Casting immortality in the furnace

Chapter 34 Strategies

February is coming to an end in the blink of an eye.

The Rain Water solar term has passed, and the cold air in the earth is gradually melting away, with plants beginning to sprout and grow.

At the foot of a secluded mountain, Fan Zhou was reading a wooden slip.

"When you move, appear still; when you advance, appear to retreat; adapt to the situation and change accordingly. Even if they are cunning, they cannot harm me..."

Fan Zhou recited the mantra softly, trying to grasp its essence. He then made a sword gesture with one hand, trying to understand the variations in sword techniques.

A sense of understanding gradually arose in his heart.

"The key is to adapt to changing circumstances and to vary from person to person."

"Adapt to changing circumstances?"

Fan Zhou felt as if he had grasped something, so he put down the wooden slip, jumped off the rock, and held the wooden sword in his hand.

"The methods of adaptability lie in the flow of qi, in the mind, and in the circumstances..."

Fan Zhou unleashed the dual sword techniques of strength and gentleness, and the insights he gained were like the spring sunshine, dissolving all his past doubts and confusions.

He became increasingly adept at using the sixty-four sword techniques.

The true mysteries contained within the thirty-two styles of hard sword and the thirty-two styles of soft sword gradually revealed themselves to him.

Fan Zhou's swordplay suddenly stopped, his eyes flashing with a sharp light:

"Strength and flexibility can be combined!"

His swordplay suddenly changed. The original thirty-two hard sword techniques transformed into something as swift and graceful as clouds and water, while the original thirty-two soft sword techniques became swift and powerful.

The sword techniques remain the same; what has changed is the underlying energy and the mindset!

Fan Zhou's movements became increasingly fluid, his entire being moving with the sword, his muscles, bones, and blood flowing smoothly and effortlessly, and wisps of spiritual energy from heaven and earth seeping into his body.

After a long while, Fan Zhou sheathed his sword and stood there. Although he was drenched in sweat, his eyes shone with an alarming light.

"This sword technique can change again!"

"All sixty-four sword techniques can be executed with both force and flexibility!"

He has already figured out the direction of the sword technique that combines strength and flexibility.

"Without the blessing of the Heavenly Crafting Furnace, I have gained my own insights into swordsmanship!"

Fan Zhou exhaled a deep breath, looked up at the gloomy sky, and smiled:

"It seems I might actually have some talent for swordsmanship."

Rumble!

A muffled thunderclap boomed in the sky, and a dazzling silver-white flash of lightning illuminated the horizon.

A drop of spring rain fell on Fan Zhou's cheek.

Then came the dense patter of raindrops.

"It's thundering; it looks like the Awakening of Insects season has arrived."

Fan Zhou remembered something important.

Spring has arrived, and it's time to catch blood centipedes.

Although the Yin-Yang Four Phases Sword no longer needs to store essence blood, he will definitely need it later.

Moreover, as one's cultivation level increases and the techniques one practices become more advanced, the time required to store essence and blood will inevitably be longer, making blood centipedes a highly desirable commodity.

"I'll go to Sangma Village in a few days and have Sangmuya's father take me to see the Blood Dragon Cave."

Fan Zhou walked unhurriedly through the rain, but a sense of unease lingered in his mind:

"I need to focus all my efforts on breaking through to the third level of the Fetal Breathing stage, and catching the Blood Centipede will inevitably take up my cultivation time."

Fan Zhou frowned, wondering if it would be better to ask someone to help him catch it.

"Now that the market has developed, most of the surrounding villages come here to do business. If I open a stall to buy blood centipedes, it will definitely be much better than catching them myself."

"Unfortunately, I don't have any money."

Fan Zhou used all the spiritual sand for cultivation, and now his progress in one month is equivalent to what he used to make in two months.

He was reluctant to give up his current cultivation speed and use some of his spiritual sand to buy blood centipedes.

But if you try to catch it yourself, it will still waste your cultivation time.

"Sigh, I'm still poor!"

Fan Zhou sighed with regret, wishing he were a little richer. Then he could simply wave his hand and have the people from the surrounding villages help him catch blood centipedes.

He returned to the cabin and began to think about ways to make money.

After a night, he came up with a solution.

…………

"What! You want to borrow money from me?!"

Tian Youliang stared wide-eyed at Fan Zhou in disbelief.

Fan Zhou nodded solemnly.

This was the solution he came up with after a night of hard work.

Tian Youliang scratched his head, remaining silent.

This situation left him somewhat bewildered.

Seeing that Tian Youliang remained silent, Fan Zhou quickly advised him:

"Master Tian, ​​I'll borrow ten grains of spirit sand from you now, and I'll return twelve to you later! This is a sure-fire way to make a profit."

Tian Youliang was silent for a moment, then asked:

"What do you need this money for?"

It wasn't that he lacked those few grains of spirit sand; he was simply shocked by Fan Zhou's request to borrow money.

Fan Zhou was overjoyed to see Tian Youliang relent and said:

"Of course I'll use it for cultivation."

Tian Youliang snorted coldly, "Do you think there's not enough time, that you can't master the four types of Qi before June?"

"what?"

Fan Zhou was taken aback, not expecting that Tian Youliang was still thinking about his six-month agreement with Qin Zhiyuan.

"Of course not."

Fan Zhou explained helplessly, "I've recently gained new insights into the Yin-Yang Four Phases Sword practice, so mastering the four types of Qi is a sure thing!"

"I'm here to borrow money from you in order to break through to the third level of fetal breathing."

Tian Youliang looked at him with a skeptical expression. "Really?"

Fan Zhou didn't know which matter he was asking about, but he nodded vigorously and said:

"real!"

Tian Youliang then slowly took out ten spirit sands from his storage bag, looked them over, and handed them to Fan Zhou.

"Thank you, Master Tian!"

Fan Zhou was overjoyed, bowed several times, and left with the spirit sand.

"This kid." Tian Youliang shook his head with amusement.

Fan Zhou brought ten grains of spirit sand to the market street, intending to find Hou Yi and ask him to put up a sign in the restaurant that buys blood centipedes.

"Hey, selling dumplings and wontons! Lamb and pork are both available!"

"Selling duck blood vermicelli, pig blood vermicelli, mutton offal noodles, and chicken offal noodles!"

"Big meat buns! Freshly baked big meat buns!"

Shops lined both sides of the street, their doors open, steaming with warmth and enticing aromas filling the air on this clear, rain-soaked morning.

After the start of spring, many people gradually arrived from outside.

There were handymen disciples working at the sword furnace, cultivators from the outside world, and some mortals yearning for immortality.

Some of them opened shops, selling elixirs, talismans, magical artifacts, handicrafts, or all sorts of food, clothing, and household items.

Some independent cultivators came to the market to work and earn money, either helping out at the sword furnace or assisting at a shop. People from all walks of life were bustling about.

When the villagers around the market saw this, the news spread like wildfire, and people from villages large and small flocked here to trade.

The market town in this valley has changed dramatically compared to last year.

Fan Zhou had never seen the outside world, and now, seeing these changes in the market, he was finally able to get a glimpse of the whole picture.

He soon arrived at Yingchun Tower.

Because it was morning, there weren't many people there yet. Hou Yi was preparing dishes in the kitchen and was very happy to see Fan Zhou arrive.

"Ah Zhou, have you eaten yet? If not, have a bowl of noodles here. I haven't eaten either."

Fan Zhou greeted him with a smile and told him about his desire to acquire Blood Centipede.

Hou Yi readily agreed: "I'm currently buying blood centipedes myself. They're a local specialty, and many shops outside are buying them, which has driven up the price."

"Now there are three blood centipedes of seven or eight inches in size and one spirit sand each, and one spirit sand for centipedes of nine inches or larger."

Fan Zhou was shocked when he heard the price. "It's so expensive!"

"That's right, there are too many people accepting it." Hou Yi said helplessly.

Fan Zhou gave all ten spirit sand grains to Hou Yi: "I'm fine with anything, the more the better, money is not a problem."

If he didn't have enough money, he would go to Tian Youliang to borrow more.