Despicable Scoundrel

The medicinal liquid merged into his abdomen. Long Chen hurriedly used his will to guide it, dispersing the liquid and spreading it throughout his limbs and bones.

Normally, martial artists absorb medicinal substances into their Dantian before circulating them throughout their bodies. However, Long Chen had no Spiritual Root, and his Dantian was an empty void, incapable of storing energy.

He could only disperse the medicinal power into each of his cells. Although these were ordinary herbs, Long Chen's combination had unlocked their potent medicinal effects.

As the medicinal power surged into his body, countless pores slowly opened. Each cell, like a person on the verge of suffocation, frantically absorbed the spiritual energy between heaven and earth.

"Boom!"

A muffled sound echoed from within Long Chen's body. His previously sealed Meridians instantly burst open, and Long Chen couldn't help but groan.

When others cultivate, they use the Qi in their Dantian to slowly open their Meridians, progressing step by step without any pain.

But Long Chen was different. He needed to borrow external energy, like diverting a tidal wave into a riverbed. Such a fierce force was not something anyone could endure.

"So painful, but I'll remember this pain," Long Chen gritted his teeth. If someone hadn't stolen his Spiritual Root, why would he resort to such a desperate method?

"Bang, bang, bang..."

Continuous explosions sounded within Long Chen's body as his Meridians opened one after another. Each time a Meridian was opened, Long Chen endured excruciating pain.

When all his Meridians were unblocked, Long Chen nearly passed out. It took a full hour of recovery before he finally felt somewhat better.

Now that the pain had subsided, Long Chen felt as though all his pores had opened. With each breath, the invisible spiritual energy between heaven and earth was slowly being absorbed by him.

"Excellent, my Meridians are unblocked. I can finally cultivate."

Long Chen felt his body. With his Meridians now open, he could naturally absorb the spiritual energy from heaven and earth through his pores, nourishing his body and making it stronger.

Although his Meridians had just been opened, his body was already filled with strength after being transformed by the spiritual energy.

"Hoo!"

He threw a punch, accompanied by a whistling wind. A smile appeared on Long Chen's face. This pain had not been in vain.

Ordinary people cultivating first enter the Qi Sensing realm, where they can sense spiritual energy, before proceeding to the Qi Gathering realm.

Long Chen, however, took a different path. By using medicinal power to open his pores and forcibly drawing in the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to traverse his Meridians, he had essentially skipped directly into the Qi Gathering realm.

However, this Qi Gathering realm referred to the intensity of nourishment his body had received. Since he lacked a Dantian, he couldn't condense a Qi vortex, meaning he wasn't truly in the Qi Gathering realm.

"Even though my Meridians are forcibly unblocked, my Dantian cannot store true Qi. If I fight, I won't have sustained power. This still won't do."

Long Chen searched through his memories for a long time before finally finding a single martial art memory amidst countless alchemy techniques – the Nine Stars Hegemony Body Art.

To Long Chen's surprise, it was practically tailor-made for him. It was a secret technique that unlocked hidden potentials within the human body. It didn't cultivate the Dantian but rather the Nine Stars.

The Nine Stars were nine secret treasures within the human body. Unlocking all nine would be equivalent to opening nine Dantians. Upon reading this, Long Chen almost jumped for joy.

However, when he saw what came next, Long Chen's heart sank. The cultivation of the Nine Stars Hegemony Body Art required the consumption of vast amounts of pills.

The condensation of the first star, the Wind Mansion Star, alone required immense energy. If he relied solely on external absorption, it would take a hundred years to condense it.

To condense the first star, one had to use pills, and an astonishingly large quantity of them, otherwise, cultivation was impossible.

But the Long family was currently in dire straits and lacked the financial resources to purchase such pills. Moreover, the pill he had just consumed couldn't be considered a proper medicinal pill.

"I need to find a way to earn some money," Long Chen mused.

He pondered for a moment, changed his clothes, and walked out of his room. It was past noon, yet the vast Marquis's mansion was sparsely populated, appearing incredibly desolate.

Long Chen's father, Marquis Zhenyuan, was always stationed on the frontier. For years, Long Chen and his mother had endured the scorn of the capital's residents. Despite holding a noble title, they lived a meager existence. The entire mansion only had a dozen maids and servants, as they couldn't afford more.

It could be said that among all the princes and marquises, the Long family was the most fallen. Long Chen himself was the most destitute among all the heirs.

The Phoenix Cry Empire had a flourishing martial arts culture, with everyone practicing martial arts. However, Long Chen possessed a peculiar physique that prevented him from cultivating, making him a target of ridicule.

In stark contrast to Long Chen, his father, Long Tianxiao, was an unparalleled powerhouse who guarded the frontier. Even the ferocious barbarians couldn't encroach upon the Phoenix Cry Empire.

Long Tianxiao was a legendary general of the Phoenix Cry Empire, while Long Chen was a good-for-nothing who couldn't even reach the Qi Sensing realm. It was natural for people to feel a sense of "tiger father, dog son."

Countless people mocked him, but Long Chen didn't care. However, a few days ago, Zhou Yaoyang, the heir of the Marquis of the Savage Lands, had mocked Long Chen, claiming he wasn't Long Tianxiao's son.

Long Chen was furious. That remark was a clear insult to his mother's fidelity. In a fit of rage, Long Chen had impulsively challenged him to a duel.

But his opponent was a cultivator at the seventh level of the Qi Gathering realm, while he was an ordinary person who couldn't even sense Qi. It was a self-inflicted humiliation.

This led to Long Chen being beaten unconscious and sent back to the Long family, making him the laughingstock of the entire capital.

Leaving the Marquis's mansion, Long Chen headed straight for the Hundred Herbs Pavilion in the capital, a place that dealt in various precious medicinal ingredients. He needed to understand the market prices for herbs.

Along the way, many people pointed and whispered when they saw Long Chen emerge. He had grown accustomed to such treatment.

At the same time, he sneered inwardly. His father had suppressed the frontier and rendered unparalleled service to the entire Phoenix Cry Empire.

But what had they received in return? He and his mother endured bullying and scorn in the capital, and he himself was nearly beaten to death. This was their reward? The very people his father protected now looked down on him – was this their repayment?

Long Chen quickened his pace. While he didn't fear such gazes, they still irked him. Just then, his path was blocked.

"Oh my, isn't this Heir Long Chen? I heard you were beaten so badly you didn't even recognize your own mother. How are you out and about, jumping around so lively today?"

In front of Long Chen stood a young man in ornate robes, appearing to be sixteen or seventeen, accompanied by two guards. He looked at Long Chen with a mocking expression.

This person was also an heir from a noble family, named Li Hao. His title wasn't high, and his status couldn't compare to Long Chen's. However, in the Phoenix Cry Empire, titles and status were secondary; strength was paramount.

Li Hao was currently standing right in the middle of the road. If Long Chen wanted to pass, he would have to go around him.

If it were the old Long Chen, he would have turned and left. But today, Long Chen glanced at Li Hao, shook his head, and sighed, saying:

"They say good dogs don't block the way. Seems like you're not a good dog."

"Long Chen, it seems you didn't get taught enough last time. Do you want to be beaten to a pulp again and thrown off the stage?" Li Hao's expression changed, and then he sneered.

"That's why you're just a dog, only fit to eat shit by Zhou Yaoyang's side." Long Chen shook his head. He didn't want to waste time with someone like this. He had important matters to attend to and needed to walk past him.

"Long Chen, you're courting death."

Li Hao's face flushed with anger. He couldn't believe the usually timid Long Chen was so defiant, completely disregarding him. He reached out and blocked Long Chen's path.

Long Chen frowned slightly. Just as he was about to speak, a figure suddenly walked over and yelled at Li Hao, "Li Hao, you're the one courting death! Who do you think you are to threaten my brother?"

The newcomer was a very tall man, appearing to be in his early twenties. He stood nine feet tall, easily a head taller than both of them, and exuded an intimidating aura.

"Shi Feng, this has nothing to do with you. You'd best not meddle in other people's business."

Upon seeing Shi Feng, Li Hao couldn't help but shout with a fierce but inwardly fearful tone. Shi Feng was also a noble son, with a similar status, but Shi Feng was a Qi Gathering Eighth Heaven expert, while he was merely Qi Gathering Triple Heaven.

Furthermore, Shi Feng possessed natural divine strength. Few people of the same level could match him, so he didn't dare to challenge Shi Feng.

"Brother Long Chen, I heard that bastard Zhou Yaoyang beat you up. I'll go teach him a lesson for you," Shi Feng said to Long Chen, his face filled with anger.

Long Chen looked at the tall man before him, a warmth spreading through his heart. Shi Feng was the only person in the entire imperial capital who treated him like a brother.

"It's fine. I'll get my revenge myself. Don't worry," Long Chen said with a slight smile, patting Shi Feng's shoulder.

Seeing Long Chen say this, Shi Feng felt that Long Chen might be too proud to admit it and didn't press the matter further.

"Let's go. Come with me for a stroll," Long Chen said with a smile, preparing to lead Shi Feng away.

Seeing that they were treating him as if he were invisible, Li Hao became furious. He cursed, "Long Chen, you bastard! If you have the guts, challenge me to a match!"

Long Chen had only taken a few steps when his expression suddenly darkened, killing intent surging in his eyes. He slowly turned his head.

"You want to challenge me?" Long Chen's voice was cold, like shards of ice, chilling one to the bone.

Li Hao couldn't help but shiver. He felt that Long Chen was acting strangely today, but he had already made his boast. If he backed down now, he would become a laughingstock of the entire imperial capital.

Moreover, he had always bullied Long Chen, so he was acting purely on instinct, completely ignoring the sliver of fear that arose in his heart.

"That's right. Do you dare to accept?" Li Hao said loudly.

"No problem, but I want to add a wager," Long Chen said after some thought.

"Add a wager? Haha, your Long family can barely put food on the table. What do you have to bet against me? Your family's mansion, or will you become my slave if you lose?" Li Hao sneered.

However, he didn't notice the cold smile that appeared on Long Chen's lips, a smile tinged with darkness.

"Brother Shi, how about lending me your precious saber?" Long Chen asked.

"Take it."

Although Shi Feng was reluctant, he still handed over his long saber.

Long Chen nodded, secretly noting this kindness in his heart. He then said to Li Hao, "This precious saber, while not top-tier, is worth eight thousand Gold Coins. I'll value it at five thousand Gold Coins now. If you win, you can take the saber. If you lose, you give me five thousand Gold Coins. How about it?"

Li Hao's heart stirred. The saber in Shi Feng's hand was forged from fine steel and crafted by a master. Eight thousand Gold Coins was definitely a fair price.

Now, this fool Long Chen dared to use it as a wager. Li Hao was overjoyed in his heart.

However, he mocked, "If you lose, will someone renege on the deal?"

"Don't worry, I, Shi Feng, always keep my word," Shi Feng sneered.

"Good, then let's go to the arena to sign the contract. If I don't beat you until you're spitting teeth today, my name isn't Li Hao!" Li Hao said with great delight and high spirits.

Long Chen's expression was calm, but a trace of darkness flickered in his eyes. Li Hao was merely a dog by Zhou Yaoyang's side, and Long Chen didn't take him seriously. However, their targeting of him... what kind of scheme was this?

But no matter what scheme it was, there would come a day when it was revealed. Long Chen and his companions headed straight for an arena outside the imperial capital.