Chapter 48: Creating a Martial Technique, The Silken Thread Sword!

As Lu Changsheng's perception had greatly improved, his memory had become exceptionally sharp. He could recall nearly anything after hearing it once. Now, as he concentrated, the memory of the Myriad Poison Pill surfaced immediately.

Back in the underground hall of Xu Manor, Shen Ying had accused the Myriad Poison Cult of slaughtering three hundred and eighteen members of Shen Manor more than ten years prior, all for the sake of refining the Myriad Poison Pill.

The

Myriad Poison Scripture

itself did not provide any details on how the pill was made. However, given Shen Ying's accusation, it was safe to assume that the Myriad Poison Pill was anything but righteous. Rather, it was likely a profoundly evil pill, one refined through human sacrifices. There couldn't be any other reason the sect had slaughtered so many people.

According to the scripture, the pill wasn't enough by itself. A corresponding secret art was also required, though that was not recorded within the scripture. In truth, the art itself was the crucial component; only by mastering that art and then consuming the Myriad Poison Pill could one cleanse the marrow and achieve Marrow Transformation.

With that, one would gain an immense advantage in passing through the Profound Gate of Life and Death and advancing into the Divine Strength Realm. Moreover, those who achieved Marrow Transformation would experience an immense leap in strength upon entering that realm.

The scripture even mentioned Blood Replacement. If one could replace their blood and also transform their marrow before reaching the Divine Strength Realm, they would immediately become among its most powerful, sweeping aside peers with ease.

"No wonder the Myriad Poison Cult would go to such lengths to refine the Myriad Poison Pill,” Lu Changsheng muttered under his breath. "Releasing the Blood-Strengthening Pill on the market was likely part of that same plan. Surely they didn’t expect Shen Ying and me to ruin their plan before it even began."

The scripture's claim that the secret art combined with the Myriad Poison Pill could achieve Marrow Transformation stirred something deep within Lu Changsheng. He had already undergone Blood Replacement once; if he could now transform his marrow as well, his body would reach a state of perfection.

However, he currently had no means to achieve that transformation. Before reaching the Divine Strength Realm, such refinement almost always required some form of external aid, the kind that was extremely difficult to obtain. Moreover, mastering a secret art was a challenge for most martial artists. For instance, how many Organ Refinement practitioners could truly cultivate Lu Changsheng's Nine-Character Thunder Chant to the level of Perfection?

Saber-Dragging Heavenly King Li Ji had also possessed the Thunder Chant, though he had never even managed to elevate it to Minor Mastery. Secret arts were undoubtedly difficult, and finding the proper external aids was even more so. Hence, achieving Marrow Transformation was the hardest of all.

It's nearly impossible to undergo Marrow Transformation or Blood Replacement before the Divine Strength Realm. Fortunately, I managed to do the latter with the Blood Replacement Bead, but I won’t force the Marrow Transformation. For now, I'll focus on refining my organs. If I reach the limit of this stage and still can't transform my marrow, then I'll simply advance to the Divine Strength Realm without it.

A clear plan quickly took shape in Lu Changsheng's mind. He wouldn't fixate himself on Marrow Transformation. If it proved impossible, he would simply press forward without it. There was no need to pursue absolute perfection. To wait decades for the sake of a single transformation would be foolish.

Lu Changsheng put away the

Myriad Poison Scripture

. Its Divine Strength Chapter would merely serve as a reference material for him. To truly ascend to the Divine Strength Realm, he would still need to find a method that suited his own path.

Come to think of it, the Blood Qi Silk Transformation worked quite well. It could strike across a wide range. However, my control over blood qi is still too crude, and the consumption far too great. I should try to create a martial technique centered on blood qi attacks.

Lu Changsheng closed his eyes and concentrated on creating a martial technique. At that moment, his extraordinary Perception, now over 500 points, revealed its power, sparking countless ideas that collided and wove together within his mind. He sought to create a blood qi-based technique, one that consumed less yet unleashed greater power. When his blood qi transformed into silken threads, each strand shot forth like an arrow—swift as lightning and impossible to withstand.

Martial techniques flashed ceaselessly through Lu Changsheng's mind, each one a discipline he had already cultivated to Perfection. By now, the number of martial techniques he had perfected exceeded one hundred. What kind of concept was that?

It felt as though Lu Changsheng's mind held an entire library of martial techniques. The strengths and weaknesses of countless techniques flowed seamlessly together in his thoughts, merging into a vast well of understanding. As long as inspiration struck, he could create a new technique at will.

Time quietly slipped by, and before long, two hours had passed. The vague ideas swirling in his mind had gradually taken shape.

Whoosh.

Lu Changsheng opened his eyes. He had managed to create a new offensive technique focused on projecting blood qi. This technique allowed him to condense his blood qi into filaments as fine as silkworm silk. Each strand of blood qi functioned like a short sword in his hand—swift, precise, and deadly. Once released, a single strand could pierce the opponent's vital points in an instant. Released in this form, the blood qi was extremely subtle. Within a certain range, these silk-like threads were even stealthier than Deathflash, capable of killing without leaving a trace.

However, the new technique had serious flaws, the greatest of which was range. Within three zhang, its power reached its peak. Beyond that distance, the threads weakened drastically, and past three zhang, they would simply dissipate. Lu Changsheng could extend their reach by layering vast amounts of blood qi, but the cost would be enormous. Once released, the blood qi threads could not be reclaimed. Time and rest were necessary in order to restore the blood qi.

Lu Changsheng had also drawn inspiration from the "flying swords" he remembered. He treated each silk thread as a sword that could leave his body and strike from afar. They could shoot through the air to kill from a distance. Though blood qi was not forged steel, once its speed reached a point where escape became impossible, it needed only to pierce flesh, and that alone was enough to kill. Against martial artists below the Divine Strength Realm, this technique would prove devastating.

"Since this technique is based on Blood Qi Silk Transformation and inspired by flying swords, I'll call it the Silken Thread Sword."

With that, Lu Changsheng summoned his status panel to examine its details.

[Status Panel]

Host: Lu Changsheng

Perception: 546 (Hidden Dragon in the Abyss)

[Skills]

Silken Thread Sword: Active

Heavenly Water Organ Refinement: Third Layer

Nine-Character Thunder Chant: Perfected (Incomplete)

His perception had risen slightly, though not by much. After all, he had exhausted nearly all martial techniques worth training. The Heavenly Water Organ Refinement served as his second Organ Refinement cultivation technique. It was moderately effective at tempering his organs, but still far inferior to the Nine-Character Thunder Chant, which offered the greatest strengthening.

As for the Silken Thread Sword, which he had just created, it remained at the Active level. Even though it was his own creation, it would still require time and effort to cultivate it to Perfection.

Despite his Perception having reached an astounding 546 points, this new technique, being centered on the projection of blood qi, still had several flaws, the most glaring of which was the immense blood qi consumption.

Though the idea of wielding blood qi like a sword sounded simple, it was extremely difficult to execute. Blood qi was inherently soft, far from the hardness of metal. So how could it ever match the sharpness of a real sword?

With so many shortcomings, Lu Changsheng had to focus on the technique's strengths. If the blood qi was soft, then he would focus purely on speed. When speed reached a certain point, even a droplet of water could pierce through the hardest steel. The Silken Thread Sword was no different. At its current Active level, its power was still limited, yet once perfected, its speed would become terrifying, and its power would rise accordingly.

With his extraordinary Perception and the foundation of over a hundred perfected martial techniques, the technique he had created was anything but ordinary. It was already comparable to a fifth-tier technique, no weaker than Deathflash.

Moreover, the Silken Thread Sword could silently strike from afar, killing the opponent without leaving a trace. It was highly likely that this technique could reach the level of a sixth-tier technique.

After succeeding in creating the Silken Thread Sword, Lu Changsheng could feel the fatigue setting in. The brutal battle at Xu Manor had already drained much of his strength and blood qi, so he decided to stop cultivating for the day. He took some supplementary medicine to replenish his blood qi, then lay down and soon drifted into a deep sleep.