Shen Changqing immediately felt his body’s vitality wither away at an alarming speed, as if the Martial Arts he had cultivated for many years had been suddenly destroyed. The feeling of weakness turned his face frighteningly pale.
But before he could react much, a torrent of Qi and blood surged from within his flesh, instantly expelling that sense of weakness.
Following that, a vast expanse of memories emerged deep in his mind. Under the impact of those memories, Shen Changqing fell into a daze.
It seemed like a quarter of an hour had passed. Or perhaps it had been two hours.
Shen Changqing gradually came back to his senses from the dazed and absent state.
"Invincible Golden Body!"
That was the name of the new Martial Art.
Looking at the panel again:
Faction: Great Qin’s Demon Suppression Division.
Identity: Yellow Rank Demon Hunter
Martial Arts: Invincible Golden Body (Level 5, can be enhanced), Heavenly Martial Gang Qi (Level 13, can be enhanced), Hundred Battles Blade Technique (Level 2), Iron Sand Palm (Level 3), Snare Trampling Gang Step (not mastered)
The panel was much simpler now, but a good amount of Slaughter Value had been consumed.
The fusion of two Martial Arts not only didn’t weaken Shen Changqing’s overall strength but enhanced it somewhat. The second-level Hundred Battles Blade Technique was much more exquisite than the third-level Seven Kills Blade Technique, not to mention that it was a Martial Art that aimed directly at Martial Dao True Intent.
From Jiang Zuo’s words, he knew that to break through to the Grandmaster Realm, a Martial Artist must comprehend Martial Dao True Intent.
Although it was said that any Martial Art could ultimately lead to the comprehension of Martial Dao True Intent, Shen Changqing believed the probability of success varied greatly. The more a Martial Art suited oneself, the easier it would be to grasp Martial Dao True Intent in the future.
The successfully merged Hundred Battles Blade Technique was extremely compatible with him.
As for the Invincible Golden Body, it was derived from merging the twenty-level Thirteen Heavenly Protectors’ Horizontal Training with the yet-to-be-mastered Unleaking Golden Body. Because the Unleaking Golden Body had not been mastered, the fusion and evolution of the Invincible Golden Body were primarily based on the Thirteen Heavenly Protectors’ Horizontal Training.
By now, the Martial Arts fusion was complete.
The fifth-level Invincible Golden Body, in terms of abundant Qi and blood, was in no way inferior to the twentieth-level Thirteen Heavenly Protectors’ Horizontal Training. Moreover, even his flesh’s defensive capabilities had increased substantially.
Two long knives were untied from his waist. Shen Changqing first drew the long knife provided by the Demon-Subduing Division; its blade, though severely corroded, was still sharp where it was intact.
Without using True Qi, he held the hilt with one hand and slashed toward the palm of his other hand. The cold sensation came over him as the blade passed, accompanied by a slight sting. Correct content is on
Putting down the knife, Shen Changqing looked at his palm. A faint red line had appeared, and droplets of fresh blood seeped out.
Seeing this, a satisfied expression crossed his face.
"The weapons provided by the Demon-Subduing Division, though not Divine Weapons, are extremely sharp. My flesh can withstand such sharpness; its defensive power is evident. Ordinary Pulse Condensation Warriors would find it very difficult to breach my defenses. And this is merely the effect of the fifth-level Invincible Golden Body—"
Shen Changqing revealed a smile. The Invincible Golden Body had a total of fifteen levels; the fifth-level’s defensive effects were already so formidable. He was very eager to see just how powerful the Invincible Golden Body at Perfection, the fifteenth level, could be.
If two Martial Arts can merge into the Invincible Golden Body, then if I memorize several more Martial Arts, could I possibly create an even stronger one! An idea surged in Shen Changqing’s mind.
But glancing at the Slaughter Value on the panel, he eventually gave up on the thought. Merging just two Martial Arts had already consumed thirty units of Slaughter Value. Moreover, the Invincible Golden Body’s fusion consumed twice as much Slaughter Value as the Hundred Battles Blade Technique. He couldn’t be sure if it was because the Thirteen Heavenly Protectors’ Horizontal Training started at too high a level, or because the Invincible Golden Body itself was of a higher tier.
Looking at the panel, Shen Changqing didn’t immediately proceed to enhance his Martial Arts. The previous few enhancements, whether Outer Techniques or Inner Strength, had taken a significant toll on his body. In the middle of the night, if he truly pushed himself to exhaustion, there would be nowhere to recover.
Fetching a bucket of water from outside the courtyard, Shen Changqing promptly washed his body with cold water and then returned to the bedroom to lie down and rest.
He woke up before dawn had even begun to light the sky.
As per routine, he first swallowed a thread of purple Qi, then left the courtyard, heading out of the Demon-Subduing Division. The reason Shen Changqing left the Demon-Subduing Division was to prepare some items to counteract the depletion he would experience during his breakthrough. Although there was a cafeteria set up within the Demon-Subduing Division, he could only eat in the cafeteria and couldn’t take food away. He couldn’t just sit there eating while breaking through. Therefore, Shen Changqing had to leave the Demon-Subduing Division to buy some things outside.
It was fortunate that the Demon-Subduing Division was located in the Capital City. And the Capital City was the most prosperous place in Great Qin; with money, buying things wasn’t a problem. As for money, Shen Changqing wasn’t lacking it for the time being. In Lin’an City, he had obtained silver notes worth thirty thousand taels, and he still had over twenty thousand taels remaining. As long as he didn’t waste it recklessly, he could live without worry for the rest of his life.
If I were to resign from my position at the Demon-Subduing Division now, then go somewhere, buy a mansion, I could live a stable life as a wealthy man. Walking on the street, Shen Changqing looked at the bustling scene around him and a thought emerged in his mind.
Immediately, he banished that thought.
Ideals are wonderful, but reality is often cruel. Never mind whether the Demon-Subduing Division would even let me leave; in the current state of the world, where could true stability be found? Even if my strength as a Yellow Rank Demon Hunter is considered decent in the Jianghu, I’m no match for those powerful Demon Evils. If Demon Evils were to attack one day, I’d most likely die at their hands. I cannot stop moving forward. Comfort is nice, but not everyone is qualified for it. At least, I’m not qualified for comfort now.
Shen Changqing shook his head silently.
Suddenly, he thought of something he encountered on his way back to the Demon-Subduing Division.
I almost forgot about Mo Zijin’s matter. When I have time later, I must go to the Scripture Pavilion to look into it, or I could just ask Jiang Zuo. That should provide an answer.
At that moment, he stopped in front of a shop.
A very straightforward name.
Shen Changqing didn’t know much about the shop in front of him, but seeing that it occupied such a large space in the highly sought-after Capital City, and that the entrance was constantly frequented by customers, it was clear that it was no ordinary establishment. Thinking this, he stepped inside.
As soon as he entered, a servant promptly came up to him and said politely, "May I ask what the esteemed guest is looking for? Our Treasure Pavilion has everything from Divine Weapons to miraculous elixirs. In the Capital City, Treasure Pavilion is second to none!"
"Miraculous elixirs, do you have anything that can enhance Qi and blood?" Shen Changqing quietly observed the surrounding environment and then asked casually.
Upon hearing this, the servant smiled and said, "Esteemed guest, you’ve certainly come to the right place. We just received a batch of Qi and Blood Pills a few days ago. If you’re interested, you can take a seat in a private room, and I’ll have someone explain them to you."
Although Shen Changqing was only wearing plain clothes, there was an innate grim, battle-hardened aura about him. This aura was not inherent to him, but after successfully merging with the Hundred Battles Blade Technique, his demeanor naturally took on a different presence. The servant, who specialized in greeting customers at Treasure Pavilion and had seen all kinds of guests, recognized Shen Changqing’s extraordinariness at a glance. This kind of person was either a noble of high rank in the military or a Jianghu expert. Regardless of which kind, he was not someone the servant could afford to offend. Moreover, since the guest entered Treasure Pavilion, his expression had not changed much, indicating a certain level of confidence.
In other words, he has money in his pocket.
Even Shen Changqing himself did not know that, in the course of their brief conversation, the servant had discerned so much about him.
"This way, please, esteemed guest!"
The servant walked ahead, leading Shen Changqing to a private room at the back. The private room was not large, but it was elegantly furnished, with incense burning on the central table, creating an environment that was refreshing to the mind and spirit.
"Esteemed guest, please wait a moment. I will go and inform my superior immediately."
Shen Changqing nodded and found a place to sit. Seeing this, the servant bowed and left the room.
Not long after, the servant returned, respectfully offered tea, and then departed once more.
Looking at the tea in front of him, Shen Changqing did not touch it.
Less than a quarter of an hour passed before he heard movement outside. Sure enough, there was a knock on the private room door.
As his voice fell, the door was pushed open, and a somewhat portly middle-aged man with a beaming smile on his face walked in. The moment he saw Shen Changqing, he greeted him with a clasped fist.
"I am Huang Yan, the Steward of Treasure Pavilion. May I ask for your esteemed name?"
"My surname is Shen."
"So it’s Young Master Shen." Huang Yan smiled, nodded, and then sat down opposite Shen Changqing. "I just heard from the staff downstairs that Young Master Shen wished to purchase some items to supplement Qi and blood. Is this correct?"
"Indeed." Shen Changqing admitted frankly. As he spoke, he was also assessing the man before him.
From the moment this man entered, although he hasn’t revealed much, the Qi and blood surging within his body prove that this Steward of the Treasure Pavilion has cultivation. The only question is, what Realm is he in?
Meanwhile, Huang Yan, having received a clear reply, nodded. "Young Master Shen, you’ve come at the perfect time. Our Treasure Pavilion received a batch of Qi and Blood Pills a few days ago. These are elixirs refined by the Pill Sect, specifically for Martial Artists to replenish their Qi and blood. With the aid of Qi and Blood Pills, one’s cultivation of Outer Techniques will progress rapidly. Even those suffering from depleted Qi and blood can fully restore it by taking these Qi and Blood Pills."