Chapter 41

Having handed over the Black Jade Continuation Ointment to Su Meizi, Qi Feng no longer had to worry about anything and could have left. However, after a moment's thought, he decided to stay. He suddenly remembered that he still had the *Nine Yang Manual* in his pocket. It would be a bit inconvenient to read it back in the dorm, and besides, his roommates had a bunch of classes to catch up on. It was much quieter here.

Opening the *Nine Yang Manual* copied by Zhang Wuji, he found that unlike the *Dragon Elephant Vajra Skill* which had illustrations, this one only had text. Qi Feng settled down and read it word by word. Although he felt that the Nine Yang and Dragon Elephant might not be practiced together, who wouldn't read such a divine-level internal skill? Even if he couldn't practice it, he should at least learn from it. But after just five minutes, Qi Feng, who had been sitting cross-legged, lay down and casually tossed the *Nine Yang Manual* aside.

"This... I can't understand it at all!"

This time, Qi Feng finally realized how wise it was to choose the *Dragon Elephant Vajra Skill* as his first secret manual. Being a protagonist in a martial arts novel wasn't that easy!

The *Nine Yang Manual* wasn't long, only a dozen or so pages, but the text was extremely obscure and profound. While Qi Feng could understand most of the words and sentences, he had no idea what they meant. It was all a blur to him.

Qi Feng suddenly realized that opportunities in this world were indeed reserved for those who were prepared. Don't think that falling into a cave or off a cliff would lead to a miraculous encounter and make you a great master.

Duan Yu learned the *Lingbo Microstep* and *Beiming Divine Skill* after falling into a valley, not just because he was stubborn enough to kowtow a thousand times, but also because he had already mastered the *I Ching* and meridian studies. Zhang Wuji, too, had been learning from a young age and had a firm grasp of the *Wudang Nine Yang Skill* and related martial arts knowledge, which allowed him to master the genuine *Nine Yang Divine Skill* hidden in the body of a monkey in the Kunlun Secret Realm. If not for this, they would likely have died from their "miraculous encounters." Just think of Mei Chaofeng, who stole the *Nine Yin Manual* but couldn't understand it, and ended up half-human, half-ghost. And she was a talented student of Huang Yaoshi from Peach Blossom Island!

Qi Feng smiled bitterly. It was true what Dorm Leader Feng said every day: knowledge changes destiny. The examples above were proof.

After calming down, he picked up the *Nine Yang Manual* again and put it back in his pocket. "Hmm, maybe I should find Zhang Wuji for some advice when I have the chance."

What does it feel like to have a divine skill but not be able to practice it? Actually, Qi Feng felt it was okay. After all, the *Dragon Elephant Vajra Skill* he was practicing now wasn't bad either. What was the point of regretting not being able to practice the Nine Yang?

On the other hand, the *Dragon Elephant Vajra Skill* being something that even a fool could master was truly amazing. But, was he the so-called "fool"?

Regardless, Qi Feng guessed his martial arts talent wasn't very high, so he might as well start early. If he couldn't practice the Nine Yang, he could continue with the Dragon Elephant. His *Dragon Elephant Vajra Skill* was currently stuck between the second and third levels, and if he didn't make progress, he would fall behind. This was the time to put in the effort.

Thinking about it, the part of his internal skill that he had practiced was probably less than one layer, while the rest was all from eating. He felt ashamed, as he couldn't remember ever seeing a master who had become strong through eating. Was he just ignorant, or was he about to pioneer a new "foodie" path?

As he thought, Qi Feng took out the remaining Golden Silkworm King. He picked it up from the brocade box and placed it in his palm. To eat or not to eat, that was the question.

Practicing martial arts alone was too slow. (This was also due to the unrealistic expectations caused by eating to level up too quickly. When you get too much for free, you naturally don't want to work hard.) But once he ate the Golden Silkworm King, it would be gone for at least a year.

Just as he was deep in thought, the door clicked open, and Su Meizi walked in. Qi Feng, who had been lost in thought, didn't hear anything and was caught off guard. He quickly stuffed the Golden Silkworm King into his mouth and jumped up from the bed.

He stuffed it in too quickly and choked a few times. The live Golden Silkworm King wriggled down his throat, and the feeling was indescribably unpleasant. Qi Feng was frustrated. Why did he never have a smooth experience with these upgrade pills?

"Cough, cough, cough..." After a few coughs, Qi Feng finally swallowed the Golden Silkworm King.

Su Meizi saw him hurriedly stuff something into his mouth when she came in and stared at him. "What are you eating? In such a rush?"

"Cough... Um, that... spicy sticks!" Qi Feng quickly made up an excuse.

"Tsk, I'm not going to fight you for it. You stuffed it all in your mouth when I came in, and now you're choking..." Su Meizi was speechless. Why was he acting like a child?

"No, no, it's just my habit to eat in big bites..." Qi Feng was about to explain, but the heat from the Golden Silkworm King rose up, and he couldn't speak for a moment.

Who would believe him? Su Meizi was about to roll her eyes when she saw his face suddenly turn red. She was startled and shook her head. "I give up! I'll get you some water..."

By the time Su Meizi returned with a cup of water, Qi Feng had already returned to normal and looked refreshed and radiant. It made Su Meizi feel that something was off. If this were a game, there might have been a golden "Level Up" message above his head. *Dragon Elephant Level 3, achieved!*

"Right, the medicine, is it working?" Qi Feng thought it was better not to mention the "spicy sticks" and changed the subject.

Su Meizi remembered her purpose for coming. "Ah, right! The medicine is applied, the bandages are wrapped, and the splint is in place. Are you really a doctor?"

Qi Feng replied matter-of-factly, "You can think of me as a pharmacist. I'm good at mixing medicines, but I can't do much else. Hey, what effect did the medicine have?"

Speaking of this, Su Meizi was quite pleased. "It seems to be working well! A Yan said his knee feels cool, but not cold, and it doesn't hurt as much. He's even asleep now. He hasn't slept well since he got injured, and the doctor was considering giving him sleeping pills. Your family's secret formulas really work!"

Qi Feng wasn't surprised by the results. It would be strange if they didn't work. "Well, I'll be off then! Call me if you need anything."

Seeing that Qi Feng wasn't needed anymore, Su Meizi didn't insist on keeping him. "Okay! Thanks! By the way, how long will it take for the injury to heal?"

"Um..." Qi Feng was taken aback. He really didn't know the answer! How quickly did the Black Jade Continuation Ointment work? He should have asked Zhang Wuji earlier. "It depends on the injury. I'll check it out. I told you I don't know medicine, only how to mix medicines, right?"

Su Meizi thought about it and said, "Got it! You can ask your family. The match is in a week, anyway."

Qi Feng took a bus back to school and headed straight for the rental bookshop. He easily borrowed a set of *The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber*. Fortunately, Jin Yong and Gu Long novels weren't as popular these days, and those who wanted to read them had already done so. It was the ridiculous fanfiction like *Random Thoughts on the Eight Heroes of Heaven* that was hard to borrow!

Now at *Dragon Elephant Level 3*, Qi Feng could see in the dark. On his way back, he flipped through the book. "Black Jade Continuation Ointment... which chapter was it...?" He finally found the part where Zhang Wuji treated Yin Liting. "What?! Over two months?!"

Qi Feng was speechless. He blamed himself for not reading carefully enough. Yin Liting's bones were shattered, so his injuries were much more severe than Yan Yufeng's, but Yan Yufeng's next match was in a week!

Damn, he had promised to play if the medicine didn't work. Was he digging a hole for himself? Qi Feng really didn't want to go. The regional final was being broadcast nationwide, and he had just made a breakthrough with the Dragon Elephant. His physical abilities were probably not much weaker than Captain America or Spider-Man. What if he lost control and leaped over the basket in front of the entire nation?