94: Middle stage of meat refining

The night was deep, and the residence in the west of the city was quiet and peaceful, feeling like a world apart from the murderous atmosphere of the county town over the past few days.

Chen Linsheng returned quietly, his body still carrying a faint, lingering scent of gunpowder and blood.

Su Wan’s heart had been hanging in suspense, and she hadn't slept. Upon hearing the light sound at the courtyard gate, she immediately came out to meet him.

Seeing Chen Linsheng safe and sound, her tense nerves finally relaxed completely. Her eyes shimmered with tears, filled with concern and lingering fear.

“A Sheng, you're back.”

She spoke softly, stepping forward naturally to brush away the bits of dust clinging to his shoulders.

“Yes, I'm back. It's all over.” Chen Linsheng took her slightly cool hand, feeling her unreserved worry, and a warm current surged in his heart. He simply informed her of the results—the destruction of the Black Mountain Gang and the execution of the Evil Daoist—omitting many of the dangerous details. However, from his slightly tired yet sharp, restrained gaze, Su Wan could imagine the brutality of that great battle.

“As long as you're safe.” Su Wan didn't ask much; she just gripped his hand firmly, a thousand words left unsaid.

The next day, after making minor arrangements for household matters, Chen Linsheng decided to enter seclusion again to fully digest the gains from the successive battles.

The rapid increase in strength required settling, and the newly acquired Cultivation Technique needed time to be practiced and mastered.

“Wan'er, follow me,” Chen Linsheng said to Su Wan, a hint of mystery in his eyes.

He trusted Su Wan and had long regarded her as his closest confidante; it was time to let her know about the existence of the riverbed Immortal Cave.

Although Su Wan was somewhat puzzled, she nodded obediently. Chen Linsheng led her by the hand to the edge of the pond in the backyard.

Under Su Wan's surprised gaze, he put his arm around her waist and whispered, “Hold your breath, trust me.”

Immediately, the two of them dived into the cool pond water together.

Su Wan instinctively squeezed her eyes shut, feeling the water envelop her body and the steady strength coming from Chen Linsheng's arm. After just a moment, the pressure lightened, and she was brought into a dry, spacious, and strangely illuminated space lit by a soft glow.

“This is...” Su Wan opened her beautiful eyes and looked around at the glowing stones and the simple layout, her face full of wonder.

“A safe place for seclusion. In the future, you can Cultivate here with me.”

Chen Linsheng smiled. Seeing Su Wan quickly calm down and curiously observe the Spiritual Qi fluctuations within the Immortal Cave, he mentally praised her courage and intelligence.

He didn't start his Cultivation immediately, but first took out several small porcelain bottles and handed them to Su Wan.

“Wan'er, these are nourishing Medicinal Pills seized from the Black Mountain Gang. Their medicinal properties are gentle, perfect for you to stabilize your Realm at this stage and assist in your Plain Heart Art Cultivation.”

Su Wan took the Medicinal Pills, her heart feeling sweet and warm, knowing that Chen Linsheng was always thinking of her.

She said softly, “A Sheng, go into seclusion with peace of mind. I will prepare the medicinal bath for you; leave the duty of Protector to me.”

Chen Linsheng nodded. With Su Wan by his side, he could focus without distractions.

The seclusion officially began.

Chen Linsheng first focused his attention on the parchment of the White Crane Wind and Cloud Song obtained from Wei Jingtong.

A Spirit Rank Movement Technique—this was currently his greatest shortcoming, as well as a massive opportunity.

During this battle, although he hadn't reached the Initiate level of White Crane Wind and Cloud Song, he had utilized its Profound Truth, which, combined with Spirit Monkey Hundred Changes, made his speed very fast.

Therefore, he was extremely eager to reach the Initiate level of this Movement Technique.

He sat cross-legged, his mind sinking into the Secret Manual. The powerful perception and insight brought by Tracking Perfection played a huge role at this moment.

The complex and exquisite blood-qi circulation routes, footwork mnemonics, and Movement Technique Concept within the Secret Manual were rapidly deduced in his mind.

He did not rush for success but first understood its core Profound Truth: "Body becomes the white crane, stirring wind and cloud, soaring through the sky like a shadow, covering a hundred steps in an instant."

This was quite different from the nimble shifting of Spirit Monkey Hundred Changes and the linear burst of Eight Steps Catching Cicada that he had practiced before; it focused more on an elegant, light, and momentum-borrowing Concept.

With the deep Foundation of Spirit Monkey Hundred Changes, his control over his body had already reached a meticulous level.

Now, referencing the methods of White Crane Wind and Cloud Song, he began to try guiding his blood-qi toward subtle Meridians in his legs and feet that he hadn't touched before, adjusting the way his muscles exerted force to simulate the posture of a white crane spreading its wings and treading on the wind.

Inside the Immortal Cave, his figure could be seen occasionally rising slowly, arms slightly extended like a white crane flashing its wings. As his feet shifted lightly, they actually stirred a faint swirl of air, his robes moving even without wind.

At other times, he would suddenly dash forward, yet his form was not in a straight line but followed a marvelous curved trajectory, as if gliding on the wind. While his speed surged, it added a touch of elusive elegance.

Gradually, his movements became faster and faster. The sound of blood-qi rushing through his body faintly carried the clear cry of a crane. Between his strikes, the wind from his fingers and the edges of his palms were coated with a layer of sharp aura, significantly enhancing their piercing power.

After an unknown amount of time, Chen Linsheng's figure suddenly came to a halt, and the implication of the "wind" surrounding him slowly withdrew.

In his mind, the light on the spirit book flowed, and new characters condensed into form:

【Martial Skill: White Crane Wind and Cloud Song (Initiate)】

【Progress: (0/1000)】

【Divine Effect: Crane Form First Display, Wind and Cloud First Stir. The stance is as expansive as a white crane flashing its wings, increasing movement agility by thirty percent. When striking, it carries a faint sound of a crane's cry and the wind, which can disturb the enemy's mind. Fist, foot, and finger strikes begin to possess piercing power.】

“It's done!” A flash of joy appeared in Chen Linsheng's eyes.

It was extremely difficult to reach the Initiate level of a Spirit Rank technique, but relying on his own solid Foundation and extraordinary Comprehension Ability, he had actually succeeded in just one day!

Although he had only just scratched the surface, he could clearly feel that his movement speed, dodging ability, and control over attack angles had all taken a qualitative leap!

With the Movement Technique initially mastered, Chen Linsheng rested for a moment and swallowed a blood essence pill he had refined earlier.

The Medicinal Pill entered his stomach and turned into a gentle warm current, nourishing the blood-qi slightly consumed by practicing the new Movement Technique and further stabilizing his current Flesh Refining Realm cultivation, making the ninety-six blocks of perfectly tempered muscle even more full of blood-qi.

Subsequently, his gaze fell upon those higher-quality Flesh Refining Realm Medicinal Pills obtained from Wei Jingtong.

The medicinal power of these pills was pure, perfect for pushing through the subsequent muscle tempering.

He took off his shirt and stepped into the bath barrel that Su Wan had already carefully prepared, which contained the remaining auxiliary herbs from the last time.

The medicinal power seeped through his pores, resonating with the medicinal bath essence remaining deep within his body from his previous seclusion.

Chen Linsheng could feel that the previously stored medicinal power was being completely stirred and activated.

Without hesitation, he took out one of Wei Jingtong's Medicinal Pills and swallowed it.

“Boom!”

A medicinal power several times more vast and pure than that of the blood essence pill instantly exploded within his body!

Like a bursting flood, it surged turbulently toward every part of his body!

Chen Linsheng immediately operated Hunyuan True Body and Python Dragon Strength, guiding this powerful medicinal power according to the vibration method of Hundred Refinements Steel Body to begin tempering those muscle blocks that had not yet reached Perfection.

This was a painful and long process.

Under the impact of the violent medicinal power and the hammering of the Cultivation Technique, new muscle fibers were constantly torn and reorganized, becoming tougher and more powerful.

He could clearly perceive the blocks of muscle in his body emitting imperceptible hums one after another as blood-qi surged through them, taking on a bronze luster, marking the completion of their tempering.

Sixty blocks... eighty blocks... a hundred blocks... the medicinal power was continuously absorbed, and the number of perfectly tempered muscles steadily rose.

When the last wisp of medicinal power was completely devoured by his greedy Physical Body, the number of perfectly tempered muscles in Chen Linsheng's body had already reached one hundred and forty!

Although there was still a long road ahead before the complete tempering of all six hundred and thirty-nine muscles in the body, his Foundation was already far more solid than that of his peers!

He slowly finished his work and stood up. The bones throughout his body let out a series of crisp pops, and a powerful aura, far exceeding his previous one, involuntarily diffused before being quickly restrained by him.

Beneath his skin, his blood-qi flowed like lead and mercury, filled with explosive power.

Su Wan had been quietly guarding near the entrance of the Immortal Cave. Seeing Chen Linsheng conclude a stage of his Cultivation, she immediately brought over warm water and simple food.

Although she didn't speak, her focused, guarding figure and meticulous care filled Chen Linsheng's heart with warmth.

“Wan'er, thank you for your hard work,” Chen Linsheng said as he took the water bowl, looking at her beautiful profile.

Su Wan shook her head and gave a sweet smile: “I'm very happy to be able to help A Sheng.”

She could feel the change in Chen Linsheng's aura, which had become increasingly deep and heavy. She felt proud of him in her heart and simultaneously made a silent resolution to work harder so she wouldn't be left too far behind.

Chen Linsheng saw through her thoughts and explained the defensive essentials of the latter stances of Soft Cloud Nine Strikes to her in detail, personally demonstrating and sparring with her.

In this Immortal Cave where Spiritual Qi was abundant, Su Wan's Plain Heart Art also operated more and more smoothly, and her understanding of the palm technique became faster.

In the following days, Chen Linsheng devoted himself to Cultivating in the Immortal Cave.

During the day, he mainly tempered White Crane Wind and Cloud Song, constantly merging and verifying this Spirit Rank Movement Technique with Eight Steps Catching Cicada and Spirit Monkey Hundred Changes, learning from each to offset weaknesses, making his movement increasingly ghostly and unpredictable. At night, he continued taking Medicinal Pills supplemented by medicinal baths to push his muscle tempering, while not forgetting to practice Hunyuan Palm, attempting to integrate the newly understood "crane cry and wind" piercing power into his palm strikes.

Time flew by in focused Cultivation.

Chen Linsheng was like a parched sponge, frantically absorbing the nourishment brought by this incident, transforming his gains into tangible strength.