Lab Rat

"Brother Zhou, don't blame me. I lost my composure."

"I understand."

Huang Muheng laughed and cursed, "Understand my ass, Brother Zhou. Your bone structure was bestowed by heaven—how could you understand the pain of people like us with Defective Bone Structure?"

Zhou Ming was just about to speak.

Huang Muheng cut him off. "There's no reasoning with bone structure. It is heaven-bestowed. To possess Jade Bone throughout your body at such an age, Brother Zhou, you must have Flawless Bone Structure."

Zhou Ming did not know whether he did or not. In any case, it was already complete.

There was no need to pay attention to meaningless matters.

Since the other man could speak of such a concept, there must have been others besides him who possessed Jade Bone throughout their bodies.

"As for Brother Zhou's doubts regarding the circulation routes of cultivation techniques, in essence, it's like doing anything—you must pay attention to methods. If you use a wooden stick to cut meat, versus using a knife to cut meat, which is faster?"

Zhou Ming's eyes widened. "That's it?"

"What else would it be? The circulation routes of cultivation techniques turn Blood Qi into specific effects, tempering oneself. I imagine Brother Zhou's attainments in martial techniques are not low either."

"Think about it carefully. Whether blade qi or Sword Qi, aren't they both the same? To put it even more plainly, what does Blood Qi Manifestation manifest? Isn't it simply turning Blood Qi into specific effects?"

Zhou Ming furrowed his brows tightly and fell into deep thought.

Huang Muheng did not disturb Zhou Ming's contemplation, instead walking toward the other tables.

Since he had shown himself, naturally he could not leave his guests hanging to one side.

Even when facing people whose talent was not outstanding, Huang Muheng did not look down on them. He still chatted and laughed with them.

The sun set, and the moon rose.

When Zhou Ming came back to himself, he stood and stretched his slightly stiff body.

The Martial Artist waiting nearby saw Zhou Ming move and immediately stepped forward, taking out a square, flat little jade box and placing it on the table.

"Young Hero Zhou, my young master asked me to pass this on to you. He also left you a message. The young master said that it is only on loan."

Zhou Ming had no objection. To him, once he had mastered it, that was that. Keeping the cultivation technique was useless to him.

Zhou Ming tucked away the jade box, thought for a moment, then took a jade vial from his robe.

He reached into the air and made several grabbing motions before opening his palm.

"1, 2... 7, 8. Including the ones from before, that makes 9. I wonder if that'll do."

The Martial Artist looked at Zhou Ming as though he were an idiot.

Zhou Ming capped the jade vial and handed it over. "Give this to your young master and tell him..."

Just as the Martial Artist reached out, Zhou Ming pulled back the hand he had extended.

Then he said, "Forget it. Have your young master come take it himself."

The Martial Artist gave Zhou Ming a strange look, then turned and left.

Looking at the jade vial in his hand,

Zhou Ming did not quite trust that Martial Artist.

This stroke of fortune was his thanks to Huang Muheng.

Inside the manor's study,

Huang Muheng rubbed his brow.

"You mean that right in front of you, Brother Zhou raised his hand and grabbed wildly at the air, then pretended to put something into the jade vial and told you to bring it to me?

Just as you were about to take the jade vial, he put it away again, then finally told you to notify me to come collect it in person?"

The Martial Artist said softly, "Yes. That was exactly what happened, Young Master. You've already asked three times."

"Phew!"

Huang Muheng let out a breath. "Fine, you may leave. I'll go over myself."

After the Martial Artist left, he pulled open a drawer beneath the desk, took out a palm-sized jade vial, and headed into the courtyard.

Before long, he saw Zhou Ming sitting quietly in the courtyard.

"Brother Zhou." After calling softly, he tossed the jade vial in his hand over.

Hearing the call, Zhou Ming turned and saw a jade vial flying toward him. He raised a hand and caught it steadily.

"My guard told me that Brother Zhou raised his hand and grabbed wildly at the air, then pretended to put something into the jade vial and told him to bring it to me?

Then you refused to give it to him and instead had him notify me to come collect it myself. I thought it over and over, and my guard should not be lying.

But I am somewhat puzzled by Brother Zhou's actions. Please demonstrate it for me."

Huang Muheng said with a smile as he walked over.

Zhou Ming looked at the large jade vial in his hand.

Damn!

This brat couldn't have guessed that I was going to give him a stroke of fortune, could he?

Crafty as a ghost, bringing such a big vial to fill.

Forget it. I'll give him more and see what happens.

I'll treat the first lab rat a little better.

As Zhou Ming began catching Moon Spirits,

Huang Muheng froze where he stood, staring wide-eyed at the scene before him.

A moment later, seeing that the vial was already full of Moon Spirits, Zhou Ming hurriedly put on the cap.

Done!

If it truly worked, it would probably wash away at least one-tenth of his Turbid Qi.

With less Turbid Qi, the efficiency of converting Blood Qi would improve.

Martial cultivation used Blood Qi to temper oneself.

It was a cyclical process.

Converting Blood Qi was addition—filling the vat that was the human body.

Once it was full and could hold no more, one had to expand the vat and cause the quantity to undergo a qualitative change.

That was the process of consuming Blood Qi to temper the body and condense Blood Qi.

Once it became saturated again, the cycle repeated, tempering the flesh step by step and excavating one's own potential.

Until one reached the Supreme Realm and attained Transcendence.

These were Zhou Ming's insights since stepping onto the martial path.

Seeing that his lab rat was still standing there in a daze,

Zhou Ming called out, "Brother Huang, what are you standing around for? Come over."

Hearing the call, Huang Muheng came back to himself and walked to Zhou Ming's side. Helplessly, he said, "I never expected Brother Zhou to have such a childlike side."

Zhou Ming ignored him and directly made a grabbing motion. Blood Qi surged out, wrapping around a Moon Spirit.

Then he extended his hand before Huang Muheng and opened it.

Huang Muheng looked at the mesh formed from the Blood Qi Zhou Ming had released. It had somehow trapped an emerald-green bead.

The instant he saw the bead, he clearly felt a yearning rise from within his body.

What was this bead?!

He could not have been mistaken. Just now, Brother Zhou had casually grabbed at the air. There had absolutely been nothing there.

"There, this is what I put in the vial for you. This thing is called a spirit. There are many kinds of spirits; this one is a Moon Spirit. To fuse it into your body, you must release Blood Qi, wrap it around the spirit, then draw the Blood Qi back in."

Then Zhou Ming demonstrated it on the spot.

Huang Muheng watched as Zhou Ming withdrew his released Blood Qi, and the bead wrapped within it slowly fused into Zhou Ming's palm.

As the bead disappeared, he felt an intense sense of loss rise from within his body.

He blurted out, "Brother Zhou, what exactly does this spirit do?"

Zhou Ming glanced at him, then walked away without looking back.

"Experience it yourself. Whatever you feel, remember to report to me."

Watching Zhou Ming leave, Huang Muheng could no longer hold himself back. He immediately picked up the jade vial Zhou Ming had left on the table and headed toward his secluded cultivation chamber.

After leaving the courtyard, Zhou Ming slowly made his way back to his residence.

His left hand repeatedly tossed the little jade vial, sending it into the air again and again before it fell back into his palm.

That was right! He had not left this little jade vial with Huang Muheng.

The little jade vial had followed him all this way; he had grown attached to it. If he did not have to give it away, then he would not.

Zhou Ming thought to himself, I wonder how that little miss Jiang is doing. She's grown up already, yet she cried until she was a mess.

How did she develop such a temperament? So stubborn!

Ai, forget it. I'll just use Voice Transmission to tell her when I get back.

The ability of the Seventh Rank was Voice Transmission.

And the Perfect Foundation of the Seventh Rank was opening the Eight Extraordinary Meridians.

Anyway, Zhou Ming felt that Seventh Rank cultivation was the easiest. Surely no one would advance without cultivating the Eight Extraordinary Meridians, right?