CHAPTER 75: CHAPTER 68: IN THE MUD

Li Linhan said, "Then let’s settle it with nine Blood Transport Battles, you choose the place, I’ll choose the time. As for the stakes, we’ll use Replenishing Essence Pills, plus ten times the Great Nourishing Pills."

"Brother Li, straightforward as always, but..."

Tian Wenhua looked at Zhou Leng and said, "I’ve heard you’re quite capable, dare you step into the ring for an early Blood Transport battle?"

Xue Tongming quickly interjected, "That’s another matter, what does Brother Hu offer for Zhou Leng to step into the ring?"

Tian Wenhua said, "If he wins one match, I’ll add one Replenishing Essence Pill; if he wins all three matches, I’ll give him five. No matter the final outcome, how about that?"

Zhou Leng and Xue Chengsong exchanged a look; their earlier guess was right, Tian Wenhua indeed wanted Zhou Leng to fight.

Li Linhan said, "We need to go back and discuss."

"What, scared? When fighting Ni San, why weren’t you afraid, only bullying the weak?"

"Bullying the weak? That’s more like your specialty, Bad." Xue Chengsong retorted.

Zhou Leng stepped forward and said, "I can enter the ring. But if we win the early Blood Transport battle, regardless of what happens afterward, your men must serve tea and admit their mistakes, from now on avoiding me when they see me."

"Deal!" Tian Wenhua said.

Xue Tongming said, "Currently, Rucheng is unsettled; better fast than slow. How about tomorrow night?"

"Then tomorrow night it is, choose Minghe Martial Arts Hall, a standard wager battle." Tian Wenhua said.

"The Rao Family’s Martial Arts Hall has always been fair, so let’s choose Minghe Martial Arts Hall." Li Linhan said.

Tian Wenhua turned with his people and headed back to his company.

Xue Tongming and Li Linhan left with their people, heading to Hongda Restaurant to eat and chat, selecting some Blood Transport stage experts, finally choosing eight to go with Zhou Leng.

At night, Zhou Leng rode with Li Linhan to go home.

"You’re still too young and impulsive; wager battles are more dangerous than imagined." Li Linhan said.

"He truly knew that I lacked Replenishing Essence Pills." Zhou Leng said.

"If he sends early Blood Transport death warriors coming at you desperately, it will be hard for you to win."

"I originally lack practical combat experience, I’m using this chance to hone myself. Moreover, I can gain Replenishing Essence Pills."

"If you can’t hold up, I’ll call it off and concede."

"Alright."

In the first-floor living room of Tian Wenhua’s villa.

Tian Wenhua, Yan Fenggang, and others were discussing personnel selection.

The Demonized Watch vibrated, and Tian Wenhua answered it.

After listening, Tian Wenhua remained silent.

"Brother Hu, what’s wrong?" Yan Fenggang asked.

"The city Martial Guard Bureau has sealed three of my stores, and the ones who took action were those capturing Wen Bao, along with Martial Arts School Students."

Yan Fenggang’s face changed and said, "Is the Martial Guard Bureau warning us? Should we concede?"

Tian Wenhua said, "It is a warning, but they’re warning us not to use tricks. Normal wager battles, they don’t care. Otherwise, they’d seal the whole Bad company."

"That’s good. By the way, didn’t you say something about letting a certain director put pressure on Zhou Leng?"

"That old guy only left the words ’can’t do it,’ and he cooperated with the Martial Guard Bureau’s actions, meaning there’s someone over there covering Zhou Leng."

"Could it be Wang Boxiong? If it’s him, it’s troublesome, he was too ruthless back then."

"Unlikely, what basis does Zhou Leng have to know Wang Boxiong? At most, the Martial Arts Hall sees potential in Zhou Leng and protects him a bit. Wang Boxiong is destined to become a Grandmaster and won’t intervene in these trivial matters."

"I think Zhou Leng is quite ordinary."

Tian Wenhua snorted coldly, "That kid beat Ni San like that and dared to block Wen Bao. When he saw me today, there was no retreat in his eyes; you can tell he’s a good martial arts seedling. If you had his kind of tenacity, I wouldn’t have persisted this long without retreating."

"Yes, we are quite incapable." Yan Fenggang said with a nervous laugh.

Tian Wenhua looked up at the window, his gaze as deep as the night.

"Then let’s have a fair fight and crush this promising seed into the mud!"

Early morning hours.

Zhou Leng opened his eyes under the Frost Giant Tree, warmed up, and began the Blood Transport.

As True Qi and blood merged, Zhou Leng’s entire skin turned slightly red.

Qi blood formed a peculiar power, nourishing the whole body.

Zhou Leng calculated the medicines he had, sufficient, so he continued the first form of the Establishing Image Chapter.

cycles, 19 cycles, 20 cycles...

After 26 cycles, Zhou Leng was drenched in sweat, gradually ending his practice.

Before advancing to the Blood Transport stage, the limit was 19 cycles.

Zhou Leng looked down at the purple-red skin.

After the Blood Transport period, the cultivation of the Ten Reversed Beast Fist obviously changed.

The growth of the body seemed to advance further.

But the side effect was an all-over soreness, even a faint cramp-like feeling.

It even felt like the bones were tender, the blood drained.

With one Blood Replenishing Pill and a Great Nourishing Pill consumed, Zhou Leng slowly recuperated.

Just minutes later, the soreness reemerged.

Zhou Leng took another Great Nourishing Pill, waited a few minutes, and the soreness fully dissipated.

Zhou Leng closed his eyes, sensing himself.

The Body Refining effect of the Ten Reversed Beast Fist indeed enhanced, but the subsequent exhaustion of qi blood was even greater.

This process actually transformed old qi blood, flesh, and power into stronger, newer, but also lesser new body tissues.

Afterward, one could either slowly compensate for the loss of old qi blood and flesh over time, or quickly replenish it with pills and Meat Herbal Cuisine.

Zhou Leng silently calculated.

Each time practicing the Ten Reversed Beast Fist, the basic expense is one Blood Replenishing Pill, two Great Nourishing Pills, and a Meat Herbal Cuisine meal, only then can the qi blood depletion be restored in one day.

After that, it takes two to three days for the body to grow.

This expense amounts to thirteen thousand yuan, ensuring practice of the Ten Reversed Beast Fist once every four to five days.

If you don’t spend this money and just rely on meals, it takes at least half a month for the body to recover.

Besides the basic plan, there’s a more effective advanced plan.

Every time after practice, one Qi Nourishing Pill, one Blood Replenishing Pill, three Great Nourishing Pills daily, and three Meat Herbal Cuisine meals daily.

In three days, the total cost is thirty-eight thousand yuan.

This can ensure practice of the Ten Reversed Beast Fist once every three days.

In other words, even if only cultivating the Ten Reversed Beast Fist, the minimum monthly standard is ninety thousand.

According to the highest standard, it costs three hundred eighty thousand.

This does not even account for the other necessary pills, especially those one hundred Replenishing Essence Pills.

"Need to open source and reduce expenditure..."

Zhou Leng cultivated to restore True Qi, first practicing slow punches, then fast punches.

As the Overlapping Waves Palm grew faster, Zhou Leng’s whole body’s Qi and blood flowed increasingly smoothly.

Bursts of heat surged and rolled within his body.

Zhou Leng felt completely at ease, his eyes growing sharply bright.

Every move was like surging waves.

Every step was like water spreading.

Gradually, Zhou Leng’s palm strikes began showing peculiar changes.

Sometimes fast, sometimes slow, entirely different from before.

It seemed like a different palm technique.

But upon closer inspection, it was still the Overlapping Waves Palm.

Previously, when practicing the Overlapping Waves Palm, Zhou Leng seemed like a part of the ocean waves, slow with the waves, fast with the waves.

But this time, Zhou Leng seemed like an independent wave in the ocean.

Fast when he wanted, slow when he desired.

Freely roaming the sea.

After finishing the Overlapping Waves Palm, Zhou Leng felt his throat itch and let out a heavy breath.

Hoo...

His whole body’s pores suddenly opened, and a visible white steam burst out.

A thin layer covering his body, dissipating in the blink of an eye.

Qi like clothing.

Zhou Leng’s eyes shone brightly, pondering for a moment, then practiced another set of Overlapping Waves Palm.

The palm technique was now fast and slow, no longer monotonous.

Zhou Leng concluded his cultivation, nodding lightly.

Indeed, he had reached the realm where Qi follows body movement.

In the past, Qi and body had not fully integrated, and all external skills, including the Overlapping Waves Palm, relied on a fixed rhythm of True Qi or the body.

Each move involved different body parts, different force, and different True Qi, but for coordination, they had to forcibly maintain a similar speed.

Any move too fast or too slow would lead to a disconnect of body or True Qi afterward.

Causing flaws.

Zhou Leng could defeat his previous opponents, especially in intense bouts, precisely because his opponents had too many similar flaws.

But once reaching the state of Qi follows body movement, everything changed.

Every move and technique could exist independently.

Fast when you want, slow when you want, without interfering with each other.

Reaching the level where Qi follows body movement and varying punch speeds marks a true combat expert.

Generally, at least reaching the Body Refining Stage plus perfecting an external skill is needed to attain this level.

But the "Ten Reversed Beast Fist" is an advanced training method, intertwining body and True Qi in advance.

Zhou Leng slowly exhaled, knowing he could challenge the Copper Man Array in a few days.

At dawn, Zhou Leng left for a long run.

Arriving at Longyou River Park, he found a secluded spot with a horizontal bar.

One-handed pull-ups.

One, two, three...

reps.

Two weeks ago, it was 61 reps.

Zhou Leng took a deep breath and headed straight to the Ruda canteen.

On Zhou Leng’s fifteenth time getting a meal, the canteen auntie asked, "Have you advanced to Body Refining?"

"Still in the early Blood Transporting Period."

"Here it shows you’ve swiped your student card fifteen times for breakfast; can your stomach handle it?"

"It can, I know my limits," Zhou Leng replied.

"Impressive," the canteen auntie said, using her tongs to grab a large piece.

For others, she took pieces one by one, but for Zhou Leng, she lifted a whole pile in one go.

Zhou Leng turned and left, and the auntie said to the person beside her, "I feel this kid has a bright future, eating more every day, surely growing stronger."

"How many meals did he have today?"

"Fifteen times."

"Heading towards twenty meals a day..."

"Even my home’s drain couldn’t handle that..."

"For an average student, how much would they eat in a day?"

"Assuming a minimum of 30 yuan per meal, forty times a day, that’s 1200. Thirty-six thousand a month..."

"No wonder he’s the Martial Saint of the canteen this year..."

Zhou Leng was used to the discussions from the canteen staff.

No choice, the "Ten Reversed Beast Fist" is so powerful, without eating like this, nutrition can’t keep up.

Even so, he had to take mineral and vitamin supplements every few days to avoid deficiencies.

When he had money, with every meal having Great Nourishing Pills, Marching Pills, and Meat Herbal Cuisine, it would be much better.

Upon entering the Martial Arts Hall, classmates gathered around.

"I’ve already bought tickets for tonight’s Minghe Martial Arts Hall, just waiting to watch you."

"I bought tickets too, our whole family is going."

"The ticket page for Minghe Martial Arts Hall already has your name on it."

Zhou Leng, half-laughing, said, "We’re going to fight a duel with the Gray Society, it’s do-or-die, why are you treating it like a martial arts competition?"

"Got nothing better to do."

"Do you have any complimentary tickets?"

"No," Zhou Leng thought to himself, these folks really love excitement.

Feng Wenhao said, "How are you doing? Rumor has it you’re going to take on three opponents in a row."

"Don’t listen to that nonsense, I can at most handle two, taking on three is unlikely," Zhou Leng said.