27: My friend, please listen to my excuse!
Croak!
Croak!
The Secret Toad Skill continuously operated, keeping Chu Qing's essence, Qi, and spirit at their Peak.
After an unknown amount of time, his ears and eyes suddenly trembled slightly.
The next second:
His senses sharpened:
Footsteps from afar were clearly audible; some were using light Cultivation Technique, others had heavy steps.
However, he couldn't hear smaller movements like breathing.
His eyesight also improved significantly: under the night sky, he could see people a hundred meters away as clearly as in broad daylight.
“Is this the characteristic of Secret Inheritance martial arts?”
Chu Qing was surprised.
Ten minutes… one hour… two hours… Amidst the chorus of frogs, the black market once again became bustling.
What surprised Chu Qing was that this Secret Toad Skill not only sharpened his senses but also seemed to have the effect of concealing his aura.
He was Cultivating in the grass, and during that time, several black market people passed within five or six meters of him without noticing him.
“Unfortunately, activating the Toad Skill makes a sound.”
“Otherwise… this would be a perfect concealment Cultivation Technique.”
In the black market, more and more lights appeared.
Chu Qing found an opportunity and quietly entered.
The black market was still lively, completely unaffected by the deaths.
Chu Qing, dressed in plain clothes, moved through the crowd.
His goal was clear: first, to find the Eagle Claw Skill Secret medicine.
His luck was very good.
Soon, he found three or four vendors selling Secret medicine.
Given the Nie Qi Grass incident earlier, he said to the stall owner:
“I want to taste a little to verify its authenticity.”
From under the stall owner's mask, a strange voice said:
“Friend, a couple of days ago, a fake medicine seller was beaten to death and carried away. He was stripped naked and thrown into the wilderness.”
“I don't want to be naked after I die!”
Chu Qing… it seemed he was the one who did that?
Despite this, he still took a tiny bit of the Secret medicine and swallowed it to verify its authenticity.
[You swallowed a small amount of Secret medicine, partially completing the second condition.]
“I'll take one!”
A few minutes later:
Chu Qing, clutching the Secret medicine, ran to a small grove outside the black market.
The grove was quiet, without even the sound of frogs croaking.
Chu Qing swallowed the Secret medicine in one go.
The attribute bar flickered:
[Cultivation Technique: Eagle Claw Skill Major Achievement — A hundred practices daily, swallowing Secret medicine, Perfection in a thousand days.]
[Promotion Conditions — 1: Three portions of Eagle Claw Secret medicine.]
“Huh, this time, reaching Perfection only requires Secret medicine?”
Chu Qing's heart stirred, and he used Grass Tread Flight to rush back to the black market.
He wanted to buy three more portions of Secret medicine to reach Perfection in one go, and then Cultivate Iron Tendons.
After he left, a rustling sound came from the grove.
“The black market just started, why is someone already running into the grove?”
“Did they find us?”
“I don't know!”
“Brother, how about we move to another spot?”
“No, this is the location specified by the master.”
A few minutes later:
Chu Qing returned to the grove.
He swallowed the Secret medicine.
[Cultivation Technique: Eagle Claw Skill Perfection — A hundred practices daily, those with extraordinary talent can break the limit in a thousand days.]
[Promotion Conditions — 1: Ten portions of Eagle Claw Secret medicine, 2: Rotate stone balls in both hands one hundred thousand times.]
Whoosh!
Chu Qing let out a long breath.
Even if Chief Constable Shi didn't sell him Secret medicine, his Eagle Claw Skill had reached Perfection.
He was overjoyed.
Even more joyful was that:
Breaking the limit of Eagle Claw Skill didn't require a spiritual pearl.
It only required Secret medicine and rotating stone balls.
These two conditions, compared to Mantis Fist and Red Snake Leg, were truly simple.
At this moment, the Secret medicine took effect.
Time to Cultivate!
His ten fingers formed claws, like an eagle's talons; his arms swung, like an eagle's wings.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
His fingers tore through the air.
Streams of heat flowed through his fingers and arms.
[Iron Tendons + 25]
[Iron Tendons + 25]
[You have developed an Iron Tendon!]
His fingers became hot and swollen.
Chu Qing had a feeling:
The first Iron Tendon was born, and it was on his finger.
In an instant, his fingers became hard, like cast iron.
However, their flexibility did not decrease.
On the contrary, his finger joints flicked and flew up and down, becoming even more flexible.
Clack!
Clack!
The second… the third… Iron Tendons were continuously born, all on his fingers.
Soon:
All ten fingers each had an Iron Tendon.
Immediately after, Iron Tendons were born in his palms and on the backs of his hands.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
His claws flew, tearing through the air, making a whimpering sound.
Faintly, the distorted air resembled a majestic eagle.
Crack!
His fingers clawed at a large tree, wood chips flew, and several deep marks were left.
Crack!
His hands formed claws, and they all plunged into a tree trunk as thick as a thigh.
“What a domineering Claw Skill.”
“It feels even more Powerful than Mantis Fist.”
Crack!
Crack!
As he practiced the Cultivation Technique, honing his Iron Tendons, holes appeared in tree after tree.
Bang!
His claws plunged into the tree trunk, crushing wood as if it were tofu.
“Eagle Claw Skill has thirty-two Iron Tendons. I've only developed 28, still four short.”
Thinking of this, he turned to buy more Secret medicine.
Whoosh!
In the grove, a rustling sound came.
“Brother, let's go!”
“This person's Claw Skill is terrifying. If he grabs our heads, we'll probably have a few more holes in our foreheads.”
The other person was silent for a moment before saying: “You think, could he be the murderer who killed the master's brother-in-law?”
“Impossible, the master said the murderer Cultivated Cultivation Techniques like Mantis Fist and Iron Hand, and also Iron Cloth.”
“This person should have Major Achievement Eagle Claw Skill, and he's very young, not accompanied by guards or servants.”
“He's definitely from the lower class, not Powerful or Wubao Disciples; therefore, he doesn't have the resources or ability to Cultivate several Major Achievement Cultivation Techniques simultaneously.”
The older brother was silent for a moment and said: “Go.”
“If we don't go, something bad might happen.”
They were about to leave, but as they were about to exit the grove, they saw a figure rushing towards them.
It was too late to retreat, so they hid in place.
The two brothers hid behind a tree.
Whoosh!
Chu Qing, using Grass Tread Flight, rushed over.
He swallowed a Secret medicine:
[You have completed the first condition for breaking the limit of Eagle Claw Skill. Please continue your efforts.]
Croak!
Croak!
Chu Qing, activating the Toad Skill, adjusted his essence, Qi, and spirit.
Behind the big tree, the two burly men were puzzled:
Why were there suddenly frog croaks?
At this moment, the Secret medicine took effect.
Chu Qing resumed Cultivating.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
His ten fingers formed claws, like a majestic eagle, tearing through the air.
Crack!
Crack!
Tree after tree was shattered by his grasp.
One… two… Iron Tendons were continuously born.
The cry of an eagle sounded.
The thirty-second Iron Tendon was completed.
Eagle Claw Skill had a total of thirty-two Iron Tendons, with no overlap with other Cultivation Techniques.
This was great.
Chu Qing felt his strength surge again.
He wanted to let out a long roar to the sky.
“The Iron Tendons have surpassed a hundred.”
“I now have the qualification to directly contend with the senior students of the martial arts academy.”
His heart was stirred.
“Let me see how Powerful this Eagle Claw Skill with thirty-two Iron Tendons is.”
Chu Qing let out a low growl, his left hand forming a claw, and fiercely struck a perfectly intact large tree nearby, as thick as a person.
The cry of an eagle sounded.
Pfft!
His left hand, in a claw, pierced through the tree trunk.
Crack!
His fingers seemed to have pierced into something hard again.
Chu Qing's expression changed slightly, and he pulled his hand back.
Blood flowed from his fingers.
But, this was not his blood.
This was… someone else's blood.
Whoosh!
Chu Qing moved behind the tree and saw a burly man lying on the ground, with five holes in the back of his head, from which red and white flowed.
There were people in the grove?
Chu Qing looked around, finally, his gaze fell on a large tree, thicker than a person.
Behind the big tree, a burly man held his breath, feeling his heart almost leap out of his chest.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
The sound of footsteps faded away.
Whoosh!
He let out a long breath: “He's finally gone.”
“I was really scared to death…”
The next second:
A figure suddenly appeared before his eyes.
The burly man's eyeballs contracted, and his body stiffened.
“Oh no… I've been discovered.”
He opened his mouth and quickly said: “Friend, please listen to my… excuse!”
Pfft!
The Eagle Claw pierced his chest, tearing through bone and penetrating his heart.
“Sorry, you might have discovered my secret.”
“So, I'm not listening!”
The burly man's eyes widened, his face full of confusion.
“What secret could a low-level Jianghu person have?”
“Bigger than my secret of sleeping with the old master's wife?”
“Fortunately, I also kept… a secret.”
Thump!
The corpse fell to the ground.