Ancient Strengthening Technique

AST 1831 - Treasure Pagoda recognizing its owner

“Women and treasures should belong to the morally upright.” The shop owner used a tone to lecture juniors.

Qing Shui laughed when he heard these words, truly belonging to the morally upright, he had obtained supreme treasures from the shop owner and wanted to see what his reaction would be if he found out the true prowess of the treasures.

“You should rethink your decision, I’m not in the mood to kill today, but if you dare to think about my women again, even if I won’t kill you, you can forget being a man any longer.” Qing Shui said gravely.

The shop owner’s face was gloomy, with his tendencies, if he really couldn’t be a man, that would be a fate worse than death as he had many beauties waiting for him at home. It seemed that the risks of seeking beauties weren’t small.

The shop owner looked at Qing Shui, before diverting his gaze to the women. Those goddess-like beauties shook him to his core, he was naturally willing to take the risks after seeing them.

“I won’t kill you either, but I’ll let you see how I play with your women.” The shop owner’s face turned even more venomous, covetously staring at the women.

“Qing Shui, kill him.” Qin Qing lightly said.

“Ladies, the greatest punishment for a man is not to kill him, but to strip him of the ability to be a man, rendering him only able to watch and never to act.” Qing Shui playfully looked at Qin Qing and Tantai Lingyan.

“Then what are you waiting for, stop speaking nonsense.” Qin Qing angrily pushed Qing Shui forward, she naturally could tell that he was mocking her and Tantai Lingyan.

Not speaking anymore, Qing Shui casually pounced forward to punch the shop owner.

“Courting death!”

The shop owner disdainfully snorted, he also raised a fist towards Qing Shui. It turned pitch black and emanating with a black aura.

“Thousand Toxin Hands!” Qing Shui was shocked.

Qing Shui never would’ve guessed that this shop owner practiced such a high-end poison technique, a legendary technique that was renowned in ancient times.

The Thousand Toxin Hands had harsh requirements, requiring one to possess a Poison Physiology, which would give one extreme resistance against poisons and toxins from birth. The special Physique was hard to find even in a hundred years.

There was another way to obtain a Houtian Poison Physiology, such as poisoning a baby upon birth or during pregnancy. If the poisoned baby managed to survive, it would obtain a bit of the Poison Qi and formed a Poison Physiology. However, this method was difficult, with a one in a thousand chance of success.

Qing Shui was unsure if this man had a Xiantian Poison Physiology or a Houtian one. Xiantian Poison Physiologies were typically stronger than their Houtian counterpart and the Thousand Toxin Hands had to be cultivated from youth, so this man’s cultivation was truly impressive.

The Thousand Toxin Hands obtained its name as it required one to bathe their hands in a mix of a thousand types of poisonous herbs. The practitioner used medicines to absorb and prevent the poison Qi from attacking the heart and slowly cultivating it. The Thousand Toxin Hands’ formidability lied in the poisonous herbs used in the cultivation process, but of course, this came with its own risk, since those who had the Poison Physiology were not completely immune to the poison.

Qing Shui finally understood where the shop owner got his confidence from, as against the Thousand Toxin Hands, the cultivators of similar levels would wisely retreat against him.

However, Qing Shui was slightly unique, as he was also a poison expert. He wasn’t scared of poison at all, but like others, he wasn’t immune. He just had an exceedingly high resistance to poison.

Saintly Hands!

Qing Shui immediately used Saintly Hands. The Nature Energy was a counter to all evil and poisonous things.

Counters were also limited by strength, as equal strength opponents could at most suppress half of their opponents’ ability, sometimes even less.

If the strength difference was too large, any form of resistance was pointless, just like how Qing Shui was able to suppress the shop owner with an absolute strength.

Qing Shui was even countering his opponent with his Saintly Hands and so the result was predictable. The shop owner was sent flying, spurting blood as he fainted.

Qing Shui didn’t bother going over, whether the opponent was able to live would be up to his own luck and even if he did survive he would become a cripple. This kind of people didn’t deserve sympathy, those who wanted to rob others had to be ready for death.

The three directly returned home, originally wanting to kill some time but the mood was totally ruined. Though the incident wasn’t serious, it was a killjoy all the same.

Besides, they needed to refine the pagodas first, after that even if they were backstabbed or sneak attacked, they wouldn’t need to worry. The pagoda would also become more terrifying with their growth in strength.

Returning to the courtyard in the Imperial Cuisine Hall, they directly locked the gates, then Qing Shui said, “Don’t let anyone interrupt me, I’ll give it a shot.”

“It’s nighttime, no one would come to interrupt you.” Qin Qing hurriedly said.

“True, knowing that we’re all here, who would come and interrupt us at night.” Qing Shui nodded.

Qin Qing’s face grew a shade redder: “Would not being a scoundrel kill you?”

Qing Shui chuckled before taking out the Parry Heavenly Fate Treasure Pagoda, he was using his fingers to squeeze out his Blood Essence, one drop, two drops, three drops, they all refined into the pagoda and when the fourth drop was about to enter, he used his Sword Qi to directly sever it into two. To use his Sword Qi to delicately split it in two was truly not simple.

Dissipating the top bit, he let the half drop enter the pagoda. After that, he encased the pagoda in a bubble of Yuan Qi.

Suddenly, the pagoda emanated a strong light and it disappeared in a flash. Qing Shui noticed a seven-colored and beautiful pagoda standing tall in his Dantian. It emitted a dull glow and surrounded the Paragon Vessel alongside the Five Elements Divine Flag, the Emperor’s Qi Pellet etc. with it.

Success!

Qing Shui could feel an especially comfortable warmth pulsating through his body, it was a passive effect that didn’t require one to raise its grade and it was even a Divine Grade artifact that could merge with oneself.

The disappearance of the pagoda shocked the two ladies and they knew what that meant. They had high expectations for the item that Qing Shui brought back, but they didn’t even dream that it would be a Divine Grade item that could merge with the body.

Qing Shui opened his eyes, bathing in fragrance as he sucked in a breath of air.

“Really fragrant!”

He told the two women: “Use three and a half drops of Blood Essence to get it to recognize you, no more and no less Blood Essence.”

Qing Shui emphasized the Blood essence but didn’t mean anything in particular. Still, Tantai Lingyan turned to look at Qing Shui unnaturally, but with the treasure right before their eyes, the two ladies directly applied three and a half drops of Blood Essence into the pagodas.