Blood-Qi Circulation Method

Jiang Ran had not expected to run into two people on this rooftop.

Based on the coordinates, he had originally arrived at the base of this building.

Finding nothing downstairs, Jiang Ran began to slowly explore his way up...

It was not until he reached the rooftop that he found what he was looking for.

One of the five monsters currently before him.

Seeing the two people ahead looking at him with surprise, Jiang Ran thought for a moment and decided against communicating with them.

Instead, he went about his business and picked up his compound bow.

Taking advantage of the fact that the monsters had not yet turned around, he grabbed the compound bow from his back with his right hand, drew a carbon arrow from his quiver with his left, nocked it, and pulled the string.

The entire sequence of movements was fluid and seamless.

By the time the bowstring was pulled to a full moon, the monster finally whipped its head toward Jiang Ran.

But it was already too late.

The arrow speed of a 70-pound compound bow can reach 110 meters per second.

And the distance between it and Jiang Ran was less than a dozen meters.

Before it could even react, the arrow pierced through its skull, pinning it firmly to the ground.

Jiang Ran had no intention of stopping; after killing that monster, he turned his aim toward the others.

Just then...

"Help!"

Xia Xuan's low roar rang out.

The criminal investigation captain bit the bullet, gripping his police baton as he charged toward the monster nearest to him.

Seeing this, Zou Yue gritted her teeth and followed, the two of them flanking the creature in an attempt to restrain it.

As criminal investigators, they had received systematic combat training and were much more capable than the average person.

However, after nearly a night of fleeing and fighting, their stamina was already mostly spent, and their movements were clearly sluggish.

Furthermore, the disparity in strength was simply too great.

The explosive power and durability of these monsters far exceeded human limits.

For a moment, the two did not even know how to strike.

Fortunately, a figure streaked past them at that moment.

A sound like a dragon's roar exploded in their ears.

When they regained their focus, Jiang Ran's fist had already slammed solidly into the monster's back.

BOOM!!!

The dull thud sounded like a beating drum.

A bowl-sized bloody hole exploded in the monster's back, its spine shattered inch by inch, and the charging Xia Xuan was even splattered with gore across his face.

The monster didn't even let out a scream before it collapsed forward, motionless.

The battle was over.

From the moment Jiang Ran appeared until all five monsters were wiped out, less than two minutes had passed.

Xia Xuan and Zou Yue stood where they were, gasping for air, their faces still stained with blood, their eyes locked onto Jiang Ran.

Especially his right hand, which had just thrown that punch.

The power of that strike... it was simply not something a human should possess!

Jiang Ran, however, did not seem to care.

He retracted his fist, exhaled, waited for the warmth in his lower abdomen to slowly subside, and then walked straight toward the monster he had shot with the arrow first.

He crouched down, drew his tactical knife, and skillfully sliced open the skull.

He poked around the brain tissue with the tip of the blade, quickly picking out an object that emitted a soft white light.

Jiang Ran calmly tucked the white orb into the tactical pouch at his waist.

He then walked toward the other corpses, slicing open their skulls one by one to retrieve the Spirit Crystals inside.

Xia Xuan and Zou Yue exchanged a glance, both seeing a complex look in the other's eyes.

After a few seconds of silence, Xia Xuan took a deep breath and walked toward Jiang Ran.

"Thank you." His voice was still a bit dry. "Without you, I'm afraid we would have..."

Jiang Ran was in the middle of putting the last Spirit Crystal into a small cloth bag.

He didn't even turn his head at the words, simply waving his hand dismissively.

Xia Xuan frowned.

He had been a police officer for many years and had seen all sorts of people, but the aura of the man before him was truly unique.

"My name is Xia Xuan," Xia Xuan thought for a moment before speaking up. "I'm with the Feng City Criminal Investigation Detachment, and this is my colleague, Zou Yue. If you need any help later, feel free to find me at the municipal bureau here."

Jiang Ran paused slightly, stood up, and nodded with his back to them, acknowledging he had heard.

Then, carrying his cloth bag, he walked straight toward the rooftop door, his figure quickly disappearing into the shadows of the stairwell.

From start to finish, he hadn't said a single word.

Only when the footsteps had completely faded away did Zou Yue let out a long breath and slump onto the ground.

"Captain Xia... what exactly is that person's background?"

Xia Xuan walked over to the corpse of the monster, whose back had been punched through, and crouched down to examine the wound carefully.

It was a bloody mess, with the spine completely shattered.

Even the organs inside the chest cavity had been pulverized by the impact.

"His archery was extremely precise, his blade work was clean and efficient, and his combat skills were clearly honed through real-world experience... and that final punch..." Xia Xuan's voice was low. "That is absolutely not something a normal person could deliver."

"Are you saying?"

Xia Xuan whispered, "Either he is not an ordinary person at all, or... he obtained something here that we don't know about."

Zou Yue's expression shifted. "Like that bronze artifact we encountered?"

"Perhaps something more advanced." Xia Xuan looked in the direction Jiang Ran had left. "Look at his gear: compound bow, Tang dao, tactical waist pack—everything was specifically prepared."

"If an ordinary person were suddenly dragged in here, how would they have had time to get all this?"

Zou Yue thought for a moment, her face changing. "You mean... he knew he would be coming in here long ago?"

"I'm not sure," Xia Xuan shook his head. "But at the very least, he is adapting much faster than we are."

The two fell silent.

Only the sound of the wind remained on the rooftop.

Six o'clock in the evening.

The sky gradually darkened, and a deep purple twilight shrouded Feng City.

The streetlights on both sides of the road lit up one by one, casting lonely halos of light across the empty city.

Jiang Ran did not choose to return to the bank.

Instead, he returned to his own apartment complex.

The mechanism for returning was currently unknown; if the return point happened to be inside the bank, staying there might result in being trapped.

By comparison, his home was more familiar and better suited for dealing with unexpected situations.

The hallway remained quiet.

Jiang Ran carefully checked the door lock, confirming there were no signs of tampering, before opening the door and entering.

He locked it, drew all the curtains, and turned on the living room lights.

He then went into the bathroom, took off his blood-stained hoodie and pants, and changed into clean loungewear; only then did Jiang Ran feel truly relaxed.

He walked into the bedroom and took the white ball of light out of his waist pack.

The halo swirled in his palm, feeling warm to the touch, like holding a piece of warm jade.

Activate, Jiang Ran thought to himself.

The ball of light suddenly flared, turning into countless tiny specks of light that surged into the center of his brow.

In an instant, a massive amount of information flooded his mind...

"Qi and Blood Circulation Method, the foundation of body tempering and the root of preserving life."

"Qi and blood are the essence of a person and the root of life. Moving them means guiding the qi and blood to temper the muscles and bones, nourish the internal organs, and strengthen the qi vessels..."

"This text is divided into three levels: the first is Sensing Blood, the second is Circulating Blood, and the third is Nourishing Blood."

"Now, I impart to you the first level... the Sensing Blood chapter."

As the voice faded, a vast amount of information poured into Jiang Ran's mind.

Ten minutes later.

Jiang Ran slowly opened his eyes, a look of contemplation on his face.

Strictly speaking, this so-called cultivation technique should be considered a breathing method.

It simply required coordination with specific postures and mental guidance.

It was used to sense and stir the qi and blood within the body.

If the supernatural Dragon-Tiger Fist was a transcendent technique, then this Blood-Qi Circulation Method was the true foundation of transcendence...

With that, Jiang Ran did not hesitate any longer.

He began to attempt the practice.

First, calm the mind and focus, sinking your intent into the Dantian, then slowly diffusing it to the four limbs and the hundred bones.

Attempt to perceive the flow of Blood-Qi within the body.

The first ten minutes or so.

He could only feel the pulse of his heartbeat and the blood flowing through his vessels.

But Jiang Ran possessed excellent patience; his max-level psychological focus allowed him to easily enter a deep state.

Twenty minutes later...

Hum.

A trace of scorching heat rose from the depths of his lower abdomen, then slowly spread upward along his spine.

"Found it... the root of Blood-Qi."

Jiang Ran guided his intent, attempting to lead that trace of heat along the path recorded in the technique.

Passing the Gate of Life, piercing the Spinal Column, ascending to the Jade Pillow, reaching the Hundred Meetings, then descending from the forehead, passing the Chest Center, and returning to the Dantian.

One cycle completed.

The moment the loop closed, the pores across his body slightly dilated, and a warm current seeped out from the depths of his bone marrow, merging into that trace of Blood-Qi.

It had grown noticeably stronger.

"It works."

Jiang Ran opened his eyes and took a Spirit Crystal from his cloth bag.

The white crystal emitted a faint glow in his palm, feeling cool to the touch.

He closed his eyes again, gripped the Spirit Crystal, and circulated his Blood-Qi once more.

This time, the change was immediate.

The cool energy surging from the Spirit Crystal met the scorching Blood-Qi within his body, and like cold water hitting hot oil, it instantly boiled.

One, two.

By the time the third Spirit Crystal had completely turned into gray-white powder, Jiang Ran was soaked in sweat, and a faint white mist was even steaming from the top of his head.

But he could feel it...

His strength was growing.

It was real, tangible power, rooted deep within his flesh, muscles, and bones.

Jiang Ran slowly withdrew his energy, the scorching Blood-Qi sinking into his Dantian, transforming into a warm furnace that continuously nourished his entire body.

He then stood up and walked to the mirror.

There was no major change in his appearance, but his eyes held a restrained, sharp light.

He clenched his fist.

Crack, crack...

His knuckles popped, his arm muscles bulged slightly, and the lines were firmer than before.

His pure physical strength had increased by at least fifty percent.

More importantly, he could feel that mass of Blood-Qi within his body burning continuously, constantly feeding back into his muscles, bones, and internal organs.

Furthermore, this power felt completely natural, as if it were an innate instinct.

"This is the path suited for combat..."

Jiang Ran's thoughts stirred, and a translucent panel appeared before his eyes:

[Name: Jiang Ran]

[Age: 24]

[Profession: Martial Monk (Transcendental), Teacher, Artifact Appraiser, MMA Fighter...]

[Skill: Blood-Qi Circulation Method (Incomplete) Lv.1 (0/100)]

Upon seeing the skill column, he was slightly stunned.

This was the first time he had unlocked a skill on his personal panel.

The skills he had unlocked previously had all appeared on the panels of his various professions.

"A skill... and it has a level."

Jiang Ran whispered to himself, and a thought couldn't help but emerge.

Does this mean... it can also be leveled up using profession points?

This thought made his heart warm slightly.

If the Blood-Qi Circulation Method could be rapidly leveled up through the panel mechanism.

Its effects would be far beyond what he could achieve through step-by-step, arduous training.

However, Jiang Ran had to temporarily suppress this hypothesis, which still required verification.

Because his current career points were zero.

Jiang Ran exhaled softly.

He walked to the window and lifted a corner of the curtain.

The street remained empty, but in his eyes, the world was now much clearer.

His five senses had improved once again.

Jiang Ran let go of the curtain and walked back to the center of the bedroom.

Just as he was about to test how many complete sets of the Dragon-Tiger Fist he could execute in his current state, his gaze caught the glowing computer screen.

Jiang Ran paused slightly, a question suddenly occurring to him.

Since the internet and signals in this world were still functional...

Could it be that people were communicating online?

With that thought, Jiang Ran immediately sat down in front of the computer and opened Mouhu, the largest forum in the country.

However, upon seeing the very first post.

His expression couldn't help but freeze...

There actually was one.

The post was accompanied by a video, titled...

[Brothers, I saw a dragon!!!]

What surprised Jiang Ran even more was that the number of replies had already exceeded five thousand.

And it was still growing rapidly.

It seemed that, given the base population of the entire world, the number of people who had entered this place would not be small.

Jiang Ran clicked on the post.

The main thread contained a video shot on a mobile phone; the image quality was somewhat blurry, and the person filming was clearly shaking.

The screen showed a gray, hazy sky with clouds rolling in the distance.

A few seconds later, a long, slender cyan figure emerged from the clouds.

A torso covered in gold-green scales, four claws vaguely visible, two horns atop its head, and long whiskers beneath its jaw...

That was a dragon.

The dragon of myth and legend, the creature that commanded the clouds and rain, soaring through the nine heavens.