LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 642 - 401: True Qi
Chapter 642: Chapter 401: True Qi
The house left by Xu Yang’s parents wasn’t small, with three bedrooms and one living room, spanning over 130 square meters. Although not located in the city center, its location was decent enough, and it could easily be sold for a few million yuan, which would have been enough to change his predecessor’s impoverished lifestyle.
Fortunately, even though his predecessor was a sycophant, he still retained a shred of humanity, preferring to do hard labor and borrow online loans, eating steamed buns and instant noodles rather than selling off his parents’ last inheritance.
Now in possession of Xu Yang, he chose to cash out immediately, leaving only the last month of residential time.
But that was alright because with things like online loans, you could borrow with skill and choose not to pay back with skill just the same.
Xu Yang returned home and, seeing the large bundles of medicinal herbs, nodded in satisfaction. He first turned on the gas stove and water heater to boil water, then took out the newly purchased cutting tools to begin processing the medicinal herbs.
Since stepping onto the path of cultivation, he hadn’t fiddled with medicinal herbs like this for a long time; normally, a bit of mana would ignite the fire and the alchemy cauldron would do the rest, producing wonderful spirit pills.
Now suddenly back to the pre-cultivation stage, he felt a little rusty with these basic skills, but it was just a bit of rust and nothing more. The foundational knowledge had not been lost.
Soon, Xu Yang finished processing the medicinal herbs, and the water on the stove had boiled to a rolling heat.
Xu Yang carried the newly purchased bath tub to the hall, dumped in a large packet of processed medicinal bath ingredients, and then poured the boiling hot water into it.
Instantly, the house was filled with the thick scent of Chinese medicine.
Xu Yang scooped up a spoonful to taste, and nodded in satisfaction.
“Not bad!”
He let the medicinal bath sit to allow the medicinal properties to infuse, then came back to the stove to take out the long-unused pressure cooker, added tonic herbs like ginseng and sealwort into it, poured in water, and placed it over a high flame to boil before turning down to a simmer, and then let it be without further interference to let it slowly extract.
With his skills as a Seventh Rank Alchemy Immortal Master, even without mana and alchemical tools, preparing ordinary pills that wouldn’t even count as First Rank spirit pills was child’s play, with no chance of failure.
While waiting for that, with some spare time, Xu Yang returned to the hall, removed his clothes, and prepared to begin the medicinal bath.
Before the bath, Xu Yang examined his body. After several days of nutritional therapy, he was still lean and not bulky, but there was now a sense of steady composure to him—an inner vitality radiating with the breath of life.
This was a sign that the previously deficient Qi Blood was being replenished.
The former Qianjin, from doing hard labor and eating instant noodles, with irregular living habits and working night shifts, had already hollowed out his body, being in a serious state of subhealth. Even his muscles were lifeless, having been gained through the overextension of his life potential, and sudden death wouldn’t have been surprising any day.
But now, his muscles were full, his Qi Blood was abundant, radiating the vigor and vitality of a young man, completely free of the previous overdrawn, malnourished pallor. Among ordinary people, he could be considered a raw talent with aptitude for martial arts.
This was the result of Skill Characteristics combined with Martial Arts Scripture techniques.
Although it was only a few days’ time, by now all his skills and various characteristics were extraordinary, and combined with the Martial Hall of Fame—a compendium of the War God’s Atlas—just a few days were enough for a transformation.
As the direct beneficiary of this “cheat,” Xu Yang never doubted the power of Skill Characteristics.
…
Xu Yang stretched his muscles and bones before stepping into the bath tub, soaking in the warm medicinal liquid. He activated the Martial Arts Scripture and began to cultivate.
The first Realm of the Martial Path—Body Refinement!
To refine the Qi Blood of the human body, the muscles and connective tissue, and then refine the spirit and will, thus approaching perfection, one could then attempt Embracing Core.
Those who reach Body Refinement Perfection, already could be called Grandmasters within the Martial World, capable of chopping down a hundred people without tiring, and charging through a thousand without running out of breath, possessing considerable martial might.
Xu Yang’s goal was precisely this. Once he achieved Body Refinement Perfection, he planned to venture out.
“Glub glub!”
The medicinal bath was far from pleasant; instead, it was somewhat painful because he had increased the dosage of herbs to speed up his progress.
Such urgency was because of that Red Moon!
Even though Xu Yang didn’t know exactly what lay behind the Red Moon, he was sure that it boded no good.
Therefore, he was racing against time to gain power as quickly as possible.
Otherwise, if the situation changed, even though the life or death of this body wasn’t crucial, he truly didn’t want to lose a world almost on par with the Earth Immortal Heishui.
So—be quick!
In this manner, after an unknown amount of time, Xu Yang emerged from his meditative state, and upon glancing at the color of the medicinal liquid in the bath tub, he noticed it had significantly weakened.
Xu Yang stood up, stepped out of the tub, and without needing a towel to wipe off, simply shook his body. His muscles and bones made unified sounds, and with the steam rising, the medicinal residue on his skin dried instantly.
Inner Strength was achieved!
In the first Realm of Body Refinement, one strengthens the flesh and blood, the force that emerges from the flesh is Inner Strength, which is the first tier of Body Refinement. When Inner Strength transforms into True Qi, it is the second tier, and when True Qi becomes True Gang, it is the third tier. Finally, when True Gang solidifies with Divine Intent, Body Refinement reaches Perfection.
This medicinal bath had directly assisted him in cultivating Inner Strength. Even though it was just a beginner’s level and quite thin, it was still an extraordinary breakthrough.
Unfortunately, only the first medicinal bath could yield such good results. Thereafter, unless he switched to a higher-tier medicinal solution or increased the amount and duration of medicinal baths, it would be difficult to maintain such efficiency with one bath per tier.
Xu Yang shook his head, toweled himself off, put on a pair of shorts, and went to the kitchen to extinguish the weak fire, then opened the pressure cooker filled with a rich medicinal fragrance.
“Hiss!!!”
As he lifted the lid, steam hissed out, and the dense medicinal smell flooded towards him, but Xu Yang inhaled it deeply, as if swallowing it whole.
Even a mosquito leg is meat; it’s best not to waste.
After putting the lid down, he saw that the pot contained no more soupy liquid, just a thick paste.
Seeing this, Xu Yang nodded in satisfaction, took the pressure cooker to the hall, and started to roll the paste into individual pills.
This was the most basic pill—the Ten-Ingredient Great Tonifying Pills—an upgraded version of the Ten-Ingredient Great Tonifying Soup, which was very beneficial for Body Refinement.
In the realm of Alchemy Dao, pills are classified as such: those made from metals and minerals are called ‘dan,’ and those made from plants and herbs are called ‘pills.’
This Ten-Ingredient Great Tonifying Pill is of the botanical class, and though its appearance isn’t appealing, its effectiveness cannot be doubted. It not only assists in cultivation but is also capable of healing injuries and replenishing Qi. To put it in terms modern people would understand, it’s a combination of experience pills and health and mana potions, highlighting its comprehensive nature.
Xu Yang was deft and quick with his hands, and soon he had rolled the ointment into pills—a total of over a hundred—which he laid out on the table to dry.
Just at that moment…
“Buzz!”
A vibration came from the phone on the table, signaling an incoming call.
Xu Yang glanced at it and saw the name “Lu Xuemei” flash on the screen.
“How could I forget about this?”
Shaking his head, Xu Yang picked up the phone, hung up the call, then blocked the number—all in one smooth motion.
Ignoring this insignificant interruption, Xu Yang looked at the more than a hundred Ten-Ingredient Qi-Tonifying Pills on the table and nodded with satisfaction.
After purchasing these medicinal materials, in addition to other assorted items, the funds he had cashed out from Zhang Qiang were now reduced to a third.
It’s said, ‘The rich practice martial arts, the poor practice letters; without money, don’t train!’
Fortunately, this batch of medicine was enough for him to cultivate for more than ten days. Before the cash he had secured ran out, he dared not claim that his Divine Intent could be perfected or that he could congeal True Gang, but transforming Inner Strength into True Qi was decidedly no issue.
…
And so, time hurried by, and in the blink of an eye, half a month had passed.
The color of the last tub of medicinal bath was now nearly transparent.
Xu Yang opened his eyes and stepped out from within.
In the past month, he had undergone carbon shedding and asset swapping, a complete transformation.
The frail and somber Qi of Qianjin had vanished without a trace.
All that remained was a robust and majestic body, like that of a tiger or a leopard, with full muscles and distinct contours exuding a strong sense of power. Merely standing there, he commanded an intimidating presence, like the most apex predator in the wild grasslands and primeval forests.
Strong!!!
Powerful!!!
“Heh!”
Xu Yang took a deep breath, and with a slight movement of his lifted palm, a dragon chant resonated, shaking the void’s air currents.
Well, just the air currents of the void, not the Void Boundary. In such a high-level world, even those in the Heaven and Earth Tribulation Realm would struggle to break through the Void Boundary, and he had just recently succeeded in cultivating True Qi, so affecting an air current was his limit.
But no matter how you put it, the second tier of Body Refinement was achieved, and True Qi was formed!
“That’s good enough.”
Xu Yang moved his body and then activated the techniques of the Martial Arts Scripture.
Suddenly…
“Gurgle gurgle!”
A strange sound came from within his body as Xu Yang’s form began to change. His already tall stature grew even taller, and his muscles became fuller, with prominent veins bulging as if entwined dragons and snakes.
In just a short moment, he had transformed from a healthily-built young man into a muscle-bound giant.
“Not bad!”
Xu Yang moved his neck around, highly satisfied with the transformation. He then took out a black night suit he had skillfully sewn from fabric, concealing his intimidating physique.
The Federation agencies harbored secrets that weren’t to be openly conflicted with.
But just because one couldn’t publicly engage does not mean one couldn’t act in the shadows.
So, with a new identity, it was time to stir up some trouble!
Now that he had taken on this appearance, surely no one could associate him with “Qianjin.”
As for changing his appearance… that was hardly a difficult feat for him. Not even to mention the Heavenly Gang Divine Powers such as Infant Transformation and Great Minor Compliance or the Great Arts of transformation, just the Martial Arts Scripture alone possessed many techniques for altering one’s physique and appearance, truly essentials for murder and arson on a journey away from home.
It was also when Xu Yang was changing his identity and getting dressed.
“Whoosh!”
In the void, Sprit Light shone brilliantly as a long rainbow streaked through the sky, descending into Xu Yang’s palm and transforming into a miniaturized machine.
“Taoist Master, the Artifact Spirit Taiyi, at your service!”
The machine hovered in the air, its young voice projecting as a stream of thought merged with Xu Yang in an instant.
“Ha!”
Xu Yang laughed, looking at the “live streaming device” sent by the Taoism Origin Body himself, made at the cost of great Divine Soul energy. He nodded in approval.
Though still Zhuanzhou Mengdie and traveling through Divine Travel Through Worlds, the him of today was wholly different from the him of the past. With Wandao Schools behind him and extraordinary worlds supporting him, he was no longer at the initial stage of having an empty pocket and a weak power. Now with the support from his origin body, he was like a tiger growing wings. Xu Yang grabbed the tools he had already prepared, along with the identity-hiding Taiyi, and stepped out the door.
Tonight, he was going to host a unique live stream!