I Can't Sleep Until I've Avenged This!

[Art: Five Poisons Art (green) lv.1 (39/100)]

[Moves: Five Poisons Fist (white) lv.1 (1/100)]

His cultivation hadn't changed, but the Poison Sand Palm art had vanished. No, rather than vanishing, it had been replaced by the new Five Poisons Art. Even its previously maxed-out lv.1 proficiency had become 39 points of proficiency in the Five Poisons Art.

Not only that, Five Poisons Fist had also appeared under his moves, though it had only a token point of experience.

Even so, it lifted much of the frustration weighing on Zhao Er's heart. He wouldn't have to cultivate from scratch, which meant he could condense his qi and blood faster and break through sooner to become a true martial artist.

As for the word "green" after Five Poisons Art on the panel, Zhao Er guessed it indicated the art's grade. As for why Poison Sand Palm hadn't had a grade, that could only mean it had been far too basic.

Closing the panel, Zhao Er prepared to begin the day's cultivation.

With the added proficiency in the Five Poisons Art, Zhao Er now had a considerable amount of experience cultivating it.

To prevent conflicting toxicities, the Five Poisons Art could only use one of the five poisons as its primary cultivation foundation. Zhao Er had previously used Heavenly Dragon Toxin, and he had no intention of changing that now.

First, he took out one of the pre-portioned packets of herbs. Thanks to the cultivation experience now in his mind, the moment he opened it, he understood the properties of herbs whose precise uses he hadn't known before with just a glance.

For instance, snow aconite was a highly poisonous herb. Along with enhancing toxicity, it could ease the pain of inhaling poison during cultivation.

Nux vomica was poisonous, but adding a small amount could strengthen the muscles and bones and open the meridians.

Yellow azalea was also poisonous. Not only could it relieve pain, but when combined with the five poisons, it could also enhance their penetration.

Besides the poisonous herbs, there was safflower to prevent toxic blockages and the death of flesh, and licorice to balance the toxins.

He ground all the herbs into powder, added rice wine, then poured everything into his existing poison sand.

After heating and stir-frying it all over a fierce flame, Zhao Er found several sturdy burlap sacks, packed everything into them to make a large punching bag, and hung it up.

With the preparations complete, Zhao Er stripped off his clothes, then used Toad Force's distinctive circulation method and began practicing the Five Poisons Fist in the cramped side room.

The Five Poisons Fist combined offense and defense and required training every part of the body, so Zhao Er all but circled the bag as he struck it with different parts of himself.

Under his fierce blows, the herbs and the Heavenly Dragon Toxin already in the sand continually seeped out of the bag, eventually coating his entire body. With each successive strike, they began penetrating through his skin into his body, while he inhaled a considerable amount directly with each breath.

Perhaps it was because he had added the herbs, or because taking the medicine internally while applying it externally made its effects a little too fierce. Or perhaps cultivating the Five Poisons Art was simply more painful to begin with.

Within moments, tremendous pain enveloped Zhao Er's entire body. It felt as though ten thousand steel needles were slowly piercing him all over.

It wasn't just the surface of his body. As he continued using Toad Force's circulation method, every breath felt like inhaling steel needles, and every circulation of toxins through his body felt like molten lava flowing through him.

Excruciating pain engulfed Zhao Er, but he didn't stop, nor did he dare to. He feared that once he stopped, he wouldn't have the courage to practice again.

As his cultivation continued, Zhao Er's pain lessened, yet the discomfort grew worse. He felt as though he had been flayed and then sprinkled with chili powder, his entire body burning.

I can't stop. In these chaotic times, weakness itself is the original sin!

Zhao Er kept repeating this silently, his punches and kicks never faltering. Instead, they grew ever more resolute.

Fortunately, as he continued cultivating, Zhao Er could clearly feel the pain diminishing. But he knew it wasn't that the pain was gone; the herbs with numbing and pain-relieving properties had merely begun taking effect.

Zhao Er didn't care about that, though. Since it wasn't quite so unbearable now, he would strike harder and move faster.

Zhao Er practiced for the time it took two incense sticks to burn, only stopping when his body was on the verge of going completely numb.

Standing to one side with his eyes closed, he put all his effort into executing Toad Force's toxin-circulation method.

As he drove Toad Force at full capacity, Zhao Er focused his mind. He could hear his heart pounding like a war drum, his blood rushing through his veins.

As he began circulating the toxins within him, he felt his cells being continually destroyed and crushed by the poison, then restored under the influence of some kind of power.

Only when his heartbeat began to settle and the poison within him seemed to reach a delicate balance with his body did Zhao Er open his eyes and end his cultivation.

"Whew... no wonder they call the Five Poisons Art an unorthodox path."

With his cultivation finished, Zhao Er couldn't help voicing his feelings.

Unlike orthodox martial arts, which slowly absorbed medicinal power while tempering the body and strengthening qi and blood through repeated exercise, the Five Poisons Art was far more direct and brutal.

Someone with a weaker constitution probably couldn't withstand such violent cultivation, and someone with weaker resolve certainly couldn't endure this pain. Only his Poison Resistance allowed Zhao Er to greatly reduce the damage the toxins inflicted on his body during cultivation.

"Event complete. Beginning settlement!"

"Settling event: Cultivation"

"Practiced arts: Five Poisons Art, Five Poisons Fist"

"Experience gained: Five Poisons Art +1, Five Poisons Fist +3, Poison Resistance +2"

[Cultivation: Not yet entered a realm]

[Art: Five Poisons Art (green) lv.1 (39+1+1/100)]

[Moves: Five Poisons Fist (white) lv.1 (1+2+3/100)]

[Skill: Traps lv.2 (143/500)]

[Poison Resistance (passive): lv.1 (96+2/100)]

[Available skill points: 0]

Between cultivation and settlement, the Five Poisons Art had gained two points in total, the Five Poisons Fist had gained five, and his Poison Resistance had gone up by a full two points.

"This Five Poisons Art really packs a punch!"

Looking at the increased experience, Zhao Er couldn't help baring his teeth in a grin. All the pain he had just endured felt worthwhile.

"My skin seems tougher, too, and my strength has increased."

Closing the panel, Zhao Er assessed his body and even tried lifting the bag filled with poison sand. Before, he had needed a rope and considerable effort to hoist it up; now, he could easily lift it over his head.

"My strength has increased by at least twenty percent!"

Zhao Er made a rough estimate. He knew this probably wasn't the result of a single cultivation session, but rather the improvement brought about by converting his cultivation art.

He washed off the poison clinging to his body. Only after finishing all that did he open the door and step outside.

By then, the sky had grown dim. His parents and younger sister were sitting at the dining table, where a generous meal had already been laid out. His sister, Zhao Shan, kept swallowing as she stared at the meat on the table.

The aroma of the food brought a tremendous surge of hunger over Zhao Er.

"Come eat."

Only when he saw Zhao Er approaching did Zhao Dazhu speak, then pick up his bowl and chopsticks.

The food tasted excellent. No one spoke at the table; everyone ate in silence. Zhao Er ate the most, with well over half the food ending up in his stomach.

By the time dinner was over, it had presumably grown completely dark. With nothing to entertain them, everyone returned to their own rooms to rest.

Yet lying in bed, Zhao Er tossed and turned, unable to sleep despite the mental exhaustion from cultivating.

Listening to the occasional sound of his parents turning over in the room next door, he couldn't stop picturing how his father had hurriedly lowered his head upon seeing him when he came home, and how his father had barely spoken a word during dinner.

Zhao Er knew that the Longwind Gang's lash today hadn't merely struck his father's face. It had also stripped a father of his dignity.

"Fuck sleeping! I can't sleep until I've avenged this!"

The more Zhao Er thought about it, the angrier he grew, until sleep was impossible. Looking at the bright moonlight streaming into his room through the window, he sat straight up in bed and grabbed the woodcutting blade beside his pillow. Zhao Er opened the door very quietly, then slowly slipped outside.