"The three streams of force have fused into one. It's far stronger than before—not only has its explosive power increased, it's also more restrained. Its lethality and essence have both been elevated beyond that of any single stream of force! This is dark force!"
Even Su Hao couldn't help marveling at the strike. His eyes gleamed as he looked toward a large tree ahead, thick enough for a man to wrap his arms halfway around.
"Bang!"
Su Hao swung his fist and slammed it into the tree trunk. The blow rang out with a bang, but the tree, its surface covered in thick bark, showed no sign of damage!
"Rip!"
Su Hao stepped up to the tree and grabbed the spot his fist had struck. With a slight flex of his fingers, he tore away a large piece of bark and wood, sending splinters flying.
The tree was full of life and seemed indestructible. Its surface was unmarked, but inside, Su Hao's punch had reduced it to mush. It was like rotten wood, crumbling at the slightest touch!
"The three streams of force have fused into one. This has already surpassed the realm of bright force. This is 'dark force'! In Blue Star's martial world, anyone who cultivates dark force can be called a martial arts master. They can dominate a region and make quite a name for themselves! At last, I've recovered two or three tenths of my previous life's strength!"
Su Hao's eyes shone brilliantly, and an indescribable sense of satisfaction welled up in his heart.
The stages of internal martial arts were divided into bright force, dark force, transformation force, elixir force, and more.
In the martial world of his previous life, anyone who cultivated bright force could be called a martial artist and take on disciples. Those who cultivated dark force were martial arts masters!
As for those who cultivated transformation force, they could already be called grandmasters!
At that level, even barehanded, they could take on a hundred opponents alone.
After Su Hao had once reached the transformation-force stage, he had been undefeated in a hundred battles, his brilliance impossible to hide. That had earned him many enemies and brought him a deadly calamity. More than ten martial artists had ambushed and surrounded him, and, without a shred of a warrior's dignity, they had even used "hot weapons"!
Despite being shot several times, Su Hao had remained vigorous, burning the last light of his life and unleashing his peak strength. Only after he had slaughtered all ten-odd martial artists did his vitality finally fade, bringing his life to an end.
In this life, Su Hao had also learned from the lessons of his previous one. He knew that no matter how strong he became, he had to remain cautious. Once he confirmed someone was an enemy, he had to root them out completely, lest he repeat the same mistakes!
"Three boxing styles have cultivated force, and I've reached dark force. That leaves Bear Form Fist and Deer Form Fist... I'll keep transforming my muscles and bones and opening my meridians. Once all five forces unite, I'll be able to recover the peak strength of a Master of Transformation!"
Su Hao clenched his fist. Once he returned to his peak, he would be able to go wherever he pleased throughout Longshan Prefecture—and take care of a few things, too!
Another month passed. In the back hills of Su Family Fort, Su Hao practiced Bear Form Fist. His movements seemed slow and ponderous, but every punch and every palm strike stirred up a surging force.
He moved like a great brown bear, body and spirit alike, lifelike in every way. Each move seemed effortless despite its immense weight!
"There's still time before nightfall. I'll practice a little longer."
After completing a set of Bear Form Fist, Su Hao rested briefly and wiped away his sweat, then prepared to continue his grueling practice.
"Hmm?"
But the moment Su Hao moved, a wave of dizziness suddenly struck. The world spun around him, and he nearly toppled to the ground as his heart gave a painful spasm.
Su Hao hurriedly braced himself against a tree. Only after a long while did he recover enough to draw a few deep breaths.
"Have I depleted my qi and blood? I've nearly run out of silver, and I haven't had health soup for several days. I've been eating less, too. I've been growing and improving too quickly, but my body hasn't taken in enough energy... If I keep training, I'll damage myself!"
Su Hao immediately understood: his qi and blood were depleted. To put it more plainly, he was malnourished!
A martial artist's growth didn't come from thin air. They needed to keep taking in high-quality nutrition, and the way to do that was, naturally, to eat. It was said that some top martial artists could even devour a whole ox in a day.
That was the reasoning behind the saying, "The poor study literature; the rich practice martial arts."
Su Hao had been able to train without a care because the silver he'd received from selling his Martial Academy enrollment slot had supported him. But even a mountain of gold would eventually run out. Su Hao ate lavish meals of meat and fish every day and drank Eight Treasures Health Soup morning, noon, and night. He spent money like water. Aside from a little set aside for emergencies, almost all of that silver was gone.
"I need to obtain more cultivation resources to support my rapid progress! I must cultivate transformation force as soon as possible!"
A sense of urgency rose within Su Hao.
"It looks like it's time to retrieve that Blood Ginseng."
Su Hao had already made up his mind.
Blood Ginseng was a premium variety of ginseng, and it was extremely valuable. Back then, Su Hao's father, Su Yu, had discovered a valley in Black Swamp Mountain where a Blood Ginseng grew. It was still young, so Su Yu had left it unharvested, memorized the location, and departed.
Su Yu had also told Su Hao where it was. He had planned to wait until Su Hao reached a bottleneck before letting him harvest it, giving his growth an extra boost. But more than three years ago, Su Yu had gone out, saying he was heading into the mountains to gather herbs, and never returned. The most recent news had come several months ago: after a clash with the Flying Cloud Gang and a bloody battle, he had vanished, his life or death unknown.
Su Hao hadn't gone to harvest it earlier because the Blood Ginseng lay in a perilous, remote part of the mountains, teeming with poisonous insects and ferocious beasts. Su Yu had warned him that he had to reach the first-refinement stage before venturing into that dangerous area. Otherwise, if anything went wrong, he could end up buried there.
Later, Su Hao had worried that the Flying Cloud Gang might target him if he left the fort, so he had naturally avoided leaving Su Family Fort.
Now, nearly half a year had passed. The Flying Cloud Gang couldn't keep watch on him day and night; they had probably let their guard down. And Su Hao was far stronger than before. He was considering going to harvest the Blood Ginseng to sustain his cultivation!
"I hope it's still there."
All Su Hao could do was pray that he would find the valley, and that the Blood Ginseng would still be growing there, untouched.
By the next morning, Su Hao had risen early. The sky was only just beginning to brighten. After making a few preparations, he left without waking anyone. He had already given Mother Su a heads-up two days earlier. Quietly slipping out of Su Family Fort, he set off toward Black Swamp Mountain.
Along the way, Su Hao stayed alert, watching to make sure no one was following him or keeping an eye on him.
Black Swamp Mountain was a remote and dangerous range, about twenty li from Su Family Village. Aside from poisonous insects and ferocious beasts, it also held swamps. Anyone who accidentally sank into one would likely become a skeleton buried there for eternity.
It was even rumored that demons lurked in the deepest part of Black Swamp Mountain. Even capable martial artists who ventured in could easily meet their deaths.
"Let's head into the mountain. I'd better be back before nightfall."
Su Hao arrived at the foot of Black Swamp Mountain and looked up. Jagged rocks and tangled weeds stretched before him. Even an experienced hunter would have to stay on high alert when entering such a remote wilderness.
Su Hao recalled the detailed route and directions Su Yu had given him, then followed the mountain path inward.
Briars grew along both sides of the trail. Su Hao wore bracers and leg guards, but his clothes were still inevitably ripped in strips.
When he came across steep slopes, Su Hao displayed the nimble movement of Crane Form Fist and crossed them as easily as flat ground. As he ventured deeper into Black Swamp Mountain, he left marks on the trees along the way to keep from getting lost.
By afternoon, Su Hao's eyes lit up. A basin-shaped valley had appeared ahead.
"This is the place!"
Joy showed on Su Hao's face. The valley's features matched the location Su Yu had described to him.
Su Hao immediately began searching nearby for the valley's entrance. Half an hour later, he found an opening covered by hanging vines like a curtain. Pushing them aside revealed a narrow passage, just wide enough for one person to pass through.
Drawing a deep breath, Su Hao followed the passage into the valley. After passing through a winding corridor and walking four or five zhang, he emerged into open space. A rich floral fragrance reached his nose!
The valley's interior was quite spacious, filled with flowers, plants, trees, and fruit trees. The air was fresh—it was practically a paradise secluded from the world!
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