Bluestone Blood-Transporting Method

Lin Yi accepted the yellowed beast-hide scroll. The instant his fingertips touched its rough surface, an irrepressible urge surged through his heart.

He glanced at the village chief and saw the old man watching him with a smile, without any intention of urging him on. He immediately unfolded the hide.

Several large characters at the beginning of the scroll came into view: Bluestone Blood-Transporting Method.

The writing resembled ancient traditional characters, with intricate yet archaic strokes. But the moment Lin Yi encountered them, his Super Brain began operating at high speed. Combining the context with the structure of the characters, he half-guessed and half-read, yet somehow managed to read through it all in one smooth breath.

After reading the entire text, a clear outline had already formed in Lin Yi's mind.

The cultivation method of this "Bluestone Blood-Transporting Method" was completely different from the cross-legged meditation and breath circulation he had imagined. Its core consisted of only one word: smash.

It used the external force of bluestone to pound the body and weigh down the flesh, forcibly accelerating the circulation of blood within the body through external physical stimulation. The scalding bloodstream would wash over the flesh, bones, and meridians again and again.

There were three specific methods of cultivation. The first was to use particular bluestones to pound every part of the body, especially the joints and places dense with acupoints. The second was to carry or lift bluestones while moving, even fighting while burdened. The third was to use bluestones to press down on the entire body, allowing the blood-qi to erupt and circulate on its own under extreme pressure.

The three methods were combined to forcibly transport the blood and transform the body, tempering an extraordinary physique from the inside out.

Lin Yi carefully chewed over the contents twice, making sure that every word and every illustration was firmly engraved in his mind.

His Super Brain was like a high-definition scanner with limitless storage, preserving the entire beast-hide scroll in the depths of his memory exactly as it was, ready to be retrieved and replayed at any moment.

He closed the beast-hide scroll and returned it to the village chief with both hands.

"Village Chief, I've memorized all of it."

The village chief had been drinking water from a clay bowl. At those words, his movements visibly paused.

He set down the bowl and gave Lin Yi a somewhat surprised look. There was no doubt in his gaze; instead, there was an astonished look of just as expected. Yet the degree of his astonishment seemed to have exceeded even his original expectations.

"All of it?" the village chief asked again, still not entirely reassured. "You remembered even the meridian diagrams and the order of the formulas?"

Lin Yi nodded with certainty.

The village chief's brows lifted slightly. His fingers lightly tapped the tabletop twice, and an almost imperceptible gleam flashed through his eyes.

He had long guessed from Little Flame's reaction that Lin Yi possessed extraordinary talent.

The old man silently raised his assessment of Lin Yi by another notch, though his expression remained unchanged as he nodded.

"An exceptional memory is naturally a good thing, but cultivation is not something that can be mastered merely by memorizing the formulas," the village chief said slowly. "Next, I'll explain the divisions of cultivation realms to you, so you'll have a clear idea of them."

Lin Yi's spirits rose, and he sat up straighter.

"The first realm of cultivation is called the Blood-Qi Realm." The village chief held up four fingers. "The Blood-Qi Realm is further divided into four minor realms, also known as the Four Blood-Qi Realms."

With every sentence, he curled down one finger, his tone steady and forceful.

"The first realm is Initial Blood Resonance. Those who reach this realm possess the strength of twenty thousand jin. Their blood-qi courses as freely as rushing streams, their physiques far surpass those of ordinary mortals, and common blades can hardly wound their flesh."

"The second realm is Blood-Qi Tidal Surge. Fifty thousand jin of strength. Their blood-qi rushes like an erupting river tide; every strike carries immense force and crushing momentum, allowing them to battle low-rank Ferocious Beasts head-on without falling behind."

"The third realm is Blood-Qi Mountain Sinking. Eighty thousand jin of strength. Their blood-qi becomes solid and heavy as mountains, greatly increasing the toughness of the flesh. Ordinary Ferocious Beasts' claws and fangs can scarcely break their skin."

"The fourth realm is Dragonlike Blood-Qi. One hundred thousand jin of strength. Their blood-qi coils like a dragon in the depths of the marrow, running through every inch of flesh in the body. It is the pinnacle of the mortal frame, only one step away from the next realm."

By the end, the village chief's tone had grown solemn.

"These four realms may sound like a single unbroken ascent, but crossing each one is as difficult as climbing to heaven. Talent, comprehension, perseverance, and resources—not one can be lacking.

"My Bluestone Tribe has more than a hundred people, yet fewer than ten have reached the Tidal Surge Realm. Most people remain in the First Cry Realm for their entire lives, unable even to touch the threshold of Tide-Chasing."

Unable to hold himself back, Lin Yi asked, "Then what realm has the strongest person in the tribe reached?"

The village chief looked at him and slowly uttered two words. "Sinking Mountain."

"The strongest person in the tribe is Xiao Hu's father, Biao. His cultivation has reached the Blood-Qi Mountain Sinking Realm. With eighty thousand jin of strength, he can kill mid-rank Ferocious Beasts barehanded."

As the village chief said this, a trace of pride belonging to a clan leader seeped into his voice, but he quickly suppressed it.

"But you must understand that Biao has cultivated for more than thirty years. How much hardship did he endure, and how many injuries did he suffer to achieve what he has today? So you must never think cultivation is a simple matter."

Lin Yi verbally answered, "This junior understands," but his mind was already racing.

First Cry: twenty thousand jin. Tide-Chasing: fifty thousand jin. Sinking Mountain: eighty thousand jin. Dragonlike: one hundred thousand jin.

And this was merely the first realm of cultivation. There had to be higher realms above the Blood-Qi Realm, stacked layer upon layer. Just how far could one ultimately reach?

He could not help recalling the novel Shrouding the Heavens he had read on his phone before crossing over.

With a flick of their fingers, Great Emperors could shatter stars. With a single thought, Saints could span starfields. The Blood-Qi Realm of this world sounded somewhat similar to the Sea of Bitterness Realm in that book. Both were the foundational first step of cultivation, both beginning with the transformation of a mortal body.

If this world's ceiling was also that high...

Lin Yi swallowed and silently murmured to himself, now it really was impossible to know whether tomorrow or disaster would come first.

Seeing his gaze drift once more, the village chief did not know what he was thinking, but he did not ask.

He rose and walked to the wooden rack in the corner, reaching into a coarse clay jar to take out two fist-sized pieces of dried meat.

The dried meat was dark red, its surface hard and dry as though it had been air-dried for months. Yet when brought close, a rich bloody scent mixed with a strange fragrance rushed straight into the nose.

"Take them." The village chief stuffed the two pieces of dried meat into Lin Yi's hands.

"Cultivation consumes a great deal of blood-qi, especially during the early body-tempering stage. Depletion of blood-qi is a common occurrence.

"If Ferocious Beast meat is not used to replenish it in time, cultivation may stagnate in mild cases, while in severe cases it may damage your foundation. Use these two first. Once you've used them up, come find me again."

Lin Yi accepted the dried meat. It felt heavy in his hands and was as hard as two dark-red stones.

He thanked the village chief and carefully set the dried meat aside.

The village chief beckoned Xiao Hu over and instructed him, "Take Lin Yi to settle into that empty stone house on the western side. Then go ask your mother for a set of clean clothes. Say they're... for a guest."

Xiao Hu answered loudly and jumped down from his chair. The jump jostled Little Flame in his arms so much that the little fox leaped to the ground with an impatient expression.

Red Fox padded elegantly to the doorway, looked back at Lin Yi, and flicked its tail, as though saying, What are you standing there for? Follow.

Lin Yi picked up the two pieces of dried Ferocious Beast meat and followed Xiao Hu out of the stone house.