Chapter 460 - 267: Second Encounter, The Endless Joy of Pitting Oneself Against Others! (Part 2)

"Huff huff huff—!"

The man in the forest had a surge of scorching power rising within him. As it resonated with the five viscera, the Five Elements Technique passed down from Pre-Qin began to operate silently, transforming into a surging Fire Sparrow Gang Force after the mutual generation of the Five Elements.

The Fire Sparrow Gang Force became increasingly intense. Every time it flowed through the limbs, meridians, and viscera, it became purer and more refined, albeit subtly yet endlessly.

With day-by-day and month-by-month persistence in refinement, over time, quantitative changes would inevitably lead to unprecedented qualitative change.

"Buzz!"

The Fire Sparrow Pattern on Su Mu’s palms suddenly brightened, his palms becoming increasingly hot. An unprecedented subtle power was born as a result.

As this peculiar power circulated and gathered on his arms, the Fire Sparrow Pattern swiftly extended from his palms, instantly spreading densely across his arms, shoulders, and back. Amidst the chirping, a pair of fiery wings over three feet long unfolded out of nowhere.

Each over three-foot-long wing slowly extended, and the previously indistinct feathers became clearer and fuller by three points under this power.

Thus, another path of power was born within Su Mu, making it a total of twenty-three.

After a long time, when the wings vanished, a flash of joy appeared in Su Mu’s slowly opened eyes.

"The Five Elements Technique can actually give birth to unique power!"

Previously, after Su Mu broke through the Dragon-and-Phoenix Level of comprehension, he discovered a hidden talent. He didn’t need Perfection; merely achieving Great Success in a martial art could give birth to unique power.

In recent days, after achieving Great Success in the Five Elements Technique, no new power was born. At that time, Su Mu thought it was because cultivation techniques differed from martial arts and martial techniques and could not give birth to power.

Today, this assumption was overturned. The Five Elements Technique, as a cultivation technique, could also give birth to power!

"It seems that the birth of power from the Five Elements Technique is more difficult than ordinary martial arts..."

After some thought, Su Mu quickly concluded, knowing that the pressure brought by the Blood Wolf Woman had led to his breakthrough.

"For a martial artist, battling people is inexhaustibly delightful!"

At this moment, Su Mu felt quite emotional. Martial arts are skills for killing, and simply closing oneself away for bitter cultivation is ineffective. Sparring with others is necessary for progression.

A warm bed cannot give birth to truly powerful martial artists!

Su Mu then carefully sensed the power born from the Five Elements Technique. This power was as fiery as fire from its inception, and with a thought directing this power, it transformed into the Fire Sparrow Gang Force.

In the state of introspection, the Fire Sparrow Gang Force was visibly hotter and more vividly red.

"Let’s test its effects."

With quick thoughts, Su Mu pointed at a peculiar stone in the forest. Just as he was about to touch the stone, a torrent of high temperature erupted from his fingertip.

"Sizzle!"

The stone softened visibly. His slender fingers easily pierced deep into the stone, and when he withdrew them, the stone unmistakably had a hole the size of two fingers.

"Now, this is the Melting Gold Technique!"

The Melting Gold Technique, one of the absolute arts of the Cyan Cloud Forging Workshop, was merely an Eighth-Grade Martial Arts, yet now its terrifying destructiveness far surpassed the scope of Eighth-Grade Martial Arts.

"The unique Gang Force born from the Five Elements Technique enhances the fire attribute aspects of martial arts...the boost to destructiveness isn’t less than thirty percent!"

Su Mu’s eyes burned with passion, surprised himself, and this was only the first fire attribute power born from the Five Elements Technique. He speculated that with continued cultivation, the remaining four powers would also emerge one by one.

By then, whether fire attribute or any other attribute of martial arts, all would unleash power far beyond their original might in his hands, and his overall strength would significantly increase!

The more he cultivated, the more Su Mu discovered the extraordinary nature of the "Five Elements Technique," as if it were tailored just for him.

"If only I could battle the Blood Wolf Woman a few more rounds, perhaps the other four powers would emerge sooner."

At this moment, Su Mu felt inexplicably regretful that the Blood Wolf Woman left too soon last night, sparking a desire to face strong enemies again.

Exiting the small forest, Su Mu, wearing a new outfit, followed the entering stream of people back to Donglai County City.

As the door opened, a figure in the courtyard immediately looked over with delight.

"Master, you’re back!"

Li Lu quickly came over, eyes filled with an irrepressible smile that made Su Mu slightly dazed, as if the little doctor waiting for him at the bamboo door of the medical hall overlapping faintly with the courtyard and person in front of him.

Watching the quickly approaching figure, Su Mu couldn’t help but whisper.

"Little doctor..."

In an instant, Su Mu’s trance was broken by Li Lu’s puzzled face.

"Master, what’s wrong with you?"

"It’s nothing."

Su Mu shook his head, but his hand behind his back secretly clenched tightly, then quietly relaxed as he took a step forward. The five-year period he set for himself had quietly slipped by more than a year.

"I must get stronger... Pharmacist, I, Su Mu, will definitely go to the Capital to bring the little doctor back!"

After taking a few steps, Su Mu quickly regained his usual calmness. Only then did Li Lu inquire about the liquor, to which Su Mu simply waved out a stack of silver notes.

"This is for the liquor."

Seeing the stack of hundred-tael notes, Li Lu’s pupils contracted sharply, refraining from accepting them. After a few moments of daze, she silently lowered her head and turned back towards the direction of the liquor room, tears welling up in her eyes.

"I... I know you’re a good person, Master... But, but..."

Li Lu stubbornly blinked, not wanting the tears to fall, little hands gripping the corner of her clothes tightly, when a calm voice came from behind.

"Stand still."

Li Lu halted her steps, gripping even tighter, her knuckles whitening and cracking.

"You think this money is charity to you?"

"Isn’t it...?"

Li Lu blurted out subconsciously.

"Six hundred taels per jar, totaling six thousand taels..." Su Mu spoke calmly, "In the future, on the first day of each month, someone will come to Xinghua Building in Jing’an Square to buy your liquor. With rarity comes value; it may not sell as well then."

Hearing this, Li Lu trembled all over, her face filled with disbelief, then turned her head down and turned around.

"This, is this real?"

"Believing or not is up to you. Those who respect themselves are respected by others; those who belittle themselves are belittled by others..."

Having said that, Su Mu headed straight for the alchemy room. Just as the door was about to close, Li Lu’s cries were heard.

"I’m sorry, it’s my mistake... Thank you, Master, thank you..."

"I, Li Lu, will definitely repay you in the future... definitely will!"

Li Lu bowed several times towards Su Mu’s door, unable to hold back her tears any longer. Tears as big as beans soaked the stack of silver notes in her hand, as she squatted, crying and thanking repeatedly.

After her father’s death, Su Mu was the kindest person to her in this world, and Li Lu was not someone who didn’t know good from bad.

Though Su Mu was often quiet and focused on cultivation, all along, Li Lu could feel Su Mu’s care and concern for her.

Inside, Su Mu shook his head, his usually calm face now slightly flustered, not adept at handling such matters.

Unsure of how much time had passed, only when the crying outside faded did Su Mu, standing inside, exhale lightly and start refining the Qi and Blood Pill.

The days in the small courtyard passed one by one. Each day, Su Mu refined Qi and Blood Pills, consumed elixirs to cultivate, and during leisure, he would also guide Li Lu, feeling grounded in these days.

Meanwhile, many things happened in Donglai County during this time, with the biggest commotion undoubtedly being the Tao Family, who seemed to have gone mad, searching inside and outside the city.

But naturally, their search yielded no results.

Several days ago, word spread that the current Patriarch of the Tao Family, Tao Yang, had, for some unknown reason, flown into a rage during a family banquet, overturning tables and chairs in anger.

Moreover, unrest had emerged on the Donglai River, with river bandits causing trouble intermittently.

"Materials are exhausted... I need to visit Qiancao Hall again."

Su Mu, in disguise, left Huai’an Square and as "Mr. Cheng," came to Qiancao Hall, where he was again received by the lady, Lin Xue.

While waiting for the materials to be prepared, Lin Xue casually chatted with Su Mu, and over time, the two had become quite familiar.

"Mr. Cheng, tomorrow is the Deer Cry Banquet, are you interested?"