This martial saint is too cautious.

Chapter 77 Blood Transfusion

puff!

puff!

puff!

After stabbing Lin Mingyu seven times with his longsword, confirming that Lin Mingyu was beyond dead, Lin Yan squatted down and took the Purple Yuan Fruit from his hand.

That battle was the most dangerous one he had ever faced since he embarked on his martial arts journey.

Since embarking on the path of martial arts, although he has tried his best to avoid fighting opponents of higher levels, such unexpected situations are simply unavoidable.

"In the end, it was my lack of foresight this time; I didn't consider that someone might have tipped me off."

He glanced at the other two corpses; the person who tipped them off must have been one of these two.

The good news is that Lin Mingyu secretly let people into the mountains to search for precious herbs, so he must have done it extremely discreetly. Since I killed Lin Mingyu, there are no other living people who know the truth, so I don't have to worry about the news being leaked.

After spending half an hour cleaning up the corpses at the scene and confirming that no clues would be left, Lin Yan quickly left with some silver notes and purple fruits he had looted.

Half a day later, Lin Yan climbed to the top of a large tree on the hilltop. The dappled leaves allowed him to conceal himself, and from his elevated position, he could also observe whether anyone was approaching.

He needs to think carefully about this battle.

First and foremost, there's my current strength.

Lin Mingyu said that he has already stepped into the Blood Exchange Realm with one foot in it. Could it be that he has already reached the peak of the fourth skin polishing and is half a step into the Blood Exchange Realm?

For some reason, Lin Yan's intuition told him that Lin Mingyu didn't seem like a true half-step Blood Exchange Realm expert.

After this trip, it's time for me to properly understand the realms of martial arts.

Finally, there's this Purple Essence Fruit. Should we take it now?

Even Lin Mingyu was tempted by the Purple Essence Fruit; using it merely to increase one's Qi and Blood would indeed be a waste.

However, upon further reflection, Lin Yan abandoned the idea of ​​preserving the Purple Yuan Fruit.

What did he rely on to kill Lin Mingyu this time?

It refers to the realm of martial arts and the amazing sword technique.

His improved martial arts skills enabled him to kill more enemies and accumulate martial arts fruits, which he then infused into the Amazing Swan Sword Technique.

This is a positive feedback loop.

If he had kept the Purple Velvet Beast and the Purple Lingzhi instead of eating them, his strength probably wouldn't have reached its current level.

Unlike martial arts fruits, which can be refined instantly, precious medicines require time. If an accident occurs, there is simply not enough time to temporarily increase one's strength.

Besides, I've already wasted this precious medicine, so I don't care about wasting it again.

Improving one's strength is the key.

Having thought all this through, Lin Yan no longer hesitated and put the Purple Yuan Fruit into his mouth.

The fruit melts in your mouth, and a sweet juice slides down your throat and into your stomach, initially like a gentle, soothing trickle.

But the next moment—

boom!

A surge of powerful, almost violent medicinal force exploded from his abdomen, like a volcanic eruption or a river bursting its banks, instantly engulfing his entire body.

Lin Yan's skin turned bright red at a visible speed, like an iron blank that had been burned by fire, with veins bulging out and winding under the skin like earthworms, and his heart was beating so fast that it felt like it was going to jump out of his chest.

pain.

It wasn't physical pain, but a deep, soul-piercing agony that emanated from the very marrow of the body.

The medicinal power of the Purple Essence Fruit was washing over his bones, forcing out the impurities hidden deep within them little by little.

Lin Yan gritted his teeth and activated the Thunder Sound Technique.

The brilliance of the Thunder Sound Method lies in using qi and blood to strike the bones, producing a thunderous hum.

At this moment, with the enhancement of the Purple Essence Fruit's medicinal power, each collision of qi and blood became exceptionally fierce.

boom!

boom!boom!

Deep, rumbling sounds emanated from his body, each one louder and more frequent than the last.

From the initial intervals of a few breaths, it later became continuous, like rolling thunder in summer, echoing across the mountaintop, startling flocks of birds into flight.

With each clap of thunder, sweat mixed with black impurities seeped from his pores. These impurities, forced out from deep within his bones, were washed away and then seeped out through his pores along with his blood and qi.

Under this continuous osseoinfluence, Lin Yan's physique also began to change.

His entire body was slowly "stretched out," his bones became thicker, and there was a faint luster flowing around his joints. His whole body seemed to have been reforged, becoming more upright and more solid.

This process lasted for a full hour.

As the last thunderclap subsided, the medicinal effects within Lin Yan's body finally subsided.

He didn't rush to open his eyes, but instead focused on the sounds of his surroundings.

The sounds of wind, leaves rustling, the babbling of a distant stream, and the rustling of insects underground—countless sounds flooded into my ears simultaneously, distinct yet undisturbed by one another.

During the three skin-smoothing sessions, he could still hear these sounds, but they sounded like a jumble of noises, far less distinct than they were now. He could even use the sounds to determine the location of the insects.

After sensing his surroundings for a moment, Lin Yan opened his eyes.

Everything that appeared before him was clearer than before, a feeling akin to someone with slight astigmatism suddenly regaining normal vision.

However, because I was in a state of astigmatism, I didn't notice anything wrong.

However, the biggest change this time was not in his five senses, but in the fact that his internal energy and blood surged by an order of magnitude.

The original martial arts tree was a little over three feet eight inches tall, but now it has been grown to four feet three inches tall.

A terrifying surge.

Lin Yan estimated that, based on his cultivation progress, it would take at least half a year to go from three feet eight inches to four feet three inches.

Moreover, this saves not only half a year of time, but also the money needed for those half a year.

This Purple Essence Fruit is worth refining.

In addition to the increase in Qi and blood, Lin Yan could clearly feel that a deeper connection had been established between the Qi and blood in his body and his bones. It was no longer just a simple matter of Qi and blood nourishing the bones, but rather that the Qi and blood could penetrate into the bone tissue and temper it from the deepest part.

This is the characteristic after four rounds of skin resurfacing and bone tempering: Qi and blood penetrate the bones, resulting in a complete transformation.

In the realm of martial arts, one has finally reached the final stage of skin smoothing.

Lin Yan looked inward at the martial arts tree in his mind, the leaves of the Jinghong Sword Technique, their white light flowing and mesmerizing.

The Jinghong Sword Technique has reached its limit at this stage and cannot be improved any further.

"It's time to leave the Yangtian Mountains."

Having broken through to the fourth level of skin refining, he needs the next stage of the Blood Exchange Realm technique, and he also needs to know the reaction of the fourth branch of the family after Lin Mingyu's death.

Entrance to Eagle's Beak Gorge.

When Lin Yan appeared at the entrance, Qian Wanli was resting with his eyes closed. Upon seeing Lin Yan, he immediately stood up and said, "Young Master Lin is out. It seems this trip must have been very fruitful."

Looking at Lin Yan, Qian Wanli was somewhat puzzled. Only a few days had passed, but the feeling he got from the young master Lin was completely different from before.

Qian Wanli didn't think about the fourth skin polishing, not because he knew Lin Yan's progress of the third skin polishing, but because he didn't think Lin Yan would dare to make a breakthrough in the Yangtian Mountains.

If the skin retouching fails after four attempts, it's almost impossible to recover.

Even members of the Lin family would be extremely careful when attempting to break through to the fourth level of the Skin-Refining Realm, adjusting themselves to their optimal state before attempting the breakthrough. Some martial artists who had only broken through to the third level would even consult a fortune teller to select an auspicious day.

"good."

Lin Yan patted the cloth bag at his waist, which was filled with a lot of medicinal herbs, all of which he had picked on his way back.

After bidding farewell to Qian Wanli, Lin Yan returned directly to his courtyard. With the Devouring Technique, as long as he didn't reveal himself, outsiders...

It's impossible to tell that he has already used skin smoothing four times.

Let's not rush to reveal the fact that we've done four skin smoothing sessions; let's wait a few days and observe the situation before making any announcements.

Several days later, in the Le'an County area of ​​the Yangtian Mountains.

"Mingyu hasn't returned yet?"

"Mingyu rushed into the mountains early this morning and hasn't returned yet."

"Five days have passed and there's still no news. Something must have happened. Gather people and go into the mountains to search."

"Brother Chuan, isn't this a bit inappropriate? Mingyu brought outsiders in with him."

Lin Mingchuan's expression turned cold: "Even if you think Mingyu's path in martial arts is ruined, he is my own brother. I want to see him alive or dead."

Upon hearing this, the young man immediately lowered his head. Lin Mingyu had been too clever for his own good back then, and his path in martial arts had been ruined. Even in the Fourth Branch, he didn't have much of a status. But Brother Chuan was different. Brother Chuan was one of the leading figures of the younger generation in the Fourth Branch.

"Brother Lin, Master Yuan is here."

Zhao Tieshan's voice rang out from outside the courtyard. Lin Yan quickly opened the gate and welcomed Zhao Tieshan and Lin Mingyuan, who had just arrived at the door.

"Master Yuan, I have some things to take care of here, so I'll take my leave now."

97

After taking Lin Mingyuan to Lin Yan's courtyard, Zhao Tieshan was perceptive enough to realize that the two Lin family members were likely discussing matters related to the Lin family, so as an outsider, he should sensibly leave.

"Lin Yan, how are you doing here?" Lin Mingyuan stepped into the courtyard, looked around, and asked with a smile.

"I'm quite comfortable here. It's quiet and peaceful. I'm also grateful to Brother Yuan for arranging this place for me."

As Lin Yan spoke, he poured tea for Lin Mingyuan. Lin Mingyuan drank a cup and casually asked, "I heard from Old Zhao that you went into the mountains a few days ago. How was your trip?"

"The harvest was alright."

Seeing Lin Yan's somewhat embarrassed smile, Lin Mingyuan smiled. In his mind, Lin Yan came from a branch village and had never seen anything good. He was probably overjoyed after entering the mountains, but he also felt a little embarrassed.

"I've come to inform you that you should not go into the mountains for the time being."

"Okay, don't worry, Brother Yuan, I won't go into the mountains that often."

"Lin Yan, you misunderstood me. In the past, it wouldn't have mattered if you stayed in the mountains for a whole month, but recently some things have happened."

Lin Mingyuan knew that Lin Yan had misunderstood. There was actually no difference between staying in the mountains for a month and going into the mountains a few times a month.

The Yangtian Mountains are vast and contain many medicinal herbs, but even within them, rare herbs are not easy to find. Sometimes, with good luck, one can find them shortly after entering the mountains, while other times, with bad luck, one can spend a month in the forest without reaping any rewards.

As for ordinary medicinal herbs, Lin Mingyuan didn't even consider that possibility.

As a member of the Lin family, one would look down on medicinal herbs worth only a few dozen taels of silver.

Seeing Lin Yan's puzzled expression, Lin Mingyuan explained in a deep voice, "While you were in the mountains, Lin Mingyu from the fourth branch also went into the mountains and hasn't come out yet. He may have encountered an accident. There are already hundreds of people from the fourth branch searching for him. If you go into the mountains now and run into the people from the fourth branch, it won't be a good thing."

The third and fourth branches of the family have a grudge, and the fourth branch is currently in a fit of anger. If Lin Yan were to encounter them in the mountains, a quarrel or even a fight might break out, and he was worried that Lin Yan would suffer a loss.

"I understand, I won't be going into the mountains for a while."

Lin Yan nodded, then asked curiously, "Brother Yuan, what is the strength of this Lin Mingyu you mentioned? How could he have an accident in the mountains? Did he encounter a powerful beast?"

"Lin Mingyu knows which areas of the Yangtian Mountains are forbidden zones, so how could he possibly have gone to those places? The most likely explanation is that he was poisoned. As for his strength—he's a piece of trash who has no potential left, barely qualifying as a half-step blood transfusion."

Lin Mingyuan's face held a mocking expression, which Lin Yan silently noted down. He then smiled bitterly and said, "Brother Yuan, if even a half-step Blood Exchange Realm cultivator is considered trash, then I'm even worse than trash."

Seeing Lin Yan's wry smile, Lin Mingyuan immediately asked, "Does your clan have any warriors who have undergone four levels of skin-grinding?"

"no."

"I didn't explain it clearly, and you misunderstood."

Lin Mingyuan chuckled, then carefully considered his words before explaining, "After four skin-sharpening stages comes blood exchange, which you should know. However, the timing for a martial artist who has undergone four skin-sharpening stages to enter the blood exchange realm is different from that of the skin-sharpening stage."

"The four stages of skin refining require sufficient Qi and blood. You must overcome each stage one by one. However, after the four stages of skin refining, you do not need to cultivate to the highest level. You only need to cultivate for a short period of time to try to break through to the Blood Exchange Realm."

Lin Yan silently digested the meaning behind Yuan Ge's words. He had never known that he could break through to the Blood Exchange Realm after four skin-sharpening sessions.

The reason why those martial artists in Guangping County who had undergone four rounds of skin-grinding did not reach the Blood Exchange Realm, including their own masters, was mainly because they did not have the cultivation techniques for the Blood Exchange Realm.

Even a skilled cook can't cook without rice.

Reaching the Blood Transformation Realm must be more complex than it seems, right?

Seeing Lin Yan's thoughtful expression, Lin Mingyuan smiled and said, "Stop overthinking. You'll understand once I explain it to you step by step."

"I do have a lot of questions, thank you for clearing them up, Brother Yuan."

Lin Yan hurriedly expressed his gratitude. Lin Mingyuan pointed to the water vat in the yard and said, "The human body is like a vat, and qi and blood are like the water in the vat. There is a limit to the amount of water that the vat can hold. Once you reach the peak of the fourth skin-smoothing process, your qi and blood can no longer increase."

"If you want to continue to get stronger, you can only take another path. The so-called blood exchange is not to replace the blood and qi in your body, but to refine and purify them. It's like blacksmithing. Pig iron has many impurities and is brittle and soft, but after repeated forging, the impurities are removed and it becomes hard. After reaching the blood exchange realm, you will no longer increase your blood and qi, but will continuously refine them. This process is called the fourth stage of blood exchange."

Fourth job advancement?

I want you?

Lin Yan: ————

He understood somewhat why Brother Yuan had said that Lin Mingyu was the most useless.

If the Blood Exchange Realm cannot increase Qi and Blood, then the four Skin Polishing Stages are the last chance to increase Qi and Blood.

Lin Mingyu probably hasn't been in the fourth stage of skin refining for long before he starts trying to break through to the Blood Exchange Realm.

"The stronger the Qi and blood, the stronger it will be after refinement."

"That's right, you're quick-witted. That makes sense."

Lin Mingyuan's eyes showed appreciation. It was truly impressive that Lin Yan could see through the relationship between the four skin-sharpening stages and the blood-changing stage so quickly.

"Ordinary martial artists, if they have a Blood Exchange Realm technique, will immediately try to break through to the Blood Exchange Realm. But for the Lin family, including the other three major families in Qingzhou Prefecture, the disciples must have their blood and qi more than half of their strength after four skin-grinding processes before they can break through to the Blood Exchange Realm. Otherwise, if their blood and qi are not as good as others, they will not be as strong as others at the same level when they reach the Blood Exchange Realm."

"The fourth stage of Blood Exchange is no easier than the fourth stage of Skin Polishing. Each stage can trap many people, and weak blood and qi are equivalent to being three points weaker than others from the start. Any martial artist with ambition would not choose to attempt Blood Exchange after just entering the fourth stage of Skin Polishing."

"I called Lin Mingyu a piece of trash because he started trying to break through to the Blood Exchange Realm just a few months after entering the fourth stage of Skin Refining. With his blood and qi, even if he really entered the Blood Exchange Realm, no matter how many stages he broke through, he would be at the bottom of each stage. In addition, his blood and qi are less than half full, which almost completely cuts off the possibility of stepping into the next realm."

Lin Yan estimated that Lin Mingyu had only been in the fourth stage of skin refining for a short time before attempting to break through to the Blood Exchange Realm, and had not yet succeeded. In terms of true strength, he was probably not even as strong as the top experts in the fourth stage of skin refining.

There's no reason to be complacent about defeating a piece of trash.

"Brother Yuan, Lin Mingyu should know all this, so why is he so eager to break through to the Blood Exchange Realm?"

If it were any other fourth-stage skin-polishing martial artist from a county town, without any background or powerful connections, it would be quite an achievement to even reach the Blood Exchange Realm in this lifetime. It doesn't matter how strong they are in the Blood Exchange Realm, since even the weakest Blood Exchange Realm expert is still in the Blood Exchange Realm, not someone a fourth-stage skin-polishing martial artist can easily fool.

But Lin Mingyu, as a member of the fourth branch of the main family, should not have done this at all.

"This matter involves something within the clan, but it's not necessary for you to know about it."

Lin Mingyuan's eyes darkened, clearly not wanting to discuss the matter further. Instead, he changed the subject, saying, "Going back to what we were saying earlier, the reason why I said that ordinary martial artists who have undergone four rounds of skin-sharpening would choose to break through to the Blood Exchange Realm as soon as they obtain a Blood Exchange Realm technique is because the stronger their blood and qi, the more difficult it is to break through to the Blood Exchange Realm."

After saying that, Lin Mingyuan pointed to the water vat in the courtyard again: "Just like the water in the vat, if you want to boil it, if there is less water, you need less firewood and it will take less time. If there is more water, you need to consume more firewood and time. Many martial artists who have undergone the fourth level of skin-sharpening without a background find it difficult to break through to the Blood Exchange Realm. Once they have too much blood and qi, their hope becomes even more remote."

Lin Yan nodded. By now, he had a clear understanding of the fourth level of the Skin Polishing Realm and the Blood Exchange Realm.

When to attempt to break through to the Blood Transformation Realm is a crucial question.

Each of the four skin-sharpening warriors made their choices based on a self-assessment of their own background and talents.

The less blood and qi one has, the easier it is to exchange blood, but one's strength is at the bottom among those who have undergone the same transformation.

The more Qi and blood one has, the more difficult it is to perform a blood transfusion, but the stronger one becomes once successful.

Furthermore, is the ultimate goal of martial arts merely to reach the Blood Exchange Realm, or is there a higher pursuit?

"Lin Yan, don't be fooled by the fact that our family members have far more martial arts resources than those without a background or backing. The internal competition is still fierce. You know the situation in the Lin family. It's divided into five branches—each branch has its own internal competition, and then it competes with the other four branches. In the Lin family, the clan will no longer invest any resources in any member who doesn't have the potential to reach the True Qi Realm. Lin Mingyu has cut off his own path in martial arts and can no longer obtain any martial arts resources from the clan."

Hearing Yuan Ge's words, Lin Yan's doubts were answered.

No wonder Lin Mingyu, as a member of the fourth branch of the main family, would violate the clan rules by secretly sending people into the mountains. This is because he cannot obtain any martial arts resources from the clan and can only obtain them on his own.

It seems that the matter of Lin Mingyu, which Brother Yuan forbade me to inquire about, is no small matter.

Something big must have happened that forced Lin Mingyu to attempt to break through to the Blood Exchange Realm not long after breaking through the fourth Skin Polishing Realm.

There's another question!

Lin Yan frowned and asked疑惑地问道, "Brother Yuan, according to you, Lin Mingyu can no longer obtain any martial arts resources from the clan, so how come so many people are still searching for him in the mountains?"

Someone who has no potential in the clan and has been clearly abandoned should not make such a big fuss.

"Lin Mingyu is ruined, but his brother Lin Mingchuan is one of the top young people in the fourth branch of the family. It was Lin Mingchuan who led the search into the mountains this time. Moreover, Lin Mingchuan is also the person in charge of guarding the entrance to another county in the Yangtian Mountains."

It turned out to be the case.

Lin Yan nodded. It seemed that Lin Mingyu was able to bring people into the mountains without permission, probably thanks to his brother.

"Lin Mingyu's matter is none of your concern, so don't pay too much attention to it." Lin Mingyuan added, "The strength of a martial artist's blood and qi does not represent their strength. A martial artist's strength is also related to their martial arts techniques, martial arts intent, and combat experience. If you ever truly enter the Blood Exchange Realm, don't be careless or underestimate those ordinary Blood Exchange Realm martial artists whose blood and qi are not as strong as yours."

"Thank you for your guidance, Brother Yuan, but the Blood Transformation Realm is still a long way off for me."

"Haha, I'm just giving you a heads-up. Don't underestimate yourself. With Minghai watching over you, breaking through the fourth level of skin-polishing is still no problem. Reaching the Blood Exchange Realm isn't out of the question; it's just a matter of time."

"Then I'll take your kind words, Brother Yuan." Lin Yan smiled shyly, then asked curiously, "Brother Yuan, you should have already reached the Blood Transformation Realm. May I ask what stage you've reached?"

"I'm only at the second stage of the Blood Exchange Realm, still a bit weaker than your Brother Hai. What, you want to see the strength of someone in the Blood Exchange Realm?"

"I really want to see it for myself."

Lin Yan nodded. His initial purpose in asking was to compare it with the height of the Martial Arts Tree, but it would be even better if Brother Yuan was willing to show off his skills in front of him.

"Then let me show you the unique blood essence of the Blood Exchange Realm."

Lin Mingyuan's clothes suddenly fluttered in the wind, and a layer of blood-red light quickly appeared on his body.

Blood-red light enveloped his entire body, and Lin Yan felt an oppressive pressure that made him feel suffocated.

There is absolutely no chance of winning!

Even if I go all out, I'm afraid I still won't be able to break through Brother Yuan's blood aura.

Lin Yan clearly sensed the difference between Lin Mingyu and Brother Yuan. Lin Mingyu's blood energy could only be gathered in his hands, which was why he had not fully entered the Blood Exchange Realm.

At the same time, the two are worlds apart in terms of the concentration of blood essence.

It seems that I have almost no chance of winning against a true Blood Exchange Realm expert.

"Blood Qi is something that all Blood Exchange Realm experts possess. Once you reach the Blood Exchange Realm, you will no longer be suppressed by Blood Qi."

Seeing Lin Yan's pale face, Lin Mingyuan burst into laughter. He had just revealed his Blood Qi, not only to satisfy Lin Yan's curiosity, but also to show off in front of his little brother.

Humans are all vain.

His talent is not considered high among the other Ming-generation brothers in the third branch of the family, and he is only at the second level so far.

In the past, he always watched Song Ge and Ming Hai steal the spotlight. Now that he has finally met Lin Yan, a younger brother he finds agreeable, he can also enjoy the thrill of showing off in front of others.

After seeing Yuan Ge off, Lin Yan returned to the courtyard.

He had originally planned to go back to the Lin family to ask Brother Hai for the Blood Transformation Realm cultivation method now that he had completed four skin-smoothing sessions, but according to Brother Yuan, he could continue to cultivate with the Thunder Sound Technique and wait until his blood and qi were stronger before asking Brother Hai for help.

Fortunately, this also allows him to temporarily conceal the fact that he has undergone four skin retouching sessions. By revealing the fact that he has undergone four skin retouching sessions later, he can also make the fourth branch of the family ignore him.

Although he felt that even if he used skin smoothing four times, the fourth branch of the family wouldn't suspect him, the lower his profile was, the better.

The only regret is that I can't go into the mountains again for a while, but fortunately I still have some silver notes on me, which can last for a few more months.

P.S.: It's the last day of double monthly votes! A new book suddenly appeared today, dropping me to eleventh place among new books. Thanks to everyone for helping me get back up to tenth. Do you still have any monthly votes? In a few days, two more books with lots of monthly votes will suddenly drop down, so tenth place isn't safe. Please support me with your monthly votes!