Although Flameflesh Lingzhi was not a Treasure Plant that directly provided gentle nourishment, its fire poison was even more potent than that of yinred root.
However, it could be used to refine quite a few medicinal pills, so its price at the Hundred Herbs Hall remained high.
A specimen as large as the one before him would fetch at least ten or twenty taels of fine silver.
Yet Su Yan had no intention of trading it for silver. Instead, he wanted to use it as food for his two Bound Insects.
The Darkwater Centipede in particular had already reached a growth progress of 127/200 through constant use and feeding on poisonous substances. With another push, it might even break through before he did.
Su Yan carefully picked the Flameflesh Lingzhi. The instant it touched his hand, he felt a searing heat, like water heated to seventy or eighty degrees.
Had he not made progress in skin refining, he probably could not have picked it barehanded.
He placed it in the Insect Realm Space, cleaned up, and only then headed down the mountain with both Bound Insects.
His departure and return were equally quiet. No one knew he had left Yunqian Village at all.
The next day, Su Yan cooked the remaining five jin of Blue-Back Rock Ox meat for breakfast and ate it all.
Then he used another dose of Redskin Powder.
Only after that did he draw out two strands of insect essence, merge them into his body, and assume the stance of the Golden Ape Stance Art.
The medicinal power of yesterday's Redskin Powder and Blue-Back Rock Ox meat had not yet been fully released. Now that he had added more fuel to the fire, his entire body grew scorching hot.
His skin felt as though it were burning, his whole body turning crimson as his veins bulged.
The Insect Essence he drew out, however, was like soothing spring water, flowing into his surging blood and qi.
As the medicinal power spread throughout his body, Su Yan focused on holding his stance, uniting his intent with his posture. Enduring the intense pain, he guided his raging blood and qi to temper his skin continuously.
He held the stance for an hour or two.
Once his body was exhausted, he rested briefly before practicing each of the Eight Forms of Monkey Fist.
In motion, his body was like an agile ape; when his fists struck, he was like a savage ape.
His techniques shifted smoothly at will, and he incorporated his Golden Ape Stance Art into even the subtle details of his footwork and posture.
If he was going to train, he would make something of it.
He wanted not only to achieve major mastery in his Stance Training, but also in Monkey Fist, laying a rock-solid foundation for his martial path.
Su Yan also released the Darkwater Centipede and Velvetfire Scorpion, dividing the Flameflesh Lingzhi between them.
He also gave them the poisonous mushrooms and herbs he had gathered previously, along with the gray rabbits and venomous snakes he had hunted, for them to devour.
Several days passed like this, during which he made another trip to the Golden Ape Martial Arts Hall.
Perhaps because the Martial Arts Hall's assessment was drawing ever closer, more apprentices had begun showing up.
Even without a chance to enter the Inner Gate, a few extra pointers from Master Bai, should they catch his eye, might bring as much progress as a month of cultivation.
As a result, there were many more unfamiliar faces.
There was one exception, though. After seemingly falling out with Su Yan, Li Shun treated him coldly. Even the outer disciples from the lake region, such as Zhou Yong and Hu Qing, dared not have much contact with Su Yan.
Su Yan merely thought it childish behavior. If one had sufficient strength, what use were such tricks?
Inside Yunqian Village, Su Yan held a Hardwood Bow as he rushed toward an old tree.
Within two or three steps, he shifted his position, drew his bow, and fired three arrows in succession.
Though the three arrows had clearly been fired one after another, somehow they converged like three stars, passing through the falling leaves at the same moment and embedding themselves in the same branch.
The branch was as thick as a forearm. Struck by three arrows, it snapped with a faint crack and broke off at once.
Su Yan slowed to a stop, his breathing gradually settling into a deep, steady rhythm. Traces of Stance Training showed through his posture, already largely integrated into his movements.
"Power from Stance Training, reinforced by blood and qi—with this subtle application of force, even my archery can improve a little. Unfortunately, my blood and qi can't leave my body, and this Hardwood Bow's power is limited."
[First-Rank Insect Master: 20/100] [Insect Realm: 1 cubic meter] [Body Tempering Realm: Skin Refining 149/200 (minor mastery)] [Golden Ape Stance Art: 171/200 (minor mastery)] [Monkey Fist: minor mastery (167/200)] [Mountain Trekking: 94/200 (minor mastery)] [Basic Archery: 5/400 (major mastery)] [Herb Identification: 57/200 (minor mastery)] [Darkwater Centipede: 189/200 (Growth Stage)] [Velvetfire Scorpion: 53/200 (Growth Stage)]
In just a few short days, Su Yan had made considerable progress.
The Darkwater Centipede was only a step away from maturity, while both Monkey Fist and the Golden Ape Stance Art had advanced further, reaching the threshold of major mastery.
His skin was taut as iron, his body straight as a pine. He had forged a tremendous strength of one or two thousand jin, and was only a step away from major mastery in skin refining.
What Su Yan had not expected was for Basic Archery to reach major mastery first.
"Although major mastery in martial techniques depends on comprehension and compatibility, it also has something to do with how complex the technique itself is."
"Basic Archery is only an ordinary martial technique. Footwork, posture, bow forms, eyesight... compared to Stance Training, it isn't complicated, so major mastery naturally comes more easily... but..."
Su Yan's eyes flickered as he recalled his archery just now. "Master one method, and ten thousand others open up. It's only a little inspiration, but it does help me understand how to break through the plateau in the Golden Ape Stance Art and Monkey Fist. I need actual combat and life-and-death struggles."
Nourished by large quantities of tonics and Insect Essence, he had progressed rapidly through arduous training. But once his proficiency reached 170 or 180, that progress slowed.
He could still push toward major mastery through constant practice and minute adjustments—an advantage ordinary people did not possess.
Yet Su Yan still felt it was not enough. Dragging things out like this would mean grinding away slowly, and he feared it would take a month or two to break through.
"Fine, then. I'll spend a few days in the mountains. I've run out of resources anyway, so I need to earn more silver for Redskin Powder."
Just as Su Yan made up his mind, a sound suddenly came from outside.
"Su Yan, are you home?"
Su Yan's expression shifted slightly. That voice sounded like Dian Jing.
He strode to the door and opened it. Outside the courtyard stood a burly man like an iron tower. Who else could it be but Dian Jing?
Dian Jing carried a large bow on his back, a Broad Saber at his waist, and a hide pouch. He was dressed for a trip into the mountains.
What has Dian Jing come to see me for?
Puzzled, Su Yan nevertheless went over to greet him.
"What brings you here, Senior Brother Dian Jing?"
"Li Shun caught a ten-jin Rhinoceros-Horn Catfish in White Reed Lake. It's a prized Treasure Fish, excellent for refining the skin and tempering the bones. After eating it, his skin refining advanced further. He'll probably try to regain his dignity at your expense during the assessment."
Blunt and direct, Dian Jing got straight to the point and told Su Yan about Li Shun.
Su Yan could not help looking surprised, and interrupted Dian Jing.
"Senior Brother Dian, as I recall, Li Shun wasn't the only one whose pride I bruised last time."
He stared into Dian Jing's eyes, but Dian Jing gave a self-mocking smile. "Well said. Whether we're martial artists or Hunters, we all live by our own efforts. A case of fox piss must have blinded me to let Li Shun drag me along."
That day, Li Shun had fooled Dian Jing by claiming that, since those from the city already formed their own faction, the mountain folk and lake folk should form one too. Otherwise, without unity, they might become targets.
That was why he had joined in, seeking someone to lend him a hand during the assessment.
But after Su Yan mocked him like that, he had felt more than burning shame—he had abruptly come to his senses.
A fox borrowing a tiger's might, a dog relying on its master's power—foxes and dogs remained foxes and dogs in the end. Master Bai would see straight through them, so how could that establish who was better?
If his own strength was truly formidable, who could suppress him?
Once he thought it through, he parted ways with Li Shun within a couple of days.
Naturally, he would not tell Su Yan all of this. He had merely felt a little guilty, which was why he had come to give him a warning.
Su Yan seemed to understand something, however, and nodded. "Thank you for the warning, Senior Brother Dian. But he won't amount to anything."
Su Yan's tone was calm. Never mind one Rhinoceros-Horn Catfish—even with two or three, someone as ostentatious and scheming as Li Shun would have trouble accomplishing anything.
Dian Jing looked at Su Yan strangely, unsure what this junior brother was relying on.
Though puzzled, he would not pry. He simply said, "Good, then. There's a second matter, as compensation for what happened last time."
Su Yan raised his eyes. "What is it?"
"I don't know what powerful wild beast might have appeared in the Great Wilderness Mountains, but it's frightened a group of quasi-first-tier and early first-tier wild beasts into fleeing into the inner mountains. There are neither too many nor too few. The authorities sent word to every Hunter household in our village, urging people to patrol and hunt in the mountains. I know you're a good archer. If you're interested, you could search the inner mountains for a beast or two. They're no less valuable than precious plants."
Ordinary Hunters who had not reached the Skin Refining Realm naturally could not contend even with early first-tier wild beasts.
But a team of Hunters working with traps was another matter.
After all, not every wild beast was a Blackclaw Tiger, with strength equivalent to the Blood Moving Realm and cultivation at the late first tier.
"Thank you, Senior Brother Dian."
Su Yan paused briefly, then cupped his fist in thanks, his attitude much more earnest.
Dian Jing could easily have kept this news to himself and treated it as his own opportunity.
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