Chapter 115 - 114: Blood-Exchange Mercury Paste
Xia Wuyang hadn’t expected Princess Jinping to be so vigilant.
It wasn’t just vigilance. She must have cultivated a powerful Investigation Skill and had some kind of treasure on her. That was how she almost discovered Xia Wuyang.
Furthermore, Xia Wuyang felt a faint sense of threat from Princess Jinping. It came not just from the princess herself, but also from something on her person.
’Looks like I can’t make a move against Princess Jinping for now. I’ll have to increase my strength a bit more before I can do anything.’
Having learned pretty much all he needed to, Xia Wuyang fully utilized his Dragon Storage Skill and Stealth Technique to leave silently.
By now, Princess Jinping and Li Wan’Er had come outside, but they found nothing.
"It must have been my imagination," Princess Jinping sighed.
Li Wan’Er also inspected the area carefully and confirmed there was nothing out of the ordinary.
Back at Wenhua Hall, Xia Wuyang still felt unsettled.
Tonight’s discovery was too astonishing. He needed some time to process it.
He gazed in the direction of Ciping Palace, his heart in turmoil.
"What a character, that Princess Jinping. I never thought you’d be hidden so deep. The most dangerous viper was actually coiled right here," Xia Wuyang muttered to himself.
Princess Jinping not only had a profound Cultivation and possessed a peerless treasure, but her influence was also immense, and she was exceptionally skilled at forbearance. An opponent like that was far more terrifying than the overt Third Prince and Fifth Prince.
However, now was not the time to act against her. Before he had sufficient strength, he absolutely could not afford to alert the enemy.
’Looks like I need to speed up my Cultivation. My Cultivation Foundation is stable now, so after I adjust my Essence, Qi, and Spirit, I’ll consume the Vermilion Fruit.’
Xia Wuyang’s voice was grim as he entered the Practice Room and began to cultivate painstakingly.
Late one night a few days later, Xia Wuyang sat cross-legged in the Practice Room at Wenhua Hall.
His aura was harmonious and unified, and his Qi Blood surged powerfully. After this period of arduous cultivation, aided by his Supreme Talent Seven-Aperture Exquisite, his Foundation had finally stabilized.
He had completely adapted to the Marrow Refining Late Stage realm. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say it moved at his command. His bones glowed with a faint luster, and from the depths of his marrow, one could faintly hear the sound of a Dragon’s Roar and Tiger’s Howl.
As his Spiritual Power grew, other aspects of his body were also enhanced, including his Cultivation Foundation. Therefore, even when he wasn’t actively practicing, his Cultivation Realm was constantly improving.
The greatest improvement, naturally, was to his Spiritual Power. His immense Spiritual Power could easily control every last bit of Qi Blood and Power within his body, which was an incredible boon for both solidifying his Foundation and adapting to his strength.
His Essence, Qi, and Spirit were perfectly balanced, and his Foundation was solid. It was time to consume another High Level Miracle Treasure.
Xia Wuyang took out the Vermilion Fruit he had obtained from the Inner Treasury. It was crimson all over, with patterns like flowing flames on its surface, and it radiated a searing heat.
It could not only significantly raise one’s Cultivation Realm but also had a considerable effect on purifying Qi Blood.
He circulated his Dragon Tiger Fist, adjusting his state to its peak, and then placed the Vermilion Fruit into his mouth.
The fruit melted the instant it entered his mouth, transforming into a searing torrent that flooded his body.
BOOM...
It was as if a volcano had erupted inside him. A majestic medicinal power swept through his entire body.
Xia Wuyang was prepared. His vast and pure Spiritual Power surged, easily controlling all the medicinal energy and guiding it to permeate the depths of his marrow.
He continuously refined and strengthened it, and in just the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, he had already reached the bottleneck.
Following the records in the Dragon Tiger Fist, he began to assault the bottleneck. Aided by the medicinal power of the Vermilion Fruit, cracks soon appeared on its surface.
Reaching the Marrow Refining Perfection realm was a natural progression. He effortlessly broke through the shackles and stepped into a new level.
But this was only the beginning. A large amount of the Vermilion Fruit’s medicinal power was still unabsorbed. Xia Wuyang did not slacken in the slightest, continuing to absorb the energy and refine his marrow.
In about half an hour, he had reached Marrow Refining Perfection. There was still a lot of medicinal power left, enough to challenge an even higher level.
He didn’t act immediately. Instead, he began to consolidate and adapt. Once he was slightly more stable, he launched another assault on the bottleneck.
The dam-like bottleneck leading to the Blood Transformation Realm was more solid than he could have imagined. However, with the aid of his formidable Spiritual Power and the improved Dragon Tiger Fist, breaking through was not impossible.
Xia Wuyang proceeded with caution, controlling the Vermilion Fruit’s medicinal power and his vast Dragon and Tiger Qi Blood to launch wave after wave of assaults.
BOOM BOOM... DONG DONG... KRAK KRAK...
The force of each impact was different, following strict techniques and methods. Each assault was an insight into cultivation. If one hadn’t comprehended the Dragon Tiger Fist to a certain degree, they wouldn’t even be qualified to challenge the bottleneck.
The seemingly chaotic impacts were actually each filled with profound meaning. It would be no exaggeration to call the process vast and profound.
If written down into books, it would fill hundreds, if not thousands, of volumes.
Simply using brute force wasn’t enough to succeed. It required just the right amount of power, aimed precisely at the weak points of the bottleneck’s dam.
Fortunately, Xia Wuyang’s Spiritual Power was immense enough to easily find these weak points and precisely control every bit of his Power.
CRACK...
An unknown amount of time passed before a crack appeared on the bottleneck’s dam. This meant that his attempt to break through was already mostly successful.
He didn’t rejoice. It wasn’t time for that yet. He continued to proceed with caution, launching a relentless assault against the bottleneck’s dam.
CRACK CRACK CRACK...
More and more cracks appeared, gradually connecting until they resembled a spiderweb.
Small cracks became large cracks, large cracks became breaches, and finally, it was completely shattered.
RUMBLE...
The dam-like bottleneck that had been obstructing him finally collapsed.
The Qi Blood throughout his body surged like a mighty river as it began to undergo a fundamental change.
Strands of Qi Blood were refined and enhanced, beginning to emit a faint glow. Its density increased at an astonishing speed.
The so-called Blood-Exchange Mercury Paste and Purifying the Marrow both refer to this realm.
Following this qualitative change in his blood, Xia Wuyang’s physical body also began to undergo a complete transformation, one that far surpassed the changes from any previous realm.
Black impurities were expelled from the pores all over his body—toxins and filth that had accumulated in his body over many years. The amount was so great that even Xia Wuyang was stunned.
The reason the effects were so good was that he had improved his Dragon Tiger Fist. It was tailor-made for him, so the results it produced far exceeded those of other Martial Artists.
Skin, muscles, meridians, bones, viscera, bowels... every part of his body was being reshaped. All the cells in his body seemed to be cheering, celebrating this rebirth.
This was the most precious aspect of the Blood Transformation Realm. In this realm, as one’s Qi Blood transformed, one could also undergo Purifying the Marrow, thereby improving a Martial Artist’s Talent and Qualification. It was the only opportunity to enhance one’s talent during the Body Refining Stage, and for many Martial Artists, it might be the only chance in their entire lives to do so.