I was told I'd be a late bloomer, but I was born with the potential to achieve great things!

Sunrise and sunset, and seven days have passed in the blink of an eye.

On a steep rock face, the green grass swayed freely in the mountain breeze, like a frolicking country dog ​​dancing around a blood-red flower.

"Blood Ganoderma Flower".

Looking at the Blood Ganoderma flowers surrounded by Wind-tail Grass, Zhou An, who had climbed over the rocks, had a glint of light in his eyes.

He was very fast and agile, like a gecko. His right hand gripped the rock face tightly with his five fingers like claws, and with a quick reach of his left hand, he picked it off.

Then, wiggling its bottom, it quickly climbed down the mountain along the path it had come from.

"Brother Zhou, with this Blood Ganoderma flower, you should have finished picking six today, right?"

At the bottom of the cliff, Liu Shuqing watched Zhou An land safely, and with a sigh of relief, she spoke.

His eyes held envy, but not a trace of jealousy.

Because he knew that his friend had risked his life for this.

Even if he had mastered the Snake-Tiger Wall-Climbing Skill, he wouldn't dare to pick the fruit in such a short time.

"Hmm, that's the sixth one. I'm afraid I won't have the energy to continue today."

Zhou An patted the lime off his palms, wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand, looked up at the setting sun, and said, panting heavily.

"I'm really impressed with you, do you have to be so reckless?"

Seeing Zhou An's hands trembling and twitching from time to time, Liu Shuqing said irritably.

"There were clearly four people who received Elder Huang's teachings that day, three of whom were senior disciples of Yunxia Station, but do they look like you?"

If you've cultivated yourself to the point of mastery, then you'll dare to take on the challenge.

"With you acting like this, how could I possibly ask you to share some of the blood-nourishing powder with me later?"

"It's not a matter of profound cultivation of martial arts techniques, it's mainly because I have a tiny bit of talent for mountain climbing."

Watching Liu Shuqing skillfully take his medicine basket and carry it on her back, Zhou An smiled and replied, following behind her while his mind also focused on the destiny in his sea of ​​consciousness.

[Snake and Tiger Wall Climbing Skill - Minor Mastery (15/500): 100 practices daily, can be mastered in one year.]

[Iron Pole Kung Fu - Minor Success (38/500: 100 repetitions daily, can be achieved in three years)]

"Although the Snake-Tiger Wall Climbing Technique is used for climbing mountains, the power variations it contains complement the Iron Stake Technique."

Even though I've spent most of my time these past few days climbing mountains and protecting the herb-wielding people, my mastery of internal energy has become increasingly profound.

Thinking of this, Zhou An subconsciously looked at his hands, which were gradually calming down, and sighed in his heart.

At first, he didn't feel it, but when he mastered the Snake-Tiger Wall-Walking Skill to a certain extent, he had a deeper understanding of Huang Huayuan's statement that the spine is a great dragon.

Because the range of movement a person can make on a steep rock face is extremely limited, in order to ensure safety, one must firmly control the core of the body in such a limited space.

Otherwise, one wrong step could send you plummeting from a great height.

One step to life, one step to death.

Because he was constantly on the verge of life and death, Zhou An's mind was highly focused, and his perception of the force became increasingly profound.

"Every mountain climb is a form of spiritual practice."

Despite his exhaustion, Zhou An's eyes shone brightly as he gazed at the swaying grasses on the mountainside.

In the seven days that he learned the Snake-Tiger Wall-Walking Skill, he collected a total of 18 Blood Ganoderma flowers.

According to Huang Huayuan's reward rules, three of the Blood Ganoderma flowers belonged to him.

"Elder Huang, these are the blood-gathering flowers picked today."

In the camp, Zhou An placed the six Blood Ganoderma flowers he had picked in front of Huang Huayuan and said respectfully.

"good."

Seeing that Zhou An's efficiency was significantly faster than in the previous days, Huang Huayuan nodded with satisfaction.

"Go and rest well first. Come back to me in half an hour to get the blood-replenishing powder. Then I will teach you how to use skillful strength to climb the mountain."

"Thank you, Elder Huang."

Upon hearing this, Zhou An happily clasped his hands in thanks.

"Look at your fingernails, they're almost curled up. If you keep damaging them like this, you won't be able to improve your flower-picking efficiency."

Huang Huayuan pointed to Zhou An's broken fingernails and shook his head.

"This disciple will absolutely not take up Elder Huang's time."

Zhou An thanked him and left.

Blood-Gathering Flower is only the core ingredient for refining Blood-Replenishing Powder. If it were any other time or place, obtaining a dose of Blood-Replenishing Powder with just one flower would be far from enough.

This opportunity can only be obtained when going into the mountains to collect herbs.

Although brewing a blood-nourishing powder might not require using up a single flower, considering the other ingredients and the brewing process... overall, Zhou An wouldn't lose much.

"If only I could get the prescription for the blood-replenishing powder."

Looking at the mountains and forests at dusk, Zhou An thought to himself.

The blood-nourishing powder was very effective. After each use, he could clearly feel his qi and blood becoming stronger, which greatly saved the time needed for cultivation.

"Brother Zhou, what do you mean?"

Upon seeing Zhou An return, Liu Shuqing asked him a question.

"Same as before, the Blood-Gathering Flower reward will be exchanged for a Blood-Replenishing Powder."

Zhou An nodded, and after finding a suitable spot, he began to practice his Iron Pole Kung Fu.

He will have blood-nourishing powder to drink later, so he won't have to worry about getting hungry from practicing his skills diligently.

"That's good, but I think you should take it easy."

Seeing that Zhou An started practicing as soon as he returned, Liu Shuqing hesitated for a moment before speaking up to remind him.

"What's wrong?"

Seeing that Liu Shuqing's expression was different, Zhou An's eyes flickered.

Following the direction of their gaze, they saw several senior disciples from Yunxia's residence occasionally glancing in this direction.

"Is it them?"

"good."

Liu Shuqing nodded, her eyes showing seriousness.

"You may not have noticed yet, but the more Blood Ganoderma flowers you bring back, the more strange the senior disciples look at you become."

I'm worried that if this continues, they might not be able to resist taking action.

Liu Shuqing made no attempt to hide her worries.

As senior disciples of the Seven Mysteries Sect, these people were just as eager to curry favor with Huang Huayuan as they were.

Otherwise, three senior disciples wouldn't have passed the assessment seven days ago.

These senior disciples thought that after passing the assessment, they would catch Huang Huayuan's eye and gradually gain his favor.

But at this crucial moment, Zhou An unexpectedly emerged as a dark horse.

If it were him, he probably wouldn't have given up so easily either.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

Zhou An nodded, then withdrew his gaze and continued cultivating.

So what if they won't let it go?

We can't just watch the blood-replenishing powder slip away because we're afraid of getting beaten up.

If you want him to stop, it's simple: send him money.

As long as the other party gives him the money to buy blood-nourishing powder, Zhou An doesn't mind keeping a low profile.

As for whether these senior disciples will take the risk...

It's the season for gathering herbs. With Huang Huayuan watching over them, do you really think these people would dare to make a move?

……