Chapter 55: Winter's Arrival
Chapter 55: Winter's Arrival
Winter had arrived, and the water droplets on the eaves had frozen into a row of smooth icicles. The rooftops were blanketed in thick snow, as if wearing a white hat, and from above, one could only see a vast expanse of white within the city.
In the backyard, a patch of snow had been cleared, and Chen Mu stood in the center, wearing only a short-sleeved shirt, his arms bare. But despite the cold, he showed no signs of discomfort; instead, white steam rose from his body, melting the surrounding ice and snow.
"Bull Horn Thrust," he said, and with each breath, a dense white mist escaped his mouth and nose, transforming him into a raging bull amidst the snow, sturdy and heavy. Every move he made exuded raw power.
When he stood still, his muscles were tightly bound by resilient skin, showing only slight bulges. It was as if he were a mere martial arts practitioner, but once he moved, his arms tensed, and a faint buzzing sound could be heard as his muscles strained, supporting his tough, bronze-like skin.
Suddenly, Chen Mu's posture shifted. From a heavy and steady bull-footed bull stance, he transformed into a light and agile one, raising his head towards the sky, leaping and bounding, almost two zhang above the ground.
"Moon Wolf Howl," he called out. "Sun Wolf Pursuit."
This was another technique from the Body Tempering Art, 'Celestial Wolf Muscle Training Technique', which emulated the movements of the celestial wolf, a demonic creature. With a single leap and bound, they could easily soar ten zhang into the air, navigating cliffs with ease.
At night, they seemed to tread upon the moon, and during the day, they chased the sun, spinning around it. The body trained in this art, though lacking the sheer mass of the bull, was agile and nimble, capable of swift movements and effortless navigation.
It had been nearly five months since the eradication of the Black Crow Sect.
Currently, Chen Mu had perfected the Bull Strength Cultivation Technique, and he occasionally practiced it to ensure compatibility with the Celestial Wolf Muscle Training Technique, which he now primarily focused on.
During this time, Chen Mu had attempted to gather information about Sinew Transformation Techniques, but regardless of the technique, they all shared a common challenge: the pills were easier to find than the required herbs.
Sinew Transformation Techniques were even simpler than Muscle Training Techniques, barely qualifying as martial arts. Consequently, the core of these techniques lay not in the cultivation method but in the corresponding 'Sinew Transformation Pill', which was the key to unlocking the realm of cultivation.
According to Chen Mu's knowledge, regardless of the specific Sinew Transformation Technique, the required herbs varied, but all needed a crucial main ingredient—'Black Serpent Blood'. Currently, a limited quota of this main ingredient was distributed annually by the City Lord.
Black Serpent Blood!
Rumor had it that this ingredient came from an extremely powerful demonic creature, the Black Serpent. In the Great Xuan Dynasty's ranking system, the Black Serpent was at least a seventh-tier creature, far surpassing the bull and celestial wolf.
Chen Mu had read some records of the Great Xuan Dynasty, detailing how the court had once mobilized the elite Heavenly Dragon Guard to exterminate a Black Serpent, resulting in heavy casualties before they finally succeeded.
The City Lord's annual distribution of Black Serpent Blood was limited, and its source remained a mystery.
"Huff..."
After nearly two hours of practice, Chen Mu slowly came to a halt.
He turned and walked into the house.
Inside, Wang Ni was huddled by the stove, warming herself. Upon seeing Chen Mu, she hurried to assist him, but as soon as she left the stove's warmth, she shivered.
As she helped Chen Mu change, her hands touched his body, and she quickly retracted them.
"Brother Chen, your body is even hotter than the stove!"
Chen Mu laughed and took the towel from her, wiping himself down. Then, he sat by the stove, lazily warming himself as he summoned the system panel.
[Martial Arts: Gale Blade Technique (Perfect Mastery), Fiery Wind Blade Technique (Perfect Mastery), Spirit Wind Sword Technique (Perfect Mastery), Wind-chasing Blade Technique (Major Mastery)]
【Experience: 2825 points】
...
【Celestial Wolf Muscle Training Technique (Great Mastery)】
【Experience: 4 points】
Compared to five months ago, Chen Mu had taken a significant step forward in his strength. Although he had not yet entered the Sinew Transformation Realm, his Bull Strength Cultivation Technique had reached perfection, and the Celestial Wolf Muscle Training Technique was also on the verge of Great Mastery. By cultivating these two techniques simultaneously, Chen Mu's power and agility far surpassed that of ordinary Muscle Training Warriors.
In terms of techniques, Chen Mu had mastered three perfect techniques. Although one of them was a sword technique, the distinction between sword and blade was insignificant at the 'Technique' level. At this stage, one could wield a blade and still perform sword skills. What mattered most was not the weapon itself but the understanding of the 'Technique' realm.
The Wind-chasing Blade Technique was the fourth technique he acquired, belonging to the lineage of the Zephyr Wind. With his accumulated experience, he was not far from perfecting it.
"I'm about to possess four techniques."
Chen Mu shook his head.
In reality, it was rare for someone to possess four techniques. It wasn't that cultivating four techniques was particularly challenging, but rather, those who could cultivate three techniques would typically start to comprehend the Sword Intent Diagram, focusing on understanding Sword Intent. They wouldn't usually cultivate additional techniques.
The 16191 book bar version is error-free!
Chen Mu didn't have the Zephyr Wind Diagram, and the system panel couldn't create something from nothing. Without it, he had to use this somewhat rigid method, cultivating various blade and sword techniques from the Zephyr Wind lineage and integrating them to trace back to their origins.
Of course.
The method was a bit rigid, but now, with three perfected techniques and the fourth one nearly there, Chen Mu's comprehension of the Zephyr Wind lineage was already profound. He was no longer a novice.
One thing Chen Mu was certain of was that this method of cultivating multiple techniques and tracing them back to their origins was a correct path. Compared to directly comprehending the Zephyr Wind Diagram, it was a longer route, but with the system panel, the speed wouldn't be much different.
Chen Mu estimated that once he mastered the fourth technique, the system panel should be able to deduce the Sword Intent.
This judgment wasn't baseless. Chen Mu could sense that by integrating the three techniques, he had already touched upon a certain limit. If he could cultivate the fourth technique, even he himself could gradually trace back and discern the Sword Intent. For the system panel, it would be even easier.
"Compared to that, entering the Sinew Transformation Realm is a higher threshold."
Chen Mu pondered.
The Muscle Training Realm was different from Skin Refinement. According to his estimation, with the Celestial Wolf Muscle Training Technique perfected, he had reached the limit of the Muscle Training Realm. It was unlikely that he could cultivate three Muscle Training Techniques simultaneously. To further enhance his strength, he would need to take the third step, which was to cultivate the Sinew Transformation Technique.
Entering the Sinew Transformation Realm required the Sinew Transformation Pills, which Xu Hongyu had promised him. She assured him that next year's allocation would include his share. However, in just over two weeks, it would be the new year, and there was certainly no allocation at the beginning of the year. When he perfected the Celestial Wolf Muscle Training Technique, he might not be able to obtain the pills.
As for other acquisition methods...
He could directly obtain them from the City Lord, but it required merit points. The only way to earn merit points was to hunt demonic creatures outside the city and exchange their resources. Money alone couldn't buy them.
Of course, if one had unlimited wealth, they could hire a team to hunt on their behalf and then exchange the resources. But the cost would be exorbitant.
The allocation from the major families of the inner city, the City Lord's merit rewards... Aside from these, there were only the occasional fleeting opportunities in the black market. But these were unreliable, with unknown sources and authenticity, and they would inevitably attract a storm of bloodshed, not something that money could resolve.
(End of Chapter)
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