Chapter Ch177 - Adapting One’s Strength
This kind of matter wasn’t one that happened by chance. After the numerous martial artists saw Gongyi Tianheng’s body recover, that lustrously-white and flawless skin ruptured again and split open with countless bloody holes. However, Tianheng took a few medicinal pills once more and those bloody holes were quickly healed at visible rates!
It happened over and over again, and each time the medicinal effects were extremely marvelous. The entire time there weren’t any feelings of inadequate medicinal power. In addition, after the skin had ruptured several times, the martial artists’ keen perceptions slowly discovered that, in the wake of Tianheng’s physical body repeatedly bursting and healing, the burst-opened, bloody holes decreased and the formed bruises were much briefer and lighter.
The effects of a robust physical body were immediate!
How couldn’t this arouse a person’s emotions?
At first, Gu Zuo only watched his dear big brother strenuously cultivate over there, and felt that a martial artist’s body tempering was actually extremely arduous. His heart was still very pained. But in the midst of his distress, someone suddenly moved closer from the side… His vigilant heart immediately flared up. He turned his head to look over, his eyes held distrust, and his psychic power was at the ready. If the other side had any bad intentions, Gu Zuo would give them a surprise!
However, it was several people who’d suddenly come over. Their faces all carried smiling expressions and there was a trace of eagerness in their eyes, but definitely no malice was shown. Seeing that Gu Zuo’s posture was a bit guarded, they realized that they’d been a bit rude. They all kept their distance.
A square-faced disciple asked: “We have something to ask this honorable pharmacist. Please be generous with your answers.”
Gu Zuo loosened a sigh. They were asking for information. This actually wasn’t a problem, so he just nodded: “What is it?”
The square-faced disciple and the others exchanged glances. They spoke and asked in turns:
“May I ask what kind of medicinal pills this honorable pharmacist gave that Junior Sect Brother just now? Their medicinal effects are extremely fast. It seems exceedingly useful.”
“That medicine appears to treat both internal and external injuries. It’s very remarkable.”
“Where did you get this medicine? Would this honorable pharmacist give us directions…”
Gu Zuo understood.
As it turned out, they’d fallen for the medicinal pills that he refined… However, these were top grade medicinal pills. Aside from his big brother and the contacts whom they needed to bribe, these pills weren’t distributed anywhere else!
If it were other medicinal pills, there certainly wouldn’t be such good effects. At the very least, the reactions wouldn’t be this fast.
After this, Gu Zuo looked at Gongyi Tianheng in the venue and his expression became a little strange.
Although this big brother of his had chosen an overlooked area to cultivate, it wasn’t completely overlooked, and was quickly discovered by others. Should it be said that his big brother’s presence was naturally noticeable, or should it be guessed whether his big brother did it on purpose or not?
After thinking things over, Gu Zuo concealed thirty percent of the truth and said: “Revitalization Pills and Meridian Replenishing Pills. The former are for external injuries and the latter are for internal injuries. Taken together, they should be relatively useful for cultivating inside the gravity rooms.”
It was just that the others had also discovered that there were three types of medicinal pills which Tianheng had taken.
Hence, they also asked: “Then, what’s the last type?”
Gu Zuo replied: “The last type is a pill I refined for my young master. It’s tailored only for the young master’s body and has recuperative effects. However, because isn’t suitable for treating illnesses, it can’t be used on the bodies of other martial artists.”
When those people heard this, they weren’t hung up on this question. Although they didn’t know what this teenaged pharmacist refined, there also wasn’t any need to offend others. They switched to inquiring about the two preceding medicinal pills.
“I’ve also used Revitalization Pills, but their medicinal effects fall short of this pill’s.”
“Could it be that the Meridian Replenishing Pill is a pill that reconnects meridians?”
“If one can rapidly connect their meridians and completely heal their external injuries, they can improve their physical body’s strength. This appears to be a matter of course.”
“Actually, we haven’t asked where these medicinal pills can be bought yet…”
Gu Zuo thought that this was a huge opportunity to advertise his own medicinal pills. At once, he spoke in detail: “Because the product grades are different, the medicinal effects are also different. The ones with the best effects are naturally high grade pills, and the source of these pills is Medicine of Life, which is located along the eastern main street of the Inner Sect’s Business District. There are actually quite a few types and grades of medicinal pills inside.”
Not only were these words heard by the few people who previously asked, they were also quietly and attentively caught by the perked ears of the others waiting here. Right now, the numerous martial artists all heard it clearly. Their minds silently memorized the name Medicine of Life, and each of them contemplated. After this time’s training, they would leave for the Inner Sect’s Business District. No matter what, they’d first go to this medicine store and see if the new medicines were any good.
— At the very least, they’d never heard of the Meridian Replenishing Pill before.
After bearing this in mind, the numerous martial artists hastily said: “Many thanks to this honorable pharmacist.”
Gu Zuo looked at their expressions, and knew that he’d drummed up some business. When he thought about Medicine of Life’s violently surging foot traffic, he silently heaved another sigh.
He also felt that there weren’t enough pharmacists to utilize…
Under the ten-times gravity, Gongyi Tianheng calmly experienced that tremendous pressure.
At this moment, as if he was placed in a deep sea, surging powers were practically drilling into his pores. A type of suffocating feeling would inevitably arise in a person.
The skin split open and healed. The muscle fibers were squeezed with a pain that was hard to withstand. The meridians fractured, and the blood boiled&#k2026; Under the gravity’s effects, what the physical body experienced was the same as the outcome of the vicissitudes of life.
Such sensations were difficult to bear. Many martial artists who experienced the gravity here for the first time had no way to endure for long, and would need to get out of the gravity room.
But Gongyi Tianheng wasn’t the same.
Perhaps the current feelings were also very unpleasant, but who knew how many times harder it was to walk when his meridians were blocked back then. Moreover, despite the pain, the feeling of his body being continuously strengthened was very clear. Tianheng was almost pleased with this kind of pain.
— He was very much alive.
In the past, each day was a countdown of the remaining days to his death. And now, he was about to turn twenty. Not only could he practice martial arts, his body rushed with formidable strength — This was proof that he could still live even longer!
Following the uninterrupted taking of medicinal pills, an intense medicinal power flowed through his blood, meridians, muscles, and internal organs. In the places where the medicinal power passed through, any pain and exhaustion was soothed. What was left behind was a tingling and comfortable sensation. The more his body was mended, the stronger his feelings of happiness!
A good while later, Tianheng discovered that even if he didn’t take the medicinal pills, his body didn’t show any signs of collapse under the ten-times gravity. Then, he began to slowly punch the air.
His punches under the gravity and his punches under normal circumstances were different. The latter might’ve felt very agile, but it was at most because some fighting techniques were comparatively challenging and required more time to understand. Meanwhile, the former was more than ten times as difficult. Let alone the punching accuracy, just the speed of a fist’s strike was similar to a tortoise’s crawl. One’s arms would stagger and incessantly drop downwards.
Outside, Gu Zuo watched Tianheng “dancing”.
That type of “dancing” where the feet stood motionlessly in place and only the arms and upper body moved — If one watched carefully, they’d see the vestiges of a fighting technique — It was awkward and disagreeable; not to mention very strange.
But no one came to ridicule this type of strangeness.
Among the twenty to thirty people in the multi-person gravity room, ninety percent of them were still in the middle of adapting their physical bodies. They didn’t dare budge — This was because there once was a martial artist who thought highly of himself. He wasn’t too cautious, which led to him falling down head-first under the immense force the instant he practiced a martial skill in the gravity room. From then on, half of his body was paralyzed. He was bedridden for quite a few months until someone purchased enough miracle medicines to restore his body.
And within the remaining ten percent, they were similarly engaging in some martial skills. However, the results of them practicing those martial skills in the gravity room wasn’t necessarily any faster nor as good-looking as Tianheng’s fighting technique.
But there were still some people who inwardly felt it was strange. They clearly discovered that this was Tianheng’s first time coming here, yet he was adapting faster than many others. Presently, a bit of an embryonic form could actually be seen in that fighting technique. How could people not pay attention to such adaptability?
Of course, even more people were thinking about the medicinal pills Tianheng had just taken.
Due to the doubled effects of the medicinal power and gravity, Tianheng’s physical body strengthened without a hitch. Perhaps when he took more pills, the improvements would be even faster!
In a split second, some disciples next to Gu Zuo whispered and greeted those who were familiar with the surroundings and asked them to watch over their sect brothers. Those who were greeted knew what was happening as soon as they thought it through. There were a few who responded quickly, following others as they prepared to leave together. There were also a few who diligently remained behind to stand guard, intending to continue the present work of watching the disciples train.
These people departed softly and quietly. Such a small scale incident where many people left also attracted a few glances from Gu Zuo.
And in the gravity room, Tianheng’s body ruptured once more in the process of his punching.
It was due to the gravity, but more than that, it was the honing effects of Tianheng doing his best to persevere under the ten-times gravity. He definitely wasn’t the same as some disciples who, after enduring the powerful gravity, wouldn’t dare to endure it again in a short while. Tianheng treated everything he currently experienced as his own tempering. The more painful it was, the more deeply he remembered it. This also spurred him further onwards, to make himself stronger and stronger!
The sounds of the qi energy produced by the punches were many times weaker than the qi bursts under normal circumstances. Tianheng was hardly discouraged, and earnestly trained under the gravity with nary a hair out of place.
Gu Zuo watched on. His cultivation method rapidly operated within his Dantian. Threads of true qi coordinated with formless medicinal qi, and continuously revolved throughout his body. At the same time, the psychic power within his mind was also toughened up, and was compacted and refined by several fluctuations.
Unwittingly, six hours passed.
Gongyi Tianheng, who was covered in clotted blood and dripping with sweat, walked out of the gravity room.
Gu Zuo opened his eyes, and swiftly got up to greet him: “Big brother, is your body okay?”
Tianheng had a smile on his face — Although, because this smile was covered up by his appearance, it couldn’t be seen too clearly. He said: “I’m okay. I only need to tidy up.”
Never had Gu Zuo seen his dear big brother cut such a sorry figure. Even when his body was frail and it was the first time he soaked in a medicinal decoction, he only seemed a bit weak. As for being covered filth from head to toe, that had never happened before. But even his own appearance couldn’t be seen now that his entire body was smeared.
After heaving a helpless sigh, he said: “Big brother, is there a place here to clean up?”
Tianheng paused. This was also something he wasn’t too clear about.
The corner of Gu Zuo’s mouth curled up. He pulled some martial artist on the side and asked: “Senior Sect Brother, is there a place here to wash and change clothes?”
This was such a big place, so it wouldn’t go so far as to make all the cultivating martial artists come in clean, but go out like beggars, right?
Sure enough, after that martial artist glanced at Tianheng, whose face was unclear, but whose bearing was extraordinary, he quickly answered: “If it’s urgent, you can find this place’s manager about thirty paces ahead. Hand over some money, and you’ll get a bathing room.”
Gu Zuo thanked him without delay, and explained to Tianheng. The two then left this place.
Before long, there indeed was a manager waiting in front of a tunnel.
Gu Zuo looked into the tunnel, and there were quite a few small booths inside, which were well-protected. It looked like…the same as the private bathhouses he knew about in modern times. He looked at Tianheng: “Go ahead, big brother. I’ll wait here for you.”
Tianheng gave that manager a golden banknote. He brushed past another martial artist who’d just walked out. He directly chose this room and went in.
Gu Zuo waited outside, and inwardly thought: Ah, the service really is attentive in the gravity rooms.
After a couple of minutes passed, Tianheng came out. At this time, he’d already changed into a new set of clothes and the crust of blood on his body had also disappeared, recovering his appearance as an elegant young master.
After that, Gu Zuo unknowingly loosened a sigh. He smiled and said: “Big brother, where are we going next?”
Tianheng said: “Let’s go to the testing rooms. We’ll test my physical strength.”
Gu Zuo naturally didn’t have any objections, and followed along.
The two walked towards the exit. As they passed that multi-person gravity room, Gu Zuo coincidentally glanced in that direction.
When he looked over, he happened to see a martial artist inside. Because the gravity pressing down was too great, his body ruptured. At this moment, he took out and swallowed a high grade Revitalization Pill and Meridian Replenishing Pill. That wound rapidly healed, and it also wasn’t that much slower than the recovery speed of a top grade medicinal pill.
At the same time, there were some voices that were faintly heard:
“This medicinal pill… Sure enough, it’s pretty good.”
“Such a price is actually worth it…”
“Fortunately, that medicine store was found now. If not, some time would’ve passed and it would’ve been even more difficult to buy…”
“Even just today, it took no less than four hours to squeeze in and fight my way out. This time, I was lucky to buy so many…”
“Those kinds of medicinal pills — Wait until I save up some golden banknotes so I can buy some more!”
Gu Zuo didn’t hear all this particularly distinctly, and he also didn’t send out his psychic power to listen carefully. But overall, he couldn’t help showing a glittering smile: “Big brother, business is getting better and better!”
Tianheng raised an eyebrow: “This is how it should be.”
While they spoke, the two finally left the building.
Outside, the sunlight was bright and beautiful. The many martial artists were still like a vast crowd. Tianheng and Gu Zuo’s purpose was clear-cut, and they went straight to those testing rooms.
In the testing rooms, the things that were mainly tested were the body’s reflexes as well as the body’s strength.
After Gongyi Tianheng handed over a contribution point, he walked straight to an area filled with wooden stakes and sandbags. He started to briskly wander inside.
The wooden stakes were comprised of extremely hard logs, and the sandbags were wrapped in an extremely pliable and tough wild beast hide and manufactured with a sufficient quantity of Seastar Sand. The former could undertake at least five hundred thousand kilograms of power without damage. The latter could absorb a martial artist’s power, while simultaneously allowing the person to adapt to their own strength. There also wasn’t any need to worry about shattering the sandbag and causing trouble.
Gu Zuo looked on, and clicked his tongue in wonder.
Whether the wooden stakes or sandbags, both were just ordinary things. Only the change in materials made them high-end. In addition, their functions… Sure enough, the Sect was very considerate.
Tianheng’s thoughts didn’t deviate like Gu Zuo’s did. He leaped up and jumped onto a wooden stake… Well, he jumped at least four or five meters over the stake.
Gu Zuo: “…” Big brother, your jumps are too high!
Tianheng was calm and unhurried. His body gently dropped and both feet accurately stepped onto that wooden stake.
Because he’d just come out of the gravity room, his physical body had become stronger, but he couldn’t completely grasp this power. Although Tianheng was already very cautious when applying his strength, he still used a bit too much — Fortunately, his rough estimation was rather accurate. He was unlike many other martial artists, who’d come to break in their own strength. They’d be too excited and would make fools of themselves, and others would stand in a circle to watch, mocking them either good-naturedly or in derision.
Soon, Tianheng was able to jump on and off the stake, and he used exactly enough strength every time. Regardless of where it was focused, his adaptability was first-rate.
Once he was able to shuttle through the numerous wooden stakes like an oppressive shadow or a wisp of smoke, he struck loudly with a punch!
This punch fell upon a nearby sandbag. The sandbag rose up high into the air, and almost swung out in a three hundred sixty degree rotation in a split second. It could clearly be seen that the person’s strength was astonishingly huge.
Gu Zuo didn’t have enough time to exclaim in admiration when he heard someone beside him speak first: “Powerful, explosive strength! That’s a hundred thousand kilograms, right?”
As a result, Gu Zuo was choked up, and he turned his head to look.
Several meters next to him was a casual young man who was twenty-something years old. His line of sight had fallen onto Tianheng’s body. He seemed rather interested and appreciative.
For some reason, Gu Zuo’s mood became somewhat strange.
However, he quickly threw out this state of mind, and gasped in surprise at his dear big brother’s strength — Big brother, he was Xiantian stage three! Had the punching force that had erupted already reached this degree? Moreover, maybe this wasn’t his full strength at all… When he only thought about his big brother’s true combat power, he felt that this kind of strength was probably normal.
That casual young man hadn’t left. He continued to appreciate Tianheng’s fists colliding with those sandbags. The sandbags were tossed up at varying heights. This was precisely because the power of Tianheng’s punches were different. It wasn’t until one or two minutes later that the angles of each tossed sandbag became the same. This showed what fine control he had over his own strength. In a brief period of time, he was already finished!
Gu Zuo’s gaze slightly shined as he watched Tianheng leave the venue.
Tianheng didn’t pay any attention to that casual young man. Rather, he walked directly to Gu Zuo: “Ah Zuo, follow me to the true testing rooms.”
Gu Zuo naturally raised his feet and obediently walked with Tianheng to a room on the side, whose interior seemed to be made of metal.
— Correct. Whether testing reflexes or strength, it was all conducted within this room!
One still needed to hand over a contribution point, but Tianheng didn’t begrudge this, and immediately entered the room.
He extended his perception a little bit and found that this room didn’t deliberately give any pressure. However, probably because it was constructed with a comparatively special material, it caused a sense of exhaustion to well up from the bottom of one’s heart. Even Tianheng himself only drove off this type of reaction after a moment of stagnation.
Undoubtedly, if one couldn’t cast off this kind of effect, the results obtained when testing wouldn’t be the real results. But at the same time, a martial artist who’d get such a result wouldn’t even have a way to drive off the formless negative influences of the building material. Once he was in real combat, the capabilities produced would probably be only as much as when he was in the testing room.
From certain aspects, this testing room was still very reasonable and accurate.
Tianheng’s gaze slightly moved, and many thoughts had already streaked across his mind. He opened his mouth and said: “Requesting for this disciple to be tested!”
No one answered. However, at the next moment, a beam of light from a certain part of the wall instantly shot straight towards Tianheng’s shoulder!
Tianheng’s reaction was extremely fast, and his footsteps criss-crossed. He instantly yielded, and safely dodged it. But at the exact same time, another wall emitted a ray of light that wanted to strike Tianheng’s heart.
It wasn’t known what results would occur after being hit, but since it tested one’s reflexes, it could naturally be dodged immediately.
As the light rays became more and more concentrated, Tianheng’s silhouette also turned into stormy winds. Every time he swept across, all the light rays appeared to be crushed by the stormy winds and completely disappeared.
Gu Zuo watched a little nervously, and couldn’t help speaking to the casual young man who, at some point in time, had moved beside him: “Senior Sect Brother, what would happen if one was struck by the light ray?”
That casual young man seemed somewhat surprised that Gu Zuo would take the initiative to start a conversation, but he promptly replied: “The light rays are scorching hot. After it’s shot onto one’s clothing, it’ll burn a small hole.”
Gu Zuo frowned.
In other words, if someone was hit in many places, a person might end up having to run around naked inside! Who came up with such an idea!?
Yet, the casual young man continued to speak: “If one was struck many times, the skin might have some burns. If there are lots of burns, it’ll also be harmful to the body.”
Gu Zuo nodded woodenly: “I understand. Many thanks for the pointers, Senior Sect Brother.”
That casual young man didn’t speak anymore. His gaze had once again fallen onto Tianheng’s body, who was dodging the rays of light which were coming faster and at higher frequencies.
At this moment, Tianheng suddenly launched a punch into the middle of a certain wall.
Boom!
T/N: Thanks for the corrections, Charysa.
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