Blood Coagulation Third Realm?

At dawn, White Deer Academy was quiet and serene, a place where tranquility brought far-reaching peace. Far from the clamor of the city, it seemed like a paradise beyond the mortal world.

Amid this peaceful atmosphere, a figure sat beneath a large tree by the yellow-earth Training Ground, eating.

That person was none other than Shen Zhou.

Only, Shen Zhou was a little different from usual today.

Usually, as soon as he arrived at the Training Ground, he would start practicing his punches. He worked harder than anyone else at White Deer Academy, all to gather his qi and blood.

As a result, his whole demeanor had previously been tinged with fatigue and restlessness.

But today, Shen Zhou was different.

His aura had changed. He seemed to have slowed down.

He was quiet and composed, as if enjoying a peaceful life. Look closely, and you could even see a hint of a smile at the corners of his eyes.

He seemed like a completely new person, sitting beneath the tree in tranquil contentment as he ate buns.

He had asked Qin Mingyue to go into the city early that morning to buy them. She had bought a great many, and over a dozen empty bamboo steamers were now piled beside him. Still, he ate unhurriedly, as if he could never get enough.

At this point, Qin Mingyue, who had been keeping him company, was looking at him strangely, as if he were some kind of monster.

Before long, the dozen or so half-grown boys who studied martial arts under Old Man Ji arrived at the yellow-earth Training Ground as usual, ready to begin their morning practice.

They had all gotten to know Shen Zhou quite well over the past half month.

The main reason was that Shen Zhou had been the slowest to cultivate among them. Without realizing it, the boys had developed a sense of superiority, thinking, So I'm not the worst after all. Someone was even more clueless than I used to be.

That was how they had ended up becoming friends.

A boy named Wang Xiaomao came onto the Training Ground and saw that, unusually, Shen Zhou wasn't practicing his punches today but was eating buns instead. Surprised, he came over and said, "Huh, Shen Zhou, why aren't you practicing your punches? Weren't you always the first to start?"

The other boys chimed in, "Exactly. If you don't work hard, you'll fall even further behind us."

"Careful, Old Man Ji might scold you again today and say you're as stupid as a pig... Hahaha..."

Before, Shen Zhou might have gotten worked up and argued back with them.

But today, after hearing their taunts, he merely curled his lips into a faint smile. Then, without a word, he stood up and walked straight to the pile of rocks beneath the tree. He casually picked out one about the same size as the rock Tan Tong had used to demonstrate the Iron Head Skill, then lifted it.

Next, pale-red qi and blood gathered around his right fist like a thin glove.

A moment later, he punched.

The rock burst apart on impact, its fragments scattering across the ground.

Tan Tong, Wang Xiaomao, and the others instantly widened their eyes at the sight.

What was going on?

Had that guy Shen Zhou gathered his qi and blood?

But no, even if he had, it was impossible for him to have become so powerful so quickly.

To smash bluestone with a bare fist, he would need at least an entry-level body-tempering skill. But Old Man Ji hadn't taught him any body-tempering techniques!

Shen Zhou, meanwhile, seemed completely unfazed. He dusted the stone powder off his hands, then turned back and smiled at them casually. "You'd better work hard from now on. Before long, I might overtake you!"

"..."

The boys caught their breath.

They didn't know what showing off was, but at that moment, they all thought Shen Zhou was a little punchable!

Among the boys who studied martial arts under Old Man Ji, Tan Tong was the strongest. He was currently at the Coagulation Eighth Realm, had mastered body tempering, and had skin like copper and bones like iron. He was quite formidable.

It was just his head that he hadn't trained as well.

After all, the head was relatively fragile and dangerous, making it one of the most difficult parts of the body to temper.

As for the other boys, their cultivation ranged from the Blood Coagulation Third Realm to the Coagulation Sixth Realm.

All of them came from ordinary families and had no money to buy medicinal ingredients for tempering their bodies. Their talents were nothing exceptional, either. Compared to those who had grown up in powerful lineages, the progress they had made was already a testament to how much effort Old Man Ji had put into teaching them.

But just last night, Shen Zhou had advanced two levels in a single night, going from the Coagulation First Realm to the threshold of the Blood Coagulation Third Realm. Compared with Wang Xiaomao and the others, his progress was astonishing.

The reason he had advanced so quickly was that yesterday, he had awakened his second Entry—"Daily Enlightenment."

"Daily Enlightenment" gave him one chance each day to enter a state of sudden realization.

The state lasted for one hour, as Shen Zhou had discovered when he tested it last night.

During that hour, Shen Zhou could turn into a top student, learning at incredible speed and drawing connections between different subjects. He could practically master any cultivation technique after studying it just once.

Last night, he had taken advantage of the chance to test his Entry and, along the way, studied the Xu Family's Wild Desolate Art.

As the Xu Family's secret clan art, the Wild Desolate Art was unquestionably powerful. But it was also genuinely difficult to master.

Before entering the state of "Enlightenment," he had tried several times, but he couldn't get the hang of it.

But once he entered "Enlightenment," he mastered it in one go.

What made the Wild Desolate Art remarkable was that it not only included profound breathing techniques and fist forms, but was also an extremely powerful body-tempering art—so powerful it could even be called heaven-defying.

It was an internal cultivation method focused on refining essence into qi and using it to nourish the body.

In simple terms, Shen Zhou could refine his own qi and blood to nourish his body and make it stronger, then replenish his qi and blood by eating. That way, he could establish a cycle.

It was practically like stepping on his own left foot with his right.

Of course, this method couldn't be cycled forever, because food couldn't replenish his qi and blood that quickly.

So, after learning the Wild Desolate Art through "Enlightenment," Shen Zhou had reached the Coagulation Third Realm in a single night. That also explained why he had been here eating buns first thing in the morning.

It was all because he needed to replenish his qi and blood!

"This Xu Family technique really isn't bad. If I get the chance, I'd better find a complete version."

Shen Zhou mused to himself.

The only thing that disappointed him was that he hadn't gained a new Entry when he broke through to the Coagulation Third Realm this time. Perhaps he would have to wait until he broke through to the Transformation Yuan Realm to find out.

While everyone was still stunned by Shen Zhou's progress, Old Man Ji ambled onto the Training Ground.

No one knew exactly what level Old Man Ji's cultivation had reached, but the moment he arrived, he noticed something unusual about Shen Zhou. His eyes narrowed slightly. "Kid, have you gathered your qi and blood?"

Before Shen Zhou could answer, Wang Xiaomao called out, "He's done more than that! Shen Zhou reached the Blood Coagulation Third Realm in just one night!"

Wang Xiaomao's voice was full of envy.

Shen Zhou said nothing, but instinctively puffed out his chest, looking rather pleased with himself.

Old Man Ji raised an eyebrow. Then he walked up to Shen Zhou and examined his condition.

"You really have reached the Blood Coagulation Third Realm!"

But one thing surprised him. "The Wild Desolate Art? How do you know the Xu Family's technique?"

Now it was Shen Zhou's turn to be surprised. "Not bad, old man. You know the Wild Desolate Art? So, what do you think? You can't call me a blockhead now, can you?"

Looking at Shen Zhou's smug expression, Ji Honggang snorted and withdrew his hand. "You're only at the Blood Coagulation Third Realm. What's there to be proud of? Besides, you're relying on the advantage of your technique. And don't say I didn't warn you: the Wild Desolate Art may be good, but cultivating it consumes a tremendous amount of a martial artist's qi and blood. If you use up too much or can't replenish it, you could damage your own foundation.

"If you have the money, I suggest you buy plenty of medicines to replenish your qi and blood. Eat more demon beast meat, too. That can make up for what you've expended."

After hearing Old Man Ji's warning, Shen Zhou didn't dare take it lightly. He hurriedly committed it to memory.

Old Man Ji then said seriously, "Since you've gathered your qi and blood, you'll start body-tempering today. Tan Tong, you're responsible for training this kid from now on. Take him into the city later to buy the medicinal ingredients needed for a medicinal bath. Then, stop by your eldest senior brother's place and bring back the academy's living expenses for next month."

Tan Tong was always honest and straightforward, and he immediately agreed.

Before leaving, Shen Zhou packed all the bamboo steamers of buns into the Taixuan Sword. Then he glanced at Qin Mingyue beside the tree and asked, "We're going into the city. Are you coming?"

Qin Mingyue thought for a moment, then replied, "Yes."

It had been over half a month since he'd last visited, but Flying Bird City was still bustling and noisy.

Looking at the dazzling array of foods lining the roadside, Shen Zhou couldn't help sighing. "It'd be nice if Xi Mei and the others were here."

Ever since Shen Zhou had become a disciple at White Deer Academy, he had rarely seen the Three Little Ones.

Whether they were learning the sword or practicing the saber, a solid foundation was essential. Until Li Taohua and Ouyang Zhen thought Xi Mei and A Dai had laid a proper foundation, they wouldn't let them wander outside as they pleased.

San Mazi, meanwhile, had it easy studying medicine. Whenever he had nothing to do, he went into the city with Bai Feizhan to practice as a wandering physician, earning the academy some living expenses by treating people. He was certainly making good use of his talents.

After arriving in the city, Tan Tong first took Shen Zhou to an apothecary.

According to Tan Tong, the body-tempering technique Old Man Ji taught was called the Golden Body Art, a method of external cultivation that hardened the body.

As the saying went, one cultivated qi internally, and sinew, bone, and skin externally.

A medicinal bath was essential for tempering sinew, bone, and skin without harming oneself.

Tan Tong often bought medicine at this apothecary, so the owner knew what he was there for as soon as he saw him. He deftly went to fetch the ingredients, saving them quite a bit of trouble.

But Shen Zhou was shocked by the price. One packet of medicine cost a hundred taels, and he took ten.

He also bought plenty of medicines to replenish his qi and blood, such as ginseng, polygonatum, fleeceflower root, and reishi. All the odds and ends came to over four thousand taels in the end.

He had only robbed three thousand taels from that dimwit in the Xu Family earlier. It wasn't even enough to cover one medicine bill.

Tan Tong said, "This is still considered cheap. Body tempering is relatively easy at first, and the medicinal ingredients are common. Later, once you've made some progress and want to break through to the next level, the ingredients you need will be much more expensive. The teacher says that when it comes to body tempering, talent and bone structure aren't important. Resources are what matter most."

After seeing the prices of the medicinal ingredients, Shen Zhou couldn't agree more.

Fortunately, when it came time to pay, Qin Mingyue stepped forward and paid. She said to Shen Zhou, "The Qin Family's medicine storehouse has plenty of medicines to replenish qi and blood, too. My great-aunt said I could fetch them for you whenever you need them."

Those words made Tan Tong drool with envy.

Shen Zhou's face darkened.

She was trying to tie him to her ship by hook or by crook.

But he didn't think he could hold out for long, because he... was short on money!