Chapter 16: Jade Skin
Chapter 16: Jade Skin
The night in this foreign world was especially serene, and the stars shone brilliantly.
In the temporary camp,
Fang Xing consumed an entire pot of fish soup before beginning his practice of the Grand Dragon Stake technique.
Under the influence of this mysterious new world and the nourishing fish soup, his progress in body tempering advanced at an astonishing pace.
An unknown amount of time passed when the flickering computer screen suddenly froze, emitting a mechanical sound:
[Ding! Task complete!]
"As expected, adding a book as a sample drastically sped up the decryption process..."
Fang Xing approached the computer and opened the file, revealing the alien text alongside the corresponding Federal script and pronunciation marks.
One could say that he had acquired an audio dictionary of this new language.
"Additionally, by understanding the common topics of conversation among the farmers, I can piece together a rough outline of this world, which will aid me in grasping its intricacies."
His eyes lit up as he embarked on learning this foreign language.
For Fang Xing, learning a new language was an enjoyable endeavor, especially when it held the promise of immense benefits!
"First, this place is known as the Great Wilderness, and it is inhabited by beings called 'Cultivators'!"
"Cultivators! They can create talismans, pills, and magical artifacts, cast spells... and even achieve longevity, moving on to the point of being able to relocate mountains and fill seas as their cultivation deepens?"
"Even a mere Qi Refining Cultivator is stronger than a Martial Artist at the Innate stage... Hmm, the Primordial Jade Realm Martial Artists in this world are referred to as 'Innates'..."
"A hundred miles from here lies a Cultivator's market town called 'Greenwood City', home to tens of thousands of Cultivators and countless mortals..."
"It is said that Greenwood City was recently established by a powerful Cultivator sect to expand their influence in the Great Wilderness. They forcibly relocated a large number of Cultivators and mortals, making the surrounding area extremely dangerous. Survival here is nearly impossible for those who are not Martial Artists."
"The Martial Arts in this world are also quite simple, divided into the Post-Natal and Innate stages..."
"However, even the strongest Innate Martial Artist would have no chance against a prepared Qi Refining Cultivator."
"Unbelievable! When will the Martial Arts world be able to stand up for itself?"
This was the extent of the information Fang Xing could gather from his surveillance during this period, and it left him speechless.
After familiarizing himself with the background of this world, he immediately turned his attention to the ancient book.
According to the decryption, the title of the book was 'Dan Dao Ping Jian', and its contents described the appearance, effects, and simple identification methods of some common pills found in Greenwood City.
Fang Xing took out the three jade bottles and compared them to the descriptions in the book. He discovered that one bottle contained a wound medicine, while the other held a detox pill.
As for the last unopened bottle, it contained 'Qi and Blood Pills'!
"According to the book, Post-Natal Martial Artists who consume 'Qi and Blood Pills' will experience a boost in their qi and blood, tempering their skin, muscles, tendons, and bones... leading to rapid progress..."
"I'm still skeptical. I'll need to test it with toxin detection paper and on lab rats before I believe it..."
As Fang Xing turned the page, his breath quickened.
He came across a description of an entirely new type of pill: "Innate Pill! White in color, with a fragrant scent... When consumed, it strengthens the qi of the five viscera and six bowels, aiding Post-Natal Martial Artists in breaking through to the Innate stage?"
"This 'Innate Pill' can actually assist in breaking through to the Primordial Jade Realm?"
Fang Xing's eyes widened with excitement.
In the Blue Star Federation, the first realm of Martial Arts was the Fleshly Body, and the second was the Tempered Body... which were roughly equivalent to the Post-Natal stage in this foreign world.
After perfecting the Tempered Body, Martial Artists would then focus on tempering their five viscera and six bowels, strengthening their internal energy, and refining their bodies to achieve an inner and outer perfection akin to a piece of uncut jade, hence the name 'Primordial Jade Realm'.
However, this step was incredibly challenging!
"But now, all it takes is a single pill..."
"The Blue Star Federation must also have medicines or devices to assist second-realm Martial Artists in breaking through to the third realm, but I have no way of obtaining them. The resource consumption is too great, and it's not worth the effort..."
"But in this foreign world, things might be different."
A fiery determination ignited in Fang Xing's eyes as he looked at the 'Qi and Blood Pills': "First... I need to verify the effects and toxicity of this world's pills."
He thought for a moment, then put on his mask and opened the bottle.
Inside the jade bottle were ten pills, each a deep crimson color, like blood.
"Qi and Blood Pills—Martial Artists only need to consume one pill per training session, and the effects can last for several days!"
"I have a feeling that the pills in this world are extremely potent, not because of advanced crafting techniques, but simply because they don't skimp on resources."
Fang Xing took out one Qi and Blood Pill and examined it according to the methods described in the Dan Dao Ping Jian.
"According to the book, many Cultivators and Martial Artists are wary of consuming pills of unknown origin. Therefore, authentic high-quality pills will have markings on the bottom of the bottle and will be sealed with spiritual talismans and wax. Once opened, there will be signs of tampering, serving as a simple anti-counterfeiting measure."
He looked at the bottom of the jade bottle and indeed found a mark resembling a green leaf.
"This should be the mark of a well-known merchant in the city, signifying their reputation... But I don't trust it!"
Especially since this Dan Dao Ping Jian came from that unfortunate soul; there was a possibility that it could be fake.
Perhaps that unlucky person had substituted a bottle of poison for the Qi and Blood Pills and even included an instruction manual!
If that were the case, that female Martial Artist was truly a genius!
'Even if the fake markings are discovered afterward, the person would already be dead...'
Fang Xing thought for a moment, then took out toxin detection paper and tested each Qi and Blood Pill. To his relief, they showed no signs of toxicity.
He then returned to Eagle Star and ordered a cage of lab rats online.
The delivery was swift, and soon Fang Xing was observing the lively little creatures. Carefully, he scraped some pill residue, calculated the dosage based on the weight of an average person compared to the rats, and proceeded with the experiment.
This step was crucial!
After all, even life-saving medicine could prove fatal to the little critters if the dosage wasn't carefully calculated based on their size.
...
The next day, Fang Xing woke up and checked on the lab rats, only to find them scurrying about energetically.
Squeak!
Squeak!
The little rodents darted around, ramming and gnawing at their metal cage, as if they had an abundance of energy to expend.
"Hmm, they all seem rather lively... I'll send you guys over to that side to feast on berries soon!"
He nodded, carefully putting away the 'Qi and Blood Pills' before heading straight to school.
Even though both tests hadn't revealed any issues, Fang Xing decided to take the medicine right next to the infirmary as a precaution, so that he could be treated immediately if anything went wrong.
'I seem to... view human nature with too much cynicism.'
'But even so, my life is more important than anything else...'
If it weren't for the news about the Innate Pill and his desire to test the effects of the pills from this foreign world, Fang Xing wouldn't have been so impulsive.
He arrived at Yuchai Middle School and skipped Lan Fei's literature class.
At this point, the projected female teacher could no longer affect his emotional state in the slightest.
Outside the infirmary.
Fang Xing found an empty spot and yawned, covering his mouth with his hand.
In that quiet moment, he slipped a Qi and Blood Pill into his mouth, concealed by his palm.
"It's hot! So hot!"
As the pill entered his stomach, Fang Xing immediately felt waves of heat emanating from his lower abdomen, spreading to his limbs and bones.
The continuous generation of qi and blood caused his face to flush, his skin to tighten, and the veins beneath to writhe like earthworms.
His entire body felt like a furnace of qi and blood, desperately seeking an outlet.
The next moment, Fang Xing immediately assumed the stance for the Grand Dragon Stake!
The Grand Dragon Stake, practiced to a proficient level, was executed with a fluid, graceful style.
As the Blue Star Federation's painstakingly developed staking technique, perfectly suited for refining the flesh, Fang Xing instantly felt a difference.
The robust qi and blood within him seemed to have found a release, immediately erupting with fierce intensity.
His skin began to crack, and even beads of blood seeped out...
On the attribute panel, the realm section flashed, changing from [Refine Skin: 99/100] to [Refine Skin: 100/100]!
"I've perfected Refine Skin!"
Fang Xing's heart stirred, and his entire body tensed up, feeling as if it had instantly become tougher, like cowhide, and emitting a bronze hue.
The next moment, a large amount of qi and blood was consumed, and the bronze hue gradually faded, transforming into a 'pale and jade-like' appearance.
"This is... Jade Skin? But I haven't even broken through with my staking technique yet?"
"No, this is like forcefully breaking through with an abundance of resources. It doesn't matter if my staking technique hasn't caught up yet... The amount of resources consumed by this single Qi and Blood Pill might be equivalent to ten or even a hundred 'D3-grade nutrient solutions'!"
"The resources in this foreign world are indeed abundant..."
The jade-like radiance that enveloped Fang Xing's skin flickered and then vanished.
As the 'Jade Skin' achieved through perfecting Refine Skin, the external manifestation was merely a paler complexion. However, Fang Xing felt as if he was wearing a suit of armor, and he could even dissipate force proactively.
"Just one Qi and Blood Pill... and it has brought me this far in refining my flesh?"
Fang Xing's gaze fixed on the attribute panel:
[Name: Fang Xing]
[Age: 16]
[Occupation: Martial Artist]
[First Realm: Flesh (Refine Flesh: 9/100)]
[Army Body Boxing, Twelve Forms: 10/100 (Proficient)]
[Grand Dragon Stake: 35/100 (Proficient)]
[Gate of the Omniverse (Charging)]
...
"My progress with the Grand Dragon Stake is also remarkably fast, but the key lies in the Refine Flesh progress, which jumped to 9% all of a sudden?"
Fang Xing pondered, "This is probably because when I was training the skin membrane, I inevitably also trained the muscles. More importantly, it's the effect of the 'Qi and Blood Pill'."
"If a single pill can do this much, then consuming the entire bottle should bring me close to perfection in refining my flesh... After all, the Qi and Blood Pill is meant for Post-Natal Martial Artists, and this foreign world's concept of Post-Natal actually encompasses the Blue Star Federation's 'Flesh' and 'Tempered Body' realms!"
"In other words, the Qi and Blood Pill should be highly effective even for a Second Realm Muscle Refining Martial Artist. I'm a bit wasteful consuming it at my current realm..."
After some light training, Fang Xing felt like he had undergone a complete transformation.
At the very least, with his skin membrane perfected and transformed into Jade Skin, his foundation was now exceptionally solid.
"Hmm, to be safe, I should still get a full physical examination..."
With that decision, Fang Xing made his way to the infirmary.
Just as he reached the entrance, he saw a classmate approaching.
He took a closer look and immediately raised his hand in greeting, "Awei?"
"Ah... Axing?"
Liu Wei was startled to see Fang Xing and exclaimed in surprise.
"You're also here for the infirmary?" Fang Xing asked, nodding.
"I... My stomach hurts!" Liu Wei suddenly clutched his stomach. "Go ahead first, I need to use the restroom..."
"Uh..."
Watching the other boy's retreating figure, Fang Xing shook his head and calmly entered the infirmary.
After all, he was already certified as a 'prodigy' by Xia Long, so perfecting Refine Skin was not a big deal.
As for 'Jade Skin'? Unless he underwent specific tests in that area, the regular doctors in the infirmary wouldn't be able to notice anything unusual.
(End of Chapter)
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