The Tianshan mountains were only covered in unmelting snow at the peak when we came, but now the entire small town is blanketed in white.
Lǐ Shuǐshēng, bare-chested, raised his fist and struck an ice brick, shattering it to pieces.
He drew his saber, using only ten percent of his strength, and swung it at his arm. It left only a white mark, unable to break the skin.
"It doesn't hurt at all. The Heaven Stealing Demonic Art has reached minor success!"
"This is much more effective than the Iron Shirt."
"Let's go out for a walk and test my strength!"
The greatest strength of the Heaven Stealing Demonic Art is the physique. After converting all of his hundred years of cultivation level into the Heaven Stealing Demonic Art, his physique grew tremendously!
He arrived outside the town and, using the minor success of Tread Snow Without Trace, sprinted for thirty miles.
Ahead, the mountains and wilderness were open, with no one around, just vast expanses of white.
Lǐ Shuǐshēng walked to the riverbank, grabbed a stone the size of a millstone, and threw it with all his might.
Whoosh!
The large stone flew over a hundred feet, smashing into the frozen river and creating a large hole.
In a short while, several fish floated to the surface.
"So strong!"
"What kind of monstrous strength is this?"
"My current strength is probably more than a thousand catties!"
"This must be at least two thousand catties of strength, right?"
No wonder Hán Qiú wanted the Heaven Stealing Demonic Art so badly; it's perfect for their hammer techniques.
The Divine Hammer Gate's hammers weigh a hundred catties!
Normally, they rely on Internal Qi to support them when swinging the hammers forcefully.
But if one cultivates the Heaven Stealing Demonic Art, they can wield it with ease without Internal Qi.
It's nothing more than immense strength.
Lǐ Shuǐshēng tried to jump, and the ice and snow beneath his feet cracked, with fissures appearing in the ground.
He leaped seven to eight zhang high in the air!
"Holy crap, that's too high!"
He quickly used Tread Snow Without Trace to slow his descent.
Even so, he stumbled a few steps before steadying himself due to the height.
The strength gained from tempering his flesh and blood was indeed astonishing.
"Wait a minute, I practice Tread Snow Without Trace to leap across ten-zhang wide cliffs in mid-air."
"But now, I can jump ten zhang just with brute force, right?"
"With this physique, combined with Tread Snow Without Trace, how far can I fly?"
"It seems I've trained myself into something extraordinary."
Who would have thought that beneath the elegant robes of a physician, there would be a human beast?
Ahead was a frozen river waterfall, with water and broken ice flowing down.
"Should I try it?"
The power of a piece of broken ice here is probably not much less than a strike from a second-rate expert.
Lǐ Shuǐshēng took off his shirt, bared his chest, and cautiously used Internal Qi to protect his body, taking a direct hit from a piece of ice.
His skin turned blue and purple.
He circulated his Internal Qi to check, "Skin and flesh injuries."
"Very good, very strong! I like it!"
"It has to be tough!"
This Heaven Stealing Demonic Art has only reached minor success, and it's already this powerful. If it reaches major success, what then?
It's time to test the cultivation level increase that can be gained in a year.
Lǐ Shuǐshēng was quite excited, and his mood improved considerably on the way back.
He casually gave a few large fish to his neighbors and returned to the basement, unleashing gusts of wind with his punches.
After practicing for three hours, he heated a large tub of hot water.
He added four packets of medicinal powder and lay down in the tub, with only his head exposed, falling into a deep sleep.
When he woke up in the morning and saw the medicinal bath had turned clear, he was filled with satisfaction.
His Silver was well spent!
Last year, many experts came to Lǐ Shuǐshēng for treatment, earning him a fortune almost daily. Lǐ Shuǐshēng's wealth grew so much he couldn't feel his hands.
In just one year, Lǐ Shuǐshēng made a neat profit of four thousand taels.
This year has been much better, more leisurely, giving him more time to practice martial arts.
Gù Qīngquán arrived. "Old Li, I've brought you something good. Aren't you going to prepare some good wine?"
Lǐ Shuǐshēng looked at the jade box on the table, about the size of his palm.
"Tianshan Snow Lotus Seed?"
Gù Qīngquán whispered, "These Tianshan Snow Lotus Seeds are rare, only a few produced each year. If you weren't urgently needed to hold the fort in Tianshan, I wouldn't have gotten them so easily."
Lǐ Shuǐshēng accepted the Tianshan Snow Lotus Seed. "I heard Wind Flower Pavilion has a new courtesan."
Gù Qīngquán's eyes lit up. "Brother Li truly understands me!"
"Let's go, let's go! Today, at the very least, she must entertain you and me properly!"
The new courtesan was said to be from the capital, the former daughter of a Minister of Rites. She was exiled for advising the Emperor, and her family's property was confiscated.
Her daughter was forced into prostitution and became a courtesan.
This girl, fearing that the officials and nobles from the capital would be too debauched, begged to be exiled and ended up here.
Lǐ Shuǐshēng understood. The daughter of a colleague and an ordinary courtesan were not the same, were they?
"This humble one, Yè Sùsù, greets the Peak Master and Doctor Li."
Lǐ Shuǐshēng observed her. As expected of a high-ranking official's daughter, she was knowledgeable, well-mannered, and refined.
"Let's listen to music!"
"Serve the wine!"
Lǐ Shuǐshēng remembered his master's teachings: relax once a month to avoid becoming too tense.
With no games here, he could only make do by looking at beautiful women.
Moreover, after achieving perfection in the Supreme Purity Heart Sutra, he no longer worried about vital essence.
"I've truly been wronged."
At dawn, Lǐ Shuǐshēng gently pulled his arm from Yè Sùsù's embrace and covered her with a quilt, hiding her fair, tender skin.
A single rendition of "The Ballad of the Pipa" moved the young beauty to tears. She offered herself to him, a move that even Gù Qīngquán admired.
"The romantic spirit of the world resides in us brothers!"
Back at the medical hall, after washing away the scent of the courtesan, Lǐ Shuǐshēng stared at the Tianshan Snow Lotus Seed in his hand, lost in thought.
After a moment, he made a decision.
"I'll keep it for now."
He decided to first test how much cultivation level could be increased with just the medicinal bath for a year.
Precious items like Tianshan Snow Lotus Seed could be used to recover Internal Qi when watching a play.
After a night at Wind Flower Pavilion, he felt invigorated, his whole body felt alive again, and he had a renewed sense of purpose.
"Treating illnesses, practicing martial arts – a fulfilling day begins again!"
Having achieved Eternal Life, maintaining a good state of mind is also a crucial aspect.
He thought clearly: he didn't need any fortuitous encounters in this life. He just needed to diligently practice martial arts.
He would perfect all the martial arts he had already acquired and then, relying on his profound strength, seek out the next one.
Step by step, steadily advancing, no matter the storms in the world, he would remain unfazed for eternity.
Time would smooth out all differences.
He practiced the Trace-less Step in the courtyard.
Suddenly, someone approached from a distance. It was the rumored number one expert below the Grandmaster level, Tianshan's senior disciple, Méi Yàoshī.
He also wore white, but he seemed much more serious than Gù Qīngquán.
"Good footwork, Divine Doctor Li!"
"After only a year of study, you've already got the hang of it!"
Such praise was considerable.
After all, this was the person with the highest martial arts talent in the current martial arts world.
With innate Dragon Elephant Bone Structure and exceptional comprehension.
"May I ask why the Peak Master has come?"
Méi Yàoshī cupped his fists. "A few years ago, I sustained some old injuries. I hope Divine Doctor Li can treat them."
Lǐ Shuǐshēng took his pulse. The Internal Qi within this person was even more robust than Hán Qiú's.
The internal injuries only slightly affected the circulation of Internal Qi, unlike Hán Qiú's life-threatening condition.
"Five hundred taels. It should take about a month to heal."
Méi Yàoshī showed a hint of surprise. "Divine Doctor Li truly possesses divine medical skills!"
"I've seen many physicians over the years, and none of them could tell me exactly where my injury was!"