Plans couldn't keep up with changes.
Chen Feng's expression changed drastically.
The improvement in his strength came with an enormous expenditure of energy.
Hunger and weakness surged over him like a tide, swallowing him whole.
Every cell in his body was screaming.
This is bad!
Chen Feng sprang up from the bed.
With a crash, he burst through the door.
He had to find something to replenish his Qi Blood—tonics, pills, even meat. He had to restore his energy, and fast.
He didn't know whether he could absorb it.
What Chen Feng did know was that if he didn't replenish himself soon, he'd be drained dry!
The abundant Qi Blood inside him was being sucked away at an almost tearing pace.
A bone-deep weakness spread through his limbs.
Wave after wave of dizziness surged into his head.
It felt as if he might collapse to the floor the very next second.
Perhaps sensing the crisis, the Tai Chi Profound Origin Technique began circulating on its own. With every breath, Chen Feng drew upon the Profound Origin True Qi stored within him.
It took the place of his Blood Qi, keeping him going.
His thoughts regained a little clarity.
And with the Tai Chi Profound Origin Technique circulating, his movements grew faster and his energy expenditure eased slightly.
His stamina was recovering, too.
But...
It wasn't enough!
Not nearly enough!
He couldn't hold out much longer.
Chen Feng clenched his teeth, pressed his tongue against them, and forced a trace of strength from his body.
Wind roared past his ears.
His legs pumped so fast they seemed to leave afterimages.
The pillars of the corridor streaked backward before his eyes.
He raced straight for the martial arts school's pharmacy.
In just a few dozen breaths, Chen Feng reached the pharmacy door, driven by his will to survive.
Before he could steady himself—
Bang!
He nearly smashed through the half-open wooden door.
The faint fragrance of medicine wafted over him, but he had no time to notice.
His vision swam with black spots. A sharp pain twisted through his chest, and he nearly dropped to his knees on the spot.
The Old Director in the pharmacy jumped in fright.
He took a closer look and sucked in a breath—
"Sixth Young Master! What happened to you?!"
Chen Feng's face was nearly transparent with pallor, not a trace of its usual healthy flush remaining.
Cold sweat beaded across his temples.
His cheeks were deeply hollowed, and his lips had faded to a deathly white.
He looked nothing like his usual dashing self.
Chen Feng fought to keep his swaying body upright, bracing one hand against the counter. His knuckles whitened with the effort.
Unable to hide his weakness or urgency, he called to the pharmacy director:
"Quick... Qi Blood Pills... Great Tonic Pills, Origin-Gathering Powder... the more, the better!"
The old pharmacist had a sharp eye.
He saw Chen Feng's condition at once.
He was utterly depleted!
Before Chen Feng could finish speaking, the pharmacy director had already brought out pills one after another and started stuffing them into his mouth.
As he addressed the immediate crisis, he warned him:
"No, Sixth Young Master! Taking too many at once could cause serious trouble!"
Chen Feng swallowed pill after pill without chewing.
His Qi Blood Power recovered a little.
"Mm... It's, it's fine!"
As he ate the pills, Chen Feng circulated the Tai Chi Profound Origin Technique with all his might.
A Breathing Method that consumed more insight than the Five Elements Fist Technique, the Tai Chi Profound Origin Technique now displayed its unparalleled effects—
A terrifying ability to consume and absorb!
The moment those potent tonic pills entered Chen Feng's body,
they were absorbed completely.
Their conversion rate had reached an astonishing ninety percent or more!
Even the tiny impurities and toxins were extracted and expelled through his sweat.
Chen Feng felt his whole body grow feverishly hot.
A strange scene unfolded within him:
His Qi Blood was replenished even as it was consumed... the two processes matched each other in speed, locked in a tug-of-war.
One pill after another was used up.
After who knew how long, Chen Feng stopped stuffing pills into his mouth.
"Phew... I'm alive."
Chen Feng shuddered at the thought. He hadn't expected the Five Elements Fist Technique to be so powerful—it had nearly drained him into a withered husk!
Good thing he'd run fast.
Chen Feng lifted his eyes and saw the pharmacy's old pharmacist staring at him in horror.
He cupped his hands in thanks.
"Thank you, sir. You really did save my life."
Seeing that Chen Feng was all right, the Old Director let out a breath of relief. In all his years treating patients, he'd never seen anyone so utterly depleted.
It was as if a female ghost had sucked the yang essence out of him.
If Chen Feng kept eating, the pharmacy would run out of stock.
They couldn't exactly expect the Sixth Young Master to chew on raw herbs, could they?
A scene surfaced in the Old Director's mind.
He shook his head to clear away the pointless thought, then asked, "Sixth Young Master, did something go wrong while you were practicing?... Or?"
"It's a minor issue. No need to mention it."
Chen Feng waved a hand.
His voice brimmed with the joy of surviving a close call—and the thrill of his newfound strength.
He realized that all the marrow in his bones had finished transforming, and could now produce Blood Qi for him without end.
His bones began to tremble faintly!
That meant Chen Feng had already reached—
The Blood Refining Realm, perfection!
Once he tempered a single bone, he would become a Bone Forging Martial Artist!
Chen Feng was overjoyed.
As they said, fortune favored the bold.
The ancients hadn't lied.
"Sixth Young Master, there's one more thing..."
Chen Feng said, unconcerned:
"I've finished digesting everything, and the toxins have been expelled. I'm fine."
As he spoke, Chen Feng noticed that his body felt sticky and uncomfortable. He turned to head back and take a bath.
The pharmacy director stopped him and said tactfully:
"Sixth Young Master, these pills aren't free..."
Chen Feng's smile froze on his face.
This was bad.
Something really had gone wrong.
The next day, Chen Feng set out early.
He headed toward the Inner City.
The Changwei Escort Agency stood at the busiest crossroads in the city.
A tall gray-brick wall enclosed it, topped with gray tiles and subtly upturned eaves. Two life-sized stone lions crouched on either side of the gate.
A large, black-lacquered plaque with gilt lettering hung above the entrance.
The four characters "Changwei Escort Agency" were written in bold, weighty strokes.
An Escort Banner embroidered with the character "Might" in crimson silk fluttered in the wind before the gate.
"This is the place."
Chen Feng glanced at the imposing entrance, then patted the deflated purse tucked against his chest.
That enormous Silver Ingot had all gone to the pharmacy.
It had turned into a few Copper Coins...
He was right back where he'd started.
Making money couldn't wait.
Chen Feng noticed a notice posted at the entrance to the escort agency:
"Apprentices and escort guards wanted. Applicants must have developed Qi Blood at minimum. Those who pass the escort agency's assessment may attend training free of charge..."
It seemed the escort agency was short on people, too.
Chen Feng crossed the black-lacquered gate with its copper ring. Inside lay a Training Ground about half a mu in size, paved with smooth, solid slabs of bluestone.
Rows of Wooden Stakes stood along the edges.
A simple sparring platform stood in the center.
Two men in short jackets were sparring on it.
A long line of people stood nearby.
They seemed to be waiting for an assessment.
As Chen Feng stepped into the Training Ground, someone came up to him. "Who are you? What are you here for?"
"I'm a disciple of the Dragon Walk Martial Arts School. I'd like to register as an escort guard."
Chen Feng cupped his hands.
The Escort Guard who'd approached him heard the words "Dragon Walk Martial Arts School," then turned and called to another man:
"Chief, someone from a martial arts school is here."
Chen Feng looked over.
A tall, broad-shouldered middle-aged man in a dark blue short jacket walked over at an unhurried pace. He looked Chen Feng up and down and asked:
"Do you have your disciple's Waist Token?"
"I do."
Chen Feng took the Iron Token hanging at his waist and handed it to the middle-aged man.
The Middle-aged Escort took it and gave it a quick glance.
"The token's fine. Your name is Chen..."
"...Feng?!"
"You're Chen Feng?!"
Before you continue