He was also aware that the Strength he now possessed was still Mingjin, not Anjin.

While it was far stronger than simple physical force... Anjin was the practice of infusing Strength deep into one’s muscle fibers, allowing one to injure an enemy internally without breaking the surface.

Qin Fang’s palm strike had broken the wooden pile...

But with Anjin, a single palm strike would leave the wooden pile’s surface seemingly untouched. Yet, with the slightest external disturbance, it would crumble to dust!

’From Mingjin to Anjin, training Strength from the outside in...’

’This is likely the path I must take next.’

However...

’I can’t believe the Wild Bull Qi Strength Pile has reached Perfection. And now that it has, the experience required for the next level... is infinite?’

Qin Fang frowned, staring at the "1/∞" on his panel and pondering its meaning.

It meant... he would still gain something by continuing his Standing Pile practice.

But...

’Does this mean there won’t be any more Epiphanies?’

Qin Fang’s brows drew together.

He figured his guess was probably right.

After all, whether it was for entry-level, Minor Achievement, or Great Success, an Epiphany for the next stage would always occur when his proficiency advanced.

But now that it had reached Perfection, he could still make gains by practicing his Standing Pile, but there would be no more Epiphanies... ’That seems logical, doesn’t it?’

After all, the Wild Bull Qi Strength Pile was, at the end of the day, just a Low Grade Root Technique.

’It’s impossible for it to have limitless potential.’

And while his Golden Finger was powerful, it seemed to have its own share of limitations.

For example, he ate every day. But no matter how diligently he ate, how much he focused on the sensation of chewing and swallowing...

...a Skill like "Eating (Great Success)" never appeared on his panel.

’The skills themselves have their limits.’

Qin Fang couldn’t expect a single wooden ladder to take him all the way to the heavens.

’So, skills like Darts and Fist Technique must be the same... After they reach Perfection, I might still be able to improve them, but I won’t get any more windfalls like an Epiphany...’

’It’s impossible to go from ’mundane’ to ’transcendent’ with a single Epiphany...’

Once he understood this, Qin Fang let out a soft breath, his eyes glinting with a new thought.

’The Wild Bull Qi Strength Pile is maxed out. I guess I’ll have to ask my master if he has any Middle Grade... or even High Grade Root Skills.’

Since his master had managed to train a Huajin Martial Artist, he must have more advanced techniques.

With that thought, he ended his Standing Pile practice for the day.

After cleaning up a bit, he headed out to find Monkey and ask him to make a trip into the city in the next couple of days.

He had gone into the city himself the other day, but without proper identification papers, it was still inconvenient for him to move around freely.

As he walked, his gaze flickered as he considered another matter.

That was...

’Now that I’ve developed my Force, the power of my Darts has increased significantly... I wonder if I have a chance to take on that Giant Bee now?’

He could still recall the taste of that Bee Meat.

Besides, it offered immense benefits...

It was truly difficult for him not to be tempted!

Lost in thought, he arrived at the marketplace, intending to find a member of the Fish Dragon Gang to help him locate Monkey.

But just then, he spotted someone hanging a new sign in the distance, surrounded by a crowd of people buzzing with discussion.

"A branch of Ganlu Hall? They actually opened one here in Fisherman City?"

"This is great! Those Qi Blood Pills are amazing. My son has been taking them for a while, and he recently said he’s almost at the Early Mingjin Stage!"

"What? For real? Your family is about to have a Martial Artist?!"

"Hahaha, it’s all thanks to Ganlu Hall! If it weren’t for their Qi Blood Pills, there’s no way my boy could’ve gotten this far!"

"Congratulations, congratulations..."

While the marketplace crowd chattered excitedly, Qin Fang’s brows furrowed in thought.

’A Ganlu Hall branch... opened all the way out here in Fisherman City?’

’Do they really not care about the cost?’

’Or... is the cost of those so-called Qi Blood Pills really that low?’

’One hundred wen a piece... but the effect is only one-twentieth of a standard Qi Blood Pill.’

’If they’re effective, that means they must contain medicinal ingredients.’

’Is the cost of the ingredients for these pills really that low?’

Just as he was pondering this, a man walked out of Ganlu Hall. He had a broad smile on his face and clasped his hands in a salute to the crowd. "Greetings, everyone!" he called out.

"I am the shopkeeper of the Ganlu Hall in Fisherman City. You can all call me Shopkeeper Lin. From this day forward, Ganlu Hall has found a home here in Fisherman City! We hope for your generous support, and please, spread the word to your friends and family back in your villages."

"To thank you all, and to celebrate the grand opening of our Fisherman City branch, our Ganlu Hall headquarters has decided to spare no expense."

"For the first ten days, all medicines in our hall will be sold at a twenty percent discount!"

"Especially our Qi Blood Pills! For anyone who wishes to pursue Martial Cultivation—or has children and younger relatives who do—but is held back by poverty and cannot afford the expensive Qi Blood Pills, you can come to our Ganlu Hall and purchase our own affordable alternative! For the next ten days, these special Qi Blood Pills will be sold at a fifty percent discount! And there are no purchase limits!"

"That’s right, just fifty wen for a single Qi Blood Pill!"

"But this offer only lasts for ten days..."

"And if you buy these Qi Blood Pills and decide not to use them yourself, but to sell them to your friends and neighbors, Ganlu Hall will not interfere!"

"This is a rare opportunity, so don’t miss out!"

"We hope that all our neighbors in True Martial Village will pursue Martial Cultivation, and that every one of you becomes as mighty as a dragon!"

As expected, Shopkeeper Lin’s words caused a massive uproar!

"What?! Fifty percent off?!"

"Only fifty wen?!"

"Damn it, doesn’t that mean I got ripped off when I bought some a few days ago?!"

"Hey, I want some! I want some... I’ll take fifty!!!"

"Damn, no need to be so aggressive! I want some too, I want some too! Give me twenty!"

"These are Qi Blood Pills! Buying them is pure profit! Even if you don’t use them yourself, you can resell them to others and make a fortune!!"

The entire marketplace erupted. Everyone began waving their silver taels and swarming toward Ganlu Hall.

Shopkeeper Lin maintained his smile. "Please, don’t push! Rest assured, we have enough Qi Blood Pills for everyone. You’ll all get your turn..."

Watching this scene unfold, the strange feeling in Qin Fang’s heart... grew ever stronger.

*(Author’s Note: Another 22,000-plus characters served up. That’s four days in a row of 20,000+ characters a day. Isn’t that worth a monthly ticket to show your support? Not much more to say. I’m wiped. Going to sleep, will continue tomorrow.)*