Chapter 25

So if you want to go further on the Martial Artist Path, you have to break through the seven limits of the mortal body?

Qin Shi pondered over this.

Those Martial God Inheritances have such strict conditions and such high thresholds.

Because the original masters were simply too powerful, each breaking free of the shackles of the mortal body and completing the transformation of life.

Dongxia's territory was unprecedentedly vast, covering almost half of the star system, allowing them to stand out from a population base as numerous as the sands of the Ganges.

Every Martial God could be called a legend!

Their experiences and achievements were difficult for later generations to imitate.

Their experiences and insights could not be fully adopted by later generations either.

Thus, following after Yan Haishan, Ning Yuanhai shone brightly over the entire era.

His Ancient and Modern Myriad Worlds True Scripture could only lie in the Dijing National Museum as a collected exhibit, rather than as a textbook template for cultivating Martial God Seeds.

Especially as the New Martial Arts faction grew powerful, the old Old Martial Arts Inheritances became increasingly useless, with low applicability and promotion value.

Correct. Setting aside other crooked shortcuts and the highly harmful heretical paths.

The seven limits of the mortal body are the only true path to greatly increase Qi Life Force, a point even the New Martial Arts faction cannot deny.

In the last ten years, topics related to Martial Artists, such as how to rely on life technology to break through human shackles, have always been the most popular items for scamming funding.

Lao Liang had a cigarette in his mouth and led Qin Shi through twists and turns to Shenyang Street south of Old Factory Street.

The storefronts on both sides all hung car wash and tire repair signs for auto repair shops, workers in labor protection uniforms were busy non-stop, disassembling tires, cleaning and maintaining them.

Master Liang, if there's no divine art to pass down, can't we get some elixirs and treasures? Otherwise, relying only on practice methods and fighting techniques to break through the physical limit is too slow.

I'm not young anymore; after my birthday I'll be eighteen, with one foot already in the grave.

Looking at Lao Liang walking ahead, Qin Shi couldn't help but say.

At least the ancestors of the Old Martial Arts faction were once glorious; since we've confirmed the master-disciple relationship, you have to cough up some gold coins, right!

The seven limits of the mortal body have no order of precedence.

Your main advantage lies in your strong large tendons and well-formed skeleton, uniform and neat.

So we'll follow the order of tendons first, then bones, and try to break through two limits.

Lao Liang ignored his overly ambitious disciple; this kid kept thinking about his own little bit of family wealth.

Half a foot in the grave at eighteen—wouldn't that mean he's buried up to his neck?

Today I'm bringing you here to help you advance further and see if you can break through the Strength Pass limit of the tendons.

Lao Liang drilled into a pitch-black dark alley, with red brick walls covered in various small advertisements.

Most were about urinary systems and men's hidden pains, occasionally mixed with fake news about rich women paying heavily for children.

Advance further?

Break through the ten-point Life Force Key Point!

Qin Shi carried excitement in his heart, following closely behind Lao Liang as they stopped at the door of a medicine shop.

He looked up, and the large bright red characters "Tianzhu Divine Oil" came into view.

Two aluminum alloy sliding doors; the left side read "Honest Direct Sales," and the right side read "Men's Gospel."

Next door was the Qingyuan Hotel, where room rental came with footbath, massage, essential oil back-opening and other services; no matter how you looked at it, it wasn't proper.

Master Liang, do you Old Martial Arts people particularly like this kind of place? Can't we learn from the New Martial Arts faction and find some high-end, classy place?

Qin Shi almost couldn't hold back; which proper master and disciple run to footbath shops and divine oil shops every day?

Great seclusion is hidden in the city! Don't you think, when Old Factory Street was at its most glorious, how many people it fed? Everyone runs to the East District of Dangyang, crowds together to do business, and scrape by.

Hengzhou's best medical environment and top hypnotists might be in the Taian Metropolitan Area or Center City.

But the clinic with the highest cost performance and the most comfortable technicians must come here.

Lao Liang showed a contemptuous expression of "disciple, you really have no experience," pushed open the door first, and walked in.

Life is not easy, Qin Shi sighed.

Who made him indeed lack financial means and have a poor family background.

Those classmates from the Urban Circle Elite Class went in and out of Cultivation Halls all day, enjoying professional physiotherapists and nutritionists.

As for himself, he was downgraded to a Foot Massage Shop Technician and a medicine vendor selling divine oil.

The disparity of life was too obvious!

Lao Liang! Why are you here? Finally figured out to find a partner?!

The rough voice was full of energy, like a broken gong buzzing, even covering the lewd sounds of moaning inside the shop.

Qin Shi's gaze swept over the old television, which was playing restricted films unsuitable for minors.

Watching porn with the door closed in broad daylight; the boss is a man of passion.

He thought so.

His gaze shifted again, sweeping over the shop filled with various miscellaneous items, appearing somewhat cramped.

On the counter were stacked old-era paper novels with yellowed covers; on the wall were several posters of women in qipaos; behind a large, square computer sat a man in a sleep robe with a thin, bloodless face.

Looking at his dried-up, kidney-deficient appearance, who would have thought his breath was so full?

The man in the sleep robe reached out and picked up the remote, pausing the yellow video tape at the critical moment:

Why did you bring a kid? Hey, Lao Liang, this shop is compliant and legal, absolutely no sale of any erotic items to minors.

I'm not idling around coming here to talk nonsense with you. Lao Gu, I want a bottle of the best authentic Tianzhu goods, don't fool me.

Lao Liang got straight to the point, took out a stack of hundred yuan bills from his pocket and slapped them on the counter.

Wow, so generous! Lao Liang, did you find a good seedling?

The man in the sleep robe disregarded his image and scratched his crotch, then licked his finger with his tongue and began counting the money.

I don't have much stock, only three bottles left. The Tianzhu area belongs to an autonomous region; although it's under Dongxia's administrative jurisdiction, every time we restock we have to be careful of customs... one bottle is four thousand, not expensive; you're short eight hundred here, what do you say?

Lao Liang's tiger eyes widened:

"Wasn't it thirty-two hundred before?"

The man in the sleeping robe was helpless:

"Hengzhou only has one interstellar route per month; boarding requires identity verification. Those dog-grass bureaucrats have been running a transportation blockade for over a decade since the Military Factory Explosion in the Old City District.

These few bottles of stock have been sitting here for a long time; forty-one hundred a bottle is already cost price. Only because our friendship runs deep — anyone else, selling it to them for seven thousand wouldn't be excessive."

Lao Liang turned back to look at Qin Shi:

"How much do you have on you?"

Qin Shi answered truthfully:

"Three thousand five hundred thirteen."

The ten thousand Big Sister gave him naturally couldn't all be carried on his person; he only kept a portion for emergencies and daily expenses.

Lao Liang faced the sleeping-robe man again, decisively and ruthlessly bargaining:

"Seven thousand, two bottles."

The sleeping-robe man was about to shake his head and refuse, but Lao Liang cut him off:

"Lao Gu, this thing you can't sell even if you keep it in your hands; the New Martial Arts crowd plays with injections, supplements, and Energy Liquid — who still uses Tianzhu's 'Golden Daigo'?

It doesn't even have a drug inspection certificate; take it to the Urban Circle and you sell this, get reported by peers, one arrest and you're done for!"

The sleeping-robe man's facial color changed slightly; a moment later he relented and agreed:

"Deal, seven thousand for two bottles, count it as you owing me a personal favor. Once I accumulate enough money, I'll definitely buy a ticket and run away; this ghost place Hengzhou is too against me!"

He lifted the curtain, walked into the back room, and took a good long while to come out.

Seemed to be rummaging through boxes and cabinets; his sleepwear was covered in dust.

"Two bottles of Golden Daigo, absolutely authentic Tianzhu goods; the purchase price alone exceeds seven thousand. If it were the Ancient Martial Arts Era, a bottle at twenty thousand would still have buyers!"

The sleepwear man looked like he was cutting his own flesh, heart aching terribly.

Lao Liang didn't say much more; together with Qin Shi they scraped together seven thousand, and tucked the silk-cloth-wrapped glass bottles into his bosom.

"Thanks, Lao Gu."

The sleepwear man replied with ill grace:

"Scram, don't disturb me doing handicraft work."

After Lao Liang and Qin Shi turned around, he couldn't hold back and added:

"The best way to use Golden Daigo isn't external application; it's to boil it into scalding thick juice, apply it while still hot to the spine, chest, and abdomen, then sit in a bath tub, raise the temperature and heat it, to promote absorption.

This step is called 'Burning Tendons'. That old monk who sold the goods told me.

If your Disciple can endure hardship, might as well try it and see if he can burn out 'Dragon Tendons'."

Lao Liang nodded, and closed the door behind them.

The two left the not-very-lively deserted alley; only then did he speak:

"This man is called 'Gu Nanting'; the name is quite elegant. He was originally from Haizhou; his family was very rich. His mother was driven out by a mistress from outside who climbed her way up, and his father was ruthless enough to cut off his livelihood at the same time.

Fortunately Lao Gu attended a good school and had a talent for languages; he dropped out halfway and followed ships, and didn't starve to death.

Pity his luck was bad; from the Tianzhu side he exhausted his wealth stockpiling a batch of medicine, planning to catch the tail of the Xinxing Development and make a fortune, but then the Military Factory Explosion happened, Hengzhou blockaded external routes, and only one state-owned Spaceship per month could take off."

Military Factory Explosion?

Qin Shi frowned slightly, extracting it from his memory.

It was a very old matter; supposedly the 420 Military Factory producing Divine Machine components caught fire.

"In recent years, the Taian Metropolitan Area only eased some restrictions and started free trade. Many say it was precisely that Great Explosion that caused Hengzhou to fall to the bottom-rung position of an Administrative New Star."

Lao Liang explained a bit, brought Qin Shi to the Jin Se Yin Xiang he'd visited last time, and had the big-waved female Manager Hong Jie prepare a private room.

He opened the silk-wrapped glass bottle; inside was a golden gelatinous substance, greasy, like thick fat.

"This is 'Golden Daigo' produced in Tianzhu, extracted from the abdomen of the 'Three-Eyed Crocodile'.

In the Ancient Martial Arts Era, those big sect practitioners loved using it to nurture tendons.

Our Hong Sheng's most outstanding Limit-Breaking Constitution is 'Dragon Tendons Tiger Bones Kirin Strength' and 'Bee Waist Ape Arm Mantis Leg'.

One is internal, one is external.

The latter you're not far off; just improve the Practice Method properly.

The former, you'll have to eat some suffering."

Dragon Tendons Tiger Bones?

Sounds fierce!

Qin Shi was impatient; as the Legendary Endurance King, what suffering couldn't he endure?

"Bring it on, Master Liang! Don't go easy on me just because I'm young! Work me hard!"

(Chapter End)