fynovel Chapter 14 Traveling to the Sand Sea
Chapter 14 Traveling to the Sand Sea
So this is the Yan family's skin-refining method.
It was originally a skin-smoothing method passed down in the Yan family.
The Yan family had lived by Crescent Lake for generations, in what was originally a sandbar area, making them a veritable local power.
Because Yan Wusheng had single-handedly defended Shazhou City for eleven years, he was respected and his descendants were blessed. Now, the Yan family, along with the Kang and Yin families, are considered the three major families of Yueya County.
The Yan family's skin-refining method requires practitioners to soak in a large vat filled with a thick, green medicinal liquid.
When the practitioner is about to lose their breath...
Quickly stick your head out of the liquid, then inhale and pull it back in, repeating this cycle.
Liu Sheng listened intently. He looked around at the vast sea of sand but couldn't see anything that suggested a large vat had been prepared in advance.
But then he heard his senior brother, Lu You, change the subject:
"This exercise has a fatal flaw. Because the medicinal liquid is viscous and rises to the top, it requires leverage, so the soles of the feet must be pressed against the bottom of the vat to exert force."
Liu Sheng understood immediately:
"So the soles of the feet are the Achilles' heel of this technique?"
"Exactly." Lu You sighed.
Because the soles of the feet are in contact with the medicine for a relatively shorter period of time, the body-tempering effect is naturally weaker.
Once the full-body skin resurfacing effect is achieved, you should no longer come into contact with the resurfacing solution.
Otherwise, if the medicine continues to penetrate the skin too deeply, it will destroy the effect already achieved.
It’s too late.
When practicing this method, the soles of the feet become an unfortunate, natural weakness in this powerful skin-smoothing technique.
Although it's not completely uncovered, the hardening effect on the skin on the soles of the feet is ultimately much worse than on other parts of the body.
Therefore, even Yan Wusheng, who was once a powerful figure in Shazhou, was killed by the scorpion venom thrown into his boot when he was ambushed by the demon race.
An indescribable sense of desolation welled up in Liu Sheng's heart.
The last human martial saint, who once slew over a thousand demon soldiers in a single battle, ultimately died mysteriously due to a flaw in his ninth-rank cultivation technique. What an irony and tragedy!
Liu Sheng couldn't help but wonder if he would encounter a similar situation in the future, since he had also learned the Yan family's skin-refining method.
"During his lifetime, Yan Wusheng could not bear to see the human race weak," Lu You said with respect. "He offered his family's skin-grinding technique to the righteous army."
Although the family-inherited skin-smoothing technique has its flaws, it remains the most advanced skin-smoothing technique in the human army.
Until 30 years ago.
A martial arts genius who appeared out of nowhere.
The current military governor of Shazhou.
Master Zhang Tianxing.
After a process of eliminating the dross and retaining the essence, we have devoted ourselves to improvement.
That's how the new skin resurfacing method I'm going to teach today came about.
Liu Sheng recovered from his grief after hearing from his senior brother that the Yan family's skin-smoothing method had been improved by Zhang Tianxing, the number one martial artist of the time.
Having finished explaining the history of the cultivation method, Lu Youjian handed over the porcelain bottle and instructed Liu Sheng:
"Take off your clothes and apply the ointment from the porcelain bottle in your hand all over your body. Make sure to apply it as thinly as possible, but also make sure to cover every part of your body. I will apply it to the areas on your back that I can't reach."
Liu Sheng looked down and couldn't help but ask, "Do I really need to apply it all over my body?"
"I want the whole body!"
"Do you need the eyes too?" Liu Sheng asked, his mind made out of a sense of seriousness.
"No need...not even with your mouth!"
Liu Sheng was still debating whether or not to apply it inside his nostrils, but then he noticed that his senior brother didn't look too good.
I didn't dare ask any more questions.
As he applied the ointment, he felt the cool sensation as it adhered to his skin. It felt like countless tiny fish were gently nibbling at the stratum corneum of his skin.
There was no pain at all; it even had a tingling and slightly itchy sensation.
It was so itchy that he even wanted to rub it with sand.
After the ointment was applied and dried completely, he became a dark-skinned person.
From head to toe, the entire body was enveloped in a layer of dark, shiny, and highly elastic membrane, which shimmered faintly in the afterglow of the setting sun.
Liu Sheng performed several moves of Bajiquan routine.
He discovered that the dried ointment film could naturally stretch as his muscles contracted and relaxed, without breaking at all due to activity.
"What a peculiar ointment," Liu Sheng thought to himself.
Lu You saw that Liu Sheng was ready, and he pointed to the ground:
"From now on, rub your body repeatedly with sand, making sure to rub both the front and back sides."
Liu Sheng considered many possibilities, but he never expected that the skin-smoothing technique would be so simple and brutal in its practice.
But upon reflection, it seems quite reasonable.
Compared to the old-fashioned dermabrasion method, which required a viscous solution, sand is readily available. You can grab a handful and apply it wherever you want, and you don't even have to hold your breath. It is indeed a huge improvement.
So he picked up some sand and slowly rubbed it on his arm, patiently performing the water-grinding technique.
The sand particles rub against the dried medicine film, producing a subtle "rustling" sound.
Liu Sheng listened.
They rubbed against each other for an hour.
[Internal Training Method: Skin Polishing Realm (1% of beginners)]
Yoho!
It's actually a high-end percentage progress.
Liu Sheng sighed inwardly:
"This training method is still too slow, and you can't exert any strength in your back. It's unreasonable to need to trouble the senior brother to help you work your back."
Liu Sheng began to use his quick wit again.
Or should I rub my back against the sand later?
Gradually, his thoughts drifted further and further away.
He was comparing the old and new cultivation methods:
"The old method involves soaking in medicinal liquid, while the new method involves rubbing with sand... Is there a possibility... of combining the old and the new?" A bold idea sprouted in his mind.
Looking at Liu Sheng, whose eyes were darting around.
Lu You always felt that he was thinking of some strange idea again.
"Hey, senior brother, look at these soft sand dunes, don't they look like a sea? Do you think I can just dive in and 'swim'?"
Upon hearing this, Lu You was first taken aback, then revealed an expression that was both funny and exasperated.
Sure enough, the child remained quiet.
They're about to cause trouble.
However, Lu You was, after all, taught by Gao Huang, and was not a conservative person.
He began to seriously consider Liu Sheng's seemingly absurd proposal.
Then, she took the initiative to discuss it with Liu Sheng.
For example, if you rub the sand with your hand, the force is enough, but if you burrow directly into the loose sand, the force is not enough. However, if you dive deeper, the force is enough.
After some discussion, the two concluded:
Swimming in the sand is feasible!
There was less sand at the martial arts school.
Because it's indoors and there are many people using it, the sand is generally more damp, so it has to be done manually.
Here, there's plenty of sand.
In addition, the dry climate, intense sun, and soft sand make swimming a viable option.
The initial progress will likely be slower because I'm not used to it yet, but later on, it might be faster, and I won't need anyone's assistance.
In the desert, it can be described as adapting to local conditions.
Since it's feasible, let's get started.
Just do it!
Liu Sheng took a deep breath and immediately plunged into the soft sand, beginning to wriggle.
At first, his movements were very clumsy, and the resistance of the sand was much greater than he had imagined, but gradually, he found his own rhythm.
But only a short while later.
The person watching him changed from Senior Brother Lu You to a stern-faced righteous soldier.
It turned out that Lu You had just gone to see the owner of the inn, but he was worried about Liu Sheng, so he asked a soldier to help keep an eye on him.
It should be said that these were the elite soldiers of the rebel army.
The murderous aura was still quite strong.
The other person was just curious and glanced at Liu Sheng, who was playing in the sand.
Liu Sheng then worked even harder, pupating in the sand dunes.
They were afraid that the other party might be dissatisfied.
Holding a spear eighteen feet long, he pierced him through the heart.
Of course, he didn't know that his senior brother was just being kind, afraid that he might encounter some kind of poisonous scorpion or snake hiding in the sand, and that no one would save him if he got poisoned.
Meanwhile, the eldest disciple, Lu You, had already found the master of the martial arts school, Gao Huang.
"Master, please forgive my rudeness, but I do not agree with your approach. Teaching should be impartial; how can you separate students based on their aptitude?"
Upon hearing this, Gao Huang was taken aback.
Then, her beautiful face held a half-smile:
"Lu You, Ye Qi has been at the martial arts school for over a month now, hasn't he?"
"Yes."
Gao Huang laughed:
"How come you didn't realize she was a girl?"
"Ah...this...oh, no wonder it was the teacher's wife who taught." Lu You was speechless for a moment before realizing what was going on, and scratched his head embarrassedly.
Gao Huang said that since the person in question is not going to say anything...
Then they shouldn't say it out loud; just know it's fine.
Ye Qi's teaching in Yueya County was then taken over by his second son, Yang Hongliu.
Lu You was finally relieved.
He also mentioned to Gao Huang Liu Sheng's further "improvements" of Zhang's improved Yan-style skin-grinding method in the desert.
From scrubbing your body with sand.
Instead, they swam in the desert.
"Oh? This apprentice is quite interesting..."
Gao Huang listened with great interest, and after thinking about it carefully, he realized that it was indeed feasible to some extent, but he didn't say anything.
After he finished speaking...
It was only then that Lu noticed.
Master Gao Huang was squatting on the ground, examining a corpse.
The corpse was human, dressed in a tan bodysuit.
This earthy yellow is the kind of yellow that you wouldn't recognize unless you were lying on a sand dune.
Lu You, unsurprised, asked, "Was it sent by the imperial court to assassinate Lord Zhang?"
"Yes, this is the 17th of this ten-day period... but the last few have been a bit strange, would you like to take a look?"
Upon hearing this, Lu You also squatted down to examine the situation.
The deceased was around 40 years old, and judging from his skin condition, it was completely smoothed out.
A physical examination alone suggests death from exhaustion of vital essence. However, the bluish-black complexion also suggests poisoning.
But Lu You knew very well that the rebel army would never use poison.
"Master, is the other party afraid of being caught, so they committed suicide by poisoning themselves?"
"I'm not entirely sure." Gao Huang frowned. "There's another suspicious point: the opponent appeared to be at the ninth-grade Skin Refining Realm, but after exchanging blows, it turned out they were actually at the eighth-grade Flesh Refining Realm, and some of their strength was even higher."
Lu You pinched the dead man's muscles; he was certain. The victim could not possibly be an eighth-grade Body Refining Realm cultivator.
So he also became puzzled.
But what puzzled him even more was: "So what if they are at the seventh rank of the Yi Jin realm? Even if 100 of them came, they wouldn't be able to harm Lord Zhang in the slightest."
Gao Huang said softly, "There's something you just need to know: your grandmaster... he's scattered his cultivation and started over. So now, even someone at the Skin Polishing Realm can assassinate him."
Lu You: "Huh?!"
The two exchanged a knowing glance, both understanding what it meant.
Even though Zhang Tianxing had to rebuild his skills after his cultivation was disrupted.
The demon race couldn't possibly know that quickly.
There must be a traitor within the human race.
"Fortunately, your third junior brother went to investigate, so there shouldn't be any major problems." Gao Huang still had a lot of faith in his third disciple, Lin Yi.
Lu looked more shocked than confused.
I decided to leave without hesitation.
He finally understood why his master, Gao Huang, dared not leave the Mohai Cave for even half a day now.
But he didn't want to care about any of that anymore.
The simple teaching assignments for junior students are more suitable for me.
Difficult tasks really should be left to our third junior brother!
night.
Because we arrived late.
They had only been practicing for less than two hours when it was time for dinner.
Both of them had taken a bath and changed their clothes.
They began to enjoy the standard rations of the rebel army.
The beef gravy was served in a generous portion.
In the Great Fan Kingdom, the yak was considered half a demon beast.
Therefore, its meat is very effective in replenishing qi and blood.
After the meal.
In front of the brightly lit main entrance.
Lu supervised the two as they practiced the Two Forms Stance Technique.
While practicing standing meditation, Gao Huang, as the curator, dutifully held a book.
I explained some basic concepts about the nine ranks of martial artists to them.
like--
The Ninth Grade Skin-Smoothing Realm.
Eighth-grade meat-refining realm.
Seventh Grade Yi Jin Realm.
Sixth-grade Bone Forging Realm.
Gao Huang didn't mention the higher ranks, probably because he considered that these were still quite far removed from their own level.
During regular martial arts practice.
Liu Sheng always kept the control panel open as a habit.
He likes watching that feeling of experience flowing through him. He feels that it provides a stronger sense of feedback.
Today, since the headmaster was personally giving a lesson, he didn't dare to be distracted and kept the control panel open.
But suddenly a line of Chinese characters appeared in his line of sight!
Liu Sheng blinked sharply.
His first thought was that he had misread it, or that he had forgotten to close the control panel.
But when he looked closely, Liu Sheng noticed the title on the cover of the book in the hands of the curator, Gao Huang.
It was written in Chinese characters—"The Nine Grades of the Great Qian Dynasty".
This was the first time Liu Sheng had seen Chinese characters in this world, outside of his own control panel.
"The Great Qian Dynasty?"
An indescribable sense of intimacy welled up in my heart, but at the same time, a deep sense of confusion followed.
Liu Sheng didn't make a sound; he was just wondering to himself.
It was the observant Gao Huang who noticed that Liu Sheng was staring intently at the book in his hand.
"This is the script of our human race from before. Because it is the script of the previous dynasty, the Great Qian Dynasty, the court does not allow its use by the common people. Just pretend you have never seen it."
Immediately afterwards, Gao Huang sighed:
"Back then, it was still the court of our human race."
"The human dynasty, is the Great Qian Emperor also human like us?" Ye Qi also became interested.
Gao Huang nodded, but did not unfold it.
Instead, they continued to recount the contents of the book.
Liu Sheng understood: before the Great Fan Dynasty, there were human kingdoms!
The Great Qian Dynasty!
Moreover, the characters used were the Chinese characters he knew in his previous life!
It's that same feeling of being in the dark again.
This stirred up a huge wave in Liu Sheng's heart.
But when I thought about it carefully, I had absolutely no clue.
"Forget it, just focus on your training and don't overthink it. Until you have a better option, just do your best with what you have at hand."
Liu Sheng silently encouraged himself.
Fortune and misfortune are unpredictable; do not easily reveal the secrets of your knowledge of the Great Qian script.
He could imagine how many years it took the Great Fan to eradicate the Great Qian script from the common people.
Instead, it was replaced with the currently prevalent demon script.
I haven't had much contact with the martial arts school or the militia.
Although the master and fellow disciples are all good, and the rebel army appears to be well-disciplined, who can guarantee that there aren't any treacherous individuals among them?
Even when facing his master and senior brothers, he couldn't explain how he came to know the Great Qian script.
That would make me seem very suspicious.
"Yes, the script of the Great Qian Dynasty, I don't recognize it! Chinese characters? What Chinese characters? I've never heard of them."
Liu Sheng silently hypnotized himself.
Continue listening to the lecture.