Elimination, 100,000 Treasure Coins for a Pound of Meat? Minor Accomplishment, Breaking Through to the Blood-Tempering Realm!

Li Tiezhu laughed and said, "Junior Brother Shi, I think you're a decent guy. Later, I'll put in a good word for you with Senior Sister Zhou and the others. If we work together, we can look out for each other."

"Many thanks, Senior Brother Li."

Shi Wen cupped his hands to show his gratitude.

Li Tiezhu smiled without saying anything more and walked off to chat with a few other Outer Courtyard disciples.

Not long after.

The news was spreading throughout the entire Outer Courtyard.

Many people stopped their training, gathering in groups of three or five to discuss the matter.

Soon, people from the Inner Courtyard emerged.

They set up a table under the banyan tree.

Several Inner Courtyard disciples sat before the table with an air of great importance. Among them were Yan Kai, Zhou Heling, and that genius disciple Qin Huan, whom Shi Wen had seen before. They chatted and laughed, clearly intending to hold a selection meeting right there.

Leading them was a young man with a large frame.

His name was Sun Mingting. It was said he was an expert in the Blood-Coagulation Realm and the leader of this small circle, as well as one of the top ten disciples of the Inner Courtyard, ranked tenth!

"Li Tiezhu, Zhao You, Yang Chenghuan, come over here."

Li Tiezhu and two other sturdy youths who were close to tempering their blood-qi walked over with their heads held high, amidst the envious gazes of many Outer Courtyard disciples.

Shi Wen remained silent, focusing solely on his training.

"Greetings, Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters..."

Under the respectful greetings of Li Tiezhu and the others, Sun Mingting, Yan Kai, and the others huddled together to discuss.

They soon unified the criteria for the next wave of selections: look for those who were tall and preferably had a fierce expression, capable of holding their own.

Before long, several tall and fierce-looking disciples from the Outer Courtyard were chosen.

They were all eager and brimming with excitement.

But they were still a few people short.

Consequently, after some deliberation, they unified a new standard: select Outer Courtyard disciples who were decent at practicing fist techniques.

Sun Mingting looked at them and said, "Li Tiezhu, Zhao You, Yang Chenghuan, you have been in the Outer Courtyard for a long time; do you have anyone to recommend?"

Zhao You, quick-witted, immediately recommended several people.

Yang Chenghuan, being dull by nature, shook his head to indicate he had no one to suggest.

Li Tiezhu, however, recommended, "Senior Brother Sun, I know a junior brother named Shi Wen. He practices his fist techniques well and is diligent and hardworking. I recommend him."

As he finished speaking, Li Tiezhu hurriedly beckoned to Shi Wen.

Shi Wen walked over under the envious gazes of many Outer Courtyard disciples and cupped his hands to greet the group from the Inner Courtyard.

"Shi Wen?"

Sun Mingting took a look and, seeing Shi Wen's gaunt and haggard appearance, had no intention of choosing him. "What do you all think?"

Yan Kai glanced at Shi Wen and said with a chuckle, "This young man is quite hardworking; giving him a chance wouldn't hurt."

"Hmm, what about the rest of you?" Sun Mingting looked at the others, but his expression remained calm, clearly unsatisfied.

"He's too thin and weak; it would be a disgrace to our Fist Academy. We are supposed to be guarding the venue, which represents the face of our Fist Academy. What's the point of sending a skinny monkey?"

Zhou Heling shook her head, and Wei Shan also shook his head, indicating his disapproval.

The genius Qin Huan merely glanced at him before withdrawing his gaze, not even bothering to acknowledge such a small fry.

The consensus of the group effectively kicked Shi Wen out of the running.

Yan Kai argued for a moment, but unable to change the outcome, he stopped speaking.

The Outer Courtyard disciples, both those who were chosen and those who were not, looked at Shi Wen with mocking eyes.

In the end, Shi Wen became the talk of the town among the Outer Courtyard disciples.

Everyone laughed at him for his delusions, their laughter ringing out incessantly.

Shi Wen didn't show much emotion; he returned to his usual spot and practiced his fist techniques in silence, while Li Tiezhu came over secretly to apologize, feeling quite guilty.

The time to finish lessons arrived.

Shi Wen was still the last disciple to finish training, and as usual, he tidied up the scattered equipment in the Outer Courtyard.

He returned home.

For some reason, Old Shi was not at home.

After waiting for a long time, Shi Wen went out in anxiety to look for him, only to run into Old Shi on his way back.

"Dad, you're back? Let's eat."

"Mm."

Old Shi's eyes were red and swollen, his clothes were covered in dust, and his face looked extremely haggard.

This had been Old Shi's appearance for the past few days.

Over the past few days, Shi Wen had been probing around, learning from his mother that his father had gone to the old family estate to reclaim money borrowed by his grandfather.

However, seeing his father return home every day looking gray and dejected, he knew things were not going smoothly.

"A-Wen, take this money. You're practicing martial arts now, and there are many places you'll need to spend. Don't you dare try to save it for me."

Old Shi suddenly pulled out a money pouch and handed it to him.

After giving the money to Shi Wen, he looked as if a heavy burden had been lifted, yet as he turned away, his back seemed much more hunched than before.

Shi Wen glanced at the pouch and couldn't help but be shocked.

Inside were a full thirty-two strings of copper coins!

Holding the money and recalling Old Shi's haggard and weary appearance just moments ago, Shi Wen felt a sudden ache in his nose.

From the memories of his predecessor, he knew his father was not favored by the family; one could only imagine how much his father had sacrificed to get this money back from the old estate.

"I must reach the minor accomplishment stage in my Basic Techniques, then see if I can affiliate with some gangs to earn resources for my cultivation."

Shi Wen's expression was resolute.

The next day, Shi Wen arrived at the Fist Academy early in the morning.

He first found Li Qianqian and paid an extra string of coins to cover unlimited access to the medicinal soup for the month.

Then, he went to find Yan Kai to ask about how to nourish his body.

Shi Wen had a premonition that the Basic Techniques he was practicing were different from others; once he reached the minor accomplishment stage, an unexpected phenomenon would occur!

"Senior Brother, this is the two strings of coins I owe you."

Shi Wen returned the money to Yan Kai, which surprised him, as Shi Wen was the first person to ever pay him back.

"It wasn't much money, Junior Brother Shi. Aren't you being a bit too formal?"

"Senior Brother, business is business. It had to be returned."

"Fine, you're an interesting fellow."

Yan Kai smiled. Once he learned of Shi Wen's intentions, he said, "You've asked the right person. My family runs a trading firm, and it just so happens to deal with exactly what you want to buy."

"If you want to nourish your body, it's best to buy beast meat jerky and medicinal powders. These are the most nourishing. Martial artists in the Blood-Tempering Realm rely on them daily to maintain their bodily functions; otherwise, how many meals would one have to eat a day just to keep from starving?"

"So, in general, martial artists rely on beast meat jerky and medicinal powders to sustain themselves."

"Besides that, those who are about to give birth to blood-qi must also consume these things to charge their bodies. Otherwise, blood-qi is difficult to generate, and forcing it out will only deplete the body."

"Senior Brother, do you have any recommendations?" Shi Wen nodded, half-understanding.

"What my family sells—the cheap but effective kind—is Stone Raw Meat. It's meat from exotic beasts, processed through a special method. It can maintain a martial artist's bodily functions. On the market, it sells for about 8 strings per catty. Since you're an acquaintance, I can sell it to you for 5 strings per catty. As for the medicinal powder, there is Blood-Nourishing Paste, specifically for nourishing blood. It's made from herbs over ten years old. One dose is 2 strings of coins; that's the cheapest available."

Although Yan Kai was usually carefree, he was very serious when introducing the items.

"So expensive?"

Shi Wen gasped upon hearing this.

Currently, pork on the market was about 100 copper coins per catty. At 5 strings per catty, that was roughly 5,000 copper coins!

If converted into Treasure Coins, wouldn't that be 100,000 Treasure Coins?

100,000 Treasure Coins for a catty of meat—how could Shi Wen not be shocked?

Before, he wouldn't have even dared to imagine such a thing!

"This is truly very cheap. You can go ask around the market. It's just that I felt guilty for failing to help you secure a residency spot yesterday, so I'm giving you a better price. Otherwise, if you wanted to buy it, it would cost at least 7 strings per catty."

Yan Kai said earnestly, "If you go buy it yourself, you'd really have to pay the full price with almost no discount."

"Many thanks, Senior Brother. Please help me buy 5 catties of Stone Raw Meat and 3 doses of Blood-Nourishing Paste."

Shi Wen handed the money pouch to Yan Kai.

Yan Kai took a look and was somewhat surprised. "Junior Brother, 5 catties of Stone Raw Meat and 3 doses of Blood-Nourishing Paste only cost 28 strings. Why are you giving me 29?"

"It's for the trouble of running the errand, Senior Brother. Please have some tea on me," Shi Wen said seriously. After all, he had no deep friendship with Yan Kai, and one had to offer some benefit when asking for favors.

"Hahahaha, no need, really no need."

Yan Kai laughed heartily, took out the extra string of coins, and handed it back to him. "If I ever run into trouble in the future, just come help me out, alright?"

Yan Kai said this without ever intending to take the benefit.

Little did he know that in the future, he would indeed survive a life-or-death crisis thanks to Shi Wen's assistance!

"Then many thanks, Senior Brother."

Shi Wen silently took the money back and went to continue his training.

His heart was filled with emotion.

Thirty-two strings of coins, spent in the blink of an eye. Truly, literature is for the poor, but martial arts are for the rich!

Without money, how could one even dream of being a martial artist?

Stance-standing, Charging Step, Face-On Palm, Mountain-Splitting Palm, Iron Mountain Lean, Silk-Reeling Burst Fist, Prop Punch, Heart-Piercing Elbow...

Shi Wen completed the entire set of Basic Techniques in one fluid motion.

Various killing moves transformed exquisitely in his hands, the transitions seasoned and practiced!

After finishing the fist routine, Shi Wen took a deep breath and looked at his palm.

[Extreme Seal]

[Baji Fist Introductory Foundation: Introductory (49/50)]

"One more time, and I can bring the foundation to Minor Accomplishment, but I must wait for Senior Brother Yan's supplies to arrive before attempting it, otherwise I'll likely suffer a physical deficit!"

"If I ruin my foundation then, future cultivation will be difficult."

Shi Wen took a deep breath.

He did not continue practicing.

Although he did not understand why the process of generating blood-qi would occur while the foundation was only at the stage of advancing toward Minor Accomplishment, he dared not gamble!

Yan Kai went out for a trip and returned by lunchtime.

He handed a basket to him and explained how to use the contents.

Shi Wen opened it to inspect, feeling somewhat surprised.

The Stone Raw Meat had a brownish, stone-like exterior, while the meat inside was blue; it had the texture of beef jerky when chewed. He had only eaten a piece the size of half a thumb, paired with a bowl of coarse tea, when his stomach indeed felt a sense of fullness.

The Blood-Nourishing Paste was a black-red ointment wrapped in oil paper, smelling of red dates and goji berries.

It was a tube about the size of toothpaste.

Digging out a small amount and putting it into his mouth, it immediately released a sweetness like date candy, and the ointment swallowed into his throat felt like a warm current.

Eating just a little made him feel quite energetic.

"Many thanks, Senior Brother."

Shi Wen gratefully cupped his hands toward him, and the latter left without much concern.

After putting the items away.

Shi Wen silently practiced his stance training and sparred with Li Tiezhu, familiarizing himself with various killing moves.

During this time, Shi Wen learned from Li Tiezhu that Peace Lane had changed hands.

The Thief Gang, which had previously run rampant, had been wiped out by the Robbery Gang, and the Thief Gang leader, Chen Shuisheng, had gone missing.

Shi Wen practiced silently, though his moves became even more seasoned and ruthless, to the point that even Li Tiezhu could barely parry them, several times nearly wanting to use his full strength to cope.

After training, Shi Wen packed his things as usual.

On the way home, he bought 10 jin of coarse rice and 2 jin of pork with a mix of fat and lean meat.

He ate dinner and rested.

When the night grew deep.

Shi Wen brought the Stone Raw Meat and Blood-Nourishing Paste he had bought during the day to the backyard.

After taking a deep breath to calm his mind, Shi Wen began his stance training and practiced the Charging Step.

Having finished the final set of the Foundation, [Baji Fist Introductory Foundation: Minor Accomplishment (1/100)]

Boom!

As the data on the Extreme Seal refreshed, Shi Wen's expression changed drastically, as he instantly sensed a massive change occurring within his body!

He fell into a state of tinnitus, where the sound of his heart beating violently and the sound of blood circulating through his meridians were amplified infinitely!

He sensed his skin and flesh burning with heat, especially in his arms, where it felt as if fine needles were pricking him.

The muscles on his body felt as if they were being forcibly torn apart by something.

At the same time.

An extreme sense of hunger erupted instantly, and the agonizing pain in his stomach, as if his intestines were being wrung dry, caused Shi Wen to curl up on the ground and roll around, his short tunic soaked through with sweat the size of beans.

With red eyes, he lunged toward the Stone Raw Meat and Blood-Nourishing Paste, desperately stuffing the dried meat into his mouth.

It was not until he had eaten a third of the Stone Raw Meat in the basket and consumed two tubes of Blood-Nourishing Paste that the hunger and agonizing pain gradually faded.

After a long while, Shi Wen finally regained his senses, a look of lingering fear appearing on his face.

If he hadn't had the Stone Raw Meat and Blood-Nourishing Paste, and had instead chosen to rashly increase his proficiency, it really would have triggered dire consequences!

"Why would this be? Isn't it supposed to be that one can only temper blood-qi once the Foundation is cultivated to the Great Accomplishment or Perfection stage? Why did I experience this process when I only just raised the Foundation to the Minor Accomplishment stage?"

"I didn't expect to enter the Blood-Tempering Realm just like that."

"Is this... blood-qi?"

Shi Wen closed his eyes, silently sensing a thread of blood energy the size of an embroidery needle swimming within his dantian.

Once he circulated the blood energy, the muscles in his arms bulged like forged refined iron, his forearms thickening by several circles. With a single punch, the edge of the nearby discarded millstone was chipped away, leaving a stone-sized gap, yet his hand felt no pain whatsoever.

"Rise!"

Shi Wen grabbed the upper millstone, which weighed at least 300 catties, and stood up; he only exerted a little effort before lifting it!

It was not until the wisp of blood energy in his arms was exhausted that he lost the strength to support it and dropped the millstone to the ground.

Shi Wen panted lightly and ate two strips of dried meat to recover his strength.

He positioned the millstone, executed Heavenly Spring Treading, twisted his waist and pivoted his hips, instantly concentrating his entire body's strength into the point of his elbow while simultaneously unleashing that wisp of blood energy!

A loud "Boom" rang out!

It was as if a thunderclap had erupted on flat ground; the 300-catty upper millstone was forcibly smashed into two pieces by the point of Shi Wen's elbow. The center point struck by his elbow shattered into gravel of varying sizes, which clattered onto the ground!

Conversely, Shi Wen remained completely unscathed!!

This sound startled his sleeping neighbors awake, and his parents in the house were also roused, only returning to sleep after being calmed by Shi Wen.