Myriad Immortals

With a popping sound.

The small jade bottle was opened.

In an instant, the strange fragrance of medicinal pills filled the entire room.

The bottle opening is tilted.

Two round, dark pills rolled out of the bottle and into Zhong Xuan's hand. These were the Nine Blood Pills that martial artists used to break through to the late stage of the Skin Refining Realm.

Yes.

Not one, but two.

The three hundred taels of silver nearly emptied Zhong Xuan's savings, and he even had to borrow money from the Xu family to pay for the charcoal tribute for the next few months.

No hesitation.

Zhong Xuan tilted his head back and swallowed both Nine Blood Pills.

For martial artists, breaking through a barrier is a matter of either advancing or regressing; once a breakthrough fails, the difficulty of attempting to break through again becomes much greater.

Zhong Xuan was already over sixty years old and did not want to lose more than he gained by greed for money. In order to achieve perfection, he used two Nine Blood Pills in one go.

The terrifying medicinal power of the two Nine Blood Pills exploded in his abdomen in an instant.

boom--

His blood and qi surged, and in an instant it felt as if a flood was rushing forth, with gushing hot currents spreading throughout his limbs and bones, impacting every inch of his skin.

In fact, even if a mid-stage martial artist with the financial means has the resources, they cannot withstand the terrifying medicinal power of two Nine Blood Pills. If they are not careful, they may even suffer a backlash that damages their meridians, making it impossible for them to break through in this lifetime.

Zhong Xuan dared to do this only because he possessed dual-form innate talent.

Unable to hold back any longer, he let out a soft whistle.

Zhong Xuan rolled over and got out of bed.

He grabbed the longsword from under his pillow and began to wield it wildly. The whooshing sound of the sword created a strong wind that made the utensils in the room clang and clatter. His blood surged, turning his skin red, and he felt as if he were being steamed, as if he had endless power.

"What a potent drug!"

"As expected of a precious pill containing the blood and bones of a demon beast."

Zhong Xuan frantically circulated the first three forms of the Flying Eagle Nine Strikes sword technique, unleashing the power within his body.

This process was not pleasant.

The violent force constantly tears the skin, which then recovers under the nourishment of blood and qi. This cycle repeats itself, continuously strengthening its resilience until it becomes even tougher than cowhide.

Zhong Xuan gritted his teeth and persevered.

For a full three hours,

Zhong Xuan's long sword had fallen to the ground at some point, and he stood motionless in the room like a wooden sculpture, his chest rising and falling rhythmically, hot air billowing from his mouth and nose, turning into streaks of white dragons.

"It's done!"

He suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze sharp and bright like stars.

"The dual-form root bone is truly domineering."

Feeling the terrifying power hidden within his body.

Zhong Xuan had seen many instructors and masters of martial arts at the Flying Eagle Martial Arts School. He secretly estimated that he had just broken through, yet he was already in no way inferior to those senior instructors in the late stage of the Skin Refining Realm at the martial arts school.

Each has its own unique characteristics and strengths.

Just like his previous Crane Bone technique, its strength lies in its movement.

The dragon bone is completely different; it is extremely good at physical defense.

Therefore, it made up for one of Zhong Xuan's major disadvantages.

With fewer weaknesses, one naturally gains the upper hand when fighting against others.

This is the power of duality.

"Once you reach this level, you can be considered a skilled fighter in White Sand City."

He has now firmly established himself in the final stage of training.

The next step is bone training.

A martial artist skilled in bone training is capable of serving as a deputy head of a martial arts school in the city, or even as the head of a small martial arts school.

"Use some bone-strengthening medicine to nourish and strengthen the foundation."

A short while later.

A misty vapor rose into the room.

......

......

Inside the Xu family mansion.

Xu Mao and Xu Tian sat facing each other in the room.

"Ah Mao, have you found out what Ma Lei was looking for that day?"

Xu Tian spoke.

"I asked a few of the Ma family lads who were involved in the operation that day, but those guys are very tight-lipped. On the other hand, Ma Lei is going to the Sha Gang more and more frequently."

Xu Mao narrowed his eyes slightly.

He admitted that Ma Lei was a capable young man.

As one of the three strongest forces in White Sand City, the leader of the Sand Gang was so powerful that even the county magistrate treated him with great respect.

Ma Lei's appointment as the head of the village is more than enough for the position of village chief in other villages.

The only thing lacking is perhaps seniority.

Xu Mao sighed softly.

"Ma Fusheng's son is indeed capable."

For a prominent family in a village to prosper for generations, it's not enough for the individual to be successful; their sons also need to be successful. Otherwise, the family will be ruined within three generations.

Although the Xu family has a few promising young men, the gap between them and Ma Lei is simply too great.

Xu Mao's actions were almost predictable.

Once I step down.

I fear that the Xu family will find it difficult to produce another village head within the next twenty years.

The key issue is that Ma Lei is too young and ruthless. Once he takes power, the Xu family will inevitably face suppression from all sides.

This snowstorm will last for more than two or three years.

Xu Mao's eyes then hardened.

Ma Lei is formidable, thanks to his connections with the Sha Gang, but how could he be completely without support?

"In the end, it still falls short of perfection."

"As long as I can still move, Ma Lei can forget about becoming the village chief!"

Xu Tian suddenly asked, "Ah Mao, do you think it's possible for Old Man Zhong to become a scholar?"

"Uncle Chung?"

Xu Mao was taken aback.

He then realized that Zhong Xuan was already at odds with the Ma family. If Zhong Xuan became a Juren (a successful candidate in the imperial examinations), he would be an official receiving a government salary, and suppressing Ma Lei would be a piece of cake.

Xu Mao shook his head and uttered only one word:

"Disaster."

......

......

"Your Excellency, the young master has agreed to send thirty of the gang's best fighters."

in the cave.

Ma Lei remained bowed, speaking respectfully.

Thirty skilled fighters—don't underestimate their number; they are thirty trained martial artists, enough to wipe out an entire village.

"it is good."

The young black witch, Mosha, nodded in satisfaction.

Then he took out a small jade bottle from his bosom.

Ma Lei accepted the small jade bottle with both hands.

There is no cork.

Therefore, he could clearly see what was inside the small jade bottle: a moth shimmering with seven colors under the bright red firelight.

Mosha said calmly, "This is a witch moth that I refined over seven days. As long as that thing appears within a ten-mile radius, the witch moth can find it. However, this moth can only live for five days. You need to find it within five days."

"Go."

"Don't let me down, bring the things back."

"Yes."

Ma Lei was startled.

"The methods of the Black Witch Cult are truly wondrous."

He didn't dare put it in his pocket, so he simply held it in his hand the whole time.

He walked backwards until he was out of the cave, then slowly straightened up, a slight smile playing on his lips.

He glanced at the waist tag hanging from his waist.

That was a personal order from Shi Yuanbai, the young leader of the Sand Gang. With this token, any martial artist below the Bone Refinement level could be commanded at will. Except for a few major forces in the city, there were almost no other rivals.

"In the previous dynasty, there was a minor official in the capital who asked a powerful eunuch for a job to find a three-legged toad. After leaving the capital, even a high-ranking official in a prefecture had to show him respect."

And he is now that minor official.

There's no rush to find the lost item.

There's one more thing I need to do.

A cold glint flashed in Ma Lei's eyes.

"The Xu family, the Liu family, Zhong Xuan..."

"It's time for a change in this little river village."