Gou Zai Wudao Shi Lian Shen

night.

After finishing his boxing practice, Lu Chen returned to his residence.

The lights inside the room were already on.

A large wooden tub sits in the center of the room, steam rising from it. The aroma is spicy with a hint of bitterness, and just one whiff is enough to make your skin feel slightly warm.

A maidservant of about fifteen or sixteen years old stood beside her, wearing a light blue cloth skirt and holding a clean cloth in her hands.

When she saw Lu Chen enter, she quickly bowed her head in greeting.

"Brother Lu, the medicinal bath is ready."

Lu Chen nodded: "Thank you for your hard work."

He spent four taels of silver at the yam shop to enjoy six medicinal baths per month.

The maidservant quickly replied, "It's no trouble at all, it's what I should do."

Lu Chen took off his outer clothes and slowly sank into the medicinal bath.

The heat instantly enveloped my entire body.

His muscles, already sore from the recent boxing practice, felt even more aches and pains when soaked in the scalding medicinal soup. It felt like countless tiny needles were piercing his skin, both numb and hot. Lu Chen couldn't help but take a deep breath, resting his arms on the edge of the wooden tub and closing his eyes to regulate his breathing.

The medicinal properties penetrate the body through the pores.

At first, only the skin felt hot, but after a while, the heat began to seep into the muscles and bones. The soreness left from practicing the boxing was gradually soothed away, and the blood and qi slowly began to circulate.

The maid, Xiao Lü, stood to the side, carefully adding hot water for him.

Her movements were very light, but her gaze couldn't help but secretly fall on Lu Chen's face.

Lu Chen was only a teenager, yet he was already a Blood-Moving Warrior. He was far more outstanding than the other boys in their village.

Xiao Lü couldn't help but feel affection for him.

In the yam trade, these servants earned only a few coins a month. They would be scolded for even the slightest mistake, and if they were sold off, their fate was no longer in their own hands.

But Lu Chen is capable, has a promising future, and has even caught the eye of Manager Wang.

If only… Thinking of this, her cheeks flushed slightly, and her voice softened.

"Brother Lu, is the water temperature suitable?"

Lu Chen nodded slightly without saying a word.

The room fell silent for a moment.

Xiao Lü bit her lip, hesitant and unsure how to get close to Lu Chen.

Lu Chen suddenly opened his eyes and looked at the maid Xiao Lü, saying, "You may leave."

"From now on, just prepare the medicinal baths; you don't need to serve me."

Lu Chen didn't like having someone serve him while he took a bath; it made him feel very uncomfortable.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Lü's face flushed, and she felt somewhat annoyed. In the end, she could only take her leave.

Lu Chen closed his eyes again.

The heat seeped into the body through the skin, and the blood and qi flowed slowly in the chest and abdomen. The medicinal power of the bath was not as strong as the blood-qi-dispersing powder, but it was superior in its long-lasting effect, like warm tides, washing away the fatigue in the muscles and muscles again and again.

He could clearly feel the soreness in his body dissipating.

Another wisp of blood and qi appeared in my chest.

Half an hour later, Lu Chen slowly opened his eyes.

The color of the medicinal soup in the bucket had faded considerably, and the originally strong medicinal aroma had mostly dissipated, leaving only a faint bitter taste.

Lu Chen got up from the wooden tub and put on clean clothes.

My skin was slightly flushed, and there seemed to be warmth flowing beneath it. The heaviness and fatigue I felt after finishing my boxing practice had disappeared, replaced by a feeling of relaxation as my muscles and bones relaxed.

Then, a light screen quietly appeared in front of me.

[Panlong Stance Exercise: Minor Success]

[Progress: 445/500]

[Azure Dragon Tongbei Fist: Minor Success]

[Progress: 125/500]

[Iron Wire Grappling Technique: Beginner]

[Progress: 2/100]

Lu Chen stared at the numbers on the screen, his gaze sharpening slightly.

These past few days, he has spent less time practicing stances and boxing than he used to at the martial arts school, but his progress in the training has been twice as fast as before.

Sometimes, practicing once can increase the progress of the skill by two points.

"The progress in this technique doesn't seem to be measured entirely by the number of times it's practiced, but rather by the understanding and comprehension of the technique..."

Lu Chen had a vague guess.

Then, feeling the two streams of blood surging in his chest, a look of joy appeared on his face:

"The Blood Qi Powder that Master gave me last time has been completely refined and absorbed by me, and it has nurtured a new wisp of blood and qi for me."

"Just seven days have passed..."

Master Ge Ye once said that for an ordinary martial artist at the initial stage of Blood Refining, refining one Blood Qi Powder in ten days is considered safe. If one is greedy for quick results and rushes ahead, the medicinal power will accumulate in the body and harm one's health.

But he only took seven days.

"Is it because you've already mastered the Panlong Zhuang Gong and Canglong Tongbei Quan?"

A thought popped into Lu Chen's mind.

His stance training and fist techniques have both reached a certain level of proficiency. They complement each other, and his efficiency in transporting qi and blood and refining medicinal power seems to far exceed that of ordinary martial artists.

"However, speed won't help."

Lu Chen sighed helplessly.

He spent all ten taels of silver. He bought medicinal baths, two blood-activating pills, and a monthly meat ration of three taels.

"This money really goes by very quickly."

……

The next morning.

Lu Chen still got up early and practiced the Panlong stance in the martial arts training area outside the house.

He opened and closed his feet, his soles firmly planted on the ground, his waist and hips slowly rotating, causing his entire spine to rise and fall, like a dragon coiling around its body, tempering his muscles and bones.

With each breath, his chest and abdomen rose and fell slowly. The warmth left in his body from last night's medicinal bath was gradually drawn into his lower abdomen and flowed slowly with his blood and qi.

A cool breeze blew against his body, but it couldn't dispel the heat flowing through his body.

Just then, the door to another room in the row of houses creaked open.

Liu Heng came out dressed in a guard's uniform.

He had just returned from the deep mountains with the escort team last night and hadn't slept well, his face still showing signs of fatigue. But when he looked up and saw the unfamiliar faces practicing the Panlong Zhuang Gong in the center of the training ground, his eyes immediately turned cold.

"You're Lu Chen?"

Lu Chen slowly withdrew his stance and turned to look at him.

Liu Heng was in his early twenties, a bit stronger than Liu Xiaolou, and had a somewhat gloomy look in his eyes.

Lu Chen said, "That's me."

He looked at Liu Heng, remembering Qian Ming's reminder from the day before.

Liu Heng approached step by step, his voice cold: "You're the one who broke my cousin's ribs?"

Lu Chen remained calm: "Fists and feet have no eyes."

"Well said, fists and feet have no eyes." Liu Heng sneered and suddenly attacked Lu Chen.

"My fists and feet don't have eyes either!"

Before he finished speaking, he had already rushed over.

Liu Heng's iron wire grappling technique was even more ruthless and experienced than Liu Xiaolou's.

Instead of directly targeting Lu Chen's throat, he first stepped closer, feigning to reach Lu Chen's wrist with his right hand while secretly gripping Lu Chen's elbow with his left.

Lu Chen reacted quickly. The moment Liu Heng made his move, he slipped and dodged the elbow strike. He then extended his right arm and unleashed the Azure Dragon Claw from the Azure Dragon Tongbei Fist, aiming straight for Liu Heng's left head.

Liu Heng snorted coldly, his five fingers like hooks, and he wrapped his hand around Lu Chen's arm.

The two exchanged blows in a flash, their wrists intertwining.

Snapped!Snapped!Snapped!

A crisp clanging sound rang out in the training ground.

The guards, who were still half asleep, were all startled.

"What happened?"

"Who started fighting so early in the morning?"

"It looks like Liu Heng and the newcomer Lu Chen!"

Several guards, dressed in their clothes, ran out of the house and saw the two fighting in the training ground. They were immediately energized and all sleepiness vanished.

Before long, more and more people gathered around.

Qian Ming also came out of the house, yawned, and saw Liu Heng and Lu Chen fighting. He couldn't help but shake his head: "I knew Liu Heng would cause this trouble when he came back."

On the field, Liu Heng's offensive became increasingly urgent.

He initially thought that Lu Chen had only recently broken through to the next realm, and that even if Lu Chen defeated Liu Xiaolou, it was mostly due to Liu Xiaolou's carelessness. But once they actually fought, he realized that Lu Chen was extremely difficult to deal with.

His boxing style was flexible and adaptable. His Canglong Tongbei Fist was as graceful as a dragon, and his movements were both soft and strong. Whenever Liu Heng was about to grab his wrist or elbow, Lu Chen could always slide away at an unexpected angle.

The onlookers were astonished to see that Lu Chen was actually fighting Liu Heng to a standstill: "This newcomer is amazing, he can actually hold his own against Liu Heng for so many rounds."

"Hmph, it seems you're not practicing the Azure Dragon Tongbei Fist, but the Mudfish Fist!" Liu Heng sneered, then launched another attack.

His blood surged, the muscles in his arms tensed, and his five fingers shot out like iron hooks.

Lu Chen did not resist head-on. Instead, he turned steadily, used his waist and back to exert force, and wrapped his right arm around Liu Heng's arm like a dragon coiling around its body.

Then his left fist shot out from under his ribs, striking Liu Heng's chest.

Soaring through the clouds and into the sea!

Liu Heng's expression changed slightly, and he hurriedly withdrew his hand to block.

boom!

Their fists collided, and each of them took a step back.

Liu Heng's arm went numb, and Lu Chen's chest felt slightly churning.

The onlookers and guards immediately gasped in surprise.

"Wow, this newbie is really good!"

"Liu Heng, are you even capable? You can't even handle a newcomer!"

Liu Heng's face grew increasingly grim as he heard these comments.

He originally intended to teach Lu Chen a lesson in public and vent his anger for his brother.

But now, after fighting for a long time, not only did he fail to gain any advantage, but Lu Chen also established his authority among the guards, making him lose face.

"Damn it!"

Cursing under his breath, Liu Heng hardened his resolve and tried to pounce on Lu Chen again.

But then a loud shout rang out.

"That's enough!"

Zhao Yiting, wearing an outer robe, strode over with a gloomy expression.

As soon as the oppressive aura of a Blood Transformation Lesser Master martial artist dissipated, the surrounding guards immediately fell silent.

Liu Heng froze.

Lu Chen also took a step back and stood still, fists clenched.

Zhao Yiting's gaze first swept over Lu Chen, then landed on Liu Heng.

"Don't you know the rules of the pharmacy? Private fights aren't allowed inside?"

Liu Heng had no choice but to back down and bow his head, saying, "Chief Zhao, I just wanted to test the newcomer's abilities; I didn't mean to overstep the rules of the pharmacy."

Zhao Yiting sneered: "Test your strength? Come on, I'll test it with you."

Liu Heng's expression changed, and he didn't dare to reply.

Zhao Yiting turned to look at everyone and said in a deep voice, "Disperse! We'll be on duty after a cup of tea. Anyone who's late will have half a day's salary deducted!"

The guards immediately scattered in a panic.