Black-Horned Scorpionfish (Please Follow)

"Swim across!"

"Mm... such... what?!"

Wang Xuance froze, blurting out in shock.

"Miss Chen, did you not feel the icy chill of the pool water? Simple contact can be dissolved by a martial artist's blazing blood and qi, but if you enter the pool, I fear that within three breaths, you'll freeze into fragments just like those stones!"

Hearing this, Chen Linger merely shook her head gently and smiled mysteriously.

"Brother Wang, besides cultivating abundant blood and qi, we martial artists must also temper the strength of our bodies!"

"At the bottom of this pool lives a horned scorpionfish known as the Black-Horned Scorpionfish!"

"They mostly dwell in frigid waters. Consuming their flesh greatly benefits the tempering of one's body!"

"Since these fish can survive in the pool, eating them should naturally grant us the ability to survive in cold water as well!"

"As for whether this is trustworthy, Brother Wang need not worry. I found the creatures in this pool in the Chen Clan's ancient records. It is absolutely reliable!"

"But Miss Chen, setting aside the reliability of your information, this pool is a full hundred zhang across. How long would it take to swim over? And how are we supposed to catch these Black-Horned Scorpionfish?"

Chen Linger said no more. She simply took a pitch-black net from the embroidered pouch behind her waist. A small, exquisite golden bell hung from the net!

"Clang, clang, clang!"

Wang Xuance watched Chen Linger lightly shake her jade-like hand. As she spread out the black net, the golden bell began to sway as well, producing a peculiar sound.

Ring after ring of ripples traveled into the depths of the pool, while wave after wave of ripples spread across its surface.

"Buzzzzz—"

The ground began to shake violently, as though an earth dragon had turned over. Large amounts of pool water splashed out, and the already frigid frost aura grew even denser.

Frost spread over the ground. Wang Xuance and the white-haired elder leaped away from the pool's edge, their eyes fixed unblinkingly on Chen Linger.

Standing near the pool's edge, Chen Linger trembled all over as strands of frost crept across her body, making her graceful figure all the more alluring!

Wang Xuance's mind wavered for a moment. He was at an age when his blood ran hot—how could he withstand such stimulation?

He simply fixed his gaze on the pool's surface and looked at her no longer.

Chen Linger, whose mind remained steady throughout, gripped the black net tightly and stared dead at the pool. Large and small whirlpools emerged across the water, as though some creature was about to burst through the surface.

As the golden bell swayed ever more fiercely, the churning within the pool grew increasingly violent.

All at once, the three caught sight of a streak of black light swimming out from the water. Against the pool, that condensed black gleam was especially conspicuous.

"Perfect chance!"

Chen Linger twisted at the waist, gathered strength in her lotus-white arm, and flung it out. The black net spread wide like a massive black claw, accurately trapping that streak of black light.

"Up!"

With a sharp cry, Chen Linger pulled hard, hauling the net and its contents out of the pool together.

Only then did Wang Xuance see the true appearance of that black light!

It was a creature nearly three meters long, black as ink all over, with only its belly snow-white. A pair of side fins grew from each side of its abdomen, while a sharp spiral horn protruded from its round head. The instant it came ashore, it flopped about without cease, its vitality astonishingly vigorous!

At the side, Chen Linger panted heavily, circulating her blood and qi to dispel the frost on her skin. Her teeth chattered, yet the joy in her eyes could not be concealed.

"Brother Wang, this is the Black-Horned Scorpionfish. Since it lives in a silent place, it is extremely sensitive to sound. Following the hum of the golden bell, it can easily be lured up!"

"There are no fewer than a hundred Black-Horned Scorpionfish at the bottom of the pool. You saw it just now—their movements trigger frost tides. So long as you can endure them, you have a chance to catch one!"

"After all, it is only a pool. There is no need for such refined skill in net fishing!"

Wang Xuance watched Chen Linger draw a boning knife from her waist and skillfully slice the Black-Horned Scorpionfish into thumb-thick pieces, casually arranging them on a smooth stone slab.

"Brother Wang, the flesh of the Black-Horned Scorpionfish is exceptionally delicious. It is best eaten raw. Come, have a taste!"

Seeing Chen Linger and the elder begin eating without ceremony, Wang Xuance no longer held back and joined them.

He picked up a translucent slice of fish and tossed it into his mouth. Before he could even chew, the flesh melted upon entering his mouth.

A bone-piercing chill erupted in his mouth, so cold that white vapor spilled from Wang Xuance's lips. Immediately after, the fish melted into a stream of gentle liquid that slid down his throat into his abdomen.

Boom!!

The moment it entered his abdomen, it was like ignited gunpowder, stirring up the blood and qi throughout his body. Wang Xuance felt an indescribable scorching heat fill his tendons and meridians.

The next moment, Wang Xuance's mind stirred. Within his dantian's sea of qi, the Flood Dragon-Headed Elixir Pearl suddenly seemed to have scented some miraculous elixir, erupting with a vast devouring force.

All the liquid transformed from the fish slices was swallowed by the elixir pearl. In an instant, azure light flowed over the flood dragon's head, and even the scales on its body seemed to become a little clearer.

[Thump!!]

[Great Arm Scripture +0.5!]

[Great Arm Scripture +0.5!]

[Great Arm Scripture +0.5!]

[Great Arm Scripture +0.5!]

...

A single slice of raw Black-Horned Scorpionfish had actually advanced the Great Arm Scripture by three points!

Wang Xuance could not help but sigh inwardly. He glanced at the Black-Horned Scorpionfish, then at the elixir pearl floating above his dantian's sea of qi.

Flood dragons are attuned to water, and this Black-Horned Scorpionfish is born in water. In that case, besides True Martial Qi, unique aquatic spirits can also advance the Great Arm Scripture!

But unlike the Bone-Strengthening Soup I drank before, which required me to assume the basic stance forms before progress could accumulate, this fish flesh directly equals True Martial Qi!

It's just... the increase is far too small. Unless I eat several thousand Black-Horned Scorpionfish, the martial arts progress of the Great Arm Scripture likely won't change significantly!

He picked up another slice of raw fish and tossed it into his mouth...

Like a whirlwind sweeping away fallen leaves, the three of them devoured the three-meter-long Black-Horned Scorpionfish clean in no time.

Wang Xuance watched as the two of them sat off to the side, closed their eyes, and began regulating their breaths, slowly absorbing the energy within the fish flesh.

He likewise found a stone in the corner and sat cross-legged upon it.

With a thought, he summoned his Martial Dao Template.

[Wang Xuance]

[Martial Dao Talent]: Low-grade physique.

[Dragon Elephant Grand Stance] 1000/3000 (Beginner).

[Vajra Fist]: Mastery.

[Great Arm Scripture]: 1230/2000 (Beginner).

[True Martial Qi]: 0

[Martial Dao Realm]: Three-Knock Blood Pass (First Aperture Opened).

Those six days of relentless cultivation had nearly exhausted all his True Martial Qi, yet had only pushed one basic stance art to mastery.

As for the other stance art, he had no choice but to spend silver on medicinal soup, and it too had reached mastery in barely six days.

Sure enough, after the two basic stance arts reached mastery, they had both merged with the Dragon Elephant Grand Stance and advanced it to one-third progress.

He had then smoothly opened his first Martial Aperture, and that strand of Essence of Blood and Qi had condensed along with it.

Only then did the boulder hanging over Wang Xuance's heart finally fall. As the first volume of the Eight Evolutions Heavenly Gang, a Profound-rank martial art, the Dragon Elephant Grand Stance was indeed sufficient to open Martial Apertures.

Of course, he possessed two Profound-rank martial arts. Even if the Dragon Elephant Grand Stance could not open Martial Apertures, advancing the Great Arm Scripture would likewise allow him to condense Essence of Blood and Qi.

It was simply that obtaining more True Martial Qi was the real trouble.

It seems that if one wants to become a martial artist, one truly has no choice but to sell one's life to some faction!

Ordinary-rank martial arts could not open Martial Apertures, and without Martial Apertures, Essence of Blood and Qi could not be condensed. The path to becoming a martial artist was severed there!

A single Profound-rank martial art was enough to incite martial artists across an entire region to fight over it, bringing storms of blood and peril beyond measure.

Had it not been for his fortunate encounter, he would likely have had to bind himself to one faction or another for the sake of martial arts, left at others' mercy and serving unto death!

At this thought, Wang Xuance could not help but smile bitterly.

No wonder those who reached the Three-Knock Blood Pass had to enter the lands of the foreign races and return to the city with enough foreign heads. It was to see whether they qualified to obtain a Profound-rank martial art!

After all, most who enlisted had poor aptitude, yet still wanted to practice martial arts and secure a foothold in chaotic times. They could only gamble their cheap lives for a chance!

Those with exceptional talent and outstanding aptitude, on the other hand, could take the steadier route—joining aristocratic clans or other powerful factions to obtain Profound-rank martial arts.

Both paths were choices born of helplessness. Becoming a martial artist was no easy road either.

How was that any different from my previous life? For survival, for my wife, for my children, I struggled my whole life to give them a better life!

To make money, I would stop at nothing!