Whoosh!
In a flash, Lu Changsheng disappeared into the night.
Once the other martial artists were convinced he was truly gone, they finally woke up from their daze.
"That was close... We almost died today."
"Who would've thought Zhang Tianwu actually would still lose even after reaching the Divine Strength Realm?"
"Whenever you think you're strong, soone even stronger will erge. Zhang Tianwu gained power because of the Four-Eyed Toad, but he died because of it too."
"Zhuang Shisan of Nanyang... I never imagined him to be such a powerful Divine Strength martial artist. We'd better stay far away from Nanyang Prefecture from now on."
"I've never heard of such a powerful martial artist living there..."
After a few hushed murmurs, the martial artists slipped out of the bloodstained hall one by one. None of them would ever forget what they had witnessed, nor the man responsible.
Following this incident, Zhuang Shisan's na would spread through the jianghu like wildfire.
***
Bong! Bong! Bong!
A night watchman was striking his gong as he walked past the Xia residence, when suddenly, he thought he had caught a shadow out of the corner of his eye. He paused, rubbed his eyes, and glanced around once more. The street lay empty and silent, so he shrugged and continued on his rounds.
Despite the heavy security around the Xia residence, Lu Changsheng slipped back inside without any difficulty. Once he reached his room, he wasted no ti taking out the box containing the Four-Eyed Toad.
Croak! Croak!Croak!
Suddenly, the Four-Eyed Toad began to croak. Fortunately, it wasn't very loud, so no one should have heard a thing.
Lu Changsheng opened the box and leaned in close, studying the creature with keen interest. They say that Four-Eyed Toads are almost never born. They are a rare mutation that appears among ordinary toad treasures.
Mutated toads like this were almost impossible to co by. For Zhang Tianwu to have acquired not one, but a pair of them, bordered on miraculous. The Four-Eyed Toad was poisonous and could spit venom, but luckily for Lu Changsheng, Zhang Tianwu had bound its mouth tightly to prevent that.
Lu Changsheng closed his eyes and recalled the contents of the Celestial Treasure-Refinent Secret Technique. The technique had seven layers, and each layer required the refinent of a different rare treasure. Unlike other techniques, these layers could be completed in any order.
With his photographic mory, Lu Changsheng had long morized every line of the text in the secret technique. He sifted through his mories now, searching for the passage on refining the Four-Eyed Toad, and reviewed each instruction with careful precision.
According to the passage, the Four-Eyed Toad was classified as a mutant-type lifeform. Refining it would grant Lu Changsheng another round of marrow transformation and blood replacent, increase his strength by ten cauldrons, and grant him immunity to poison. The benefits were nothing short of remarkable.
Not wanting to waste another mont, Lu Changsheng started going through each step of the technique. With his frightening perception of more than 600 points, he went through the entire chapter on the Four-Eyed Toad in just two hours.
Once done with the chapter, Lu Changsheng reached out and grabbed the Four-Eyed Toad. He held it firmly in his hand and made a small cut on its body with a dagger.
Crrr...
As blood gushed out the toad, Lu Changsheng also made a cut on his own palm and controlled the wound to remain open. He pressed his bleeding hand against the toad's exposed flesh and executed the Celestial Treasure-Refinent Secret Technique.
Buzz...
The toad's blood rushed into his palm and travelled through him, mixing seamlessly with his own. Under the influence of the secret technique, wisps of strange energy hidden within the toad's blood slipped quietly into his bone marrow.
Lu Changsheng's bone marrow vibrated as he underwent marrow transformation and blood replacent once more.
Here we go again...
This was his fourth ti going through this process, and had long beco familiar with this sensation.
Ti slipped quietly by until a wash of pale morning light touched the windowsill.
Lu Changsheng opened his eyes. He had not slept at all, yet he felt refreshed, as if every part of him was humming with renewed strength.
He uncurled his fingers. The Four-Eyed Toad in his palm had shriveled into a dry husk, cold and lifeless. anwhile, a fresh current of divine strength stirred within him, and his bone marrow now carried a faint trace of poison-resistant properties.
Of course, it was not absolute. While he was immune to most poisons, a handful of rare toxins could still harm him.
On top of his newfound resistance, Lu Changsheng had gained another ten cauldrons of strength. When he unleashed his full strength, it could now reach forty cauldrons—a number frightening beyond asure.
Lu Changsheng opened his Status Panel.
[Status Panel]
Host: Lu Changsheng
Perception: 609 (Hidden Dragon in the Abyss)
[Skills]
Celestial Treasure-Refinent: First Layer
Threefold Waves: Second Wave
Blood Crystal: Adept
Ninefold Carp-Dragon Ascension: First Form
Divine Dragon Transformation: First Transformation
Nine-Character Thunder Chant: Perfection (Incomplete)
The techniques and arts listed on the Status Panel were all skills that could push his strength to new heights. He studied them carefully, deep in thought.
If I perfect the Blood Crystal Secret Technique and refine a Blood Crystal straight away, my strength will rise to fifty cauldrons. If I stack the Third Divine Dragon Transformation after that, I should reach the Hundred Cauldrons Stage with ease. And if I add the Threefold Waves on top of everything... my power would be unimaginable.
After a quick calculation, Lu Changsheng found himself a little stunned. He had assud that his progress would slow once he entered the Divine Strength Realm, yet his strength was rising even faster than it ever had in the Body Tempering Realm.
He let out a quiet breath of satisfaction. I suppose great strength always cos from a great foundation.
The countless hours he had poured into practicing martial arts and techniques, and sharpening his perception when he was in the Body Tempering Realm had built an unshakable foundation. With that solid groundwork, he could still advance at an impressive pace even after entering the Divine Strength Realm.
Before Lu Changsheng could continue his train of thought, a maid's anxious voice sounded from outside his door. "Physician Lu, Master requests your presence."
He stood up at once and opened the door. "What happened? Why the urgency?"
"Physician Lu, the young lady’s condition has flared up again, and it looks even worse than before. Master asks that you co imdiately."
"It worsened?"
Lu Changsheng frowned. That shouldn't be possible. Based on his diagnosis, Lady Xia's illness should have been almost cured. How could it suddenly grow more severe?
Without another mont of hesitation, he followed the maid and hurried toward Lady Xia.
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