Chaotic World Book

Zhao Changhe had long contemplated leaving this small pond, but he had never been sure of the right moment to make his departure because he stayed here to accumulate cultivation. However, before this moment, he could not have predicted the progression of his cultivation.

But now he was certain.

When he first crossed over, Zhao Changhe couldn't even conceive of being so calm about breaking through to the Mystical Gate Third Layer within a few months. It had only been a little more than half a month since he broke through to the second layer, and here he was, ambitiously planning for the third…

Keep in mind that Sun Xue and Fang Buping were only at the Mystical Gate Fourth Layer, and both of them were in their thirties, having trained for over twenty years. Such cultivation levels were considered elite anywhere in the vast Worldly Society. Fang Buping was a squad leader, and Sun Xue's status as his right-hand man wasn't far behind; even Lin Feihu became a bandit leader at the fourth layer.

For every level of the Mystical Gate, it's a step closer to heaven, yet so many people waste their whole lives without reaching the end.

Of course, this is influenced by individual aptitude and the grade of the cultivation technique; not everyone needs to train for ten to twenty years. Yue Hongling had achieved the Eighth Layer by the age of nineteen, and who knows what sort of fortuitous encounters she had had in the Worldly Society? People shouldn't be compared to each other.

Hence, common people toil while the Hidden Dragons lurk in the depths.

Xia Chichi was also endowed with a keen natural talent, and since childhood, she had been taught top-notch Divine Skills by her mother. By the age of sixteen, she had reached between the Fourth and Fifth Layers of the Mystical Gate. After the fortuitous encounter with the Azure Dragon Seal and the full support of the Four Symbols Sect, by the age of eighteen or nineteen, she was of the same level or even slightly surpassed Yue Hongling. Success was entirely expected.

But Zhao Changhe was not initially promising. The majority of people, including the Grandmaster of the Vermilion Bird, judged Zhao Changhe's prospects as a poor young man with a weak foundation, doomed to no future. Starting martial arts at the age of nineteen meant a weak base; it might take him ten years just to reach the Mystical Gate Third Layer, and there was a good chance he'd never achieve it in his lifetime.

The Blood Evil Skill was about the only Cultivation Technique that could bypass the disadvantage of age and even take a shortcut through a physical advantage, so despite its many downsides, Zhao Changhe could not give it up.

He had wanted to cultivate both internally and externally, but Inner Strength simply couldn't get around such a disadvantage. Then he stumbled upon Xia Longyuan's legacy, which not only bypassed the initial stages of training but was also a compatible cultivation technique. Perhaps it would still suffer from the disadvantages of age in the later stages, but it did not need to be the primary cultivation practice. If used as an auxiliary to boost the Blood Evil Skill and as an additional reserve, it was a shortcut within shortcuts.

With such an advantage, why not attempt the Mystical Gate Third Layer? Maybe things would slow down later, but why worry so much about that now?

…

The bandits in the stronghold discovered that the Village Chief's wife had run away, and for several days, the Village Chief's mood darkened, casting a tense and hushed atmosphere where no one dared to speak out loud.

Sigh, it was known that with Zhao Changhe's temper, he would eventually be unable to control his wife.

In the future, it would be best not to find someone that beautiful. What's the use of looking like Yue Hongling? It's not as if he truly married the True Yue Hongling. Now all reminded by the chief's painful lesson, if the True Yue Hongling stood here today, none would dare to take her; just thinking about the impending tragedy of one's household order, what could you do if she ran away?

These days, the chief didn't talk much, but it seemed he turned his sorrow into appetite – he could really eat, devouring three pounds of meat and three big bowls of rice in a single meal. It was a mystery how his stomach could hold it all. If the stronghold hadn't recently come into money, his eating habits alone could have bankrupted the old village.

After eating, he'd practice boxing, train with a saber, shoot arrows, and lift a few hundred pounds of stone lock for horse stance squats.

Then he would soak in the medicine bath; deep into the night, suppressed cries of agony could be heard emanating from his room, indicating an increased dosage of the medicinal concoction.

Although he did these routines every day, lately he had been exceptionally hard-working.

After all, his wife had run off, and with one less outlet for his energy, it wasn't being fully utilized.

Who would dare to imagine that Zhao Changhe was frantically consuming nourishment, transforming it into the flesh and blood vitality needed for the Third Layer of the Blood Evil Skill – and he had only been training for a few months!

Zhao Changhe himself felt it wasn't enough, though. He sensed that the Third Layer wouldn't be too difficult, but he had underestimated the intensity of qi and blood needed to progress from the Second to the Third Layer; at most, he had filled half of what was essential. Relying on food and medicine baths could only achieve so much over time; reaching his goal shortly seemed unlikely.

In essence, it was like bodybuilding – which is never a quick process.

But distinct from bodybuilding was that the right elixirs could immediately fulfill the need for qi and blood, much more effective than consuming protein powder.

"Tie Zhu, any news on the Qi Blood Powder I asked you to find in the city?"

"Boss, there's no selling that Qi Blood Powder in the city…"

"It's normal that we didn't sell the completed medicine; this is the auxiliary medicine recorded in our Blood Evil Skill, how could others sell it? Are you a pig?" Zhao Changhe said irritably, "Where's the list of herbs I gave you? We can mix the medicine ourselves, it's just making a decoction and powder, not Taoist alchemy. What's so hard about that?"

"The herbs we do have, but not very many." Tie Zhu pulled out a package, "Just these..."

Seeing there were some herbs, Zhao Changhe looked a little pleased, but still somewhat perplexed, "Why are there so few?"

"Uh, the squad leader often buys these kinds of medicines too, and he uses a lot."

Zhao Changhe paused for a moment, scratching his head.

This probably wasn't Fang Buping targeting him on purpose; if it were, he wouldn't have left even this package for him. Instead, because that particular squad is all practicing related skills, everyone has needs, so naturally the demand is high, and it's normal for these remote, small towns to not have much stock.

In fact, it was his lack of foresight, not preparing these herbs earlier... who would have thought he'd be making a break for the Mystical Gate Third Layer so soon? Even Fang Buping wouldn't dare to think that, or else he'd have already scavenged everything...

"With these, we can make do for a few days, let's use them first. You guys go to the more distant towns and look for me; a delay of a few days is no big deal," Zhao Changhe sighed, "She always said that one mustn't be impatient when practicing martial arts. I've been a little too anxious these past few days."

The robbers looked at their villager chief with strange expressions: A man who's run out of his wife is really pitiable, he still can't stop talking about her after several days.

Zhao Changhe knew what these guys were thinking, and he didn't bother to explain. How could he say that their former village chief's wife was Yue Hongling, who naturally left after her business was done? Bullshit.

He picked up the herbs and quietly went back to his room to mix and prepare them, leaving others to talk.

He felt that each parting somehow made him grow a little.

In reality, after the New Year had passed, he was supposed to have grown a year older, twenty...

It always seemed like the months he spent in this worldly society made him grow up faster than in the last few years. Was this what they meant by the rapid aging in the Jianghu years?

Zhao Changhe looked at the steam above the medicine pot and suddenly chuckled.

...

"Your cultivation in the past few days has been rather calm; you're not hopping around as much like a rabbit," Cui Yuanyong said with a sigh, looking at his sister, "If you could concentrate on your practice, how could you just be at the Mystical Gate Second Layer? Our family's most talented genius should be you. Squandering such gifts is truly a shame."

"Enough, enough, I've heard it all since I was a child, my ears are calloused from it. It's fine that you practice well, why do I have to do it? It's bitter, tiring, and boring."

"If you were content with poetry and needlework like other girls, planning to marry into a good family, then it would be fine. But you want to catch thieves and think being a bounty hunter is fun, yet you don't practice... isn't that just asking for death?"

"Who would dare to touch a member of the Cui Family?"

"Troubled times are approaching; the Cui Family's name might not hold sway everywhere. Not to mention others, the Four Symbols Sect would love to kill a Cui Family member to make a statement... Moreover, your father and brothers can't protect you for a lifetime." Cui Yuanyong let out a sigh, "You're in your teens now, it's time to grow up."

"My birthday is at the end of the year! It's still early!"

"Alright, alright," Cui Yuanyong had no solution for his sister and shook his head, passing her an elixir, "Your progress these past days has been acceptable; if it continues like this, you should be able to break through in another ten days or so, not needing the two months we predicted. This is a Qingxuan Pill, take it when the time comes; it should help you break through smoothly."

"Stingy, just one pill?"

"Fine, fine, I'll give you three," Cui Yuanyong sighed again, "The human heart is never content... Zhao Changhe sent someone to buy medicine in town, and they barely scraped together those low-grade ingredients. And here you are, sitting on top-quality elixirs, yet still wanting more."

"What's he buying medicine for? Is he sick?"

"If I'm not mistaken, he's also trying to break through to the Third Layer Heaven," Cui Yuanyong looked meaningfully at his sister, "He's been practicing martial arts for about three months, relying on just the stuff from the mountain stronghold, once having to fight over a piece of meat."

The young girl's eyes widened, "Impossible! This time, I will definitely beat him!"