Start with everyday skills and grind your way to immortality.

"Oh?"

Beneath the imposing red Guan Gong mask, a slightly surprised and doubtful sound rang out.

"Five taels of silver, just to buy a few idle words?"

With a flick of his large, fan-like hand, he tucked it into his robes.

There's no reason not to take money that's offered to you.

Whether he speaks or not, and what he says, is entirely up to him.

"Nothing else matters."

Chen Qian's voice came through the fox mask, carrying a perfect balance of respect and curiosity: "I am new to this path and am quite curious about the depths of this martial arts lineage."

"Just now I saw that your blood and energy were like a furnace, and I could feel the heat wave within three steps. I am filled with admiration."

"Therefore, I would like to ask, I can understand that a martial artist needs to strengthen his body and bones, but what is meant by 'warm blood'? What exactly does the term 'martial artist' refer to?"

"Admiration?" The red-faced man chuckled, seemingly quite pleased with the flowery flattery.

He loosened his crossed legs slightly, and the oppressive heat emanating from his body subsided somewhat.

"Haha! So you're just a newbie?"

The man chuckled in a deep voice, "But the fact that you managed to get this far without getting skinned alive shows you have some skill."

"Very well, since I've already taken your money, this is no big deal. I'll explain it to you."

The red-faced man straightened up, pointed to Chen Qian's somewhat thin chest, and his tone became serious and fanatical:

"Kid, we martial artists don't practice fancy moves; we cultivate our spirit and fight for our lives!"

"What a martial artist cultivates, in the final analysis, boils down to one sentence."

He paused, then spoke slowly and deliberately, his voice booming like a bell:

"With three flames emanating from his body, even gods and ghosts dare not approach!"

Chen Qian's heart stirred slightly. He silently made a note of it, bowed slightly, and adopted a posture of listening attentively.

"In this world, the yin energy is heavy, and evil spirits and demons breed. Ordinary people are weak and their yang energy is as weak as a bean flame, which is extinguished by a gust of wind and killed by a ghost."

The red-faced man patted his chest, which was as thick as an iron barrel, making a dull "thump, thump" sound.

"But martial artists are different! Martial arts are not merely about forging muscles, bones, and flesh; it's about forcibly igniting and strengthening the yang fire within the body through consuming powerful elixirs and cultivating oneself, in order to fight against the evil spirits of this world!"

"The so-called warm blood is merely the threshold of martial arts."

The man extended one finger and drew a line in the air:

"The blood begins to flow smoothly, the body becomes strong and healthy, and no diseases occur. For example, the body temperature is always a little higher than that of ordinary people."

"Sweating profusely yet without the slightest sign of weakness, the skin beneath the clothes is burning hot, white steam rises from it, and one can faintly hear the sound of blood and qi surging; this is warm blood."

"At this stage, you won't get sick or have any minor illnesses, and even wandering ghosts at night won't dare to possess you easily."

At this point, the man glanced at Chen Qian, his tone tinged with disdain:

"Right now, you can't even be considered warm-blooded; at best, you're just an ordinary person with a slightly warm constitution."

Chen Qian did not refute, but simply nodded slightly.

He knew that with the help of the Blood-Veined Ginseng and the Nourishing Body Technique, he had probably already touched the edge of the Warm Blood realm, but it was still not enough.

"And what about above Warm Blood?" Chen Qian pressed.

"Beyond the level of 'warm blood,' lies true mastery!"

A hint of arrogance flashed in the red-faced man's eyes as he held up three fingers:

"The three flames of life lamp! This is the embodiment of qi and blood."

"Externally train your muscles, bones, and skin; internally light three lamps to protect your own life, hence it is also called the cultivation of life and nature."

"Invisible to the naked eye of ordinary people, but to demons and powerful beings, it is like a torch in the night, extremely dazzling!"

The man pointed to his chest, "Through the burning blood and qi, ignite that fire within. Once the fire in your heart is lit, your strength will be boundless, and your stamina will be like a horse's."

"An ordinary person would be exhausted after running ten miles, but a warrior with a burning inner fire could run a hundred miles without tiring."

"In a fight, while your opponent is exhausted and weary, you remain vigorous and fight on, wearing them down until they are dead!"

"This is the fire of the heart."

The man patted his shoulders with his large hands. "My inner fire burns brightly, overflowing from my shoulders and transforming into two shoulder lamps. At this stage, my shoulders are as heavy as iron, and my strength is as great as an ox. Splitting stone tablets and cracking rocks is no problem for me."

"In the eyes of demons, this person carries two blazing flames on his shoulders. Ordinary little ghosts wouldn't even get close before being burned to death by the yang energy emanating from these shoulder lamps!"

"This is the double lamp."

At this point, the man's aura suddenly changed, and it was as if two sleeping tigers on his shoulders had opened their eyes.

Chen Qian felt his breath catch in his throat as the heat wave hit him again, even more intensely than before.

Clearly, this red-faced man was at least a master of lighting two lamps!

"What about the third realm?" Chen Qian asked, forcing himself to suppress his discomfort.

"The Third Realm!"

The red-faced man's voice suddenly became somewhat ethereal, a mixture of longing and regret.

He slowly raised his hand and pointed to the top of his head:

"The third realm is called the Divine Peak."

"Blood and energy surge to the top of the head, essence, energy, and spirit unite as one! This is the perfect state of external martial arts, the ultimate achievement that a mortal body can attain!"

The man took a deep breath, seemingly recalling some horrific scene:

"At this stage, one's eyes are filled with illusory lightning, and one can achieve a state of emptiness where light shines forth! The vital energy above the head surges like smoke from a wolf's beak, rising three feet high. As the saying goes, 'There are gods three feet above your head,' and one becomes that god!"

"The body's Qi and blood form a closed loop, locking in Yang energy, leaving no room for leakage. At this moment, the physical body is comparable to refined iron, impervious to swords and spears, and unaffected by water or fire. A warrior's roar is like a thunderclap, capable of shattering even the most vengeful ghosts into oblivion!"

Divine Peak!

There are gods watching over you from above; you yourself are a god!

Chen Qian was deeply moved.

Just hearing the description, one can tell how domineering and unparalleled this realm is.

This is true power, the foundation for survival in this chaotic world!

"May I ask, Your Excellency, is there still a path above this divine peak?" Chen Qian suppressed his excitement and asked tentatively.

Upon hearing this, the red-faced man chuckled self-deprecatingly and shook his head.

"Above the summit of the gods? Heh, kid, you overestimate me, and you overestimate martial arts."

"I've been navigating this world for thirty years and have seen countless masters, but those who have reached the pinnacle of cultivation can be counted on one hand."

"As for going any further up..."

"Is that a Grandmaster of the Innate Realm, or some kind of Immortal on Earth? Who knows? I've never seen one, nor have I ever heard of anyone who has achieved it."

He looked at Chen Qian, his tone suddenly becoming somewhat desolate and cruel.

"You think these three fires are so easy to deal with?"

"The saying 'poor scholars, rich warriors'—this is a legacy built with money and lives!"

The red-faced man held up three fingers and waved them in front of Chen Qian.

"Without money, you can't get it done. A single dose of tonic medicine costs five taels of silver, and to get some acupuncture points, you'd need to take it for at least half a year! Without a fortune of a thousand or eight hundred taels, you can't even get in the door!"

"Without life, you can't master it. Practicing martial arts is like rowing against the current; it's about exhausting your potential. There are countless people who have ruined their breathing or their bodies from practicing too much."

"Without luck, you can't ignite it. Without good techniques and a master's guidance, even if you squander your family's fortune, you'll only build up a muscular physique, but you won't be able to ignite that fire!"

"Ninety-nine percent of martial artists never reach the stage of being hot-blooded or just beginning to ignite their passion, and end up with a body full of hidden injuries and a miserable old age."

After the man finished speaking, he let out a long breath, as if he had released all the pent-up emotions in his heart.

He glanced at Chen Qian, his eyes behind the mask carrying a hint of mockery.

"Young man, you look frail. Even though you bought that incomplete copy of 'The Golden Bell Cover,' starting a fire? That's as difficult as climbing to heaven. You should take the rest of your money, go back home, become a wealthy man, marry two wives, and live a peaceful life."

Chen Qian remained silent.

Disaster?

It is really difficult.

Law, land, wealth, and companionship.

The four mountains crushed countless people to death.

It is something that people desire but cannot obtain.

"Thank you for your guidance."

Chen Qian solemnly cupped his hands in greeting, "These five taels of silver were well spent."

The red-faced man waved his hand as if shooing away flies, clearly not wanting to waste any more words: "Alright, the money's done, and we've finished our chatter. Hurry up and leave, don't delay my business."

However, Chen Qian did not move.

With a flick of his wrist, another five-tael silver coin was slammed onto the stall with a "smack".

With fingertips pressing down on the silver, he slowly pushed it under the Guan Gong mask.

He leaned forward slightly, his eyes behind the mask staring directly at the man in the Guan Gong mask, his voice extremely low.

"The matter of martial arts is settled. I have a second question."

The red-faced man frowned slightly, somewhat impatiently: "What else? Ask away and get lost."

Chen Qian took a deep breath, and the surrounding noise seemed to disappear at that moment.

He stared into the man's eyes and, slowly and deliberately, asked the question that had been weighing on his mind all along.

"May I ask, Your Excellency...?"

"Just who exactly is this Li family of Black Mountain?"