Precious Medicine

Over the next few days, Ocean City was battered by a series of winter rains. The river wind, laden with damp chill, seemed to bore straight into the marrow of one's bones.

While dark currents surged beneath the surface of the city, Lu Zhen lived his life with the rhythmic stillness of an old monk in meditation.

He would leave before dawn each day to spend half the morning hammering away at the Wooden Dummy in the inner courtyard of the Iron Arm Martial Arts Hall; by evening, he would return to his narrow courtyard in Pig Cage Alley and bolt the door behind him.

Lu Zhen did not show the slightest bit of stinginess with the Red Scale Treasure Fish and Century-Old Mountain Ginseng provided by Gu Yanzhi.

In the clashes of martial artists, one fights for those few years when their blood and energy are at their peak.

No matter how precious the items were, swallowing them to transform them into the strength in his fists was the fundamental basis for securing his standing and survival.

Every night, the cramped kitchen in Pig Cage Alley would always waft with a pungent, heavy scent of fish and medicinal herbs.

A large slab of deep-red dried fish, paired with thinly sliced whiskers of the Century-Old Mountain Ginseng, would be boiled over a fierce fire in an earthen pot.

The resulting thick soup was a dark, blood-like red.

Lu Zhen would swallow the broth and meat in one go, then, relying on the formidable foundation of his Lv.4 Coiling Dragon Stake, he would stand in the courtyard through the rain, forcibly kneading that violent medicinal power into his skin, flesh, and marrow, bit by bit.

Five days passed in the blink of an eye.

Late at night, Lu Zhen's entire body felt like a steaming cage, white vapor swirling above his head as he slowly retracted his energy and exhaled.

[Daily Settlement System activated]

[Today's Settlement: Three hours of grueling training at the martial arts hall, consumed Red Scale Treasure Fish, Century-Old Mountain Ginseng...]

[Final Gains: Ocean Dollars +0, Martial Arts EXP +180, Physique EXP +120, General EXP +150!]

His gaze drifted downward to the attribute panel.

[Physique: Copper Skin Iron Bone Lv.4 (2150/3000)]

Looking at the Physique EXP that had already broken through the two-thousand mark, a sigh of wonder flashed in the depths of Lu Zhen's eyes.

"The poor study, the rich practice martial arts; the ancients did not deceive me."

In these short five days, the treasure fish and mountain ginseng he consumed, if converted into hard Ocean Dollars, would be worth at least a thousand—enough to equal the blood and sweat a common laborer would earn pulling a rickshaw for a lifetime!

The path of martial arts was truly a bottomless pit for gold.

If not for this generous reward from the Gu Family and the triple bonus from the Daily Settlement System, no matter how high his natural talent or how tough his bones, the idea of filling the void of his blood and energy at the age of thirty to Break Through to Mingjin would have been nothing but a pipe dream.

"Fortunately, I can hold on."

Lu Zhen clenched his fists, feeling the vigorous blood and energy within his body that had begun to permeate deep into his internal organs.

The next morning, Iron Arm Martial Arts Hall, inner courtyard.

The sky was overcast.

Yet, the atmosphere in the courtyard was scorching. People gathered in small groups, exchanging insights on how to exert force.

"BOOM!"

Suddenly, a thunderous roar erupted from the center of the Training Ground, causing the bluestone slabs beneath everyone's feet to tremble slightly.

Everyone stopped what they were doing in unison and looked toward the sound.

They saw Zhang Lei stripped to the waist, his muscles bulging like rock, thick tendons writhing violently beneath his bronze-colored skin.

His feet were nailed to the ground as he twisted his waist and hips with a sudden, violent jerk.

"Hoo—!"

A straight punch, Unrivaled in Ferocity, slammed heavily into the iron-wrapped Wooden Dummy covered in tanned cowhide.

"SNAP! SNAP! SNAP! SNAP! SNAP! SNAP!"

A series of explosions like a string of firecrackers erupted in the air!

These six crisp sounds linked together like a sudden crack of spring thunder, the force of the wind stinging the cheeks of the disciples standing nearby.

"Six, six rings?!"

"Tendons snapping and rebounding, bones resonating in unison... This is the realm of perfection where force is transparent and moves as easily as one's own arm!"

Several senior disciples in the late stages of Lianli were stunned, their eyes filled with disbelief.

The Iron Wire Fist, perfected at six rings! He was only one step away from breaking the cocoon and becoming a butterfly, reaching the terrifying realm of "seven rings breaking the limit"!

Once he broke the limit, the power of this killer move alone would be enough to establish his own sect in this bustling city!

Zhang Lei slowly retracted his stance, his chest heaving violently as he exhaled a long trail of white mist.

He turned around, his eyes—filled with malice and arrogance—passing over the crowd without concealment and landing directly on the small circle where Gu Yanzhi and Lu Zhen stood.

So what if you, Lu Zhen, stole the spotlight on the river? So what if you have natural divine strength and can strike four rings?

In the face of absolute martial talent, a thirty-year-old laborer is, in the end, just a mud-legged peasant who can't make it to the big stage!

Gu Yanzhi frowned, his expression darkening.

Lu Zhen, however, did not even raise his eyelids. He was closing his eyes, contemplating the faint tremor that had emanated from deep within his internal organs while he stood his stake the previous night.

What six echoes, what provocations—in his eyes, none of it mattered as much as crossing the threshold into Bright Force.

When a fierce tiger walks its path, why would it ever care for the barking of a stray dog?

"Good! A truly magnificent six-echo completion!"

The two carved wooden doors of the main hall were shoved open, and Yan Tieqiao strode out.

The old master of the Iron Arm Martial Arts Hall, usually as calm as an ancient well, now wore a face etched with age that was filled with irrepressible ecstasy; he had even forgotten to carry his purple clay teapot.

He walked quickly to Zhang Lei, reached out to pinch the tendons of Zhang Lei's arm, and laughed toward the sky: "Good! Zhang Lei, you have not wasted the years of cultivation I have poured into you!

Twenty-seven years old, Iron Wire Fist at six-echo completion—the mantle of my Iron Arm Martial Arts Hall has finally found its true successor!"

The people in the inner courtyard listened, all filled with envy, yet no one could utter a single word of dissent.

Strength is the rule.

Yan Tieqiao took a deep breath, his gaze sweeping over the faces of the crowd before finally settling on Zhang Lei, his voice rising a notch:

"Xiong Yue, go to the back hall and bring me the sandalwood box from my bedside!"

Before long, Xiong Yue returned, hurrying over while cradling a palm-sized wooden box with primitive carvings.

Yan Tieqiao opened the lid himself.

An extremely intense, strange medicinal fragrance, carrying a hint of a fishy sweetness, instantly permeated the entire inner courtyard.

The box was lined with bright yellow brocade, and in the center lay a vine, withered like firewood but dark red throughout.

"This is... a three-hundred-year-old Earth Dragon Blood Vine?!" Gu Yanzhi, being well-traveled and knowledgeable, snapped his folding fan shut the moment he saw it, exclaiming in shock.

"You have a sharp eye, lad."

Yan Tieqiao looked at Zhang Lei and said in a deep voice: "This item is a supreme medicinal treasure I risked my life to seize when I roamed the pugilistic world. Its sap can penetrate the five viscera directly, strengthening the internal organs and replenishing any deficiencies."

"The hardest part of advancing from the late stage of Lianli to Bright Force is the 'internal strengthening' barrier. With this Earth Dragon Blood Vine, your five viscera will be filled, and your chances of producing the thunderous roar of a tiger or leopard will increase by at least thirty percent!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the courtyard erupted in an uproar.

Thirty percent!

Before the chasm-like threshold of Bright Force, let alone thirty percent, even a one-percent increase in success would drive countless late-stage Lianli martial artists to fight until they bled, even turning father against son!

"Master's great kindness, this disciple will repay even if it means being ground to dust!" Zhang Lei was trembling with excitement; he knelt heavily on one knee and received the wooden box with both hands.

The crowd watched Zhang Lei, their eyes so red they seemed ready to bleed, yet they could only swallow their bitterness.

Yan Tieqiao stroked his beard, a trace of complete relief flashing in his eyes.

In truth, ever since Lu Zhen had broken through during the battle on the river, displaying astonishing combat power and ferocity, he had felt a flicker of hesitation over the past few days.

He had cherished this Earth Dragon Blood Vine for over a decade, and he had been considering whether he should give half to Lu Zhen to foster goodwill.

But today, Zhang Lei's earth-shattering six echoes had completely dispelled the last of his doubts.

At thirty years old, no matter how fierce or capable Lu Zhen was, his potential had hit its limit; he would always be nothing more than a vanguard general.

But Zhang Lei, who had reached six-echo completion at twenty-seven, was the true hidden dragon capable of soaring into the sky and carrying the century-old foundation of the Iron Arm Martial Arts Hall!

Treasures belong to the virtuous; in the end, the martial path is a matter of destiny.

Yan Tieqiao cast a faint glance at Lu Zhen, who stood not far away, and in his heart, he delivered the final verdict.