The Martial Saint rose to power starting as a substitute bridegroom.

Li Yuan stopped taking the medicine late at night when the effects of the Xiao Pei Yuan San wore off.

【Azure Dragon Entangling Silk Technique (Beginner): 160/200】

The progress has stalled at 160 points.

Sigh, this Xiao Peiyuan San is truly a complicated matter.

Its medicinal effect is less than half that of Xiao Peiyuan Dan.

Even so, he doesn't have any more now.

It seems I'll need to go to the black market auction tomorrow.

Li Yuan knew that practicing more wouldn't be very effective and would only deplete his body, so he filled a basin with water, washed away the sweat, and went back to his room to rest.

......

......

......

The Lu family.

The fire in the stove went out for the third time. Lu Qing finally couldn't hold back and threw the half-wet firewood in his hand hard on the ground.

Sparks flew up, burning the back of his hand.

At this time of day, he would normally be using the Minor Qi-Nourishing Pill sent by the Qian family to begin his cultivation, taking advantage of its potent effects.

But now...

Even the stove in the house seemed to be against him; the little warmth in the room dissipated faster than the morning mist.

slam-la-

Lu Qing emptied the deerskin money bag and began counting it.

After a moment, he sighed and put it back on.

"There's less than five hundred taels left. If I'd known this would happen, I shouldn't have gone drinking and womanizing with those so-called 'brothers' so many times!"

Now that the Qian family has fallen, he is all alone, and all his so-called friends have disappeared.

Lu Qing has been stuck at the bottleneck of the second level of Dark Force for some time and urgently needs a Small Qi Cultivation Pill to break through to the third level in order to ensure that he will be absolutely safe in the Martial Arts Examination.

He gripped the deerskin money pouch tightly in his hand, his fingernails feeling cold.

......

......

......

In the side hall where the Song family received guests, expensive calming incense was burning. The scent was elegant, but it made Lu Qing feel suffocated.

He sat on the hardwood chair, his back ramrod straight, like a taut string.

Song Hansheng leisurely stirred the tea foam with the lid of his cup, and said with a smile, "So it's Martial Arts Master Lu, what a rare guest! Instead of preparing for your martial arts exam, how come you have time to grace my humble abode with your presence?"

"Uncle Song...," Lu Qing's throat was dry, and his voice was a few decibels lower than usual, "I have come here today specifically to apologize to Uncle Song."

"What's this talk of apologizing?"

"In the past, I was ignorant and foolish, and I wrongly entrusted my future and destiny to the Qian family. Now, I beg Uncle Song to allow me to become a retainer of the Song family. I will certainly serve them faithfully to the death!"

Prior to this, the Song family was among the wealthy businessmen who came to Qingniu Martial Arts Society to investigate potential investment targets.

However, at that time, Lu Qing, who was favored by the Qian family, did not even glance at the Song family's butler.

"Oh?" Song Hansheng finally looked up, a smile on his face, but his eyes were devoid of warmth. "I remember back then, it seems that Master Lu didn't think so."

Lu Qing felt as if she had been slapped across the face; it stung.

He dug his nails into his palms, forcing himself to speak calmly: "Times have changed. Uncle is a man of great principle and will certainly not hold a grudge against a junior for past ignorance."

"To fuss over?" Song Hansheng laughed, setting down his teacup. The porcelain clinked softly against the rosewood table. "How could I, Song Hansheng, be such a petty person?! ... However, the Merchant Alliance has its own rules. Recruiting newcomers, especially promising martial arts disciples, is not something I, Song, can decide on my own. It requires the joint discussion of several managers."

He leaned forward slightly, his tone almost earnest, but his words were like a soft knife: "Martial Master Lu, there's no need to rush. Let's go back first and have a small meeting to discuss this in detail."

Lu Qing felt a chill run through his body.

To hold a meeting and discuss?

This was just an excuse from Song Hansheng; it sounded polite, but it was no different from telling him to get lost.

"Uncle Song, you only need to lend me one Minor Qi-Nourishing Pill. Just one will help me break through my bottleneck and achieve great success in the future martial arts examination! I will repay you tenfold!"

Song Hansheng looked pained. "Martial Arts Master Lu, I understand how you feel. But you know how precious the Lesser Qi-Nourishing Pill is. It's not that I'm unwilling to give it, but I truly don't have any!"

That's the truth.

Nowadays, Xiao Peiyuan Dan is extremely difficult to find on the market.

Lu Qing stood up, his fist-clasping gesture somewhat stiff, and it took him a long time to speak: "...In that case, this junior...takes his leave."

"Take care." Song Hansheng picked up his teacup, his voice coming from behind the rising steam, indistinct and slow, "Afu, see Young Master Lu off. The threshold is high, watch your step."

The old servant named Afu bowed and responded, leading him outside.

As Lu Qingzhen stepped over the vermilion threshold, which was about a foot high, she felt as if she had tripped.

It's not that the threshold is too high, it's that my legs are a little weak.

A very faint chuckle seemed to come from behind him, like a needle pricking his back.

"You old bastard!" Walking a hundred meters from the Song family's house and turning into a dark alley, Lu Qing slammed his fist into the damp brick wall, sending dust and plaster flying. "I, Lu Qing, will remember this humiliation! You'll regret this someday!"

Song Hansheng leisurely got up and walked into the back hall, as if nothing had happened.

What he didn't notice was that behind the sandalwood screen painted with orchids in the side hall, a light blue skirt hem quietly shrank back.

Song Ziwei pressed her back tightly against the screen, her fingers unconsciously twisting the sash of her clothes.

Lu Qing's suppressed anger pierced through every word of her father's words.

"Little Peiyuan Pill..." she murmured the name.

Lu Qing's words just now revealed that the bottleneck in a martial artist's cultivation seems to be related to this pill.

When the Qian family's financial support stopped, Lu Qing immediately panicked, which shows how much this pill could help with cultivation.

"Then, Li Yuan needs it too, right?"

A certain part of Song Ziwei's heart twitched slightly.

......

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......

The following day, at the Green Ox Martial Arts Society.

Li Yuan finished his practice and stood still, wiping the sweat from his forehead. His stomach had been rumbling for a long time.

At this moment, the gatekeeper jogged over, stopped at the moon gate, and waved to Li Yuan.

"Martial Arts Master Li, there's an invitation for you."

Li Yuan took a look, his brows relaxed, and he chuckled softly.

The invitation was written by Liang Bai, and the words were sincere, inviting him to a chat at the Wangjiang Tower in the inner city.

"Could it be that the Liang family's situation has improved?"

Twilight Quadruple.

Li Yuan, dressed in a neat, plain white training uniform, went straight up to the third floor, to the Luoyang Hall.

As the door to the private room opened, a delicate sandalwood fragrance wafted out.

Beside Liang Bai sat a woman who was six months pregnant; she was his wife, Madam Yan.

Upon seeing Li Yuan, the two men's eyes lit up, and they quickly stood up.

"Officer Li, please take a seat!"

The two reserved the main seat for him, and Li Yuan accepted it without hesitation.

"Brother Liang, sister-in-law, you're too kind."

Madam Yan spoke gently and sincerely, “Brother Li helped us get the shop back. We haven’t had a chance to properly thank him yet. Today, my husband and I have prepared a small feast, which is nothing but a token of our appreciation.”

"You're being too polite, sister-in-law," Li Yuan said with a smile.

Liang Bai was initially a bit reserved in front of his superior, but after Li Yuan's words, he relaxed and the atmosphere became much more relaxed.

He stood up and greeted the shop assistants outside.

Before long, a group of beautiful female shop assistants filed in, placing one delicious dish after another on the table.

The last main dish was a jade plate carved from a single piece of translucent white jade, on which sat a piece of meat that resembled tofu.

The meat chunks had an incredible amber-like color, with a crystal-clear skin, coated with a thick and glossy sauce, and with tiny silver specks of light that seemed to shimmer like stars within them.

The meat was different from any other meat I had ever seen; I didn't know what kind of meat it was.

Liang Bai smiled. "This meat comes from the exotic beast 'Silver Horned Antelope.' The Silver Horned Antelope lives in the low-temperature region of the high plateau beyond the Great Wall. It takes a year of feasting to grow two pounds of meat, which is very beneficial to martial artists' cultivation. Legend has it that the meat of this exotic beast is one of the main ingredients for refining the 'Minor Qi Cultivation Pill.'"

Madam Yan continued, "This meat is rare. It was a stroke of luck for my family's hunting team to hunt it and send two catties to my husband and me. Today, we specially prepared it for Brother Li as a token of our appreciation."

Beast meat!

Li Yuan's heart stirred slightly.

The Liang family's hospitality to their guests demonstrates their sincerity.

"Brother Liang and his wife have been so kind to me; I am truly unworthy of such treatment," Li Yuan said.

Liang Bai, worried that Li Yuan might feel embarrassed, deliberately took a small bite with his chopsticks first, saying, "Li Xun, there's no need to be so polite!"

Only then did Li Yuan pick up his chopsticks.

When the chopsticks touched it, the meat was not mushy, but rather had the unique suppleness and elasticity of exotic beast meat.

With a gentle bite, you first feel an extremely crisp, smooth, and almost melt-in-your-mouth gelatinous outer layer.

As you delve deeper into the teeth, the internal muscle fibers instantly reveal an amazing sense of layering. Initially, it is rich and mellow, then it becomes refreshing and sweet upon closer tasting, and finally, a subtle metallic sheen appears.

As he swallowed, a distinct warm sensation slowly rose from his dantian.

The heat was neither harsh nor intense, but rather mellow and lingering, gently washing over the limbs and bones like a spiritual spring from the earth's veins.

Li Yuan frequently picked up his chopsticks, which pleased the Liang couple.

"My father-in-law's family has some connections in the exotic beast meat business. My wife and I have discussed it and plan to open a shop selling exotic beast meat in the inner city. Of course, it will only be ordinary exotic beast meat; we're afraid it will be difficult to get rare breeds like the 'Silver Horned Antelope.'"

"That's great news! I wish you both a very successful opening!" Li Yuan said, raising his glass in celebration as he ate with grease on his face.

Yan raised his glass in a toast, downed it in one gulp, and said, "Brother Li is already a master of internal strength, but unfortunately, my Liang family's resources are limited, and we cannot provide him with the corresponding treatment. In the future, once the shop's business takes off, we will repay him many times over."

"Li Xun is loyal and righteous. Just for that, I, Liang Bai, would give my life for him!" Liang Bai's eyes reddened slightly.

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......

The moonlight, like a ribbon, shone coldly on the bluestone slabs, reflecting Li Yuan's figure, which sometimes shifted and sometimes remained as steady as a rock.

His bare upper body emitted a faint, visible plume of white steam. The immense potency of the silver horned antelope meat was surging and churning within him, searching for a way to release and transform.

Li Yuan focused intently on practicing the "Azure Dragon Entangling Silk Technique" over and over again.

【Azure Dragon Entangling Silk Technique (Beginner): 170/200】

【Azure Dragon Entangling Silk Technique (Beginner): 180/200】

......

Although this meat is not as potent as the Lesser Nourishing Essence Pill, it is still a rich essence of flesh and blood, and the dosage is quite large.

......

As the cultivation technique continued to circulate, Li Yuan clearly felt his internal energy and blood growing stronger, and gradually a clear, metallic sound lingered deep within his bones.

As night deepened, the full moon hung high in the sky.

Li Yuan could feel that the warm heat source in his abdominal cavity was gradually weakening and thinning, and the effects of the silver antelope meat were nearing their end.

One last time!

His body moved nimbly and agilely within a small space, sometimes as slow as an old bear wading through a river, as steady as a mountain; sometimes as fast as a nimble ape darting through the forest, leaving only a fleeting afterimage.

Click!

The joints and acupoints throughout the body resonate simultaneously.

At the same time, a panel flashed in my mind.

【Azure Dragon Entangling Silk Technique (Beginner): 200/200】

The writing suddenly blurred, then reappeared, its brilliance even greater:

【Azure Dragon Entangling Silk Technique (Minor Success): 0/200】

At the very moment of breakthrough in his cultivation technique, his internal energy and blood suddenly dissipated.

Immediately afterwards, a surge of even stronger and more concentrated hot blood and qi erupted from the dantian, instantly splitting into countless streams that flowed into the meridians throughout the body.

He slowly finished his practice, quietly feeling the more abundant and surging power in his body.

But that's not all.

More importantly, it opened a new door to control over the body and understanding of strength.

With a slight thought, the five senses become clear, and the perception has been greatly enhanced compared to before.

[Realm Level: Second Level of Dark Strength]

I'm one step closer to my goal of getting into a good high school.

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......

It was the middle of the month, at midnight.

The abandoned dock in the west of the city was shrouded in the inky darkness of night, the fishy smell of the river mixed with the damp, decaying wood.

Only a few dim, fading lamps swayed in the wind, casting ghostly shadows.

This place is a completely different world from the bustling and orderly Linjiang City during the day.

Li Yuan, draped in a large black cloak and wearing a silver fox mask, followed several similarly indistinct figures as they silently stepped onto a creaking gangplank and entered the cabin of a huge old ship.

The cabin was surprisingly spacious, crammed with no fewer than a hundred people, yet eerily quiet.

The air was murky, filled with the smells of sweat, smoke, and the fishy odor of brown algae from the river.

Most people covered their faces, their eyes exchanging wary glances in the dim light.

There was a simple wooden platform in front of them, where a gaunt man with scars on his face stood silently, exuding a fierce and menacing aura.

After Li Yuan sat down, he noticed that each seat armrest had a number engraved on it.

The auction began without warning when a voluptuous, veiled woman brought out a bronze tray with an antique-style short dagger on it.

He drew the sword from its sheath; the blade was gleaming white, radiating a cold light.

"This ancient short sword, which originated from the Western Regions, is very likely a blade forged by the ancient sword-making master Feng Wuji. It is engraved with ancient seal script. Even if it is... Hey! Guest number four has offered two hundred taels of silver! Is there anyone offering a higher price?! Is there anyone offering a higher price?!" the scarred man shouted.

The scabbard of that short sword looked like it had just been dug out of the ground not long ago, and it seemed to have been obtained by tomb raiders.

Many people were bidding, and after a few breaths, the price had risen to five hundred taels of silver.

Li Yuan was secretly alarmed, but this short sword was indeed a good thing.

However, this is not his goal for today.

Instead of looking at the stage, he focused his attention on the customers around him.

Most of the guests at the black market auction were dressed in dark cloaks and wore masks.

Most of the guests came alone, but some came in groups of three or five. For example, the guest in seat number seven had four masked, burly men standing behind him.

The guest at seat number nine, with a slender and petite figure, made his ochre cloak appear unusually large.

Behind him, on either side, were two muscular men dressed in black satin short jackets, their faces adorned with tiger-head masks.

Those who came alone came in all shapes and sizes. Judging from their words and actions, they were of all ages and most of them had considerable cultivation.

Without exception, everyone was extremely cautious, and no one even considered having any ulterior motives. It was as if some important figure was keeping them in check on this seemingly dilapidated old ship.

Li Yuan's attention returned to the stage.

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside, and they were even clearer on the deck.

A boy dressed in martial arts clothes carelessly pushed open the door and entered the room.