Chapter 159

【Ten acupoints opened: Wei Kaogong of Qinan Prefecture, Dongxingdao, 83rd year of Daliang Calendar.】

On the steps, another senior figure appeared—a square face, thick eyebrows, and large eyes. At first glance, Lin Chen could hardly believe this was a young man.

He was too mature.

To use a phrase from later generations, he was bureaucratic even at such a young age.

Although he was surprised in his heart, Lin Chen's hand movements were not slow; almost the moment this Senior Wei appeared, he took the initiative to strike first.

His figure was like a swimming dragon, and under the sky full of palm shadows, this Senior Wei could only parry repeatedly.

Thirty breaths later!

The opponent's figure dissipated, and Lin Chen cupped his fists and bowed from a distance.

【Gap of five acupoints, conditions met, granting Qi and Blood Furnace for thirty breaths.】

The warm feeling arrived as promised, making Lin Chen almost moan in comfort.

【Qi and Blood value: 600,000/1,500,000】

【Eleven acupoints opened...】

【Twelve acupoints opened...】

Northern Frontier.

"Since the old Marquis's funeral ended, the young Marquis has gone to Mount Wudao every day. Old Zhao, the young Marquis is close to you; persuade him in a while, this cannot go on."

"When I left the Northern Frontier, the young Marquis was only five years old; how could he still remember me?"

Zhao Canghu shook his head with a smile. When he was in the military camp with the old Marquis, the young Marquis liked to be carried on his back the most. If it weren't for the dying wish of an old friend, he would never have left the Northern Frontier in his life.

"How could he not remember? The young Marquis often mentions you, Old Zhao, in front of us. Anyway, persuade him in a while."

"I will try."

A quarter of an hour later, the courtyard door opened, and a young man with a sturdy build walked out, bare-chested. Although it was a cold place, the young man was like a furnace; just by looking at him, one could feel the warmth.

"Uncle Zhao, why are you here?"

The young man saw Zhao Canghu standing not far away, and a look of joy appeared on his face.

"The young Marquis still remembers me."

"Uncle Zhao, I still remember when I was naughty as a child, my father wanted to beat me, and you carried me over the wall to escape."

Xiao Yaojin's words made Zhao Canghu's face flush; he also did not expect the young Marquis to remember this, so he explained: "It was also because the Marquis couldn't bear to, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to carry the young Marquis away."

The Marquis was already at the Fourth Rank at that time, while he was only at the Seventh Rank. If the Marquis really wanted to beat the young Marquis, how could he possibly have taken the young Marquis away?

"If Uncle Zhao hadn't carried me away, I would definitely have been beaten anyway."

Xiao Yaojin naturally knew that his father didn't really want to beat him at the time; Uncle Zhao's appearance just gave his father a way to back down.

"Young Marquis, in the Martial Way, haste makes waste; this Mount Wudao..."

After chatting about the past for a few sentences, Zhao Canghu also thought of the exhortations of his companions earlier and began to persuade him, but before he could finish, Xiao Yaojin interrupted, his eyes showing a trace of sadness.

"Uncle Zhao, I once promised my grandfather that I would definitely let him see me leave my name on Mount Wudao."

Hearing this from the young Marquis, Zhao Canghu sighed. He finally understood why, with the young Marquis's Martial Way talent and the resources of the Marquis's family, the young Marquis had not yet reached the Organ Cultivation Stage.

The young Marquis was thinking of leaving his name on Mount Wudao while in the Open-Acupuncture Stage.

"The young Marquis's words remind me of a young man I met in the Jiangnan Region not long ago, but my goal for him was to be able to stand on Mount Wudao with a difference of three acupoints."

Feeling the sadness in the young Marquis's eyes, Zhao Canghu changed the subject.

"Uncle Zhao has found a practitioner who can practice that theory of yours?"

Xiao Yaojin was indeed attracted, his eyes showing curiosity. Uncle Zhao was his grandfather's personal guard and should have stayed in the Northern Frontier, but twelve years ago, Uncle Zhao left the Northern Frontier military camp. He had learned the reason from his own father.

An old friend of Uncle Zhao had traveled through several countries and created a theory of Qi circulation, but his father, after seeing it, felt that Uncle Zhao's friend was too whimsical.

This method of circulating Qi without passing through the dantian was too presumptuous.

"That kid might be able to do it. I've also thought it through; if it doesn't work this time, I'll just give up. It will be considered living up to my old friend."

"Daliang's Martial Way is prosperous; every once in a while, Martial Way geniuses will appear. Perhaps you just happened to meet one, Uncle Zhao." Xiao Yaojin smiled and comforted him.

Zhao Canghu naturally knew that the young Marquis was saying nice things to comfort him, so he smiled and said: "Although that kid is not bad, he is still far worse than the young Marquis. I'm just holding onto the idea of trying one last time, regardless of whether it succeeds or not."

"To be favored by Uncle Zhao, he definitely can't be bad. What is that genius's name?"

"In front of the young Marquis, how can I mention a genius? That kid's name is Lin Chen, but his Martial Way experience is somewhat peculiar. If the young Marquis is interested, I can tell you about it."

"Good." Xiao Yaojin nodded. He naturally knew that Uncle Zhao wanted him to walk out of the sadness of his grandfather's passing, and he did not refuse Uncle Zhao's good intentions.

"After I left the Northern Frontier, I went to several places. Finally, because of an old friend, Tai Rupai... the young Marquis might not know, Tai Rupai was also a personal guard under the old Marquis. This old guy later became an academic official in the Jiangnan Region..."

After a cup of tea's time, Xiao Yaojin pursed his lips and smiled bitterly: "Uncle Zhao, you didn't come to comfort me; you came to strike a blow at me."

"Why does the young Marquis say that?"

"The Lin Chen you mentioned is the son of a fisherman, yet he was able to take first place in the Martial Hall and also took first place in the County Battle. I, as the young Marquis, enjoy so many cultivation resources, yet I haven't even been able to take first place in the Martial Hall."

"How can that be the same? You haven't taken it, young Marquis, because you didn't want to."

Xiao Yaojin did not pick up on this. He was indeed not interested in Martial Hall competitions or County Battles. From the moment he stepped onto the Martial Way, his first goal was to leave his name on Mount Wudao.

It was just that now, having opened twenty-four acupoints, he still hadn't done it.

Even if he was suppressing his stage, he only had three months left; in three months, he would inevitably step into the Organ Cultivation Stage.

When the Qi and Blood in the body reach the limit, they will autonomously circulate and refine the five organs.

"If there is a chance, Uncle Zhao can bring that Lin Chen to let me see him."

Hearing this, a smile appeared on Zhao Canghu's old face. It seemed that the young Marquis was indeed interested in Lin Chen. Once he caught the young Marquis's eye, Lin Chen would be unimpeded if he came to the Northern Frontier in the future.

Xiao Yaojin looked at the smile on Zhao Canghu's face, and a smile also hung on the corner of his mouth. He was indeed interested in this Lin Chen, but wanting to see the other party was more for Uncle Zhao's sake.

In Mount Wudao.

"Senior, I concede!"

Lin Chen cupped his fists, watching another senior's figure disappear.

By now, he had already broken through to the thirteenth acupoint, and the Qi and Blood cap in his body, with the help of the Qi and Blood Furnace, had reached a staggering two million.

Lin Chen did not continue to challenge. Although the Heaven and Earth Furnace only increased his Qi and Blood cap and did not change the Qi and Blood value, having enjoyed the Heaven and Earth Furnace for a hundred breaths in a row, he felt the Qi and Blood in his body frantically circulating toward the sixteenth acupoint.

At the same time, a sense of hunger actually came from his body.

As the Qi and Blood cap increases, does his Qi and Blood also need to grow?

Lin Chen came down from Mount Wudao and went to the treasure vault once again.

"My lord, this disciple wants some things that increase Qi and Blood."

"Go get them yourself."

Yang Jin was already numb and simply didn't care. Lin Chen walked into the courtyard. This time, he was not as insane as before; he only took a few bottles of elixir and finally turned into the cellar on the side of the courtyard, carrying a leg of some unknown beast from the ice cellar.

Since he was hungry, he had to eat some meat.

"My lord, this disciple takes his leave."

"Go."

Yang Jin looked at the beast meat Lin Chen was carrying on his shoulder—good fellow, twenty pounds of Red Flame Rhino beef. If it were any other student, he would have slapped them away. He really wasn't afraid of stuffing himself to death? But thinking of Lin Chen swallowing thirty bottles of Red Blood Pills in one day, twenty pounds of Red Flame Rhino beef didn't seem like much.

In the bamboo forest, the aroma of meat overflowed.

And outside the bamboo forest, the six instructors, including Min Huanbo, were also standing there, smelling the aroma of meat drifting from the bamboo forest, and also didn't know what to say.

"Yu Yu Jiaoxi Min, are you sure Lin Chen really swallowed thirty bottles of Red Blood Pills in one day?"

"Yu Yu Jiaoxi Chen, not only am I sure, Yu Yu Jiaoxi Yang can also be sure, and the Red Blood Pills in the treasure vault are indeed gone; this can't be fake."

Min Huanbo naturally knew that the five instructors, including Chen, would not believe it, so he specially took the five of them to the treasure vault. As a result, they learned from Yu Yu Jiaoxi Yang that Lin Chen had carried away another leg of Red Flame Rhino beef, and the group rushed over in a hurry.

"That is truly strange. Logically speaking, even if Lin Chen could really absorb the medicinal effects of so many Red Blood Pills, he shouldn't have only broken through one acupoint."

With so many Red Blood Pills, if one were to accumulate all the medicinal effects, it would be enough for an Open-Acupuncture practitioner to reach twenty acupoints.

"Regarding this point, my judgment is that Lin Chen is walking the path of the Limit Martial Way; the requirement for Qi and Blood for every acupoint breakthrough is far higher than other practitioners, and coupled with Senior Zhao's shocking cultivation method, Lin Chen's situation cannot be judged by common sense."

Min Huanbo's judgment was recognized by the others.

They could only recognize it; otherwise, they couldn't explain why Lin Chen had swallowed so many Red Blood Pills without meridian blockage, but had only opened one acupoint.

"Why think so much? No matter what, the stronger Lin Chen's strength is, the higher the chance of winning the competition with the other side." An instructor snorted: "As for why Lin Chen is different from other practitioners, leave that to those lords to rack their brains over."

Makes sense!

The second is that the dead are the most important.

In the bamboo forest, Lin Chen naturally did not know that the six instructors, including Min Huanbo, had discussed his situation. At this moment, he was devouring the beast meat, and his whole stomach felt warm like a furnace.

After half a beast leg went down, that sense of hunger finally disappeared.

Lin Chen looked at the panel, and a change appeared in the Qi and Blood value column.

【650,000/2,000,000】

Since the panel changed, the Qi and Blood value had also become a real-time change.

"Perhaps it's not that the panel update made the Qi and Blood change in real-time, but that the circulation of Qi and Blood in my body is much faster than before, and coupled with the increase in True Blood, the digestion speed of both elixirs and beast meat is much faster than before."

Lin Chen had a judgment in his heart. After a beast leg was completely finished, feeling the surging Qi and Blood in his body, he did not hesitate anymore and got up to practice Wind Cloud Palm.

The next moment, in the bamboo forest, sounds of wind and thunder rang out, and the sky full of palm shadows was like clouds and mist, drifting across the entire bamboo forest clearing.

Bang!

A long time later, another explosive sound came from Lin Chen's spine, and the last of the three acupoints on his spine was finally opened at this moment.

Sixteen acupoints opened!

Lin Chen's eyes narrowed, and he took a medicine bottle from his bosom, pouring out an elixir.

Acupoint-Opening Pill!

Last time after the county competition, he got two Acupoint-Opening Pills, but a practitioner can only take three; taking more is ineffective. Taking an Acupoint-Opening Pill at this time is the most cost-effective.

The elixir entered his stomach, and the Qi and Blood that had just calmed down began to become surging and turbulent again.

This time, Lin Chen did not perform Wind Cloud Palm again; instead, his figure flashed, and he kept moving through the bamboo forest like a wild wind. The seventeenth acupoint was on his leg, and performing Wild Wind Leg was more effective than Wind Cloud Palm.

Another special training ground in the Jiangnan Region.

Jiang Qing looked at the letter sent back by her mother, her pretty face covered in frost.

The Huo family!

Putting down the letter, Jiang Qing walked out of the room where she lived and walked toward where the other students were.

A quarter of an hour later, all the students in the special training ground were shocked to see Huo Tong, who was covered in blood and in a miserable state, and that graceful figure who had left.

This Jiang Jiang Shijie is truly ruthless.

The reason for the beating was also... also irrefutable, just because Huo Tong glanced at her, which made her very unhappy.

She really just beat Huo Tong, without even trying to hide it.

The students present were not fools; they knew this was just an excuse Jiang Jiang Shijie found to beat Huo Tong. Just now, when Jiang Jiang Shijie came over, who didn't glance at her? But it just happened that Huo Tong was the one who suffered.

The most critical thing was that several instructors remained indifferent, as if they hadn't seen it at all.

After beating Huo Tong, Jiang Qing did not return to the small hut where she lived, but went to the Academic Official's side.

"Xu Bo, just let me go."

Jiang Qing had the demeanor of a little girl, without any of the cold and glamorous appearance from before.

"Little Qing, it's not that Uncle doesn't agree, it's just that this doesn't conform to the rules; you are making your Xu Bo commit a mistake."

"Xu Bo, what kind of mistake is this? I just want to understand the strength of the students over there, so I can prepare for the competition."

Jiang Qing smiled brightly, with two small dimples: "Xu Bo, my father seems to have brought back a few pots of Autumn Blade Wine last time."

"Three pots!" Xu Li spoke instantly, extending three fingers.

"Xu Bo, you really know how to ask; one pot at most."

"Little Qing, as an Academic Official, I cannot take the lead in violating the rules." Xu Li shook his head: "Two pots at least."

"Okay."

Jiang Qing did not continue to bargain; anyway, she didn't say how big the pots were, she could just divide the original pot of wine into two small pots.

"Haha, if it were anyone else, your Xu Bo would definitely not agree, but since you, Little Qing, have asked, I must give you this face. Go find Yu Yu Jiaoxi Jiang and let her take you."

"Thank you, Xu Bo."

Watching Jiang Qing's departing figure, Xu Li's eyes narrowed slightly. Going to the neighboring special training ground to understand the opponent's strength—he didn't believe a word of that.

Linking it to Jiang Qing beating Huo Tong, and the recent controversial events in the Jiangnan Martial Administration Hall, he had a judgment in his heart.

Jiang Qing is venting her anger for that student named Lin Chen!

The Huo family, doing such things—Huo Tong deserves to be beaten.

Compared to Huo Tong getting beaten, he was more curious about the relationship between Jiang Qing and that student named Lin Chen.

"Should I tell Lin Lin Shidi Jiang about this?"

Just as Xu Li was pondering, Jiang Qing's figure returned.

"Little Qing, what else is there?"

"Xu Bo, I was a bit impulsive just now and beat Huo Tong; you won't punish me, will you?"

Xu Li's mouth twitched; if he were going to punish her, he would have done it last time. The little girl has an ulterior motive in her words.

"If I were going to punish you, I would have done it long ago. You little girl, you know the answer and yet you ask. Tell me, what is it exactly?"

Jiang Qing's beautiful eyes had a cunning look: "Xu Bo, my father is very strict with me. If he finds out I beat someone in the special training ground, he will definitely punish me. Xu Bo wouldn't want to see his niece punished, would he?"

Xu Li understood; this girl was going around in circles to make him not tell Lin Lin Shidi Jiang about her going to find Lin Chen.

"This..." Xu Li stroked his beard, not agreeing immediately.

"Xu Bo, I remember last time you were drinking with my father, you seemed to mention some Xiao Xiao Shimei Wanru..."

"I promise you!"

Xu Li interrupted Jiang Qing directly. Looking at the little girl's cunning eyes, he was also somewhat helpless; he felt he had been caught by this little girl.

Men, you know, when they drink too much, they have to reminisce about the past, and they can't help but brag a bit.

He was no exception, recalling the things when he was learning martial arts in the Martial Hall, and mentioned Xiao Xiao Shimei Wanru. He didn't expect it to be remembered by this little girl.

His wife was a jealous person; if this little girl told his wife about this...

"Thank you, Xu Bo. Your niece is not good at anything else, but my memory is poor; many things are forgotten after a few days."

Jiang Qing puffed out her cheeks, suppressing a laugh, and turned to leave gracefully.

On the side of the valley, sounds came out, and dozens of birds were startled, flying toward the sky.

At the same time, an arrow shot toward the sky, seemingly without a target, but strangely, when the arrow crossed the area where the birds were, a white egret happened to fly to the spot of the arrow, and the arrow pierced its throat.

This scene looked more like the egret had bumped into the arrow itself.

"To be accurate with an arrow, one needs to predict."

Predicting the target's trajectory is also something a master archer must practice.

This arrow could have such an effect precisely because he had stayed in this valley and observed the egret's flight nearly a hundred times before predicting its flight trajectory.

Looking at the area where these birds fell, Lin Chen nocked his bow again and shot an arrow casually.

This arrow caused the large trees in the forest area to shatter, and the birds were startled again.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Lin Chen did not hesitate to pick up three arrows, nocking his bow and arrow in one go, shooting three arrows at once.

Three birds were pierced by the arrows and fell from the high sky.

Seeing this scene, the corner of Lin Chen's mouth curled into a smile, but the next moment his pupils shrank, his right foot tapped, and he retreated backward like a bowstring arrow, while his right hand nocked his bow and arrow, shooting an arrow into the forest to his front left without hesitation.

"Lin Lin Shidi's perception is so keen; he could even discover me."

In the forest, Jiang Qing looked at the arrow flying toward her and was somewhat surprised, but she did not dodge. She had already opened twenty-two acupoints and had suppressed Lin Lin Shidi by a large margin in terms of stage.

Slap!

Jiang Qing struck out with a palm, and the terrifying palm wind swept toward the arrow, but the next moment, Jiang Qing's beautiful eyes had a look of disbelief. The arrow in front of her was actually not swept down by her palm wind. In the blink of an eye, her figure shifted slightly, and the arrow passed almost against her body.

What kind of archery is this from Lin Lin Shidi?

Before Jiang Qing could recover from the shock, several more arrows shot toward her. This time it was three arrows, sealing off all her paths of retreat.

Lin Chen, who shot three arrows at once, also had a serious expression at this moment. Just now, he felt a figure hiding in the forest in front; although the other party hid their aura, he still noticed it with his perception.

If it were the instructors, they would definitely not be discovered by him.

And if it were the other junior brothers from the special training ground, it would be impossible for them to be discovered by him only at such a distance.

The most critical thing is, what does the other party want to do by hiding their aura and approaching him?

Those who come are not good, and those who are good do not come.

Shoot first and talk later!

When he saw that the other party could dodge his arrows at such a close distance, Lin Chen's pupils also shrank. This person's strength is extremely strong, and I fear it is not below mine.

In the special training ground, other students do not have this strength.

Watching the three arrows whistling over, Jiang Qing also took a deep breath, and a terrifying energy erupted from her body, condensing into the shape of a spear in front of her, sweeping out, and the three arrows instantly fell to the ground.

"What is this?"

Lin Chen, who saw this scene from afar, turned and ran without any hesitation.

The special effects are out!

This person is not someone I can match.

Jiang Qing watched Lin Chen's fleeing figure, bit her silver teeth lightly, and couldn't help but scold: "Lin Lin Shidi!"

Lin Chen, who had already run dozens of feet away, heard the voice coming from behind, and his figure paused. This voice sounds familiar.

Jiang Jiang Shijie!

Thinking of who the owner of this voice was, Lin Chen stopped his steps. He hadn't looked at the other party's face at all just now, and the other party was in the forest, nearly a hundred feet away, and he couldn't see clearly with the leaves blocking.

A few breaths later, looking at Jiang Jiang Shijie, who was smiling but not laughing, Lin Chen was also somewhat embarrassed.

"Lin Lin Shidi, is this your way of treating guests?"

Jiang Jiang Shijie is the one who is accusing others first; there is no such thing as a guest sneaking up.

"Lin Lin Shidi didn't know it was Jiang Jiang Shijie, please calm your anger, Jiang Jiang Shijie." Lin Chen apologized.

"To make me calm my anger is very simple, first take three palms from me, Jiang Jiang Shijie!"

Jiang Qing's figure rose violently, and she shot out a palm without hesitation. She had seen Lin Lin Shidi's archery, and it was indeed very strong, forcing her to finally use the Martial Way Will left by her father.

But she didn't believe that Lin Lin Shidi could be her opponent in close combat.

"Good!"

Lin Chen also struck out with a palm; he understood, Jiang Jiang Shijie wanted to spar with him.

The two palms collided, and a gang wind rippled out. Lin Chen stood still on the spot, while Jiang Qing retreated half a step.

"You... you... no more fighting."

Looking at Lin Chen standing on the spot with a serious expression, Jiang Qing suddenly lost the desire to spar.

She had originally thought that Lin Lin Shidi's archery was powerful, perhaps because he had been practicing archery hard during this period, but close combat would definitely not be as good as hers, after all, her Water Cloud Palm was also perfected, and she had opened twenty-two acupoints.

But after this palm exchange, she only felt that her palm seemed to have hit a steel plate, and the counter-shock force made her almost unable to catch her breath, which was why she retreated half a step.

With this kind of close combat power, why practice archery?

"Lin Lin Shidi, how many acupoints have you opened?"

"Ashamed, Lin Lin Shidi has only opened seventeen acupoints."

"Lin Lin Shidi, has anyone ever told you that your humble appearance is very annoying!"

(End of chapter)