88: Chapter 88 Eight Treasures Dragon and Tiger Stew, Cocoon in the Sea

The seawater exploded with a boom, and Jiang Hanzhou broke through the water. The dark tiger soul saber in his hand gleamed with a cold luster under the moonlight, and blood-colored patterns faintly flowed on the blade, as if a living thing were breathing.

His figure folded in the air like a harrier, landing lightly on the reef at the edge of the deserted island.

His soaked black hair clung to his forehead, and water droplets dripped down his sharp jawline.

Jiang Hanzhou looked down at the saber in his hand, his brows deeply furrowed, his eyes filled with helplessness.

It had been ten full days.

Since obtaining the Jade Slip recording the first three forms of the "Heavenly Saber," he had been practicing bitterly in the sea day and night.

With the tides rising and falling, the sun rising and the moon hiding, he used the reef as a target and the sea waves as an enemy, pouring all his strength into every saber strike, attempting to capture the "severing everything" Saber Intent described in the Jade Slip with every swing.

The tiger soul saber was a vicious weapon; having drunk the blood of Vicious Beasts, it naturally carried a fierce Evil Qi, which should have complemented the saber technique perfectly.

However, no matter how he studied it, how he drove his Qi and blood, or even used Heavenly Dipper Precious Qi to reinforce the blade, the operation route of the "Heavenly Saber" in his body was always sluggish and impassable; the saber moves had the form but lacked the spirit.

He could never touch the threshold of the Mind-Cultivation Technique described in the Jade Slip.

"Still not working."

Jiang Hanzhou sighed long, casually inserting the tiger soul saber into the reef beside him.

The blade sank half a foot into the stone, humming incessantly.

He knew where the problem lay.

It was not that his Comprehension Ability was insufficient.

The Comprehension Ability granted by the 【Late Bloomer】 fourth-rank fate was already far beyond that of ordinary people.

Nor was the saber technique obscure.

The Jade Slip was illustrated with text, and the methods of exerting force and the routes of Qi and blood circulation were clear.

The root cause was that his current "vessel" was too small.

A Heaven Rank Martial Skill contains the Martial Dao True Intent.

Even if it was just a remnant, its essence far exceeded the categories of Profound Rank and Earth Rank Martial Skills, requiring a higher level of life essence and Martial Dao Foundation to carry it.

And right now, his fate remained at the fourth rank; although he had reached the Major Achievement of the Viscera Burning Realm and had a solid Foundation, he still lacked the strength to truly master a Heaven Rank Martial Skill.

"Fourth-rank fate... as expected, it is not enough to carry Heaven Rank items."

Jiang Hanzhou looked toward the pitch-black sea, his gaze deep.

In fact, he had had a premonition early on.

Back in Donghai Prefecture, the reason he did not rush to Breakthrough his fate was, firstly, because the number of Martial Skills and Cultivation Techniques he had not yet cultivated that could be found in the outer city was truly limited, and gathering the three thousand Martial Arts Comprehension points needed to advance to the fifth rank required a lot of time and Opportunity.

The second, more important reason was that he had long had a plan in his heart—

To save the Breakthrough of his fate for the most critical moment.

According to the records in the "Dragon Subduing and Tiger Taming Skill" and the information he had collected from various sources, one of the greatest hurdles for a Martial Artist to Breakthrough from the Viscera Burning Realm to the Dragon Elephant Realm was the comprehension and condensation of "True Intent."

True Intent is the product of a Martial Artist's own Martial Dao will initially resonating with a certain Law of heaven and earth; it is the seed of future Divine Ability and the Foundation of the Dragon Elephant Realm.

And the promotion of fate is accompanied by a deeper understanding and transformation of the essence of martial arts; in that state, the Martial Artist's spirit, Comprehension Ability, and resonance with all things in heaven and earth would reach a peak.

Jiang Hanzhou had long planned that when he reached the Perfection of the Viscera Burning Realm and was ready to impact the Dragon Elephant Realm, he would Breakthrough his fate to the fifth rank in one go, using the power of "Epiphany" during the fate promotion to capture and condense his own Martial Dao True Intent!

That was the way to maximize the value of his fate.

"As for now..."

Jiang Hanzhou's mouth curled into an arc.

Once he entered the Dragon Abyss Palace, as the Martial Dao Holy Land of Donghai, the library and the Hall of Inheritance in the palace would surely have an ocean of Profound Rank and Earth Rank Martial Skills and Cultivation Techniques.

At that time, exchanging silver notes for a large number of Profound Rank Martial Skills, quickly cultivating, comprehending, and accumulating to gather the three thousand Comprehension points needed to promote to the fifth-rank fate would certainly not be difficult.

At that time, looking back to Cultivate this "Heavenly Saber" would surely be as easy as water flowing into a channel.

"No rush, no rush."

Jiang Hanzhou whispered to himself, his heart already having a clear plan.

He took a deep breath of the salty, chilly sea breeze, calmed his mood, picked up the tiger soul saber, and with a few leaps, his figure skimmed over the reef beach like light smoke, returning to that hidden karst cave.

Before entering the cave, an indescribable, strange fragrance rushed toward him.

The fragrance was extremely complex.

It had both the fresh sweetness of deep-sea Spirit Fish and the domineering intensity of Vicious Beast flesh, mixed with the rich medicinal fragrance released after long-term decoction of dozens of medicinal herbs.

Several distinct scents were perfectly blended together at this moment, forming a unique flavor that was round, mellow, and made one's Qi and blood feel vaguely restless upon smelling it.

At the entrance of the karst cave, quite a few creatures on the island had indeed gathered.

Several "scent-sniffing beasts" that looked like otters with shiny fur wandered at the cave entrance, their noses twitching constantly, their eyes full of desire, yet they were afraid of something and dared not truly step into the cave.

Further away in the rock crevices, several colorful "brocade-scaled snakes" with fleshy crowns on their heads were coiled, their snake tongues flicking, staring fixedly at the cave entrance.

Even in the sky, several "iron-beaked eagles" with wingspans of over five feet and beaks like curved hooks were circling; they were clearly also attracted by the fragrance.

But all these creatures only dared to prowl on the periphery, and none dared to truly approach within ten zhang of the cave entrance.

Because from the cave, another aura was faintly emanating—

A cold, fierce, invisible Evil Qi that seemed to have stepped out of a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood!

That was the saber evil that naturally leaked out after Jiang Hanzhou had been bitterly practicing the "Heavenly Saber" these days and blending his aura with the tiger soul saber; although he did not intentionally release it, it was enough to make these creatures with keen spiritual senses instinctively feel fear and dare not cross the line.

Jiang Hanzhou did not even look at these "neighbors" and walked straight into the cave.

Deep in the karst cave, on the simple stone stove he had temporarily built, the half-person-high dark green pottery jar was set.

The jar mouth was open, and below it, several pieces of "warm jade charcoal" taken from dead wood on the island and lit with a special technique were emitting a stable pale red light, stewing the contents of the jar without haste.

This was the brand-new medicinal diet he had spent months of heart's blood to create, using the principle of "Moon-Seeing Grass Twin Brew" as a reference, combining the 【dragon tiger bone tempering soup】 and the 【eight treasures stew】 into one—

Eight Treasures Dragon Tiger Stew!

Jiang Hanzhou walked to the pottery jar and looked down.

The soup in the jar had turned a magnificent amber gold, its texture thick as honey, yet clear to the bottom, without the slightest Impurities.

On the surface of the soup, pale golden misty vapor rose faintly; in the vapor, dragon-shaped phantoms occasionally appeared, circling and chanting, sometimes turning into tiger-shaped silhouettes that lunged and roared, and sometimes dispersing into the forms of eight kinds of Spirit Fish swimming leisurely... strange phenomena appeared, miraculously extraordinary.

Even more strangely, inside the soup, countless light spots as fine as star sand floated and sank, as if the entire sea of stars had been condensed into this one jar.

That was the "Spirit Machine Crystal" formed after the essence of eight kinds of Spirit Fish perfectly fused with the bone marrow of the tiger soul and the essence of medicinal herbs, each grain containing vast and gentle tempering power.

"It's done, it's really done!"

Jiang Hanzhou's eyes burst with scorching light, and an irrepressible joy and sense of accomplishment surged in his heart.

He had bet correctly on this step!

By using the Western magic medicine principle of "harmonizing and mutual assistance" to reconstruct the Oriental medicinal diet method of monarch, minister, assistant, and envoy, the rigid and domineering essence of the dragon and tiger and the gentle and lingering splendor of the eight treasures not only did not cancel each other out, but instead layered and blended, combining hardness and softness, achieving an unprecedented perfect balance!

Such a medicinal diet, let alone in Donghai Prefecture, was likely the only one of its kind in the entire Great Qi!

Jiang Hanzhou did not hesitate any longer; he took a deep breath and held the scalding pottery jar with both hands.

The jar was scorching, but the blood Qi circulated in his palms, and he felt nothing.

He tilted his head back and opened his mouth.

The amber-gold soup poured in like nectar!

"Gulp—gulp—"

Jiang Hanzhou's Adam's apple rolled, and he drank the whole jar of medicinal diet in one go!

The moment the soup entered his stomach—

Boom!!!

It was as if a volcano that had been silent for eternity had erupted in his body!

An indescribable torrent exploded from the center of his stomach, sweeping through his limbs and bones!

Jiang Hanzhou groaned, his entire skin turning blood-red at a speed visible to the naked eye, even faintly revealing a golden light!

He felt as if he had been thrown into the furnace of the beginning of heaven and earth, every inch of flesh and blood, every Meridian, every bone was being crazily scoured, hammered, and tempered by a vast and peerless force!

His left body felt as if it had been poured with magma, scorching and domineering; that was the essence of the dragon and tiger exerting its power, tempering bones, hammering fascia, every bit of strength carrying the resolution of breaking and then standing!

His right body, however, seemed to be soaked in a ten-thousand-year spirit spring, gentle and lingering; that was the splendor of the eight treasures nourishing, moistening Meridians, warming Viscera, every wisp of Qi carrying the softness of endless life!

One hard and one soft, one fierce and one slow, two completely different forces intertwined, collided, and fused in his body...

Under the harmonization principle of the "Moon-Seeing Grass Twin Brew," a spiral-ascending, layer-by-layer tempering cycle was formed!

"Haa... haa..."

Jiang Hanzhou clenched his teeth, the veins on his forehead bulging, and the bean-sized sweat beads that just seeped out of his skin were steamed into white gas by the high temperature in his body.

He sat cross-legged and fully operated the "Dragon Subduing and Tiger Taming Skill."

The Cultivation Technique was driven to the limit, and the goose-egg-sized blood pill in his Dantian spun crazily at an unprecedented speed, swallowing massive amounts of Qi and blood, guiding the two torrents in his body to operate in an orderly manner.

The seven-colored glow deep in his dao bone also triggered itself, swirling and flowing, protecting his heart pulse and Sea of Consciousness, while greedily absorbing the strange Spirit Machine contained in the medicinal diet.

Time passed bit by bit.

In the karst cave, the light radiating from Jiang Hanzhou's body became more and more intense, red and gold intertwined, reflecting him like a Divine Being.

Under his skin, muscles undulated like flowing water, and his bones made a dense but clear "crackle" sound, as if undergoing some deep-level transformation.

Occasionally, a wisp of overly violent aura leaked out and hit the cave wall, actually scorching spider-web-like cracks into the hard rock!

He did not know how much time had passed.

Perhaps it was the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn, perhaps it was an hour.

Jiang Hanzhou's tightly closed eyes suddenly opened!

The red and gold light in his eyes flashed like electricity, as if dragon and tiger phantoms were roaring within them!

"Roar—!!!"

He could no longer endure it and let out a long howl toward the sky!

The howl was like a dragon's chant and a tiger's roar, mixed with vast Qi and blood and nascent majesty, condensing into visible sound wave ripples that exploded with a boom!

"Rumble—!!"

The entire karst cave shook violently, stalactites on the cave roof fell down with a rustle, and countless cracks appeared on the rock walls!

The creatures wandering outside the cave entrance were frightened out of their wits by this long howl containing the dragon-tiger pressure, and they fled in all directions with mournful cries, disappearing without a trace in an instant.

The long howling gradually subsided.

Jiang Hanzhou slowly stood up.

He looked down at his hands, clenched his fists, relaxed them, and clenched them again.

His skin was still fair, but a layer of warm, jade-like luster flowed faintly; it looked supple, but in fact, it contained explosive power.

He swung his fist lightly.

"Bang!"

The air was easily blasted, making a dull air-explosion sound, and where the fist passed, it even left a short white air trail!

"Strength has increased by at least 30%! Bone density, Meridian toughness, Viscera strength... all-round improvement!"

Jiang Hanzhou felt the surging, yet controllable new power in his body, his eyes full of joy.

The effect of this 【Eight Treasures Dragon Tiger Stew】 even exceeded his expectations!

It not only perfectly tempered the dao bone Foundation and solidified the Perfection of the Viscera Burning Realm, but also laid an unprecedentedly solid Foundation for his future impact on the Dragon Elephant Realm!

"Time to go."

Jiang Hanzhou did not delay any longer.

With a wave of his hand, he collected all the items in the cave: the stone stove, the pottery jar, the remaining warm jade charcoal, and even the fallen stalactites into his sumeru pouch, leaving no trace behind.

Then, he stepped out of the karst cave.

Under the moonlight, his figure was as upright as a pine, his aura restrained, yet he faintly gave people a sense of heavy, towering stillness.

His gaze swept over the pitch-black sea, and a smile curled on Jiang Hanzhou's lips.

Suddenly, he tapped his toes lightly on the reef.

His figure rose into the air like a roc spreading its wings, drawing a beautiful arc in the air, and then—

"Splash!"

He plunged headlong into the cold seawater!

The moment he entered the water, a sudden change occurred!

The vast Qi and blood and Spirit Machine that had just been thoroughly stimulated by the 【Eight Treasures Dragon Tiger Stew】 in his body seemed to have a wonderful resonance with the surrounding seawater!

"Buzz, buzz, buzz—"

With Jiang Hanzhou as the center, the seawater within a ten-zhang radius began to vibrate slightly.

Immediately after, threads of visible light blue light lines were extracted from the seawater, as if they possessed life, gathering toward Jiang Hanzhou!

These blue lines were crystal clear, emitting pure water-attribute Spirit Machine; they were actually the "Water Spirit Elite" that had deposited in this sea area for many years!

They were attracted by the perfect, hard-and-soft balanced "Dragon Tiger Eight Treasures" aura in Jiang Hanzhou's body, and spontaneously surged over, as if paying homage to a king!

More and more blue lines gathered, becoming denser and denser.

They wrapped around Jiang Hanzhou's limbs and torso, layer upon layer, intertwining...

In just a few breaths, they formed a deep blue giant cocoon over a foot thick and nearly a zhang in diameter on the surface of Jiang Hanzhou's body!

The cocoon shell was not a solid object, but was condensed from pure Water Spirit Elite, semi-transparent, glowing with a dreamlike blue light, as if carved from the finest sapphire.

Inside the cocoon, Jiang Hanzhou sat cross-legged with his eyes closed, floating in the center.

His pores were relaxed, autonomously swallowing the pure water spirit power transmitted from the cocoon shell, continuing to blend with the residual medicinal power in his body, performing the final nourishment and consolidation.

The medicinal power of the 【Eight Treasures Dragon Tiger Stew】 was fierce and needed to be neutralized by the gentle water spirit to be perfect.

And this spontaneously formed Water Spirit Cocoon was the gift of heaven and earth to his path of "harmonization and mutual assistance"!

After the giant cocoon was formed, it slowly sank.

It was not heavy, but rather seemed to possess buoyancy, drifting leisurely with the underwater currents.

Like a deep blue star falling into the dark seabed world, drifting with the waves, slowly floating toward an unknown distance.