Start with everyday skills and grind your way to immortality.

Chapter 91 Whirlpool

The manager of Jishetang was fiddling with his abacus and didn't even lift his eyelids when someone came in.

"Prescription or consultation?"

"Get the medicine."

Chen Qian slapped a prescription full of medicine names on the counter and casually placed a silver note on top of it.

"Tiger bone, angelica, notoginseng, and dragon's blood—all over ten years old, as much as you can get. Also, some high-quality wound medicine, the kind that can be taken internally and applied externally."

The shopkeeper was taken aback; this prescription was full of potent medicines that could regenerate blood and bones and forcibly stimulate the flow of qi and blood.

These old medicinal herb prescriptions are all very valuable, yet this person wants as many as he wants.

Judging by his physique, he doesn't look like a martial artist, but he's definitely not short of money.

But being a businessman, he immediately changed his tune upon seeing the money: "Please wait a moment, sir, I'll wrap it up for you right away!"

After an incense stick had burned, Chen Qian walked out of the pharmacy carrying a large bag of medicinal herbs.

He was also a warm-blooded martial artist, and having witnessed the formidable skill of the Double Lantern Master, how could he not feel a sense of longing?

Moreover, only with these skills can one have the right to stand on one's own two feet.

The poor study literature, the rich study martial arts. Without money to support them, relying solely on training will eventually break their bodies.

As he passed a noodle stall on the street, the rich aroma of bone broth instantly aroused Chen Qian's rumbling stomach.

Throughout his life in Niushou Village, he ate nothing but cornbread and coarse grains.

The moment I relaxed, the hunger I felt was enough to devour a whole cow.

"Boss, a bowl of plain noodles, please! With meat! And an egg!"

"Okay!"

"Not enough, another bowl, please!"

"Two more bowls, please!"

The surrounding diners were dumbfounded.

In the corner, a scholar in a blue robe had a tall stack of empty bowls in front of him—eight large bowls of plain noodles.

He devoured the food, soup and all, in a whirlwind, leaving nothing behind.

"call----"

Chen Qian put down the eighth empty bowl and let out a long sigh of relief.

The large amount of food entered the stomach and intestines without causing any discomfort. Instead, it transformed into a surge of heat that flowed to the limbs and bones.

Her pale complexion finally regained a rosy hue, and the feeling of emptiness was replaced by a heavy feeling of fullness.

"Refining essence into qi, the ancients were right."

Chen Qian tossed down some loose silver, packed some dry rations, and got up to leave.

Walking down the bustling street, Chen Qian took out a slice of old ginseng from his pocket and chewed it.

As saliva is secreted, a trace of pure medicinal power slowly seeps into the throat.

He seemed to walk casually, but in fact, every step he took was in accordance with the power exertion technique of the Eight Steps to Catch the Cicada, and every breath he took followed the unique rhythm of the health preservation method.

When you inhale, the breath sinks to the dantian (lower abdomen), which is how you store up energy.

When you exhale, the stale air is expelled; that's good luck.

Walking, sitting, and lying down are all forms of spiritual practice.

Although it has not yet been achieved, it is one of the goals.

The Gu worms inside the body seemed to sense the abundant medicinal power, and they throbbed joyfully, sending out a warm current that greatly benefited the circulation of Qi.

"Is this what it feels like to be warm-blooded?

Chen Qian could clearly feel his body temperature rising, and the feeling of having such precise control over his body fascinated him.

Unbeknownst to him, he had arrived at a fork in the road in the west of the city.

Turn right, and you'll find the road to the north of the city.

To the left is the road to the countryside where my second maternal uncle lived, which is the direction my elder brother, sister-in-law, and Xiaoyu left in.

Chen Qian stopped in his tracks.

He can't go.

"The paper sedan chair from the Li family will be arriving soon."

Chen Qian touched the mark on his chest, his eyes showing slight anxiety.

What if I don't survive this ordeal and die at the hands of the Li family?

To make them watch as they are carried away by paper figures is more cruel than death itself.

"If we survive, we will meet again."

"If I die—just pretend I've disappeared."

Chen Qian resolutely turned around and strode towards the North Gate.

Once you exit the north gate, the view suddenly opens up.

Linjiang County is named after the river itself, because it is located near a tributary of the mighty, ever-flowing Yangtze River.

The Canglan River.

"Let's go to the riverbank."

Chen Qian made up his mind.

With numerous spies in the city, the news of the Zhao and Wang families' downfall cannot be kept secret for long; the entire city will surely be placed under martial law.

The riverside terrain is open and covered with reeds, which is convenient for hiding and conducive to spiritual practice.

The most crucial element is water.

After the battle at Niushou Village, Chen Qian gained a new understanding of swimming skills.

On land, he might be surrounded and killed, but once in the water, with his night vision, even if he couldn't win, he could drift downstream and escape.

It can be used for both offense and defense.

He picked out a poor horse at the horse market, one with a mottled coat but thick limbs.

"drive!"

Chen Qian mounted his horse and gave the reins a shake.

The horse's hooves pounded the ground, and Chen Qian adjusted his posture to match the horse's movements.

This journey has led to a breakthrough in the art of health preservation.

Breathing has become instinctive without any deliberate guidance.

With each breath, the heart, infused with the Gu worm, throbbed powerfully, pumping a continuous stream of heat to every part of the body.

Even on the bumpy, galloping horseback, he felt no fatigue at all; on the contrary, his body was warm and he was full of energy.

Although the trip to Niushou Village was fraught with peril, it was also very fruitful.

With a slight thought, the panel appeared.

Advanced skills!

He has mastered all of these skills, including reading between the lines, olfactory identification, night vision, and divination using the Five Elements.

The improvement in perception was approximately 20%.

The improvement in combat skills represents an even greater leap forward.

The experience bars for [Eight Blades of Breaking the Edge], [Golden Bell Cover], and [Eight Steps to Catch the Cicada] all increased significantly.

The most crucial element is skill in combat.

It's like a perfect central gear, forcibly meshing together the three independent components: movement, defense, and swordsmanship.

Previously, his swordplay involved "using techniques," which was done mechanically and rigidly.

Now, when he draws his knife, it's to "kill," aiming straight for the vital points.

This is one of his greatest gains.

But the key to his repeated escapes from death on this trip was his mental fortitude.

If he hadn't been so determined to guard his spiritual altar, he probably would have perished long ago in front of that sacrificial mural, let alone the opportunities that followed.

After reviewing his own performance, Chen Qian's thoughts began to wander outwards.

"Zhao Feng and Wang Tong—these two families are also powerful figures in Linjiang County. But judging from their reactions, they are clearly unaware of the real danger in Niushou Village."

"Otherwise, he would never have personally led people there."

"This shows that the news was blocked. Then someone deliberately released the 'rebirth' as ​​bait."

77

The thought of the three underground floors sent a chill down Chen Qian's spine.

Those two evil spirits that drove even the experts of the Double Lamp Realm to despair were actually only attached to the first level?

Furthermore, the involvement of the Demon Suppression Bureau suggests that there might be even more terrifying forces at play.

It's fortunate that I left early, otherwise my death would have been inevitable.

Anything below that level is simply beyond his reach.

Chen Qian reined in his horse and stopped, taking out the tattered map left by his father from his pocket and unfolding it on horseback.

His finger slowly traced across the drawing.

Black Mountain to the west: The mineral veins are exhausted, and the mountain shape resembles a tiger crouching on the ground. It belongs to the element of metal in the Five Elements theory, is located in the White Tiger position, and is associated with killing and warfare.

Niushou Village to the east: The terrain is low-lying, which is conducive to the gathering of yin and the nurturing of corpses. It belongs to the earth element in the Five Elements theory. It is located in the position of the Azure Dragon with its leg broken, which means it is in distress.

Linjiang County is located between these two places, bordering the Canglan River.

If we add the places marked on the map, are there similar places where the Demon Suppression Bureau is located?

Connect the four points into a line.

Chen Qian thought for a moment, then shook his head.

With his current knowledge, he couldn't see much. "It seems that the only way is to use the Soul Soil to see how to awaken Li Chengyun and then try to get information from him."

"But no matter how you look at it, Linjiang is at the center of the vortex!"