After breaking through to the Houtian Mid Stage, Xu Qian felt that his career of "keeping his head down" had reached a new level. The confidence his improved strength brought made him more composed in his actions. Of course, "caution" remained his highest guiding principle.
He still worked through his daily routine as before. It was just that using tiny strands of Sword Qi to clean had become much easier, and he was more efficient. His success rate at drawing Cleanliness Talismans had finally climbed out of the miserable single digits, reaching one or two in ten. Though he still needed the Sword Intent Seed's help, it no longer drained his mental energy so terribly. His "academic exchanges" with Divine Doctor Xue also continued, and his medical theory grew ever more solid.
Everything was moving in a good direction.
That day, another "new guest" arrived at Heavenly Prison.
Several guards escorted a special prisoner into Zone D and locked him in Cell C-6, a transitional area between Zone D and the actual Block C. He was called special because his appearance was quite distinctive.
He was a monk.
He looked to be around thirty. He wasn't especially tall, but he had a broad frame, and his muscles were defined like cast bronze and forged iron, radiating strength. He wore a tattered gray monk's robe and a string of oversized Buddhist Beads around his neck. Every bead gleamed with oil, clearly polished over many years. Most striking of all was his head. Rather than the stubble of a freshly shaven monk, it bore six clearly visible, neatly arranged戒 marks.
Yet in stark contrast to his formidable appearance, his face was as placid as an ancient well, and his eyes remained shut. From the moment he was escorted in until he was locked in his cell, he didn't utter a word or look at anyone. Not even his expression changed. He was like an old monk deep in meditation—or a lifeless clay statue.
The guards were used to it. Heavenly Prison was full of oddballs. After giving a few instructions about keeping watch, they locked the door and left.
Xu Qian had been cleaning nearby and witnessed the whole thing. On the surface, he kept his eyes straight ahead, but inside, curiosity was already scratching at him like a cat's claws.
[A monk? And a proper Martial Monk with戒 marks, no less? These days, even monks are getting arrested and thrown in here? What'd he do? Sneak a bite of meat? Or... get caught up in wine, women, wealth, and pride?]
He fought down the urge to use Qi Gazing Technique right away. Once no one nearby was paying attention, he pretended to pass by Cell C-6 and "casually" glanced inside.
Qi Gazing Technique, activate!
At the sight, Xu Qian's heart gave a sudden lurch!
Good heavens!
The Martial Monk wasn't surrounded by the restless or steady streams of Internal Force common to ordinary Martial Artists. Instead, a fiery tide of blood and energy surged around him like a blazing furnace!
His blood and energy were astonishingly vigorous, shooting straight up like wolf smoke—in the vision of Qi Gazing Technique—and brimming with masculine, domineering power! Just looking at it made Xu Qian feel a wave of heat wash over him!
[This monk... what a powerful body! His blood and energy are so vigorous! He's definitely a master of Hardening External Arts!] Xu Qian reached his conclusion in an instant. At this level, his blood and energy must be close to the legendary "blood and energy like mercury"! In terms of sheer physical strength, this monk could probably crush most Martial Artists of the same level!
Yet beneath that furnace-like, blazing vitality, Xu Qian saw something else—
Several dark, twisted streams of gray energy were wrapped around and blocking the Martial Monk's major meridians like vicious shackles! The Pericardium Meridian of Hand-Jueyin and the Gallbladder Meridian of Foot-Shaoyang were especially badly damaged. When his blood and energy reached those points, their flow became sluggish, showing signs of reversing and scattering.
[Damaged meridians? And they look like old injuries, with something sinister about them...] Xu Qian's medical knowledge immediately began analyzing the situation. "No wonder his aura is so restrained he seems like a clay statue. He must be using some kind of Meditation Secret Method to forcibly suppress his injuries and keep his blood and energy from spiraling out of control!"
A Hardening Martial Monk with an incomparably powerful body and blood and energy as vigorous as a furnace, yet so afflicted by old meridian injuries that he had to sit motionless all day to keep them suppressed—like a tiger with its teeth pulled.
The sharp contrast made Xu Qian realize in an instant: a new "experience pack" had just arrived!
And this "experience pack" was unlike the Mad Old Man he'd met before, who had Sword Intent, or Divine Doctor Xue, who had Medical Skill. This was the pure, ultimate path of physical tempering and the art of wielding blood and energy!
If he could "pick up" even a little insight from the monk about Hardening External Arts or Blood Energy Circulation—different from the Qi and Blood Circulation Method, which used Internal Force to assist; this was purely the body's blood and energy—it would greatly improve his strength!
Especially now that he'd broken through to the Houtian Mid Stage. He needed to further shore up his foundation and strengthen his body. The Martial Monk's arrival was like a pillow delivered just as sleepiness struck!
[But... this monk doesn't look easy to approach.] Xu Qian looked at the Martial Monk, who seemed like a clay statue and paid no heed to the world around him, and felt stuck.
The Mad Old Man was crazy, but at least he reacted, and sometimes even "updated the lessons." Divine Doctor Xue, for the sake of staying alive, was even eager to cooperate.
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