Chapter 118: Half a Marrow-Cleansing Pill

"Nothing is impossible!"

After explaining the events of yesterday and this morning, Lu Sheng stated, "It is basically confirmed that Duan Zhengfei will preside over the Martial Arts Tournament."

"If Lu Yunfeng is truly following his path and seeking guidance, he will certainly not miss this tournament."

"Luo Liheng, when you draft the reply, tell him that we shall settle things at the Martial Arts Tournament—I hope he makes it to the final stage at the Central Province Martial Arts Tournament!"

As a fellow member of the Great Jing Lu clan, and given that this would affect his own noble title, Lu Sheng did not wish to sabotage Lu Yunfeng’s prospects. However, if a confrontation were truly inevitable, he would not hold back either.

"Dragging it out to the tournament is for the best!" Lu Hongyuan said, frowning. "With Duan Zhengfei presiding, many who seek his guidance will surely flock there. By then, your duel with him will likely be overlooked."

Lu Hongyuan paused, then added, "My concern is that Lu Yunfeng’s invitation to duel might not be as simple as it seems!"

"Not as simple? You mean..." Lu Sheng asked, "Lu Yunfeng has other motives for challenging me?"

"He definitely has other motives!" Luo Liheng asserted. Being only three years older than Lu Yunfeng and having crossed paths with him in the past, he understood him well. "Lu Yunfeng appears aloof, even rigid, but he is a master at exploiting rules. Many of his battles are fought by capitalizing on the momentum of circumstances. Given his cunning, he might have the same idea as me!"

"The same idea as you?" Lu Sheng glanced at him. "You mean—"

"Dragon meat!"

"Dragon meat?" Hearing these words, Lu Hongyuan’s eyes widened in shock. "You actually still have dragon meat? So, the rumors from two years ago about you encountering a flood dragon were true? No wonder a sly fox like Luo Liheng is willing to follow you!"

Recalling that he had already arranged for Lu Yunxi and Lu Yunji to accompany Lu Sheng, he felt even more pleased and took the initiative to analyze the situation: "Lu Yunfeng possesses the Innate Aperture-Opening Body and natural divine strength. It is said that over these past few years, he has used various spiritual herbs to temper his body to the absolute limit of a Great Martial Master. Beyond that, unless he breaks through to the Martial Ancestor realm, he requires higher-grade spiritual resources."

"Dragon meat is one such resource!"

With a moment's thought, Lu Hongyuan had deduced most of Lu Yunfeng's intentions. He then added with concern, "If that is the case, I fear this conflict will not be easily resolved."

Lu Yunfeng wanted the dragon meat to increase his strength, and after learning that Duan Zhengfei would preside over the Central Province Martial Arts Tournament, he would be even more eager to emerge victorious there. Thus, even if Lu Sheng tried to avoid the fight, it might not be so simple.

***

"Lu Yunfeng has reached the limit of a Great Martial Master using various spiritual herbs—what kind of herbs can increase the strength of a peak Great Martial Master?"

Unlike Lu Hongyuan and Luo Liheng, who were concerned about the dragon meat, Lu Sheng was more curious about the medicine. If he remembered correctly, Lu Chunyuan had given him several bottles of pills—was this their purpose?

Lu Sheng opened the storage bag Lu Chunyuan had given him and examined the contents: "Yangyuan Pill, Guyuan Pill, Peiyuan Pill, Chunyuan Pill, Qingling Pill, Baicao Pill, Liansui Pill..."

"What are the uses of these pills?"

"I know! I know!" Luo Liheng chimed in. "The Yangyuan, Guyuan, and Peiyuan pills are the 'Three Origin Pills' of the Baicao Sect, used for building a foundation for those below the Martial Master level. Every student who enters the Martial Academy receives some."

As someone who had been an instructor at the academy for nine years, he was well-versed in this. He then pointed to the Chunyuan Pill and said, "As for the Chunyuan Pill, it is custom-made by Dean Lu himself. It can be used to practice the 'Pure Origin Profound Technique' he created, and it also makes one's profound energy more refined; it is suitable for Martial Masters and Great Martial Masters."

"As for the Qingling Pill and the Baicao Pill, the former is for detoxifying, while the latter is a panacea. It not only suppresses poisons and heals wounds but can also relieve hunger and restore profound energy. Martial Masters, Great Martial Masters, and Martial Ancestors usually carry these when in the wilderness."

"Only the Liansui Pill..."

"What about the Liansui Pill?" Lu Sheng asked, noticing his hesitation.

"The Liansui Pill is a Third-Grade pill that helps in refining the bone marrow!" Lu Hongyuan interjected. Having taken a marrow-cleansing pill himself, he was more knowledgeable. "The Yangyuan, Guyuan, and Peiyuan pills are essentially First-Grade and only useful for those below the Martial Master level. The Chunyuan, Qingling, and Baicao pills are Second-Grade, effective for Martial Masters, Great Martial Masters, and even have some efficacy for Martial Ancestors."

"The Liansui Pill, however, is a Third-Grade pill used to assist Martial Ancestors in refining their marrow. Usually, only a Martial Ancestor can withstand its potency. Given your current level, you should take a milder Marrow-Cleansing Pill—a pill that is also Third-Grade but better suited for those below the Martial Ancestor level. Many peak Great Martial Masters take them to begin refining their marrow in advance!"

Lu Sheng nodded. He didn't mention that Lu Chunyuan had just handed them to him casually, but instead asked, "If I were to trade dragon meat for pills with Lu Yunfeng, what do you think would be appropriate?"

"Trade dragon meat for pills?" Luo Liheng exclaimed, "Are you crazy? Pills can be bought at the Baicao Sect at any time, and the academy's pharmacy is almost completely open to you. But dragon meat is rare and priceless—how can you trade it for pills? If you want to trade, you should trade with me!" He rummaged through his own storage bag, but after a long search, he only found a few bottles of Baicao Pills—gifts from Luo Boqing that he had never used.

Lu Sheng put the Baicao Pills away and said, "Trading with you is fine, but after that, I still have to trade with Lu Yunfeng—otherwise, I won't have a moment of peace during this time!"

"True!" Lu Hongyuan agreed. "If you don't let Lu Yunfeng achieve his goal, you won't have any peace. On the contrary, if you trade with him, not only can you push the duel to the Central Province tournament, but the matter of your noble title might also progress faster! But how much dragon meat do you have to trade with him?"

Lu Sheng pondered for a moment, then took out a piece of dragon meat. "How many pounds would Lu Yunfeng need of this?"

"Dragon meat! It really is dragon meat!"

Luo Liheng shrieked, but before he could snatch it, Lu Hongyuan grabbed it first. Ignoring Luo Liheng's glare, Lu Hongyuan examined it for a while and said, "A Great Martial Master can only consume two or three pounds of this meat a day. Even if Lu Yunfeng is stronger and can digest more, he would consume at most five hundred pounds in half a year."

"A Marrow-Cleansing Pill is a Third-Grade pill worth over a thousand gold. Although fourth-tier meat is rare, it is worth at most one gold per pound. By that calculation... five hundred pounds of dragon meat could probably trade for half a pill!"