chasing after them, knocking down trees as it went.
As the white python drew closer, Qin Shuang saw its white scales glimmering with light. A protrusion about an inch high rose from its head, like a single horn. Its scarlet forked tongue flicked in and out, and a vicious aura rolled off it!
"Is that... a White Jade Unicorn Python?"
Qin Shuang's heart tightened.
The Medicine Refining Art's insights had records of this white python. It was called a White Jade Unicorn Python, and its blood and meat were the main ingredients for refining Dragon Blood Pills. Its flesh and blood were powerful tonics, too; even boiled and eaten, they were excellent for increasing Qi and Blood!
Only,
this White Jade Unicorn Python was a little different. A pale golden stripe ran down its back!
Clearly, this White Jade Unicorn Python had evolved into a Strange Beast: the White Jade Golden Pattern Python!
Seeing the giant python, Qin Shuang's heart stirred. He realized its aura was comparable to the Qi and Blood Like Dragon stage of the Marrow Jade Realm, and seemed to be nearing the Qi and Blood Furnace stage!
"If I can kill this White Jade Golden Pattern Python and consume its blood—or refine it into Dragon Blood Pills to nourish my 206 bones—how much stronger will I become?"
Qin Shuang looked at the giant python, his heart stirring.
After all,
his current strength was already comparable to the Marrow Jade Realm. With Tiger Form Divine Intent, and his perfected Grass on Flying lightness skill, plus Swimming Dragon Steps, he might be able to fight the giant python.
With that thought, Qin Shuang flashed forward, his Qi and Blood surging as he used Fierce Tiger Pouncing and punched at the White Jade Golden Pattern Python!
"Hiss~~~"
Sensing Qin Shuang's killing intent, the White Jade Golden Pattern Python raised its enormous head. Its scarlet forked tongue flicked in and out, and its massive tail swept toward Qin Shuang with the force of thunder!
Qin Shuang used his perfected Grass on Flying and leaped up, dodging the python's tail by a hair's breadth!
Rumble!
The White Jade Golden Pattern Python's tail swept past. A tree as thick as a bowl snapped in an instant, splinters flying everywhere!
At the same time,
Qi and Blood surged through Qin Shuang like a dragon. He unleashed another Fierce Tiger Pouncing, driving both fists into the White Jade Golden Pattern Python's enormous head!
"Boom!"
A thunderous crash rang out. Under the terrifying force of Qin Shuang's punch, the python's head was hurled backward three zhang, spittle spraying everywhere—yet it was completely unharmed. It hissed, swung its barrel-thick body, and lunged at Qin Shuang again!
At that moment,
the White Jade Golden Pattern Python abandoned Liu Hao, Jin Yang, and the others. Its cold eyes fixed on Qin Shuang as its massive tail swept wildly. It wanted nothing more than to swallow the one who had ambushed it whole!
Wherever its tail passed, trees crumbled to dust, as if a tornado had plowed through them!
"What incredible defenses!"
Qin Shuang was astonished to see the White Jade Golden Pattern Python completely unharmed.
This White Jade Golden Pattern Python was far stronger than he had imagined!
However, his Grass on Flying was already perfected. He darted about like a pellet, always dodging the python's sweeping tail by a hair's breadth!
Besides,
he remembered what Nangong Wan'er had told him: if he couldn't silence everyone, he shouldn't use Tiger Form Divine Intent!
There were more than ten people nearby!
"Q-Qin... Junior Brother Qin?"
"H-he's Qin... Qin Shuang? Qi... Qi and Blood Like Dragon?"
As Liu Hao and Jin Yang fled, they caught sight of someone standing in the giant python's way. They were relieved—but when they saw the figure fighting the python, their eyes widened. They exchanged a glance, both utterly disbelieving.
Hadn't Qin Shuang been learning Fierce Tiger Fist at the Martial Arts School just a few days ago, without even reaching the entry level?
How could his Qi and Blood be so terrifying?
"Am I seeing things?"
Jin Yang stared at the figure, unable to hide the shock in his old eyes. He was the one who had recruited Qin Shuang into the Martial Arts School, so he remembered him well.
When this brat came to the Martial Arts School, he left after practicing Fierce Tiger Fist less than three times. He was all starts and stops. Jin Yang had even concluded that Qin Shuang would never master Fierce Tiger Fist in his life, and that the ten taels of silver he'd paid as an enrollment fee had gone to waste.
Who would've thought?
The brat had been hiding his strength, and was locked in a fierce battle with the white python!
After all,
with his Bone Forging Realm, Qi and Blood Wolf Smoke strength, he would have no choice but to run if he encountered that white python!
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