Chapter 73.2: Carp Leaping over the Dragon Gate; Each Dragon Gate Marks a Higher Realm! (II)

Lu Changsheng drew out the Blood Crystal Secret Technique. It was not difficult, but required extended time. With his level of Perception, he could activate it quickly.

After that, he invoked his status panel.

[Status Panel]

Host: Lu Changsheng

Perception: 581 (Hidden Dragon in the Abyss)

[Skills]

Blood Crystal Secret Technique: Active

Ninefold Carp-Dragon Ascension: First Level

Divine Dragon Transformation: First Transformation

Nine-Character Thunder Chant: Perfection (Incomplete)

Lu Changsheng was thoroughly satisfied with the martial arts listed on the panel. He had only recently broken into the Divine Strength Realm, yet his strength had already soared and was still rising rapidly. With more secluded cultivation, his power would grow explosively. Perhaps the Hundred Cauldrons Stage was not that far from reach. If other martial artists of the Divine Strength Realm learned of his progression, they would likely go mad with envy.

Even after reaching the Divine Strength Realm, most martial artists fell into stagnation. Further advancement usually required years, if not decades. However, Lu Changsheng advanced by the month; he had only just reached the realm and already possessed thirty cauldrons of strength. His rate of growth was nothing short of astonishing.

Lu Changsheng organized the manuals in his pouches, sorting out three hundred and eighteen martial techniques. Unfortunately, he had already practiced more than two hundred of them, so only sixty-eight of those were of use to him.

On the bright side, those techniques weren't low-tier. Most were of the third or fourth tier, and some even surpassed the fifth tier, reaching as high as the eight. One in particular astonished him, for it was a Divine Strength Realm martial technique.

This martial technique was called the Threefold Wave. It was a brutally forceful and overwhelmingly explosive technique, with a very high chance of further cultivation.

As the name suggested, the technique unleashed three waves, and as long as the first one struck without the opponent breaking the technique, the second and third would inevitably follow in succession, each stronger than the previous one. The first wave was powerful on its own, and the second one increased power by fifty percent, whereas the third wave doubled the force outright. A fearsome technique indeed.

However, the Threefold Wave only amplified strength, it did not enhance the body itself. In this regard, it was inferior to Divine Dragon Transformation. It was only natural that a secret technique was superior to a martial technique.

The Threefold Wave belonged to the category of stacking martial techniques. Its power was definitely outstanding, as it could crush opponents purely through force. Employing this technique in battle meant abandoning defense altogether and focusing on aggressive offense—kill or be killed.

If one truly mastered the third wave, the increase in combat strength would be tremendous. The only difficult part was the extremely high level of perception required. Yan Jiansheng likely lacked that Perception back then and thus never mastered the Threefold Wave. Otherwise, even with only the First Transformation of Divine Dragon Transformation, Lu Changsheng might not have been guaranteed victory in the end.

Lu Changsheng's Perception was undoubtedly exceptional, yet it still took him several days to master the first wave. He already felt that the second wave would take much longer.

Seems like nothing is easy to master after reaching the Divine Strength Realm, whether it's martial arts, techniques, or secret techniques.

He was not particularly surprised by that. After all, anyone who managed to reach the Divine Strength Realm had to possess extraordinary talent and Perception, far above their peers. Naturally, any technique devised by such individuals would be difficult to cultivate. Great Perception and innate talent were a must.

In terms of innate talent, Lu Changsheng was not particularly outstanding. Many martial arts simply did not suit him, yet he had pushed them to Perfection through sheer Perception. That did not change, even at the Divine Strength Realm; his Perception was enough to handle martial arts and techniques as high as the tenth tier. However, anything beyond that would be a struggle. Even if he could master techniques above the tenth tier, it would take tremendous time. By his estimate, anything in the tenth tier should correspond to the Divine Strength Realm.

"Alright, time to head to Miaoren Hall."

Lu Changsheng left his room. His days of seclusion had yielded great results, but he felt he had been away from Miaoren Hall for too long.

In truth, his absence was nothing unusual. The physicians at Miaoren hall had grown accustomed to Lu Changsheng disappearing for a few days at a time. He himself had reassured them that they ought not to worry if he failed to appear at the clinic.

"Physician Lu, you are finally here. We've had quite a few patients ask for you these days. They've all been waiting," said Zhang Huan, already preparing a cup of tea for him.

"Sorry for the absence. Let them in."

Lu Changsheng wasted no time and began the consultations right away. The hours quickly flew by. Around noon, an apothecary from Miaoshou Garden delivered a batch of medicinal materials.

"Wait, what is this?" Lu Changsheng suddenly stopped the apothecary and pointed at one of the items.

"This is Ancient Rock Incense, a special incense made from ancient rock resin refined by the Blood Fiend Sect. It can calm the mind and purify your spirit. Prolonged use can also improve your complexion and promote longevity."

Lu Changsheng frowned. He had only just destroyed the Blood Fiend Sect's base days ago, so how come Miaoshou Garden was working with them now?

"Zhang Huan, what exactly is going on?" he demanded. The Ancient Rock Incense was not truly a medicinal herb, and anything meant to promote longevity could simply be bought from an apothecary.

"Physician Lu, you do not know? A few days ago, the Blood Fiend Sect was overturned by Great Hero Zhuang Shisan alone. The sect master and all the elders were eliminated, and even the sect's base was destroyed. Chaos erupted within the sect. Later, they appointed a new master, and for some reason decided to cooperate with major powers of Nanyang City to control the incense trade. Miaoshou Garden joined in as well. Selling this incense is remarkably beneficial to us."

Lu Changsheng nodded in understanding. He had not erased the Blood Fiend Sect entirely, but he had effectively destroyed it. Without a master in the Divine Strength Realm or elders at the Organ Refinement Stage, the sect had already been carved up by the powers of Nanyang City, who now shared the profits of the incense trade. That had to have involved prolonged negotiations and conflicts of interest, and it seemed like Miaoshou Garden had also entered the arrangement.

In any case, none of that concerned Lu Changsheng. If anything, this current form of the Blood Fiend Sect was actually beneficial to him, as no one would deny him again when he wanted to acquire ancient rock resin.

He reflected on the identity of Zhuang Shisan. His reputation had surged within Nanyang Prefecture, with nearly everyone being familiar with that name. Indeed, destroying the Blood Fiend Sect single-handedly was bound to bring great fame.

𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

Heh. Using this identity will make many matters much easier from now on.