Chapter Fifty-One: Trash Blood and Qi Foundation Technique? I Love It!

"Ah, I remember now," the supervisor suddenly clapped his hands.

"In the sect’s Scripture Repository, ten levels underground, there are blood and qi foundation techniques that were discarded ten thousand years ago, bought from the Human Emperor’s Path Tower."

"Those blood and qi foundation techniques have long since been eliminated and are now kept on the tenth floor below ground in the Scripture Repository."

"If you want to go in and take a look..." The supervisor narrowed his eyes, giving Xu Chen a knowing glance.

"Name your price," Xu Chen lowered his posture.

"Disciples aren’t forbidden from entering that place, but you need someone to take you," the supervisor said meaningfully. "If you want to go, you know what to do."

Xu Chen pondered for a moment, then took out five packs of spirit coins, each containing a hundred. With a swift motion, the five packs vanished.

"Let’s go."

The supervisor led Xu Chen down into the sect’s Scripture Repository.

The stairway to the underground levels was hidden in a secret chamber. Once inside, their footsteps stirred thick dust—clearly, no one had been here for a long time.

"The last time someone came to the Scripture Repository’s basement was ten years ago," the supervisor commented.

Xu Chen looked around the pitch-dark environment, taking a spirit lamp from his storage pouch to light the way.

"You’re young, and your blood and qi aren’t weak. Why are you interested in those techniques?" the supervisor asked as he led the way.

"Just curious about what those most basic or even inferior blood and qi foundation techniques are like. Perhaps I’ll gain some insight," Xu Chen replied, having already prepared his answer.

"Haha, yet another disciple with big ideas," the supervisor laughed. "Ten years ago, a disciple came here with a notion even more unusual than yours. He wanted to create his own unique blood and qi foundation technique."

Xu Chen’s interest was piqued. "Did he succeed?"

"He did create one, but it was even less effective than the basic Sacred Ape Six Forms. Even when practiced to perfection, it only granted the strength of seven tigers, and the will couldn’t even form a phantom," the supervisor said, unable to suppress his laughter, clearly amused by the memory.

The tenth underground level of the Scripture Repository was half the size of the floors above, filled with shelves thick with dust.

"Search as you like. If you want to take any of these blood and qi foundation techniques, it’s a hundred spirit coins each. Come find me when you’ve made your choices."

With a single-handed seal, the supervisor sealed Xu Chen’s storage pouch with a flash of spiritual light.

"I’ll unseal it for you once you return upstairs," he said, then left, leaving Xu Chen alone on the tenth underground floor.

Xu Chen approached a shelf and found a jade slip pressed atop a book.

He picked up the jade slip and held it to his brow, finding it sealed.

He then opened the book beneath, discovering it was a description of the blood and qi foundation technique contained in the jade slip.

"Form of the Marching Tiger, accompanied by Tiger-Leopard Fist—when mastered, grants the strength of nine tigers and strengthens the heart, vessels, and organs."

"Wind-Stepping Technique, with Cloud-Walking Steps—when mastered, grants the strength of seven tigers, fortifies the leg tendons and muscles, increasing speed."

"Threefold Turtle Breaths—when mastered, provides the strength of eight tigers, strengthens the heart, and allows one to conceal their breath."

"Roc Visualization—when mastered, provides the strength of eight tigers, enhances the spirit, and benefits the cultivation of wind attribute techniques and divine abilities."

"Water Dragon’s Divine Swim—when mastered, grants the strength of nine tigers, increases speed, and allows underwater breathing."

Even with his discerning eye, Xu Chen couldn’t help but marvel at these blood and qi foundation techniques.

"What a pile of rubbish," he muttered. "But I like it," a faint smile curling his lips.

Each of these techniques, when mastered, would singularly enhance a particular aspect.

"Marching Tiger Form, Wind-Stepping Technique, Vajra Five Forms, Divine Bird’s Hundred Transformations, Dragon Colt Visualization, Triple-God Eyes, Threefold Zen Transformation, Earth Listener’s Thousand Forms."

"These eight should be enough for now," Xu Chen decided, gathering up the selected jade slips and leaving the basement.

He found the supervisor, who unsealed his storage pouch. After paying eight hundred spirit coins, Xu Chen rode a flying vessel home.

But before he could enter, Niu Dali blocked his way.

"Brother Xu, I thought it over. I still want to spar with you," Niu Dali announced, as if making some momentous decision.

"Aren’t you afraid of pain, Brother Niu?" Xu Chen asked curiously.

"If my parents found out that a skilled sparring partner like you offered to train with me, but I refused because I was afraid of pain, they’d call me a coward," Niu Dali replied earnestly.

"In that case, let’s spar now," Xu Chen agreed, not bothering to go inside.

On the small square, Little Fox Moon, having just finished her own training, watched from the side.

Niu Dali gathered his blood and qi, charging at Xu Chen.

Seeing Niu Dali’s approach, Xu Chen smiled and used the Sacred Ape Six Forms.

This time, relying solely on blood and qi, the two exchanged blows evenly.

After the match, Niu Dali looked at Xu Chen with gratitude. "Thank you, Brother Xu. But next time, please use your full strength."

Seeing Niu Dali’s earnest expression, Xu Chen nodded slightly.

Back in his home’s training hall, Xu Chen pressed the Wind-Stepping Technique jade slip to his brow, studying the cultivation method within.

"I should be able to get the basics in two or three months," he mused.

After reading, he began practicing the Wind-Stepping Technique right there in his training hall.

At night, within the Sacred White Space, Xu Chen carefully faced the Twelve-Layered Wave Doppelgänger.

Having absorbed the insights from the Sacred Ape Six Forms, his strength had greatly increased, and he no longer felt the urgent need to defeat the doppelgänger of the Twelve-Layered Wave Body-Tempering Technique.

Instead, he began to face the doppelgänger head-on, studying with care.

"Your blood and qi are still too rough. How many times have you watched? Why can’t you learn?" the doppelgänger chided, sending Xu Chen flying a dozen yards with a single palm.

The moment he was struck, Xu Chen quickly circulated his blood and qi, attempting to dissipate the layered force.

He managed to shed the first eight layers, but the last four exploded inside him.

A mouthful of blood spewed forth as Xu Chen clutched his chest.

"Continue or restart?" the doppelgänger asked, hands behind his back, exuding the bearing of a martial arts grandmaster.

"Continue!"

A phantom of the Sacred Ape appeared behind Xu Chen as he unleashed his strongest move.

"Sacred Ape Hammers the Heavens!"

The doppelgänger countered with a palm, a wave of force blasting Xu Chen away, shattering his heart vessels and causing instant death.

In the days that followed, Xu Chen practiced the Wind-Stepping Technique during the day, and at night, in the Sacred White Space, refined medicine, forged weapons, and endured punishment.

Though weapons and poisons were useless against the Twelve-Layered Wave doppelgänger, mastering these would aid his future pill and weapon refining.

Thus, Xu Chen never gave up on them.

At dawn, as soon as Xu Chen awoke, he felt his disciple token vibrate.

He picked it up, and a message appeared in his mind.

"Tomorrow at noon, the second round of the Illusory Realm assessment will begin."

"Has half a year passed so quickly?" Xu Chen looked up at the sky, suddenly realizing he was now sixteen.

"Time to prepare."

He turned and entered the forge, took out ten steel ingots, and began crafting a Thousand-Forge Blade.

"The more I kill, the more spirit coins I earn."