Longevity Martial Arts: Grinding Experience in the Chaotic World

Chapter 139: Chapter 103: The Black Sand Ceremony! Blood Refining Small Success!_3

”Pay extra attention to arranging the substitute swordsman. This is crucial.”

Liu Yuanhu gave a word of advice before standing up and leaving.

Zhang Guangqun and the others quickly responded with respect.

Liu Yuanhu’s voice echoed from a distance:

”Hang this gift in my study. Once the Black Sand Gang is eradicated, I want Zhao Honglie to swallow it whole!”

Everyone immediately bowed even lower, realizing that Liu Yuanhu did care deeply about this gift, contrary to his earlier dismissal.

...

The scheming rivalry between Zhao Honglie and Liu Yuanhu was something Gu Sheng naturally remained unaware of.

In the days that followed,

Gu Sheng returned to his usual cultivation routine.

The medicinal baths using Blood Nourishing Powder continued without interruption. However, as he had guessed, the consumption of this powder grew increasingly significant. Thankfully, he had gained hundreds of taels of silver from the auction and could sustain it for now.

Besides that, he alternated between several martial arts practices.

Iron Stone Fist, Flying Thunder Leg, Shapeshifting, and Snake Breath Skill—all four martial arts squeezed every ounce of Gu Sheng’s energy.

Nowadays, he only slept two hours a day. Fortunately, with the abundant Qi and blood of a Blood Refining Realm expert, he could manage.

With nearly ten hours of training each day, Gu Sheng reveled in it.

The constant sense of progress was intoxicating, a feeling others couldn’t fathom. Rather than calling his cultivation disciplined, it was better to consider him addicted to training.

The results of his relentless effort were equally remarkable.

In just ten days, Flying Thunder Leg successfully reached entry-level, progressing nearly three times faster than when training Iron Stone Fist!

Even in its entry-level state, Flying Thunder Leg already provided noticeable improvements in speed. His leg skin was steadily advancing, approaching the toughness of his arm skin.

It’s easy to imagine that once Flying Thunder Leg reached perfection, Gu Sheng would eliminate one of his weaknesses.

He anticipated that his speed would surpass others of the same realm, giving him a natural advantage in battle.

Judging by this momentum, reaching perfection in Flying Thunder Leg would be significantly faster than it was for Iron Stone Fist.

Meanwhile, progress in the other three martial arts was also promising.

Iron Stone Fist and Shapeshifting were making steady strides, getting closer to unlocking their special effects, while Snake Breath Skill was advancing toward perfection as well.

In short, Gu Sheng’s strength transformed daily, and the progress he made each day was beyond others’ imagination.

These days,

Gu Sheng discreetly gathered intel about the aftermath of the auction’s commotion. However, the information was sparse.

He learned that Zhao Honglie personally led his high-ranking members to congratulate Liu Yuanhu the following day. Gu Sheng found it remarkable; neither of them was an easy opponent, yet they both managed to bide their time.

As for who would ultimately triumph, Gu Sheng couldn’t predict.

But he knew one thing:

From now on, the open and covert struggles between the two factions were bound to unfold, dragging other forces into their conflict.

Regarding the Lu family,

Their reaction was peculiar—not only had they grown much more low-profile, but they also refrained from taking any action, as if the person who died during the underground auction wasn’t one of their own. Gu Sheng continued to observe quietly without taking any steps.

The Lu family likely believed Lu Yue’s death was caused by Liu Yuanhu, never suspecting Gu Sheng.

For now, the best course of action was to focus on improving his strength, lest he find himself caught in the conflict without the power to defend himself.

”The qualitative transformation of Qi and blood power begins today!”

Gu Sheng thought to himself.

After consuming the Blood Strengthening Pill, his Qi and blood surged dramatically, approaching the threshold for transformation. Over the past half month, he hadn’t slacked for even a moment, persistently using medicinal baths to fill this final gap.

Under the moonlight,

Gu Sheng trained diligently, his Iron Stone Fist nearing mastery. Every move carried a subtle and breathtaking brilliance, reaching an artistic peak.

But unlike before,

Gu Sheng’s footwork wasn’t the simple steps accompanying Iron Stone Fist but the more sophisticated Flying Thunder Leg footwork. Being a leg-strengthening martial art, Flying Thunder Leg naturally excelled over Iron Stone Fist in this area.

Training in this manner complemented each other seamlessly, amplifying the effects—a feat impossible for others to replicate, given his unparalleled mastery of Iron Stone Fist.

At the moment,

The most intense changes were happening inside his body.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Qi and blood surged like rivers, circulating tirelessly through his flesh and skin. Gu Sheng immersed himself in the sensation.

Compared to half a month ago,

The Qi and blood power inside Gu Sheng’s body were now considerably more robust, reaching their current limit.

If he wanted to advance further, his Qi and blood would need to transform, creating new growth potential for his flesh and blood.

”The entry-level of Blood Refining Realm produces Qi and blood power, while the Small Success stage allows Qi and blood to condense like threads. To achieve this stage, one must undergo the first transformation of Qi and blood—the so-called ’first change’!”

”For most people, this step is exceptionally challenging. Even with the help of Blood Strengthening Pills, success isn’t guaranteed and still depends on one’s accumulation.”

The mechanism of Blood Strengthening Pill was simple—it temporarily surged Qi and blood, inducing transformation through quantitative change.

Gu Sheng, however, needed no such assistance.

With steady fist movements and agile footwork, his Qi and blood circulated evenly and powerfully, undergoing transformation without fanfare.

Everything progressed naturally and effortlessly.

As the final trace of Qi and blood power was refined, he reached his peak!

Qi and blood began their complete transformation.

Buzz!!

Amidst the humming sounds, Gu Sheng sensed his Qi and blood boiling and then continually evaporating within him. His movements grew as agile as a tiger or leopard, his punches wild and fierce.

A thin layer of Qi and blood mist enveloped his body, intensifying the might of his strikes!

Lu Yue had been at this level earlier but had ultimately been outmaneuvered and exhausted to death by Gu Sheng from a distance.

With each punch and kick, fierce winds whipped around him; even from six inches away, his attacks left faint marks on wooden stakes. Given time, once his cultivation progressed further, he’d be able to break bones with mere punch winds!

After a long while,

Gu Sheng stopped his movements.

His eyes gleamed with joy.

He had successfully reached the Small Success stage of the Blood Refining Realm!