Outside Zhaojiang City, Wencuo.
A square-faced young man in plain clothes was staying in Wencuo. He had practiced martial arts for years and traveled the jianghu with his master, enduring wind and sun until his skin had turned dark. He looked little different from Wencuo's farmers.
At that moment, he was waiting beneath the old willow tree in Wencuo for a carrier pigeon to arrive.
By the time evening fell and the sun had begun to sink, he had waited and waited, but there was still no sign of the pigeon.
"Something's wrong. Something happened!"
The square-faced young man's expression changed. He murmured, "Master once said that on this trip into the city to seize a martial art, he might never return."
"That's why he told me to stay outside the city and send a carrier pigeon every seven days to report that I was safe. If the messages stopped, it would mean he had met with disaster."
"I must hurry to Songling and find the Three Friends of Songling!"
"The Three Friends of Songling are all Bone Refining experts, and they have a decent relationship with Master. They once invited him to join their Songling Garden, practice and advance together, and become the fourth friend of Songling..."
Remembering his master's instructions, the square-faced young man gritted his teeth, packed his belongings that very night, and set out for Songling.
"Thunderclap Blade Technique, Great Accomplishment!"
Inside the Black Dragon Gang, Liu Chu stopped practicing his blade technique, a hint of a smile on his face.
He opened the Attribute Panel:
Host: Liu Chu Comprehension Multiplier: 4x (Available sacrifices: 30 Treasure Fish/300 taels of silver, 10 years of lifespan) Dragon-Tiger Nourishing Practice (Perfection) Dragon-Tiger Combat Technique (Perfection) Dragon-Tiger Blade-Breaking Technique (Perfection) Thunderclap Blade Technique (Great Accomplishment 1%) Rolling Thunder Nourishing Practice (Minor Accomplishment 12%) Jintao Blade Technique (Minor Accomplishment 33%)
"Thunderclap Blade Technique broke through to Great Accomplishment earlier than I expected. My blade training is getting faster and faster, especially when I practice a new technique. It's practically lightning-fast!"
Liu Chu looked at the progress bars on the Attribute Panel, a satisfied smile curling his lips.
By now, practicing blade techniques came easily to him. He had simply started training two techniques at the same time, learning from one to understand the other!
In fact, he had found that this method seemed to be even faster than training a single technique on its own.
"Perhaps my comprehension is simply too strong. Comprehension is all about applying what you learn in one area to another, grasping things at a glance. Having several similar techniques to compare might actually let my comprehension shine even more!"
Liu Chu analyzed the matter in his mind.
A fourfold comprehension boost made it easier for him to draw inferences and learn from one thing to understand others. Training two blade techniques at the same time had inspired him considerably.
Of course, this worked so well because he had already perfected one blade technique.
With a perfected blade technique as his foundation, he could naturally stand higher and see farther. Otherwise, he would still have to focus on training one blade technique at a time.
"But if I train two blade techniques at once, I can only keep up with one nourishing practice."
Liu Chu had already begun training a nourishing practice.
Only with a perfected blade technique and a perfected nourishing practice as his foundation could he train several techniques at once.
But for now, three techniques at the same time was already his limit.
Nourishing practices were especially harder to train than blade techniques. Blade techniques were martial skills, and sometimes a tiny insight could bring a tremendous improvement.
Nourishing practices were different. As fundamental methods, they were closely connected to Blood Vitality. He had to consume enough nourishing tonics and improve gradually over time.
Fortunately, he had found six hundred taels of silver on Gu Hualong and the other man, and Yang Wenhuai had given him another two hundred taels.
Even after setting aside enough to make up the shortfall of thirty Treasure Fish, he still had six hundred taels of silver to spend.
Without hesitation, Liu Chu ate two Treasure Fish to train his second nourishing practice.
"Master was right. Perfecting one nourishing practice gives you eight strands of Blood Vitality, the limit of the human body."
"To break through that limit, you need more than ten times the resources!"
Liu Chu couldn't help but marvel at it.
He had eaten two Treasure Fish, yet they had only barely pushed his second nourishing practice to Minor Accomplishment.
He still hadn't broken through the Blood Vitality limit!
To do that, he would have to train the practice to Great Accomplishment. By his rough estimate, he would need another five or six Treasure Fish!
Of course, he could buy medicinal meals instead, but they would cost about the same, and taking them required strict discipline. He would have to eat them every day.
Treasure Fish were much more convenient.
"Even if this uses up a lot of the time I spent saving Treasure Fish, the increase in strength is real. I'll just have to wait a little longer."
Liu Chu didn't mind.
After fighting Gu Hualong, he had felt his advantage over Bone Refining experts gradually shrinking.
That was because quite a few Bone Refining martial artists had also trained one technique to Great Accomplishment.
Some top Bone Refining experts had even perfected a technique!
"If I faced a Bone Refining martial artist who had perfected a technique, my odds of winning wouldn't be good!"
Liu Chu silently assessed his chances.
"Now that I've trained Thunderclap Blade Technique to Great Accomplishment, along with Jintao Blade Technique at Minor Accomplishment, I could kill Gu Hualong even more easily if we fought again!"
"But against a Bone Refining expert with a perfected technique, I'm afraid we'd be evenly matched!"
"And according to rumors, some Bone Refining experts have already made progress with Neizhuang cultivation. Their Blood Vitality condenses into True Qi, making them even stronger than ordinary experts with a perfected technique!"
Liu Chu knew that Bone Refining martial artists differed in strength, and that the difference came down to their techniques!
Just like him: relying on several perfected techniques, he could look down on the Tendon Refining Realm and challenge Bone Refining experts!
"But if I can perfect Thunderclap Blade Technique and Jintao Blade Technique, or train Rolling Thunder Nourishing Practice to Great Accomplishment, I'll be able to overpower ordinary Bone Refining experts who have perfected a technique..."
Liu Chu thought to himself, then continued practicing.
But before he had trained for many more days, an unexpected guest arrived at the Black Dragon Gang.
"Gang Leader, someone from the Li Family is here to invite you to their residence for a meeting."
Feng Sheng reported respectfully.
"The Li Family?"
Liu Chu looked at Feng Sheng in confusion.
Feng Sheng immediately explained, "The Li Family is one of the major families in Zhaojiang City. They're second only to the Three Great Families. The current family head is a Bone Refining expert, and the family also has a Bone Refining elder!"
"I see."
Liu Chu now had a better understanding of the Li Family.
But then he frowned and looked at Feng Sheng in puzzlement. "Why would the Li Family invite me? Does it have something to do with the Black Dragon Gang's business?"
Feng Sheng shook his head. "The Li Family does respectable business, all of it long-term trade. They have no business dealings with the Black Dragon Gang."
"Then why did they invite me?"
Liu Chu asked, puzzled.
"This..."
Feng Sheng looked embarrassed. "This subordinate doesn't know either. I'll go ask them."
"Wait. Did they send someone here?"
Liu Chu called out to Feng Sheng as he was about to leave.
"The Li Family's head steward is waiting to see you. He wants to speak with you alone."
Feng Sheng replied at once.
"Since he's already here, I'll meet him. I'm curious what the Li Family wants with me."
Curiosity stirred in Liu Chu's heart, and he decided to meet the Li Family steward.
By rights, he should have had no connection to the Li Family at all. In fact, until now, he hadn't even known what kind of business they were in.
Soon, with Feng Sheng leading the way, the Li Family steward entered the hall.
Liu Chu gave the steward a once-over and was immediately startled. "His aura is restrained and steady. The Li Family steward is actually a Tendon Refining martial artist!"
"You must be the Black Dragon Gang Leader. I've heard a great deal about you."
The Li Family steward cupped his hands and offered a few polite words of flattery, but his expression held a faint note of contempt.
"Get to the point. What do you want with me?"
Liu Chu frowned, displeased by the steward's expression, and spoke without a trace of courtesy.
"My Li Family has invited the gang leader because we have a good opportunity to offer you. You need only come with me!"
The Li Family steward chuckled, as if being invited by the Li Family were the greatest honor imaginable.
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