Blood Nourishment 3%, Crimson-Scaled Blood Python Meat

Chu Fan wiped his mouth with his sleeve and turned toward the Training Ground outside the dining hall.

Dusk had nearly fallen. The howling north wind swept up fallen leaves, pounding by his ears like war drums.

The warm heat spreading through his body from the medicinal soup happened to counteract the biting cold wind, leaving his whole body with an indescribable sense of comfort, as though every pore had opened up.

Instructor Cao had once said that after drinking the medicinal soup, one could still practice the "Twelve Forms Boxing" one more time.

Chu Fan paced twice around the Training Ground. Once his mind had gradually settled, he cast aside all distractions, lowered his stance, and began practicing the "Twelve Forms Boxing" again.

Not far away, using the last traces of daylight, he could see that aside from Zhao Tianxing, quite a few gang members who had drunk the medicinal soup had also assumed their stances and begun practicing their punches with shouted breaths.

For a time, the wind of fists howled, intertwining with the wind itself.

[Twelve Forms Boxing Experience +1]

After finishing one full set of punches, fine sweat beaded on Chu Fan's forehead and he panted heavily, yet his exhaustion was far lighter than before.

"This Blood Nourishing Medicinal Soup really is miraculous... In a couple of days, I'll have to go back and sell the ancestral house for some silver."

Having personally experienced the benefits of the medicinal soup, Chu Fan quietly made up his mind.

The night deepened, and all was silent.

A Blood Moon hung high in the sky, with sparse stars scattered around it.

Having completed his final round of the "Twelve Forms Boxing," Chu Fan was utterly exhausted. Dragging his heavy steps, he entered his lodging.

The room looked quite crude. Its four walls were mottled, with bricks, mud, reed stalks, and other building materials exposed in plain sight.

There was only one large communal bed in the room, spread with a layer of dry straw. The bedding was even more ragged and filthy, so black that its original color could not be seen. It clearly had not been washed in a long time.

Yet for children from poor families, such conditions were already hard to come by.

On the bed, Zhao Tianxing sat cross-legged, holding a small carving knife as he carefully trimmed arrows.

The blade scraped across the arrow shafts, making a faint rustling sound.

The other six younger young men were in high spirits, chattering away as they discussed everything they had seen and heard since joining the gang.

Chu Fan took a wooden ladle and scooped a full ladle of cold water from the water tank. Not caring about its bone-piercing chill, he tipped back his head and gulped it down.

Panting heavily, he staggered over to his sleeping place and collapsed sideways onto it. He pulled the ragged blanket over himself, closed his eyes, and no longer wanted to move.

[Cultivation: Foundation Establishment First Stage, Blood Nourishment 3%]

[Skill: Twelve Forms Boxing (Not Entry) (Trait: None)]

[Progress: (5/10)]

Just as he had expected earlier...

With his current physique, he could practice the "Twelve Forms Boxing" twice each in the morning, noon, and evening.

With the aid of that bowl of Blood Nourishing Medicinal Soup after dinner, he could manage one additional round.

But such training placed an immense toll on the body. Even now, he could not be sure whether one night of sleep would restore him completely.

If his recovery was poor, he would probably have to reduce the number of times he practiced boxing tomorrow.

The young men beside him were not as diligent as he was, much less as self-disciplined. They were still brimming with energy, chirping away without pause.

Chu Fan could not even be bothered to lift his eyelids. His entire skeletal frame felt as though it had fallen apart, and he lacked even the strength to move a finger.

"Hey..."

Zhao Tianxing turned his head and cast a sidelong glance at Chu Fan beside him. Curling his lips, he said, "No need to work yourself this hard, right? In just half a day, you've worn yourself out like a wild dog collapsed from exhaustion."

"With the way you train, it's hard to say whether you'll even be able to crawl out of bed tomorrow morning."

Chu Fan kept his eyes closed and did not answer. He truly could not be bothered to open his mouth.

His mind was completely blank at the moment, with only one thought remaining— even if the sky came crashing down, he had to get a good sleep first!

Everything else, to hell with it!

Zhao Tianxing rummaged through his bulging coarse-cloth bundle for a while, then felt out an object tightly wrapped in lotus leaves.

He reached out and lightly patted Chu Fan's arm.

Chu Fan opened his eyes irritably and said impatiently, "In the middle of the night, instead of sleeping, what exactly are you messing around with?"

Zhao Tianxing did not get angry. He merely spread the lotus-leaf bundle beside Chu Fan's pillow.

Inside were chunks of dark dried meat marked by strange patterns. Their surfaces were coated with cracked grease and salt frost, making them look like old cowhide baked dry beneath the blazing sun.

Zhao Tianxing picked out two pieces and handed them to Chu Fan. "These are for you."

"What kind of meat is this?" Chu Fan accepted the two pieces of jerky. They felt slightly heavy in his hand, and he could not help swallowing.

Zhao Tianxing wrapped the lotus leaves back up, stuffed them into his bundle, tied it tightly, and lowered his voice. "This is Crimson-Scaled Blood Python meat..."

"This stuff is no ordinary thing. It is exceptionally good at strengthening one's Blood Qi. Even if ordinary families carry gold and silver, they may not be able to find it!"

"In all my years, I've only encountered one such python. I was lucky enough to shoot its vital point seven inches from the head with a swift arrow, and only then did I get these few scraps!"

"If you ask me, this meat's effects are even stronger than that Blood Nourishing Medicinal Soup."

"After all, the feeling I got from drinking the medicinal soup was nowhere near as intense as eating a piece of this Crimson-Scaled Blood Python meat!"

"It has such benefits?" Upon hearing this, much of Chu Fan's earlier fatigue seemed to vanish. His eyes immediately lit up.

He pinched one piece between two fingers and brought it to his mouth.

The jerky was rather hard.

It also had an indescribably strange odor.

At first whiff, it smelled like rotten fruit mixed with the bloody tang of rust.

When smelled more closely, it carried the rank scent of damp soil, as though humus buried for a hundred years had suddenly surged to the surface.

A bitter flavor like a mixture of sulfur, asphalt, and expired medicine lingered in Chu Fan's throat for a long while, making him want to vomit while also unable to resist taking another bite.

Struggling, Chu Fan climbed off the bed and gulped down two more large mouthfuls of cold water before finally chewing up and swallowing the meat.

Yet the effects of this meat were not as immediate as the medicinal soup's.

After swallowing the meat, Chu Fan closed his eyes and rested for about half an incense stick's time. Only then did he feel warmth slowly rise from his Dantian, gradually spreading through his limbs and bones and turning into a warm current.

Zhao Tianxing's words had indeed not been false.

The effects of this single piece of Crimson-Scaled Blood Python meat were truly far stronger than those of the Blood Nourishing Medicinal Soup!

Upon closer consideration, its medicinal effects also lasted longer!

Chu Fan opened his eyes and lightly patted Zhao Tianxing, who was still fiddling with his arrows beside him. "Thanks!"

Zhao Tianxing did not reply. He merely grinned, revealing two rows of gleaming white teeth, then lowered his head and continued working on his arrows.

At this moment, the six young men who had been chattering earlier gathered around Zhao Tianxing one by one.

One of them wore a fawning smile and asked ingratiatingly, "Brother Tianxing, Instructor Cao said your muscles and bones are tough and your Blood Qi is abundant. How did you train yourself before?"

Zhao Tianxing proudly raised his chin. "What proper martial arts did I ever practice? I just used Stone Locks to train brute strength and ran around the mountains more often, that's all."

"Ever since I was little, I followed my father into the mountains to hunt. I could chase roe deer for dozens of miles along mountain paths, fight wild wolves barehanded, and chop down venomous patterned snakes..."

"When I was thirsty, I drank mountain spring water. When I was hungry, I roasted beast meat. As for medicinal herbs in the mountains, such as wild ginseng and Crimson Blood Vine, I don't even know how many I've chewed."

"It's only natural that my Blood Qi is a little stronger than yours."

A short-haired young man asked, "Once we break through Blood Nourishment, will we truly become disciples of the Seven Star Gang?"

"Mhm." Zhao Tianxing nodded slightly. "Either break through Blood Nourishment, or train One Form of the Twelve Forms Boxing to Major Accomplishment, and you can be considered an official member of the Seven Star Gang."

"By then, you'll receive better cultivation from the gang, and your treatment will rise like the tide lifts a boat."

He narrowed his eyes, his tone carrying a trace of longing as he continued, "A Seven Star Gang disciple alone can receive at least three taels of silver every month. An ordinary person might not even spend that much in an entire year!"

The group of young men's eyes shone brightly, as though they could already see silver swaying before them.

Zhao Tianxing added, "Moreover, after Blood Nourishment, our strength and speed will far surpass ordinary people's, and we'll be able to take on missions to earn money."

"For example, escorting herbalists into the mountains to search for medicine, or transporting goods for an escort agency. Both can earn quite a bit of money."

The young men grew even more excited, flattering him one after another and praising Zhao Tianxing until his eyes crinkled with delight and he felt comfortable from head to toe.

Suddenly, one of them asked, "Then... what realm comes after Blood Nourishment?"

"..." Zhao Tianxing was instantly at a loss for words.

He opened his mouth, then immediately put on a stern face and scolded, "You little brats don't know the height of heaven or the depth of earth! You're still a hundred thousand miles away from Blood Nourishment, yet you're already thinking about the realms beyond it?"

"Do you take Blood Nourishment for roadside weeds that you can pluck whenever you please?"

"How many people muddle along for eight or ten years without even touching the edge of Blood Nourishment?"

"Instead of sleeping in the middle of the night, if you have the energy to talk such nonsense, why not go outside and practice the Twelve Forms Boxing a few more times?"

"Get back to bed, all of you!"

The six young men Shrunk their necks after being scolded, not daring to say another word as they obediently lay back down in their own sleeping places.

Zhao Tianxing turned around, lowered his head, and quietly asked Chu Fan, "Chu Fan, do you know what realm comes after Blood Nourishment?"

Chu Fan: "..."

[Spiritual Essence: 2.8]

A tiny piece of Crimson-Scaled Blood Python meat had actually raised his Spiritual Essence by 1.5.

That bowl of Blood Nourishing Medicinal Soup from earlier had only raised it by 0.5.

Chu Fan's heart stirred, and he nearly got up to practice boxing again. On second thought, however, he restrained himself...

Only by replenishing his energy could his later cultivation yield twice the result with half the effort.

If he rushed for quick success and damaged his foundation, he would regret it beyond redemption.

That night, Chu Fan slept exceptionally soundly.

Even in his dreams, he practiced the "Twelve Forms Boxing" one move at a time.

When the first morning light broke through, he sprang up from the bed.

The expected sore back and aching limbs did not come.

Last night's exhaustion had instead been swept away entirely.

The medicinal power of that bowl of soup and the Crimson-Scaled Blood Python meat seemed to have made his recovery several times stronger than before!

Chu Fan pushed open the door and walked outside. Stretching his limbs, he felt light and nimble all over. Not only was there not the slightest sluggishness, but strength seemed to surge endlessly through his meridians.

Yesterday, he had merely practiced the "Twelve Forms Boxing" five times, drunk one bowl of medicinal soup, and eaten one piece of python meat. Yet after only one night, his body had already changed so noticeably!

By now, quite a few people were already practicing at the Training Ground, their shouts rising and falling one after another.

Chu Fan jogged around the grounds for a while to loosen his muscles and bones, then focused his mind and gathered his breath as he began practicing his punches in earnest.

Each time he completed a full round of the boxing technique, he gained one point of experience.

After five more rounds, the "Twelve Forms Boxing" would reach Entry.

The goal was right before his eyes, filling him with motivation...