He obtained the God of All Laws from human skin.

Chapter 149 Terrifyingly Powerful, Hu Daoren's Thoughts

Qi Xiuyuan crashed into the pile of rubble, struggling to get up, but ultimately couldn't hold back and coughed up a mouthful of blood.

Qin Chuan's punch not only broke his ribs, but also contained a strange and unusual force.

The force surged wildly through his meridians, like a red-hot, dull knife slowly stabbing at his internal organs, making it impossible for him to control the chaotic blood and qi within his body.

He gritted his teeth and used his Bone Forging Realm cultivation to forcefully tap his body a few times to suppress the surging blood energy within him. Then he took out a pill from his pocket and swallowed it.

After a series of movements, Qi Xiuyuan finally felt his injuries ease a little. He then looked at Qin Chuan opposite him and spoke, his tone filled with undisguised surprise: "The true meaning of martial arts! You actually mastered the true meaning of martial arts!"

He was merely at the Blood Condensation Realm, yet he had grasped the true essence of martial arts.

How is that possible?

It is important to know that it is extremely difficult for a martial artist to grasp the true essence of martial arts.

That's something you can't learn just by practicing hard; it requires understanding and a bit of luck.

Although martial arts are prevalent in Qinghe County and there are over a thousand martial artists, the number of those who have truly grasped the essence of martial arts is no more than one palm strike's worth.

Even the master of the Zhenshan Martial Arts School only managed to comprehend it after decades of consistent accumulation of knowledge and skills, after achieving mastery of martial arts.

Even though Qi Xiuyuan's talent was praised as one in a million, after practicing martial arts for several years, he had only barely approached the threshold of the true meaning of martial arts. There was still a long way to go before he could truly comprehend the true meaning of martial arts.

He had always believed that, looking across the entire Qinghe County, no one among the younger generation could surpass him in the true essence of martial arts.

However, today, he lost to a young man who had never appeared on the martial arts arena before, a gambling den manager whom he had never given a second glance.

This person not only mastered the hidden strength, but also integrated the true meaning of martial arts into his fist. With just one punch, he could shock one's mind. Such talent, such endowment!

Horror!

On the other hand, Qin Chuan's condition wasn't exactly good either.

He took three or four steps back, staggered a few times before regaining his balance, and instinctively pressed his left hand against his right shoulder.

Qi Xiuyuan was, after all, the champion of the martial arts competition, and his combat experience was extremely rich.

Although the punch he had just delivered landed squarely on Qi Xiuyuan, in the instant Qi Xiuyuan was stunned, his body's instinctive reaction still caused his fist to fall unconsciously, striking Qin Chuan's shoulder.

Although the force of that punch was far less than that of a full-force strike, the foundation of the Bone Forging Realm was still there, and every move was powerful and heavy. If Qin Chuan had not mastered the Iron Body Technique and had not had a physique that was different from that of ordinary martial artists, his bones would probably have been broken.

Faced with Qi Xiuyuan's question, Qin Chuan naturally had no obligation to answer. He relaxed his shoulders, took a step forward, and prepared to beat the dog when it was down.

When Qi Xiuyuan saw Qin Chuan walking towards him, a glint flashed in his eyes. Without hesitation, he imitated Qin Chuan's earlier method, grabbed a handful of sand mixed with gravel and pebbles, and threw it at Qin Chuan.

He had previously scoffed at this move, considering it a low-class trick, but now he used it without hesitation.

Qin Chuan subconsciously raised his arm to shield his eyes, his movement slowing down by half a beat.

As he lowered his arm, Qi Xiuyuan turned and rushed toward the crowd of onlookers by the roadside. He yanked off the reins of one of the black horses, mounted it, and squeezed its flanks with both legs. The black horse neighed and galloped off toward the city gate.

The man whose horse had been stolen was momentarily stunned, but quickly recovered and shouted. However, in his panic, he couldn't utter a complete sentence, only managing to squeeze out a few words: "My! Your! Horse!"

Qin Chuan stood in the middle of the dirt road, watching the black horse gradually disappear into the distance, but he didn't rush to chase after it.

In front of so many people, he couldn't possibly kill Qi Xiuyuan. Besides, he had already used up most of his previous methods. If he chased after him now, it would be difficult to take down Qi Xiuyuan without injury using only his hands and feet. He might even let Qi Xiuyuan fight back desperately before he died, causing an accident.

It would be better to let it go for now, and prepare various methods when we get back. If we encounter it again later, we will be able to take it down more easily.

Thinking of this, Qin Chuan didn't hesitate and headed towards the city gate. However, he didn't rush back to Heaven and Earth, but instead headed towards the Iron Hand Gang headquarters.

The Iron Hand Gang's chief steward was attacked without provocation by the senior disciple of the Zhenshan Martial Arts School, and this matter naturally needed to be addressed.

As Qin Chuan left, the onlookers began to whisper among themselves, "Hey, wasn't that guy who just stole the horse Qi Xiuyuan, the senior disciple of the Zhenshan Martial Arts School?"

"That's him. I saw him on the stage during the martial arts competition. He was the champion."

"The champion of the martial arts competition was actually defeated and forced to flee in disarray. Who was that person?"

Outside the Zhenshan Martial Arts School, Qi Xiuyuan arrived on horseback. When he dismounted, he staggered slightly and almost fell to his knees on the steps if he hadn't grabbed the saddle in time.

Several disciples guarding the door, with sharp eyes, quickly stepped forward to help him, but he raised his hand to stop them.

"Senior Brother, what happened to you—" one of the disciples couldn't help but ask, his gaze falling on the patch of blood-soaked clothing on his chest, his surprise barely concealed.

The disciples guarding the gate looked at each other, their eyes filled with doubt and astonishment. Their senior brother was always invincible among the younger generation in Qinghe County. Who could have injured him like this?

Although they were very curious, none of them dared to chase after them and ask what was going on.

In the backyard, Deng Yifei, the master of Zhenshan Martial Arts School, sat in a rattan chair by a stone table, holding a cup of hot tea in his hand and a yellowed boxing manual on his lap, slowly savoring it.

Hearing footsteps, he looked up, his gaze falling on Qi Xiuyuan. His hand holding the teacup paused slightly, and the leisurely expression on his face froze instantly.

The eldest disciple in front of me had a large dark red stain on his chest, clearly indicating that he was injured, and quite seriously so.

"Weren't you going to teach the manager of that Heaven on Earth a lesson?" Deng Yifei put down his teacup, his brows furrowed, his tone tinged with surprise. "How did things turn out like this? Did you run into Qian Laifu of the Iron Hand Gang? Or did Ma Yanwang personally intervene?"

"No," Qi Xiuyuan said somewhat embarrassedly. After a moment of silence, he continued, "I didn't meet anyone else. I only saw the manager. This person was very discreet and didn't seem like an ordinary martial artist on the surface."

Upon hearing this, Deng Yifei reacted as if he'd heard a joke, slamming his teacup down on the table. His tone was full of disdain: "So what if he's extraordinary? He's just a Blood Condensation Realm cultivator. You're a Bone Forging Realm cultivator, albeit only at the Minor Completion stage. But the difference between you can't be bridged by mere techniques. Tell me, how did a Blood Condensation Realm cultivator manage to beat you up like this?"

Upon hearing this, Qi Xiuyuan stopped trying to hide it and tore off his ripped clothes, revealing the shocking wound on his chest.

A fist mark was dented into the sternum, with bluish-purple and black edges. A very faint burn mark remained on the skin, as if it had been branded with a red-hot iron. It was the mark left by Qin Chuan's punch.

"Although that kid is only at the Blood Condensation Realm, he has mastered the hidden force."

"So what if it's hidden strength?" Deng Yifei scoffed, his tone still dismissive. "Among martial artists, those who can unleash hidden strength aren't few in Qinghe County, but they're not unheard of. Were you perhaps careless and let him launch a sneak attack?"

"It wasn't a sneak attack," Qi Xiuyuan shook his head, recalling the ferocious, white-browed tiger with piercing eyes he had seen, his words unconsciously tinged with fear and panic. "That kid not only mastered internal energy, but also grasped the true meaning of martial arts!"

Upon hearing this, Deng Yifei's half-closed eyes suddenly widened, and the nonchalant expression on his face vanished instantly, replaced by a serious and astonished look that rarely appeared on his face.

"The true meaning of martial arts—" he repeated softly, his tone completely different from before, "Are you sure?"

Qi Xiuyuan recounted the situation he faced at the time, describing the sudden expansion of the tiger's silhouette in his field of vision and the oppressive feeling that rushed towards him, causing him to freeze involuntarily for a moment.

Even though he was now far away from Qin Chuan, the thought of this still filled his face with unconcealed fear. He shook his head, trying his best to forget the image of the ferocious tiger in his mind, and then said, "Master, I only experienced that feeling when you first demonstrated the true meaning of the Mountain-Crushing Fist to me."

Upon hearing this, Deng Yifei's brows furrowed even more. As someone who had been through it all, he understood the weight of the words "true meaning of martial arts" better than anyone else.

Back then, he started exploring from the Bone Forging Realm, and only barely touched the threshold when he reached the Great Completion of the Bone Forging Realm, which took him a full eight or nine years.

Years later, one night, when he finally threw that punch, he suddenly felt something open up between his bones.

The feeling was indescribable, as if the move had suddenly come to life, and the fist was no longer just a fist, but had come alive.

He understood better than anyone what it meant to comprehend the true meaning of martial arts at the Blood Condensation Realm.

"Such talent—" Deng Yifei lowered his gaze slightly, as if talking to himself, "He's simply a martial arts genius, one in a century!"

When he said this, there was no longer any disdain in his tone; instead, there was a complex expression mixed with emotion and caution.

When Qi Xiuyuan went to find Qin Chuan, Deng Yifei also knew that his purpose was not only for Ma Li and the others, but he also had some selfish motives.

There was a gambling den called Fuyun in the south of the city, and Deng Yifei had invested in it.

Back when Heaven on Earth wasn't open, this gambling den had a considerable turnover. Every month, the dividends went into his pocket, a thick stack of silver notes, which was more than the tuition fees collected by the martial arts school.

But ever since Heaven on Earth opened, the gambling den has been making less and less money.

Qin Chuan was the head manager of the Heaven and Earth Club, and it just so happened that Ma Li and others were involved. He thought he would take this opportunity to have Qi Xiuyuan give them a warning, but he didn't expect the result to be like this.

After a moment of silence, Deng Yifei looked up at Qi Xiuyuan and said, "Tell me everything that happened today from beginning to end, without omitting any details."

The Iron Hands Gang, a secret room in the side room.

Hu Daoren sat cross-legged on a futon in front of the alchemy furnace. A magic array was carved on the ground in front of him, and the painting was placed in the very center of the array.

These days, Hu Daoren has tried everything—from sweet talk to bribery to threats—but Hua Mei seems determined to wear him down to the end, showing no sign of yielding and refusing to utter a single word.

He waited and waited, endured and endured, but today he finally exhausted his last bit of patience.

Since you won't accept the toast, then you'll have to drink the penalty shot.

Forcibly refining it is not as effective as the painting spirit surrendering willingly, but it is still better than simply guarding this stubborn thing that refuses to give in.

He took a deep breath, formed hand seals, and chanted incantations. At the same time, the magic circle on the ground began to glow with a very faint light.

The light gradually spread from the edge of the array's eye, expanding outwards in concentric circles along the vermilion patterns, enveloping the central painting in a dark red halo.

Seeing that the time was right, Hu Daoren bit his finger and flicked the blood onto the painting, preparing to forcibly imprint his mark.

But then he began to feel something was wrong. In a normal refining process, even the most stubborn essence should be forced to reveal its true form at this stage, and there should at least be a rebound of yin energy and the aftershocks of struggle.

But the painting in front of me remained unchanged, as if there was nothing that could be "refined".

wrong!

Hu Daoren abruptly stopped his incantation, lunged forward, grabbed the scroll from the magic array, and examined it repeatedly before his eyes.

The sealing talisman was intact, and the scroll was indeed the one he had taken from the Zheng mansion during the fire; it had not been switched.

But the things in the painting are gone.

The source of the painting's charm, the spirit and essence that should have been sealed within it, has long since vanished.

When the spirit on the painting slowly dissipated, Hu Daoren thought it was because the painting spirit was unwilling to submit to death. Now it seems that the painting spirit had already escaped from the painting, leaving only its shell.

I have been tricked!

From the very beginning, the painting had already shifted its true essence elsewhere; what remained in the painting was merely an empty shell, a lure.

What he painstakingly seized turned out to be a worthless piece of waste paper.

He was silent for a moment, then suddenly chuckled softly.

What a captivating painting! What a masterful escape from the miraculous cicada's shell!

Hu Daoren smiled sinisterly, "Trying to run? Do you think you can escape?"

This painting contains the spirit and aura of the painting spirit. As long as I collect it and use magical artifacts, I will capture the painting spirit no matter where it is, even if it has to be taken to the ends of the earth.

Not long after, the sound of footsteps came again from outside the secret room, and Hu Daoren quickly tidied up his things.

Soon after, King Ma appeared in Hu Daoren's sight, but at this moment his face was not in good condition, pale and looking like he was depleted of vital energy.

Seeing this, Master Hu understood and asked, "The attempt to open the meridians failed?"

King Ma nodded and explained the reason: "Every time I took that pill, when I reached the most crucial juncture, just as I was about to unleash my full power to completely open my meridians, a bone-chilling cold suddenly surged up from my dantian, which I couldn't suppress no matter what I did. My consciousness also became confused, and in my dazed state, it sounded like someone was crying in my ears, intertwined and wrapped around them, and I couldn't shake it off no matter what I did..."

When Hu Daoren heard the words "someone is wailing in my ear," his eye twitched almost imperceptibly.

As the person who personally refined Song Hai, the Winged Tiger, and others into the Boiling Blood Pill, he knew better than anyone where those wails came from.

This Boiling Blood Pill was made primarily from the essence and blood of experts at the Bone Forging Realm.

Although the blood essence had been refined by the fire of the pill to remove its malevolent energy, it was still the condensation of a martial arts master's lifelong cultivation, and more or less still retained some of the owner's resentment and obsession before death.

Normally, these lingering thoughts are suppressed by the medicinal power and cannot cause any trouble. However, when the meridians are opened, the blood and qi boil to the extreme, and the medicinal power is also pushed to its peak, and those lingering thoughts are stirred out.

After hearing Hu Daoren's explanation, Ma Yanwang frowned and said, "I don't care about any regrets. Since you refined the elixir, you have to find a way to solve this problem for me."

Master Hu also frowned. These negative effects were inherent to the Boiling Blood Pill. How could he resolve them?

He was about to say something when he suddenly remembered something: Qin Chuan.

That kid's bloodline naturally contains yang energy, which is the nemesis of yin and evil things. If we can take his essence and blood to make medicine, it can not only dispel the yin energy in the Boiling Blood Pill, but may also enhance the medicinal properties.