Heiyan City, South City. A small courtyard.
Wisps of smoke and the scent of cooking drifted from the courtyard.
"Brother Wang, come, have some food!"
Qin Zheng warmly pushed a dish toward Wang Er.
The man before him was the first person to show him kindness after his transmigration. At that time, Qin Zheng had nothing—destitute and constantly facing the threat of death. Wang Er certainly wasn't after anything of his.
Therefore, Qin Zheng's personal principle was simple: if others treated him with kindness, he would naturally return it in kind.
Wang Er had lost his previous stiffness. Having learned of Qin Zheng's combat achievements and that he had even been summoned by Ji Changyin, Wang Er had assumed Qin Zheng was destined for a meteoric rise. As a mere foot soldier, he certainly hadn't dared to cozy up to someone of such status. Yet Qin Zheng's attitude hadn't changed at all, which slowly put Wang Er at ease.
They ate until the moon had risen, after which Wang Er let out a satisfied burp and took his leave.
Once Wang Er was gone, Qin Zheng tidied up, sat back down in the small courtyard, and stared blankly up at the bright moon overhead.
According to Ji Changyin, the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Formula was undoubtedly a rare and peerless divine technique. After all, merely reaching the initial first level had granted him the strength of a thousand catties.
Yet, precisely because this martial art was so immensely powerful, Qin Zheng felt a deep sense of regret. The essence of the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Formula he had acquired was incomplete and fragmented.
While forcibly refining it through the Merit Scroll could increase his strength, it could not simultaneously strengthen his physical body. Consequently, boosted by the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Formula, although Qin Zheng's physical strength far surpassed that of others in the same realm, his internal organs remained stuck at the level of the Skin-Refining Realm's first major barrier.
At this moment, the thousand-catties strength brought by the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Formula had actually become a burden due to his fragile organs!
At this thought, Qin Zheng sank his consciousness into his mind to check the contents of the Merit Scroll.
[Qin Zheng]
[Lifespan: 70 (17)]
[Martial Arts: Dragon-Elephant Prajna Formula (First Level), Golden Cicada Sheds Its Shell (Novice), Ghost Head Saber Technique (Mastered)]
[Merit: 1 liang 9 qian]
[Current Martial Art "Golden Cicada Sheds Its Shell" can be upgraded. Cost: 5 qian of merit. Upgrade?]
[Current Martial Art "Dragon-Elephant Prajna Formula" can be upgraded. Cost: 1 liang of merit. Upgrade?]
With a thought, Qin Zheng spoke mentally: "Upgrade Golden Cicada Sheds Its Shell."
Instantly, 5 qian of merit was deducted from the Merit Scroll, and Qin Zheng felt a smoother, more proficient grasp of the lightness skill. On the Merit Scroll, the suffix for this lightness skill changed from "Novice" to "Intermediate."
However, to upgrade it further would require consuming 8 qian of merit.
Qin Zheng hesitated.
He now had only 1 liang and 4 qian of merit left. If he upgraded his lightness skill again, he wouldn't be able to upgrade the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Formula.
Yet, if he upgraded the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Formula instead, his strength would likely surge to two thousand catties!
With his current physical body, he had no idea whether it could withstand such force!
Qin Zheng thought for a moment, withdrew his consciousness from his mind, and temporarily suspended his decision.
He pulled a booklet from his tunic—it was none other than the Black Fiend Palm obtained from Wei Feng!
He still had another option!
Qin Zheng flipped open the booklet and studied its contents with intense concentration.
A moment later, he reached the last page, and a new line of text appeared on the Merit Scroll.
...
The next day, carrying his Ghost Head Saber as usual, Qin Zheng headed to the execution ground bright and early. He severed the heads of three prisoners, reaping 7 qian of merit.
The expected operation did not unfold.
This brought a slight sense of relief to Qin Zheng; every day it was delayed allowed him to accumulate a certain amount of merit to further empower himself.
He subsequently returned home, practicing the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Formula to stimulate his blood Qi and nourish his physical body and internal organs. Yet, while this could temper his physique, the speed failed to satisfy Qin Zheng.
His current flaw was an urgent need for a Martial Dao internal cultivation method!
With the ability of the Merit Scroll, he believed even an internal technique could be upgraded. That would allow him to rapidly nourish his physical body and internal organs, raising his realm. Only then could Qin Zheng's physical body keep pace with the rate at which his martial arts advanced.
Otherwise, a mismatch between his physique and his martial arts would likely lead to the depletion of his bodily foundation, just as Ji Changyin had mentioned!
...
On the third day, Qin Zheng continued to fulfill his duties as an executioner.
He chopped off six heads, gaining 1 liang and 3 qian of merit. Then he returned home to practice his martial arts, stimulating his Qi and blood to strengthen his physique.
In the dead of night, a runner came knocking to inform him to head to Tong'an Town, twenty miles outside Heiyan City, by the Chen hour the next morning.
This jolted Qin Zheng's spirits, making him realize that Ji Changyin and the others had tracked down Shi Dian and were preparing to make a move!
He nodded, turned back into his room, and took stock of his current status.
[Qin Zheng]
[Lifespan: 70 (17)]
[Martial Arts: Dragon-Elephant Prajna Formula (First Level), Black Fiend Palm (Intermediate), Golden Cicada Sheds Its Shell (Mastered), Ghost Head Saber Technique (Mastered)]
[Merit: 1 liang 2 qian]
[Current Martial Art "Black Fiend Palm" can be upgraded. Cost: 8 qian of merit. Upgrade?]
[Current Martial Art "Dragon-Elephant Prajna Formula" can be upgraded. Cost: 1 liang of merit. Upgrade?]
Over the past two days, he had pushed his lightness skill to mastery and his Black Fiend Palm to the intermediate stage.
Qin Zheng had no intention of leaving the remaining 1 liang and 2 qian of merit to the Black Fiend Palm. Although that martial art wasn't bad, compared to the improvements offered by the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Formula, it was truly insignificant.
The practice over these past few days had also given Qin Zheng a comprehensive understanding of his physique. Although this body looked lean, his natural strength was not small, and the force his physical body could bear should still be able to take some increase.
No longer hesitating, Qin Zheng mentally chanted: "Upgrade the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Formula!"
Instantly, 1 liang of merit was deducted.
A powerful force once again materialized out of thin air within his body.
This time, Qin Zheng could feel a distinct strain on his body. His muscles began to spasm, his bones ached with sharp pain, and the rapidly surging strength made it difficult for his physique to bear it for a moment.
Especially the pain originating from his internal organs, which forced him to drop to his knees, enduring the transformation in a sweat-drenched state.
A moment later, the excruciating pain vanished, and the changes within his body ceased.
Only then was Qin Zheng able to take ragged, heavy breaths, gulping in fresh air to purge the stale breath from his lungs.
"It seems a Skin-Refining Realm physique can only support the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Formula up to the second level. It can't go any higher!" Qin Zheng muttered through bloodshot eyes, his expression somewhat ferocious.
Afterwards, once his body had calmed down, Qin Zheng washed up and tidied himself.
He lay down to rest, and as dawn approached, he rose and strapped the coarse-cloth-wrapped Ghost Head Saber across his back. Then he pulled open the courtyard door and strode out toward the outskirts of Heiyan City.
With his lightness skill upgraded to mastery, Qin Zheng moved with extreme agility. A single stride often covered nearly five times his usual distance. It was hard to say how useful it would be for running away, but it was certainly excellent for traveling.
Before long, Qin Zheng had walked out of Heiyan City and headed straight toward Tongguan Town, ten miles away.
Along the way, Qin Zheng carefully sensed the power within his body.
Two thousand catties of force—not even a Tendon Refining Realm martial artist who had broken through three major barriers possessed such strength!
Feeling this surging, formidable power, Qin Zheng felt a great deal more at ease.
With this strength at his disposal, as long as that old man Shi Dian hadn't broken through, he would undoubtedly be in no danger!