Chapter 36: Blood Fusion Realm Fourth Level

In the stone chamber of the mountain cave where a bloody battle had taken place before, Shen Chen sat cross-legged, breathing evenly, with threads of heaven and earth's spiritual energy flowing around him. After tidying up the mess from before, Shen Chen returned to this place.

Not far in front of him, dozens of jade bottles were scattered on the ground, and the body-strengthening pills inside had all been taken out and swallowed by Shen Chen.

These were all taken from the inner disciples whom Shen Chen had slain before, and the quantity was quite substantial, numbering over a hundred.

For a martial artist at the third level of the Blood Fusion Realm, swallowing so many body-strengthening pills at once would surely make people gape in astonishment if it were known. However, for Shen Chen, it was as if he was casually eating beans, and he even felt a bit unsatisfied.

"Is it still not enough..." After a long while, Shen Chen slowly opened his eyes, licked his lips, and then took out another bulging small bag from his chest.

This was obtained from Lin Hai, who always sent people to search for body-strengthening pills from ordinary disciples, thus accumulating a considerable amount.

According to Shen Chen's guess, these body-strengthening pills were likely used to bribe the inner disciples to deal with himself and Wang Yue, but the plan ultimately failed, and the pills hadn't been distributed yet.

However, Lin Hai's past misdeeds and the preparation of so many body-strengthening pills now benefited Shen Chen.

"This time, I must advance to the fourth level of the Blood Fusion Realm in one go!"

Opening the cloth bag and looking at the small bag of green pills inside, a hint of excitement and determination appeared in Shen Chen's eyes.

After the previous battle, he immediately seized the opportunity to improve his cultivation. Now, he felt as if his body was a bottomless pit, and despite consuming over a hundred body-strengthening pills, there was still a lot of space in his dantian.

This was a rare opportunity. All martial artists feared that the accumulation of blood energy in their bodies was insufficient when breaking through, but Shen Chen's dantian capacity was surprisingly large, indicating a good omen of a significant breakthrough.

Seizing this opportunity would bring many benefits for future cultivation, with far-reaching effects.

"Let's go for it!"

Without caring whether his body could handle it, Shen Chen immediately poured all the body-strengthening pills from the small cloth bag into his mouth.

"Swallow, swallow..." The body-strengthening pills, like beans, slid down Shen Chen's throat, and his Adam's apple moved rhythmically. If there were outsiders present, they would probably be shocked to the point of dropping their jaws.

For a martial artist at the Blood Fusion Realm to swallow body-strengthening pills like this, it was hard to believe that anyone would believe it if it were told.

As a large number of body-strengthening pills were swallowed, Shen Chen soon felt a burning sensation in his abdomen, as if he had drunk several large cups of boiling water, which was very uncomfortable.

"Strange, why didn't the mysterious mirror absorb the spiritual energy from the body-strengthening pills this time!"

After waiting for a few breaths, Shen Chen was greatly surprised. He had swallowed so many body-strengthening pills that he hadn't even counted them, but the mysterious mirror in his mind sea was unusually quiet, unlike the previous times when it had immediately absorbed all the spiritual energy.

It was as if a greedy bandit suddenly had a change of heart and retired, which was extremely abnormal.

However, instead of being relieved, Shen Chen became somewhat panicked, cursing himself for being greedy.

After all, although he was unique, he still had the body of a normal fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy. Swallowing hundreds of body-strengthening pills at once was like committing suicide!

"Brother Mirror, you can't play with me like this! Quickly absorb the excess spiritual energy!"

Shen Chen's face turned green, and the green had a tinge of red. The heat in his abdomen soon turned into an intense burning sensation, and even his blood vessels were swelling and heating up.

It felt as if he was about to explode!

Shen Chen was truly terrified. The mysterious mirror had been fine just a moment ago, but now it suddenly stopped absorbing spiritual energy, digging a big hole for him. The most tragic part was that Shen Chen had already jumped into the hole.

He didn't have time to argue with the mirror in his mind sea and quickly began to practice the "Calm Mind and Focus Spirit Technique" to try to resolve the dense spiritual energy in his abdomen.

However, the "Calm Mind and Focus Spirit Technique" was a cultivation method taught to every ordinary disciple when they first entered the Flowing Cloud Sect. As a low-level human-grade cultivation method, it was not very powerful, and the speed at which it mobilized spiritual energy was far behind the rate at which the body-strengthening pills were dissolving in his abdomen.

"This time, I've really gone too far, damn it!" Shen Chen felt like slamming his head against the wall, sweat pouring down his forehead, and white smoke coming out of his seven orifices, including his eyes, indicating that he was about to burst.

Shen Chen never thought that he could survive the combined attack of Lin Hai and others, but now he was in grave danger, and the most shameful and hateful thing was that he was about to burst from greed!

"Wang... Wang... Yue..."

Shen Chen wanted to call out to Wang Yue outside the cave to bring some cool water, but he soon realized that his throat was so hot that he couldn't speak. After several attempts, only a hoarse sound came out, lingering in his throat.

"Buzz, buzz..."

Just as Shen Chen was on the brink of death, the mysterious mirror in his mind sea finally showed some movement, emitting a white light and creating ripples.

"Brother Mirror, you finally didn't abandon me!" Shen Chen was so excited that tears almost came to his eyes. If the mysterious mirror hadn't acted, he would have died in ten breaths.

If Wang Yue had come to the scene, he would have only seen a bloody mist, making it difficult to even collect Shen Chen's remains.

However, what surprised Shen Chen was that although the mysterious mirror had responded, it showed no intention of absorbing the spiritual energy in his abdomen, and the familiar vortex did not appear.

"Whoosh!"

Just as Shen Chen was anxious and puzzled, suddenly, a milky white light burst out from the ripples emitted by the mysterious mirror, entering his mind sea and quickly spreading.

"That is... the 'Calm Mind and Seek Dao Technique'!" The milky white light soon filled his senses, and Shen Chen was extremely excited. In his mind, a series of obscure texts and images appeared, forming a cultivation technique, a rare and valuable cultivation technique.

The "Calm Mind and Seek Dao Technique"!

A very familiar name, Shen Chen quickly associated it with the "Calm Mind and Focus Spirit Technique" he had already learned. However, the three-character difference between them gave a completely different impression.

Seek Dao and Focus Spirit!

Any martial artist with normal intelligence would know which one was more powerful.

However, Shen Chen didn't have time to think too much. The mysterious mirror could even possess and absorb a monster far more powerful than the Flowing Cloud Sect's sect leader, so the cultivation technique it gave him couldn't be something trivial.

Immediately, Shen Chen focused his mind, enduring the intense pain in his abdomen and the burning sensation all over his body, and began to carefully study the "Calm Mind and Seek Dao Technique."

"The path of cultivation starts with body strengthening, with mental focus as an auxiliary. By refining the eight extraordinary meridians and unblocking the 108 major acupoints, one can explore the supreme martial path!"

"The path of seeking Dao is intangible, blending blood, nurturing the sea of qi, cultivating the primordial spirit, and comprehending the great Dao, progressing step by step, and continuing endlessly to succeed!"

"The first chapter of the 'Calm Mind and Seek Dao Technique': Unblocking 108 acupoints, unobstructed meridians, circulating spiritual energy, strengthening tendons and bones, and refining blood and flesh..."

The more Shen Chen read the obscure and profound techniques, the more his heart sank. He understood the connection between the "Calm Mind and Focus Spirit Technique" and the "Calm Mind and Seek Dao Technique."

From the key points, the former seemed to be an external chapter or prelude to the latter. Shen Chen estimated that there were several other external chapters, making the "Calm Mind and Seek Dao Technique" a world-shocking cultivation technique, with even its derived external chapters forming independent techniques.

If he had obtained such a treasure under normal circumstances, Shen Chen would have laughed in his dreams. However, in this critical moment, he couldn't laugh at all, and his face was even worse than a liver.

"Is heaven trying to destroy me..." Shen Chen was really disheartened. The "Calm Mind and Seek Dao Technique" was indeed a world-shocking technique, but the prerequisite for cultivation was the next major realm after the Blood Fusion Realm—the Bone Forging Realm!

Such a strict requirement would even make the Flowing Cloud Sect's sect leader, who was only at the twelfth level of the Blood Fusion Realm, helpless.

"No, I can't just sit here and wait to die. Even if it's something that only Bone Forging Realm experts can touch, I will try it today, no matter what!"

Shen Chen had no other choice. Waiting to die was not his style. His principle was that even if there was only a glimmer of hope, he would fight for it.

Immediately, Shen Chen disregarded the consequences, memorized the obscure texts, and began to practice the "Calm Mind and Seek Dao Technique" according to the images transmitted by the mysterious mirror.

...

"Spit!"

After half an hour, Shen Chen felt a sweetness in his throat and spat out a mouthful of blood. Several meridians in his body were damaged, particularly those acupoints he had not yet unblocked.

Following the "Calm Mind and Seek Dao Technique," problems indeed arose when the spiritual energy flowed through his left arm, left leg, and right leg. Shen Chen felt obstructed everywhere, and his blood energy circulation was not smooth. In the end, he forced his way through with sheer willpower, resulting in injuries and blood spitting.

"Hmph! Again!"

Shen Chen's voice was hoarse as he shouted. Although the process was very difficult and could cost him his life at any moment, the spiritual energy in his abdomen began to be rapidly consumed.

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