Chapter 3: Shi Sanniang

"Hoo, hoo~"

"The elders in the sect once said that cultivation is not a literary debate; when it comes to bravery and ruthlessness, mutual slaughter is even more tragic. Even with Dharma Artifacts and treasures for protection, tempering one's muscles and bones to learn some combat arts is beneficial to cultivation, though most people disdain it."

Chen Ci wiped the sweat from his forehead. Ever since he achieved success in Qi Refining, he hadn't felt this kind of physical exhaustion for many years.

Tempering muscles and bones is not only hard work, but the foul sweat produced is also disliked by cultivators. Moreover, fist and foot techniques are far inferior to True Qi and spells, so spending time on this path is not very valuable; it is roughly equivalent to a chicken rib.

Chen Ci caught his breath for a few moments, picked up the light salt water on the table, and took a small sip while glancing at his progress.

Stone Lock Hunyuan Art: 2/100 (Five sessions a day, success in one year, strong muscles and bones, True Qi forms naturally)

"Even if one achieves True Qi through this kind of Fansu Martial Arts, the quality is far inferior to Three Yin True Qi. However, after practicing for a few days, I do feel my hands and eyes are more coordinated, and even my spirit is clearer. It seems there are still some benefits."

Chen Ci put down his teacup and touched the Five Yin Evil Qi Bag at his waist. A sense of security welled up; this thing was his livelihood, and even his predecessor never let it leave his side. "But I haven't refined the Five Yin Evil Qi Bag for a few days. This isn't right. Why is cultivation so busy?"

The Five Yin Evil Qi Bag is one of the thousand mountains and thousand methods of the He Mountain Sect, and it ranks quite high. It requires the stomach of a fierce beast, refined with the five essences of gold, silver, copper, iron, and tin. Using this as a base, one then uses the Essence Refining of living beings to gestate a strand of Five Yin Black Evil. It can attack and defend, and can even refine the flesh and blood of all living things. It is truly an essential Dharma Artifact for home, travel, and killing people.

Each layer of Prohibition can gestate a strand of Five Yin Black Evil. The Five Yin Evil Qi Bag in Chen Ci's hand was made from the stomach of a swamp demon toad that his predecessor luckily hunted; the quality is good, reaching the level of a mid-grade Dharma Artifact.

If one only hunts common tigers or leopards, one can only refine a few layers of Prohibition, which is of little use.

"Practicing the Stone Lock Hunyuan Art takes three hours a day, cultivating the Three Yin Qi-Eating Method takes three hours a day, and refining the Five Yin Evil Qi Bag takes one hour each time. If I still have to prepare flesh and blood materials, the time spent is even more."

Chen Ci did some mental calculations. If he didn't build up some foundation and raise a few servants or helpers, let alone enjoying life, he feared he wouldn't even have time to eat.

"If I don't practice methods, there is no hope for Longevity."

"If I don't practice artifacts, I have no means of self-protection."

"And there are pill methods, talismans, spells, and divine abilities... No time, there is simply no time. No wonder so many cultivators just give up and lie flat. When they want to advance courageously, they find that there is simply not enough time."

Chen Ci frowned slightly, inexplicably feeling a sense of urgency.

No wonder his predecessor wanted to raise corpses and grow medicine. Those Corpse Ganoderma in the backyard are the main ingredients for the Nourishing Qi Green Ganoderma Pill recorded in the Three Yin Qi-Eating Method, which can assist in opening Acupoints; one pill is worth three months of effort.

"Being a good person really has a price. There weren't many to begin with, and I even gave one away."

Chen Ci felt a bit of heartache: "Can I get it back? Niu Ji only left two days ago, it should still be okay. I can't really let those two spirit children be offered up, sigh."

"Bang, bang, bang."

"What is it!"

Chen Ci was thinking about things, so his tone was a bit heavy. The person outside the door paused before reporting in a low voice: "Master, Shi Sanniang requests an audience."

"Not seeing her!"

Since he is in the mortal world, miscellaneous matters will inevitably come to him outside of cultivation. Chen Ci had no spare time to get to know his predecessor's acquaintances, so he refused flatly: "Just say I am in cultivation. By the way, is the Blood Food ready?"

"It is ready, all in the side courtyard."

"Go down."

Chen Ci adjusted his mindset and left the courtyard. Before long, he heard a series of grunting sounds.

They were two fair-skinned and beautiful fat pigs tied to the corner of the wall, each weighing over three hundred catties.

"Brother Pig, oh Brother Pig, today I must rely on you to help me with my cultivation."

Chen Ci sighed twice: "Since you two didn't object, I'll take it that you agree. Off you go."

Piggy: "..."

Chen Ci slapped the Five Yin Evil Qi Bag, and a mass of Black Sha rushed out, moving toward the fat pigs according to his will.

The expected bloody tragedy did not happen. The Black Sha rolled under the two fat pigs several times, but they didn't move at all.

The faint feeling transmitted was: I can't lift them.

Chen Ci:???

When he injected True Qi again and flew out another mass of Black Sha, the two masses of Black Sha finally lifted one fat pig each and carried them toward the Five Yin Evil Qi Bag.

Only then did the two fat pigs feel that disaster was imminent. They grunted twice, but before they could struggle, they were swallowed by the Five Yin Evil Qi Bag.

"What a marvelous feeling."

Chen Ci sensed a pitch-black space in his mind, roughly egg-shaped, which felt very oppressive. Five masses of black Qi were wandering inside, wrapping around flesh and blood as if sucking on them.

The Five Yin Black Evil's methods for dealing with enemies are strangulation, capture, and refining.

"One strand of Five Yin Black Evil Qi can probably capture a five-hundred-catty creature; any heavier and it won't work."

Chen Ci sat cross-legged and, following the refining method of the Five Yin Evil Qi Bag, slowly injected True Qi into it. The inner wall of the pitch-black space expanded and contracted with a mysterious frequency, as if it were breathing.

One hour later.

"Hoo... refining a Dharma Artifact is also physical labor."

Chen Ci checked himself; he had consumed the True Qi of about five Acupoints, and the Five Yin Evil Qi Bag actually fed back a feeling of being unsatisfied, as if it hadn't eaten enough.

Five Yin Evil Qi Bag: Five layers of Prohibition / 4/100

When refining a Dharma Artifact, the flesh and blood of livestock is the worst, fierce beasts are better, and if there are demon beasts or cultivators, it is even more effective with half the effort.

"These two fat pigs cost sixteen taels of silver to purchase. If I want to refine it to the sixth layer of Prohibition, I will need about fifteen hundred taels of silver."

"The entire Sanyin Temple industry has an annual income of over thirteen thousand taels, and every year I must offer eight thousand to ten thousand taels of silver to the main sect. Damn it, calculating it this way, the money is not enough!"

Chen Ci sighed. One doesn't know the cost of firewood and rice until one manages a household; only after starting cultivation does one realize there are shortages everywhere.

Changping County is only so big, and the total population of the county is barely over one hundred thousand. It's not that he can't squeeze out more oil and water, but that would mean preying on the neighbors.

"Nothing goes as planned, so annoying."

"Sigh~"

Chen Ci walked out of the backyard with his hands behind his back. Just as he reached the main hall, he heard a sour complaint: "Yo, isn't this our Temple Master Chen, Master Chen?"

Hmm?

Standing to the side of the hall was a beautiful woman with phoenix eyes and willow-leaf eyebrows, dressed in brocade and colorful ornaments. Although her appearance could not be called stunning, her waist was slender and her demeanor was amorous.

Most importantly, she was big.

Someone I know?

Right, this is... Shi Sanniang!

Some incomplete memories quickly pieced themselves together; no, such a big deal, why didn't anyone say anything sooner!

"Shi Sanniang~, why have you come?"

Chen Ci subconsciously put on a smile and, like an upright gentleman, withdrew his gaze.

"Oh my, isn't there someone who wouldn't see me?"

Shi Sanniang gave her waist a twist and pressed up against Chen Ci: "Master Chen, it's been quite some time since you've been to my place."

Chen Ci was still somewhat uncertain about exactly what their relationship was, but his left hand had already consciously passed under her armpit to support her, subconsciously fiddling with her, which provoked a delicate cry.

Chen Ci: "."

No, listen to my ex—no, no, listen to my explanation!

This is definitely the subconscious influence of the predecessor!

I, Chen, am devoted to the Dao; you all must believe me!

(End of this chapter)