I Am Immortal in Great Yu

Chapter 159: Chapter 68: Fourth Grade (Part 2)

”Transforming Force combines the subtleties of both Bright Force and Dark Force. It is a fusion of hard and soft, capable of being either, and can project from the body up to three feet.”

Fang Rui recalled watching Lin Xiong fight the old master of the Xia Family and the Rebel Army’s Zuo Boyang. From a distance of two or three feet, they could shatter the eaves of the roof. ’Now, I can do that too.’

He then tested the physical enhancements from Transforming Force and found it boosted his attributes by over thirty percent more than Dark Force did.

’Fourth Grade Blood Exchange... Reaching this stage of Martial Arts means I’m at the pinnacle in Changshan City. The old master of the Xia Family and the Rebel Army’s Zuo Boyang are at this level too.’

Besides, of those two, one’s vitality was waning, while the other was a recent breakthrough. Even now, if Fang Rui were to fight them, he wouldn’t necessarily be the weaker one.

’Of course, I can’t get complacent. My Life-taking Saber Technique is only at Minor Achievement. As for those two, one is old and cunning with vast experience, and the other has lived on the edge, a veteran of countless life-or-death battles. They’re not far behind me.’

’Still, no matter how you look at it, I’m now one of the top two or three experts in all of Changshan City!’

’In fact, if I’m willing to spend some Tribulation Points to upgrade my Martial Arts, I could become the strongest person in Changshan City in an instant!’

Fang Rui glanced hesitantly at his panel, where over three thousand Tribulation Points remained.

’Following the established pattern, and comparing it to the jump from Seventh Grade to Sixth Grade, breaking through to the Third Grade should cost 2.5 times what Fourth Grade did... 5,000 Tribulation Points...’

Of course, this didn’t mean that breaking through to the Third Grade required exactly 2.5 times the energy of the Fourth Grade breakthrough. It couldn’t be quantified so simply.

Tribulation Points were special. They were a high-grade energy that bypassed the conversion process. For others, however, the pure energy required to break through to the Third Grade was far beyond what a hundred-year-old Great Medicine could ever provide.

In fact, when it came to breaking through to the Upper Three Grades Realm, Fang Rui didn’t even know the names of the required medicinal ingredients—items even better than a Great Medicine. He’d never even heard of them.

This was a true monopoly.

For instance, to get from the Lower Three Grades to the Middle Three Grades, the great local clans controlled the supply of Great Medicine, creating a monopoly that shut out independent Martial Artists. To get from the Middle Three Grades to the Upper Three Grades, the even higher-ranking State Mansion Noble Families controlled the necessary resources, creating a monopoly that shut out the great local clans.

’In this world, the higher you climb, the clearer you see the hierarchy. It’s all layers and distinct ranks. But that has nothing to do with me. I don’t need to trouble myself with it!’

What Fang Rui was hesitating about was something else: should he save his Tribulation Points or upgrade his Martial Arts?

’If it really costs 5,000 Tribulation Points to break through to the Third Grade Realm, then the three-thousand-some points I have now are already more than halfway there.’

’Maybe I should save them up and make a push for the Third Grade. Upgrading my Martial Arts isn’t urgent. After all, there’s basically no one in Changshan City who can threaten me right now.’

’Besides, if I keep the Tribulation Points saved up, I can always use them for an instant upgrade if a real need arises. It won’t be too late.’

Fang Rui mused.

Martial Arts Third Grade was a major threshold. Stepping from the Middle Three Grades into the Upper Three Grades would be a world-altering, qualitative transformation. He was greatly looking forward to it.

...

Two more days passed in a flash, and the city had quickly returned to normal.

The plague-infected patients who could be cured had been treated. Those who couldn’t were gone. The general populace had developed antibodies, essentially forming herd immunity.

Thanks to Fang Rui’s prescription, the plague ended with a whimper before it could truly erupt with its full force, starting strong but petering out quickly.

Of course, for the citizens of the city, this was undoubtedly a great blessing.

...

「That afternoon.」

Under the bright sun, the light streamed in, making it bright both indoors and out. Fine motes of dust danced in the air. There was no wind, not a cloud in the sky, and the warmth made one feel drowsy.

Under the eaves of the veranda, Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family and the Third Lady sat together doing needlework. They would occasionally take scissors or an awl from a yellowed, old bamboo basket beside them, chatting quietly.

The two little girls, Fang Ling and Nannan, were in a room further inside, their little bottoms sticking up as they leaned over a table, blowing on ”paper frogs” to make them fight.

—They were the kind of ”paper frogs” that, when you blew on their backs, would hop and jump about. The girls were making them bump into each other in the middle of the table—another little toy Fang Rui had whipped up for them.

”YAWN!”

Fang Rui lowered the medical book that was covering his face, carefully put it away, and stood up. He stretched his back and let out a huge yawn.

’Brother Jiang hasn’t visited in two days. The city has completely returned to normal over the past day or two. No matter how busy he is, he should’ve had time to stop by. Did something happen to him?’

’Ah well, if he won’t come to me, I’ll go to him!’

Fang Rui decided he would go visit him at Sweet Water Well Alley.

It was a spur-of-the-moment decision.

But just then—

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

Along with the knocking on the main door, Jiang Ping’an’s familiar voice called out, ”Brother Fang?!”

”Brother Jiang, what a coincidence. I was just thinking of going to see you... Hmm? Your complexion... what happened?” Fang Rui frowned slightly.

He saw that Jiang Ping’an’s face was pale, as if he had just recovered from a serious illness.

With his current Medical Skill, Fang Rui didn’t need to check his pulse. A single glance was enough to tell that Jiang Ping’an must have caught the plague. Moreover, it seemed he’d only taken the medicine half a day into the plague’s acute phase. Even though the prescription that Fang Rui had shared had cured him, it was clear his body had been greatly weakened.

”Do you have any wine?! Brother Fang, let’s sit and talk.” Jiang Ping’an said, handing over the supplies he’d brought with him.

Fang Rui took a look. The supplies were extremely generous this time. Aside from sought-after goods like chicken, duck, rabbit, soybeans, and pork lard, there were even two mountain ginseng roots. While they couldn’t be considered Old Medicine with great age, they were still quite precious.

He accepted them graciously without any pretense of refusal. It was a matter of reciprocating courtesy. Later, when his friend was about to leave, he would simply write out a prescription and prepare some aged Old Medicine as a gift in return.