Mountains and giant beasts, cabins in the woods

Sumali reached out and snatched the seven-colored coral, a mysterious flame emanating from her palm, illuminating the shimmering treasure in the sea.

She murmured, "There's no mistake, this is the first type of Philosopher's Stone."

"What is this? This thing is called seven-colored coral. It was traded by merchants who sailed the seas for a group of dolphins," Liu Xingmo explained.

"The Philosopher's Stone is an alchemical term. It refers to a substance with the ability to 'transform and sublimate,' making things perfect from imperfection." Sumari's dark pupils reflected the glittering coral branches.

"Oh. You're right. This thing is used to condense spiritual energy, which is what you call sublimation. Take a good look and see how to use this treasure. It's a top-grade earth-level spiritual herb; just this one is worth 10!"

"Xingmo, where did you get this? Did you encounter any danger?" Su Mali put down the coral and looked at her husband.

"No danger! What danger could I possibly encounter in the city? I just helped resolve some minor issues and got this reward." Liu Xingmo plopped down on the table and crossed his legs.

"Xingmo, don't use your blood energy to suppress your heartbeat and hide your lies. I inherited a bit of vampire blood, and your boyish disguise won't fool me."

"It's really nothing serious. I followed Liu Yizhu and even found a third-tier helper to capture the spies who infiltrated the village." Liu Xingmo turned his head away nonchalantly.

Sumali walked up to her husband, reached out her fair hand to stroke his face, and turned his head to look at her. "Promise me you won't risk your life for treasure anymore, okay? I'm a second-tier alchemist now, we won't lack money in the future."

"I know! Yesterday was just a coincidence; I ran into this kind of thing and couldn't avoid it. Normally, I would have run away long ago."

"Yes, you must take good care of yourself."

Su Mali's not-so-fluent Central Plains dialect carried a deep sense of emotion.

Liu Xingmo felt a mix of secret delight and embarrassment.

He quickly changed the subject: "Speaking of which, the Philosopher's Stone you mentioned, which is this coral, how exactly is it used? Can it be used to make a good pot?"

"In alchemy, creating the Philosopher's Stone and consuming it in a specific way is the path to advancement. If I had obtained the Seven-Colored Coral earlier, I could have advanced to the second rank twenty years sooner."

"Wow! Mary, how old are you exactly?"

"I can design a ritual to allow the body to absorb it, helping you advance quickly to the first tier. However, my skill level is not yet sufficient, and there will be a lot of waste in the process. Only a fourth-tier alchemist can perfectly utilize a Philosopher's Stone of this quality."

"It doesn't matter. Anyway, Black Dragon Stronghold doesn't even have a third-level alchemist. I was originally planning to grind this stuff into powder and mix it with water to drink."

Liu Xingmo reached out and pinched Su Mali's pointed chin, turning his wife's evasive face toward him.

His voice was deep and serious: "Woman, you've caught my attention. I'm giving you a chance to fall in love with me. Now, tell me your age. You can't refuse."

Su Mali listened to the man's voice in her ear, her face expressionless: "Xingmo, stop reading those weird and wonderful novels. You're just naturally stupid. Now you seem even more utterly foolish."

"These words hurt me so much..." Liu Xingmo covered his face with his hands.

His eyes, crinkling into crescent shapes between his fingers, smiled: "I'll go ask Setia for advice! I'm having some trouble with my blood magic anyway, so I can ask her for some guidance along the way."

"Stop! Don't go!" Sumali's face lost all color, her eyes were dark and lifeless, like a pure-blooded noble of the night.

Liu Xingmo felt a real killing intent, just like when he was ambushed by Manager Ma yesterday.

He calmed down and behaved himself.

……

In the time to come, get a good night's sleep to recover from fatigue and injuries.

After waking up, I began my cultivation, digesting the insights I gained from yesterday's battle.

Liu Xingmo poured a glass of egg white, which came from a third-tier mythical beast, the wild pheasant, and contained extraordinary blood energy.

This blood energy is rich and pure, far surpassing that of first and second-tier cultivators.

Liu Xingmo drank the egg white in one gulp, and his internal energy seemed to erupt like a torrent, the thick blood energy engulfing everything.

Try your best to control this external energy, circulating it along the meridians and merging it into your own blood and energy.

The two streams of the same spiritual energy merged into one.

Liu Xingmo felt the blood energy in the egg white gradually thinning, losing its original charm, and becoming the power of himself, a first-level cultivator.

He tried hard to grasp the feeling, allowing his own blood and energy to continuously solidify and move closer to the direction of egg white blood and energy.

He recalled yesterday's battle. Those people, whose bodies possessed immense strength, fought and killed each other.

He grasped something, and with a sudden flash of inspiration, he broke through to the fifth level of the first tier. The newly formed soul imprint slowly condensed.

Liu Xingmo opened his bloodshot eyes and then stretched.

Immediately, popping sounds like beans popping echoed all over his body, as his muscles and bones celebrated the new life his body was about to be reborn.

Liu Xingmo clenched his fist, feeling the overflowing power.

This breakthrough was achieved in just two months, a speed that was previously unimaginable.

It should be understood that most ordinary people in Black Dragon Village, even after a lifetime of hard work, can only reach the perfect realm of the tenth level of the first stage when they are eighty or ninety years old.

Under normal circumstances, it takes at least three or four years to accumulate enough experience to advance to the fifth level of the first tier.

Two months, just two months.

Is this the world as seen through the eyes of a genius?

……

For the next few days, the village was calm and peaceful, as if everything was normal.

In fact, hidden places were already rife with undercurrents.

The constables from the yamen walked the streets all day long, while the patrol teams disappeared into the dense forest.

Even the fishermen from the water embankment went to several fixed river areas and blocked the entire waterway.

It seems that in this spy incident, the higher-ups followed the clues and found a huge gang.

The group had already begun fleeing out of the city.

The missing "Records of Snakes and Pythons" has probably been taken away by thieves.

Liu Xingmo was anxious.

He wanted to find out what was going on from his fourth uncle and Liu Yizhu, but given the current situation, even meeting them was difficult.

The entire library, including the inner vault and the main library, was sealed off. Even the macaque curator was at a loss.

It seems that only after everything has settled down will outsiders have the opportunity to learn about this matter.

Liu Xingmo, having some free time at home, began practicing the "Xuanwu Hard and Soft Transformation".

This is a complete set of martial arts techniques that can not only improve physical fitness but also defend against various attacks.

There are two main approaches: one is to use force to counter force, directly confronting the enemy's offensive; the other is to use softness to overcome force, skillfully neutralizing the enemy's attack.

Liu Xingmo memorized all the movements and then practiced them from beginning to end.

Relax your shoulders and elbows, and let your Qi sink to your Dantian.

Blood and energy drive the body, and the body guides the blood and energy. Intangible energy and tangible flesh and bones combine to unleash unparalleled power.

As expected, the "Turtle Shell Skill" is the accompanying internal energy cultivation method for the "Xuanwu Hard and Soft Transformation".

However, it only applies to powerful and forceful moves.

The ingenious technique of using softness to overcome hardness is still incomplete.

We must retrieve the "Record of Snakes and Pythons".