Double the Qi and Blood Soup Without Additional Cost

The morning sun pierced through the thin mist between the mountains as Chen An’nian rose from bed to exercise.

Though lacking in fist technique, a morning jog and some physical activity always did him good.

After purging the toxins from his body, Chen An’nian felt considerably lighter.

“I wonder what good things Lu Zhongmu will bring me today,” he pondered, breathing in the fresh mountain air with eager anticipation.

Would it be an increased dosage of poisonous steamed buns?

Or perhaps a double portion of meat soup?

Such delightful dilemmas to have.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Lu Zhongmu, with bloodshot eyes from staying up all night, was filled with excitement.

“Only eight days left until the assessment,” he thought.

“I must try to deal with Chen An’nian within five days to avoid unnecessary complications.”

Carefully, Lu Zhongmu poured a bowl of meticulously brewed Qi and Blood Soup, accompanied by a few steamed buns.

He tucked a manual of fist techniques under his arm and hurriedly made his way to Chen An’nian’s small cottage.

“In this Qi and Blood Soup, apart from various minced wild beast meat, I’ve also added half a Qi and Blood Pill and half a Poisonous Energy Pill. Setting aside the toxicity, it can be considered a fine elixir for cultivation,” Lu Zhongmu thought to himself.

“Chen An’nian, you better be grateful.”

...

“Wow, Zhongmu, you truly are a generous... person!”

Chen An’nian admitted, genuinely moved.

If it weren’t for the poison in the Qi and Blood Soup, he would have suspected Lu Zhongmu of having ulterior motives.

Seeing Chen An’nian lively and energetic, Lu Zhongmu’s heart swelled with joy.

The healthier Chen An’nian became, the stronger the effects of that prescription.

“Take it easy,” Lu Zhongmu said, placing the food container down and pulling out a manual from his pocket.

“Look, what have I brought for you?”

“A fist technique manual!?”

Chen An’nian carefully cradled the manual, afraid of damaging it.

As he flipped through the pages, he found images of various fist techniques, accompanied by detailed explanations.

“Come, come, have a steamed bun and finish the Qi and Blood Soup first, and then we’ll start practicing the fist technique,” Lu Zhongmu said.

He was now convinced that Chen An’nian possessed a secret formula, so he decided to use a bit more toxic essence to deplete the detoxifying medicine in Chen An’nian’s possession.

Watching Chen An’nian devour the food, including the poisonous steamed buns, Lu Zhongmu casually asked, “An’nian, besides steamed buns, what else do you eat?”

Chen An’nian’s cheeks puffed up.

“Besides steamed buns, I don’t eat much else. Oh, when I’m hungry, I sometimes go to the back mountain to pick some fruits.”

Lu Zhongmu furrowed his brow slightly, wondering, “Wild fruits? Could they be the ingredients from the prescription?”

“No, it couldn’t be. How could these unwanted wild fruits be the antidote for the Poisonous Energy Pill?”

Despite his thoughts, Lu Zhongmu adhered to the principle of not giving up.

“You eat first, I’ll go to the back mountain and pick some wild fruits to satisfy my cravings.”

Chen An’nian, puzzled, almost ruined the act.

“Zhongmu, if you’re hungry, just have some steamed buns.”

He held up the poisonous steamed buns, offering them to Lu Zhongmu.

Lu Zhongmu’s face darkened.

Did this guy know that these steamed buns were poisonous?

Was he trying to kill him?

“An’nian, these are all for you. You need to have a full stomach when practicing fist technique,” Lu Zhongmu said.

“I’m used to eating steamed buns, so I wanted to try something different.”

Chen An’nian struggled to hide his laughter, tears almost welling up in his eyes.

He nodded, “Alright.”

Lu Zhongmu noticed the glistening tear in the corner of Chen An’nian’s eye and sighed inwardly.

“Ah, it’s not that I want to harm you, but the difference in intelligence is just too great. Let me keep your secret formula for you.”

Before going to pick wild fruits, Lu Zhongmu dismantled all the movements and guided Chen An’nian to learn fist techniques.

“Once you’ve mastered these movements, the next step is to use the fist technique to guide your internal qi.”

Lu Zhongmu wiped the sweat off his forehead and couldn’t help but say that Chen An’nian was completely clueless.

He couldn’t even perform the basic boxing stances, truly a mediocre practitioner.

It took a good half day just to teach him the movements of the fist technique.

It was truly exhausting.

“Thank you so much, Zhongmu,” Chen An’nian sincerely expressed his gratitude.

He knew how lacking his foundation was, and for Lu Zhongmu to teach him was akin to having a renowned master.

“Now it’s time for you to practice on your own,” Lu Zhongmu advised, “You must use the technique to cultivate your qi, ensuring that the flow of qi aligns precisely with the descriptions in the technique. Any deviation in the positioning of the qi could result in the dissipation of your qi or even the reversal of your blood flow, causing blood vessels to burst.”

Chen An’nian nodded and replied, “Rest assured, Zhongmu, I will practice according to the instructions in the manual.”

“Very well, then I shall take my leave. Before you truly practice the technique, make sure to finish the Qi and Blood Soup. I will bring more to you tomorrow,” Lu Zhongmu patted Chen An’nian’s shoulder, encouraging him.

Watching Lu Zhongmu depart, Chen An’nian hurriedly entered the house, carrying the Qi and Blood Soup.

He tilted his head back and had it all in one gulp.

“Ah...”

“The taste of this soup is truly exquisite...”

Soon, a look of delight filled Chen An’nian’s eyes.

"Finally, Lu Zhongmu has shown me the way!”

Within the fragment of the Golden Book, a single droplet of crimson divine power spun around.

The impure energy transformed into a single droplet as well.

“Not bad, not bad! It seems he spared no expense today.”

Chen An’nian quickly retrieved the manual and activated the divine power to deduce the techniques written within.

The entire droplet of divine power dissipated in an instant.

Subsequently, a series of movements and accompanying annotations appeared on the fragment of the Golden Book.

“This guy is quite ruthless. The movements haven’t changed much, but the flow of qi has shifted directions in several places.”

“If I were to practice following this, once my qi and blood become stronger, it could lead to a direct collision, potentially rupturing my meridians.”

Setting the manual aside, the revised techniques from the Golden Book were deeply imprinted in Chen An’nian’s mind.

Although memorizing them didn’t equate to complete comprehension, it was akin to being able to recite ancient texts without necessarily understanding their meaning.

However, after practicing the techniques several times, the unfamiliarity with the movements and the flow of qi quickly vanished.

“It’s a pity that I don’t have enough divine power. After refining these techniques, there is still untapped potential.”

Chen An’nian sighed inwardly.

“I can only wait for tomorrow when generous Zhongmu will come to provide more nourishment...”

Despite the lack of divine power, Chen An’nian didn’t slack off and continued to practice the techniques tirelessly.

This precious knowledge was a lifesaver, and he couldn’t afford to not give it his all.

The techniques derived from the revised pages of the Golden Book involved expansive and contracting stances, simple yet powerful strikes, emphasizing instantaneous bursts of force.

As he progressed, his strength became akin to a taut bowstring, and his strikes were as explosive as thunder.

With relaxed shoulders and a lifted chest, Chen An’nian’s initial movement alone made him appear as if he had immersed himself in these techniques for years.

His punches were like a bowstring snapping, arrows soaring!

“King of Hell Points Hand.”

"Fierce Tiger Crawls the Mountain.”

...

It was only when he was completely exhausted, unable to lift his hands any longer, that an exhilarated Chen An’nian staggered back into the house and collapsed on the bed like a pile of mud.

At this point, Chen An’nian’s mind was still consumed by the practice, and he drifted into a deep sleep, only in the late hours of the night.