Chapter 49: Schisandra! San Dang Huang Qi Decoction

"This Red River Soup really works quite well. It's cool and refreshing; aside from the sensation of ants crawling on my back, there is no discomfort at all."

Zhang Lingshan was secretly delighted.

He had expected the medicinal effects of the Red River Soup to be intense, perhaps stinging like saltwater, but he hadn't expected it to be so pleasant.

Soaking in it, he felt so comfortable he was almost falling asleep.

Time passed slowly.

Finally, the wounds on his back stopped bleeding, and noon arrived.

It was only then that Pan Mingzhong arrived late. Seeing Zhang Lingshan emerge from the tub, he asked in surprise, "Junior Brother Shan has already completed one round?"

"Yeah, it hurt like hell," Zhang Lingshan said, grimacing.

Pan Mingzhong looked at him with admiration. "Impressive. In that case, Junior Brother Shan, please go ahead. I'll watch from the side."

"Alright."

Zhang Lingshan was happy to oblige.

The sooner he finished, the sooner he could return to testing the effects of the medicinal herbs.

Thus, after lunch, he lay face down on the ground, letting Xiao Ming swing the staff and strike his buttocks and thighs violently.

A moment later, his skin was torn and flesh was exposed, requiring him to enter the Red River Soup once more for nourishment.

However, this round of nourishment included an added bit of entertainment compared to the last: watching Pan Mingzhong take a beating.

Unfortunately, Pan Mingzhong was not built for punishment.

After only a few strikes, he began wailing and howling. With blood flowing uncontrollably, he hurriedly dove into the Red River Soup to soak.

Xiao Ming watched, shaking his head repeatedly.

Based on the performance of these two today, he made a silent judgment: he would have to change the composition of tomorrow's Red River Soup.

He would increase the concentration of the medicinal bath for Zhang Lingshan and decrease it for Pan Mingzhong.

This was the principle of giving more to the strong and less to the weak to avoid waste.

Zhang Lingshan had no idea that Xiao Ming was secretly adding more medicine for him; he only knew that through these past few days of physical tempering, his body had clearly become much stronger.

The wounds on his back had already scabbed over, and the newly formed skin and muscle were tougher and more powerful.

The most obvious change was that he could endure more strikes.

"Junior Brother Shan, push a little harder. Try to endure thirty strikes from me today," Xiao Ming encouraged.

Zhang Lingshan gritted his teeth in silence and finally endured until the thirtieth strike was completed. He collapsed from exhaustion, only to be caught by Xiao Ming.

Watching from the side, Pan Mingzhong had a complicated expression—a mix of jealousy and admiration.

He was jealous that the other's progress was faster, yet admired that the other had greater endurance.

It seemed that before long, once the other broke through to the Flesh Refining Realm, he would become the Fifth Senior Brother, while he would be relegated to the Sixth Junior Brother.

Thinking this, he vowed that he must also persevere and strive!

However, in the blink of an eye, after only eleven strikes, he began whimpering again: "It hurts, it hurts, it hurts! I can't take it!"

"You!"

Xiao Ming looked at him with a face full of disappointment.

As a kind man, he never truly got angry, but at this moment, a flash of displeasure crossed his eyes.

One had to realize that others undergoing flesh refining did not receive such treatment; this kid was only lucky enough to be tempered alongside Junior Brother Shan.

But since he was useless, the concentration of the next medicinal bath would have to be downgraded for him.

And the portion reduced from him would, naturally, be added to Zhang Lingshan's bath.

And so, ten days flashed by.

Under Xiao Ming's diligent tempering, the strength of Zhang Lingshan's physical body improved every day.

And progressing alongside it were his energy points.

Through these ten days of experimentation, he had finally found the medicinal herbs most suitable for him.

There were two in total.

One was called the Eight-Flavor Seed. They were the size of mung beans and could be chewed; they were excellent items to carry on one's person. One seed could increase energy by 1 point.

The only drawback was the cost: 5 taels per seed. After applying a twenty percent discount using the Feng Family Pharmacy's copper token, it was 4 taels.

The benefit was the rapid absorption; one could eat dozens of seeds a day, which meant increasing energy by dozens of points daily.

But it was too expensive.

Even a thousand taels wouldn't be enough.

Therefore, these were only suitable to be carried during travels as essential supplies for emergencies.

The other was not a herb, but a medicinal soup called the Three-Party Astragalus Soup.

"Three-Party" referred to Codonopsis, Tangerine, and Jujube.

Combined with Astragalus and various other medicinal herbs in specific proportions, it was brewed into a soup.

One dose of Three-Party Astragalus Soup cost 30 taels. Drinking one dose a day provided 15 energy points.

Compared to Snow Silver Flower, it was much more expensive, but the healing effect was better and the absorption was faster, making it more suitable for the injuries sustained during flesh refining.

As for other herbs and formulas, Zhang Lingshan continued to experiment slowly.

He hoped to find something good to replace the Eight-Flavor Seed, as they were simply too expensive for him to afford.

He checked his panel.

Name: Zhang Lingshan Martial Arts: Blood Claw Hand (Entry+), Gale Kick (Entry+), Wind-Settling Stance (Entry+), Mountain-Splitting Axe Technique (Entry), Red Line Fist (Small Success), Hunyuan True Yang Stance (Perfection) Energy: 216

"Unconsciously, I've already reached over two hundred energy points. In the past, even breaking into triple digits wasn't easy," Zhang Lingshan mused.

What moved him even more was that despite having so much energy, his Red Line Fist still could not break through to Great Success.

It seemed to be as he had predicted: the energy required to break through to the next level was often ten times that of the previous level.

For example, if breaking through to Small Success for the Red Line Fist required 100 energy points, then breaking through to Great Success would require 1,000.

How long would that take to accumulate?

Even if he practiced the Red Line Fist daily, which would reduce the energy required through experience, it would still amount to four or five hundred points.

And when he first entered the Mountain-Splitting Axe Technique, it required 40 points. Breaking through to Small Success would likely require 400, and Great Success would require 4,000—even more than the Red Line Fist!

It truly lived up to its reputation as a technique for refining flesh.

Currently, he had to be beaten every day to refine his flesh, whereas the Mountain-Splitting Axe Technique could refine the flesh from the inside out. This showed just how high its grade was.

The martial arts expert who had passed the Mountain-Splitting Axe Technique to Uncle Tie must have been a powerhouse among powerhouses, an existence to be looked up to.

"Forget it, I won't wait. I'll upgrade the Wind-Settling Stance and Gale Kick first. Compared to them, the Red Line Fist and Blood Claw Hand are easier to practice. Perhaps before I accumulate enough energy, the Red Line Fist will reach mastery on its own."

After some thought, Zhang Lingshan decided to strike while the iron was hot.

While Xiao Ming helped him temper his body, he would use points to break through two martial arts. This would allow for a transformation from the inside out, while simultaneously absorbing the Red River Soup from the outside in.

With the internal and external forces working in harmony, wouldn't breaking through to the Flesh Refining Realm be a certainty?

Having made his decision, the next day, Zhang Lingshan had Xiao Ming strike his legs.

Then, immediately after entering the Red River Soup, he poured his points into the Wind-Settling Stance.

*Whoosh!*

100 energy points vanished instantly.

Wind-Settling Stance: Small Success.

A sizzling sound spread from his calves to his upper body, and then into his mind.

Images of diligent training immediately flashed before Zhang Lingshan's eyes.

He saw himself swaying in a violent gale, his body like a willow branch dancing with the wind, yet from the calves down, he remained as immovable as a mountain.

As the days passed in the vision, his calves grew thicker and thicker.

Finally, the transformation arrived.

*Bang!*

At that moment, Zhang Lingshan snapped back from the vision. He felt an explosive power swell from his calves and spread through his entire body and limbs.

An indescribable pain forced him to let out a loud cry. His legs suddenly surged with strength, and he involuntarily leaped out of the Red River Soup.

"Junior Brother Shan?"

Xiao Ming was startled. Seeing Zhang Lingshan's bleeding legs, he shouted, "Quick, add more medicine!"

(End of Chapter)