Divine Seed

[Step on Grass +1!]

[Touch Tiger Hide +1]

[...]

Qin Shuang sat on the bed in a private room at the restaurant, stepping on a bag of grass he had pulled up while rubbing a palm-sized piece of tiger hide in his hand. System notifications rang incessantly in his mind.

The next day.

At dawn, Qin Shuang opened his eyes. The first thing he did was check the system panel in his mind.

[Great Dao Simplification System]

[Host: Qin Shuang]

[Realm: Blood Condensation 55% Blood Vitality Like a Tiger]

[Function: The Great Dao is simple. Any martial art or cultivation technique can be simplified for rapid mastery!]

[Martial Arts: Fierce Tiger Fist, Grass on Flying]

[Fierce Tiger Fist: (Proficient, practice it a hundred times daily, and master it in five years)]

[Promotion Conditions after Simplification: 1. Touch tiger hide ten thousand times (complete), 2. Ten Blood Vitality Pills]

[Grass on Flying: (Skilled, practice it a hundred times daily, and reach proficiency in three years)]

[Promotion Conditions after Simplification: 1. Step on grass a thousand times (complete), 2. Watch a dragonfly fly for half a quarter hour]

"Today, I'll buy Blood Vitality Pills first, then go watch dragonflies fly!"

"I'll do my best to raise Fierce Tiger Fist and Grass on Flying to perfection!"

Qin Shuang looked at the panel, making plans in his mind.

He intended to go to the medicine halls and buy Blood Vitality Pills in batches. They were a little cheaper at the Martial Arts School, but there was no easy way to explain how his Fierce Tiger Fist had reached proficiency overnight. Best to avoid going there.

Qin Shuang washed up hurriedly, then went out with silver in his arms.

"Brother, why are there so many people from martial arts schools and gangs on the street this early?"

"You haven't heard? They say a traitor from the Xiangzhou Divine Saber Sect killed a bunch of his fellow disciples and fled to Qingzhou City with a 'Divine Seed.' All these people from martial arts schools and gangs are after that 'Divine Seed'!"

"What's this 'Divine Seed'? Why are so many people hunting for it?"

"I don't know either. I heard you couldn't trade the entire city of Qingzhou for even one 'Divine Seed.' It's a priceless treasure!"

"..."

Su's Noodle Shop.

"Divine Seed?"

Sitting in a corner, Qin Shuang slurped noodles and listened to the diners around him talk. A thoughtful look appeared in his eyes.

"One Blood Vitality Pill from each medicine hall!"

Qin Shuang quickly finished the noodles. They tasted good, and he drank the broth too. Then he picked up a battered bundle, rose, paid, and left.

At the end of Long Street by the East Gate stood a branch of Apricot Grove Spring.

Business was brisk, with martial artists coming and going every so often.

The resident apothecary was a lean man in his forties. After seeing off two customers, he heard that Qin Shuang wanted to buy Blood Vitality Pills and immediately said, "Little brother, Blood Vitality Pills cost five taels of silver each. How many would you like?"

"Five taels each? Couldn't you make it cheaper?"

Qin Shuang sighed. They were terribly expensive. He would need fifty taels of silver to bring his Fierce Tiger Fist to mastery!

No wonder they said scholarship made the poor and martial arts made the rich. It was true.

"If you buy ten or more, I can take one tael off each."

The apothecary replied.

"Nine taels and five mace each, and I'll take two."

Qin Shuang said firmly.

"Nine taels and eight mace. I can't go any lower."

The apothecary said helplessly.

"Deal."

Qin Shuang took out ten taels of silver and handed them over.

The apothecary accepted the silver, took two two-inch-tall White Porcelain Bottles from a cabinet, and passed them to Qin Shuang. "Come to me whenever you need more. The Blood Vitality Pills from Xingchun Hall are the most effective!"

Qin Shuang pulled the stopper from the bottle, which was wrapped in red cloth. A rich medicinal fragrance wafted out at once. He put the stopper back and said, "Great!"

"Hey? Junior Brother Qin? Why are you still here? Didn't you go to the Martial Arts School?"

Qin Shuang had just walked out of Hundred Herbs Hall when a somewhat familiar voice came from his left. He looked over and saw Liu Hao, the senior brother of Golden Tiger Martial Arts School, walking past with a girl in red and four or five school disciples. The senior brother had spoken.

"Senior Brother, my stomach still doesn't feel right, so I came to buy some medicine."

"Maybe I'll go to the Martial Arts School tomorrow, when I feel a little better."

Qin Shuang saw Liu Hao and cupped his fist.

"Mm. Take care of yourself."

Liu Hao gave Qin Shuang a word of concern, then led the disciples toward the East Gate. Qin Shuang turned and went to Hundred Herbs Hall and Tong Ren Tang to buy more Blood Vitality Pills.

"Skipping practice every other day like that, he won't even master Fierce Tiger Fist after a whole year!"

Jin Qiao'er glanced at Qin Shuang's retreating figure. Remembering that he had bought Qi and Blood Soup the day before, she couldn't help shaking her head with a sigh.

"..."

Liu Hao shook his head and sighed too.

Half a quarter hour later.

Fusheng Restaurant.

[Take Blood Vitality Pill +1]

[Take Blood Vitality Pill +1]

[...]

In the back courtyard, Qin Shuang sat cross-legged on a whetstone, taking Blood Vitality Pills. One notification after another rang in his mind.

[Fierce Tiger Fist: (Great Mastery, practice it a hundred times daily, and reach perfection in twenty-five years)]

[Promotion Conditions after Simplification: 1. Touch tiger hide one hundred thousand times, 2. Ten Tiger Blood Pills]

After taking ten Blood Vitality Pills, a notification appeared on Qin Shuang's system panel.

At the same time.

A tremendous stream of information poured into Qin Shuang's mind, merging with his consciousness. It was none other than the techniques and insights for performing Fierce Tiger Fist at great mastery!

At that moment.

Qin Shuang felt images of himself performing Fierce Tiger Fist flash through his mind. It was as if he had practiced the fist for fifteen or sixteen years.

At the same time.

He felt his bones and sinews ring throughout his body, his skin ripple, and the muscles in his hands swell into cords. His Qi and Blood surged within him, filling his body with an explosive strength—as if he had endless power!

His eyesight and hearing improved dramatically, too!

"Whoosh!"

"Whoosh!"

Qin Shuang rose, took up a stance, and began practicing Fierce Tiger Fist at great mastery in the courtyard. His fists stirred gusts of wind.

Tiger Emerging from the Mountain, Fierce Tiger Pouncing, Tiger Tail Sweeping, Fierce Tiger Rending, Tiger Descending the Mountain—he performed the five moves in turn. As he practiced, Qin Shuang felt that he could temper the Qi and Blood within him more effectively.

He discovered that after Fierce Tiger Fist reached great mastery, the Qi and Blood in his body were at least four times as abundant as before!

His Blood Vitality was like mercury!

"Bang!"

Qin Shuang executed Tiger Tail Sweeping, kicking the three- or four-hundred-pound whetstone. It shattered into four pieces in an instant, and fragments shot in every direction!

"Great mastery really is something. I wonder how many people at Golden Tiger Martial Arts School have brought Fierce Tiger Fist to great mastery?"

Qin Shuang looked at the whetstone he had kicked apart, satisfaction in his eyes. With a thought, he opened the system panel.

[Great Dao Simplification System]

[Host: Qin Shuang]

[Realm: Blood Condensation 98% Blood Like Mercury]

[Function: The Great Dao is simple. Any martial art or cultivation technique can be simplified for rapid mastery!]

[Martial Arts: Fierce Tiger Fist, Grass on Flying]

[Fierce Tiger Fist: (Great Mastery, practice it a hundred times daily, and reach perfection in twenty-five years)]

[Promotion Conditions after Simplification: 1. Touch tiger hide one hundred thousand times (complete), 2. Five Tiger Blood Pills]

[Grass on Flying: (Skilled, practice it a hundred times daily, and reach proficiency in three years)]

[Promotion Conditions after Simplification: 1. Step on grass a thousand times (complete), 2. Watch a dragonfly fly for half a quarter hour]

"Tiger Blood Pills?"

"Looks like after I complete the dragonfly-watching condition for Grass on Flying, I'll have to check the medicine shops too."

Qin Shuang looked at the panel, deep in thought.

With that in mind, Qin Shuang turned and went into the kitchen, ready to head to Clear Water River through the kitchen's back door. Suddenly, he spotted something in the pile of firewood behind the stove and couldn't help widening his eyes.