In chaotic times, one can become a martial immortal.

"Although you managed to kill the third leader of Black Cloud Stronghold by using hidden weapons and agility, it does not mean that you have the strength to truly rival the Transformation Realm."

Cao Yang looked directly at Lu Yuan, then said calmly.

"So what?"

Lu Yuan's expression remained unchanged, his gaze still calm and unwavering.

"If I'm not mistaken, your natural talent isn't exactly exceptional, is it?"

Cao Yang's eyes revealed a hint of pride as he continued, "In the path of martial arts, cultivation is the foundation. If one's innate talent is insufficient, even with resources, it will be difficult to grow quickly. But I am different. My innate talent is excellent; I am a true first-rate genius. My growth rate is far beyond yours. As long as I have enough resources, even entering the first rank in martial arts is not difficult."

"Get to the point!"

Lu Yuan raised an eyebrow slightly.

"If you are willing to sell this century-old blood ginseng to me, I will definitely be able to get it into the top rank before the martial arts exam."

Cao Yang pointed to the sandalwood box in Lu Yuan's hand and said directly.

Whether you can advance to the next level in martial arts is none of my business. I have my own use for this century-old blood ginseng.

Lu Yuan, however, spoke directly and calmly.

"Lu Yuan, you should also be participating in the martial arts exam after the New Year, right?"

Cao Yang frowned slightly and said in a deep voice, "If you can sell me this century-old blood ginseng to help me achieve a certain rank before the martial arts examination, then I can also help you pass smoothly after the examination begins, at least to obtain the title of Martial Arts Scholar. Otherwise, it's impossible for you to succeed on your own!"

"I'm confident I can pass the martial arts exam on my own. If there's nothing else, I'll be going now!"

Lu Yuan said calmly, then turned and left.

"Whoosh!"

However, Cao Yang suddenly moved and blocked Lu Yuan's path.

"What do you mean by this?"

Lu Yuan frowned.

"You'd better think this through. Although you might be able to pass the martial arts exam on your own without my help, if I don't want you to succeed, then you will never pass it!"

Cao Yang looked at Lu Yuan with a half-smile, his words full of threat.

"You can give it a try!"

Lu Yuan glanced at Cao Yang indifferently, then strode away.

"Lu Yuan, wait a minute!"

Just a few steps out of Guangchun Hall, Lu Yuan suddenly heard a voice behind him.

He turned his head and saw Huang Hui striding after him.

"Master Huang, do you also want the century-old blood ginseng I have?"

Lu Yuan stopped, looked up at Huang Hui, and said.

"You've misunderstood. While I do desire this century-old blood ginseng, since you rescued Master Zhou, it naturally belongs to you, which also means I'm not destined to have it!"

Huang Hui smiled and shook his head, then continued, "I'm here to remind you that you killed the third leader of Black Cloud Stronghold, and Zuo Kui and the others will definitely not let it go. Also, you'd better not offend Cao Yang too much!"

"Your hidden weapon may be powerful, but it may not be able to defeat him. Besides, a first-rate genius with such excellent aptitude can grow at a speed far beyond that of ordinary people. It is entirely possible for him to even achieve a high rank in the martial arts examination."

"I see!"

Lu Yuan nodded, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

Perhaps his natural talent is not as good as Cao Yang's, but in terms of growth rate, he is confident that he can far surpass his opponent.

As for the Black Cloud Stronghold's retaliation, he was not worried, because he was about to break through to the Transformation Realm.

Even if the Black Cloud Stronghold's chief chief Zuo Kui and second chief chief Situ Ming came together, he would not be afraid at all.

"By the way, this century-old blood ginseng is extremely potent. You must remember not to take too much at once, otherwise it may cause your qi and blood to surge into your internal organs, or even cause your body to explode and die. One small piece at a time is enough."

Master Huang nodded and continued, "As for this year's martial arts exam, don't have too high expectations. Just treat it as an opportunity to broaden your horizons. This year's martial arts exam is likely to be even more difficult. Unless you can successfully complete the third Qi and Blood Tempering in the remaining month or so, there is almost no hope."

"Thank you for your guidance, Master Huang!"

Lu Yuan didn't say much, he just smiled and nodded.

"Go, starting tomorrow, you will eat three servings of meat every day, just like Cao Yang, and you will also receive a dose of Qi-tonifying soup and a Vitality-tonifying soup!"

Huang Hui nodded with a smile.

Clearly, this was also Lu Yuan's way of thanking Zhou Wu for carrying him back from Black Cloud Village.

Lu Yuan didn't say much, but simply clasped his hands in a slight bow to Huang Hui.

……

For the next two days, Lu Yuan focused on practicing the Five Animal Fist.

Just a small piece of blood ginseng allowed him to reach the terrifying progress of practicing five times a day.

Moreover, each time I practice the Five Animal Fist, the efficiency of nourishing my Qi and blood is greatly improved.

"We can begin!"

Under the cover of night, Lu Yuan went to the courtyard and felt the abundant and powerful qi and blood within his body.

Without hesitation, he immediately assumed the posture and began the third Qi and Blood Tempering.

"Splash... splash... splash..."

Lu Yuan could almost faintly hear the blood and qi surging within his body like ocean waves.

He could clearly feel that every inch of his flesh and bones seemed to be trembling incessantly.

"Crackling and popping..."

His bones and muscles creaked, and a series of crackling sounds, like popping beans, emanated continuously from Lu Yuan's body.

pain!

It hurts so much!

Lu Yuan felt waves of burning pain surging through his limbs and bones.

You could even see that his skin was as red-hot as a branding iron.

The rate at which Qi and blood are depleted is also significantly faster than the previous two times.

Even in just this short time, Lu Yuan felt his mouth was dry and his head was spinning.

Without hesitation, he stuffed a small piece of blood ginseng directly into his mouth.

In an instant, the blood and qi in his body erupted like a volcano, not only being rapidly replenished but also becoming more abundant, even boiling and surging within his body.

The seemingly endless, excruciating pain made him almost want to scream.

But he couldn't help himself; Yang and Xiao Nannan were inside, and he couldn't wake them.

"boom!"

With his spine like a giant dragon and his muscles taut, Lu Yuan felt as if thunder was ringing in his ears.

Finally, the blood and qi that had been surging wildly within his body, like rivers flowing into the sea, quickly gathered into one mass, and then flowed to his limbs and bones, appearing extremely docile.

An unprecedented sense of control arose spontaneously. All the power within the body seemed to have become perfectly integrated, no longer scattered and lifeless. With just a thought, it could be perfectly unified, or it could flow like mercury, penetrating everywhere.

The transformation of internal energy has been achieved!

Splash!

A gust of cold wind blew, and snowflakes began to fall continuously.

Just as the snowflakes were about to land on Lu Yuan, they seemed to touch an invisible force and quietly slid off to the side.

The snow grew heavier and heavier, but no matter how dense the snowflakes were, not a single one actually landed on him.

"Bang! Bang! Bang..."

Suddenly, the once silent night was filled with the intermittent sound of firecrackers.

You can even see fireworks blooming in the distant sky.

Before we knew it, the end of the year was approaching!

Lu Yuan looked up at the colorful fireworks in the sky and couldn't help but smile.

……