Martial Sage from the Vajra Skill

Chapter 188 - 115: Fire Poison 2

[Golden Gang Skill - Entry Level (1226/2000)]

In just a quarter of an hour, his progress had increased by one point. Being near the Tower Furnace really did make the Earth Vein Spiritual Fire denser.

One point every fifteen minutes meant eight points every two hours. If he could endure for twenty hours a day, he might really be able to reach Minor Achievement in Golden Gang Skill before leaving this place.

Dull thuds of smithing soon echoed through the stone chamber. These special crude ores, which required the Earth Vein Spiritual Fire for refinement, were even harder than Profound Iron, making them much more difficult to process.

While resisting the intense heat from the Earth Vein Spiritual Fire, Xu Yang noticed many people’s faces were contorted in pain.

Of course, there were also those who looked completely unfazed, like the two Ten Heroes Geniuses, Wen Hao and Fang Yu. The expert who had reached Minor Achievement in Gang Qi Cultivation also seemed at ease.

After an hour, some people could no longer bear it and rushed outside in a panic.

Xu Yang felt he was approaching his limit as well. While others merely circulated their skills to resist, passively enduring the tempering of the Earth Vein Spiritual Fire, he was actively absorbing and refining it. Every breath felt like swallowing a ball of intense flame.

Two hours later, most of the others had fled. A sharp pain shot through his meridians and Dantian—this had to be the fire poison Gao Lin had mentioned.

He focused his senses inward and, just as he’d expected, saw a black substance coating his Dantian and meridians. He had no choice but to leave the cavern.

Outside the cavern, a dozen or so people sat cross-legged, circulating their energy to expel the fire poison.

[Golden Gang Skill - Entry Level (1233/2000)]

’This place really is a treasure.’

In those two hours, Xu Yang saw that his Golden Gang Skill progress had risen by seven points.

But the fire poison was more potent than he had imagined; he couldn’t even last a full two hours. Moreover, expelling the fire poison would take a considerable amount of time.

The first ones to leave had already been meditating for an hour, yet they still hadn’t expelled the fire poison and were continuing to circulate their energy.

His plan to endure twenty hours of tempering in the Earth Vein Spiritual Fire each day was clearly impossible.

"Do any of you need Vein-Protecting Pills or Ice Spirit Pills?"

Just then, the two Inner Sect Disciples stationed there walked over, smiling.

Song Runshu announced, "The Vein-Protecting Pill can shield your meridians, allowing you to endure for longer. The Ice Spirit Pill can quickly neutralize the fire poison, giving you more time to accept the tempering of the Earth Vein Spiritual Fire."

Liu Youzhen added, "Vein-Protecting Pills are fifteen taels of silver each, and one will last a full day. Ice Spirit Pills are thirty taels apiece, and they can neutralize the fire poison in a quarter-hour."

Xu Yang’s brow twitched as he heard this.

He had never heard of the Ice Spirit Pill, but he was familiar with the Vein-Protecting Pill.

Those with the means would take a Vein-Protecting Pill before attempting to break through from Qi Gathering Minor Achievement to Qi Gathering Great Success, just in case the attempt failed and damaged their meridians.

That stuff usually went for five taels of silver a pill, yet these two were selling them for fifteen. It was obvious the Ice Spirit Pill’s price was also inflated several times over.

He wasn’t the only one; many others looked grim. They knew they were being extorted.

But since they weren’t allowed to leave, there was nothing they could do even if Liu Youzhen and Song Runshu charged a hundred taels.

"Senior Brothers, why didn’t you bring out such fine items sooner? I’ll take ten of each to start."

Yun Feng ceased his meditation and rose, not batting an eye at the price.

Compared to the time he would waste, a bit of extra money was nothing. Besides, being the first to step forward and buy would surely earn him some goodwill from Song Runshu and Liu Youzhen.

These were Inner Sect Disciples, individuals who were normally difficult to even meet. Forging a connection with them could be a great help for his future entry into the Inner Sect.

"Junior Brother, what impressive resolve! I have high hopes for you. By the time this is over, reaching Gang Qi Minor Achievement will be a certainty for you."

Song Runshu beamed, immediately taking out the elixirs and handing them to Yun Feng.

"Thank you for your auspicious words, Senior Brother Song."

Yun Feng didn’t even blink at spending four hundred and fifty taels of silver at once.

Hearing Song Runshu’s warm praise, he felt it would have been worth it even if it had cost more.

Luo Jiang, Shen Liang, and others also rose to make purchases. If they used the Earth Vein Spiritual Fire to properly temper their bodies and Gang Qi, they could attempt to break through to Gang Qi Minor Achievement.

Getting extorted was a small price to pay; if they missed this opportunity, they wouldn’t find such a blessed training ground again.

’I’ll have to buy them.’

Xu Yang decided to buy the Vein-Protecting and Ice Spirit Pills as well. He could only accept being fleeced.

In the Martial Dao, it was often the case that you couldn’t obtain resources even if you had the money. The Earth Vein Spiritual Fire was too effective to waste time over a few silver coins.

However, he didn’t buy a large batch like Yun Feng and the others. He bought only five of each pill, wanting to test their effects first.

"Only five, Junior Brother Xu? How will that be enough?"

Song Runshu narrowed his eyes, his tone laced with displeasure. With such small purchases, how were they supposed to profit?

"He’s probably just short on cash," Yun Feng jeered.

Of everyone present, only he knew Xu Yang was a dirt-poor peasant. The fact that he could produce over two hundred taels of silver was already beyond his expectations.

"No matter. If you have no silver, you can use contribution points," Song Runshu said, oblivious to the barb in Yun Feng’s comment.

Xu Yang shook his head. "I’ll just buy this many for now. When I run out, I’ll come back to you for more, Senior Brother."

At this, Song Runshu’s expression brightened.

"If you’re broke, you’re broke. Stop putting on an act," Yun Feng said.

He might have been acting like an obedient grandson in front of Song Runshu and Liu Youzhen, but facing Xu Yang, he was the Young Master of the Yun Family. "Give me your Forging Platform," he demanded. "I’ll give you one hundred taels."

He wasn’t short on money; what he lacked was a spot close to the Tower Furnace.

But Gao Lin had forbidden them from causing any more trouble, so he didn’t dare use his influence to just take Xu Yang’s spot by force.

Luo Jiang’s eyes lit up. "Sell it to me! I’ll pay two hundred taels."

Xu Yang didn’t react, but in that instant, Yun Feng’s expression turned utterly foul.

’He had money, but then again, who among the people here was truly poor?’

"One or two hundred? You have the nerve to even say that?" someone named Zhao Lv cut in. "I’ll offer five hundred."

’Now that’s a real high-roller.’

Xu Yang shook his head. "Sorry, it’s not for sale."

Zhao Lv wasn’t bothered. He turned to the others occupying the six Forging Platforms. "Five hundred taels. Anyone willing to sell? If the price isn’t right, we can negotiate."

Suddenly, Yun Feng, who had just tried to buy Xu Yang’s spot, became a laughingstock. The paltry sum he offered was nothing compared to the high-rolling Zhao Lv’s bid, and he didn’t even have the guts to counter.

In the end, someone did in fact sell their spot to Zhao Lv for eight hundred taels.

Xu Yang hadn’t tried expelling the fire poison on his own, so he didn’t know how difficult it was. But after taking an Ice Spirit Pill, aided by his Gang Qi, the black fire poison in his Dantian and meridians vanished in less than a quarter-hour, melting away like ice in the sun.

He swallowed a Vein-Protecting Pill and returned to the stone chamber.

As expected, he lasted much longer this time. Even after two hours, there wasn’t much fire poison in his meridians and Dantian.

When lunchtime arrived, there was no proper meal. Liu Youzhen and Song Runshu simply handed out some jerky, flatbread, and water.

No one dared to complain. They wolfed down their rations and threw themselves back into the work of refining the ore.

「Night fell in the blink of an eye.」 Song Runshu and Liu Youzhen assigned them rooms—four people to each. Xu Yang was put in with Chen Chao, Luo Lin, and Shen Liang.

From then on, the group settled in the valley. They slaved away day and night, and what’s more, they had to pay out of their own pockets for elixirs just to prolong their hours of labor.

Even Xu Yang, with nearly two thousand taels of silver to his name, felt the financial strain.

One Vein-Protecting Pill per day was needed, but the more expensive Ice Spirit Pills required at least three. All told, his daily expenses were over a hundred taels.

In just over ten days, more than a thousand taels of his silver had lined the pockets of Song Runshu and Liu Youzhen.

[Golden Gang Skill - Entry Level (1923/2000)]

But the results were gratifying. In two more days at most, his Golden Gang Skill would reach Minor Achievement.

By now, the Gang Qi within him was nearly pure white. His physical strength had increased tremendously since his arrival. Under his clothes, his muscles looked as if they were cast from molten iron, brimming with explosive power.

"AARGH—"

Suddenly, a bloodcurdling scream echoed through the stone chamber. Xu Yang turned to see a man named Zhu Yong collapsed on the ground, convulsing violently. Black smoke billowed from his mouth and nose, and his face had turned a dark, dusky shade.

"He’s been overcome by the fire poison!" Wen Hao shouted. "Get him out of here, quickly!"

Hearing this, Zhu Yong grit his teeth against the excruciating pain, forced himself to his feet, and staggered out of the stone chamber.

Xu Yang shook his head to himself. ’This man, Zhu Yong, must have run out of money.’ After the first few days, he couldn’t afford the Vein-Protecting and Ice Spirit Pills anymore and had been trying to tough it out with just his Gang Qi.

’He failed to completely expel the fire poison on multiple occasions, and today, it must have finally erupted.’