chapter 14 Hundred Demons Club ===

Taking out two short knives from the red cloth. Slightly shorter than a regular long knife, the curved blade was more streamlined, emitting a faint golden halo under the light. Arriving at a wooden stake, he condensed his aura. Sharpening a knife is more difficult than sharpening a sword; a sword has its own momentum, and a knife has its own momentum. Being able to comprehend the sword's momentum is considered genius, while comprehending the knife's momentum is considered monstrous. Of course, at his current realm, it was difficult to comprehend the knife's momentum. Improving accuracy to one hundred percent was what he urgently needed to practice. Draw the knife! Sheath the knife! No martial technique was involved, just a simple drawing technique. It was simple and direct—a slash, and the air experienced a ripple, creating a strong airflow rushing towards the trees on both sides, producing a rustling sound. "Still not fast enough. The accuracy of the knife has improved, but the speed is still not achieving the desired effect." Standing after sheathing the knife, he picked up a white towel and wiped the sweat off his face. In just one hour, he drew the knife ten thousand times, averaging eighty-three draws per minute. This high-intensity practice was not something an ordinary person could endure without a robust physique. Almost squeezing out all the body's potential, he sat on the ground like a dead dog, exhausted. The true qi in his body was nearly depleted. Struggling to stand up, he poured the remaining one-third of the body-tempering liquid into the bucket and took off his clothes before diving in. A piercing pain spread throughout his body—the body was in a state of exhaustion, making it more suitable for soaking in the body-tempering liquid. Every muscle, every meridian, every pore greedily absorbed it. Activating the The God Swallow formula of Tai Huang, dense spiritual energy flowed into his body from all directions. For the past few days, the servants had been privately discussing how the spiritual energy over the Xu family seemed to be drawn away by some mysterious force. The sound of war drums echoed in his meridians—an indication that another breakthrough was imminent. The spiritual energy entered the body and merged with the The God Swallow tripod, and the liquid inside became more abundant. "My physical body has reached its limit; it's time for a breakthrough." Swallowing a Spirit Elixir, he felt the flawless perfection of each realm, as one would only choose to break through to the next realm after refining it to perfection. The spiritual liquid poured out, integrating into his limbs and bones, causing the true qi in his dantian to rapidly surge. Even a mighty Immortal Emperor couldn't figure out how the liquid inside the God Swallow tripod was formed. With the improvement of his cultivation, the purity of the liquid also increased, but the speed of refining the liquid slowed down. He needed to find a place with denser spiritual energy for cultivation. "I must quickly set up a Gathering Spirit Array!" Master of refining Elixir: Refining elixirs. The Spirit Tattooist: Carving runes, talismans, etc., also used in refining. Then there was another profession: Master of tactical deployment. Among the four major families of Canglan City, the Song family was renowned for its formations. They were deeply versed in the path of formations and ranked first among the four major families. The four major families were the Xu family, the Tian family, the Song family, and the Wan family. The Xu family was a newly risen noble family, with only a few decades of history. Their population was sparse, and they urgently needed to cultivate talents. The other three families were well-established, with numerous disciples and a wide range of industries. The Tian family mainly operated brothels, gambling dens, and similar businesses. In recent years, they had entered the weapon industry, competing for the market with the Xu family. A family's long-term development could not rely on a single industry. Only the Wan family was the most special in Verdantius Liu's memory. They were a beast-taming family, mastering the unique art of beast-taming. They once tamed a fourth-stage demonic beast, gaining fame throughout the Great Yan Empire. A fourth-stage demonic beast was equivalent to a human's Pulp washing Realm, incredibly powerful. The Wan family's industries mainly included beast-taming grounds and beast-fighting arenas. Each family had its own foundation, and they did not interfere with each other. The Tian family's actions this time disrupted decades of peace in Canglan City, ushering in silent waves of change. Finally, the true qi stopped growing. A powerful wave of qi surged, breaking through the shackles of the Sixth Stage of acquired realm, forcibly prying open this gateway like a muffled hammer. For an ordinary person, breaking through required caution. However, Verdantius Liu was not an ordinary person. With the most violent method, his body had been modified by a mysterious liquid. It was no longer a concern whether his body would rupture during a breakthrough. From sunset to dusk, as the sky gradually darkened, he put on his clothes. "Hoo, hoo, hoo..." One punch followed another, using basic boxing techniques. There were too many exquisite boxing techniques in his mind, yet he hadn't used a single one. Currently, he focused on basic boxing techniques to temper his body and stabilize the Sixth Stage of acquired realm. Simple and unadorned, without fancy moves, every punch created a strong gust of wind, disrupting the air and blowing it in all directions. The Seven-Star Chain Steps, with each step, the leaves on the ground would swirl up, dancing with his movements. If someone passed by, they would surely be astonished, as this was the manifestation of innate spirit. Understanding the innate spirit allowed one to manipulate the laws of heaven and earth. Every punch, every move, flowed like water, natural and harmonious. The last punch struck, and suddenly a burst of explosive sound echoed in the air. This was the sound of air rapidly compressing. Only when speed combined with concentrated force at a point could such a sound be produced. "Satisfying!" Retracting his fist and standing still, he was covered in sweat. Without bothering to change his clothes, he drew out the short knife and continued practicing knife techniques. The speed of drawing the knife was much faster than before, and the accuracy was improving. Almost every strike landed on the target. Next, he could practice the Blood siphon method. "Young Master, Master is calling you for dinner." Unconsciously, the sky had darkened, and the steward's voice came from outside the gate, inviting him to join the meal. "Alright, I'll be there after changing my clothes." After a quick wash, continuous practice expelled a lot of impurities from his body. After cleaning up, he changed into clean clothes and walked towards the inner hall. It had been a long time since the family had a meal together. Father-in-law, mother-in-law, and Valerrie Xu had been waiting for a while. The events of the day had greatly changed the attitude of his mother-in-law towards him. She stood up proactively and served rice for Verdantius Liu. "Thank you, Mother-in-law!" Verdantius Liu spoke sparingly. In the past, every time he came for a meal, he had endured his mother-in-law's scolding. Valerrie Xu picked up her bowl, eating with such elegance. She delicately picked up a piece of juicy cherry meat and put it into her mouth, emitting a slight chewing sound. Normally, she would finish eating and leave before Verdantius Liu arrived. It was perhaps the first time they were dining at the same table. "Verdantius, here's an invitation from the Wan family. I've been busy lately and don't have time to go. You and Valerrie will go in my place tomorrow." Silvianus Xu took out an invitation and placed it in front of Verdantius Liu. With so many family events happening recently, the master blacksmith was poached by the Tian family, and the weapons workshop was almost sabotaged. Every day was busy and chaotic. Verdantius Liu and Valerrie Xu were to attend a gathering held by the Wan family. The Xu family needed to maintain a good relationship with the Wan family for their development. "The Wan family's invitation?" Verdantius Liu put down his chopsticks. The Wan family rarely interacted with the Xu family. The sudden invitation was somewhat surprising. "Yes, the situation is like this. The Wan family recently introduced a batch of demonic beasts and organized a Hundred Beast Meeting. They invited the heads of various families and some young talents from Canglan City to attend. I heard that even people from the Imperial City will be there. If we want to develop, we must establish a good relationship with the Wan family. You two just need to go and observe, listen, and interact with the outside world." Silvianus Xu briefly explained. The Wan family made a living through their beast-taming grounds and beast-fighting arenas. Each time they introduced new demonic beasts, they held a large gathering to boost the fame of their arenas. According to Silvianus Xu, they were just going through the motions. Verdantius Liu and Valerrie Xu were only there to give face to the Wan family and observe, listen, and make connections. Verdantius Liu looked up, and Valerrie Xu also put down her chopsticks. Their eyes met briefly before separating. Neither of them objected. The father-in-law had already made a decision, and it was too late to refuse. Three days remained until the day of exchanging elixirs with the Pill Treasure cockloft. There was still time to refine the Spirit Elixir. First, they would attend the Hundred Beast Meeting. Verdantius Liu also wanted to experience it. Many things on the Jinmu continent were still unfamiliar to him. To integrate into this world, he first needed to understand it. "Father-in-law, mother-in-law, I'll go back after finishing the meal." After hastily finishing the meal, Verdantius Liu stood up, bowed to the two of them, and left. "Dad, he seems to have changed since that night." Until Verdantius Liu walked away, Valerrie Xu suddenly spoke. It was hard to describe, but she felt that he had changed, becoming more steady, with a wise look in his eyes. Especially his eyes, like two stars containing many stories. "I noticed that too. People have to grow up. He is the descendant of Big Brother Liu and cannot remain useless forever." Silvianus Xu attributed it to him growing up. The three fell into a brief silence. Back in the courtyard, with no time to rest, every moment was precious to him now. He ignited the fire and began refining the Spirit Elixir. "Spirit Stones, I need a large number of Spirit Stones. Only with Spirit Stones can I set up a Gathering Spirit Formation." Spirit Stones were a kind of native stone that grew underground, containing a large amount of spiritual energy. Martial artists couldn't do without Spirit Stones for cultivation. One Spirit Stone could sustain an ordinary person's cultivation for ten days to a month. Most Spirit Stone veins were controlled by major sects or powerful forces. Ordinary people had no access to them. A small Spirit Stone could cost as much as ten thousand gold coins. Even the Xu family, each month, could only afford a limited number. Throughout the night, he refined over a hundred Spirit Elixirs. When dawn arrived, he stopped. Swallowing a Spirit Elixir, he activated the The God Swallow formula of Tai Huang, clearing away all fatigue. He became energetic and refreshed. Breakfast was brought by the steward. After eating, he waited in the hall. The banquet was still an hour away. After waiting for about a cup of tea's time, Valerrie Xu walked out from behind the curtain. She wore a long green dress embroidered with lifelike phoenixes, showcasing her figure like a phoenix about to spread its wings. Her exquisite figure, wrapped in the long dress, revealed every detail. There was no excess fat anywhere. It was almost a perfect work of art. With skin like jade, a head full of black hair like a waterfall, swaying gently in the breeze, revealing a set of white teeth when her lips slightly parted. Today's dress didn't seem like her usual style; she looked like a water lotus, emanating an irresistible charm. "Freak!" Verdantius Liu silently cursed and turned his head. Taking such a freak out was either a good thing or a bad thing.