Inside the black wooden box was Zhao Xuanqi’s greatest haul from his trip to the Jingmao Warehouse.

Ten bamboo tubes held a full five pounds of Rare Beast Blood Powder.

Inside oil-paper packets were pieces of dark red jerky, about two pounds in total.

Finally, medicine bottles contained a white powder—what appeared to be some kind of Rare Beast Bone Powder, also weighing around two pounds.

One had to admit, with the Jingmao Trading Company being a power backed by the Jili Empire, and the Jingmao Warehouse serving as its headquarters, its resource reserves were practically overflowing.

Zhao Xuanqi had only seized thirty percent of the Rare Beast Materials, yet the quantity was immense. It could truly be called a major haul.

The Rare Beast Blood Powder alone was enough to concoct nearly a hundred portions of Six-Flavor Blood Melting Powder.

Not to mention, he had also obtained the even more precious Rare Beast Jerky and Bone Powder.

He could clearly feel that the Rare Beast Jerky and Bone Powder contained far greater nutrients than the Blood Powder.

The craving that naturally arose from his digestive system was the best proof.

Most importantly, with this Rare Beast Jerky and Bone Powder, he could now attempt to concoct even more potent Secret Medicines.

Flesh and bone were crucial catalysts for higher-level Cross-Training Secret Medicines.

’For at least the next two to three months, I won’t have to worry about Secret Medicines.’

Zhao Xuanqi let out a breath. If all these materials were made into Hundred Beasts Sect Secret Medicines and combined with the Secret Medicines from the Xiaolin Martial Arts Hall, it would be enough to last him for a considerable amount of time.

In a few months, his strength would undergo another transformation.

In the afternoon, after a simple meal cooked by Zhao Qin, Zhao Xuanqi left the Western-style mansion, taking the Rare Beast Materials and other medicinal ingredients procured through Cai Mingliang’s channels. Once he was sure no one was tailing him, he headed to the secluded rental house where he had concocted Secret Medicines before.

The mansion was within the Xiaolin Martial Arts Hall’s surveillance range. Concocting Hundred Beasts Sect Secret Medicines there would not have been a wise choice.

Laying out the medicinal ingredients on the table in the rental house, Zhao Xuanqi took a deep breath. The ordeal of testing the formula last time he concocted Secret Medicines was still vivid in his memory.

’I hope this goes a little more smoothly this time...’

An entire night passed before Zhao Xuanqi finally finished using all the materials he had brought.

He concocted ten portions of Six-Flavor Blood Melting Powder. He had already figured out the formula for this Secret Medicine, so the actual process didn’t take him much time.

The bulk of his time was spent concocting two new Secret Medicines.

Dragon Fire Tendon Strengthening Ointment.

Black Jade Bone Strengthening Powder.

These were the names of the two Secret Medicines.

Whether it was the Secret Medicine currently provided by the Xiaolin Martial Arts Hall or the Hundred Beasts Sect’s Six-Flavor Blood Melting Powder, both were merely the most basic, entry-level formulas. Their use was limited to the peak of the Forged Skin stage of Cross-Training. Progressing further, whether to the Yijin or Bone Strengthening stages, required nourishment from higher-grade Secret Medicines.

These Secret Medicines often had a much more violent nature. Without a solid foundation of Qi and Blood, consuming one could even cause injury or ruptured blood vessels.

However, with Zhao Xuanqi’s abilities, handling higher-level Secret Medicines should not be a problem.

But even though he had tried his best to choose relatively stable Secret Medicine formulas, the concoction process was still not what he had hoped.

It took him the entire night to successfully concoct the Secret Medicines, and in the process, he lost nearly seventy percent of the Rare Beast Jerky and Bone Powder he had brought.

The medicinal properties of these advanced Secret Medicines were too strong and unpredictable. He didn’t dare swallow the failed batches like he had when making Six-Flavor Blood Melting Powder. Who knew what might happen if he did? Before long, the famous Wind Shadow Hall Master of Celestial Sea Prefecture might be found dead in a rental house, his corpse already starting to stink by the time he was discovered.

’Fortunately, I’ve determined the general formulas now. In the future, when I get more Rare Beast Jerky and Bone Powder, even if they’re from different species, I’ll just need to eat a little. My digestive system can then roughly estimate the nutrient content, allowing me to adjust the recipe. There won’t be such a huge loss again...’

Zhao Xuanqi took a deep breath. Looking at the ruined medicinal sludge to his side, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret.

’Time to test the results.’

Zhao Xuanqi shook his head, picked up the fiery red Dragon Fire Tendon Strengthening Ointment that looked like a flame, and swallowed it in one gulp.

In an instant, his skin turned fiery red, his eyes became crimson, blood vessels bulged on the surface of his body, his muscles twitched uncontrollably, and his whole body swelled up a size.

Trickles of fresh blood flowed from his nostrils. He looked rather frightening, the very picture of someone whose weak body couldn’t handle the potent tonic he had just consumed. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

At this very moment, he felt as if he were inside a furnace. The blood surging through his vessels seemed to have transformed into scalding fire dragons, relentlessly scouring his body from the inside out.

It was just as if flames were forging his body.

He didn’t dare to delay and immediately began performing the Hundred Beasts Mystic Gate, striking the acupoints on his body to digest the nutrients as quickly as possible, lest they harm him.

THUD! THUD! THUD!

The dull thuds of his body being tempered echoed in the rental house. At this moment, all the pores on Zhao Xuanqi’s body opened wide. Although it was the height of summer, his intense body heat caused the sweat flowing from his pores to vaporize, forming a hazy mist around him.

Traces of something that looked like bloodstains or grime were expelled from his pores, congealing on the surface of his skin.

The tempering self-flagellation continued for nearly half an hour before Zhao Xuanqi slowly stopped. He exhaled deeply. His whole body ached, but within the soreness, there was also a feeling of lightness.

’I can maintain the Hundred Beasts Mystic Gate for half an hour now instead of a Quarter Hour, and the nourishment from the Secret Medicine has practically doubled. It’s just... this body still has some trouble handling it all.’

Zhao Xuanqi shook his head and looked at the other, higher-grade Black Jade Bone Strengthening Powder, not planning to use it for the time being.

However, with the support of nearly a hundred portions of Six-Flavor Blood Melting Powder and the tempering from the Dragon Fire Tendon Strengthening Ointment, once all these resources were used up, his body should be able to withstand the use of Black Jade Bone Strengthening Powder.

He was very much looking forward to seeing what level his strength would recover to after all these resources were consumed.

’For now, I need to lie low. I won’t make a move unless absolutely necessary. I’ll just focus on peacefully improving my strength.’

Zhao Xuanqi thought to himself.

He wasn’t a bloodthirsty madman, nor did he have any interest in being a ruthless butcher. Everything he did was simply to seize enough resources for his own use.

When he had enough resources, he much preferred to stay in the deep mountains and remote forests to cultivate arduously.

He felt that there was nothing in the world more enjoyable than feeling himself grow stronger step by step.

In a sense, he was a harmless person, provided he had sufficient resources.

Just like a well-fed beast, he wouldn’t be very willing to move even if prey was delivered right to him.

’I hope nothing comes to bother me anytime soon.’

Zhao Xuanqi shook his head slightly.

He hoped his opponents would be sensible and give themselves a chance to live.