Evolution Complete: Fish-Dragon Precious Blood, True Intent: Burning! A Century Is Far Too Long, Unfortunately

Shi Wen wandered around Peace Lane for a while.

He went to the safe house to change clothes, then hurried home.

He scooped water from the vat to wash off his sweat and ease his fatigue, then practiced a few sets of the basic exercises to keep up his daily training.

He also ate nearly half a catty of Red Python Meat and took a packet of Blood Strengthening Powder.

Only then did he drift off to sleep.

He had also sustained quite a few injuries while fighting Tong Roushan.

Who knew how far that fellow had taken his Hard-Body Technique? He was incredibly strong. After Shi Wen took a few of his blows head-on, it felt like his insides had been tossed into a raging river, and he had nearly been unable to withstand it.

Fortunately, Baji Fist Introductory Foundation possessed the trait of "Penetrating Momentum," which had let him win the battle!

By the time Shi Wen woke up, it was already afternoon.

The lazy afternoon sun filtered through the dilapidated wooden window and into the room.

He opened his bleary eyes, and aches surged through his whole body like a rising tide.

Outside the house.

For some reason, the neighbors still hadn't gone to work.

They sat outside chatting, their voices loud as they argued heatedly.

It was as if something had happened.

Shi Wen paid no attention to the commotion outside.

He turned his gaze to the Extreme Seal.

[Extreme Seal]

[Baji Fist Introductory Foundation: Minor Achievement (32/100), Trait: Penetrating Momentum]

[Iron Whip Leg: Minor Achievement (2/80)]

[Iron Claw Skill: Beginner (1/30)]

[Iron Shirt Hard Qigong: Not Begun (1/10)]

[Evolution Branch 1: Contaminated Fortune Meat (Complete)]

"Done?"

Shi Wen's spirits jolted!

He quickly got up and went to the basket in the corner.

He unfolded the oil paper.

His expression changed.

Inside the oil paper, a drop of blood, a little larger than a sesame seed, shone like a brilliant ruby. Looking closely, he could even see it pulsing like a heart, beating in some sort of rhythm.

It was just like living blood freshly drawn from a fish-dragon.

Incredibly fresh!

"It doesn't smell."

Shi Wen held it up to his nose and sniffed, then asked curiously, "I wonder what one drop of Treasure Blood, condensed from twenty pieces of Blessing Meat, can do?"

"That little bit I got last time didn't do anything at all."

He shut the window and swallowed the Treasure Blood in one gulp.

The instant the Treasure Blood entered his mouth, Shi Wen's expression shifted.

This time, swallowing it was nothing like before. There had been no reaction last time.

The moment the Treasure Blood slid down his throat,

it turned into a blazing fire, burning fiercely through his internal organs!

The flames grew hotter and more violent, coursing wildly through his body as if they meant to burn his insides to ash.

A scorching, searing pain erupted.

Shi Wen's face twisted into a grimace. Veins bulged across his forehead, and every muscle in his body tensed!

As the flames coursed through every part of him, again and again,

Shi Wen's forehead instantly beaded with sweat, and his muscles began to tremble uncontrollably.

His internal organs, every bone, every sinew, his skin and flesh—all were flooded with a burning, searing pain!

Suddenly,

the burning sensation intensified several times over!

He curled up on the floor on the spot, his head buzzing. He nearly lost consciousness!

By the time the pain faded,

Shi Wen finally came to. His clothes were soaked with sweat, and patches of dampness covered the floor.

"Why did it hurt so much this time?"

Shi Wen sucked in a sharp breath.

He slowly rose from the floor and saw that his pores had expelled a great deal of yellow-black impurities. They were extremely sticky; when rubbed, they peeled off almost like a layer of skin.

After swallowing a sesame-sized drop of Treasure Blood,

he felt as if his body had suddenly become much lighter, even his bones seeming a little lighter.

He felt full of energy.

The tearing pain and aching bones and sinews from his fight with Tong Roushan had vanished without a trace!

"Marrow cleansing and impurity purging?"

Shi Wen's face was full of curiosity.

There were legends of treasures that could purge impurities and toxins from ordinary people's bodies and alter their bone structure.

Perhaps Treasure Blood was just such a treasure, one that could change a person's bone structure and cleanse the marrow and purge impurities!

Shi Wen practiced a few basic moves in the cramped room.

He immediately realized that his body felt light when he threw punches, his muscles and ligaments had grown elastic and tough, and all his joints had become much more nimble.

His punches were three times more fluid than before!

"Though my body seems lighter, I've actually gotten heavier, and my muscles feel denser, too."

Shi Wen slowly paced, taking stock of the changes.

He examined his body and saw that he hadn't developed bulky, powerful muscles.

In fact, the muscles in the areas he trained, such as his legs for Iron Whip Leg, looked a little smaller—or perhaps they had simply become more evenly proportioned.

"So my bones have gotten heavier?"

"Aside from the changes to my body, my qi and blood seem different, too."

Shi Wen closed his eyes and focused. The qi and blood in his dantian, which had been about the size of a loach, had shrunk several times over, but he could clearly sense that it was denser than before.

And this mass of qi and blood...

seemed to feel a little hot?

Shi Wen extended a finger toward the mud brick propping up the table.

He circulated his qi and blood. His finger sank deep into the mud brick as easily as if it were poking into tofu.

When he pulled it out, a deep hole remained in the brick.

"Other than piercing the mud brick more easily than before, does it have some other effect?"

Shi Wen quickly picked up the mud brick and examined it.

After looking it over for a long while,

he noticed faint scorch marks on the surface where his finger had touched it.

The detail was subtle.

It was impossible to spot without looking closely!

"Could it be that my qi and blood have taken on that burning trait?"

Shi Wen punched the mud brick, smashing it into pieces. He quickly picked up the fragments and examined them, and sure enough, he found scorch marks!

He couldn't help sucking in a sharp breath.

He had never heard of anyone cultivating a martial art and gaining a trait like burning flames!

"If I find more Blessing Meat and evolve it into Fish-Dragon Precious Blood, will the qi and blood in my body transform into pure, unceasing flames? Could it even become something like molten lava?"

"If that's really the case, who could withstand one of my punches or palms?"

Shi Wen was overjoyed and quickly looked at the Extreme Seal.

Sure enough, he spotted a difference.

[Extreme Seal]

[Baji Fist Introductory Foundation: Minor Achievement (32/100), Trait: Penetrating Momentum]

[Iron Whip Leg: Minor Achievement (2/80)]

[Iron Claw Skill: Beginner (1/30)]

[Iron Shirt Hard Qigong: Not Begun (1/10)]

[True Intent: Burning (Activated)]

"So the burning trait my qi and blood gained is called True Intent?"

"Good thing I can choose whether to activate it. Otherwise, if outsiders discovered that my qi and blood were different from theirs, it would be a real hassle."

"I have to buy more Blessing Meat and store it away. What if the people who worship the Supreme Saint Immortal Mother stop handing out meat one day?"

"I wonder how many pieces of Blessing Meat I'll have to evolve before this Burning True Intent can blaze like molten lava without going out?"

Shi Wen experimented with a mud brick on the floor.

He discovered that the Burning True Intent was related to how much qi and blood he poured into it.

When he released all his qi and blood at once, it could leave scorch marks on the mud brick's surface like those made by raging flames!

But activating his True Intent clearly made his qi and blood drain much faster.

"What benefits would I get if the Blessing Meat evolved into those other two branches?"

A look of interest appeared on Shi Wen's face.

Hell Demon Skull Black Disaster Dragon Fish Meat!

Red Current Demon Flame Calamity Fire Dragon Fish Meat!

Although the Extreme Seal didn't provide any details about what changes would occur after he swallowed these two branches,

their names alone

made it clear that both were worlds apart from Fish-Dragon Precious Blood.

"Too bad it'll take too long."

Shi Wen thought it over, and couldn't help feeling discouraged.

A hundred years—how long was that?

"If only there were something that could shorten the Extreme Seal's evolution time."

Shi Wen let out a soft sigh.

He got up to wash and change into a worn short jacket and trousers, then headed to the Fist Academy to train.

When Shi Wen appeared at the Fist Academy,

many of the Outer Courtyard disciples saw him and sneered. They pointed and whispered among themselves, and some even looked at him with disdain when their conversations grew heated.

All this time, everyone present had seen just how hard the kid had been training!

He was nearly always the first to arrive and the last to leave, and he barely rested at noon.

He was always practicing his punches.

He also seemed to have a good relationship with Senior Sister Li from the Inner Courtyard.

It had already left plenty of the Outer Courtyard disciples feeling resentful.

Who were you trying to impress?

Did you think you were so great?

Did you really think that so-called "Heaven rewards the diligent" could temper qi and blood?

We'd been wondering how long you could keep up the act.

Who would have thought you'd only lasted around ten days?

And now your true colors are showing!

You're only coming to train at this hour?

The lessons will be over in a little more than an hour. Why bother coming now?

Heh, of course it was all an act. You couldn't keep it up for long. You couldn't even last half a month before showing your true colors.

You'll probably stop coming altogether in a few days, right?

What a joke...