Chapter 051 – Fusion

“Did my overall combat power just jump to 9~20?” Li Yuan’s eyes narrowed slightly. He reached out and grabbed the steel longbow again.

He checked it once more. Sure enough, the numbers now read 54~110.

The lower limit was unchanged, but the upper limit had doubled!

Moving with lightning speed, Li Yuan drew an arrow, nocked it, and slowly pulled back the bowstring, all while sensing the power coursing through his body.

Twang! Twang! Twang!

The string curved into a perfect arc, and Li Yuan felt his strength at its limit. The bow itself seemed close to its breaking point.

Yet he was certain his current power hadn’t exceeded the original cap of 55.

Under the frost-laced moonlight, he held the bow at full draw, quietly observing the two currents of heat flowing through him. He wondered where the issue lay, and how to push his combat power reading to 110.

𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Those twin streams of energy drifted within him like two distinct fish, swimming along lazily and never interfering with each other. If he didn’t try to control them, they followed the flow of his blood; if he willed it, they seemed to come alive in his grasp, ready to be guided anywhere in his body.

After a while, however, Li Yuan still felt no change in his strength.

How was he supposed to reach 110?

Suddenly, he sensed something stir.

Right then, the two streams of shadow blood were drifting close to one another. Though they soon passed by each other, in that brief moment of closeness he felt an indescribable jolt.

He paused, then guided the two streams to approach each other again. They drew closer... and closer... The moment they made contact, time seemed to slow. Carefully, Li Yuan let them gently touch.

BOOM!

Like two stars colliding, a tremendous force exploded through his organs, bones, and skin. It felt like molten lava erupting inside him, flooding his entire body with raw power!

THWAP!

The steel bowstring snapped on the spot.

The bow limbs whipped back with a fierce recoil. But the force that should have wrenched it from his hands simply vanished in his grip.

All five of his fingers were flushed red, blood surging beneath the skin. An intense feeling of expansion and power engulfed him, as if something explosive had awakened deep within.

Anyone who saw him now would be stunned. The bright-eyed youth who’d stood in the courtyard mere moments ago was gone. In his place stood a fearsome figure with black hair lashing around like flames in a windless storm. His face flushed red, his skin radiating crimson, and his eyes glowing with a terrifying intensity.

“Such incredible power,” Li Yuan muttered, staring at his reddened hands, a thoughtful look in his eyes.

In the next instant, tiny red dots appeared along his pores. Suddenly, blood began seeping through them, and in the blink of an eye, his entire skin turned a vivid scarlet.

At a single thought, Li Yuan hastily pulled the two streams of shadow blood apart.

The moment they separated, the terrifying power coursing through his body vanished, replaced by a faint sense of weakness. Yet Li Yuan’s expression remained calm.

He sat cross-legged, letting his blood settle like an ebbing tide until it no longer seeped out.

“Master once said that a person’s body can only contain one type of shadow blood.

That makes sense. After all, nobody’s supposed to have two blood types.” He paused, thinking aloud, “But somehow, I’ve ended up with two. When they come into contact, the resulting force is explosive. That must be why my combat power can reach 110.”

Recalling how that power felt just moments ago, he added, “It lasted about five seconds this time... But if I manage to break through to the eighth rank. I should be able to sustain it longer.

“Once I succeed in refining my skin, it’ll be covered with a blood film. Then my normal blood won’t seep out so easily, and I’ll be able to maintain that state for much longer.”

As Li Yuan mulled over these thoughts, his stomach rumbled unexpectedly. Worried about dirtying the house, he remained in the courtyard and shouted, “Auntie Wang, boil some water for a bath! And prepare some food too.”

“Yes, Master.” Auntie Wang was ever-dutiful. She didn’t ask why he needed to eat again or take another bath; she simply lowered her head and got to work.

Meanwhile, Yan Yu hurried into the backyard, concern written all over her face. The sight of her husband drenched in blood made her eyes go wide. She clapped a hand over her mouth in horror, tears gathering at the corners of her eyes.

“I’m fine,” Li Yuan said gently.

“Fine...? Are you sure?” she asked, voice trembling.

“I really am.” He managed a small smile. After a moment’s thought, he added, “Yan Yu, could you do me a favor? In a bit, please bring the bath barrel here. And don’t let anyone know I was bleeding like this. If Auntie Wang notices, just tell her something went wrong with my training.”

He didn’t want word of his unusual condition getting around, lest it attract the wrong kind of attention. Better to keep a low profile.

“All right...” Yan Yu nodded, then turned away, shoulders quivering as she quietly wiped her tears.

“Really, I’m okay,” Li Yuan reassured her.

“Please...take care of yourself,” she whispered.

“I promise, I’m doing fine.”

“Mhmm...”

“I’ve never lied to you, have I?”

“You...truly aren’t lying? You’re not hurt?”

“I’m fine.”

Yan Yu finally let out a long breath, then dashed inside, heading for the front courtyard.

Moments later, Li Yuan heard her telling Auntie Wang, “After you finish boiling water, cook up some meat. My husband had a slight mishap during practice and needs extra nourishment. I’ll handle the bath barrel.”

Sure enough, Yan Yu soon returned, lugging a wooden tub. She poured in hot water while Li Yuan stripped off his blood-soaked clothes and slipped into the bath.

Yan Yu then quietly took some soap aside and began washing his garments, keeping the rest of the world in the dark about the bloody scene that had just unfolded.

˙·٠✧🐗➶➴🏹✧٠·˙

Late into the night, the two lay side by side.

Having lost so much blood earlier, Li Yuan felt drained and wasn’t in the mood for anything more.

Out of consideration, Yan Yu made no demands. They simply lay there, whispering softly until the stillness of the night closed in, and then fell asleep in each other’s arms.

˙·٠✧🐗➶➴🏹✧٠·˙

Early the next morning, Li Yuan awoke, and a line of text suddenly flashed before his eyes.

「

You spent a harmonious night together with Yan Yu, granting you 7 stat points.

」

Li Yuan blinked, perplexed.

What on earth?

He glanced down at the woman in his arms, utterly baffled.

So just quietly sleeping together counts as a harmonious night?

“Yan Yu...” he murmured, his palm sliding across her smooth skin as he pulled her closer.

A lazy voice responded, “What is it...?”

“Nothing,” he said, tightening his embrace.

˙·٠✧🐗➶➴🏹✧٠·˙

Thanks to his cultivation at the ninth rank, and the circulation of those twin streams of shadow blood, Li Yuan had nearly recovered from his ordeal overnight.

As usual, he headed to the small nameless pavilion by the black market’s main gate, checked in with Senior Li, then made his way to the older man’s private residence.

He had no intention of telling Senior Li about his breakthrough or the strange phenomenon of having two types of shadow blood. It wasn’t a matter of trust; it was simply too big a secret to reveal.

Once he arrived, he asked Xi Yan to lead him to a secluded chamber, explaining that he needed quiet for his training. This chamber was where Senior Li meditated, so of course she allowed Li Yuan to use it.

Inside, the silence was absolute. Li Yuan flipped open his cultivation manual and turned to the section on the eighth rank stage of the Spirit-Release Technique.

A great river flows through the four lands...that was the guiding principle for advancing to the eighth rank.

In short, there were two main requirements for reaching the eighth rank.

One was to repeatedly temper the body and further enrich the shadow blood within by both devouring flesh and circulating one’s cultivation method .

The second was to direct the flow of shadow blood until it naturally forms a layer of blood veil on the surface of the skin.

However, getting to the eighth rank required large quantities of flesh—and ordinary meat offered next to no benefit at this level. If one wished to progress at a normal pace, eating the meat of demonic beasts was essential.

But hunting demonic beasts was hardly reliable. While the black market stalls did sell their meat, buying it outright would raise questions. It would be no different from announcing that Li Yuan was either on the verge of, or had already reached, the eighth rank.

Closing his eyes in thought, Li Yuan recalled that most transactions in the black market were anything but clean; many people wore masks and wide-brimmed hats to hide their identities. That might work in his favor, but it also raised two issues.

The first was money. He had enough to live comfortably, but buying large amounts of demonic beast meat was another story.

The second was timing. His best chance to enter the black market undetected was at night. But after dark, it became far more dangerous. Li Yuan had no desire to step into that chaos again.