Becoming a god by following the natural order and seeking good fortune and avoiding misfortune.

Chapter 8 Fishing Toad Strength Pure Essence Pill
For several days in a row, Chen Sheng's camp was almost always crowded with visitors.

People came in droves to visit, plead for favors, and even offer their "heartfelt gifts."

Of course, there were also those who tried to coerce him when bribery failed. Chen Sheng would not be polite to them; if they truly had strong connections, they wouldn't need to beg him.

Now that Wu Kuang had given him full authority over the selection, he felt confident and paid no attention to those bluffing threats, even directly telling them to get out of the way.

With only sixty spots available, they were extremely rare. Wu Kuang's move was a clever way of squeezing out all the rewards and savings that the soldiers had earned through their desperate battles.

In just a few days, the amount of money he handled had accumulated to a considerable sum.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of these funds would eventually end up in Commander Wu's pocket.

However, Chen Sheng was not disappointed. He gained something else from this selection process—money was secondary, as he knew Wu Kuang's character well and did not manipulate the process, but other resources were a different story.

He acquired more than a dozen Blood Qi Pills at a price far below market value.

But what Chen Sheng cherishes most is a secret technique he acquired by chance.

This secret technique came from an ordinary soldier in another team. That person had no connections, no money to bribe, and his strength was mediocre. Originally, Chen Sheng had no intention of paying attention to him.

However, reminded by the "Seeking Good Fortune and Avoiding Misfortune" celestial book, the secret technique called "Fishing for Toads" in the other party's possession made his heart flutter.

Although it is neither a body-refining technique nor a killing martial art, it can subtly improve a cultivator's innate talent and even temper bones and marrow in advance, greatly reducing the difficulty of breaking through to the "Marrow Transformation" realm in the future!
It should be noted that there are three stages in Foundation Building: Clarity of Breath, Bone Forging, and Marrow Transformation. Once one reaches the Marrow Transformation stage, one can be considered a true master.

In the entire Shanzi Camp, there are no more than five martial artists at the Marrow Transformation Realm. Even in Changshan County, they are considered top-tier.

However, although the Marrow Transformation Realm is powerful, breaking through it is extremely difficult and dangerous.

According to the "Golden Bell Body Forging Method", the Marrow Transformation is a crucial transformation in the Foundation Establishment stage. If it fails, not only will all previous efforts be wasted, but the foundation will also be damaged. Ordinary martial artists can only attempt to reach the Marrow Transformation stage a maximum of three times, and if they fail once, the difficulty will increase significantly the next time.

However, if one cultivates this "Toad Fishing Strength," one can achieve twice the result with half the effort when breaking through to the Marrow Transformation Realm.

Therefore, Chen Sheng not only made an exception to include that person in the list, but also paid out of his own pocket to take care of all the connections for him, and finally successfully acquired this precious secret technique.

However, although the secret technique was powerful, it was extremely difficult to cultivate. Chen Sheng practiced diligently for many days, but his progress was very slow.

[Mastering Basic Knife Techniques (610/1000)]

[Golden Bell Body Tempering Method, Minor Success (320/500)]

[Introduction to the Secret Techniques of Toad Fishing (5/100)]

Looking at the almost stagnant progress on the panel, Chen Sheng shook his head inwardly, composed himself, and got up to head to Wu Kuang's tent.

……

"You did an excellent job this time."

Upon meeting Chen Sheng, Wu Kuang praised him without reservation: "I have not only benefited from this, but also been spared a lot of trouble."

Just as he had previously assessed, Chen Sheng was indeed a talented person. He was very satisfied with both his work and his character. If he had a daughter, he would have really wanted to take him as his son-in-law.

"It is all thanks to your trust and promotion, sir. I dare not take credit for it." Chen Sheng quickly bowed humbly.

"Alright, there's no need to be so formal in front of me."

Wu Kuang waved his hand, then changed the subject: "You have handled things properly, but... there is one thing that I am not quite satisfied with."

Chen Sheng was taken aback upon hearing this. He had handled everything perfectly, so what could be wrong with that?
The celestial book offered no guidance on "seeking good fortune and avoiding misfortune"...

"Please enlighten me, Your Excellency, and I will certainly correct my mistakes." Despite his doubts, he immediately expressed his opinion.

Unexpectedly, Wu Kuang simply sighed and asked, "Of the silver you collected, you... didn't skim off a single cent, did you?"

"My subordinates dare not."

Chen Sheng answered truthfully.

"Why not?"

Wu Kuang frowned slightly, his tone carrying a hint of disappointment: "I assigned you this lucrative post so that you could also benefit from it! How can I accept money if you don't take it? And if I don't take it, how will Lieutenant Nie send the money?"

He paused, looked at Chen Sheng, and his tone became more serious:
"Besides, if you don't skim some profit from this, wouldn't I be using you for nothing? How can you expect a horse to run without feeding it?"

Although he was greedy, he never ate alone. Since he valued Chen Sheng, he wanted him to benefit as well.

This is not just about receiving money, but also about binding each other, a pledge of allegiance to "one of us".

"Your subordinate... understands."

Chen Sheng smiled wryly. He really hadn't expected that a superior would be displeased because a subordinate refused to accept money.

"This is right!"

Wu Kuang then smiled and said, "From now on, you will no longer be an ordinary soldier. Sooner or later you will enter the officialdom. If you don't know some 'rules,' how can you fit in? I promoted you because I value you as a person."

As he spoke, he took a small porcelain bottle from under the table and tossed it to Chen Sheng.

"Sir, is this?"

Chen Sheng took the porcelain bottle; it felt slightly cool to the touch.

"Consider this a reward for you. Inside is a 'Purifying Essence Pill,' which I specially obtained for you from Captain Nie. It's just what you need right now," Wu Kuang explained.

"Purifying Essence Pill?"

Chen Sheng was quite unfamiliar with this.

"Your cultivation has progressed rapidly, which must be due to the consumption of many Blood Qi Pills. Although Blood Qi Pills are of higher quality than Blood Qi Powder, they are still medicines with some toxicity. The Foundation Establishment stage is ultimately a process of refining one's foundation. Excessive accumulation of pill toxins will not only slow down your future cultivation progress but also damage your foundation and cause endless harm."

Wu Kuang's tone was solemn, a hint of reluctance flashing in his eyes:
"This Purifying Essence Pill is used to cleanse the marrow and body, and remove the poison of pills. Although it cannot be called a rare spiritual pill, it is an excellent thing for Foundation Establishment martial artists to strengthen their foundation and cultivate their essence. It is very precious not only in the army, but also outside."

This pill is worth far more than a hundred taels of silver. He has gone to great lengths to win over Chen Sheng, which is almost equivalent to returning the money that the other party spent to "buy an official position".

"Thank you for your generous gift, sir! I will certainly live up to your kindness in nurturing me!"

Chen Sheng bowed solemnly. Just from the four words "cleansing the marrow and strengthening the body," he knew that this elixir was extremely precious. At the same time, he secretly confirmed one thing: this kind of blessing given voluntarily did not seem to be within the scope of the "seeking good fortune and avoiding misfortune" warning.

"Well, go back and prepare well. I have already submitted the list to Captain Nie, and we will be breaking camp soon. Also, come with me tonight to pay our respects to Captain Nie and the commanders of the Mountain Battalion."

Wu Kuang waved his hand casually.

"Yes, thank you, sir!"

Chen Sheng bowed and withdrew.

Back at his lodgings, he immediately found a secluded spot, eager to try out the effects of the Purifying Essence Pill.

To his surprise, the medicinal power of this Pure Essence Pill was remarkably compatible with the secret technique of "Fishing for Toads"!
(End of this chapter)