Heavenly Treasures (Please Read On)

In the study.

Master and disciple were silent for a long while.

After some thought, Huang Sihai said earnestly, "You're talented. Though your natural physique is poor, if you study diligently and train hard, passing the second gate shouldn't be a problem. You might even dare to aim for Tiger-Elephant..."

Li Xiuwen had known Huang Sihai would say that. Smiling, he said, "Don't worry, Master. I know what I'm doing. Once I reach my goal, I'll try to train on my own."

Huang Sihai sighed. "Mm. Take care of yourself."

Li Xiuwen did not hurry off. After a moment of silence, he scratched his head and smiled. "Master, I've finished my Fish Balls... Could I get another three or five, just in case?"

Huang Sihai laughed and scolded, "You brat... It really goes in one ear and out the other! Fine, do as you please."

Huang Sihai took out five Fish Balls and handed them to Li Xiuwen. "Oh, right. Fish Balls have gone up in price. Fifty more per piece."

Li Xiuwen said, "Master, don't do this... You know I'm broke."

Huang Sihai snorted. "The raw materials have gone up in price. Do you think something that can directly improve cultivation is made from ordinary worldly goods? You need to understand that whether it's meat and fish or common medicinal tonics sold on the market, eating them can't immediately increase a martial artist's qi and blood cultivation. You still need to train painstakingly in stances to gradually convert the energy in that food into qi and blood. Only Fish Balls can directly build up qi and blood, saving you a great deal of hard work... Do you know why?"

Li Xiuwen had always been curious about what Fish Balls were made of, but Old Huang had refused to tell him before.

He had recently learned some new things, so he asked, "Master, could the ingredients for these Fish Balls be the legendary... strange fish?"

He had recently finished the Arts and Anomalies Scroll and the Three Corpses Scroll from Miscellany from the Martial Tomb, and had begun reading the third volume, the Heavenly Treasures Scroll.

This volume discussed the various things ancient martial artists encountered during their travels through mountains and rivers as they searched for ingredients to refine medicine—things that were immensely beneficial to cultivation.

Generally speaking, they were divided into four categories:

Rare birds, exotic beasts, strange fish, and treasures.

The first three referred to creatures that flew in the sky, ran on the ground, and swam in the sea.

The last category encompassed everything else. Many heavenly treasures, millennium-old medicines, mysterious extraterrestrial iron, and the like were all included within it.

In short, all four categories were rare treasures. Without knowledge passed down through generations and methods for locating dragon veins and auspicious points, ordinary people would never find them in a lifetime.

Things like Chenghuang Grass, which could prolong one's life if eaten;

Heluo Trout, which could increase one's affinity with water if consumed;

Tuo Dragon Blood, which could grant immense strength through medicinal baths;

And the Coo-Coo Bird, which could make one as light as a swallow if eaten.

Each was stranger and more peculiar than the last, to the point that Li Xiuwen had treated them entirely as tales of the supernatural.

After all, Miscellany from the Martial Tomb was half true and half false; it could not be fully trusted.

Still, Li Xiuwen felt that since the ancients had recorded them, even listing detailed methods of consumption and their effects, there had to be some basis for it.

Huang Sihai smiled. "Looks like you've learned quite a lot from Old Chen. You even know about strange fish."

"Master, what do strange fish look like? Let me have a look," Li Xiuwen asked curiously.

"Such rare things are secrets never passed on by the various martial arts halls... Are you buying them or not? If not, get out already," Huang Sihai urged.

Left with no choice, Li Xiuwen spent 2,200 to buy four Fish Balls, leaving himself with only 6,000.

To maintain his hard qigong training, that amount would only last him one or two months.

Cutting expenses was impossible. Martial arts cultivation required money. He could only find ways to increase his income!

Before leaving, he asked, "Master, will Fish Balls go up in price again? If they will, I should stock up now."

Huang Sihai replied expressionlessly, "If I let you stock up, I'll make less money. Get lost."

"Alright, I'm getting lost." Li Xiuwen chuckled and left.

Li Xiuwen had not told anyone else about his Black Membrane.

Nor had Huang Sihai made it public. It was private to Li Xiuwen's martial arts cultivation, and it also concerned the contest for the second floor.

Thus, everyone else at the martial arts hall assumed Li Xiuwen was still at the Purple Membrane stage.

As the contest for the second floor drew nearer, Liu Chun and Li Xiuwen became the last two people to leave the martial arts hall every day, secretly competing against each other.

Liu Chun in particular would not leave until she saw Li Xiuwen go.

After returning home, Liu Chun spent money to hire several Black Membrane sparring partners from martial arts halls outside.

Each cost fifty yuan a day, which was extremely expensive.

After all, as Black Membrane experts, they had to spend their entire days here.

For the second floor, Liu Chun had invested far too much effort and money.

"Chun, don't put too much pressure on yourself. If you can't make it this year, there's always next year. You're only sixteen," said a wealthy-looking, potbellied middle-aged man.

Liu Chun stubbornly replied, "Dad, only if I get to the second floor do I have any hope of entering the Learning Society next year. Sixteen isn't young. I'm still far from the peak of permanently stabilized qi and blood."

"Ah, wasn't there no one particularly impressive at your martial arts hall? Why is getting to the second floor so difficult? If I'd known, I would've sent you to Night Heron Martial Arts Hall instead."

"That was true before, but then Li Xiuwen showed up. His natural physique isn't good, but he's quite talented, and his combat techniques have progressed rapidly... I'm no match for him."

"How about Dad hires someone to take care of him? Dad still has some old friends in the syndicate." Killing intent surfaced on the middle-aged man's face.

Liu Chun's expression changed drastically. She hurriedly said, "I want to defeat him openly and fairly. If you do that, I'll feel guilty, my thoughts won't be clear, and it'll affect my chances of successfully passing the gate."

The middle-aged man smiled and sighed. "You're still too kind-hearted. Dad will listen to you. I was only joking. How would I dare offend Master Huang?"

There were twenty days left until the contest for the second floor.

Four Seas Martial Arts Hall.

After Li Xiuwen finished his stance training, he squeezed out the last trace of medicinal power from the Fish Ball and looked toward the [Incense Burner].

[Sea-Sand Stance: Mastery (18%) → Mastery (20%)]

[Stage: Black Membrane (18%) → Black Membrane (20%)]

He lightly clenched his fist. His muscles tightened, power compressed within inches, ready to erupt.

Li Xiuwen let out a long breath and thought:

"These past ten-odd days of training have stabilized my Black Membrane stage. I've moved beyond the initial phase and gained some foundation."

"In terms of cultivation, I've basically caught up to Liu Chun. The remaining gap in qi and blood can be erased through skill alone."

Reality was not a game. When the gap was not too great, a fight was not decided by qi and blood alone. Too many factors could affect the outcome: the fighters' techniques, luck, combat awareness, and resolve. Li Xiuwen sparred against Liu Chun every day in the Taixu Illusory Realm, where every move she made had been simulated hundreds of times.

He even knew how many hairs Liu Chun had under her arms.

No one in this world understood Liu Chun better than Li Xiuwen!

After resting, Li Xiuwen's thoughts were interrupted by Huang Sihai.

"Awen, someone's here to see you. A foot soldier from Hesheng Tu."

Behind Huang Sihai, a girl with dyed yellow hair walked in with her hands in her pockets. She wore hot pants, a small white crop top that exposed her waist, and sunglasses.

She took off her sunglasses, revealing lively, spirited eyes. She had an oval face, two dimples, and smooth skin, and looked to be only fifteen or sixteen.

"My name is Little Loudspeaker. Are you Li Xiuwen?" The girl chewed gum, leaned casually against the wall, looked down at her canvas shoes, and spoke with a faintly roguish air.