Martial Saint through Reading

Physical strength restored, Chu Ming put away the porcelain shard, his gaze landing on another item atop the desk.

It was a bronze plate, just a fragment, collected from the Kuirong Zhi camp when he abducted the young Horde Lord.

The front of the bronze fragment was carved with intricate patterns, the back was...

”A Kui Ox?”

Chu Ming looked puzzled.

The Kui Ox on the back was incomplete as well, only a single leg and part of its body. Based on his deduction, he guessed it was a Kui Ox.

From the part of the body, he speculated there were four such bronze fragments in total.

Four fragments, enough to piece together a complete Kui Ox.

Clenching it tightly, a surge of fierce resistance pressed against his palm.

The hardness of the bronze fragment was beyond comprehension.

”Just now, my power was enough to crush a Refining Organ Perfection expert, yet this bronze fragment didn’t show the slightest deformation...”

Chu Ming could try applying more force, but he suspected that even burning his Qi and Blood Power wouldn’t budge the bronze fragment.

Repeated examination and attempts revealed the bronze fragment was not only incredibly hard, it didn’t display any other peculiar traits.

Putting down the fragment, Chu Ming picked up a book.

”Kuirong Body Refining Skill...”

This cultivation technique had been acquired from the young master’s personal guard, the Meridian Unlocking Realm expert in Kuirong Zhi.

The name alone revealed it was the Kuirong Zhi’s cultivation technique for body refining, detailing how to condense Qi and Blood and pierce the Twelve Major Meridians—a rather complete method.

Chu Ming flipped through page by page, the contents transformed into fragments of Sea of Consciousness Cultivation Technique Lake, gathering and merging, finally dropping into the lake.

In terms of profundity, ”Kuirong Body Refining Skill” was superior to the Tiger Armor Army’s ”Tiger and Python Body Refining Technique”; cultivating the former, Qi and Blood would be somewhat more robust.

But that robustness was not significant, unable to compare with the technique he gifted to the Tiger Armor Army, and even less so with the one he gave his master Xiang Yue.

Moreover, ”Kuirong Body Refining Skill” traded slower cultivation for stronger Qi and Blood, its method overly complicated and cumbersome.

Chu Ming next picked up the complete ”Tiger and Python Body Refining Technique” for the Upper Realm, which he’d gotten from his master Xiang Yue, focusing mainly on the Upper Meridian Unlocking Realm section.

He intended to use tonight’s time, leveraging these two major techniques, to further simulate and refine his own cultivation method.

Combining and deducing the two Upper Meridian Unlocking Realm techniques, absorbing their essence, removing redundancies, and integrating it into his own [Mountain and Sea Primordial Body Technique].

Keep deducing, optimizing...

In the center of the Sea of Consciousness Cultivation Technique Lake, the ninth small island shadow took shape.

Then the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth emerged.

All twelve small island shadows fully formed, signifying [Mountain and Sea Primordial Body Technique] had reached Perfection at the Upper Meridian Unlocking Realm.

Immediately after, Chu Ming swallowed two drops of Azure Ancient Juice.

The first four, then five small islands among the twelve turned from shadow into solidity.

”Realm of the Five Meridian Unlocking!”

A smile tugged at Chu Ming’s lips.

The benefits brought by the two major techniques were immense.

His gaze returned to the desk; just as he was about to put away the two books, his fingers brushed the bronze fragment.

”Hm?”

In that instant, the Qi and Blood within his body seemed to be triggered.

This sensation hadn’t existed before.

Chu Ming placed the bronze fragment in his palm, the sense of Qi and Blood activation grew stronger.

”Should be related to ’Kuirong Body Refining Skill’.”

A bit of thought made the reason clear to him.

[Mountain and Sea Primordial Body Technique] had absorbed the profound parts of ”Kuirong Body Refining Skill”, which meant he effectively cultivated that technique.

Because of this, the bronze fragment began to respond when it previously wouldn’t have.

He split off a strand of intent, guided a portion of his Qi and Blood to activate the bronze fragment.

Qi and Blood Power seemed to seep through his skin, merging into the bronze fragment.

Whoosh—

Immediately, anomalies erupted from the bronze fragment.

It cast out a bronze-colored curtain of light, within which appeared a strange beast.

”One-legged...like an ox...thunder cloud...Kui Ox!”

The beast was indeed a Kui Ox, and moreover, it was one that could be summoned!

He sensed that the Kui Ox on the bronze fragment could be called forth from the bronze light curtain at any moment.

”Looks like this was the young Horde Lord’s protective fragment—too bad he didn’t get a chance to use it before I knocked him out.”

With just a short experiment, Chu Ming figured out the function of the bronze fragment.

Using Qi and Blood to commune with it, he could summon a protective Qi Blood Kui Ox apparition.

Chu Ming gazed at the Kui Ox phantom hovering above the fragment, his eyes flickering.

The young Horde Lord’s protective fragment was equivalent to a prince’s defensive treasure—the power must be extraordinary.

This thing was but a fragment; if he could collect the full bronze plate, what power would the summoned Qi Blood Kui Ox attain?

After observing a moment, he actively severed his Qi Blood connection with the bronze fragment, and the Kui Ox phantom faded away.

He put away the bronze fragment, picked up a silvery shoulder guard, and together with the Silver Moon Armor and Silver Moon Wrist Guards, he now had three out of the seven main pieces of the Silver Moon Armor.

The Silver Moon Wrist Guards were gained by slaying the Blood Vine Castle’s lord Teng Sect; the Silver Moon Armor and Wrist Guards came from the Blood Evil Sect’s Chi Blood Envoy.

Evidently, the Blood Evil Sect once possessed the full Silver Moon Armor, which was later split into seven parts and bestowed to subordinates.

In other words, to obtain the remaining components, he’d likely have to slay more Blood Evil Sect envoys or their ilk.

Picking up the three pieces, he tried them on. Quite comfortable.

With the Silver Moon Armor sorted, Chu Ming turned to the last three items, all found in Zhengxi Town’s underground chamber, and each related to Primordial Qi.

The first treasure: a clump resembling soft clay, earthy-yellow, appearing hardened but still soft inside, yet to fully solidify.

He released Primordial Consciousness to sense it; the earthy-yellow clay emitted dense Primordial Qi.

This clay was a Primordial Artifact Material just like what he used to forge the Primordial Black Blade, already refined once.

Its size was about equal to the materials for two Black Blades.

Alongside it came a melting furnace.

His room was too small; he didn’t take it out now.

When retrieving the furnace, he noted it was unusual. Unlike the one he’d used before with Master Hoong Ying in Xirong County, this furnace seemed specially crafted for forging Primordial Artifacts.

Chu Ming held the earthy material, wrapping it in Primordial Consciousness, examining it repeatedly.

He could sense its extraordinary nature. Unlike the semi-refined Black Blade, the Primordial Qi within this clay was more concentrated and showed no signs of dissipating.

It was as if...

”Using a special technique, the Primordial Qi was locked inside the material.”

His Primordial Black Blade, though also containing Primordial Qi, would lose Qi over time, requiring him to periodically infuse his Sea of Consciousness’ white Primordial Qi.

Comparing the Black Blade to the yellow clay, it was obvious his refining method was flawed; this clay represented the true method for making Primordial Artifacts.

Chu Ming’s eyes, sharp as an eagle’s, turned to the last two items on the desk: two books.

”Primordial Qi Guarding Essence Technique...”

The cover of the first book bore these characters in bold.

”Primordial Qi Guarding Essence Technique” was something his master Xiang Yue had previously given him in an incomplete version.

The current book...

Chu Ming’s gaze grew luminous as he flipped through page after page.

This book was an extremely complete Primordial Qi technique.

From Primordial Qi Introduction, to Primordial Qi Unity, from that to Primordial Qi Liquid, and then from the liquid to the Fourth Realm: Primordial Qi Lake!

Above the Sea of Consciousness Primordial Qi Warrior’s Cultivation Technique Lake, fragments floated, gathering and sinking.

The Primordial Qi Lake boiled and surged like river water.

The Primordial Qi technique self-deduced... optimized...

Until at some moment, his body was overtaken by an exhilarating feeling of clarity and ease.

On the status panel.

[Mountain and Sea Divine Qi·Primordial Qi Lake (Primordial Qi Liquid Middle Stage)]

[Progress: 53/100]

The Primordial Qi technique had successfully advanced to the Fourth Realm: Primordial Qi Lake Realm.

At the same time, his Primordial Qi Mansion in his abdomen held not just a few droplets, but now a small handful of Primordial Qi Liquid resembling a clear spring.

Moonlight filtered through the window, silvering the floor.

Chu Ming smiled, flipping his hand to stow away the book, and picked up the last one.

”Primordial Artifact Forging Method...”

This was the method he’d always wanted for forging Primordial Artifacts.

He opened the book, reading in great concentration.

Compared to ”Primordial Qi Guarding Essence Technique”, this Primordial Qi cultivation method, the ”Primordial Artifact Forging Method” book was far thinner.

Just one hundred pages; Chu Ming finished it quickly, finally understanding what truly made a Primordial Artifact.

To forge a Primordial Artifact, one must first obtain materials capable of withstanding pure Primordial Qi.

Such materials were not like those he’d used previously to make Primordial Qi Jade Pendants or Primordial Qi Jade Beads.

Ordinary objects could host Primordial Qi, but only up to a limit.

That limit meant ordinary materials would remain ordinary, never to become Primordial Artifacts.

Of course, ”ordinary” here referred to Primordial Qi capacity; some rare ores, though not suiting Primordial Artifact Forging, could rely on their inherent qualities to be made into powerful weapons and armor for Martial Artists.

Just like exotic beast materials, whose defensive or sharpness properties meant weapons and armor forged were not always inferior to Primordial Artifacts.

His most used Red Qilin Gloves, and the three Silver Moon items, were such examples.

The uniqueness of Primordial Artifacts lay in their Primordial Qi capacity and Primordial Qi shaping ability.

For example, materials acquired from slain Evil beings, or special ores, metals, bones, plant roots, etc.—the higher their Primordial Qi capacity, the more profound the forging technique, and the subtler the shaping of Primordial Qi, the stronger the artifact forged.

By ”shaping,” he meant during Primordial Artifact forging, how Primordial Qi was merged into the artifact.

From this ”Primordial Artifact Forging Method”, he learned that when refining Primordial Artifact materials into liquid, he could use Primordial Consciousness to channel Primordial Qi inside, and with a unique Primordial Pattern method, carve special Qi patterns.

Like Primordial Patterns for attack, for defense, or those boosting the power of one’s Primordial Techniques.

Reading all hundred pages, Chu Ming not only deeply understood the forging method, but also gained fresh insights into the subtleties of Primordial Qi and his control over Primordial Consciousness.

On the panel.

[Artifact Refining (Minor Success)]

[Progress: 99/100]

Just a bit more and [Artifact Refining] skill would break through to Great Success.

Chu Ming joyfully packed away materials and books.

His body now nearly recovered, and with the functions of his spoils now clear, he stood up instead of remaining seated, preparing to leave.

Glancing around the clean room, he flicked his sleeve, and golden light scattered onto the desk.

Beneath the golden glow lay five silver notes, five sticks of hundred-year-old treasure medicine, and a white sheet of paper.

Chu Ming took up a brush and wrote: ”Thanks Brother Hou, left by Fang Xiao.”

This small courtyard in Liuu Town was so clean, thanks solely to Hou Wuchun’s family.

The silver notes and treasure medicine would be left here, for Captain Hou to find when he came to clean up.

Leaving Liuu Town, Chu Ming first went to Baiyuan County.

”Chu Ming?” Feng Yuan asked in surprise.

”Mm.”

Leaving new Qi Blood Techniques and treasure medicine, Chu Ming proceeded to Baiyuan County’s Criminal Defense Bureau.

Hou Wuchun was fast asleep in his room.

Chu Ming left five silver notes and five sticks of treasure medicine, then headed for Xirong County.

...