Free Web NovelChapter 122: Chapter 121: Seven Days of Three Transformations, Blood Talisman
A glint flashed in Ding Zhao’an’s eyes. "Alright, you may go," he said faintly.
"Yes, Master Ding."
The man from the Qinglian Gang responded respectfully, wrapped his thick coat tighter around himself, and turned to head back the way he came.
Once the man was gone, the person sitting beside Ding Zhao’an immediately spoke up. "Ding Moshan is no longer showing you any courtesy. Don’t tell me you’re still hung up on your past connection?"
"What past connection is there to speak of between me and that bitch?"
Ding Zhao’an reached up and gently caressed the side of his face, the pads of his fingers seemingly still able to feel the humiliation and stinging pain he once felt there. His voice was chillingly cold. "Even if there was a little something before, it’s long gone now."
"She’s auditing your accounts. It’s obvious she’s preparing to make you step aside for that kid. Ding Moshan treats you like a dog. She throws you a couple of bones when she’s happy, then kicks you aside when she’s tired of you. She might even slaughter you for meat..."
The person beside him chuckled lightly. "I really don’t know what you’re still hesitating for."
"What if the plan is exposed?"
Ding Zhao’an’s expression was grim. "That kid is the apple of her eye right now. If she finds out I was behind it, being flayed alive would be getting off easy."
"I’ve already told you, Young Master Wu will—"
"Zhao Tianpeng is a nobody!"
Ding Zhao’an cut him off before he could finish. "Even with his old man, they’re nothing in front of Ding Moshan!"
"One Young Master Wu isn’t enough, but what if we add Young Master Wen and Young Master Quan?"
Ding Zhao’an’s breath caught. The person beside him raised a hand and patted his shoulder gently, speaking leisurely, "Is the name of the Jianghai Defense Command weighty enough for you? ...The Young Masters have said that as long as you pull this off, they will fully support your rise within the Qinglian Gang from now on. Once Ding Moshan falls, her position will be all yours."
Ding Zhao’an fell silent. Snowflakes from outside blew in, landing on his wavering, uncertain face.
"How can I trust you? Besides, Ding Moshan won’t be so easy to topple..."
"Hah—"
The person beside him suddenly laughed, leaned in close to Ding Zhao’an’s ear, and whispered a few quick words. "I might as well tell you, this very month... When the time comes, it won’t just be Ding Moshan. Even the one behind her... heheh..."
"Is that true?!"
Ding Zhao’an looked as if he had just heard something incredible. His spirits instantly lifted, and his eyes practically glowed.
"Whether it’s true or not, you’ll find out when the time comes."
The person leaned back, their tone casual. "Alright, hurry up and get to the Xianlido. The Young Masters... are all waiting."
The car window was rolled up. The vehicle in the snow turned around and soon vanished into the vast, swirling blizzard.
........
"Uncle Tong!"
「Ink Garden, Ding Family Training Hall」
Fu Juemin respectfully greeted Li Tong.
It had been a while, and Li Tong looked to be in good spirits.
He still had the appearance of a scrawny, unassuming little old man, but only those who had seen him in action knew what kind of inhuman, terrifying power was hidden within that withered frame.
So far, Li Tong was the only human Fu Juemin had ever seen who could go head-to-head with a Tiger Level Demon Fiend and soundly suppress it. He was a Dao Mark Level figure on Fu Juemin’s Martial Arts path. His current short-term goal was to one day catch up to the transformed Uncle Tong.
Because Li Tong was coming, Fu Juemin had specifically sent away Kitty and the others, leaving only a few servants in the training hall to help with odd jobs.
"It seems the Young Master has prepared everything?"
Li Tong stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze sweeping over the utensils and medicinal ingredients that filled the room.
"Everything is ready."
Fu Juemin nodded. "Of course, I must still ask Uncle Tong to check everything one more time... If anything is missing, we still have time to get it."
The Entry Level Cultivation Method for the Dragon Elephant Wisdom Seal was quite unique, known as the "Seven Days of Three Transformations."
The first three days were for the Outer Transformation. This required the essence blood of three wild beasts—elephant, crocodile, and deer—to be mixed with rare medicinal herbs like Yang Firming Grass and Bone-Strengthening Flower to create a "Medicinal Blood." This was then used with a rhinoceros horn to inscribe a "Blood Talisman" onto the practitioner’s body.
This was drawn once a day, the new talisman covering the old one. Throughout this period, the practitioner had to continuously stimulate their own Qi Blood to urge the Blood Talisman’s medicinal power to seep into their body.
The middle three days were for the Inner Transformation. After the foundation laid in the first three days, the practitioner’s skin would have begun to adapt to the Dragon Elephant Medicine Force. At this point, they had to immerse their entire body in a Medicine Cauldron, supplemented by a Mildly Boiling Medicated Bath, and focus all their effort on cultivating the Blood Talisman’s circulation route they had just mastered, as well as the "Dragon Elephant Root Seal."
During this step, one could neither eat nor leave the cauldron, requiring superhuman willpower to endure for three whole days.
On the seventh day, after soaking in the final Medicated Bath, if all went smoothly, one could enter the third stage: "Heart Transformation."
The "Heart Transformation" corresponded to the word "Prajna" in the Dragon Elephant Wisdom Seal.
If all Seven Days of Three Transformations were successfully completed, one would have officially reached the Entry Level of the Dragon Elephant Wisdom Seal. According to Li Tong, even the First-Layer Realm of the Dragon Elephant Wisdom Seal could easily grant a practitioner an arm strength of several hundred, or even over a thousand, pounds, and their physical Defense Force would also be greatly enhanced.
Integrating offense and defense, it was domineering beyond compare!
But if one failed, they would have to start over from the beginning.
"The Young Master has prepared things even more completely and meticulously than I imagined..."
Li Tong briefly inspected the materials before his gaze returned to Fu Juemin’s face. He said calmly, "The key is whether the Young Master himself is truly ready. Once this begins, it won’t be easy to stop. Success or failure, you have to grit your teeth and endure for seven days. You’re bound to suffer a fair bit..."
"Uncle Tong always thinks I can’t handle hardship."
Fu Juemin smiled. "But every time... I manage to endure."
Li Tong said no more, simply nodding to indicate that they could begin at any time.
Fu Juemin immediately had people bring over the still-steaming blood from a live elephant, a live crocodile, and a live deer that had just been collected, along with the corresponding supplementary herbs. He listened to Li Tong’s instructions on how to mix them.
To prevent the Qi Blood essence from being contaminated, the fresh blood was specially held in Jade Bowls.
On the other side, the servants in charge of brewing the Medicated Bath for the Inner Transformation also got to work.
The Medicated Bath for the Inner Transformation was more demanding than the blood for the Outer Transformation’s talisman. In addition to the three types of essence blood, it also required numerous rare supplementary materials like Elephant Hide, Crocodile Hide, Deer Hide, Turtle Shell, and Tiger Bone. It had to be simmered for three days until it reached a semi-gelatinous state, then allowed to cool slightly, just in time for the end of the Outer Transformation.
From the very beginning of his Martial Arts training, Fu Juemin had understood the meaning behind the saying "poverty for scholars, riches for warriors."
Now, that understanding was becoming even more profound.
The manpower, resources, and wealth consumed by the materials needed for just this one Entry Level cultivation session were beyond what an ordinary person could even imagine.
This was only possible in Shenghai, only because he was now a disciple under Aunt Ding, and only because he had his own private stash of over ten million silver coins... If you turned back the clock half a year, even with his status as the son of the richest man in Luan River, he could have never afforded such an extravagant expenditure.
The three bowls of blood were mixed into one. Li Tong had Fu Juemin remove his shirt, then picked up the Rhino Horn Brush, dipped it into the prepared Medicinal Blood, and walked behind him.
"This will hurt a little. The Young Master must endure it."
Li Tong said faintly, and without waiting for Fu Juemin’s response, the tip of the brush gently touched down.
In that instant, Fu Juemin felt as if a giant hornet had viciously stung his back.
His brow twitched, and just as he was about to think, ’Is that all?’, the very next second—he felt as if ten million hornets were lined up, stabbing into his back like a torrential storm!
"HISSS—"
Fu Juemin subconsciously sucked in a sharp breath of cold air, almost jumping straight up from where he stood.
Glancing slightly to the side, he caught a glimpse from the corner of his eye... Li Tong’s brushstrokes on his back were already moving so fast they had become a blur.
