Hide in the world of gods and demons

Chapter 80 Detoxification
In the days that followed, Chen Li was finally able to focus on his cultivation.

The air currents in the quiet room surged and whistled, occasionally accompanied by a loud bang.

It sounded like firecrackers exploding.

The wind suddenly stopped.

Chen Li was panting heavily as he plunged his sword into the mud. Large amounts of sweat slid down his smooth, taut muscles like streams.

The floor of the quiet room was originally covered with a layer of stone slabs to prevent moisture, but after Chen Li’s countless violent tramplings, there is no trace of the stone slabs that were once there.

It was completely reduced to a pile of stone powder and soil mixed together, and was trampled down to an unusually compacted state.

Chen Li walked to the small table in the quiet room, picked up a ceramic jar, and drank a bellyful of salted boiled water to replenish the salt lost from his body.

He opened the game panel and glanced at it.

"Basic Swordsmanship Expert: 781/800"

"It will take about ten days."

Swordsmanship training starts very quickly, but the later you progress, the higher the requirements for completion become, almost demanding, and the slower the progress becomes.

These days, even making 3 points of progress each day brings Chen Li a pleasant surprise.

Most of the time, progress at two points is the norm.

If you're not in good shape or your mind is unsettled, it's not surprising that even after a day of hard work, you'll only make a little progress.

Fortunately, swordsmanship is a rather special skill.

Even if skill progress stagnates.

Just keep practicing.

Their strength continues to improve.

Strength continues to increase, and physical reactions become faster and faster.

Unlike spells or other skills, swordsmanship does not focus on power. Even if strength and reaction speed are increased, they are merely byproducts of the training process.

It seeks complete control over the body.

The key is to repeatedly refine your power generation techniques and integrate the strength of your entire body.

The same applies to refining muscles through conscious perception.

"The next step will likely be the same!"

Chen Li thought to himself, then scooped up a piece of monster meat from the large bowl and began to eat it in large bites.

He now eats five meals a day, each containing one and a half pounds of demon beast meat. In addition, he takes two Qi and Blood Pills every day to replenish his daily energy expenditure.

"I'm becoming more and more of a glutton!" Chen Li sighed.

……

"Today, gang members came to our door and told us we need to pay a security fee. Our family needs to pay two low-grade spirit stones!"

During dinner that evening, Zhou Hong brought it up.

Chen Li paused, then asked in surprise, "So tall? Are they all like this?"

"Payment is based on the number of people."

"It's not much money, so let's just pay it. I don't expect them to keep the area safe," Chen Li said after thinking for a moment.

With the appearance of the Yu family patriarch, these gangs have become noticeably more active.

There used to be no 'security fee' here at all.

……

After having dinner, Chen Li thought for a moment and then walked out of the courtyard.

Sure enough, there were people outside cursing and swearing in the street, making veiled attacks.

"This bastard is a monster! Giving each person a low-grade spirit stone? Why don't they just rob us? Even when the Longevity Sect and the Artifact Sect were around, the payouts weren't this high!"

"Keep your voice down, aren't you afraid the Tianyun Gang will retaliate against your whole family?"

"What am I afraid of? If their gang leader dares to be here, I'll scratch his face right here and slap him across the face, you believe me?" A middle-aged female cultivator retorted, her eyes wide, her face fierce. "This isn't about money, it's about taking my life!"

"Sigh, this world... Just bear with it, it will pass soon. Things are different now than before." Someone kindly advised, "Some people these days are more vicious than monsters."

Chen Li stopped in his tracks, remaining silent.

One or two low-grade spirit stones are not even enough to buy a Qi-replenishing pill for him.

But for low-level rogue cultivators who can barely make ends meet, it could be the death of them.

With current market prices, one low-grade spirit stone can buy ten large fish weighing over ten catties each, or fifty catties of ordinary meat. If one is frugal, it can even last for two or three months, so its purchasing power is not low at all.

In the past, if they charged a security fee here, they would simply move to another location.

There aren't many differences between shantytowns; there are plenty of empty houses. Many solitary monks died outside, leaving their houses vacant.

But now every household has dug a hole.

How could such a house be found in such a short time?

"That wretched woman, what nonsense is she spouting all day long!" A weathered middle-aged man rushed out, his deep forehead wrinkles reflecting a profound sorrow. He dragged her towards his home, scolding her:
"So you think you're so great, that you want me to die even faster, huh? Too many people will talk, so stop talking. I'll figure out how to get the spirit stones!"

"Think of a way, think of a way? What other way can you think of to sell the magic artifact at a low price?"

"Don't worry, we won't sell it. We'll always find a way. We'll talk about it when we get back!"

The two walked away, their voices growing softer and softer.

……

Early the next morning, several fierce-looking members of the Tianyun Gang went door to door urging people to pay their spirit stones.

After paying the money, Chen Li was not in a hurry to return.

He sat on the rock by the door.

Watching these people collect money, one family after another.

Although unwilling, every household in the neighborhood obediently paid up due to the gang's intimidation.

When it was the turn of the middle-aged female nun and her family from yesterday...

It was her man who came out.

He smiled apologetically and took out two low-grade spirit stones, which he also paid for.

But Chen Li keenly noticed that the other party had a bloody gash on his face, which was not there yesterday. In addition, there was also a hint of ruthlessness that was not there yesterday.

He put the two low-grade spirit stones he was playing with back into his sleeve.

He smiled self-deprecatingly.

Stand up.

She seemed to notice Chen Li's gaze.

The middle-aged man smiled and cupped his hands in greeting to Chen Li.

His smile remained honest and kind, but the deep wrinkles on his forehead betrayed his lingering sorrow.

Just like yesterday!
……

The days of cultivation were tedious and monotonous, and Chen Li followed the routine every day.

He did not abandon other skills or focus solely on one technique just because his swordsmanship was about to advance.

But the changes in swordsmanship still attracted most of his attention.

It seems to be on the verge of a qualitative change.

The muscle outlines he sensed in his mind became increasingly clear, with the skin layer, fat layer, muscle layer, and even the dense network of blood vessels running through them becoming vividly clear.

This mapping even began to subtly spread to the internal organs.

Like a contagious disease, it spreads little by little, appearing and disappearing, vague and indistinct.

A few more days passed.

This mapping has spread to most of the internal organs and is still ongoing; it has become stable from being faint and indistinct, and clear from being blurry...

The advancement in swordsmanship was silent and uneventful.

It all happened naturally.

Chen Li emerged from the strange state, opened his eyes, and exhaled.

The breath was incredibly smooth, as if the lungs were actively cooperating with the breathing, expelling all the stale air from the body in one breath.

At that moment, he felt a cough coming from his throat.

It's a little itchy.

Chen Li coughed forcefully.

Suddenly, a thick, black phlegm was spat out of his mouth.

Looking at the thick black phlegm, Chen Li was initially surprised, then seemed to ponder deeply:
"Is this... the accumulated dust and grime in the lungs being expelled automatically?"

(End of this chapter)