Taking Dragon Blood

"Crazy! They've all gone crazy!"

Watching Qi Refining Stage Cultivators bid frantically, even the previously composed guests in the private rooms were fighting until their faces turned red. Fang Xing felt a chill run down his spine.

Isn't this supposed to be for Cultivators suited to fire-element techniques? Why are every one of you going so insane?

What he did not understand was that, to these Qi Refining Stage Cultivators, this was their Path of Dao!

No matter what, it was worth taking a gamble.

Besides, Qian Yuan Fire Fiend was best suited for Cultivators practicing fire-element techniques, but that did not mean Cultivators of other attributes could not use it.

For example, according to the theory of the Five Elements' mutual generation, fire gave rise to earth. Therefore, Cultivators practicing earth-element techniques could barely use it as well, though its effectiveness would be reduced by twenty to thirty percent.

As for Cultivators practicing yang-element techniques, it might only be weakened by ten to twenty percent!

Even for other Cultivators, as long as they did not practice the most incompatible water-element techniques, it was worth taking a chance!

Maybe they would succeed!

If they succeeded, they would immediately become a Foundation Establishment ancestor, standing on equal footing with Ancestor Zheng and becoming the fourth major power in Green Forest Market!

Even if they failed, it was only death.

In the market, death was an exceedingly common occurrence.

"This place isn't suitable for me anymore. Let's go!"

A gentleman did not stand beneath a crumbling wall. Fang Xing immediately rose to his feet and left the auction hall.

After arriving at a counter and presenting his token, he promptly paid sixty-seven Spirit Stones in exchange for a bottle of Dragon Blood Pills.

Once he was done, Fang Xing did not hesitate in the slightest. He casually picked an exit from the auction hall, then headed straight home.

Perhaps most Cultivators had their attention fixed on the auction for the Foundation Establishment Spiritual Item.

Perhaps Fang Xing had not revealed much value.

Or perhaps Qingxuan Sect's deterrence remained strong.

In any case, Fang Xing returned home safely, and nothing happened.

He let out a long breath before looking at the Dragon Blood Pills in his hand.

After removing the stopper, he poured out several dark-red pills from the bottle.

"So there are five Dragon Blood Pills in a bottle..."

Fang Xing sniffed them. There was no scent of blood, only a rich, fragrant aroma.

"Same old rules. Test for poison first, then try them slowly..."

He had always been cautious about anything he put in his mouth. "I'll go sleep on Chuying Star first... That Foundation Establishment Cultivator's aura at the end was truly intense..."

Several days later.

Slum Area.

Hua Fei Yue was drenched in fragrant sweat and looked somewhat exhausted. "Young Master... this servant girl can't hold on any longer!"

Fang Xing sat in a chair, his breathing slightly heavy, but he sounded somewhat regretful. "Just a little more... Your Seven Emotions Art isn't good enough. You couldn't completely stir the emotions in my heart..."

That was right. He had once again hired Hua Fei Yue to assist his cultivation in exchange for Spirit Stones.

By now, Fang Xing had gained considerable insight into the artistic conception of the Extreme Emotion Sword. He was only a little short of reaching the Beginner level.

"For your situation, Young Master, this servant girl suggests buying a Chaos Spirit Talisman. It is a Cultivator's talisman, and its effect is better than this servant girl's Seven Emotions Art..."

Hua Fei Yue wiped away her fragrant sweat and made a suggestion.

"Mm, that could work..."

Fang Xing nodded. "It's just that the market has been rather chaotic lately..."

"It is a Foundation Establishment Spiritual Item, after all. If this servant girl were not a martial artist but a Cultivator, I might have risked my life for it too..."

Hua Fei Yue covered her lips as she smiled, looking thoroughly pleased by others' misfortune.

With a Foundation Establishment Cultivator suppressing the scene that day, the auction had ultimately concluded without incident.

But after it ended, public security within the market instantly worsened considerably. There were even Cultivators brawling in the stall district before Qingxuan Sect's Law Enforcement Team suppressed them.

"I heard the fighting outside the market is even worse..." Fang Xing stroked his chin. "Qian Yuan Fire Liquid sold for an astronomical price in the end. The Zheng Family made a killing..."

"Hehe, if they had a choice, why would the Zheng Family be willing to sell a Foundation Establishment Spiritual Item? It was most likely pressure from Qingxuan Sect... If there was a winner this time, there was only one: Qingxuan Sect." Hua Fei Yue had a different interpretation.

"That does make some sense."

Fang Xing nodded, then suddenly asked, "Has Chen Yi... come looking for you?"

Hua Fei Yue's delicate body trembled slightly before she replied, "This servant girl no longer has anything to do with that man... He did contact me before, but this servant girl did not reply."

It was clear that Hua Fei Yue had completely severed ties with Chen Yi.

Moreover, she was very clever. She knew that getting involved with Chen Yi would bring no good, and she had no desire to provoke him.

"Cultivators have always looked down on martial artists like us... Chen Yi swore brotherhood with you before, but now it seems he had ulterior motives."

Fang Xing smiled faintly. "Enough about him. These are today's herbs. Take them to the market and set up a stall to sell them... Then buy a Chaos Spirit Talisman and bring it back!"

Selling spiritual herbs at a stall naturally fetched a higher price than selling them to a shop, earning more income, though it was somewhat time-consuming.

Therefore, Fang Xing chose to hire Hua Fei Yue to run the stall, giving her a small commission.

They settled accounts every so often. Even if she ran off with the money, he would only lose the earnings from the most recent period, which he did not care about at all.

"This servant girl understands. Rest assured, Young Master!"

Hua Fei Yue looked at the spiritual herbs Fang Xing had taken out, her beautiful eyes rippling.

She knew that this young master was definitely no ordinary person. There might be a group of Herb Gatherers behind him, or at least he controlled a channel for acquiring herbs at low prices!

Of course, she could not ask about such matters. Otherwise, it would become prying into her employer's secrets and preparing to betray him, leaving them locked in a fight to the death.

Having experienced hardship before, she knew how precious her current job was. She did not want to lose it even more...

"This woman has some entanglements, but she's still useful..."

"After all, she's pretty, Innate, skilled in Spiritual Martial Arts... and good with her mouth. She's suitable for running a stall."

Watching Hua Fei Yue leave, Fang Xing nodded.

He lived within the market. With Qingxuan Sect's rules in place, and more importantly, with a Laser Gun at his side, he no longer feared ordinary risks.

"Cultivation comes first!"

With that thought, Fang Xing immediately glanced at his attribute panel:

Great Dragon Stance: 15/200 (Proficient)

Ghost God Blade: 2/100 (Beginner)

"Great Dragon Stance progresses very slowly, while Ghost God Blade is even slower... It feels like I should go out and kill more people or Demon Beasts to improve faster."

Fang Xing fell into thought.

The next moment, he raised a hand slightly, and a Hundred Refined Steel Blade fell into his grasp. Several inches of blade light burst from its edge.

"My current strength already rivals that of an Innate martial artist. Even without the Nano Protective Suit and Laser Gun, I can fight an ordinary Qi Refining Early Stage Cultivator... With the Protective Suit, I might even be able to battle a Qi Refining Middle Stage Cultivator... If I also carry the Electric Baton, perhaps I could threaten a Qi Refining Late Stage Cultivator?"

"If I encounter an even stronger opponent, there's nothing more to say. I'll just use the Laser Gun..."

Swish!

Blade light scattered in all directions. A figure moved like a swimming dragon, the man following his blade, each slash seeming to carry a terrifying killing intent.

The surrounding earth rolled as though it had been plowed, and countless weeds were sliced apart in midair.

After finishing a full set of Ghost God Blade techniques, Fang Xing looked at the attribute panel, which had not risen at all, and could not help feeling speechless.

Then he took out a Dragon Blood Pill.

"I've already done poison tests and White Mouse experiments. There shouldn't be any problem..."

"The Zheng Family wants to establish their reputation in one stroke. The pills they released should all be top quality..."

With that thought, Fang Xing stopped hesitating. Tilting back his head, he swallowed the Dragon Blood Pill.

Roar! Roar!

In a daze, he seemed to hear a dragon's roar from ancient times.

Terrifying waves of heat surged through his limbs and bones, making even his repeatedly tempered body begin to sweat continuously.

Threads of dark-red blood were mixed within those beads of sweat!

"As expected of Dragon Blood Pills. Their potency is powerful!"

Fang Xing praised them, immediately assuming the Great Dragon Stance.

Roar! Roar!

The bones throughout his body contracted and shifted, producing sounds like dragon roars.

He did not know whether it was an illusion, but he felt that these dragon roars were steadily approaching the roar he had heard in his daze.

Fang Xing's spine rose and writhed like a Flood Dragon. The bones of his limbs transformed into dragon claws, his dragon head lifted high, and his dragon tail swayed.

"Dragon... what is a dragon?"

"Unyielding self-improvement is a dragon, and dominating the world is also a dragon..."

"The Federation's Great Dragon Stance takes its meaning from the ancient dragon, mainly creating a transformation of the spirit. It is said that after the Interstellar Age, some dragon-like creatures were discovered on other planets, but they could only be called Dragon Beasts..."

"The Flood Dragons of this Cultivation World resemble them more closely..."

After completing the Great Dragon Stance, Fang Xing habitually looked at his attribute panel and froze:

Great Dragon Stance: 20/200 (Proficient)

"One session of Great Dragon Stance increased my proficiency by five points? Is this the effect of the Dragon Blood Pill? One pill in my bottle was used for experiments, with some Powder scraped off it. I just ate another one, so there are three left. Doesn't that mean I can still gain fifteen more proficiency points?"

"If I buy another seven or eight bottles, my Great Dragon Stance can enter the Fourth Stage and completely comprehend its artistic conception?"

Of course, Fang Xing also knew that any medicinal pill was most effective the first time it was taken, and its effects would inevitably diminish afterward.

Even so, he was extremely optimistic about this prospect.

"Once Great Dragon Stance enters the Fourth Stage, I'll comprehend the Dragon Artistic Conception! The path before the Courage Realm will be completely unobstructed... With the Innate Pill as well, the speed at which I reach the third and Fourth Realm of martial arts will be astonishingly fast!"

"It is said that Blue Star Federation martial arts only truly burst forth with a different kind of brilliance after the Fourth Realm, with combat power increasing exponentially..."

"Although I have no Spiritual Root and cannot cultivate immortality, by practicing martial arts, I may not be unable to contend with Qi Refining Late Stage Cultivators, Qi Refining Completion Cultivators, or even Foundation Establishment Cultivators and Core Formation Cultivators in the future!"

Fang Xing clenched his right fist, as though he had grasped the future, grasped hope...