Crazy Refinement

"He's gone mad—completely mad!"

Everyone in the square was stunned by Lu Cheng's actions.

The shock in their hearts was beyond words.

They had only heard of people taking Blood-Activating Powder to squeeze out its maximum effect.

But they had never actually seen it.

Much less someone like Lu Cheng, swallowing two packets at once.

"He... he couldn't already be at the Early Stage of Strength Refining, could he?"

Some suspected that Lu Cheng's ferocity meant he had already reached Minor Accomplishment in Strength Refining.

Hearing the discussion, everyone turned their eyes toward the four veteran disciples who had already reached the Early Stage of Strength Refining.

Yet even they stood there dumbfounded.

Clearly, even they found Lu Cheng's actions unbelievable.

After coming back to their senses, the four shook their heads repeatedly.

The oldest disciple frowned and said:

"Early Stage of Strength Refining? No, absolutely impossible."

"You must know that only those with the aptitude of a Peerless Di Hao or above possess the trait of Hundred-Day Foundation Establishment."

"In other words, even Du Ruo would need three months to reach Perfected Strength Refining."

"In just twelve days, he has probably only just produced inner force."

"As for Lu Cheng, he's merely a flawed Human Hero. How could he possibly be faster than Du Ruo?"

At his words, the others all nodded in agreement:

"Exactly. How could anyone reach the Early Stage of Strength Refining in twelve days?"

"Even taking ten thousand steps back, even if he had reached the Early Stage of Strength Refining, he still couldn't swallow two packets of Blood-Activating Powder at once."

As they spoke, they sighed and shook their heads.

"This Lu Cheng has probably been driven mad by the upcoming fight."

Fatty and the others watched Lu Cheng with faces full of worry. Seeing his body still trembling and heat steaming from all over him,

Fatty finally could not hold back any longer. He shouted, "I'll go find the Third Chief Escort!" and sprinted toward the inner courtyard.

Only Zhuang Xing had initially pretended not to notice Lu Cheng's actions.

But everyone had already gathered around. If he kept pretending not to know, it would be far too embarrassing.

At that thought, Zhuang Xing's heart jolted.

Why did I think of pretending not to know? Isn't that just running away?

Turning to look at Lu Cheng amid the crowd, he saw that although Lu Cheng's body trembled and his expression was twisted in pain,

his Stance Training movements had not stopped in the slightest.

Not only had they not stopped, every move and stance remained perfectly precise.

"The path of martial arts is a struggle against Heaven, a battle against Earth, and a contest with men."

"I don't even dare take Blood-Activating Powder. What right do I have to speak of fighting for supremacy? Wouldn't that be laughable?"

As he spoke, he slowly walked toward Lu Cheng, pulling out a packet of Blood-Activating Powder from his robes as he went.

He squeezed into the crowd and faced Lu Cheng from ten feet away.

Slowly, he tore open the paper packet.

"Lu Cheng, I admit that your martial heart is firm. But how could I, Zhuang Xing, be willing to live beneath others!"

With that, he dumped the powder into his mouth in one gulp.

Boom!

A fierce, scorching heat swiftly coursed through his body.

In an instant, sweat drenched Zhuang Xing's clothes.

His eyes could no longer see anything; all that remained was a sea of blood-red.

His chest seemed about to explode, and blood he could not suppress flowed from the corner of his mouth.

Yet Zhuang Xing showed no fear whatsoever. Trembling from head to toe, he began his Stance Training.

He practiced the six forms of Stance Training over and over, gradually moving faster and faster.

Gradually, a force he had never experienced before rose from his feet and surged rapidly up through his thighs.

But when it reached his waist, it seemed to be blocked by something, unable to advance another step.

"Ha ha ha ha! Lu Cheng, I'm here too! The martial path is not lonely—my path is not lonely!"

The people around them were so frightened by Zhuang Xing's appearance that they retreated several steps, crying out in terror:

"It's over, it's over! Zhuang Xing has gone mad too!"

Just then, a low shout rang out from afar:

"Move!"

Before the words had faded, a surge of force pushed more than a dozen disciples apart from the outside in.

A gray figure swiftly arrived at the center of the crowd. It was Feng Zhan.

After clearly seeing the situation, Feng Zhan cursed, "Idiot!" under his breath, then swiftly jabbed a finger into the back of Zhuang Xing's neck.

Zhuang Xing's body abruptly stiffened, and then he stood there motionless.

Feng Zhan's finger did not move away, while his other hand swiftly pressed against Zhuang Xing's back.

The force in both arms entered through his body, soothing the chaotic and violent blood and qi within Zhuang Xing.

Only after the time it took to brew a cup of tea did Zhuang Xing spit out a mouthful of blood with a pfft.

Then his body went limp. Feng Zhan supported his back and handed him over to a disciple nearby.

"Take him back to rest, and watch over him carefully."

With that, he turned to look at Lu Cheng, his brows tightly furrowed.

At that moment, Lu Cheng could not hear any of the commotion around him.

Nor did he know that so much had happened outside.

The blood throughout his body surged like a tsunami.

It felt as if a great drum had been stuffed into his mind, releasing deafening booms with every beat of his heart.

The medicinal power was like red-hot iron chains wrapped around his muscles, bones, and internal organs, constantly tightening.

The instant sweat emerged, it was evaporated by the heat. His clothes clung to his body, wet and scorching hot.

Even in his mouth, there was a trace of sweet, fishy blood.

Every sign showed that the blood, qi, and force throughout his body were on the verge of collapse.

Taking two packets of Blood-Activating Powder together was still too fierce.

But it was not beyond what he could endure.

Lu Cheng continuously practiced the first nine forms of the Mystic Eagle Stance.

Once, twice, three times.

He did not cling to the order of the forms, only doing everything he could to mobilize his force against the violent medicinal power.

Under the intense pain, Lu Cheng clenched his teeth so hard that they ground audibly, as though they would shatter the next instant.

The bloody taste in his mouth grew heavier and heavier.

At last, he could no longer hold back a streak of scarlet blood as it ran from the corner of his mouth.

Yet the moment it slid down his chin, before it could reach his neck, it was evaporated by the astonishing heat radiating from his body.

"Third Chief Escort, hurry and help him! Lu Cheng is vomiting blood already."

Fatty called out anxiously.

But Feng Zhan waved a hand.

"No rush. Watch a little longer. That brat can still hold on for now."

"Such actions may be dangerous, but their effects are far stronger than any gentler method—not by just a little."

"The longer he can persist, the more unimaginable the benefits will be."

Though he said so, Feng Zhan continued staring tensely at Lu Cheng. His right hand, hanging at his side, remained formed into sword fingers.

So long as anything went wrong with Lu Cheng, he could act immediately.

At this point, although the medicinal power within Lu Cheng remained violent, it had faintly begun moving in a controllable direction.

The force throughout his body was repeatedly shattered and scattered, then repeatedly gathered anew by Lu Cheng.

And with every regathering, it became a little tougher than before.

No one knew how much time had passed, nor how many times he had performed the Stance Training.

Lu Cheng gradually felt his body temperature begin to fall, while a trace of clarity returned to his mind.

That violent medicinal power no longer ran wild. Instead, it flowed through the meridians it had forced open, into his limbs and into his internal organs.

The searing pain became warmth, and the warmth gradually became coolness.

What had once destroyed now became nourishment.

Lu Cheng abruptly opened his eyes.

Though his eyes remained blood-red, his gaze was incomparably clear.

His Stance Training movements did not stop as he thanked Feng Zhan, "Thank you for protecting me, Third Chief Escort."

When Feng Zhan had spoken earlier, Lu Cheng's senses had already begun to return, and he knew Feng Zhan had been guarding him at his side.

Feng Zhan waved his hand and snorted coldly.

"You truly don't know whether you're dead or alive. Do fifty full rounds before you stop."

With that, he turned and left.

Before his figure disappeared, another sentence drifted over.

"Once you're done, get over here and see me."

After answering, "Yes," Lu Cheng closed his eyes once more and guarded his mind.

But now, it was already exceptionally easy.

Within his sea of consciousness, the black figure representing the Mystic Eagle Stance Technique continuously grew larger and then smaller.

The movements it demonstrated alternated between fast and slow.

When fast, only afterimages remained.

When slow, it resembled a statue.

Only after a long while did it return to normal.

[Mystic Eagle Stance: Twelve Forms]

[Grade: Low-Grade Human Tier]

[Realm: Minor Accomplishment (58/300)]