Advancement

Within the stone forest, Chu Xisheng had already cleaned Tie Xiaosheng's wounds and changed his medicine.

Lu Luanli had also poured some talisman water down Tie Xiaosheng's throat.

Had this been the modern world, Chu Xisheng would certainly have thought this woman was a charlatan.

But all manner of miraculous powers existed in this world.

After a dose of Lu Luanli's talisman water, Tie Xiaosheng's condition improved considerably, and his high fever subsided a little.

Chu Xisheng, meanwhile, chopped off a stalagmite and hollowed it out with his steel saber, fashioning a makeshift stone bowl, then began preparing the medicinal concoction.

He ground up all the supplementary ingredients for the secret medicine one by one and added them to the bowl.

Without hesitation, Chu Xisheng also took out the Yangyang Grass Tie Xiaosheng carried.

Taking something without asking was wrong, but urgent circumstances called for bending the rules.

Only by further improving his cultivation could Chu Xisheng gain more strength to safeguard this man's life.

Once Tie Xiaosheng woke up, it would not be too late for Chu Xisheng to compensate him with demon silver.

When he ground the Yangyang Grass to powder as well and tossed it into the stone bowl, a burst of flame immediately rose inside.

The Yangyang Grass's medicinal properties were supremely yang, and once mixed with the supplementary ingredients, it immediately gave off an astonishing heat.

Just as Chu Xisheng began worrying that the medicine would burn away, the flames gradually dissipated, revealing a pool of ruby-red liquid below, crystal clear and brimming with a refreshing fragrance.

Chu Xisheng looked at his system panel again, fixing his gaze on "Origin-Nourishing Art."

A new piece of information appeared in his mind-you already possess the secret medicine for the second level of the Origin-Nourishing Art, but have yet to perfect your cultivation. Would you like to spend two Martial Dao Points to forcibly advance?

Chu Xisheng's eyes lit up, and he selected "Yes" without hesitation.

An instant later, a warm surge of primal power abruptly arose within him, then spread through his limbs and every bone in his body.

The first level of the Origin-Nourishing Art, which should have taken another four days to perfect, reached complete perfection in that instant.

Another piece of information appeared in Chu Xisheng's mind-please take the secret medicine.

He immediately drained the medicine in the bowl in one gulp.

In an instant, the primal power within Chu Xisheng, which had gradually been settling, surged again.

His heart pounded like a beating drum, his blood seemed about to ignite, and his entire body burned scorching hot.

Chu Xisheng also felt every bone in his body itching, as though something was being released and unsealed from within his bones, blending and merging with his true essence.

"Hmm?" Lu Luanli had been sitting quietly to recuperate and restore her spiritual power.

Now she opened her eyes in utter surprise and looked at Chu Xisheng.

Those were signs of a bloodline awakening. This fellow's Origin Power had clearly still been some way short before, yet now he had broken through.

Still, this was a good thing for both of them.

Chu Xisheng's saber was already fast. Once his Origin-Nourishing Art broke through, not only would his strength increase greatly, but his saber speed and reactions were certain to surge by several tenths as well.

She immediately stepped over in a flash, arriving beside Chu Xisheng to guard him.

"Your bloodline is being unsealed. It's best to keep circulating your cultivation method, clear your mind, and calm yourself. You only need to endure it for a while."

Chu Xisheng, however, felt tormented. The pain and terrible itching rising from deep within his bones were almost unbearable, making each day feel like a year.

While enduring it, he also had to divide his attention to circulate the Origin-Nourishing Art.

Fortunately, the itching and pain lasted only a very short time. After a little under half a quarter-hour, Chu Xisheng gradually recovered.

At this point, the illusory screen in his vision changed again.

Character: Chu Xisheng

Reputation: Ninth-Rank Lower (exceptional)

Martial techniques: Incomplete Form of the Wind-Chasing Saber Technique (second level)

Martial intent: Yazi Remnant Intent (first level)

Origin Power: Origin-Nourishing Art (second level / Ninth-Rank Lower)

Martial Dao Points: 30

Talents: Eagle Eye, Wind-Chasing, Lightning-Pursuing Hands (first tier)

Status: Six Yin Soul-Returning Incantation, Yazi

Lifespan: 29 days

Besides the Origin-Nourishing Art, Chu Xisheng's Incomplete Form of the Wind-Chasing Saber Technique also displayed the second level, while his lifespan had reached twenty-nine days.

Chu Xisheng's understanding and proficiency in those few Wind-Chasing Blade moves had actually already reached their limit.

With the improvement in his Origin-Nourishing Art, his Wind-Chasing Blade had naturally risen to the second level.

As for his lifespan, that should have been due to the great increase in pure yang power within his body.

Unfortunately, it had not increased by much. Even now, he did not have a full month left to live.

Once all the pain and itching deep in his bones had faded, Chu Xisheng stood up, drew his saber, and swung it, cutting down a stalagmite beside him.

Driven by the second level of the Origin-Nourishing Art, his Wind-Chasing Blade was indeed considerably faster-by roughly sixty percent.

His strength had increased as well, but Chu Xisheng had no way of estimating by how much. He had no strength gauge.

Satisfied, Chu Xisheng returned his saber to its sheath.

He looked at his "Martial intent" field again.

With just ten Martial Dao Points, he could raise his martial intent to the second level as well.

But after briefly weighing it up, Chu Xisheng abandoned the idea.

Martial intent was powerful in combat, but it also drained his mental energy. Advancing it had both benefits and drawbacks.

Chu Xisheng decided to wait a little longer. In another four hours, it would be the first day of the eighth month, when the Martial Dao Treasury refreshed.

"Let's go. I heard that deep in Firebone Cavern, you must never stay in one place too long. It attracts gatherings of evil demons."

Chu Xisheng walked in front of Tie Xiaosheng, hoisted him up, and carried him on his back.

This was a grown man; he could hardly trouble Lu Luanli with him.

Lu Luanli could not help clicking her tongue. "You're still planning to take him along? It won't be easy for the two of us to get out, and now you want to bring a huge burden?"

The Long Household had mobilized so many people to seal off the entire Firebone Cavern, with a checkpoint every hundred paces and a sentry post every two hundred, presumably for this fellow.

Chu Xisheng gave a helpless smile and glanced at the burly man on his back. "I took his medicine. I can hardly leave him to die. Besides, he's the Iron Banner Gang's deputy banner chief. Having him alive will benefit me greatly."

He and the Long Household were now locked in a struggle that would not end until one side was dead.

If he and his sister wanted to remain in Xiushui Commandery, they would have to possess the strength to withstand the Long Household.

Chu Xisheng believed the Embroidery Guard could not be relied upon. After all, he and his sister were undercover, so the Embroidery Guard could not openly step forward.

So, if possible, he still wanted to bring Tie Xiaosheng out.

Since the Long Household was willing to spare no expense to surround and kill this man, that meant he posed an enormous threat to them.

Chu Xisheng's thinking was that as long as the Iron Banner Gang could still threaten the Long Household, the Long Household would not be able to spare too much strength to target him and his sister.

Lu Luanli did not actually mind whether they brought this fellow along. In any case, they would be staying deep in the cavern for the next few days without going out.

Since there would be no need to fight, bringing another burden along would do no harm.

She simply felt bad for Chu Xisheng. Carrying someone was exhausting, and Tie Xiaosheng was built like a bear, weighing at least twice as much as an ordinary person.

With this fellow's sickly constitution, he would probably be utterly worn out after enduring the next few days.

Completely unaware of Lu Luanli's thoughts, Chu Xisheng carried Tie Xiaosheng out of the stone forest.

The man was indeed tremendously heavy, so much so that Chu Xisheng had to stop and rest after every thousand paces.

Lu Luanli put away the Spirit Sable and guarded Chu Xisheng's side with her saber in hand.

She focused her attention, vigilantly observing their surroundings and keeping careful watch.

With someone on his back, Chu Xisheng moved awkwardly. If something like the Golden-Ring Black Snake incident occurred now, he would be unable to react.

Just then, they both heard the burbling of spring water.

They exchanged a glance, delight appearing on both their faces, and headed toward the sound.

The hot springs in Firebone Cavern were said to possess a strange power, and the evil creatures down here would not readily approach them. Beside a hot spring, they could rest for a while again.

But just as the two drew near, Lu Luanli's expression darkened.

There was indeed a hot spring pool steaming with white mist in the cavern ahead. But on the other side of the pool, more than twenty young and middle-aged men in armor, weapons in hand, were also approaching from the opposite direction.

What particularly caught Lu Luanli's attention was a young man dressed in blue, with a hawk's nose and a kite's eyes, carrying a longsword on his back.

There were also three burly men behind him, clad entirely in iron armor, their faces hidden behind armored faceplates.

The sword-bearing young man was also surprised to see them. Then the corners of his lips lifted, and he laughed. "Looks like our luck is good. We've actually found both the main carriage and the spare."