Star Sky Professional

The next day.

On the training ground.

"Those who can transport qi and blood, step forward!"

Xiong Instructor's gaze swept across the group of young boys and girls.

Xun Heihu took a deep breath and took a big step forward under the astonished, bewildered, and envious gaze of his companion, Zhao Daniu.

It was only then that he realized that the girl next to him, whom he often secretly watched and had a good figure, also took a step forward.

"Xun Heihu, Jiang Yuyan... Stand in the White Deer Posture!"

Xun Heihu didn't have time to think much before Xiong Instructor's voice reached his ears.

He instinctively followed the command, standing in the White Deer Posture, his body slightly floating, resembling a young deer leaping lightly through the woods.

At that moment, a large hand directly pressed on his lower abdomen: "Operate the qi and blood!"

Xun Heihu immediately controlled the qi and blood, gathering it towards his lower abdomen.

"Very good, you can indeed transport qi and blood already, you can take elixirs and continue to the next step, trying to break through the grades."

Xiong Instructor retracted his hand, looking quite satisfied.

Meanwhile, a female instructor standing next to him also withdrew her palm, a scar running across her cold face, speaking without much emotion: "Passed!"

Xun Heihu exchanged a glance with Jiang Yuyan, both of their faces showing a hint of relief.

"The rest of you continue practicing the White Deer Posture, come with me."

Xiong Instructor led Xun Heihu and Jiang Yuyan to another square.

Here, there were only twenty-odd young boys and girls, all of whom had broken through in their cultivation earlier.

Xun Heihu noticed Ye Fengchun among them.

But the genius, Wei Chigang, whom everyone had been talking about, was not present.

Xiong Instructor took the two to a new place and left, while the former stern-faced, scarred female instructor stayed behind: "My surname is Yu, just call me Instructor Yu... Xun Heihu, Jiang Yuyan, next, I will teach you a technique to transport qi and blood in the stomach and intestines, assisting in the digestion of 'Copper Lead Elixir'. Those of you who have developed qi and blood can receive one 'Copper Lead Elixir' a day... You will have nine months to train in martial arts, and if after nine months you still cannot break through despite taking the elixirs..."

"We'll be expelled, right?" Jiang Yuyan interrupted.

"No, you will suffer from stomach ailments and poisoning... Without a skilled physician, even if you barely survive, the rest of your life will be miserable."

Instructor Yu said: "It's still not too late to regret now."

"I won't regret it."

Jiang Yuyan expressed her determination.

In contrast, Xun Heihu seemed quite ordinary.

"Not bad, I like your determination. If you can break through the grades, you can become my disciple."

Instructor Yu squeezed out a sinister smile: "But your name is too vulgar, I don't like it. If you join under my tutelage, you should change a character, and be called 'Jiang Yu Yan' instead..."

Xun Heihu nodded repeatedly, thinking this name sounded much better than Dayan.

Instructor Yu glanced at him: "Don't even think about it, I don't take male disciples..."

'Actually, I could be called Yu Hu.'

Xun Heihu glanced at Jiang Yuyan with some regret, extinguishing the budding affection in his heart.

He then spent some time learning the qi and blood transportation technique, glanced at Instructor Yu again, and suddenly leaned over to Ye Fengchun: "Why isn't Wei Chigang here?"

"Wei Chigang?"

Ye Fengchun, a scrawny boy resembling a monkey, sighed: "He is truly a talent from a family, breaking through the Copper Gate three days ago to become a true Ninth Grade Martial Artist... He no longer needs to be with us and can apprentice directly under a master instructor for individual training... Alas, Instructor Yu said he is sure to develop Inner Strength and officially join the Five Beasts Sect. Compared to him, we are simply..."

Xun Heihu was fine with it; he had already obtained a true treasure and never felt he couldn't catch up.

After diligently practicing all day, he took a strange elixir and returned to his new dormitory.

Apprentices who have developed qi and blood take elixirs daily and need a quiet space to cultivate, so his dormitory had been moved to a separate hut, which, though not spacious, offered more privacy.

He lay on the bed and soon fell asleep.

In the True Martial Space.

"Copper Lead Elixir? Did it really come in?"

Xun Heihu looked at the tiny yellowish-bronze colored elixir in his hand, no bigger than a grain of rice, and couldn't help but open his mouth in amazement.

"If this place can store flesh and blood, it can naturally take in elixirs too..."

Fang Xing sneered, for someone who had long wielded True Illusion, the boundary between real and illusion was quite blurred.

"Moreover... If you take the elixir here, the effect will be the same as taking it outside, likewise, you can consume ancient fierce beast flesh in the True Martial Space..."

With a casual wave, that 'Copper Lead Elixir' landed in Xun Heihu's hand: "This elixir contains lead and copper, as well as many herbs... If you can't break through after a few months of taking it, it will harm your body, even for a Martial Artist."

Fang Xing flicked the elixir back to Xun Heihu: "What is your decision?"

Xun Heihu didn't hesitate much, assuming the White Deer Posture, and swallowed the Copper Lead Elixir in one go.

'It tastes like copper rust, with a slight sweetness...'

He felt the changes in his abdomen and immediately began to transport qi and blood, digesting the elixir...

Fang Xing observed Xun Heihu practicing silently, pondering: 'The Jiuzhou Martial Arts are rather extreme... Although they take an external-to-internal path, and the lower grades focus on hard skills, directly ingesting metal pills to damage the body and promote regeneration... Aren't they afraid of heavy metal poisoning in the end?'

...

Time passed day by day.

Soon, it was the last day of the three-month period, nine days later.

Xun Heihu and others took a rare break, arrived at the original training ground, and looked at those pale-faced little companions.

After three months, only a few could grasp the control of their blood and Qi.

Most of the apprentices paid five hundred taels of silver to get a heaven-defying opportunity, but ultimately could only stop here.

The instructor's gaze was sharp as a blade, sweeping over the remaining students: "Today is the last day of the period, are there any who can control their Qi and blood?"

He asked twice before a timid disciple stepped forward.

The instructor took a step forward: "Operate the Pile Method..."

He placed his palm on the young man's body, paused for a moment, then sneered and slapped him.

Slap!

The youth was directly knocked to the ground, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth, his face full of disbelief.

"You used a 'Blood Explosion Pill,' but unfortunately, this kind of drug-induced subtle change in Qi and blood power can fool ordinary martial masters but not me."

The instructor sneered: "Do you think the people from our One Temple, Two Sects, Six Schools would be fooled by you like those ordinary martial arts schools and second-rate sects? Get out!!!"

In the end, his voice was as powerful as thunder.

The eyes of the young boys and girls turned red, some directly weeping, led away to pack their things and leave.

"Watch closely and remember this scene well."

The cold voice of the instructor echoed in Xun Heihu's ears: "On the path of Martial Arts, this is the fate of the failures! If you don't want to be treated like this, you have to keep progressing, keep... fighting!"

...

A moment later.

"Daniu?!"

Xun Heihu found his small companion.

"Wuu... Five hundred taels, my dad will kill me when I get back." Zhao Daniu cried pitifully: "How many cows would we have to sell for this..."

Xun Heihu fell silent, realizing that the Zhao Daniu family were landlords and owned many cattle...

After returning, he might inherit the family estate and become the foolish son of the landlord's family...

"Take care!"

After a thousand words, he simply cupped his hands and made a fist salute!

"Hmm."

Zhao Daniu nodded, stuffed something into Xun Heihu's hand: "I know I have no talent, but now that I've tried, I'm resigned to it. But Brother Xun, you have talent, so you must continue... I heard the further you go in martial arts, the more expensive it gets, keep this private money and take my share with you."

He gritted his teeth, shouldered his luggage, waved, and walked out the gate of White Deer Institute.

Xun Heihu looked at the heavy money bag in his hand, watched Zhao Daniu's departing back, and his grip tightened...

...

Inside the True Martial Space.

"I must train harder, train relentlessly!"

With each breath Xun Heihu took, a faint airflow began to form.

"Daniu has wealth, but no talent!"

"And in the Chu State, who knows how many kids have talent but no wealth... they can only starve by the roadside!"

"My father gave me five hundred taels, it wasn't easy... I must stand out!"

Xun Heihu breathed heavily, starting to practice Ancient Martial step by step.

Gradually... he felt a surge of hot currents within his body.

This wasn't Qi and blood, but it was similar, with a more violent power, even making his eyes slightly red.

"Is this... a breakthrough in Ancient Martial?!"

Xun Heihu felt a surge of joy in his heart, sensing the strengthening of his physique.

A strong change was taking place within his body!

"Not bad!"

Fang Xing appeared, looking at Xun Heihu's rapidly growing muscles, nodded: "People misunderstand Ancient Martial not being effective because they lack the ancient environment and cannot eat top-quality ancient fierce beasts... so they think Middle-Three Stage is the limit."

"But here with me, you can get the top-level ancient fierce beast flesh as a catalyst... plus ten times the hard training, and the breakthrough features, finally succeeding, and awakening one of the Twelve Body Superpowers – Qilin Blood!"

"Qilin Blood?"

Xun Heihu was somewhat puzzled: "What's its use? Is it also Martial Bone?"

"Qilin Blood... you must feel it, when stimulated in combat, it can speed up your blood flow, amplifies yourself comprehensively, doubling your strength, but you may also fall into madness and slaughter emotions... Blood is born from the bone, so it can also be called 'Qilin Bone,' naturally a Martial Bone, and a top-tier one at that!"

Fang Xing commented, a bit regretful: "I specifically selected 'Three-prong Pig' and 'Swallowing Heaven Mouse' flesh as catalysts for you, actually hoping to draw out the 'Gluttonous Stomach' from the Twelve Superpowers... This body superpower could greatly enhance your digestive ability, allowing you to consume medicinal meals and elixirs with effects far surpassing ordinary people, and while ordinary people can only consume one copper lead elixir a day, with Gluttonous Stomach, you could take two or three... it's a pity, awakening a superpower is entirely based on luck, and you called yourself Black Tiger, turns out you have the touch of the black hand..."

Xun Heihu somehow felt the Artifact Spirit was cursing him, but he had no proof.