The next morning.
The sky was clear, the air fresh, and a gentle breeze was blowing.
Two gray sparrows chirped away on a treetop, nestled close together.
"Rumble~"
Suddenly, a clap of thunder seemed to ring out. The two sparrows stiffened from head to toe and dropped straight off the branch.
But they didn't hit the ground. A pair of hands caught them.
The hands rubbed the two sparrows for a while, and they soon sprang back to life.
Once they'd recovered, the sparrows tried to take wing. But no matter how they kicked and flapped, they couldn't get airborne, as if the hands had glued them in place.
"His muscles and bones ring in unison, carrying the sound of thunder. Interesting."
Beneath the tree, Yan Ming spoke with a hint of surprise and curiosity.
He first studied Chen Zhuo's fist, then shifted his gaze to the two sparrows in his palm.
Chen Zhuo plopped down opposite him, picked up a fragrant meat bun, and took a big bite.
The two sparrows were in his other hand, apparently studying his palm with curiosity, trying to figure out why they couldn't fly anymore.
"This is called 'Sparrow Cannot Fly,' also known as 'Bird Cannot Cross.'"
Chen Zhuo explained between bites.
He'd done it on a whim, never expecting he'd actually manage the legendary technique Yang Luchan had performed in his previous life.
"Now that's a fine 'Sparrow Cannot Fly.'"
Yan Ming seemed to be examining the two sparrows, but in truth his eyes were fixed on Chen Zhuo's palm.
He'd seen how, each time the sparrows kicked, the muscles in Chen Zhuo's hand made tiny contractions and tremors. That was the true reason behind "Sparrow Cannot Fly."
The four great stages of Body Refining were Skin-Grinding, Muscle-Tempering, Bone-Entering, and Blood-Change.
Only after reaching Bone-Entering, when skin, muscles, and bones had fully fused into one, could someone control every muscle in their body with such precision.
Of course, Yan Ming could do it himself.
But Chen Zhuo... yesterday at Morning Assembly, he'd still been at Muscle-Tempering.
And only one night had passed.
Just one night.
Bone-Entering in a single night...
His junior fellow disciple had already brought him enough surprises, but those surprises just kept getting more astonishing.
"You reached Bone-Entering with just one vial of False Blood?"
Yan Ming carefully studied Chen Zhuo as he put a peeled egg in his mouth. But after one bite, the egg tasted especially bad today.
A little sour.
He couldn't bring himself to chew it, so he swallowed it whole.
"I was just one step away."
"Oh..."
Chen Zhuo smiled and flicked his hand upward. The two sparrows fluttered about him twice, then vanished.
After polishing off three large meat buns, Chen Zhuo heard Yan Ming speak again.
"Listen. With talent like yours, you can't afford to waste it. You mustn't rush into Blood-Change."
"Why?"
Chen Zhuo looked at Yan Ming. His expression was unusually solemn, so Chen Zhuo straightened up and listened carefully.
Yan Ming said, "The true purpose of Five Desires Demon Soup isn't to replenish your blood and strength. It's to build a solid foundation."
"If you're going to build a tall tower, you must lay its foundation first. Blood-Change is the foundation for your entire martial path."
As he spoke, a thin layer of blood-colored light appeared in Yan Ming's eyes.
In an instant, the glow spread across his cheeks, then gradually suffused his whole body.
Layer upon layer of blood-red light enveloped Yan Ming, making him look like a human torch.
"Qi and blood?"
Chen Zhuo's pupils contracted. His body felt as though it were being roasted by a blaze.
Even with the thickness of his skin, he felt a faint sting.
"Before Body Refining, no matter how powerful a martial art you practice, the difference won't be especially great. That changes when you reach Blood-Change. That's the true beginning."
Yan Ming withdrew his surging qi and blood and explained, "This is the qi and blood condensed from all five kinds of True Blood. You already have a trace of Tiger Demon True Blood inside you. There's no harm in finding the other four before attempting Blood-Change."
Chen Zhuo nodded. He opened his mouth as if to say something, then stopped himself.
"If there's something you want to ask, ask. Don't hem and haw."
Yan Ming frowned.
"Senior Brother, can someone keep undergoing Blood-Change forever?"
Chen Zhuo's situation was completely different from everyone else's.
The Spontaneous Myriad Laws on his proficiency panel meant he could keep advancing through the Body Refining realm.
After much thought, he'd found a roundabout way to ask.
"Impossible."
Yan Ming shook his head with certainty. "Even the Great Sun Tathagata Sutra, hailed as the greatest Body Refining scripture of the previous dynasty, couldn't let someone undergo Blood-Change a second time."
"Blood-Change is a transformation, a leap in life. It's not as simple as you think. You'll understand when you reach that stage."
I can...
Chen Zhuo glanced at Yan Ming. The words circled once in his mind, but he didn't say them aloud.
Gather all five kinds of True Blood before undergoing Blood-Change? There was no need.
With Spontaneous Myriad Laws, even a single kind of True Blood would be enough for him to attempt it.
If other people changed their blood once, he could simply change his five times.
"There is one situation where you could undergo Blood-Change several times... in theory, even without limit."
Yan Ming's sudden remark made Chen Zhuo ask at once, "What situation?"
"Cast off every drop of human blood and replace it entirely with demon blood."
As Yan Ming spoke, his eyes flickered as though he'd recalled something. His five fingers clenched.
"If that happens, would you still count as human?"
Chen Zhuo pondered for a moment before asking.
Yan Ming sneered. "Blood is the source of a person. If you change every last drop, you can no longer be called human."
"A human-demon?"
The thought made Chen Zhuo shiver.
"Human-demon or demon-human, either way, they're neither human nor demon. Once you replace your blood with demon blood, your nature will change completely, and boundless delusions will arise."
Yan Ming looked deeply at Chen Zhuo. "Such demon-humans are rejected by heaven and earth. They're a taboo among the Blade-Catchers. If you ever encounter one..."
"Kill them. Every last one."
Chen Zhuo felt the sudden killing intent and grew wary.
He remembered the overwhelming killing intent he'd felt the first time he bathed in Demon Soup.
If someone truly replaced their blood with demon blood...
"I'll head to the kitchen first. Don't dawdle; get there early."
Yan Ming left him with that remark, then hurried to his feet and walked away.
Once he'd turned around, his face went deathly pale.
He pressed down on his trembling hands in time, said nothing, and strode out of the courtyard.
[Method: Iron Cloth Shirt: 162/200 (Minor Achievement)]
An entire night of nonstop practice had brought Chen Zhuo's Iron Cloth Shirt along by leaps and bounds.
His realm had naturally reached Bone-Entering as well.
After reaching Bone-Entering, his muscles and bones rang in unison, their thunderous resonance shaking birds from the sky. He could also perform the secret technique "Bird Cannot Cross."
In his previous life, he would've been considered a master of traditional martial arts.
But now, that was still far from enough.
Chen Zhuo looked up at the sky and slowly drew his saber.
"Not enough time. I'll practice the combat forms."
Ever since he'd started training, he'd only improved at combat through fighting and killing.
[Combat Form: Zhengyang Blade Technique (Incomplete): 1/50 (Perfection)]
After glancing at the panel, Chen Zhuo drew the saber from the table.
The long blade swept through the air, ringing with a hum.
"I wonder if the Zhengyang Blade Technique will be completed once I reach perfection?"
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