Begin your practice with the crane-shaped stance.

In the stillness of the night, only the faint chirping of cicadas could be heard in the backyard of Changchun Medical Clinic.

Xia Dong sat cross-legged on the bed in the main room, took a deep breath, and held the wooden box containing spirit stones in front of him.

Since completing the Changchun Medical Classic, his understanding that the "Crane Stance," "Dragon-Capturing Skill," and "Changchun Medical Classic" share the same origin and can be integrated with each other has become increasingly strong.

These three techniques are divided into three categories: one focuses on cultivating qi and blood, one on strengthening muscles and bones, and the other on understanding the vital points and acupoints of the human body. If Xia Dong could perfectly fuse these three into one, he was certain that he would obtain a brand-new martial arts manual that could rival the creation of heaven and earth.

Without hesitation, he took out all the remaining spirit stones from the wooden box, neatly arranged them beside his pillow, and then slowly closed his eyes, guiding his mind to sink into that mysterious sea of ​​consciousness.

In his sleep, the pure spiritual energy contained within the spirit stone was forcibly extracted, flowing wildly into the mottled ancient bronze bell.

clang!clang!clang!

The ancient bell emitted a continuous, muffled rumble, and the scarlet characters on its surface twisted and churned violently.

Xia Dong's consciousness seemed to be pulled into a huge furnace.

In his deductions, the lightness of the white crane, the domineering nature of the dragon-capturing technique, and the subtlety of the medical classics began to collide and intertwine.

The pathways for the flow of Qi and blood are repeatedly disrupted and then reorganized.

However, this fusion at the core level of skill was far more difficult than any of his previous attempts.

As time went by, Xia Dong felt the power of deduction in his sea of ​​consciousness gradually drying up. The phantoms of the three techniques were clearly intertwined, but they were always separated by an extremely tough invisible barrier, unable to achieve true fusion.

I don't know how much time passed.

Xia Dong suddenly opened his eyes, his forehead covered with fine beads of sweat, and a deep weariness and regret flashed in his eyes.

He turned his head to the side, and the dozen or so spirit stones beside his pillow had all turned into dull, grayish-white powder.

Failed.

Even after exhausting all his spirit stone reserves, the bronze ancient bell still failed to successfully fuse the three cultivation techniques.

"It seems that more spirit stones are needed for the fusion to succeed."

Xia Dong wiped the sweat from his forehead, secretly making plans in his mind.

However, although the fusion failed, the "Changchun Medical Classic" naturally broke through the shackles and stepped from the state of "perfection" to "limit breaking".

Within the sea of ​​consciousness, the inscription on the ancient bell slowly came to a standstill.

【Changchun Medical Classic (Breaking Limits): Rejuvenating Needle】

A vast amount of acupuncture memory and qi and blood circulation methods were instantly imprinted deep in Xia Dong's mind.

Summer and winter close their eyes and contemplate deeply.

This "Rejuvenating Needle" is not a hidden weapon used to kill enemies. Instead, it uses powerful spiritual perception and extremely precise Dragon-Capturing Hand strength to insert specially made silver needles into major acupoints of the human body, forcibly locking in the vital energy and blood that are being lost from the injured person's body.

Even if a martial artist suffers severe injuries, has broken meridians, or is on the verge of death, as long as they still have a breath left, Xia Dong can use this "Rejuvenation Needle" to keep them alive and pull them back from the brink of death.

Xia Dong was pleased with the small gains, but the regret of not being able to integrate the techniques still lingered in her heart.

"Ultimately, it's because we don't have enough spirit stones. I have absolutely no idea how many more spirit stones we'll need to complete the fusion of the three techniques."

Xia Dong sighed, deeply feeling the scarcity of resources.

Currently, his only stable source of spirit stones each month is the two that Qin Wan sends from the Qixia Immortal Sect. But for him, that's definitely far from enough.

Spirit stones are resources strictly controlled by the imperial court. Cultivators regard them as the foundation of their livelihood and keep them tightly guarded, never letting them slip through their fingers.

Even for ordinary people or worldly tycoons without spiritual roots, spirit stones are of great value. This is because simply carrying a spirit stone with you can bring some benefits to your health.

Therefore, even for someone like Elder He, obtaining spirit stones is not easy, let alone distributing them to Xia Dong.

Xia Dong quickly sorted out the current situation in his mind.

To obtain enough spirit stones for his cultivation, he only has two paths before him:

First, as the elder suggested, try to join the "Eagle Wolf Guard" of the Great You Dynasty. They possess even richer resources than the Qixia Immortal Sect.

Second, try to find opportunities to obtain spirit stones in the market.

"However, neither of these two paths is suitable at the moment."

Neither the unfathomable Eagle Wolf Guard nor the chaotic Immortal Cultivation Marketplace are too dangerous for him at the moment.

His foundation is still too shallow. He has abundant blood and energy, but he lacks the absolute strength to contend with high-level martial artists or cultivators.

Xia Dong glanced at the pile of spirit stones turned into powder beside the bed, and his eyes gradually sharpened.

Since the physical deduction path that consumes spirit stones is temporarily blocked, he must seek a breakthrough on another path.

Soul!

The bronze bell had just absorbed a lot of spirit stones for divination, and he could sense that there was still a lot of residual spirit stone energy remaining in the bronze bell.

He could go and search for ghosts, trying to use the remaining spiritual power to refine more "Yin Sha Pills" so that he could continue to cultivate the mystical arts of the "Mysterious Yin Scripture".

He has already begun to taste the benefits of a powerful spirit. Whether it is pulse diagnosis, bone setting, or controlling qi and blood, he cannot do without the assistance of his spirit.

If one can use the Yin Sha Pill to further advance one's spiritual cultivation until, as recorded in the jade slip, one can forcibly transform the "divine consciousness" that only cultivators possess within a mortal body.

With divine consciousness, he could do more and was better able to conceal himself.

Moreover, he is now able to control his own qi and blood with the Dragon Capturing Skill and the Changchun Medical Classic, and with the Crane Shadow Step by his side, he will not easily expose himself when he goes out.

So Xia Dong consciously inquired about ghosts and monsters in the vicinity of Pingyang County. In addition, he had read a lot of information about ghosts and monsters when he was compiling the county annals, so Xia Dong quickly locked onto his target.

Huangni Village.

There have been rumors of ghosts in Huangni Village in recent years, but no serious murders have been reported.

Although the ancient bronze bell could easily refine ghosts, Xia Dong dared not rashly attempt to explore those rumored to be extremely malevolent places.

According to Xia Dong's analysis, Huangni Village should be an easy target.

He temporarily closed the clinic and left his maid, Xiao Hong, to look after it.

These days, Xia Dong also teaches Xiao Hong to practice the Five Animal Health Preservation Boxing. With his guidance, Xiao Hong is making rapid progress.

If everything goes smoothly from here on out, Xia Dong plans to expand his clinic and recruit a few apprentices. Having his own people at his beck and call will make it easier for him to cultivate later.

However, just to be on the safe side, Xia Dong left a letter, instructing Xiao Hong to send it to Qin Wan if he did not return within the agreed time.

If he is truly in danger, there is still hope.

If you are too unlucky and die, your belongings will be left to Miss Wan'er.

After making sufficient preparations, Xia Dong officially began this journey of seeking out the hidden places.

He chose a date close to the Dragon Boat Festival, a time when yang energy is at its peak and yin energy is suppressed, thus suppressing evil spirits and deities. He had the advantage of timing.

The advantage lies with me!

set off!