Dual-wielding! 100x proficiency, I'll grind my way to godhood!

Chen Mo woke up before dawn.

He sat cross-legged on the bed, swallowed a dose of superior Qi-boosting powder, and began practicing the Qi-nourishing technique.

The medicine's effects spread throughout the body, and the heat surged through the limbs and bones like a dragon.

[Qi Cultivation Technique Proficiency +100]

Fifteen minutes later, blood and qi surged like a tide.

He got out of bed, walked into the yard, and got into position.

The first move of the Mountain-Crushing Fist is Mountain-Opening.

A sudden gust of wind arose from the fist, causing fallen leaves on the ground to swirl in the air.

The second move, "Splitting Stone," involves twisting the waist and hips, layering force, and causing a subtle humming sound from the muscles and bones.

The third move, Mountain Crash, involves throwing both fists simultaneously, creating a muffled explosion in the air.

[Mountain Crushing Fist Proficiency +100]

He didn't stop. After ten repetitions, the medicine in his stomach was exhausted, so he swallowed another pill. Sweat streamed down his neck, his back muscles pressed tightly against his skin, his punching power increased, and his muscles and bones solidified with each impact.

After the fortieth repetition, he stopped, stood still, and his chest heaved violently.

Display panel: [Mountain Crushing Fist (Perfect: 4100/30000)]

"Still 25,900 short..."

Chen Mo wiped the sweat from his face, but a smile crept onto his lips.

The Perfect Realm consumes pills like water, but the cultivation speed is faster than that of the Great Completion Realm.

Those disciples at the martial arts school will probably have to endure years of hardship before they can break through to this level.

After taking a cold shower, I changed into clean clothes.

Drunken Immortal Pavilion, private room.

As soon as the door opened, Zhao Yong surprisingly stood up.

"Brother Zhang! Come, come, have a seat!"

Chen Mo glanced at the table and saw it full of delicacies, steaming hot.

Although he didn't recognize him, he knew he was no ordinary person.

"Young Master Zhao, you're too kind."

Chen Mo sat down, beaming.

Zhao Yong personally poured the wine, raised his glass in a toast, and said, "Cheers!"

After downing a cup of strong liquor, Zhao Yong's face flushed red. He used serving chopsticks to pick up a piece of dark red, well-defined meat and placed it on Chen Mo's plate.

"Brother Zhang, try this! It was just delivered this morning; it's hind leg meat from a Crimson Flame Tiger, the most nourishing cut!"

Chen Mo readily agreed and took a bite.

The meat is extremely firm, yet not tough. As you chew, a subtle heat spreads out, which transforms into a gentle, rich heat that slowly permeates your body, leaving you feeling completely comfortable.

The effect was even more gentle and lasting than the superior bone-strengthening pills he had taken, and it seemed to have a subtle nourishing effect on his muscles and bones.

His eyes revealed just the right amount of surprise and enjoyment.

"Good stuff! It has a firm texture and a warm, comforting taste. It seems to be quite beneficial for one's blood circulation and physical health. This is much better than ordinary meat."

"Haha, Brother Zhang, you have great insight!"

Seeing that he recognized the value of the item, Zhao Yong became even more enthusiastic and explained:

"This is no ordinary livestock. It's a ferocious beast that has reached a certain grade! Martial artists who eat it can strengthen their qi and blood, and fortify their muscles and bones. Long-term consumption is greatly beneficial to cultivation. We martial artists expend a lot of energy during cultivation; without eating these, we can't even replenish our foundation!"

He pointed to the other plates on the table.

"This is the tenderloin of the Azure Wind Deer, which is excellent for replenishing lightness and agility; that is the paw of the Iron-Backed Bear, which is best for strengthening the body... These are all good stuff! I would only be willing to take them out for you and my brother."

Chen Mo looked "suddenly enlightened," but quickly memorized it.

The meat of beasts in this world is actually an important source of cultivation resources, and its effects seem to vary depending on the type of beast.

This adds another piece to his understanding of the cultivation system of this world.

"I see."

Chen Mo raised his glass in a toast.

"Young Master Zhao, you've gone to great lengths. Today has truly broadened my horizons. Back in the village, I only knew how to bury myself in physical labor, but I never knew there were such intricacies involved."

"Hey, we're brothers, let's not talk about these things."

Zhao Yong waved his hand, clearly pleased with Chen Mo's reaction.

He leaned closer, the excitement in his eyes resurfacing, and lowered his voice.

"Brother Zhang, this meat is good, but compared to your medicine, it's still a bit lacking... my fifth wife!"

He slapped his thigh.

"I used to avoid it whenever I could, but now..."

He chuckled.

"They're all scrambling to get into my room, I can't stop them! Yesterday, the third and fifth sisters even had a fight over who went first!"

Chen Mo smiled and shook his head: "Young Master Zhao is full of vigor and vitality; medicine is just an aid."

"modesty!"

Zhao Yong offered another toast, the aroma of alcohol filling the air.

"Those 'Tiger Penis Pills' and 'Aphrodisiac Powders' in town are nothing but mud compared to your medicine! Ten of them are not as effective as this one!"

"Young Master Zhao has good taste."

Chen Mo raised his glass, his voice lowering.

"The old hunter in our Niba Village, his ancestors were herb gatherers, specializing in finding century-old medicinal herbs to make this prescription. It's a secret, and outsiders can't learn it. I only got my hands on it because I had a life-or-death friendship with him."

Zhao Yong's eyes lit up, and he poured another cup.

"Brother Zhang, with your skills, why are you still stuck in Muddy Village? Come to town, I'll help you open a pharmacy, and the money will flow in!"

"Young Master Zhao is too kind."

Chen Mo sighed, "I would like to, but that old hunter absolutely refused, saying that the secret medicine cannot be passed on. I only came to town to learn martial arts, and I'm short on money, so I gritted my teeth and sold you a few bottles."

He leaned forward, his voice even lower: "Moreover, those key medicinal herbs grow deep in the mountains and on cliffs; harvesting them is a life-or-death struggle. The last batch was accumulated three months ago, and this is all that's left in stock."

"I understand! Even wise people have their tempers!"

Zhao Yong nodded repeatedly, saying urgently, "Then how about this: you reserve ten bottles for me every month... no, fifteen bottles! The money is negotiable, five times the original price!"

Chen Mo smiled wryly: "Young Master Zhao, to be honest, we only have three bottles left in stock."

Three bottles?!

Zhao Yong's face fell, as if someone had grabbed him by the throat. "Then...when will there be another one?"

"I need to go back to Mud Village."

Chen Mo shook his head. "It would take at least ten days to half a month to get there and back. Besides, that old hunter is strange; he'll only give us five bottles at most, not a single one more."

Zhao Yong rubbed his hands together, his eyes darting around, then suddenly slammed his hand on the table: "I'll send a few skilled men back with you! To protect you and help you with the harvest!"

"useless."

Chen Mo waved his hand, "Those herbs grow on a cliff, and only experienced experts can pick them. Outsiders would face a nine-out-of-ten chance of death. The old hunter only trusts me; my father once saved his life."

Zhao Yong deflated like a punctured balloon, downed another glass, and sighed, "Then come back soon! Three bottles it is, just to satisfy my craving!"

The two drank several more rounds.

Zhao Yong, his tongue thick with embarrassment, put his arm around Chen Mo's shoulder and started calling him brother.

Chen Mo, his eyes glazed with drunkenness, became more talkative.

"Even the gods wouldn't trade Young Master Zhao's life for this."

Chen Mo swirled his wine glass, saying enviously, "Rich and powerful, with five wives. Unlike me, a peasant, mediocre even in the martial arts school. My senior brother only teaches basic fist techniques; I want to get a high-level one, but I have no way of knowing. Young Master Zhao is at the eighth level of Body Refinement; he must be practicing a superior technique, right?"

"Of course!"

Zhao Yong thumped his chest loudly.

"The Zhao Family Iron Bone Skill, a Yellow-Rank martial art, passed down for three hundred years! A top-tier body-refining technique; upon mastery, one's bones and muscles become as hard as iron!"

"sharp."

Chen Mo's face was full of longing, "If I could have such a technique, maybe I could go much further in the path of martial arts..."

Zhao Yong's smile froze for a moment.

He stared at Chen Mo for two seconds, then slowly put down his wine glass, having sobered up considerably.

"Brother Zhang,"

His voice deepened, carrying a barely perceptible chill. "It's not that I don't want to help you. High-level martial arts are the lifeblood of aristocratic families. The Zhao family's ability to establish itself in town relies on these few ancestral cultivation techniques and pill formulas. These things are passed down only to sons, not daughters, and only to legitimate sons, not illegitimate ones. Outsiders want to touch them?"

He shook his head, emphasizing each word: "No way."

Chen Mo nodded, his smile unchanged:

"I understand, I was overthinking it. Come on, let's drink!"

He raised his glass and drank it all in one gulp.

Zhao Yong also drank, but the atmosphere in the private room quietly cooled down.

Chen Mo refilled their bowls, then suddenly sighed:

"Actually, I just want to find a way to get my hands on a high-level book, even if it costs money. Young Master Zhao is knowledgeable and experienced; do you know of any connections?"

Zhao Yong breathed a sigh of relief, then leaned closer, his breath reeking of alcohol as he whispered, "Yes, there is, but..."

"What is it?"

"black market."

Zhao Yong lowered his voice to a very low, mysterious tone.

"Fifty miles east of the town, near the mass grave, the market opens at midnight on the fifteenth of every month. They have everything: fragmented books from aristocratic families, copied prescriptions, medicinal herbs of unknown origin... As long as you have money and guts, you can buy them."

Chen Mo filled his glass: "Young Master Zhao knows so much."

"Of course!"

Zhao Yong downed his drink in one gulp, letting out a loud burp. "But be careful. Some incomplete versions have been altered, and practicing them can lead to qi deviation. There are also 'blood-grade' copies, which are of dubious origin; buying them might get you hunted down by the original owner of the body."

Chen Mo nodded with a smile, but there was no smile in his eyes.

After a few rounds of drinks, Zhao Yong's tongue was completely slurred, and he patted Chen Mo on the shoulder:

"Three bottles of medicine, just to satisfy your craving! Go back and get the medicine, and come back quickly! You'll get your share of the money!"

"rest assured."

Chen Mo smiled and replied, "I will definitely be back within half a month."

Zhao Yong mumbled incoherently, "Half...half a month? That's too long..."

"When the time comes, bring a few bottles for Young Master Zhao... the ones with even stronger effects."

Chen Mo leaned close to his ear and whispered.

Zhao Yong was taken aback, then burst into laughter, pointing at Chen Mo: "Brother Zhang really understands me!"

"A true brother understands a true brother best."

"Next time... I'll take you to a brothel to listen to music..."

"Of course, of course."

As we left Zuixianlou, a cool night breeze swept across the empty street.

The lantern swayed gently under the eaves, lengthening and shortening Chen Mo's lonely shadow.

He walked back, his steps neither hurried nor slow, a few words clearly reflected in his mind:

Black market. Fifteen. Midnight. Mass grave.

The Tianxuan Continent has just passed the mid-month mark, and the next black market opening will be a full thirty days away.

The Perfected Mountain-Crushing Fist still requires arduous practice, as it consumes a great deal of elixirs.

Zhao Yong's line of work is both a source of wealth and a potential source of trouble.

The black market might be a road, or it might be a well.

"Higher-level cultivation techniques and elixirs are scarce resources, monopolized by powerful forces, no matter which world you're in..."

He muttered to himself, a cold smile curving his lips.

"Every road has a sign that says 'Dead End'."

Then forge your own path.

The hundredfold increase in proficiency granted by the system is his greatest asset.

Let's go back to Earth first.

The power of the M249 may no longer be enough in this world.

He needs weapons with greater firepower and power.

Prepare sufficient resources for the black market operation.