Su Yan sensed the power in his body and the newly strengthened skin membrane. He had expected the Poison Skin Powder to be effective, but a single use had boosted his Great Accomplishment in Skin Refining progress so much. If he could repeat this a few more times, combined with the continuous enhancement from his Bug Essence, reaching the Tendon-Bone stage might not be far off.
Su Yan's ability to withstand such intensity also gave Xu Zhongdao a measure of his potential. Over the next two days, Xu Zhongdao instructed Su Yan to purchase materials for the Three-Yuan Blood Tonic Soup and more Poison Skin Powder. After buying these, the silver Su Yan had earned from selling the black bear, leopard, and wolf cubs was almost gone.
'Poor scholar, rich martial artist'—the more potent the tonic, the more silver it required. This was true even without middlemen taking a cut.
For the remainder of the time, Xu Zhongdao and Song Qi seemed to vanish. Even when Su Yan practiced his Golden Ape Stance Skill in the courtyard, he only saw them briefly in the morning or evening. They both had a faint smell of medicine, suggesting they were busy preparing.
At one point, Xu Zhongdao suddenly remembered Su Yan and instructed him that if he wanted to learn alchemy, he should start by reading all the books in his study. After saying this, Xu Zhongdao and Song Qi disappeared again.
The speaker may not have meant it, but the listener paid close attention. Su Yan had been looking for a chance to ask Xu Zhongdao about learning alchemy, and the elder had anticipated his thought.
'I'll go check the study. If it's suitable, I can study in my downtime and make up for my lack of knowledge in alchemy. Since Elder Xu's guidance helped my Herbology progress so quickly, learning another skill might make refining food for the Dark Water Centipede and Velvet Fire Scorpion Bug much easier.'
With this thought, Su Yan found a servant after his stance practice.
"Take me to Elder Xu's study."
The servant, knowing Xu Zhongdao's instructions, immediately said: "Young Master, follow me. The master's study is usually locked in the inner courtyard, and outsiders are not permitted."
Su Yan followed the servant to the study door: "This is the master's study."
"You may attend to your duties. I'll look around myself." The study was locked, but the key had been given to him.
The servant left, and Su Yan entered the study. The study was simply furnished with a black ebony desk, a chair, writing supplies, and a small hand warmer. On the opposite wall was a large bookshelf filled with ancient texts. Su Yan went to inspect the shelves, discovering they contained more than just medical texts; there were biographies and classics.
"The First Emperor of the Dali Dynasty smashed mountains and seas with a single punch, his form reaching tens of thousands of feet, repelling one hundred thousand primordial beasts and demon ancestors, establishing the Southern Heaven Domain..."
"A powerful figure from the Beast King Sect commanded the Shadow Tiger King Beast. His golden body merged with the King Beast, and a single strike penetrated ten thousand green mountains..."
Su Yan only flipped through a few biographies, his eyes flickering with astonishment. He muttered to himself: "The biographies are vague and full of exaggeration, but the martial arts in this world might indeed reach a divine level. It's better to believe than to dismiss it."
Though he said this, his eyes burned with passion. He was a traveler on the martial path. The stronger the martial path, the greater his potential for future growth. With such ability, dreams of splitting mountains, filling seas, and achieving longevity might not be mere fantasy. Why wouldn't he strive for that?
"I'll do what I'm capable of. First, I must master alchemy, refine poisons, and push the Dark Water Centipede and Velvet Fire Scorpion Bug further."
Su Yan pulled out a book titled Classic Compendium of Spiritual Herbs. Xu Zhongdao had instructed him to read this first to familiarize himself with the medicinal properties of various herbs and Treasure Plants. He thought it was a single book, but he found it was just one of several volumes, each two fingers thick and quite heavy.
Su Yan's mouth twitched: "I've got a lot of reading ahead."
Over the next few days, he adjusted his schedule, dedicating almost all his time to cultivation. He woke up early, brewed the Three-Yuan Tonic Soup, drank it to generate energy, absorbed the Bug Essence, and then immersed himself in the Poison Skin Powder bath, repeatedly tempering his skin and accumulating blood energy.
He spent the entire morning standing and practicing his Fist Art. He only rested once he was completely exhausted. Servants were ready, serving the stewed Bronze Fox Ape meat. After eating and warming his body, he spent the afternoon reading and practicing his fist techniques.
Time flew by. With this rigorous regimen, Su Yan's progress was significant.
[First-Order Bug Master: 23/100][Bug Realm: 1 cubic meter][Body Forging Realm: Skin Refining 143/400 (Great Accomplishment)][Golden Ape Stance Skill: 79/400 (Great Accomplishment)][Ape Fist: 65/400 (Great Accomplishment)][Mountain-Trekking: 178/200 (Minor Accomplishment)][Basic Archery: 30/400 (Great Accomplishment)][Herbology: 1/400 (Great Accomplishment)][Dark Water Centipede: 15/400 (Mature Stage)][Velvet Fire Scorpion Bug: 147/200 (Growth Stage)]
'My Herbology skill has reached Great Accomplishment; the reading paid off. Skin Refining, Stance Skill, and Ape Fist have all advanced. However, the techniques now require more than just practice. Progress beyond Great Accomplishment relies on insight, and I need to find a chance for more combat.' His cultivation increased rapidly under the massive influx of resources, but after reaching proficiency levels of 170/180, the speed slowed. Although he could continue practicing and adjusting to push toward Great Accomplishment—an advantage over ordinary people—Su Yan felt it wasn't fast enough. Such gradual progress could still take one or two months.
'Well, I need to go into the mountains soon anyway. My resources are nearly depleted, and I need silver to buy more Red Skin Powder.'
Su Yan made up his mind. Suddenly, he heard a sound outside his door.
"Young Master Su, your clothes and food are packed. Shall I have them sent to the Golden Ape Martial Academy for you?"
Su Yan took the luggage, shaking his head: "I'll take them myself. Please give my regards to Elder Xu and Elder Song."
Su Yan left Xu Zhongdao's mansion and walked out of Cangliu Alley, merging into the bustling streets of Yun Cang Town. The crowd was getting thicker, and the lively cries of hawkers reached his ears.
'Just a few days of training, and I already feel so separated from the world. What will it be like when my martial arts advances further?' Su Yan mused absently, quickening his pace. This feeling of separation wasn't due to the length of his training but the change in his being. Just achieving Great Accomplishment in Skin Refining had created an insurmountable gap between him and ordinary people. This gap would only widen with the Tendon-Bone, Blood Circulation, and Vitality Nurturing stages, leading up to the True Intent Realm.
The difference between heaven and earth was no more pronounced than this.
Su Yan arrived at the martial academy and had just arranged his lodgings with a gate attendant when he sensed the atmosphere was off.
The middle courtyard was more crowded than it had been before. There were over a hundred Outer Door Disciples and twenty or so Inner Door Disciples. However, the two groups did not mingle. Everyone remained quiet, focusing on their stance practice and training. They had all become competitors.
Su Yan had just finished unpacking and arranging his bedding when he heard a sudden plink sound. He immediately sidestepped an object rushing toward him. The object wasn't fast, and as he shifted, it landed on his bed. He leaped out the door and saw a figure rushing toward the end of the corridor.
'Where do you think you're going?' His eyes turned cold. He charged forward and cut the person off at the corner.
"Dian Jing?!"