Fantasy: Immortality Begins with Absorbing Demons

Chapter 121 Peak Period of Qi and Blood

"Junior Brother Han, when did you become so fierce?"

On the square, Pan Sheng took out several tubes of hemostatic ointment and carefully treated Han Yi's wounds.

"Haha, I broke through the barrier just by practicing..."

"You idiot, are you kidding me?"

Pan Sheng rolled his eyes and used a little more force in his hand.

Even after cultivating for so long, he still couldn't break through the bottleneck of the Blood Refining stage.

There are two major hurdles in breaking through from the Bone Refining stage to the Blood Refining stage.

The first challenge is to create new blood, which is to temper the human bone marrow in the later stage of bone refining. The blood produced in the bone marrow is transformed into a wisp of innate qi and blood through the cultivation method. This process is extremely painful, and the fragile bone marrow can be damaged if you are not careful.

The amount of bone marrow in the human body is extremely limited. If one fails to produce new blood once or twice, it will be difficult to achieve anything in martial arts for the rest of one's life, and may even leave lifelong damage!

The second stage is to transform old blood and create new blood. After that, the human body will naturally generate a wisp of innate blood and qi, which needs to be gradually strengthened. Then, it is necessary to transform the acquired blood through a process of gradual refinement. Therefore, this stage is sometimes called the 'blood refining' period.

These two hurdles are extremely difficult to overcome; if you rely solely on time to wear them down, you may not succeed even when you are old and frail.

Therefore, every year countless martial artists in the Bone Refining stage fall victim to the challenges of 'creating new blood' and 'dissolving old blood,' dying in despair and regret.

"Hiss... hiss..."

Han Yi gasped, grimacing as Pan Sheng exerted force, and it started to hurt!

"Some time ago, I completed several major missions in the Extraordinary Affairs Department and obtained some breakthrough pills..."

Han Yi's expression turned serious, and he spoke softly.

As soon as he finished speaking, Pan Sheng paused in his application of the ointment. He didn't say anything, but then continued to apply the ointment gently.

"You're really ruthless, aren't you? Have you seen those things...?"

Li Feng, who was checking the list in his hand, looked up immediately upon hearing this.

"Haha, I've seen it a few times, but it's just a bit more ferocious than ordinary monsters. Besides, I have talismans, so it's a piece of cake."

Han Yi said with a smile, his face calm and composed.

How can I even begin to describe you...?

Li Feng shook his head, put down his work, and said, "Although the rewards for missions in the Bureau of Extraordinary Affairs are generous, the danger is secondary. After all, missions within the sect aren't necessarily safe either. But do you know why the scouts are mostly older martial artists whose potential has been exhausted?" Before Han Yi could speak, he continued, "A martial artist's peak period of vitality is limited, as far as I know. Although most of the scouts' missions are reconnaissance missions, excessive use of talismans will severely deplete their vitality, affecting their lifespan and thus shortening the peak period of a martial artist's vitality!"

"Peak of Qi and Blood?"

Han Yi was taken aback. This was the first time he, a self-taught individual, had ever heard of such a thing, and Bai Sanren had never told him about it either.

"This is a saying that has been circulating in the city in recent years. The gist of it is that there is a period of time during which a martial artist's Qi and blood are maintained at each stage. During this period, the Qi and blood are locked. Even if the Qi and blood are used recklessly, the total amount of Qi and blood will be restored. After this period, even if the Qi and blood are not consumed, the total amount of Qi and blood in the martial artist's body will gradually decrease!"

"For example, an ordinary person who has never cultivated will naturally stop developing at the age of eighteen, and from then on, the total amount of qi and blood will gradually decrease. Becoming a skin-refining martial artist will extend this period by two years, and becoming a bone-refining or blood-refining martial artist will extend this period even further, but the peak period of qi and blood can only be extended to the age of thirty at most!"

"Martial artists can only continue to lock in their Qi and blood and significantly reduce its decline if they break through the Meridian Opening stage before the age of thirty. Only then will they have a slight chance of breaking through to the Grandmaster realm!"

Grandmaster!

Han Yi was shaken. He had heard Bai Sanren mention some of the power of a Grandmaster.

Grandmaster is a realm above the Meridian Opening stage. Legend has it that after reaching the Grandmaster realm, which is like a god or an immortal, one can even possess invisible sword energy and the ability to injure people by plucking leaves or flying flowers!

Now, for the first time, he heard the requirements for breaking through to the Grandmaster level: he must break through the Meridian Opening stage before the age of thirty!

Fortunately, if we calculate based on biological age, I am only sixteen years old this year!

After glancing at the panel, Han Yi felt much more at ease.

"Furthermore, Han Yi, you should also know that in order to break through to the Meridian Opening stage, a martial artist's physique must be strong and his blood and qi must be abundant. He must not have any hidden injuries, and the sooner he breaks through to the Meridian Opening stage, the better!"

"Therefore, I suggest that you do not accept tasks from the Strange Affairs Bureau or use talismans indiscriminately just because you are greedy for generous rewards, thereby affecting your peak period of vitality!"

After speaking at length, Li Feng finally gave Han Yi a suggestion.

"Okay, thank you, Senior Brother Li!"

Han Yi clasped his hands together and bowed sincerely.

Regardless of Elder Li's character, Li Feng truly held him in high regard. He had only used the excuse of the Strange Affairs Bureau to cover up his rapid increase in cultivation, but he never expected that Li Feng would even tell him such a cultivation secret in order to persuade him to give up the Strange Affairs Bureau mission.

"Yes, Han Yi, once you've chosen your branch of operations, don't become a so-called scout. The rewards for missions within the sect are quite good. Although they might not be as generous as those from the Extraordinary Affairs Bureau, they are more long-term, stable, and safer, and less likely to leave any health problems..."

Pan Sheng had finished applying the medicine to Han Yi, put down the ointment, and started rambling on again.

"By the way, what do these two signs mean?"

Han Yi couldn't stand Pan Sheng's nagging, but knowing that Pan Sheng meant well, he had no choice but to resort to this tactic of interrupting him with a question.

This is what is called interrupting magic with magic!

"Hmm, this wooden token means you can choose a small courtyard within Shanzhongfang, the ones you see along the way..."

Pan Sheng indeed stopped nagging and began to explain to Han Yi in detail.

Han Yi recalled the houses in the alleys and lanes on both sides of the street when he first entered Shanzhongfang. These houses were similar to the small courtyard in Qiuzhu Alley that Li Feng had found for him. 'I never imagined that a house that would sell for a hundred taels of silver outside would be used as a free dormitory after becoming an inner disciple…'

Han Yi couldn't help but sigh inwardly, the benefits and treatment for inner disciples were indeed quite good.

"And what about this waist tag?"

Han Yi then pointed to a maroon waist tag in his hand. The tag had a black pattern around its edge, giving it a dignified and imposing appearance.

In the middle, there is also a number engraved, "401".