Fusing the Blood Shadow Talent

Half an hour later, Qin Meng walked down from the private room on the third floor. He carried two technique manuals tucked into his chest and a heavy parcel in his hand, which contained twenty sets of pre-portioned nourishing herbs for the boiling blood realm.

The corpses of the blood wolf and the iron-armored salamander demon had been left with Duobao Pavilion.

Both parties had signed a written agreement, setting a one-month deadline. Although Qin Meng had used a fake identity, he had left the second-rank salamander demon core as collateral.

Yang Xiong, a deacon of the pavilion, personally escorted him to the entrance and handed him a palm-sized token. "Brother Ding Li, our pavilion has only recently opened, and since your single transaction amount was quite substantial, this is a bronze vip token issued by Duobao Pavilion."

Qin Meng took the token. It felt cold and heavy in his hand, with a simple yet exquisite design. The front was carved with a relief of a nine-story pagoda, while the back featured the characters for "VIP" engraved in raised script, with a string of tiny serial numbers below.

Yang Xiong explained with a chuckle, "With this token, you will enjoy a five percent discount on all purchases at Duobao Pavilion. If you have any needs for rare herbs, monster materials, or the like, you can also use the token to place priority orders, and the pavilion will do its best to source them for you."

"In that case, many thanks, Deacon Yang."

Qin Meng's eyes lit up at these words. He cupped his hands in thanks before taking his leave.

Walking out of Duobao Pavilion with his spoils, Qin Meng already had a plan in mind. The diamond body, combined with twenty sets of nourishing herbs for the boiling blood realm, would be enough to support his arduous training for the next month or so, laying a more solid foundation for his martial path.

He walked with hurried steps. After leaving the bustling streets of the East District, he turned into a quiet, secluded alley. After checking left and right to confirm no one was around, he activated his environmental integration talent.

In an instant, his bones emitted a faint clicking sound, and his facial muscles rippled and reorganized like flowing water. Within a few seconds, he possessed the face of an unfamiliar young man, completely different from the rugged appearance of Ding Li.

Qin Meng pressed himself against the wall, his mind sinking deep into his consciousness.

In the center of the system panel, a soybean-sized origin blood bead floated silently.

It had been condensed from the blood wolf talent. Inside the blood bead, a blood-colored wolf shadow could be vaguely seen struggling and roaring, its aura of ferocity primitive and violent.

[Compatibility 91%, ready for fusion.]

After a brief moment of consideration, Qin Meng decisively chose to fuse.

"Hum—"

The blood bead suddenly vibrated violently, erupting with blinding red light! It then exploded with a "bang," turning into thousands of crimson filaments that burrowed into his limbs and bones.

A massive surge of energy rushed through his body.

Qin Meng could clearly feel his body being strengthened. In particular, the bones in his legs were being repeatedly tempered and compressed, becoming as dense as iron.

His muscle fibers proliferated and reconstructed frantically, each bundle containing explosive power. The fascia in his soles were reinforced, and his grip on the ground increased exponentially.

More energy surged into the meridians of his lower limbs, forcibly widening and clearing paths that had previously been somewhat sluggish. A moment later, the strengthening process gradually ceased.

[Talent: blood shadow - low tier (1%)]

[Blood shadow: Short-distance sprints are as fast as a lingering shadow, jumping ability is greatly enhanced, and running speed is significantly increased. Can channel blood energy to condense into a wolf-shaped phantom, dealing impact damage to targets.]

Half-offensive, half-supportive—just what I need. Qin Meng's thoughts stirred. The muscles in his legs suddenly tensed, and he kicked off violently toward the side—

"Swish!"

His figure moved like an arrow released from a bow, crossing a distance of three zhang in an instant, the alley walls blurring into gray lines in his field of vision. By the time he came to a stop, his hem had only just begun to settle.

Qin Meng threw out several kicks in quick succession, the sound of air being torn apart sharp and brief; his speed was far beyond what it had been before. A smile had just touched his face when he suddenly frowned.

In the depths of his being, a sense of saturation emerged. It felt as if a container had been filled to the brim with water, unable to hold another drop.

Qin Meng vaguely understood: after fusing with the blood shadow talent, this body's capacity to bear talents had reached its limit. From now on, even if he were to strip new talents from exotic beasts or demonic beasts, he likely wouldn't be able to fuse them directly to improve. Only by cultivating and breaking through to higher realms could he expand the limits of his physical body.

It seems I will need to focus on diligent cultivation once I return, Qin Meng decided. His facial muscles rippled and shifted, restoring his original appearance.

He strode out of the alley and headed straight for Shopkeeper Chen's fur shop.

The Yanhan Dynasty was founded on martial prowess, carving out a vast empire over hundreds of years of conquest.

Within the dynasty, the fertile plains were boundless. As long as there were no major disasters, there was no shortage of common millet or rice, enough to feed the hundreds of millions of commoners.

However, those who practiced martial arts were different—tempering their muscles and bones, strengthening their blood and qi, each step forward required the consumption of vast amounts of vital essence.

Relying solely on grains was far from enough; one had to supplement with meat for nourishment.

Thus, in this Yanhan world, grain was easy to come by, but meat was precious. Especially the meat of wild beasts and demonic beasts that contained blood and qi; it was often priceless and in short supply.

It was no wonder that when Qin Meng merely promised to sell half a deer to Kexianju restaurant, Shopkeeper Hu had been so delighted he couldn't stop grinning.

When Qin Meng returned to the backyard of the Chen fur shop, the earlier bustle had mostly dissipated.

The wolf meat, which had been piled up like a small mountain after being skinned, had already been snapped up by the shopkeepers and staff of the town's various restaurants and inns, leaving only about two hundred catties of scraps behind.

As for the two spotted deer, because Li Tiezhu and Wang Tieniu were truly reluctant to part with them, and Qin Meng had given prior instructions, one was still kept intact.

Even so, for the wolf meat sold and the nine intact wolf pelts, the generous Shopkeeper Chen had handed over a hundred-tael silver note without hesitation.

Calculating it carefully, the meat alone had sold for over three hundred taels of silver. The total haul from this trip into the mountains had actually exceeded four hundred taels.

For Li Tiezhu and Wang Tieniu, this was a massive fortune they wouldn't have dared to dream of. Holding the silver notes and ingots, their hands were trembling. They had never imagined in their lives that a single hunting trip could earn so much.

Just then, Qin Meng returned from outside.

"Mengzi!" Li Tiezhu walked up, his face glowing with excitement. In a few words, he explained the proceeds from the meat and pelts, then pushed the three hundred-plus taels of silver toward him. "Here, this is yours. You killed the wolves; you should take the lion's share."

Qin Meng glanced at it, only taking one hundred-tael silver note and two ten-tael official silver ingots, pushing the rest back. "This is enough. As for the rest, the three of you can split it based on your contribution."

"This... how can that be?" Li Tiezhu was stunned. When he came to his senses, he pointed at the heavy silver in his hands and shook his head repeatedly. "That won't do. You saved our lives; if we still take the money, I, Li Tiezhu, couldn't live with myself."

"Exactly, I couldn't do it either!" Wang Tieniu hurriedly agreed.

Qin Meng waved his hand, his tone brooks no argument. "Zhuzi, Tieniu, being able to take down those wolves was largely thanks to you two drawing the pack's attention earlier. Besides, that red-furred wolf was the most valuable. This is what you deserve."

These words made Li Tiezhu and Wang Tieniu's cheeks burn. Recalling how they had fled in a pathetic panic from the wolf pack, then looking at the solid silver in their hands, they felt both ashamed and grateful, yet they couldn't find the words to speak.

"Alright, it's settled." Qin Meng didn't give them a chance to refuse again. He kept a straight face and said, "Take this money to buy some medicinal herbs that nourish the blood and strengthen the bones. Improving your strength as soon as possible is what truly matters."

"Oh, right," Qin Meng looked at Wang Tieniu, "Sell that half-deer to Shopkeeper Hu at Kexianju Restaurant as we agreed. He helped us out of a tight spot last time."

"Don't worry, Brother Meng, leave it to me." Wang Tieniu patted his chest and agreed.

Qin Meng pulled the sled carrying the giant salamander demon in front, while Wang Tieniu pulled the remaining deer and wolf meat behind. The three of them headed to Jisheng Pharmacy first.

After meeting up with Qin Xiaoshan, who had been waiting for them, Li Tiezhu and his companion excitedly recounted their thrilling experience and gains from the previous day, and shared the money with him.

Qin Xiaoshan clutched the heavy silver, his throat tightening. He looked up at Qin Meng's upright back ahead of them, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

Once upon a time, hadn't he been one of those people behind his back, laughing at him for being a "useless waste"?

Qin Xiaoshan sat on the sled, watching over their belongings.

Qin Meng took Li Tiezhu and the others to another storefront to purchase medicine.

Jisheng Pharmacy was the largest pharmacy in town. It was rumored to have backing from the official provincial medical bureau, and even Leiming Martial Hall didn't dare to offend them easily.

They not only treated common folk but also provided cultivation medicines for martial artists.

The main hall of the pharmacy next door was spacious and bright, with medicine cabinets towering all the way to the ceiling, and a rich scent of herbs permeating the air.

At this moment, a long line of over twenty people had already formed in the hall.

Most were dressed as martial artists, some looking impatient, others whispering to one another.

Cultivation medicines were extremely particular.

Not only did the herbs need to be carefully selected, but they also had to be prepared by specialized pharmacists into decoctions and ointments suitable for a martial artist's training, and the prices were naturally exorbitant.

A single packet of blood-nourishing decoction for the Boiling Blood Realm cost thirty taels of silver; if it were medicine for the Blood Changing Realm, a single packet would cost fifty taels.

Li Tiezhu and Wang Tieniu had only used medicinal aids two or three times in their lives; their families simply weren't wealthy enough to afford them.

The crucial issue was that cultivation-aiding medicines were not only expensive but also hard to come by.

Just as it was Qin Meng and his companions' turn and they were about to ask for medicine, a commotion suddenly erupted outside the door.

Seven or eight men in sturdy attire crowded around someone as they stepped into the pharmacy. The leader, dressed in fine brocade robes with an arrogant expression, was none other than Lei Jun, the young master of Leiming Martial Hall.