Chapter Forty-Six: Refinement and Advancement

The black, semi-solid substance entered his mouth, and an indescribable, metallic tang exploded on his tongue, forcing Chen Qi into a fit of dry heaving. With a constitution bordering on the extraordinary, Chen Qi managed to control the muscles of his mouth, suppressing his urge to vomit by sheer force of will. Even so, his taste buds suffered merciless assault, his sense of smell was overwhelmed by the bloody stench, and even his vision dimmed at the edges.

After a long while, just as Chen Qi felt he would break under the torment, the iron tang vanished, transforming into waves of heat that surged along the meridians throughout his body. The heat flows spun within him, each cycle growing a little weaker, until before long, they faded away altogether.

Just as he assumed the medicine's effects had run their course, a sudden change arose deep within his body. From the marrow—what people on Earth called the bone marrow—a tingling sensation spread, delicate yet irresistible, as if it was rooted in the very cells themselves, making Chen Qi tremble uncontrollably.

He had no idea how long it lasted. When sweat poured off him in torrents, the tingling finally subsided. Inspiration struck, and Chen Qi activated his Focus Burst, using the fleeting enhancement of his senses to observe his own body.

Fresh blood was being generated within him at a slow but steady rate. Compared to before, this new blood was far more saturated with energy, carrying an almost explosive potential.

A prompt from the "Sprout Space" accompanied this transformation:

[Consumed Black Jade Royal Jelly: Constitution +2, Strength +1, Hematopoiesis +15%]

Feeling the medicinal effects finally dissipate, Chen Qi opened his eyes wide, taking advantage of the lingering neural activation to sense the subtle changes within. He suddenly had a premonition—beyond the attributes marked by the prompt, there was another, hidden transformation at work in his body. For now, it was faint, but its potential seemed limitless.

His strengthened body banished all traces of drowsiness. Chen Qi glanced around; the tent was silent, with Sun Ruohai already fast asleep nearby, body turned toward him in a wary posture.

Outside, all was hushed, but Chen Qi faintly sensed a powerful presence—surely an inner disciple keeping watch through the night.

Irritated by Sun Ruohai's lack of trust, Chen Qi had an idea and used the bone chain's reconnaissance ability on him. He realized he still didn't have a clear sense of this outer disciple's abilities.

Name: Sun Ruohai
Health: 100%
Mana: 80
Strength: 13
Agility: 11
Constitution: 15
Intelligence: 8
Charisma: 7
Skill 1: Red Cloud Slash (Active, Lv.4), ????
Skill 2: Azure Cloud Hand (Active, Lv.3) – Gathers the body's vital energy into the hands, granting them temporary enhancement for 90 seconds. Each attack deals hybrid damage equal to Constitution*0.6 + Strength*0.9, and gains additional stagger effect against blades.
Skill 3: Cloud Mist Step (Passive, Lv.1) – Increases evasion by 5%. On a successful dodge, there is a 20% chance of gaining +3 Agility for 15 seconds.
Skill 4: ??????????

Comparing Sun Ruohai's attributes to his own, Chen Qi found that, with the enhancement of his Soul Sanctuary, he held a slight edge in raw stats. However, Sun Ruohai's skillset was balanced and versatile, explaining how he had survived the blood bee swarm's onslaught.

Sun Ruohai, deep in sleep, seemed to sense the subtle scrutiny, his brow twitching and his body rolling uneasily.

Chen Qi paid it no mind, lost in thought. He now considered himself on par with the elite outer disciples, perhaps just a notch below the imposing one who could envelop himself in a blood-red aura.

During the battle with the blood god bees, Chen Qi had slain nearly twenty—a feat equivalent to dispatching the same number of lesser-grade seven beasts—earning him four treasure chests. This, to some extent, gave him insight into the reward mechanics of the "Sprout Space."

His thoughts churned until exhaustion finally caught up to him. In truth, he was in a paradoxical state: mentally fatigued yet physically energized. But in the end, the mind triumphed over the body, and soon darkness claimed him, carrying him into sleep.

...

At dawn, the faint sounds from outside stirred Chen Qi awake. Sun Ruohai was up, straightening his clothes. Noticing Chen Qi's gaze, he greeted him with a brief nod and made to leave the tent.

A little puzzled, Chen Qi called out, "Brother Sun, what are you up to so early?"

Sun Ruohai was already outside, but his voice drifted back: "The morning practice—every outer disciple of the Cloudsea Sect does it!"

"Morning practice? Now that's a stroke of luck," Chen Qi muttered, instantly alert at the prospect of free knowledge, a luxury for someone from Earth with no martial foundation.

"Suddenly, sleeping in doesn't seem so appealing," he thought, quickly scrambling to catch up.

Chen Qi's eagerness was well-founded. After returning to Earth between worlds, he realized he had wasted valuable time, relying solely on instinct for basic training rather than following any systematic method.

He yearned for a proper way to temper his body. After all, he couldn't rely entirely on mission worlds for progress.

Following Sun Ruohai, he reached a flat clearing a hundred paces from camp—a safe distance. Ignoring Chen Qi's unwavering gaze, Sun Ruohai took his stance and began practicing with deft, precise movements.

Chen Qi focused intently, copying every gesture and posture. Thanks to his excellent physique, he managed to mimic Sun Ruohai with surprising accuracy.

Noticing Chen Qi's concentration, Sun Ruohai slowed down slightly, and for a time, the two practiced in perfect harmony, like mirrored reflections.

"You're still off. Pay attention to my breathing rhythm," Sun Ruohai suddenly interjected, snapping Chen Qi out of his immersion in the classical movements.

He exaggerated his breath, making it loud and distinct so Chen Qi could imitate the tempo.

Chen Qi didn't dare slack off, closing the distance until he could feel the faint heat radiating from Sun Ruohai's coursing vital energy.

"Hoo—ha—hoo hoo," the breaths went.

At last, under Sun Ruohai's careful instruction, Chen Qi began to grasp the basics. With every sequence completed, he felt a gentle warmth suffuse his limbs and torso.

But he was not content. Before starting the next set of movements, he activated Focus Burst, hoping this altered perception would help him refine his technique even further.

Gradually, he sensed his form becoming more precise. With each movement slicing through the air, his own vital energy pulsed to a mysterious rhythm, harmonizing with his breath—a sensation as if he were tapping into the workings of nature itself.

As he practiced, his excitement grew, his movements gaining a sharpness, and he slipped into a trance, completely unaware of the unrestrained footsteps approaching from behind.

Suddenly, a gentle voice sounded in his ear. "Your whip strike is three inches too high, and your center of gravity is off during that half-squat."

Before Chen Qi could react, the voice continued, as if after a moment's thought: "Also, your breathing sped up by half a beat in the last few moves, and you mixed up the breathing order a couple of times!"

Then he saw a fairy-like face playfully stick out her tongue, her voice shifting from gentle to lively: "Oh—and now your breathing is a complete mess!"