Chapter 227: A Wild Approach (I)

Outside Wuling City, at the foot of the mountains.

Like Bafang City, this place had developed several markets due to the gathering of people. Numerous martial artists, caravans, and travel groups gathered to trade and exchange information.

"Have you heard? Someone spotted an Ink Fox at Heavenly Blade Peak. That kind of beast is worth a fortune."

"The Ink Fox appeared again?"

"Yeah. Brother Chen, interested in teaming up to see if we can hunt it down?"

***

"Brother Wang, you excel in leg techniques, and I'm skilled at tracking beasts. Let's team up and capture that Ink Fox at Heavenly Blade Peak."

***

"Damn it, how did this spread so fast? With so many people going after it, what's there left to fight over?"

***

"Forget it, kid. I heard the young master of the Lu Family has already brought his men into the mountains. He's dead set on capturing that Ink Fox."

Rumors of the Ink Fox's appearance near Heavenly Blade Peak spread across the markets. The beast was exceedingly rare and possessed great potential.

Once matured, it could rival martial artists of the Marrow Refining Realm, and even among them, it ranked quite strongly.

Moreover, Ink Foxes were highly intelligent and most looked adorable, making them popular among the young masters and ladies of esteemed families. Thus, capturing one could fetch an enormous price.

Hiss.

Within the forest, Little Black let out a low growl and darted swiftly through the trees. Its speed was astonishing, and its movement techniques were nimble; even an ordinary Marrow Refining Realm martial artist would struggle to catch up. Soon after, three figures emerged from the dense woods in pursuit.

"As expected of an Ink Fox! Its speed is incredible!"

The leading young man frowned and said, "Sixth uncle, can you still track its trail?"

"No. This forest is filled with poisonous miasma, making interference severe. Moreover, the Ink Fox naturally possesses strong concealment abilities. Once it escapes into the mountains, finding it again will be extremely difficult," said the middle-aged man, shaking his head.

"Young master, I heard that when the Ink Fox was spotted, it was sitting by a campfire roasting beast meat on a stick. Could it be someone's tamed pet? If we hunt another cultivator's pet, we might invite serious trouble," the man on the left couldn't help but say.

"What's there to fear? If it belonged to an esteemed family or a sect disciple from the city, it would've been taken inside long ago, not left to roam in the mountains. And if it's a wild expert's pet, so what? Once I capture it, would that person dare complain?" Lu Junyu sneered, his tone dripping with disdain.

He turned to the man and ordered, "Tell Leng Chan and Leng Wang to drop what they're doing and come help me hunt the Ink Fox. Tang Ziqiu and Ji Qiming are here too; we can't let them get it first."

"Yes, Young Master."

The man clasped his fists in salute and turned to disappear into the forest.

Lu Junyu, meanwhile, continued searching the forest with his sixth uncle for any trace of Little Black.

***

On Nanming Street, inside a courtyard at the corner, Lin Zheyu flipped through the Primordial Origin True Technique with a smile in his eyes.

The corners of his lips lifted as his mood was excellent. After so much effort traveling from Bafang City to the Central Plains, passing through Ruyang City before arriving at Wuling City, and after another month of searching for information, he had finally obtained a cultivation technique for the stage beyond the fourth transformation of blood qi. It had truly not been easy.

This time, I have Wang Jing's auction invitation to thank. Without it, who knows how long I would have had to wait to get a technique beyond the fourth transformation of blood qi?

Even in the Central Plains, where martial cultivation flourished, the circulation of cultivation techniques was strictly controlled. Even in the black market, only techniques up to the fourth transformation of blood qi were permitted; anything beyond that would only appear as incomplete copies.

Ordinary people could not cultivate them at all. The esteemed families and sects left a path of martial advancement open to the commoners, but that path was suited only for them. Those with extraordinary talent who sought greater progress had no choice but to join these sects or esteemed families, and only then could they gain access to techniques beyond the fourth transformation of blood qi and awaken their true potential to become genuine prodigies.

Even in this world where might reigns supreme, ordinary people are nothing but crops waiting to be harvested by esteemed families and sects. They use basic techniques to raise seedlings, then screen out the gifted ones, drawing them into their own ranks with superior techniques. Truly a cunning scheme,

Lin Zheyu thought silently.

After memorizing the entire technique, he turned his attention to the data within his consciousness. There, the incomplete version of the Primordial Origin True Technique had already appeared. Since it was an incomplete copy, containing only the fragmentary method for condensing blood qi, Lin Zheyu gave it a new name: The Primordial Origin Technique.

[Heaven Rewards the Diligent]

[Name: Lin Zheyu]

[Origin Force: 66]

[Skills: Boiling Blood Secret Art (Perfection), Forbidden Reversal Method (Perfection), Primordial Origin Technique (First Stage: 0%), Golden Goose Technique (Tenth Stage: 100%), Spirit-Wondrous Movement Technique (Fifth Stage: 100%)]

Lin Zheyu had not yet begun cultivating it, so the technique remained in a dormant, uninitiated state. The Primordial Origin Technique was only a fragment, lacking both a mental method and secret medicines, and cultivation would cause severe damage to the body, potentially harming his foundation.

He did not intend to cultivate it physically. Instead, he decided to directly enhance it using Origin Force.

The incomplete Primordial Origin True Technique divided the Blood Qi Realm into six stages.

The first stage was similar to ordinary Blood Qi Realm techniques, tempering the physique to condense and refine blood qi. But once one reached the fourth transformation, such basic body-tempering methods became ineffective.

From the second stage onward, the cultivator had to circulate blood qi through the body's acupoints, using their power to further purify it. Each stage from the second to the sixth represented one qualitative transformation of blood qi.

As the body strengthened and underwent more transformations, the number of acupoints through which blood qi circulated increased. Upon completing the sixth stage, one could reach the Dragon Transformation.

Since Lin Zheyu was already a martial artist at the fourth transformation of blood qi, he did not need to start from the first stage. He omitted the first section and divided the Primordial Origin Technique into five stages.

No, I can push further. The first to fifth stages are meant as a gradual process to prevent the body from being overwhelmed and damaged. But since I'm using Origin Force to enhance it, I don't need to worry about injuries. As long as it doesn't require burning spirit like the Boiling Blood Secret Art, I'll be fine

.

Within his consciousness, he had operated the Boiling Blood Secret Art tens of thousands of times. The Primordial Origin Technique was far gentler in comparison. There was no need for the first four adaptation stages; he could start directly from the fifth. As the thought formed, the data in his mind blurred for an instant, then turned sharply clear again.

[Heaven Rewards the Diligent]

[Name: Lin Zheyu]

[Origin Force: 66]

[Skills: Boiling Blood Secret Art (Perfection), Forbidden Reversal Method (Perfection), Primordial Origin Technique (Dormancy: 0%), Golden Goose Technique (Tenth Stage: 100%), Spirit-Wondrous Movement Technique (Fifth Stage: 100%)]

Lin Zheyu looked at the data within his consciousness. The Primordial Origin Technique retained only the cultivation content of its final stage. Its progress was divided into six stages: Dormancy, Initiation, Competence, Initial Mastery, Advanced Mastery, and Perfection.

The technique is settled. Next, I need to purchase some medicinal herbs. The medicine required for a blood qi qualitative change requires far more potency than ordinary cultivation improvements. This little silver won't last long. I should visit the major medicine shops in the city and see if there's something more cost-effective than Absolute Dust Blood Coagulating Powder

.

He stood up, and his facial features subtly shifted, transforming into those of an ordinary-looking middle-aged man. With a light leap, he landed atop the courtyard wall, quietly observed the surrounding formations, and, after confirming no one was watching, darted swiftly into the nearby alley.

He made his way through several major medicine shops in Wuling City before finally arriving at Jishi Hall. Jishi Hall was the largest medicine shop in the city, operating as a chain with branches in nearly every busy district.

Lin Zheyu then entered the main Jishi Hall located in the city center. This branch was the largest of them all, with the most complete assortment of medicinal herbs.

"Shopkeeper, do you have any formulas for nurturing fierce beasts or enhancing their blood qi and essence? The stronger the effect, the better. Don't worry about side effects. As long as the price is low and the medicine is potent, I don't care if it's as toxic as poison," Lin Zheyu asked directly.

Since enhancing with Origin Force didn't require ingesting the medicine, there was no concern about harmful side effects. Upon hearing his request, the shopkeeper gave him a knowing smile, which made Lin Zheyu feel slightly puzzled.

Could it be that this kind of formula has some special use?

Lin Zheyu wondered but chose not to ask aloud.

"Honored customer, you've come to the right place. We have a formula with extremely fierce medicinal power. Even a Marrow Refining Realm beast wouldn't be able to withstand it. It's said to have originated from a certain village where people captured yaos and demons to study the secret of their strength.

"But later, the imprisoned yaos and demons went mad, broke free, and slaughtered the entire village. This formula was one of the things that leaked from there; it was what they used to raise and empower those yaos and demons. As for its exact effects, I'm not too sure. Secretly breeding yaos and demons is a capital crime, punishable by death."

The shopkeeper chuckled darkly, then fell silent, eyeing Lin Zheyu up and down with a quiet, knowing smile.