Mo Hong continued his warnings.
"Do not touch the flesh field lightly. The flesh and blood of a living flesh field carry an innate ferocity. If its flesh gets on you rashly, it can easily corrupt you. In mild cases, your Qi and blood will fall into disorder; in severe cases, your flesh and blood will mutate."
"Exotic beasts are extremely difficult to find. This is the martial hall's most closely guarded secret. I never mentioned it to you, but I didn't expect you to follow the sounds all the way here."
Chen Tie nodded slightly. He must have told only Junior Brother Zhang before.
Mo Hong jumped down into the underground pit and motioned for Chen Tie to follow. His gaze fixed on the slowly heaving mass of the flesh field at the bottom, and he lowered his voice.
"Harvesting its flesh and blood requires great care. You may only cut away the growths on the surface. You must never damage its core source."
The torchlight flickered, illuminating the rootlike fascia that rose and fell across the mass of flesh. Another low roar sounded.
Before Chen Tie could speak, Mo Hong stepped forward and swept his short knife across the mass, cutting away a piece of flesh weighing about two jin.
Freshly severed from the main body, the chunk of flesh still pulsed slightly. A powerful, scalding presence of Qi and blood immediately spread out.
Even standing several paces away, Chen Tie could clearly sense the immense vitality contained within it. That Qi and blood was dense and abundant, far beyond anything an ordinary wild beast possessed.
Mo Hong took a packet of medicinal powder from his robes and sprinkled it over the flesh field's wound. The wound healed rapidly, and the flesh field slowly returned to normal.
"You can feel it, can't you?" Holding the still-twitching flesh, Mo Hong turned toward Chen Tie. "This is what makes a flesh field so precious. Its flesh and blood naturally contain powerful Qi and blood."
"This powder both treats its wounds and replenishes its nutrients. The flesh field's Qi and blood are locked tightly inside, allowing it to keep growing flesh. Once the surface flesh is cut away, it will grow back after a period of quiet recuperation. But if you cut too deeply and injure the source within, the flesh field will soon wither."
Mo Hong paused, holding the pulsing flesh between his fingertips, then continued:
"Its flesh and blood are used to refine secret medicine. When ordinary martial artists take it, they can quickly replenish their losses, strengthen their foundation of Qi and blood, and stabilize their bodies."
"But the beast flesh carries a savage, baleful Qi. Only after the secret medicine has been refined and diluted can it be given to disciples. Most martial artists cannot endure eating a flesh field's flesh and blood raw."
Understanding dawned on Chen Tie, and he asked a question.
"Master, does that mean every faction with secret medicine has a flesh field behind it?"
"That's right. The source of secret medicine is a faction's foundation. Qi and Blood Pills can be bought with money, but secret medicine concerns a faction's legacy."
Chen Tie nodded slightly. With Mo Hong telling him so much, he probably wanted him to take over the martial hall.
In the inner courtyard's main hall.
Mo Hong sat at the head.
Shen Yan, Xu Da, Chen Tie, Zhou Hu, Li Shan, and Yu Shi were all present.
The six disciples stood neatly in a row, their breathing steady. All were skilled members of the martial hall's current generation.
Mo Hong slowly swept his gaze over the six of them.
"I summoned you here to announce something important. In half a month, the Martial Hall Grand Competition will officially begin."
Their master continued, his steady voice echoing through the hall.
"Every martial hall in the surrounding area, large or small, will send participants. This is both a chance to exchange skills and a contest for renown. The winners will not only make their names known, but also receive a considerable amount of cultivation resources. The six of you will be our martial hall's principal contestants."
He paused. "Spend this time diligently honing your Flesh Refining skills and strengthening your Qi and blood. Do not slack off."
A moment later, Mo Hong abruptly changed tack, his expression softening.
"However, I will no longer insist on the martial hall achieving any particular ranking. Just do your best. If you cannot win, there is no need to fight desperately. Remember, safety always comes first."
They exchanged glances, understanding that Zhang Long's ordeal had dealt Mo Hong a heavy blow.
Looking at them, Mo Hong slowly explained, "Recently, undercurrents have been stirring in the outer city, and many unfamiliar martial artists have gathered. This competition may not be a simple exchange of skills like in previous years. If you notice your opponent using vicious attacks, concede immediately and withdraw. Do not risk your lives out of stubborn pride. Empty fame is worth far less than a life."
Mo Hong waved a hand. "You may go."
"Yes, Master Mo."
For the next half month, Chen Tie buried himself in arduous training.
His stance training progressed steadily, bolstering his Qi and blood. After condensing Martial Dao True Intent, every breath he took and every exertion of force held entirely different subtleties.
Whenever he lowered his body and lay dormant, his true intent withdrew inward, countless strands of force hidden deep within, still as the waters of an abyss. Whenever he struck, his true intent erupted, twisting all his surging Qi and blood and scattered force into an unstoppable torrent. His fists howled through the air, making the air around him hum and tremble.
His punches and kicks grew increasingly crisp and decisive, releasing and withdrawing at will. At rest, not a trace of his edge escaped; in motion, he was ferocious and overbearing, his killing strikes ever purer.
At noon, when his Qi and blood were at their strongest, he took the secret medicine Mo Hong distributed.
Mo Hong had personally prepared it specifically for martial artists in the Bone Forging Realm. Vast amounts of Qi and blood continuously nourished the body, replenishing the losses of arduous training.
Half a month passed, accumulation settling day after day.
[Fierce Tiger Fist Perfection (146/400)] [Fierce Tiger Stance Art Perfection (213/400)] [Resounding Viscera Blood Scripture Third Layer (130/300)] [Supple Bone Palm Greater Mastery (83/300)] [White Crane Stance Art Lesser Mastery (130/200)] [White Crane Fist Art Entry (91/100)]
Chen Tie exhaled a breath of stale air and checked his proficiency.
"The Martial Hall Grand Competition starts tomorrow. I'll rest over there for a while today."
The warm afternoon sun spilled lazily over the martial hall's outer courtyard, where the shadows of trees lay dappled.
Chen Tie intended to head to White Crane Pond, but as he passed through the outer courtyard, he suddenly spotted a familiar figure.
A thin, forlorn figure stood in the open space. It was Zhang Long, once his most outstanding junior brother.
His frame was slight, his coarse training clothes completely soaked with sweat and clinging tightly to his back.
Zhang Long was still stubbornly practicing the most basic Fierce Tiger Stance Art.
With Mo Hong spending a fortune on his treatment, Zhang Long could now get out of bed normally, but his path in martial arts had been severed.
Now, his arms rose without strength and his punches lacked substance. His waist and hips could not generate the slightest force, and movements that should have flowed together stumbled along.
His horse stance, once steady as a boulder, now threatened to collapse. His legs trembled slightly, and every step betrayed an effort he could not conceal.
He could no longer circulate his Qi and blood. His body was damaged, and he could not perform even the most basic exertion of martial force.
As he forced himself to raise his hand and punch one last time, his body swayed violently. His legs gave out, no longer able to support his thin frame.
"Ah!"
As his cry faded, he could no longer hold his stance. His entire body went limp, and he fell into a sitting position on the ground.
Several fellow disciples nearby stopped what they were doing and sighed quietly.
"It's the same again..."
"He had such a good foundation. What a shame."
"He knows he can't cultivate any Qi and blood, yet he still pushes himself like this. It hurts to watch."
Shen Yan frowned, unable to bear the sight. He hurried over and helped Zhang Long from the ground into the shade of a tree.
Zhang Long slumped on the ground, gasping heavily.
"Junior Brother Zhang, your health comes first. Don't push yourself too hard."
Zhang Long remained silent. His eyes were open, staring blankly at the dappled leaves and clear sky overhead.