"So little?"
Looking at the three-dimensional projections of the medicinal herbs before him, Li Qingxu furrowed his brow.
There were nine in total, including Millennium Black Crow Root, Hundred Dew Grass, Dragon Blood Essence, Willow Heart, Penglai Flower, and Snow Lotus.
According to the descriptions beside each herb, they all possessed remarkable effects. The one that could improve the human body the most was the Millennium Snow Lotus.
"Can these so-called medicinal herbs really break open the Bitter Sea once consumed?"
Even Li Qingxu wasn't sure anymore.
But judging by the descriptions, these herbs could affect even those at War God Level, so their medicinal effects should be quite potent.
After thinking it over, Li Qingxu chose the Millennium Willow Heart and Millennium Snow Lotus.
As soon as he tapped on the two herbs, the three-dimensional projections vanished, and the entire screen went dark.
At the same time, that deep voice sounded again.
"You chose this path yourself. I hope you won't regret it."
As the voice faded, the entire email closed automatically.
"Regret?"
Li Qingxu shook his head helplessly. If he couldn't break open the Bitter Sea, then he'd have something to regret.
Just then, a question occurred to him.
Hong had so few medicinal herbs. What good stuff could Home of Extremes possibly have?
Sure enough.
When Li Qingxu opened the online mall at Home of Extremes, there was no "medicinal herbs" category. Instead, there was only one category: Gene Agents.
The most expensive was the Grade A Gene Agent, priced at 720 million Huaxia Currency.
After taking it, a martial artist could double his strength. A high-level warrior could reach Junior War General within a month.
But it caused considerable harm to the body, making it difficult to improve any further in the future.
"Forget it, forget it."
Li Qingxu almost laughed. Did he even have a choice?
He used up nearly all of his five billion in startup funds to buy six bottles.
As for manuals and weapons, he'd worry about those after opening his Bitter Sea.
For now, he could only put his hopes in those two herbs.
After closing the Home of Extremes website, Li Qingxu found a movie online and curled up on the sofa to watch it.
There was no point in worrying.
That afternoon, Zhuge Tao came by in person. Besides bringing Li Qingxu his martial artist certificate, he took the opportunity to give him another earnest reminder.
Movement techniques, attack techniques, and the Guidance Technique were the most important things for a martial artist!
The Guidance Technique determined how much a martial artist could improve his own strength, while movement and attack techniques determined his combat ability.
Knowing that Li Qingxu had five billion in startup funds, Zhuge Tao advised him to spend it on those three major manuals.
But he had no idea that the five billion had already been nearly spent, and Li Qingxu hadn't bought a single one of the three manuals.
After seeing Zhuge Tao off, Li Qingxu went back to lounging in the media room.
It wasn't until evening that the delivery workers arrived.
When he opened the door, he saw a man and a woman in suits, each carrying a metal case.
There was also a familiar face, though it was much darker than it had been at noon.
"Well, Supervisor, sorry to trouble you with making another delivery in person."
Li Qingxu greeted him with a smile.
Zhuge Tao was such a nice guy. He'd personally brought over Li Qingxu's martial artist certificate, and now he'd even come to supervise the martial arts school's delivery.
If their cultivation systems weren't different, Li Qingxu would have liked to give Zhuge Tao a Covering Sky Method.
But Zhuge Tao wore no smile now. His eyes practically seemed to be spitting fire.
Was it a case of being disappointed in him?
"What are you going to do with this stuff you bought?!"
Zhuge Tao practically shouted the question.
He was holding a cardboard box.
"Use it, of course."
Li Qingxu answered without hesitation.
"?"
"You're going to use this stuff? Don't you know the consequences? You..."
Zhuge Tao was clearly furious.
If the people from headquarters weren't standing there, he would have given Li Qingxu a thorough scolding.
A Quasi-Martial Artist valued by the Dojo Master had actually bought a Grade A Gene Agent. If word got out, people from Thunder Dojo would laugh themselves to death.
"It's fine, Supervisor. I know what I'm doing."
Li Qingxu couldn't explain too much, so he turned to the two people beside them instead.
"Hello. We're here on orders from headquarters to deliver your package."
After introducing themselves, the woman opened the metal case in her hands and said,
"Please verify your fingerprint and complete facial recognition."
As she spoke, a blue beam scanned Li Qingxu, and an electronic voice sounded: "Quasi-Martial Artist Li Qingxu, identity confirmed."
"Here's your package."
Only after his identity was confirmed did the man beside her hand the metal case to Li Qingxu.
"Thanks."
Li Qingxu smiled as he took the metal case. The medicinal herbs were finally in his hands.
"These are the things you bought. Think carefully before using them. If you change your mind, I can still help you return them."
Zhuge Tao handed over the cardboard box as well, trying to persuade him once more.
"Don't worry. I'll think it over carefully!"
Li Qingxu's expression was serious, his face full of sincerity.
"Fine. Call me on your phone if you need anything."
Zhuge Tao nodded and turned to leave.
As soon as the door closed,
Li Qingxu carried both boxes into the training hall on the second floor of the villa.
Everything was ready.
Late that night,
Li Qingxu chopped up the medicinal herbs, mixed them with the six bottles of Grade A Gene Agent, and swallowed it all in mouthfuls.
In an instant, the cells in his body sprang into action, producing a vast amount of life essence.
The Dao Scripture began circulating on its own, guiding the life essence as it surged against the Bitter Sea, which was as hard as divine iron.
That familiar sensation returned, and his body began to change.
Unlike the changes in Heaven and Earth's laws during the Post-Desolate Ancient Era of Shrouding the Heavens, where a lack of spiritual energy made it difficult even for the Desolate Ancient Sacred Body to open the Bitter Sea—
and where the Heavenly Dao suppressed it, limiting its chances of becoming an Emperor—
Li Qingxu felt no suppression at all in the Swallowed Star World. Instead, there was another, wondrous sensation.
A strange energy drifted in wisps around his body.
"Is this cosmic energy?"
Li Qingxu tried to absorb a wisp. A sense of hunger immediately arose throughout his body, as every part of him fought to seize and devour that wisp of cosmic energy.
"This actually works on me?!"
Li Qingxu was astonished for a moment. The effect was even purer and more concentrated than the medicinal herbs.
Ever since he'd arrived in the Swallowed Star World, he'd never considered absorbing its cosmic energy. Instead, he'd relied on medicinal herbs to batter his Bitter Sea.
He could only blame his rigid thinking. The world had changed, but he was still approaching it with the same mindset as before.
Without hesitation, Li Qingxu divided his attention. As he drew cosmic energy into his body, he guided the life essence to strike at his Bitter Sea.
He sat cross-legged on the ground, like a lifelike stone statue, while the life essence in his blood vessels surged and boiled.
One hour, three hours, twenty-four hours...
Suddenly, the training hall was flooded with light, and waves of sound burst out like a roaring tsunami.
At a spot just below Li Qingxu's navel, boundless divine radiance surged forth, a sea of brilliant gold.
Divine light blazed in myriad rays, brilliant as a rainbow. Golden waves surged, accompanied by flashes of lightning and peals of thunder!
The training hall rang with deafening waves, as if thousands of troops and horses were charging through it.
It was as though he had reached the shore, facing a vast and surging ocean.
Li Qingxu seemed lost in stillness as divine radiance bloomed within his Bitter Sea, dazzling and resplendent.
In that moment, the waves never ceased, golden light blazed, lightning danced, and towering breakers surged.
He could even hear his blood rumbling clearly, like a mighty river rushing onward.
The powerful life essence produced by his continuous absorption of cosmic energy flowed through his body, constantly washing over his flesh and blood until its radiance spilled out.
"Rumble!"
Lightning repeatedly burst above the roiling Golden Bitter Sea, intertwining with the towering waves until heaven and earth blazed with light.
The sea met the sky, and brilliant golden light filled every direction, dazzling beyond compare.
Another three hours passed before the golden light slowly receded and the roaring waves gradually quieted.
The training hall finally fell silent. Li Qingxu's Bitter Sea settled, its radiance drawn inward, its waves gone.
Before long, Li Qingxu opened his eyes, and two beams of divine light flashed through them.
His eyes were bright with divine radiance. He was alert and full of vigor, his blood and qi surging.
The instant he stood up, his entire presence changed.
He was like a seed buried underground that had sprouted and broken through the soil, brimming with vitality!
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