CHAPTER 258: CHAPTER 242: GAINING VITAL ENERGY AGAIN, CANDLE FLAME BECOMES DIVINE!

Early the next morning.

Meng Chuan abruptly woke from his sleep, only to find a massive snake head staring directly at him...

"What the hell!"

He was so frightened that he instantly raised his hand to strike.

With the progress of the Dragon Demon through the Dragon Lock Body cultivation technique, it had also become much more intelligent.

Its body twisted and quickly retreated back inside him, avoiding the fiery palm.

"Once it’s mastered, I’ll quickly get rid of this annoying thing..."

Meng Chuan thought with a hint of irritation.

After getting out of bed, he first went to the bathroom to freshen up, pausing his brushing halfway.

Meng Chuan realized that the color of the Dragon Demon just now seemed a bit off...

After washing his face, he sat on the chair to perceive.

Inside the Middle Dantian, the Dragon Demon had returned to its black and red look.

But its red markings weren’t as bright as before, appearing somewhat dull and blurry.

Meng Chuan suddenly understood, his face lighting up with excitement. It seems feeding the Celestial Demon Core to the other side also yields essence energy!

"Really useful... I wonder if after mastering it, the Dragon Demon baby can be kept..."

...

Meng Chuan forced the Dragon Demon out of his body, gathering force in his hands, and pinched it to inspect.

"It seems that the Shadow Demon Core and Qi Jiguang Long Fist both provide Heart Fire essence energy.

But the color is not as pure as last time, perhaps due to the different energy content, or the imagery of the fist skill ranking higher than the Celestial Demon Core."

From the appearance of the Dragon Demon at this time, one could see the Heart Fire essence energy from last time was purer, and this time it seemed mixed with impurities.

Once returned to tendons and bones, the effect might be a bit poorer.

Meng Chuan decided to save up some study points to exchange for a higher-ranking Celestial Demon Core to test its effects compared to fist skill imagery.

He eagerly opened his phone and was immediately stumped...

Not only were the numbers low, but the prices were exorbitant.

"Upper Rank Fog Nightmare Core, exchange price: 800 study points.

Upper Rank Mud Monster Core, exchange price: 680 study points.

..."

After checking all the stock, the prices were all above five hundred.

As the top of the Grandmaster Class himself, it would take three to four months to save without spending a cent to obtain one.

After all, these things weren’t meant for martial artists, not being able to afford them was normal.

Meng Chuan closed the phone, deciding to wait until he achieved Martial Arts Family status to hunt in the Demon Nest himself.

Too expensive, his study points are useful elsewhere; buying these "to feed the dog" wasn’t worth it.

However...

Meng Chuan suddenly thought of the Celestial Spirits and Earthly Fiends List, that once listed, he’d get monthly study points for free.

But the problem was, why hadn’t he been listed yet...

Meng Chuan immediately called Teaching Assistant Shi Ying to report a bug in the Earth Demon List...

Shi Ying inquired for Meng Chuan, then called back to inform:

[Since you were specially recruited by Principal Yang Huan, it requires uploading your relevant data before the committee can give you a precise score for listing.]

[Alright, understood.]

[But don’t worry, the study points owed for not being listed before will be returned along with the months listed, based on the data provided by Principal Yang.]

[Thank you, Instructor Shi, I understand.]

After hanging up, Meng Chuan felt much better; the first place on the Earth Demon List comes with a monthly reward of two hundred study points.

He thought, given his overall quality, being first on the list wasn’t excessive...

...

Deep in Huaqing Pool, Martial Arts Master Dong Yue’s quarters.

"You kid, how come after just one night, your skin has tightened quite a bit?"

Dong Yue said as the True Qi hand in mid-air solidified a bit more.

The golden palm descended, and upon hearing Meng Chuan’s wolfish howl, he smugly nodded.

However, Dong Yue was puzzled in his heart:

"It’s just a second-tier Iron Cloth Shirt, could Perfection make it so powerful?"

At this moment, after finishing the Qi Nourishing Armor Technique and Doma Iron Body, Meng Chuan triggered the Rainbow Light Revitalization, with cells rapidly repairing the blows’ damage.

Every time he saw this scene, Dong Yue felt envious; such a trait was truly an innate horizontal training holy body.

"Maybe the kid’s hard skills practice works so well because of this trait."

This was the performance of training the Iron Cloth Shirt beyond perfection and gaining the support of [Flexibility], clearly a misunderstanding by Dong Yue...

...

After the break, Meng Chuan took out the [Tiger Roar Lung Forging Skill], asking Teacher Dong to help him get started.

It was like learning plus being hit, needing to spend extra study points today.

Dong Yue took it and reviewed it; although he hadn’t practiced this skill, with his Martial Arts Master understanding, he easily comprehended it.

Afterward, he returned the cultivation technique to Meng Chuan.

He spoke:

"This technique is modern hard skills, somewhat shallow in roots; with your talent, it should be easy to learn.

But I feel this thing isn’t much use; you’d better find another hard skill to strengthen your limbs."

Dong Yue didn’t know Meng Chuan’s thoughts and sincerely advised him for his own good.

"No worries, Teacher Dong, I quite like this one."

"Alright then."

He said no more; since study points were spent, he’d teach him.

One hour later.

Meng Chuan endured the slight soreness in his crotch, both feet in a tiger-crouch stance with his waist lowered, and used a special breathing method to resonate his lungs.

He took a breath, as if a tiger accumulating strength, long and rhythmic.

When exhaling, a sudden, short tiger’s roar burst out, the sound waves resonating in the chest cavity.

For those who didn’t understand, seeing this scene, they might think that Meng Chuan was practicing the Tiger Form.

After exhaling, Meng Chuan concentrated and observed, realizing that he had already easily grasped the basics of this method.

[Tiger Roar Lung Forging: Beginner (5%) Awaiting Limit Breaking]

[Limit Breaking Trait: Tiger Breath (Basic)]

Excluding the combined blows with the Doma Iron Crotch, Meng Chuan only took half an hour to master this technique.

Seizing a moment of relaxation between the two, Meng Chuan asked:

"Teacher Dong, this method is boasted to be so powerful. Do you think if it is practiced to perfection, it can enhance the efficiency of the Five Elements Fist and Qi Eating Skill?"

Dong Yue shook his head with a smile and said:

"You’re overthinking. If it could achieve that, wouldn’t everyone be practicing this method?

The status of the Qi Eating Skill is extraordinary; it is a mandatory course for first-class Xingyi Boxing practitioners. Apart from beginners who are not familiar, which martial arts family practitioner doesn’t use it as easily as eating or drinking?

The efficiency of Qi Eating is like the size of an appetite; it is constant once you reach a certain level.

If born with a large appetite, high efficiency in Qi Eating is also a kind of talent."

Meng Chuan nodded thoughtfully, agreeing that Dong Yue’s words made sense.

In the future, when he cultivates this method to break limits, thus gaining a trait like strengthening lung breath, isn’t that an enhancement of "talent"...

...

"I’ll still give you the usual study points and won’t charge for the extra half hour."

When Meng Chuan was tidying up, Dong Yue said generously.

This kid always helps me take out the trash when he leaves, what a good person...

After the blows session ended, Meng Chuan went to the True Dragon Hall to practice boxing.

"This Lung Forging Skill and Iron Cloth Shirt are both second-tier, but currently, it seems there is a considerable difference in difficulty accumulating proficiency.

It is estimated that within about a year, he can break the limit, and if he advances as a martial artist, this time might even be earlier."

The Iron Cloth Shirt took Meng Chuan nearly two years to break the limit, partly because it was a modified ancient martial method, making it a bit more challenging to cultivate.

On the other hand, it was also related to the progress of his muscle body.

When learning the Iron Cloth Shirt, he was just a six-pass weakling; now, his condition could be described as a complete transformation.

Along the way, Meng Chuan pondered and recalled in his mind the hard skills martial principles that Dong Yue had just imparted.

It was roughly in line with what he thought before, and the other side did not have any hard skills related to blood. ’

Dong Yue’s explanation was not much different from what Zhao Shousui had explained before, yet he pointed out a direction for him.

"Xiaomeng, after you become a martial artist, there is a research room for incomplete ancient martial arts and true skill in the school.

You can join and explore it on your own, see if there is anything you need."

Thus, two paths lay before him.

Create his own technique, or discover and improve techniques related to blood; the latter also requires enhancing and perfecting.

The former is too difficult; creating a cultivation technique with practice effects comparable to Qi Nourishing Armor and Dragon Lock Body is as difficult as ascending to heaven.

Meng Chuan still remembered Grandmaster Zhao explaining the origin of the Dragon Lock Body cultivation technique before practicing.

[Wudang’s Ancestor Sanfeng slaying the demon dragon...]

How does one create something like this? By the time it’s achieved, it would be too late.

Moreover, due to the significant gap in martial principles, he still didn’t understand if creating his own technique could acquire traits.

"After becoming a martial artist, join the ancient martial arts research room first.

If there’s nothing there, then think of other ways. At least let the ancients start the technique..."

...

Leaves falling and grains harvested under the shades of the forest.

As October was about to end, Meng Chuan went home once more today, and by the way, accepted a task, deciding to give Xu Qingfeng a lift.

The other wanted to practice body technique with [Double Swallow Zhao Chun] but was struggling with not enough study points.

After calling "dad" for three days, Meng Chuan relented with kindness...

The two stood beneath the Hundred Flavors Incense Group building, followed by several plainclothes officers from the police department.

Not far away, on the rooftop, a muscular man stood with his arms folded.

It was Luo Guanyun, whose body had become significantly stronger after practicing the Bosatsu Cleansing Elephant Fragment.

Meng Chuan specifically asked his master to help keep watch, just in case of any unexpected events during the mission.

However, he could only ask him to keep an eye, for if Luo Guanyun made a move, with the United University’s task recorder on him detecting it, the reward study points would be invalid.

The ultimate goal of the mission issued by the school is to let students gain tempering and growth from actual combat.

Naturally, no outsiders can intervene.

Before the action, Meng Chuan took one last look at the mission target and led the way forward.

[Capture Yong’an City’s, Hundred Flavors Incense Director, Demon Path Martial Artist Xu Linlin, who secretly practiced "Candlelight Ascension."]

This task was issued by the Martial Arts Association, and after confirmation, it was synchronized to the Northern United University task system.

It had a time limit of 48 hours, and if Meng Chuan failed to complete it by the deadline, it would be handled by the police department and the Martial Arts Association themselves.

...

"Upon receiving a report, someone in your company has been practicing demonic skills unauthorized by killing. From now on, everyone is to stay in place and not leave without permission, and undergo inspection by the Yong’an Police Department!"

Police personnel entered through the main door of the building to start barricading, while Meng Chuan, along with Xu Qingfeng, climbed in through the glass exterior wall.

"The thirty-third floor is really high."

Xu Qingfeng raised his head halfway through climbing, Meng Chuan was almost out of sight...

At the same time, within the director’s office on the thirty-third floor.

A young woman was sitting in the boss chair, she was the mission’s target, Xu Linlin.

Her face was unnaturally rosy, and she exuded a peculiar, oppressive fragrance.

The scent was nauseating enough that if someone got close and took a deep breath, they might vomit even what they had the previous day.

Upon hearing the commotion below, she instantly felt things weren’t going well in her heart.

"What to do..."