Chapter 75: The Phoenix Blood Worm and the Grandmaster of Internal Energy

The Liu and Wu Clans were at the height of their power, boasting a combined total of ten Martial Lords, with each clan harboring experts at the peak of the Martial Lord tier. Not every Martial Lord-level family possessed such top-tier figures. Even though the six great clans had joined forces, it was impossible for them to mobilize all their might. At most, each could send two Martial Lords into battle. With the home-ground advantage, Liu and Wu might yet stand a chance.

The Martial Lords of the six clans wore dark expressions, clearly troubled. Was war inevitable? If it came to blows, both sides would surely suffer heavy losses—a result no one desired. Yet, to yield outright was unthinkable. There was a high likelihood that a mutated beast lurked within the hidden blood vein. The Liu and Wu Clans were already formidable; should they seize the resources of another hidden blood vein and each bolster their ranks with a few more Martial Lords, the surrounding families would be gripped by a sense of impending doom, forever fearing annexation.

Their alliance was formed less for profit—the spoils, once divided among six, were hardly worth the effort—than for curbing the rise of the Liu and Wu Clans. That was their chief aim.

“We can forgo the ordinary beast meat from the hidden blood vein, but the mutated heart meat from the aberrant beasts must be shared,” declared the Martial Lord of the He Clan from Wind-Chasing City.

“Agreed. We’re willing to take a step back,” echoed several other Martial Lords with nods.

“Dream on if you think you’ll get the mutated heart meat. If it’s a fight you want, the Wu Clan is not afraid,” retorted a Martial Lord from the Wu Clan, refusing to yield.

“I agree to share the aberrant beasts,” Liu Yuansong suddenly spoke.

The Martial Lords of the Wu Clan were stunned, as were those from the six great clans; they thought they’d misheard.

Had the Liu Clan conceded?

“Yes, the Liu Clan agrees to distribute the mutated heart meat. To go to war over a few pieces is not worth it. If we fight and both sides are weakened, the true beneficiaries will be others,” added another Liu Clan Martial Lord.

It was clear this was not a personal opinion but a consensus reached within the Liu Clan, evidently pre-arranged.

“Cowards,” spat a Wu Clan Martial Lord. “If anything is to be distributed, let it be your Liu Clan’s mutated beast. Don’t even think of touching ours.”

The two Wu Clan Martial Lords glared daggers at Liu Yuansong and his clanmate, completely unprepared for the Liu Clan’s easy capitulation.

“Can your Wu Clan alone hold out?” Liu Yuansong replied expressionlessly.

The faces of the Wu Clan Martial Lords turned ashen. Without the Liu Clan, they stood no chance of resisting the six families. If war broke out and they lost some of their experts, the Liu Clan would surely seize the opportunity to devour the Wu Clan entirely, leaving not even crumbs.

“We must report this to the Patriarch,” one of the Wu Clan Martial Lords gritted out.

“We await your word. You have three days. After three days, the six families will return,” came the reply.

Soon, the five Martial Lords from the other families vanished without a trace. One Wu Clan Martial Lord remained to hold the line, while the other sped towards the Wu Clan’s blood vein.

Three days later, the outcome was predictable. With the Liu Clan’s retreat, the Wu Clan stood alone and could not withstand the pressure; in the end, they too relented.

Within the hidden blood vein, there were two aberrant beasts, each yielding ten catties of mutated heart meat. The Liu and Wu Clans each kept three catties; the remaining fourteen were divided among the six great clans.

Thus, the storm passed.

...

At the Linglan Chamber of Commerce, Wei Teng sat at the head of the hall, while the chief steward stood respectfully below.

“What is the Liu Clan plotting? Such cowardice, backing down before the fight even began—ruining our plans. Infuriating,” the chief steward spat bitterly.

“This was my miscalculation. All I can say is, the Liu Clan has wise men,” Wei Teng replied calmly, sipping his tea.

“Elder, what should we do next?” the steward asked quietly.

“No need to worry. If one plan fails, we have another. Recently, one of our elders acquired a Phoenix Blood Worm by chance—I have it now. We’ll have our agents within the Liu and Wu Clans quietly release it into the hidden blood vein, and let the two clans fight over it,” Wei Teng said.

“What? A Phoenix Blood Worm?” The chief steward shuddered in shock. “Isn’t that a tremendous loss, just to deal with the Liu and Wu Clans?”

What was a Phoenix Blood Worm?

A rare treasure of the world, an extraordinary beast. Using it as the main ingredient, combined with precious herbs, one could concoct the martial dish ‘Phoenix Blood Heart-Guarding Soup.’

This dish could increase a Martial Lord’s chances of breaking through to Grandmaster by forty percent.

And what was a Grandmaster?

The transformation of bone force from the exterior to the interior, unlocking the hidden potential of the internal organs and giving rise to internal energy. Such figures were known as Grandmasters of Internal Force.

Compared to Martial Lords, Grandmasters were worlds apart—the difference was akin to a leap in the very level of life itself. Martial Lords, though powerful, had lifespans not much longer than ordinary people—at most a hundred and twenty years, rarely free from illness or injuries sustained in battle, and few ever reached that age. But once one achieved the rank of Grandmaster, their internal force would nourish their organs, making them resilient and vibrant, greatly extending life.

It was said that even the weakest Grandmaster could easily live to a hundred and eighty, while the stronger ones could surpass two hundred with ease.

Martial Lords had strong bodies, but their organs remained ordinary, limiting their lifespan. Grandmasters overcame this shortcoming. And that was only longevity—their power far exceeded any Martial Lord.

A family with a Grandmaster was recognized as a Grandmaster-level house, entitled to a tier-two blood vein. Any Martial Lord would fight to the death for such an opportunity.

If used properly, the Phoenix Blood Worm could help the Wei Clan gain another Grandmaster, vastly enhancing their strength. To use it against the Liu and Wu Clans seemed incomprehensible to the chief steward.

“If it were a normal Phoenix Blood Worm, the elder would never part with it. But this one is malformed, having lost its original potency—impressive in appearance, useless in effect,” Wei Teng explained.

“But the Liu and Wu Clans don’t know that. Both patriarchs are at the peak of Martial Lord, just a step from Grandmaster, and both are over a hundred. Their time is running short. If they discover the Phoenix Blood Worm, will they not fight to the death for it?” Wei Teng smiled, sipping his tea.

“Brilliant, truly brilliant. No matter which side gets the worm, the other will not sit idly by. Both sides will fight desperately. This time, the Liu and Wu Clans are certain to destroy each other,” the chief steward exclaimed, clapping in admiration.

...

Lu Yan’s days followed a strict routine. Each day he consumed ten catties of ‘Promise Lizard Meat’ and five catties of martial rations. He did not need to worry about practicing Wind-Chasing Steps; his martial avatar would comprehend it on his behalf. He focused on training, building his vitality, and studying the culinary arts of warriors in his spare time.

His strength improved daily, his life full and satisfying. Moreover, he no longer had to guard the forbidden lands. Now that all secrets were out and the mutated heart meat divided, there was no longer any need for sentries. The two great clans had even withdrawn some of their martial troops.

As a result, the Scarlet Guards also found themselves with more time to train.

A little over two months after beginning Wind-Chasing Steps, Lu Yan reached the realm of unity between man and martial art, achieving the Post-Heaven Martial Body.

As he had expected, the improvement from this breakthrough was even smaller: his vitality and physique increased by less than ten percent. Now, his total vitality was just over five times that of a normal person, still shy of six.

However, the density of his vitality had increased by more than ten percent, making his internal energy more robust and saving him considerable time.

“The next improvement will likely be even less. After that, second-rate martial arts may become useless,” Lu Yan mused.

After a thorough wash and a change into clean clothes, he took out The Barbaric Elephant Body and began to study it.

A dozen days later, he succeeded in grasping the basics, forming a martial avatar and accelerating his progress.

In the blink of an eye, another month passed. The Barbaric Elephant Body reached a level of mastery, attaining twenty percent.

He discovered that the Barbaric Elephant Body and Vajra Body could be used together. When both were activated, his muscles swelled, his entire figure became more robust, his skin gleamed with a golden hue, and his strength soared—his combat power instantly surging by fifty percent compared to before.

Combined with Wind-Chasing Steps, his fighting prowess saw a tremendous leap.

One day, carrying his food box, he set off to the blood vein to visit Shen Yinuo, filling the box to the brim with martial dishes to take back to the city.

Rumble!

As soon as he left Changfeng Mountain, he heard a violent rumbling from the earth, like a giant beast on the move.

Ahead, a cavalry unit was charging rapidly toward Changfeng Mountain—over two hundred riders strong.

“It’s the Wu Clan’s martial troops,” Lu Yan realized in shock. He quickly leapt aside, seeking a hidden spot to conceal himself.