The Strange Dian Jing

Su Yan sensed the strength in his body and his newly reinforced skin.

Although he had expected the Poison-Skin Powder to work well, a single use had advanced his progress in Skin Refining to major attainment by this much.

If he could use it a few more times, with his Insect Essence constantly strengthening his body as well, the Sinew and Bone Realm might not be far off.

Su Yan's ability to endure such intensity also gave Xu Zhongdao an understanding of how much this junior could withstand.

Over the next two days, Xu Zhongdao had Su Yan buy a set of ingredients for the body-strengthening Blood-Replenishing Three-Origin Soup, along with more ingredients for Poison-Skin Powder.

Once he had bought them, Su Yan had almost nothing left of the silver he had earned from selling the black bear, leopard, and wolf cubs.

The poor studied letters; the rich practiced martial arts. The more potent the medicinal decoction, the more silver it required.

That remained true even without middlemen pocketing the difference.

Over the following days, Xu Zhongdao and Song Qi both seemed to vanish. Even when Su Yan practiced the Golden Ape Stance Art in the courtyard, he might only catch a glimpse of them in the morning or evening.

Both Xu Zhongdao and Song Qi carried a faint medicinal scent. It was easy to imagine that they were busy with preparations.

During that time, Xu Zhongdao seemed to suddenly remember Su Yan and told him that if he wanted to study medicine refining, he should first go to his study and read the books there.

After leaving him with those words, Xu Zhongdao and Song Qi disappeared again.

The speaker spoke casually, but the listener took it to heart.

Su Yan had been planning to find a chance to bring the matter up with Xu Zhongdao. He had not expected the old man to have kept it in mind.

I'll take a look at the study first. If it's suitable, I can use the time between stance practice to shore up my weakness in medicine refining. With Elder Xu's guidance, my Herb Identification has improved so quickly. If I master another skill, making feed for the Darkwater Centipede and the others might become much easier.

With that thought, Su Yan sought out a servant after finishing his stance practice that day.

"Take me to Elder Xu's study."

The servant already knew Xu Zhongdao's instructions and immediately said, "Please follow me, young master. Outsiders aren't allowed into the master's study. It's kept locked in the Inner Courtyard."

Su Yan followed the servant to the study. "This is the master's study."

"Go about your work. I'll look around on my own."

The study was locked, but he had already been given the key.

Only after the servant left did Su Yan enter.

The study was simply furnished, with only a black ebony desk, an ebony chair, a brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, as well as a small stove for warming his hands.

On the other side stood an enormous bookcase, its shelves filled with books.

Su Yan went over and leafed through a few, only to discover that the collection contained not just medical texts, but biographies and classics as well.

"The First Emperor of Great Li subdued mountains and seas with a single punch, manifested an imperial form ten thousand zhang tall, repelled a hundred thousand Savage Beasts and ancestral demons, and founded his nation in the Southern Heaven Region..."

"A mighty expert of the Beast King Sect commanded a Shadow Tiger King Beast, merging his golden body with the king beast and piercing a hundred thousand green mountains with a single strike..."

Su Yan had only leafed through a few biographies, but his eyes flickered, his heart unsettled with astonishment and doubt.

He murmured to himself, "These biographies are vague and wildly exaggerated, but martial arts in this world might truly lead to divine power. Better to believe such things exist than dismiss them outright."

Despite those words, a burning eagerness flashed in his eyes.

He was already a traveler on the martial path. The greater the heights martial arts could reach, the more room he had to grow in the future.

With such power, Mountain-Splitting, filling seas, living long enough to watch the ages pass... all those ideas might not be mere fantasies. What was there not to like?

"I'll do what my abilities allow. First, I'll master medicine refining and make poisons to help the Darkwater Centipede and Velvetfire Scorpion advance further."

Su Yan found the Compendium of Spirit Herbs. Xu Zhongdao had instructed him to read it first and familiarize himself with the medicinal properties of various herbs, Treasure Plants, and the like.

He had thought it was a single book, but a closer look revealed that the hefty tome in his hands, two finger joints thick, was only one volume.

Su Yan's mouth drooped. "That's plenty of reading ahead."

Over the next few days, he adjusted his routine, filling almost every moment.

He rose early, first brewing the Three-Origin Soup and drinking it in one gulp, converting it into energy.

Then he drew in Insect Essence and soaked in Poison-Skin Powder, repeatedly tempering his skin and building up his qi and blood.

Stance practice and fist training took up the entire morning. Only after exhausting his vital energy did he stop to rest.

The servants had already prepared the Copper Fox Ape's flesh and blood, simmering it and bringing it to him.

After eating to gently nourish his body, he spent the afternoon reading and continuing his fist training.

Time passed in a flash. Training like this, Su Yan naturally made considerable progress.

[First-Rank Insect Master: 23/100]

[Insect Realm: 1 cubic meter]

[Body Tempering Realm: Skin Refining 143/400 (major attainment)]

[Golden Ape Stance Art: 79/400 (major attainment)]

[Monkey Fist: 65/400 (major attainment)]

[Mountain Trekking: 178/200 (minor attainment)]

[Basic Archery: 30/400 (major attainment)]

[Herb Identification: 1/400 (major attainment)]

[Darkwater Centipede: 15/400 (Mature Stage)]

[Velvetfire Scorpion: 147/200 (Growth Stage)]

My Herb Identification has reached major attainment. All that reading wasn't wasted. Skin Refining, Stance Training, and Monkey Fist have all improved, though their progress has begun to diverge. Medicinal decoctions can raise my cultivation, but advancing techniques beyond major attainment depends more on insight. I'll have to find a chance to put them into practice more.

Over these days of training, Su Yan had continually converted the steady supply of resources into his own strength, naturally making substantial progress.

If he could keep training this way, reaching the Sinew and Bone Realm might not be difficult.

Unfortunately, first, he had run out of silver. He had spent it all on resources, and now little remained of his Poison-Skin Powder, Three-Origin Soup, or even the Copper Fox Ape's flesh and blood.

He was not the only one consuming the Copper Fox Ape's flesh and blood. The Darkwater Centipede and Velvetfire Scorpion were both voracious consumers of resources.

Second, the Golden Ape Martial Hall's Inner Gate examination was only three days away. He needed to stay at the Martial Arts Hall for those three days in case anything else came up.

"Young Master Su, your clothes and food have all been packed. Shall I deliver them to the Golden Ape Martial Hall for you?"

Su Yan took the belongings and shook his head. "I'll go on my own. Please give my regards to Elder Xu and Elder Song."

Su Yan left Xu Zhongdao's residence, walked out of Cangliu Lane, and merged into Cloudcang Town's bustling streets.

The crowds were gradually thickening, and lively cries from vendors reached Su Yan's ears.

Just a short spell of training has left me feeling as though an age has passed. If my martial cultivation advances further in the future...

Su Yan's thoughts wandered, and his steps quickened.

That feeling had arisen not from the length of his training, but from the changes it had brought.

Merely reaching major attainment in Skin Refining had already opened a nearly unbridgeable gulf between him and ordinary people.

If he later reached Sinew and Bone, Blood Moving, Origin Nurturing, and then the second great realm, the True Intent Realm...

The difference between clouds and mud could be no greater.

When Su Yan reached the Martial Arts Hall, he had only just arranged his lodging for the night with the gatekeeper when he sensed that something was off about the atmosphere.

The Middle Courtyard held more people than on any of his previous visits.

There were over a hundred outer disciples and ten or twenty Inner Gate disciples, though the two groups kept separate.

No one spoke much. Instead, they threw themselves into stance practice and martial training. At this point, they had all become competitors.

Su Yan had only just put down his belongings and arranged his bedding when a faint pfft suddenly sounded. He immediately shifted aside as a white object shot toward where he had been standing.

It was not moving quickly. As he leaned aside, it landed on the bed.

He sprang out through the doorway and saw a figure running toward the far end of the corridor.

"Where do you think you're going?"

His eyes turned cold, and he charged forward. The fleeing figure had never expected Su Yan to move so quickly and was cut off at the corner.

"Dian Jing?!"