Physical Transformation!

He slowly rose to his feet and clenched his fists.

His joints cracked. The muscles in his arms were more defined than before, and the veins beneath his skin were faintly visible, throbbing with each beat.

He tried a set of punches. Every strike carried greater force than before, and the power from his waist, abdomen, shoulders, and back flowed far more smoothly, without the slightest delay.

He jumped straight up again. He rose nearly half a foot higher than before, and when he landed, the motion of bending his knees to absorb the impact was steady and crisp.

"Dragon Bone Grass truly lives up to its reputation."

Lan Tian let out a long breath of stale air, feeling that his physical strength had improved by at least ten to twenty percent.

If he fought that Green-Veined Python again now, he definitely would not be sent staggering back several steps by a sweep of its tail.

But he also knew that this bowl of medicinal soup had worked so well not merely because the Dragon Bone Grass was old enough, but because the combination of Three-Leaf Blood Vine and Snake Gallbladder was just right.

The three ingredients together had produced some unexpected synergistic effect, allowing the medicinal properties to reach their fullest potential.

However, he probably could not use the same recipe again anytime soon. After all, neither Snake Gallbladder nor Dragon Bone Grass was something that could be gathered casually. Who knew when he would next be able to collect the same ingredients?

He put away his fists and returned to the house. After washing the pot and bowls and cleaning away the medicinal dregs, he sat at the table, took out paper and pen, and recorded the detailed brewing process and ingredient ratios.

Experience was the kind of thing that was easily forgotten if it was not written down.

When he needed it later, he could look it over again and save himself the trouble of figuring everything out from scratch.

After finishing, he closed the notebook and glanced out the window.

The night was deep. The street outside the clinic was exceptionally quiet, with only the occasional sound of a night watchman striking his clapper drifting over from afar.

Dong! Dong! Dong!

After the three strikes, everything returned to silence.

Over the next few days, he took a spoonful of the remaining medicinal broth every morning and evening. Together with medicinal baths and meditation at night, he thoroughly absorbed the residual effects of the Dragon Bone Grass decoction.

His physical transformation accumulated day by day.

His punches became faster, his stance more stable, and the four hundred-pound Weighted Rings hanging from his body were now almost no burden at all.

He even considered asking Shopkeeper Shi to make him another, heavier set of Weighted Rings. But he temporarily set the thought aside. His top priority was to raise his Soul Power.

No matter how strong his body became, if his Soul Power Level could not advance, he would eventually be stuck at a bottleneck.

The clinic opened as usual every morning.

That morning, a rather unusual patient arrived: a middle-aged hunter whose right leg had been bitten by a Soul Beast.

The wound was deep enough to expose bone, with flesh torn and curled back. Although the bone itself had not been injured, he had lost a great deal of blood, and his face was frighteningly pale.

He had been carried in on a wooden board, groaning in pain the whole way.

After Lan Tian stopped the bleeding and cleaned the wound, he used Endless Life to heal him. Vines wrapped around the injured leg, and life energy seeped into the flesh. In roughly a quarter of an hour, the wound had completely healed, leaving behind only a faint pink mark.

The hunter was so grateful that he nearly dropped to his knees on the spot. He emptied all the money he had on him and insisted on stuffing it into Lan Tian's hand. Though there were only a few Silver Soul Coins, his heartfelt gratitude was unmistakable.

Lan Tian accepted the money, told him not to do any heavy labor for three days, and sent him on his way.

He treated several more patients that day and did not get a chance to rest until the afternoon.

Sitting at the entrance with a cup of tea, he watched the pedestrians passing along the street and suddenly felt that such a peaceful life was quite nice.

He could earn money and accumulate resources while cultivating at an unhurried pace. The progress might not be fast, but it was steady.

For the next hundred years, before the protagonist was born, he could more or less live peacefully. There would be no major wars or riots on the continent.

Even if there were any, they would be limited in scale, and Spirit Hall would step in to stop them.

That also gave ordinary people an invisible pillar to lean on.

At dusk, he closed the clinic and went to the backyard to begin the day's training.

After putting on the four Weighted Rings, he first practiced boxing, then footwork, followed by weighted squats and sprints.

Sweat dripped from his brow and struck the ground, spreading into dark spots.

He trained to his heart's content. Every punch was thrown with all his strength, and every dodge pursued the shortest possible path.

By the time he finished, the evening glow in the west had completely faded.

He stood still and caught his breath for a moment, feeling his heartbeat gradually settle. His muscles were tired, yet brimming with strength. The body strengthened by Dragon Bone Grass also recovered somewhat faster than before.

The night wind blew in over the courtyard wall, rustling the leaves of the Blue Silver Grass.

He looked up at the darkening sky and began calculating when to next enter the middle region of Soul Hunting Forest, as well as what preparations he would need.

Last time, he had still left quite a few medicinal herbs unpicked. Moreover, it was said that deeper within the middle region were even better herbs, making another trip worthwhile.

This time, however, he planned to bring more rations and equipment, stay inside for an extra two days, and gather everything he needed in one go.

As the plan slowly took shape in his mind, he turned and entered the house, lit a lamp, and continued grinding medicine.

The autumn wind grew cooler with each passing day.

At this time of year, the medicinal herbs deep in Soul Hunting Forest were at their most potent, their moisture dried to just the right degree, making them ideal for harvesting.

Lan Tian's plan gradually took shape. As he prepared supplies, he also mapped out the route he would take into the mountains and the dangers he might encounter.

One afternoon, Louise came by again.

She carried a basket of fresh autumn pears, saying they had just been picked from her family's orchard and that she had brought them for him to try.

Lan Tian did not stand on ceremony. He took one, washed it, and bit into it. It was crisp, sweet, and juicy, filling his mouth with refreshing flavor.

Louise sat on a stone bench in the courtyard. Watching him eat, she smiled and casually asked, "Doctor Lan, I heard you entered Soul Hunting Forest some time ago? And that you even fought a hundred-year Soul Beast?"

"How did you know that?"

Lan Tian raised a brow as he chewed the pear, a guarded look appearing on his face. He had not told anyone about this.

"Nuoding City is only so big. News travels fast." Louise curled her lips. "Grant told me. He said a Soul Master saw you coming from the direction of the middle region of Soul Hunting Forest not far away. There was blood on your clothes, along with the scent of a hundred-year Soul Beast's blood. You were even carrying a huge Snake Gallbladder. He asked me to tell you that next time you go into the mountains, you should bring him along. At least you'd have someone watching your back."

Lan Tian thought about it. In the world of Douluo Continent, certain bits of information really did seem to spread through some mysterious force for no apparent reason, so it was not particularly strange.

So he said, "Thank Grant for me, but there's no need for now. I can handle it myself. When I truly intend to go deeper in, I'll ask him to team up with me."

Louise did not press the matter. After chatting with him about everyday matters for a while longer, she got up and said goodbye.

After seeing Louise off, Lan Tian put the remaining autumn pears in the kitchen. Then he returned to the courtyard and stared blankly at the patch of Blue Silver Grass, its leaves faintly yellowing in the autumn wind.

He kept Grant's suggestion in mind.

The old member of the guard had abundant experience and solid skills. Having him at his side would indeed reduce quite a few risks.

But Lan Tian knew clearly that he ultimately had to walk his own path. He could not rely on others for everything.

This kind of life could continue for many years yet. He was in no hurry.