Yu Lie gazed at his own blood, a contemplative look in his eyes.
"Could it be that I've already begun the process of marrow cleansing?" he wondered.
He recalled the descriptions of marrow cleansing from the Daoist texts, and his mind raced with possibilities.
Unlike the transformations of becoming as fierce as a wolf or as tough as iron, which relied on medicines prepared by the Daoist disciples themselves, marrow cleansing required more specialized resources.
Ordinary medicines and methods couldn't penetrate the marrow; one had to purchase elixirs from the alchemy hall to achieve this.
Of course, if one didn't buy marrow-cleansing pills, a disciple could still slowly cleanse their marrow through years of accumulated effort.
However, to advance from a mid-level disciple to a high-level one with blood as dense as lead or mercury, this process alone would take a full decade! Three years for marrow cleansing, three years for blood replacement, and three years for reshaping the meridians.
It was a slow and arduous journey, requiring unwavering dedication.
In contrast, a single marrow-cleansing pill could achieve the same result in just ten days.
Aside from taking marrow-cleansing pills or grinding through the process slowly, Yu Lie had also read about "heavenly treasures" in the Blackwater Town Chronicles of the Past Eighteen Years.
The author mentioned that there were natural spiritual treasures in the world, born from the womb of the earth itself, not from the heavens.
Consuming such treasures allowed their profound spiritual energy to seep into one's blood and marrow, aiding in the transformation of the body, enhancing one's foundation, and even granting unique abilities.
The author speculated that beyond the levels of lead and mercury blood, achieving golden or jade-like blood required the refinement of these heavenly treasures.
Yu Lie pondered this and felt the author's speculation was likely correct.
In both his time in the Yu family's county city and after arriving in Blackwater Town, the high-level disciples he had encountered had only reached the level of lead or mercury blood.
As for golden or jade-like blood, he had only read about it in books and had never seen anyone achieve it.
The high-level disciples he had interacted with or heard about had all relied on marrow-cleansing pills to reach their current state.
As Yu Lie stared at the faint black aura swirling around his fingertips, a thought stirred within him: "Could it be that the spine of the Black Serpent Fish King is a heavenly treasure, or at least possesses similar effects?"
If that were the case, then he wouldn't need—and shouldn't—purchase marrow-cleansing pills from the alchemy hall.
Instead, he should rely solely on the fish king's spine to attempt a breakthrough to the high-level disciple stage.
After all, marrow-cleansing pills, much like bone-forging pills, accelerated transformation at the cost of one's lifespan.
A single marrow-cleansing pill would consume three years of life, but compared to the decade-long process of slow refinement, it was still a significant reduction.
To most disciples, taking such pills wasn't seen as shortening their lives but rather as extending them.
Yu Lie paced around his quiet room, racking his brain.
He realized he needed to visit the library to find relevant texts to confirm his suspicions.
He also needed to figure out what the faint black aura on his body was after digesting the fish king's spine.
Picking up a shard of a bronze cauldron from the ground, Yu Lie channeled his blood energy.
A wisp of black aura appeared at his fingertips, causing the shard to tremble and begin to corrode.
His eyes narrowed in uncertainty.
"Is this the release of blood energy, or have I somehow produced true qi ahead of time? Or is it... demonic energy?"
True qi was something only achieved after completing the process of "swallowing gold and jade," advancing to the eighth-rank Daoist disciple stage.
It was a profound, innate energy that allowed one to truly begin cultivating the Dao, enabling the use of spells and transcending the mundane.
With true qi, a Daoist was no longer stumbling along the path but walking steadily.
After a long while, Yu Lie's thoughts settled.
He looked around at the cluttered floor and the increasingly dilapidated stone house, letting out a sigh.
He realized he needed to repair the house soon, or it would collapse one day, and the landlord would surely extort him for a hefty sum.
After tidying up the house, Yu Lie decided against repairing it immediately and instead headed out to the library.
He planned to find a few disciples from the Poison Mouth faction to help him fix the house after he finished his research.
After all, if he didn't use his authority now, it would be hard to command others once he left the town in two months.
...
Time passed.
After spending most of the day in the library, Yu Lie felt much more confident about the effects of the fish king's spine.
It was highly likely that the spine was indeed a heavenly treasure, possessing the properties of a natural spiritual treasure that could aid in marrow cleansing.
The rumors in town about the spine's ability to assist in marrow cleansing were true! Using the spine alongside marrow-cleansing pills gave a disciple a seventy percent chance of achieving mercury blood instead of lead blood.
This discovery excited Yu Lie.
If the spine had such a powerful effect as a supplement, then using it alone for marrow cleansing might allow him to reach the levels of golden or jade-like blood, a step above mercury blood!
Additionally, through his research, Yu Lie gained a better understanding of the black aura on his body.
It wasn't blood energy, true qi, or demonic energy but a state that blended the three.
This phenomenon was related to the current cultivation system in the Shanhai Realm.
Modern Daoists practiced spells differently from the pure cultivation and visualization methods of the past.
Spells were now seen as tools rather than paths to enlightenment.
True enlightenment came from alchemy, artifact forging, talisman crafting, and array formations—skills once considered hindrances to longevity or even frivolous techniques.
The reason for this shift was that practicing spells consumed a significant amount of spiritual energy.
Mastering a decent spell could consume enough energy to allow a Daoist to break through a minor realm.
The more powerful the spell, the greater the consumption and the more time it took.
As a result, modern Daoists learned spells by plundering them from demons and natural wonders using their cultivation skills.
For example, a talisman master could kill a Water Arrow Frog and extract the seed of the Water Arrow Technique from its flesh and soul.
A highly talented individual might grasp the technique after killing just one frog, while those with average or poor talent might need to kill dozens.
This process was called "learning through devouring demons" and was the primary method for Daoists in the Shanhai Realm to acquire spells.
It saved spiritual energy, time, and had a low barrier to entry.
It also allowed for the creation of countless spells tailored to different environments, enabling Daoists to traverse various realms and subdue countless species.
The black aura on Yu Lie's body was the result of devouring nearly an entire Black Serpent Fish King.
The demonic energy from the fish had seeped into his body, giving him the potential to form a spell.
However, since he hadn't yet broken through to the disciple stage and hadn't cultivated true qi, he couldn't actively use this energy.
Instead, the fish king's demonic energy had merged with his blood energy, providing a slight unique effect.
Yu Lie had already tested it: he could expend blood energy to amplify and control the black aura, using it to protect himself.
The aura could block external objects and poison them, acting like a layer of armor that reflected damage.
This discovery put Yu Lie's mind at ease and made him even more eager to hunt another fish king.
After leaving the library, he felt so driven that he almost didn't want to return home.
He was itching to head back to the Black River and hunt another fish king.
Yu Lie had made up his mind: whether inside or outside the town, his top priority from now on would be hunting fish kings!
(End of Chapter)