Su Yan's request, though sudden, did not surprise Gao Zheng. In his mind, Junior Brother Su, with his talent, would eventually leave the mountain trade and move to the city. Finding a place to live was just the first step.
Gao Zheng mused for a moment and said: "Leave it to me, Junior Brother. I'll send a few real estate agents to find you a place today." As a Blood Circulation stage martial artist, Gao Zheng was a respectable figure in the city, making this task easy for him.
Su Yan went to pay his respects to Master Bai and asked for guidance on his cultivation progress. By the time he was done, Gao Zheng had already arranged everything. The house he found was not in the wealthy district but on a street near the Rear Temple Alley, close to the outer city gate, making entry and exit easy.
The agent took Su Yan to the house, a two-courtyard compound. The front courtyard was paved with blue bricks, wide and flat, with two old trees—an Osmanthus tree and an Old Fig—that shaded most of the yard. It was a perfect spot for martial arts practice. The inner courtyard had a rock garden, running water, and various plants, giving it a secluded feel.
The agent said: "Young Master Su, the inner courtyard is the main residence, with three rooms. The outer courtyard has several side rooms for servants."
"This place is fine." Su Yan was satisfied. The neighboring houses weren't heavily occupied, making it an excellent secluded base.
"How much is the rent per month?"
Before Su Yan could finish, the agent quickly waved his hands: "Master Gao has already paid the rent for a full year. We dare not accept silver from you, Young Master Su."
Seeing the agent's sincerity, Su Yan knew he couldn't pay. Even if he chose a different location, Senior Brother Gao would likely insist on paying. He dismissed the agent, taking the keys.
'Senior Brother Gao is certainly trying hard to recruit me. This shows that his friendly nature aside, there must be internal competition within the Golden Ape Martial Academy.' Gao Zheng was indeed a good person, treating others with respect, but the academy was not without its internal rivalries. Contests for the position of True Disciple and control over the academy's external businesses were fierce.
Su Yan thoroughly checked the house, finding nothing unusual. He placed his belongings inside and bought a hundred jin of charcoal and other supplies, as if preparing a new home.
That night, the streets and alleys were quiet. Aside from the bustling nightlife of the city's pleasure districts, many areas were dark. Su Yan, having prepared thoroughly, was ready to begin.
He first lit the charcoal, then brought out the medicinal furnace he stole from the cave, placing it on the fire to preheat. Though not as large as Xu Zhongdao's cauldron, the furnace's quality suggested it was not an ordinary item.
"The Poison Dragon Powder is simple to refine. I should use this opportunity to practice. It won't matter if I waste some herbs." Su Yan now had ample resources. He had originally planned to refine some temporary toxic pills as food for his bugs, but now, with a better option available, he decided to refine the Poison Dragon Powder first. Not only would it aid his own cultivation, but the Dark Water Centipede and Velvet Fire Scorpion Bug could also consume it to absorb poison and strengthen their bodies.
He arranged the herbs, categorizing them as Xu Zhongdao had taught him. The Poison Dragon Powder was at best a First-Order Low-Grade elixir, essentially a compound. Su Yan was merely cautious in his preparation.
Once everything was ready and the furnace was hot, he added the herbs according to the formula. He first added a small segment of the core ingredient, the Primal Viper Tendon. The hot fire quickly roasted it, drying out the moisture. After a few minutes, the surface of the tendon cracked and emitted a pungent scent. Snake-scale-like cracks appeared on the rhizome's skin. Su Yan immediately added another herb. A large amount of liquid separated and was instantly absorbed by the Primal Viper Tendon.
Time passed slowly. He added over ten more herbs, which melted and merged, continually extracting impurities under the controlled fire. Finally, around midnight, the fragrance stabilized, and Su Yan removed the furnace from the heat.
"It's done. There are some minor flaws, but no major mistakes."
[Basic Alchemy: 10/100 (Initiate)]
A single refining session had significantly increased his proficiency. Su Yan was overjoyed. "Continue." He ground the finished herbs into powder and stored them in porcelain bottles, then placed the furnace back on the charcoal to start another batch.
As a martial artist with a strong physique and immense willpower, staying up all night was effortless. He didn't sleep, refining most of the stolen herbs into Poison Dragon Powder. His initial clumsiness faded, and soon he could refine several batches at once, becoming increasingly proficient. His Basic Alchemy skill advanced from Initiate to 1/200 Minor Accomplishment overnight. His achievement: twenty bottles of Poison Dragon Powder.
"The Primal Viper Tendon is used up. If I can't find more, I'll have to adjust the formula with a different core spiritual herb." Su Yan regretted the loss. The Primal Viper Tendon was a spiritual herb—a Treasure Plant. While he could collect it if he searched diligently, doing so now would attract Pang Tianfeng's attention.
"I have enough to start training. Twenty bottles will last a while."
Su Yan took one bottle, carefully kneaded some of the powder into pills—ten pills, the size of fingernails, in a dark green color. "Shasha shasha." He commanded the Dark Water Centipede and Velvet Fire Scorpion Bug, who had been guarding all night, to crawl over. He tossed them two pills. The centipede and scorpion each swallowed one.
[Dark Water Centipede: 40/400 (Mature Stage) ] [Velvet Fire Scorpion Bug: 190/200 (Growth Stage) ]
The two Contracted Bugs curled up, digesting the medicinal power as if falling asleep. Su Yan watched their transformation, his eyes gleaming.
"There's a difference in effect for the same pill. The stronger the creature, the weaker the effect? I'll need to find more potent pills later."
While the two bugs digested the medicine, Su Yan moved a large wooden tub into the courtyard, poured in hot water, and added an entire bottle of Poison Dragon Powder. In three breaths, the hot water turned dark green, thick like paint.
'Ordinary martial artists would be poisoned and injured for a long time. This is a brutal technique for body tempering.'
Su Yan did not hesitate. He stripped off his clothes and stepped into the tub. He did not stand in his stance but closed his eyes, combining the surging of his blood energy with the special breathing rhythm to circulate the Poison Dragon Golden Body Art. The Stance Skill was merely a simplification; the full set of breathing and blood-circulation methods was the true core of the technique. The Stance Skill was just a simple way to transition to the complex.
As Su Yan cultivated, the poison immediately began to corrode his skin, turning into fine, dark green threads that followed his muscles and meridians, spreading throughout his body. Unimaginable agony struck: it felt like his skin was being burned and peeled layer by layer, while tens of thousands of ants gnawed at him from the inside out.
The pain of the poison corrosion was overwhelming. Su Yan kept his eyes tightly shut, large beads of sweat mixing with the medicinal bath. He continued until an hour later, when the liquid gradually became clear. The venomous lines on Su Yan's body faded, subtly transforming into scale-like, light-colored patterns hidden beneath his skin membrane.
[Poison Dragon Golden Body Art: 1/100 (Initiate)][Body Forging Realm: Skin Refining 200/400 (Great Accomplishment) ] [Golden Ape Jade Body Art: 60/100 (Initiate)]
Su Yan's eyes flashed with confidence: "My skin and physique have advanced significantly. One medicinal bath had this kind of effect! With the addition of the Bug Essence, I will definitely break through to the Tendon-Bone stage within seven days."