Ominous Land! King of Ginseng!

"Combining three strands of internal force is far, far stronger than before. It is not just an increase in explosive power; it is more restrained, and its lethality and essence have undergone a sublimation! This is Dark Force!"

Su Hao could not help but marvel at this strike himself. His eyes shone with brilliance as he looked at a tree in front of him, thick enough for a person and a half to embrace.

"Bang!"

Su Hao swung his fist, slamming it into the tree trunk. A loud bang erupted, yet the tree, covered in thick bark, showed not the slightest damage on the surface!

"Riiip!"

Su Hao stepped up to the tree and grabbed the spot he had just struck. With a slight exertion of his five fingers, he tore away a large chunk of bark and wood, accompanied by a spray of wood chips.

This vibrant, seemingly indestructible tree was completely undamaged on the surface, yet its interior had been pulverized by Su Hao's punch, turning into something like rotten, decaying wood that crumbled at a touch!

"Combining three strands of force has already transcended the realm of Bright Force; this is Dark Force! In the martial arts world of Blue Star, one who cultivates Dark Force is called a Martial Arts Master, capable of dominating a region and making a great name for themselves! I have finally recovered two or three percent of my strength from my previous life."

Su Hao's eyes were startlingly bright, and a sense of indescribable relief welled up in his heart.

The realms of internal martial arts are divided into Bright Force, Dark Force, Transformation Force, Dan Force, and so on.

In his previous life, one who cultivated Bright Force could be called a Martial Artist and take on disciples; one who cultivated Dark Force was a Martial Arts Master!

As for those who cultivated Transformation Force, they were already considered Grandmasters of martial arts!

Upon reaching this realm, one could face a hundred enemies even with bare hands.

Once Su Hao had attained Transformation Force, he was undefeated in a hundred battles, his sharp edge fully exposed. This drew many enemies and eventually led to a fatal crisis, where over a dozen martial artists ambushed him and, with no regard for martial dignity, utilized "firearms"!

Even after being shot several times, Su Hao remained full of vigor, unleashing the final glow of his life. It was only after he had slaughtered every one of those dozen martial artists that his vitality finally faded, ending his life.

In this life, Su Hao had learned from the lessons of his past. He knew that no matter how high his strength, he must remain cautious. If someone was confirmed to be an enemy, he must cut the weeds and dig up the roots to avoid repeating his past mistakes!

"Three styles have entered the realm of force, forming Dark Force. Only Bear Form Fist and Deer Form Fist remain... Once I continue to temper my tendons and bones, clear my meridians, and combine all five forces, I will be able to recover the peak combat power of a Transformation Force Grandmaster!"

Su Hao clenched his fists. Once he returned to his peak, he could go anywhere within Longshan Prefecture and finally accomplish certain things!

A month passed. In the back mountains of Su Family Fort, Su Hao was practicing Bear Form Fist. His movements appeared slow and clumsy, but every punch and palm strike carried a surging, majestic force.

He was like a giant brown bear, capturing both the form and the spirit, vivid and lifelike, every move executed with effortless ease.

"There is still some time before dark. I will practice a little longer."

After finishing a set of Bear Form Fist, Su Hao rested briefly, wiped away his sweat, and prepared to continue his grueling training.

"Hmm?"

But the moment Su Hao moved, a sudden wave of dizziness washed over him. The world spun, and he nearly collapsed to the ground, his heart twitching.

Su Hao quickly steadied himself against a tree, gasping for breath for a long while before he finally recovered.

"Is it a depletion of Qi and blood? I've spent most of my silver lately, haven't had the Eight Treasures Health Soup for days, and I've been eating less. My growth and progress are too fast, but my body hasn't ingested enough energy... If I keep training like this, I will damage myself!"

Su Hao instantly realized he was suffering from a depletion of Qi and blood—or, more colloquially, malnutrition!

A martial artist's growth does not come from thin air; it requires the intake of high-quality nutrition, and the method of intake is, naturally, eating. It is rumored that some top-tier martial artists can even consume a whole cow a day.

The saying "the poor study, the rich practice martial arts" exists for this very reason.

Su Hao had been able to train without worry before because of the silver he gained from selling his martial academy spot. But one cannot live off savings forever. With Su Hao eating large portions of meat and drinking Eight Treasures Health Soup three times a day, his money had been flowing like water. Aside from a small reserve, that silver was nearly gone.

"I must obtain more cultivation resources to support this rapid progress! I must reach Transformation Force as soon as possible!"

A sense of urgency rose in Su Hao's heart.

"It seems it is time to retrieve that Blood Ginseng."

Su Hao had an idea.

The Blood Ginseng was a top-tier variety of ginseng, extremely valuable. Su Yu, Su Hao's father, had once discovered a valley in Black Swamp Mountain where a Blood Ginseng grew. However, the ginseng was still young at the time, so Su Yu did not harvest it; he simply noted the location and left.

Su Yu had told Su Hao about this location, intending for him to harvest it once he hit a bottleneck to add fuel to his growth. But over three years ago, Su Yu went out, claiming he was going into the mountains to gather herbs, and never returned. The last news of him was that he had clashed with the Flying Cloud Gang a few months ago and disappeared after a bloody battle; his life or death remained unknown.

Su Hao had not gone to retrieve it before because the Blood Ginseng was located in a deep, dangerous part of the mountains filled with poisonous insects and fierce beasts. Su Yu had warned him that he must reach the First Refining Realm before venturing into that dangerous area, or he might lose his life in an accident.

Later, Su Hao was worried about being targeted by the Flying Cloud Gang if he left, so he naturally did not leave Su Family Fort easily.

Now that nearly half a year had passed, it was unlikely the Flying Cloud Gang was watching him day and night; they had likely grown lax. Coupled with the fact that his strength was far superior to before, he considered going to harvest the Blood Ginseng to sustain his cultivation!

"I hope it is still there."

Su Hao could only pray that he would find the valley and that the Blood Ginseng would still be growing there, unharmed.

The next morning, Su Hao rose early. Just as the sky was beginning to brighten, he prepared himself. Without alerting anyone—having already spoken to Mother Su two days prior—he quietly left Su Family Fort and headed toward Black Swamp Mountain.

Along the way, Su Hao was very careful, watching to see if he was being followed or if anyone had their eyes on him.

Black Swamp Mountain was a deep, dangerous mountain range about twenty miles from Su Family Village. Beyond the poisonous insects and fierce beasts, there were also swamps; if one were careless and sank into them, they would likely become nothing more than dry bones forever.

It was even rumored that demons lurked in the deepest parts of Black Swamp Mountain, and it was common for even skilled martial artists to lose their lives if they ventured too deep.

"Time to enter the mountain. It would be best to return before dark."

Su Hao reached the foot of Black Swamp Mountain. He looked up and saw the jagged rocks and tangled weeds; even an experienced hunter would have to be on high alert when entering such deep mountains and old marshes.

Su Hao recalled the detailed path and directions Su Yu had given him and followed the mountain trail into the woods.

The path was lined with thorns. Although Su Hao wore wrist and leg guards, his clothes were inevitably torn into strips.

When he encountered steep slopes, Su Hao displayed the agile footwork of the Crane Form Fist, crossing them as if walking on flat ground. As he ventured deeper into Black Swamp Mountain, he left marks on the trees to ensure he would not lose his way.

Time passed until the afternoon, when Su Hao's eyes finally lit up; ahead of him appeared a valley shaped like a basin.

"This is the place!"

Joy spread across Su Hao's face, for the features of this valley matched exactly the location Su Yu had described to him.

Su Hao immediately began searching the vicinity for an entrance. Half an hour later, he discovered an opening covered by vines like a curtain. Pushing aside the hanging foliage, he revealed a narrow passage wide enough for one person to pass through.

Taking a deep breath, Su Hao followed the passage into the valley. After navigating a corner and walking for about twelve or fifteen meters, the space ahead suddenly opened up, and a rich, floral fragrance filled Su Hao's nose!

The interior of the valley was quite spacious and filled with a vast array of flowers, grasses, trees, and fruit trees. The air was fresh, making the place feel like a veritable paradise on earth!