Though he had pretended to be injured, he had still shared some of the credit.
Even so, this operation had been an outstanding success.
The fourteen Tiger Demons had earned him a total of 115 Merit.
The seven beasts from Zheng Mansion who had colluded with demons had contributed another 40 Merit.
Adding the 26 Merit he had earned from killing four Tiger Demons earlier and the 10 from the Wolf Demon, he had gained a total of 191 Merit.
He took a deep breath, silently thought to himself, and opened the panel only he could see.
[Name]: Chen Bin [Realm]: Half Step Qi Gathering Realm (Gathering Qi and Blood, Opening Tanzhong: 30) [Merit]: 602 [Map]: Twenty-five zhang [Martial Arts]: Golden Sun Body Tempering Technique (Transcendent: Cannot Fuse) Demon Suppression Blade Technique (Transcendent) Pure Yang Art - Qi Gathering Chapter (Beginner: 0/100) Wind Thunder Saber Technique (Unlearned: 0/50) Ten Perfect Steps (Beginner: 0/100)
His gaze slowly settled on Ten Perfect Steps. In this battle, he had experienced the wonders of footwork firsthand.
His footwork with Ten Perfect Steps had been a tremendous help in swiftly killing those Tiger Demons.
A trace of resolve flashed in his eyes, and he immediately spent 100 Merit on it.
[You spend 100 Merit and continue comprehending Ten Perfect Steps.] [Your mastery of Ten Perfect Steps has reached the hall of mastery. You can now use it with ease.] [Your physique improves. Your bones and sinews are tempered, and your body becomes more supple.]
In an instant, the values on the panel changed.
[Martial Arts]: Ten Perfect Steps (Proficient: 0/150) [Remaining Merit: 502]
Right after that, his limbs and bones seemed to be seized by an invisible force, convulsing violently.
His body trembled uncontrollably, and his face showed both pain and a hint of anticipation.
In that fleeting moment, he felt as though his body had endured countless years of grueling training and shed oceans of sweat.
He could now use Ten Perfect Steps with ease.
Unable to contain his excitement, he took a step and pivoted with the motion.
With two whooshes, his figure turned into a string of afterimages. In the blink of an eye, he was lying sideways on the bed.
Lying there, his eyes filled with delight, he murmured, "I gave it a try. Pretty good!"
Then he quickly sprang out of bed and began practicing in the room.
His movements were nimble and fluid, each one flowing naturally. His body grew sharper, and his limbs and bones moved together with newfound coordination.
Chen Bin's gaze returned to the panel as he pondered:
How should he spend his remaining 502 Merit?
He studied the panel. Which martial art should he "favor" next?
[Martial Arts]: Golden Sun Body Tempering Technique (Transcendent: Cannot Fuse) Demon Suppression Blade Technique (Transcendent) Pure Yang Art - Qi Gathering Chapter (Beginner: 0/100) Wind Thunder Saber Technique (Unlearned: 0/50) Ten Perfect Steps (Proficient: 0/150)
There was no need to consider the two martial arts already at the Transcendent level, and Ten Perfect Steps was already Proficient, so improving it further in the short term did not seem worthwhile.
As for Wind Thunder Saber Technique, with Demon Suppression Blade Technique already at the Transcendent level, it seemed sufficient for now.
His gaze finally settled on the first and third martial arts.
[Martial Arts]: Golden Sun Body Tempering Technique (Transcendent: Cannot Fuse) Pure Yang Art - Qi Gathering Chapter (Beginner: 0/100)
He guessed that he had not gained much insight because he had only just begun learning Pure Yang Art - Qi Gathering Chapter.
If he gained deeper insight and brought Pure Yang Art - Qi Gathering Chapter to the Proficient level, perhaps he could enter the Qi Gathering Realm.
Then he could try fusing it with Golden Sun Body Tempering Technique.
With that thought, he stopped hesitating and decided to max out Pure Yang Art - Qi Gathering Chapter first, deepening his comprehension.
He put his plan into action. As soon as he issued the command in his mind, another prompt appeared on the panel.
[You spend 100 Merit and begin comprehending Pure Yang Art - Qi Gathering Chapter.] [Your mastery of Pure Yang Art - Qi Gathering Chapter has reached the hall of mastery. You are now highly proficient.] [As your Qi and Blood circulate throughout your body according to the art, your physique improves significantly.] [Your realm breaks through, and you enter the Qi Gathering Realm.] [Remaining Merit: 402]
In an instant, Chen Bin felt as though he had been plunged into a sea of fire, scorching hot and unbearable.
The strength in his limbs and bones seemed to have found its destination, surging toward his chest without end. It grew stronger and stronger, nearly exceeding the limits his flesh could bear.
His heart raced as if it were about to burst through his chest, and his blood roared through his veins like a raging river.
He felt as though a sun were slowly rising inside him, its waves of heat nearly burning him to ashes.
This was the marrow-cleansing and tendon-washing effect of the Qi-gathering art.
Sweat poured from his pores, forcing out thick, foul-smelling grime.
At the same time, his limbs and bones crackled as though his whole body were being remade, shedding its old form.
He clenched his teeth, feeling his body undergo a transformation so profound it seemed his chest might burst open.
At last, after many twists and turns, the force converged between his heart and lungs. It was as if a shackle had broken and something inside him had shattered with a thunderous crash.
The power, with nowhere to go, found an outlet and surged into it like a flood bursting through its banks.
Qi entered Tanzhong. That was the process of Qi Gathering.
"Haha!" Chen Bin clapped his hands and laughed, unable to contain his joy. His face beaming, he shouted, "I did it!"
Then he raised his head and laughed at the sky. "I've gathered Qi!"
His laughter did not carry far through the silent night.
When he had finished laughing, he eagerly opened the panel again.
At last, new changes had appeared.
[Name]: Chen Bin [Realm]: Qi Gathering Realm (Tanzhong: 0/30) [Merit]: 402 [Map]: Detectable range: thirty zhang [Martial Arts]: Golden Sun Body Tempering Technique (Transcendent: 0/50, Can Fuse) Demon Suppression Blade Technique (Transcendent) Pure Yang Art - Qi Gathering Chapter (Proficient: 0/150) Wind Thunder Saber Technique (Unlearned: 0/50) Ten Perfect Steps (Proficient: 0/150)
When Chen Bin saw the words "Can Fuse" appear beside Golden Sun Body Tempering Technique, his face lit up with delight, and his eyes gleamed with pride.
Just as he had expected, fusion was within reach.
But when he saw how much Merit fusion required, his brow furrowed, and he felt a pang of displeasure.
Merit was precious. It wasn't easy to come by.
His gaze slowly shifted to his realm.
[Realm]: Qi Gathering Realm (Tanzhong: 0/30)
He knew that "Tanzhong" meant Qi condensed in Tanzhong.
Though the Qi had now gathered, it was still like a rootless duckweed, drifting unsteadily until it entered his Dantian.
Only when the Qi entered his Dantian would his Qi Gathering be complete.
Afterward, with his Dantian as his foundation, he would travel upward along the Governing Vessel and open his meridians, stepping into the Meridian Opening Realm—a realm equivalent to a demon's Aperture Opening Realm.
But all that was still a distant goal. For now, he cared more about the changes he was experiencing.
He raised his hand and saw a whirl of Qi slowly winding around his fingertip like a nimble little snake. It made one loop, then obediently sank back into his body.
This was Internal Energy.
Qi, refined from his own Qi and Blood, gathered in Tanzhong.
It was also the hallmark of the Qi Gathering Realm.
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