Innate Fusion, Heaven, Earth, and Man Blood Curse?

The phantom figure let out a shrill, miserable shriek, and Li Qing watched the spectral shape, his entire body trembling slightly.

That thing was no longer human; its body was covered in tumors and grotesque, anomalous limbs.

The phantom humanoid was bitten into smithereens by the Flood Dragon.

After crushing the phantom figure, the Flood Dragon flashed and flew back into Li Qing's Jade Tablet.

Li Qing's body went limp, and he collapsed onto the ground, utterly drained.

He gasped for air, his chest heaving.

The meager vital energy within his body had been completely exhausted.

I can only use this thing once for now; if I fail, I die.

At this moment, his gaze shifted toward the bearded man lying on the ground.

The man's eyes were vacant, and a large lump protruded from his back; he appeared to have no signs of life left.

His body was withering and shrinking at a speed visible to the naked eye, quickly turning into a terrifying, mummified corpse.

Seeing this, Li Qing's mouth twitched. "That's a gruesome way to go."

After catching his breath for a while, Li Qing walked over and poked the corpse with a tree branch.

The corpse showed no reaction, and the lump on its back remained still as well.

He let out a small sigh of relief in his heart. "It seems he's thoroughly dead."

Li Qing began to loot the body, and soon he had stripped it clean, leaving only a skin-and-bones corpse before him.

A massive, shriveled tumor protruded from its back.

"This man must have been on the verge of becoming an Anomaly, but he died before the transformation could complete."

"That is why the transformation stopped."

Lost in thought, Li Qing began to tally his spoils.

A tattered set of clothes, a black bundle containing two flatbreads and a piece of spiced beef, a water flask, and a night-luminescent pearl.

There was also a black token with a large blood-red character inscribed on it, which clearly symbolized some sort of status.

A coin purse containing ten taels of broken silver.

"Ten taels of silver—enough to live on for a while."

However, what caught his attention most were the two yellow booklets in the man's possession.

At this moment, his focus was already locked onto the Jade Tablet in his mind.

The moment he touched one of the books, it had already been recorded within.

Old Version:

Blood Fusion Art (Category: Art, Hundred-Day Foundation Establishment)

Cultivation Method: Use the essence blood of nine living creatures to inscribe the second Blood Curse, allowing one's own bloodline to fuse with one type of essence blood, thereby gaining a certain ability of the corresponding creature and strengthening the origin to complete Foundation Establishment.

Innate Minor Art: Blood Burning, burn bloodline vital energy to double all physical capabilities.

Cost: Forbidden from consuming the nine corresponding creatures for life; breaking this taboo leads to gradual alienation, eventually becoming an Anomaly.

Blood Refining Art...

New Version:

Essence Blood Art (Category: Art, Hundred-Day Foundation Establishment)

Cultivation Method: Inscribe your own essence blood onto your body using the improved Heaven and Earth Blood Curses to lock in your dissipating vital energy and complete Foundation Establishment.

Innate Minor Arts:

1. Bloodletting: Any wound touched by the power of this minor art cannot heal and will bleed continuously.

2. Blood Burning: Burn bloodline vital energy to briefly double all physical capabilities or the power of other minor arts.

Cost: None

"Two scriptures—one is the Blood Refining Art and the other is the Blood Fusion Art. Both are similar techniques that can lead to Foundation Establishment, but the effects are slightly different."

"Could this guy have been cultivating both techniques?"

"But these two techniques have actually merged into one; the Jade Tablet's effect is truly astonishing."

A strange expression flickered across his face. "This means I can cultivate this technique once more."

Thinking of this, he shook his head slightly. "I don't have the conditions for that right now."

"Time to hit the road."

Li Qing had no desire to spend the night with a corpse. He tucked the night-luminescent pearl into the black cloth bag.

He slung the bundle over his back and grabbed a flatbread in his hand.

Gnawing on the flatbread and taking sips of cold water, he quickly passed through the dense forest and continued along the road.

Li Qing walked for at least two or three miles before finally stopping, finding a large tree nearby to climb up into.

By this time, he had already finished off a flatbread and half a piece of beef.

He intended to get some good rest while simultaneously restoring his vital energy.

Silently reciting the scriptures, the food in his stomach slowly digested, transforming into streams of vital energy that circulated throughout his entire body.

In the blink of an eye, several hours passed in a daze; the sky was bright, and the sun had already risen.

Li Qing also awoke from his meditative practice, flipped over, and leaped down.

At this moment, the vital energy within his body seemed to have returned to its original state, and his physical capabilities had increased significantly.

Landing from a height of five meters, his footing remained steady, and the impact of gravity had almost no effect on him.

His eyes flickered with contemplation, "When vital energy is abundant, it seems my physical capabilities increase quite a bit."

Thinking of the remaining half-piece of beef and one flatbread in his pack, he shook his head slightly.

"That's only enough for one meal, and the prefecture city is still at least 200 miles away."

Li Qing shook his head slightly, took out the food to gnaw on as he walked, and followed the mountain path, hoping to encounter fellow travelers or a post station along the way.

At this point, he was traveling completely light; his pack, the two scripture books, and the token had all been discarded.

He did not want to carry items that made him an obvious target, especially since someone was still hunting that man.

He had packed the night-luminescent pearl into the bearded man's black pouch and hidden it in his own tattered pocket, along with the silver.

Walking along the mountain path, Li Qing kept pondering the brand-new Essence Blood Art.

He discovered that the most important parts were two distinct blood curses.

One was called the Heaven Blood Curse, and the other was the Earth Blood Curse; a thought flashed through his mind.

"Could there also be a Human Blood Curse? Heaven, Earth, and Man—the three talents? Is that the complete Foundation Establishment cultivation method?"

Lost in thought, he felt this was highly likely.

Moving his feet, Li Qing did not walk fast, conserving his stamina to keep himself in peak condition as much as possible.

The sun was scorching; it was the height of a sweltering summer, and although Li Qing kept to the shadows of the woods, the heat of the sun remained unbearable.

Shaking his head slightly, a heavy expression appeared on his face, "If it stays this hot, these 200 miles won't be easy to cover."

The official road was empty ahead and behind; at least for now, he had not seen anyone passing by.

Dodging and weaving as he traveled, an entire morning passed in the blink of an eye, and Li Qing's legs were starting to feel numb. "I must have covered thirty or forty miles."

He had already left Black Wind Mountain and was walking on the flat land leading toward the next peak.

Looking ahead with exhaustion, the water skin in Li Qing's hand was already empty, and he was becoming unbearably thirsty.

Suddenly, a building in the distance caught his attention.

Red lanterns hung from the structure, with the character for "post" written upon them.

A smile appeared on his face, "Finally, a place to rest."

"I hope they have some food, otherwise I really won't be able to hold out."

"I'll have to try my luck in the forest and see if I can catch something to eat."

With a faint, bitter chuckle, Li Qing headed toward the front.

Whoosh.

A massive sound erupted from behind him.