In his eyes, Desert Rose wasn’t the most important thing.
Clarifying the Black Poison Qi and having more ways to deal with the Black Death Blade King was key.
He couldn’t possibly ignore those stronger than him and waste time on those weaker than himself, could he?
Shen Wang quickly sold the prepared talismans and then bought the first two layers of the Dragon-Suppressing Force cultivation technique. The third layer was much more mysterious and only available through the Buddhist Sect.
After all, this body refining technique was quite commonplace, difficult to cultivate, and progressed slowly. Generally, individuals with better techniques wouldn’t choose it, and releasing two layers was enough.
The reason Shen Wang chose this technique was that the Dragon-Suppressing Force had a high upper limit, was easy to acquire, and didn’t require frequent changes of body refining techniques.
Taking the exchanged spirit stones and the beginner-level body refining technique, Shen Wang chatted with the Paper Kite for a while longer. After learning about some plans from the Celestial Commerce Association, he bought some daily supplies and went home.
He had obtained specific information about the Poison Master, Black Silkworm Lady, and planned his actions after returning home, focusing on studying the Poison Dao.
Before encountering the Poison Master, he needed to have a certain foundation. Otherwise, he wouldn’t know if he got poisoned.
Especially when meeting with such a well-known Grandmaster of the Poison Dao, Shen Wang thought it was better to be extra cautious.
Just in case, he decided to elevate his Poison Master skills to great success, gain a broad understanding of most poisons, and restore his cultivation to the Ninth-Layer Qi Cultivation. At the same time, he would complete the first layer of the Dragon-Suppressing Force.
With this preparation, combining his spiritual power cultivation with his physical body, he wouldn’t fear the Great Poison Master in direct combat and could somewhat identify and resist poisons, ensuring he wouldn’t be knocked out upon meeting.
In preparation, Shen Wang became increasingly busy, aside from his previous routine tasks, adding the training of the Dragon-Suppressing Force, a body refining technique.
This method, a Buddhist Sect body refining technique, was rumored to originate from the Dragon-Suppressing Arhat. It could cultivate to the point comparable to Immortal Gods, a technique known as Arhat Skill, sounding high-level, but it was quite common.
This method emphasized hard work and perseverance, didn’t require high talent or comprehension, just the ability to endure hardships and solitude.
If someone could diligently cultivate for ten years, the Dragon-Suppressing Force would yield returns, making one a master, with the potential to become a grandmaster.
Of course, the low requirements didn’t mean those with good talent couldn’t cultivate it; it just meant the cost-effectiveness was low, and post-cultivation appearance wasn’t very appealing.
For instance, the first layer, the Black Dragon Force, caused one’s whole body to appear blackened and hardened as iron after cultivation, stopping ninety-nine percent of cultivators. Only folks like Chen Xian, fleeting monks of the Buddhist Sect without Spirit Roots, were willing to practice it.
Thinking of Chen Xian, Shen Wang felt the pressure increase sharply.
"I wonder if the Black Death Blade King succeeded in possession? If he did, has he recovered, and how powerful is he now?"
Thinking about these things, Shen Wang didn’t care if the Dragon-Suppressing Force would make him look rough, and immediately activated the heart method of the Dragon-Suppressing Force.
His spiritual power blended with essence qi began to circulate through the meridians in his limbs and joints. The first layer of the Dragon-Suppressing Force involved cyclical movement and tempering all bodily muscles and bones.
Similar to the path of refining essence and qi, this Buddhist skill was about refining essence and gathering qi, but aimed to integrate the body’s essence into the muscles and bones. Through a strong physique, blood qi was accumulated; it lay dormant in the five internal organs, ready to burst in battle.
Simply put, Buddhist Kung Fu focused on physical body cultivation without forming a Golden Core. It’s rumored that Martial Dao originated from Buddhist Kung Fu, though Shen Wang wasn’t certain about that.
However, after cultivating martial arts techniques, Shen Wang found the cultivation of the Dragon-Suppressing Force very smooth. His internal blood qi was abundant, and guided by the technique, it was compressed and integrated into his muscles and bones.
A series of crackling noises.
Shen Wang’s entire skeleton sounded like beans being fried in a pot, and his muscles wriggled, with his skin bouncing, as if many earthworms crawled beneath.
These were changes to the body after cultivating the Dragon-Suppressing Force, making a lot of noise, especially as Shen Wang’s body seemed to expand and turn rougher.
His tendons, bones, and muscles felt like they were constantly being altered, the pain alone was quite uncomfortable.
However, Shen Wang’s body was very resilient. Even though the technique caused his entire skeleton to creak and his skin to twist, his body returned to normal after stopping cultivation.
After half a day’s practice, Shen Wang took a mirror to check, finding his muscles slightly swollen, his skin reddened, and his face not so pale anymore.
"With more cultivation in a few days, I won’t be a pretty boy anymore."
Shen Wang muttered, thinking about using Blood-Activating and Stasis-Removing herbs to prevent muscle stiffness and that he might also need to use some Snow Clam Oil.
"One can darken, one can whiten, I wonder which effect is stronger."
Shen Wang’s expression was peculiar. If the two effects canceled each other out, the best result would be minimal changes.
Let’s experiment for a month and see what happens.
With a good physical foundation, Shen Wang found operating the technique easy, soon feeling heat surging throughout his body. Under his control, it converged into a single entity, forming a Qi snake that went in and out through his nostrils.
Soon, the heat became more intense, circling around his body, making Shen Wang’s physique increasingly hotter, with muscles and bones moving more noticeably.
This was the first step, which mainly involved mobilizing one’s own blood qi.
With his own spiritual power cultivation and blood qi, Shen Wang found his cultivation speed very rapid.
Breaking through the first layer of the Dragon-Suppressing Force brought effects similar to Shen Wang’s original Treasure Body. Now, cultivating on that foundation was equivalent to further unlocking the potential of the Treasure Body, much easier than starting from scratch.
With the blood-activating and stasis-removing effects of Snow Clam Oil, Shen Wang condensed and transformed his blood qi into black Vigorous Qi within just three days. This was tenfold blood qi, appearing black, thus named Black Dragon Force.
Under this qi, Shen Wang’s tendons and bones were as firm as steel, further reinforced and tempered, while his physical strength increased significantly.
Because of the use of Snow Clam Oil, even though the Dragon-Suppressing Force was particularly domineering, affecting physique and skin color, the effects of blood-activating and stasis-removing prevented his skin from turning dark; instead, it became even whiter.
This left Shen Wang feeling a bit frustrated, thinking it was because he hadn’t reached a high enough level in the Dragon-Suppressing Force. He then devoted himself to cultivation, steadily progressing.
After a month, Shen Wang mastered the first layer of the Dragon-Suppressing Force, his entire body gathering nine strands of Black Dragon Force, exuding a terrifying strength with every movement.
Under the continuous influence of the Dragon-Suppressing Force, Shen Wang slightly reduced the use of Snow Clam Oil, and his complexion finally returned to normal, becoming a robust man.
He also felt the enhancement of his physique that was upgraded during dual cultivation with that mysterious woman was fully developed. Even without employing spiritual power, with just his pure physical strength, he had the confidence to contend with a Foundation Establishment Cultivator or a Grandmaster.
"It’s about right. My physical potential has been unlocked, research on the Poison Dao has advanced further, and my qi cultivation has returned to the eighth layer. Once it’s restored one more layer, I can go meet Black Silkworm Lady."
Shen Wang looked at himself in the mirror, finding his muscles fuller but not exaggerated, and under the deceptively calm surface lay explosive power, with the potential to shatter boulders with ease when unleashed.