I, Lu Cheng, Might Yet Reach Qi Refinement in Three Years!

Near dawn, at the Long Wind Escort Agency.

Under normal circumstances, Lu Cheng would have returned before midnight.

But because so much had happened last night,

by the time Lu Cheng returned to the Escort Agency, it was already the exact hour of the tiger.

It was also precisely the time Zhuang Xing got up to train.

"Lu Cheng, wait a moment."

Hearing Zhuang Xing call out to him again, Lu Cheng felt utterly helpless.

Why did this guy only know how to keep an eye on him every single day?

Lu Cheng was not particularly tired at the moment. The problem was that he had a great many things to do shortly.

Now that he had Blood-Activating Powder, the first thing he needed to do was use the medicine.

Afterward, he still had to find Feng Zhan and Fatty to discuss what came next.

With so many things to do, he only found there was not enough time. Where would he find the leisure to chat idly with Zhuang Xing?

Lu Cheng had originally intended to pretend not to hear and leave.

But Zhuang Xing ran straight up in front of Lu Cheng and lowered his voice. "I heard you took a job guarding a courtyard?"

Unable to avoid it, Lu Cheng could only nod.

Only on the first day had he said that he had gone to the Black Market to buy medicine.

For the following two days, he had brushed it off by saying he had gone to earn money.

Guarding a warehouse earned thirty copper coins a night.

No one found that the least bit surprising.

After all, everyone in the Escort Agency knew just how poor Lu Cheng was.

At this moment, Lu Cheng only wanted to send this guy away as quickly as possible, so he casually said,

"What, are you interested? Want me to introduce you?"

Zhuang Xing said,

"Uh... no need."

"..."

After three seconds of awkwardness, just as Lu Cheng was about to turn tail and leave, Zhuang Xing suddenly took something from his robes and stuffed it into Lu Cheng's hand.

"This is for you."

"What?" Lu Cheng looked at the oil-paper packet in his hand, finding it somewhat familiar.

Zhuang Xing turned around and clasped his hands behind his back.

"Stop taking those courtyard-guarding jobs."

"Huh?"

Zhuang Xing sighed and declared loudly,

"The martial path is a struggle against Heaven, a battle against Earth, and a contest to seize from others. This road is destined to be incomparably arduous; one slight misstep, and you will be smashed to pieces and your bones ground to dust."

"Yet among all these disciples, only you have the hope of contending with me."

"Though I will surpass you no matter what, if you delay your cultivation because of money, I would feel that my victory was undeserved."

"This is a packet of Blood-Activating Powder. On the martial path ahead, I do not wish to be too lonely."

Having said that, he raised his head to gaze at the sky and softly recited,

"One day, I shall stand above the clouds, looking down upon the human world, where all shall seem insignificant. To meet you halfway and travel together would mean Heaven's will has not yet turned cold."

"Lu Cheng, do not disappoint me."

"..."

Lu Cheng looked at the oil-paper packet in his hand in surprise, yet felt especially awkward upon hearing Zhuang Xing's words.

Judging from Zhuang Xing's manner, he probably would not be able to refuse with just one or two sentences.

He still had a pile of things to do. He would return the medicine when he had time.

Thinking this, he cupped his hands toward Zhuang Xing. "Then many thanks to Senior Brother Zhuang for the medicine."

Zhuang... Senior Brother Zhuang?!

He called me Senior Brother Zhuang?

Upon hearing Lu Cheng's words, Zhuang Xing, who had been standing tall with his chest thrust out and head raised, suddenly shuddered.

His heart leaped to the top of his head with a thump.

If not for his skull blocking it, it might have flown straight beyond the heavens.

For that very reason, Zhuang Xing raised his head even higher.

But immediately afterward, Zhuang Xing felt a wave of emptiness and boredom.

He thought with a touch of melancholy,

Alas, Lu Cheng has ultimately been conquered by my bearing. I only hope he will not lose his drive to advance upon the martial path because of this.

If that truly happens, it will instead be my fault.

He turned back, intending to offer a few more words of advice, only to see that Lu Cheng had already walked to the Plum Blossom Stance where he usually trained.

It seemed Lu Cheng intended to begin his training.

This left Zhuang Xing feeling as though a breath was stuck in his belly, unable to rise or fall, making him deeply uncomfortable.

After thinking it over, he still decided to say a few words to Lu Cheng.

Lu Cheng stood in the open space and pulled out a packet of Blood-Activating Powder from his bundle.

Only upon looking at it did he understand why it had seemed familiar just now.

The Blood-Activating Powder Zhuang Xing had given him used not only identical paper, but even the same wrapping method.

"..."

Wasn't that a coincidence?

He had left Old Pi a total of four packets. Not only had they sold so quickly, one had even landed in the hands of someone he knew.

Lu Cheng glanced at Zhuang Xing. He had not expected this guy to visit the Black Market too.

Still, credit where it was due, the guy had good taste.

That one "Senior Brother Zhuang" had not been wasted after all.

Shaking his head, Lu Cheng unwrapped the packet and poured the entire dose directly into his mouth.

Zhuang Xing, who had been about to walk over, saw this scene.

His heart, which had already dropped back into his chest, suddenly shot upward again.

He stood frozen for two seconds, then silently turned around.

There were many ways to use Blood-Activating Powder.

Medicinal baths, topical application, and swallowing it.

Most people chose medicinal baths.

Though this method was inconvenient and slow in effect,

it was the gentlest. The medicinal power dispersed in the water and gradually acted upon the body, making it comfortable and painless.

Topical application was somewhat more efficient and made better use of the medicine's potency.

But first, it had to be spread over the body, which was rather troublesome.

Second, when the medicine took effect, it caused stimulation that ordinary people found hard to bear.

As for swallowing it,

that method was the most convenient, most efficient, and made the most complete use of the medicine's potency.

But it was also the hardest to endure.

When Zhuang Xing first used Blood-Activating Powder, he had tasted only a smear the size of a fingertip, yet it had hurt for an entire night.

After that, he only used the topical method.

Seeing Lu Cheng swallow an entire packet without the slightest hesitation, his mind instantly went blank.

Better not go over there.

Not only should he not go over there, he should pretend he had seen nothing.

The snowflake-like medicinal powder originally carried a faint fragrance.

But the moment it entered his mouth, that fragrance immediately turned into fiery pungency that rushed straight into his nasal cavity.

Lu Cheng gulped down two large mouthfuls of water, washing down the pungency.

A scorching heat immediately surged down his throat and into his belly.

His entire chest and abdomen instantly felt as though they had caught fire, and it swiftly coursed through his channels toward his limbs and internal organs.

It continuously stimulated his channels, bones, viscera, and muscles.

Lu Cheng hurriedly closed his eyes and focused his mind, guarding his dantian as he assumed the Mystic Eagle Stance.

From still stance to moving stance, then to the Breathing Stance.

Lu Cheng practiced again and again without stopping.

Before long, sweat had soaked his entire body.

Even the ground beneath his feet had become wet.

Under the stimulation of that medicinal power, his viscera, muscles, and bones, once burdened by old ailments as immovable as boulders, were all set into motion.

Streams of force were born anew.

Gradually, the scorching sensation weakened more and more until it vanished.

Lu Cheng exhaled deeply and slowly opened his eyes.

By then, daylight had fully broken, and Fatty and the others had also arrived at the training ground to practice.

Seeing Lu Cheng in this state, then looking at the oil paper beneath his feet, they naturally guessed what had happened.

Every one of them looked as though they had seen a ghost.

When they saw Lu Cheng awaken from his Stance Training, they could not stop themselves from exclaiming in amazement.

Lu Cheng steadied his breathing and swept his awareness through his sea of consciousness.

[Twelve Forms of the Black Hawk Stance]

[Grade: Low-Grade Human Tier]

[Realm: Minor Mastery (18/300)]

In only half an hour, his proficiency had increased by a full seven points!

The effect was far more remarkable than Lu Cheng had expected.

It had already surpassed his progress when he had first begun!

Judging by this, even if he cultivated for only two hours a day, it would not delay his progress.

And if he could maintain this pace,

Lu Cheng could reach the Refining Strength Mid-Stage within ten days!

Now it seemed Yunhuizi had not been exaggerating when he said Du Ruo could enter Qi Refinement within three years.

The Force Refining Realm had Blood-Activating Powder, while the Body Refining Realm had no fewer than four kinds of medicinal pills.

If supplies were provided without restraint, reaching Qi Refinement in three years would instead be relatively slow.

"I do not have the kind of abundant resources the East Sun Sect possesses."

"I must fight for everything myself."

"Therefore, neither the plan ahead nor the competition Shen Yi has arranged can suffer the slightest mishap."

One packet of Blood-Activating Powder per half hour cost only five qian, but at two hours a day, that came to two taels.

But that was only Lu Cheng's estimate.

After entering the next realm, the medicine's effect would likely weaken.

At that time, he would inevitably have to increase the dosage.

Not to mention the Body Refining Realm afterward.

Right now, these might be his only two opportunities. Once missed, they might never come again.

No matter what, he had to accumulate all the resources needed for the Body Refining Realm in one stroke!

And the prerequisite for all of that was still strength!

Lu Cheng took another packet of Blood-Activating Powder from his bag.

Amid Fatty and the others' wide-eyed stares, he dumped it into his mouth in one motion.

After thinking for a moment, he gritted his teeth, took out another packet, and swallowed it without another word.

Seven proficiency points per half hour was simply not enough!

I, Lu Cheng, might yet reach Qi Refinement in three years!

A surge of medicinal power several times fiercer than before dropped from his throat and tongue, like a red-hot iron poker stabbing into his dantian.

The veins on his exposed arms knotted visibly, and it seemed as though all the blood in his body was about to ignite.

Lu Cheng let out a muffled groan. The veins on his forehead bulged as his body trembled uncontrollably.

Gritting his teeth, Lu Cheng drew a deep breath and forcibly suppressed his disordered breathing, trembling as he practiced his stance forms.

Along with the stance forms, he inhaled and exhaled forcefully, again and again.

When he inhaled, the medicinal power poured into his lungs and viscera along with his breath.

When he exhaled, the stagnant feeling between his organs loosened by a fraction.

Again and again.

His sweat evaporated into steaming heat that rose from his body like wolf smoke, shooting straight into the clouds.