Chapter 556: Each Cultivates Their Own Path: Poison Refining and Metamorphosis

In the end, Zhou You still agreed to the exchange of the Secret Technique.

What the Tiger Corpse used to exchange for the Secret Technique for separating the Tiger Retainer was the complete volume of the Nine Oxen and Two Tigers Divine Strength.

This fist technique continues from the Jade Tiger Art; the limit of the Jade Tiger Art is the Intermediate Martial Master, and anything beyond that is a breakthrough to the Strong Martial Level.

The subsequent cultivation method for the Strong Martial Level is contained within this Nine Oxen and Two Tigers Divine Strength manual.

Speaking of Zuo Lv in the martial arts hall, the Tiger-Ox Divine Power he practices is a "youth version" of the force-generating secret technique derived from this.

After completing the exchange, the Tiger Corpse did not linger, turning and leaping over the wall to leave; he came fast, and left even faster.

"Name: Zhou You.

Qi and Blood: 6800.

Longevity: 112.

Occupation: Martial Master (Intermediate).

Experience Points: 823900.

Level: Intermediate Martial Master (Tiger-Crane Dual-Action Fist, Black Cloud Spear).

Skills: Tiger-Crane Dual-Action Fist Lv57, Zhou Family Fist Lv3, Feather-Stepping Sky-Ascending Step Lv31/Lv45, Pipa Lv14, Seal Script Lv23, Totem Lv3, Alchemy Lv23.

Cultivation Methods: Tiger-Crane Jiaodie Technique Lv14 (Gold), External Transformation Profound Heart Secret Technique Lv1, Heaven-Reaching Yuan-Nurturing Art Lv2, Nine Oxen and Two Tigers Divine Strength (Not Lit), Ying Feng Swallowing Dragon Art (Not Lit).

Ultimate Moves: Tiger Aura Lv6, Primordial Iron Clothing Lv3.

Talent: Hunger Lv2.

Armory: Void Face (Flesh Magic Treasure) - False Identities: First Lu Zhigang, Second Moyunzi, Wuxiang Tongkui (Calculating), Baile Tianluo, Punishment Corpse Whip."

After inputting the Nine Oxen and Two Tigers Divine Strength, the panel content refreshed once more.

Among the unlit cultivation methods, besides the Ying Feng Swallowing Dragon Art, a Nine Oxen and Two Tigers Divine Strength had been added.

Both of these are Strong Martial profound arts, relying on one's realm; if one cannot break through to the Strong Martial Level, one has no qualifications to practice them.

Zhou You walks the path of balancing both; originally he only had the profound arts of Baiqin Laoren, but now with the profound arts of Dayin Mountain, he can consider completing the content of the Tiger-Crane Dual-Action Fist at the Strong Martial Level.

Wuxiang Tongkui continues to be on duty, researching the path to seamlessly fuse the two cultivation methods.

He himself naturally must walk the path of the Nine Oxen and Two Tigers Divine Strength, while the Ying Feng Swallowing Dragon Art will be left to Lu Zhigang.

Speaking of which, how is Lu Zhigang doing during this time...

Deep within the Wanli Zhaohai, in a confidential stronghold of the Ten Thousand Poisons Secret Workshop! A row of Desire-Immortal Cauldrons stands against the wall; their appearance is truly not great. If not for the human heads bobbing above the lids, one might believe they were vinegar vats or pickle jars.

This object is unsightly, yet it is a thing of strange poison; the pitch-black venom has absorbed who knows how many wandering souls and poisonous creatures.

The human heads soaking in the vats have been replaced batch after batch, but there is one "stubborn tenant" who has taken root here, being the one who has persisted the longest.

"Be careful, not for anything else, but for your own little lives."

The time arrived again, and the Poison Martial Apprentices carefully held various poisonous creatures to add into the Desire-Immortal Cauldrons, the warning of Lao Chainu ringing in their ears.

Suddenly, an apprentice was not careful and was stung by a poisonous creature, kicking the Desire-Immortal Cauldron so that it wobbled.

He wanted to beg for mercy, but was pressed into the large vat by Lao Chainu; with a few bubbles, the entire living person was digested into nothingness, not even a single bone floating up.

"Finished watching? Go back to work, I don't need to remind you again."

The Poison Martial Apprentices were terrified, wishing they could finish early and leave this ghost place.

Many of their fellow disciples were sent to soak in the Desire-Immortal Cauldrons because they were incompetent or failed the selection; they either died or became Savage Slaves like flesh puppets.

An apprentice was just about to lift the lid of a large vat when he was stopped by Lao Chainu, "That is the Master's inner disciple, you have no right to touch it, get lost."

Lao Chainu stood before the large vat, looking at Lu Zhigang's face, which looked as if he were in a deep sleep, filled with emotion.

After soaking for these days, he did not collapse; instead, his aura rose step by step, leaping from a Primary Martial Master to an Intermediate one. This was not the end, as he continued to rise toward an Advanced Martial Master, his potential boundless.

The Workshop Master Du Taiyue learned of this and ordered him to keep a close watch at all times.

"I wonder how far you can go, and if you can help the Master?"

Lao Chainu muttered to himself toward Lu Zhigang, and after a long while, turned and left, leaving behind rows of silent large vats.

In the large vat, Zhou You's consciousness descended onto this avatar, opening his eyes to see several human skins floating beside him.

How long has it been?

Memories flooded into his mind; it turned out that while the main body was in Fucheng, Lu Zhigang had been refining the Poison Dragon Saliva and raising the realm of the poisonous creatures while resisting the Desire-Immortal Cauldron.

Not only did he break through to an Intermediate Martial Master, but he also shed his skin three times in succession using the Nine Transformations Bone-Changing Method; this physical body could be called reborn.

That bottle of Poison Dragon Saliva had already been half-refined by him, and his palm technique had successfully advanced to the Poison Dragon level.

With the strength of this avatar, it is enough to fight the main body on equal terms.

But the cultivation is not yet over; the torment of the Desire-Immortal Cauldron on the outside and the Poison Dragon Saliva on the inside continues to raise his Poison Martial level.

That is to say, as long as Lu Zhigang is still soaking in the vat, he does not need to practice fists or martial arts, and his realm can continue to rise.

Poison Martial Arts is indeed one of the evil paths; ordinary fist martial arts require constant practice, training through the bitter cold of winter and the heat of summer, and if one is lazy for a day, it is like rowing a boat against the current—if you don't advance, you retreat.

Lu Zhigang was soaking in the vat, and by common logic, he should have been a cripple long ago, but the Desire-Immortal Cauldron made him progress rapidly, leaving his body completely unharmed.

Every time Lao Chainu came to see him, he sensed it, but he just pretended to be unconscious and did not react.

Du Taiyue is interested in him, which is a good thing; to survive in the Ten Thousand Poisons Secret Workshop, the most important thing is to have utility value. If you lose even that, you can't even be a Savage Slave—just go feed the poisonous insects!

He broke into the Ten Thousand Poisons Secret Workshop alone with a single purpose: to obtain the secret of 'Dragon Transformation' from Du Taiyue, leap to become a Poison Martial Venerable, and raise his palm technique to the Poison Dragon Realm.

At that time, he can switch to practicing the Ying Feng Swallowing Dragon Art, turning from Poison Martial Arts to the righteous path.

It just so happens that the main body exchanged for the Nine Oxen and Two Tigers Divine Strength; one tiger and one phoenix combined make a top-tier fist technique of the current age, and the power combined far exceeds ordinary Strong Martial arts—the Strong Martial potential is limitless.

"The future is promising; for now, remain Dormant."

In a corner of the Ten Thousand Poisons Secret Workshop...

Fu Manlun was drinking sullen wine; beside him, various poisonous insects were soaking in wine jars, surrounding the lifelike face of a child, as if still alive in the amber-colored wine.

A fellow disciple beside him advised, "Sullen wine hurts the body, Senior Brother, drink less."

"If I don't drink, what else can I do? Master is closed off researching the Life-Transforming Myriad Wonders Book, and my great contribution was snatched by someone else; can't I even settle the score with him?"

Fu Manlun scooped up a few venomous insects that had been soaked stiff and tossed them into his mouth, chewing until their juices splattered everywhere.

He returned to the Wanli Zhaohai and, upon learning of Lu Zhigang's affair, flew into a great rage, intending to settle the score with him.

However, Lu Zhigang was in the Cauldron of Desired Immortality, under the care of Zhinü, so even he could do nothing about it.

He had originally thought that after a few days at most, Lu Zhigang would have dissolved into blood and vanished, but so much time had passed, and the news he gathered was that Lu Zhigang was still alive and had even broken through a realm.

How could he swallow this insult?

In his manic state, Fu Manlun used the fiercely toxic "Boy-Fed Poison Wine" to drown his sorrows and relieve his frustration.

"Senior Brother, please calm your temper; I see that the day he leaves the cauldron is not far off. Once he comes out, we have ten thousand ways to deal with him."

"Aren't you missing a scorpion slave? Once he breaks through to a high-level Martial Master, he will be just right."

Upon hearing this, Fu Manlun's anger turned to joy, "Hahaha, that is a good idea."

(End of chapter)