After Deng Qing finished eating, he used the Devour Heaven Scripture to refine the food, then extracted and refined a vast amount of Blood Baleful Intent. When he was exhausted from the training, he would sleep and eat again when he woke up.
Four or five more days passed, and finally the text on the panel stopped flashing; every time it was brought up, it was crystal clear.
And his complexion improved as well.
As the Qi-Blood gradually become abundant, the process of clearing away the complex Blood Baleful Intent within the body becomes increasingly smooth.
In addition, he also started practicing boxing.
Because the complex Blood Baleful Intent was still entangled in his body, he could not perform the more difficult Elephant-Throwing Method, so he had to switch to practicing Tiger-Subduing Fist.
It's still Celebration Hall, and it's still the same boxing style I learned when I first Initiation.
However, practicing now is naturally different from when I first started learning.
Deng Qing practiced each move meticulously, once, twice, countless times.
Sometimes he would spend an entire morning practicing this set of boxing techniques repeatedly in the yard.
Gradually, the stiffness in my shoulders and back loosened up, and my legs, which had felt weak when I walked, regained their strength.
After more than ten days, Deng Qing finally started to gain weight.
His cheeks were no longer deeply sunken, and the prominent veins on the back of his hands were gradually being covered. Although he still looked thinner than before, he already looked like a normal person.
What pleased him most was the change within his body.
He gradually extracted and refined away the complex and chaotic Wasteland Baleful Intent that entangled his meridians and Qi-Blood, leaving very little behind.
That evening, after practicing the Tiger-Subduing Fist several times in the courtyard, Deng Qing returned to his room, sat down, and continued to move the Devour Heaven Scripture.
When the Qi-Blood reach the abdomen, there is still a stagnation, which is the last clump of accumulated evil Qi.
These days, he has slowly worn away the outer layer, leaving only the deepest part, which is stuck together very tightly. Every time Qi-Blood pass through it, it feels like a thin thread is pulling on the internal organs.
Deng Qing remained calm and composed, slowly activating his cultivation technique, with streams of Qi-Blood flowing through him.
The accumulated evil energy finally loosened and then dispersed.
Deng Qing felt a sweet taste in his throat and bent over to spit out a mouthful of black blood.
After spitting out the blood, he continued his practice until his Qi-Blood circulated smoothly throughout the body, at which point he slowly opened his eyes.
It's connected.
The pervasive sense of entanglement I had felt earlier had vanished.
Deng Qing tried to take a deep breath, her chest and abdomen relaxed, and there was no more stagnation. Her Qi-Blood flowed from her abdomen to her limbs, and wherever it passed, there was a warm and lingering sensation.
He raised his right hand, his five fingers spread, and as soon as the thought crossed his mind, a dark red dot appeared in his palm. The dark red dot gathered and condensed into a Sphere, which was the Mystic Wasteland Baleful Blood!
This Mystic Wasteland Baleful Blood was no bigger than a golf ball, its blood color was deep, and its surface had a very faint luster.
Upon closer inspection, countless fine blood vessels were visible, intertwined and tightly bound together.
With a slight shift in Deng Qing's mind, the Sphere materialized at will.
Deng Qing tried it several times in a row, and the more she tried, the happier she became.
Deng Qing recalled that when Huang Changhe fought Li Dashan, he transformed the Blood Baleful Intent in his palm into a long sword and slashed freely.
He tried to urge the Blood Baleful Intent to extend forward, attempting to pull it into the shape of a sword.
Even after being stretched, the Blood Baleful Intent remained rounded and blunt, and shrank back as soon as it was relaxed.
Deng Qing was not disappointed.
Huang Changhe has been immersed in this field for many years, while I have only just begun to grasp the basics. It is perfectly normal that I cannot reach that level yet.
At that moment, he had a thought and absorbed the Blood Baleful Intent into his body.
After being back for so long, Deng Qing finally grinned.
A breeze stirs in the courtyard, casting alluring shadows of bamboo onto the blue bricks.
Deng Qing bent his knees and lowered his body, his hands loosely clenched.
With this movement, his shoulders and back relaxed, his spine slightly arched, and he seemed to disappear into the shadows of the forest.
Fan Sheng stood under the eaves, watching intently, and unconsciously held his breath.
Deng Qing took a step forward, his clothes billowing, like a tiger pouncing out of the forest. One moment he was hiding his claws and teeth in the grass, and the next he was already upon her.
After finishing a round of punches, Deng Qing slowly exhaled and stood still.
As soon as the thought crossed my mind, the panel appeared.
He focused on this section: [ Tiger-Subduing Fist: Perfected Mastery (87%)]
"It's gone up again."
Deng Qing was quite satisfied.
During his recovery period, he practiced few other martial arts, but he never stopped practicing this Tiger-Subduing Fist every day.
It can be done hundreds of times, or even three to five hundred times a day.
Now that he has recovered, he hasn't given up this Initiation boxing technique.
He didn't have any profound plans; he simply wanted to see what it would be like to master a skill to 100% of the required level on the skill panel.
"Junior brother, your punches are getting better and better."
Fan Sheng walked out of the corridor and clicked his tongue, saying, "If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would never have believed that someone could have mastered the Tiger-Subduing Fist to this extent."
When you Crouching Body down just now, you looked like a tiger hiding in the grass. You didn't move, but you made people afraid to approach you. It was simply amazing.
Deng Qing laughed and said, " Senior Brother, stop trying to sweet-talk me. How's the matter of restoring my household registration going? Is there any hope at all?"
The moment this was mentioned, the smile on Fan Sheng's face vanished.
Deng Qing frowned. "I say, Senior Brother, we've all fallen on hard times, so let's stop being so arrogant."
We still need to grease palms where necessary. We don't have the resources to waste time with them right now. If all else fails, we'll borrow some money at exorbitant interest rates to get things done first.
You were absolutely right.
Fan Sheng sat down on the stone bench. "I secretly borrowed the money from your sister-in-law a long time ago, and I also treated those corrupt officials who were handling the matter to several meals."
These bastards, at the dinner table, they talked like it was honey. They said you were a meritorious person with official credentials, and that restoring your household registration was only right and proper, and they would never make things difficult for you.
Once you leave the restaurant, if you go to ask again, you'll have to wait again.
Today they say the registers aren't all found, tomorrow they say the person in charge isn't here. Damn it, it's infuriating!
Deng Qing frowned and said, "That's not right. No matter how much Celebration Hall has declined, it shouldn't be that all the relationships have fallen apart just because Master left."
There are quite a few Senior Brother from the Celebration Hall working in the County Yamen. Add to that the old friends we've known over the years, don't they even show the slightest bit of kinship?
We didn't ask them to abuse their power or break the law; it's just a matter of restoring a household registration, why has it dragged on like this?"
Fan Sheng nodded and said, "I also suspect that the problem lies with the Shared Joy Hall. Shared Joy Hall is currently very powerful and has already established connections in the county. On the other hand, our master has disappeared and our Personal Disciple have scattered. People see this and naturally feel that this brand won't last long."
It's not unusual for government officials to fawn over the powerful and belittle the weak.
I thought that with your return, things would be different, and the government would definitely give us face.
But then I thought, with your return, Shared Joy Hall will be nervous. If your household registration is restored, your status as Honorary Merit Rank title will be confirmed, and Celebration Hall will also see an improvement. Shared Joy Hall will definitely not be happy.
Now it seems that Tongletang was definitely behind this Shared Joy Hall. Those bastards are absolutely despicable.
Fan Sheng became increasingly angry as he spoke.
Deng Qing's tightly furrowed brows relaxed, and he said coldly, "I originally intended to interact with them as an ordinary person, but since that's the case, I'm not going to pretend anymore; I'll lay my cards on the table."
It wasn't that Deng Qing was being reckless; it was just that if he continued to play it safe, many things would get into serious trouble.
For example, restoring household registration.
It's such a small matter, yet it's been stuck for so long. They need to show some strength.
Fan Sheng raised his face. "We can't do anything illegal."
What are you thinking about?
Deng Qing sneered, "Didn't they come to our Celebration Hall to cause trouble before? It's only polite to return the favor, so let's do it back once we get ours back."
Go download the post right now, I don't believe it."
Fan Sheng immediately perked up. This was a fair and square contest; he wasn't afraid that Shared Joy Hall wouldn't accept the challenge, nor was he afraid of what others might say.
But after the initial excitement, he hesitated, "Junior brother, how well have you recovered?"
Shared Joy Hall has the Upper Forest Sect backing it up. If we take the initiative and win, everything will be fine. But what if we fail in our challenge...?
Deng Qing said, "Don't worry, when have I ever done anything unreliable?"
Deng Qing knew the rules of the challenger competition perfectly; it was a competition based on generational differences.
It means that if he goes to challenge a martial arts school, the other side will send out Bone Tempering Third Layer expert of the same cultivation level to fight him.
If the opponent is defeated, they are qualified to send out Bone Tempering Fourth Layer expert to fight.
Deng Qing is only at the Bone Tempering Third Layer, but he has accumulated too many buffs. From his perspective, everyone within the Bone-Forging Realm is like an ant.
Thinking of Deng Qing's reliable work ethic, Fan Sheng clapped his hands loudly, "That's settled then!"
As he spoke, he turned and walked out, but when he reached the moon gate, Deng Qing called him back, " Senior Brother, there's something else."
"You say."
"Can we skip the Pig Offal today? How about some braised pork or stewed pig's trotters? I'd like to have something different."
"There's only one meal left, about twenty pounds left. Just finish it all in one go, why are you being so polite with me!"
Deng Qing's face turned green.
The next day, Deng Qing woke up and got out of bed. As soon as she opened the door, she heard a commotion of voices outside.
After he finished washing up, he walked through the corridor and looked into the front yard. He was stunned to see that there were quite a few people standing inside and outside the yard.
Young people like Jiang Jie and Yang Tong were present, along with many adult Martial Artist.
He vaguely recognized a few faces, but hadn't seen them in a long time.
Upon seeing Deng Qing, everyone greeted him with clasped hands, " Senior Brother Deng!"
Deng Qing returned the greeting with a cupped hand and was about to ask a question when Fan Sheng also came out from the back hall.
Today, he was wearing a new dark blue outfit, with a black belt around his waist, clean cloth boots, and even his sideburns were neatly combed.
Fan Sheng walked up to the group and first cupped his hands in greeting. "Fellow Senior Brother, these past few days, I have been unable to manage the affairs of the hall, causing you all to suffer a great deal of injustice."
As he spoke, he bowed to the crowd, "I would like to apologize to everyone here."
Someone in the crowd immediately spoke up, " Senior Brother Fan, why bring this up? Everyone knows how you've managed these past few days."
Fan Sheng gestured with his hands, "I appreciate everyone's understanding, but the matter wasn't handled well, it just wasn't handled well."
Our Celebration Hall has been teaching martial arts in Everjoy County for so many years, when have we ever been bullied like this?
Shared Joy Hall is competing with us for business; we should each rely on our own abilities. But they're pressing us relentlessly, not even leaving us a way to survive!
After Fan Sheng's few words of encouragement, many people in the room changed their expressions.
Fan Sheng's gaze swept over the crowd, his voice rising, "In the past, we were inferior to others because we lacked ability, but now, the capable ones have returned! Senior Brother Deng Qing has returned!"
All eyes turned to Deng Qing.
There have been quite a few legends about him over the past year.
Fan Sheng continued loudly, " Senior Brother Deng trained in this very courtyard. Monk Tang fell at his hands, and in the Battle of Liangshan, he earned the Imperial Court's eighth-rank talisman, which is already on his person."
Today, Senior Brother Deng is willing to step forward and uphold this reputation for us. We, his fellow disciples, should also stand tall!
I've already sent the challenge invitation. Today, let's go to the Shared Joy Hall and get back all the humiliation we suffered before!
"Get it back!"
"Settle the score with those dogs!"
The crowd responded enthusiastically, their shouts blending together.
Looking at the scene before him, Deng Qing understood what everyone was thinking.
These people all came from the Celebration Hall, and most of them were already working outside. In the past, when they traveled around Everjoy County, showing off the Celebration Hall brand was still somewhat useful.
As the reputation of the Celebration Hall fades day by day, they are naturally affected as well.
Now that Deng Qing has returned and is willing to step forward, everyone wants to see if this signboard can be restored.
Fan Sheng waved his hand, and everyone followed him out of the courtyard gate, heading straight for the south of the city.
At first, it was just the Celebration Hall group that walked through two streets, but then many more people joined in to watch the spectacle.
Fan Sheng smiled and said to Deng Qing, " Rat Hour yesterday, I didn't hide it. Now I'm afraid half the County Seat knows about it."
Over the years, how many people have learned boxing from the Celebration Hall, and how many have received help from us? Lately, we've been suppressed too much by the Shared Joy Hall, and everyone is hoping someone will step up.
If you win this battle, it will be a victory for the people of half the city.
Deng Qing blinked repeatedly as she listened.
I was just going to challenge someone, firstly to make my appearance, and secondly to break into the fray. How did it turn into a display of national sentiment and patriotism?
Sure enough, along the way, people kept greeting him and encouraging him.
" Senior Brother Deng, today we'll show those outsiders what we're made of!"
"Brother Deng, when you come back, come over for a drink!"
Deng Qing could only keep bowing, his face practically frozen from smiling.
When they arrived at the Shared Joy Hall in the south of the city, a long line of people had already followed behind them.
When they arrived, the doors of the Shared Joy Hall were wide open.
The two vermilion-lacquered door panels were polished to a shine, and the gold-lettered plaque above the door gleamed in the sunlight.
The stone steps in front of the gate are wide, and two rows of Martial Artist in brand-new clothes stand on both sides, making a very impressive sight.
Fan Sheng gave instructions, and those who were just watching the excitement stayed outside the door. He and Deng Qing led the Senior Brother from the Celebration Hall straight into the main gate.
Upon entering the gate, one sees a huge Martial Arts Ground covering more than 300 square meters.
The Martial Arts Ground was paved with newly laid blue bricks, and the weapons racks around it were fully equipped with knives, spears, swords, and halberds.
The most eye-catching feature is a huge stone screen on the left side of the Martial Arts Ground, smooth as a mirror, gleaming in the sunlight.
Ahead, beneath the main hall entrance, stood more than thirty people, coldly awaiting the arrival of Deng Qing and his group.
From a distance, Deng Qing spotted Cao Yan and Hao Dadan, but now both of them were squeezed into a corner, barely managing to stick their heads out.
"Junior brother, something's wrong."
Fan Sheng said in a low voice, "Look at that guy with the mustache and that guy with the long eyebrows. When they stand there, they give off a similar vibe to our master."
Where did Shared Joy Hall get so many experts? I think they clearly reported the news to the Upper Forest Sect and invited all the sect's elites. There are probably even Inner Sect disciples of the Upper Forest Sect among them.
This is a matter between our two martial arts schools, yet they've brought in people from a sect to bolster their image. That makes no sense.
Don't move for a moment, I'll handle it. If they insist on using someone from the Upper Forest Sect as a substitute, then we'll go back first.
It's not worth knowingly walking into a trap. A few polite words are better than suffering in silence.
Deng Qing whispered, " Senior Brother, don't worry, I know what I'm doing."
Fan Sheng wanted to persuade him further, but someone from the other side came out.
The newcomer was a fair-skinned young man with a slender build and a long sword hanging at his waist.
He walked into the center of the arena, not even looking at Fan Sheng, but staring at Deng Qing and saying, "You are Deng Qing?"
Deng Qing nodded.
"You should remember my name, Zhang Guang. We heard you were coming to challenge us, and we thought it was just a rumor. We never expected you would actually dare to come knocking."
Zhang Guang glanced at the large crowd gathered at the gate and sneered, "You brought so many people. What, are you afraid that if you lose, no one will spread the word?"
Fan Sheng was about to speak when Deng Qing patted him on the shoulder, Fan Sheng immediately stopped.
Deng Qing cupped his hands and said, "I have long admired the reputation of the Upper Forest Sect. To say that I have come here today to challenge them is an overstatement."
This can be considered Martial Dao exchange. We are happy to see Shared Joy Hall take root and spread in Everjoy County.
But our two families are not worth the trouble of being at odds and making ourselves a laughingstock.
Well said.
A middle-aged man came out.
This man had a square face, a wide mouth, broad shoulders and a thick back, and wore a dark brown robe.
The middle-aged man cupped his hands to Deng Qing and said, "My name is Lei Fen, and I am the Shared Joy Hall. Brother Deng Qing, do you mean that the invitation you sent is to invite us for tea?"
"Hahaha..."
"They probably didn't expect us to set up such a formation, they chickened out!"
"If you don't have the guts, then hurry back and hide and tremble. Don't embarrass yourself here."
"..."
Suddenly, a commotion arose from the Shared Joy Hall side.
Fan Sheng was furious, not understanding what Deng Qing was up to, but he trusted Deng Qing and showed no sign of anxiety.
"No need for polite formalities."
Zhang Guang called out loudly, "Since you've sent out invitations, you're here for a martial arts contest. State your cultivation level, and we'll begin now. Don't keep the elders outside waiting in vain."
Deng Qing calmly replied, "I am at the Bone Tempering Third Layer."
Zhang Guang raised an eyebrow and breathed a sigh of relief.
Deng Qing continued, "I have long admired the reputation of the Upper Forest Sect. Today, I have come to the Shared Joy Hall ostensibly to challenge them, but in reality, I merely wish for an exchange between our two schools. If we both open our doors to teach in the same place in the future, then..."
Brother Deng.
Lei Fen interrupted, "Now that you're here, let's see what's what. What's the point of all this fancy talk?"
Deng Qing said, "To truly test our skills, injuries and broken bones are inevitable. Why bother?"
If you want to see someone's abilities, that's easy.
Well then, I am quite fond of writing, Upper Forest Sect is a guest, I will compose a poem to welcome you all.
This time, not only the members of the Upper Forest Sect, but also the group from the Celebration Hall were dumbfounded.
But before he could finish speaking, Deng Qing was no longer there.
Lei Fen's vision blurred for a moment, and when he looked again, Deng Qing was already in front of the stone screen in the courtyard.
In the next instant, Deng Qing's figure seemed to blur.
It turned out that Deng Qing activated the Collapse Step, simultaneously operating the Perfected Mastery Elephant-Throwing Method, channeling all his strength into his fingertips.
Deng Qing placed his index and middle fingers together on the stone surface.
A sharp scraping sound suddenly rang out, and fine stone chips fell from the fingers.
His Movement Technique were so graceful that it was almost impossible for the others to pinpoint his location; all they could see were characters appearing on the hard stone screen.
In just a few breaths, Deng Qing finished his last stroke.
The next instant, Deng Qing floated back to Fan Sheng's side. With a flick of his long sleeve, the stone chips on the stone screen fell away, and the large characters he had carved with his fingers immediately became clear:
The tall trees of Shanglin reach the sky.
A gentle breeze from a thousand valleys enters before you sit down.
A true lineage opens up new possibilities.
Martial prowess shines through the ages, illuminating mountains and rivers.
Twenty-eight characters, each engraved in stone, with consistent depth.
The horizontal strokes are flowing and the vertical strokes are straight, with clean and crisp turns, showing their sharpness.
Deng Qing brushed the stone dust off his fingers, revealing his hands to everyone.
His knuckles and fingertips were perfectly normal, without even the slightest scratch.
Deng Qing was also very satisfied. He knew that the strength of his physical body and finger strength was partly due to his hard training, but more importantly, it was a positive result of absorbing the Blood Baleful Intent and Mutation.
"Good!"
Someone shouted first, Celebration Hall erupted in chaos.
Although these people were making a lot of noise, they were just laymen watching the show.
After all, very few of them were even at the Bone-Forging Realm.
On the other hand, the Upper Forest Sect was completely silent, but the experts had already figured out what was going on.
Zhang Guang's face was ashen.
Lei Fen wanted to sink into the water.
That stone screen was made of Azure Astral Stone, which he acquired at a high price.
This is Azure Astral Stone!
He wasn't heartbroken that the expensive stone had been vandalized with carvings; he was truly astonished that someone could actually write on the Azure Astral Stone with their finger.
After all, if Azure Astral Stone were easy to carve, it wouldn't still stand here smooth as a mirror, without a single word or pattern.
In fact, it wasn't just Zhang Guang and Lei Fen who were shocked; the dozen or so experts from the Upper Forest Sect were also completely silent at this moment.
Ordinary people might not realize how brilliant Deng Qing's move was, but they could see it clearly.
Suddenly, the members of the Upper Forest Sect parted to make way for them.
A slender man stepped out; he wore a blue robe and no other adornments.
Lei Fen turned to the side and whispered, "Senior Brother."
The man nodded, walked straight to Deng Qing, and solemnly cupped his hands in greeting, " Upper Forest Sect, Zhao An."
Deng Qing returned the greeting, "Brother Zhao."
Zhao An pointed to the stone screen and said, "Many thanks to Brother Deng for composing a poem praising my clan. The poem is excellent in both style and calligraphy. I thank you on behalf of the Shanglin Upper Forest Sect."
Deng Qing cupped his hands in greeting. "Brother Zhao, you flatter me."
Zhao An waved his hand. "It would be impolite not to reciprocate. Brother Deng is so upright and honest, my Upper Forest Sect will not be without magnanimity."
With all the elders here today, they can serve as witnesses. From this day forward, Shared Joy Hall withdraws from Everjoy County and will no longer contend with the Celebration Hall.