I, Who Hate Marine So Much, Have Become A Future Nika?

Chapter 15: The Dual Realm of Ice and Fire

Returning home with the elixir, Zhong Cang immediately began practicing the Qi Consumption Technique. After completing the Qi Consumption Technique, he then practiced the Five Beasts Infusion Technique.

Instead of immediately practicing, Zhong Cang first took out the box containing the Snow Jade Cream and used the Spirit Qi Mudra to apply it all over his body.

As the cream touched his body, a piercing coldness spread throughout Zhong Cang's entire being, causing him to shiver involuntarily.

Even just one type of elixir had some effect on Zhong Cang.

Fortunately, Zhong Cang was able to endure this kind of effect.

Next, he lit a laurel incense.

"Hum..."

The burning laurel incense emitted an indescribable cool fragrance, like moonlight.

This fragrance entered Zhong Cang's nose and instantly calmed his mind. His consciousness seemed to transform into a round moon or a clear mirror.

The translucent moon mirror continuously reflected various scenes in Zhong Cang's mind. At first, these scenes were chaotic, but soon they unified into various postures of Zhong Cang practicing the Five Beasts Infusion Technique.

By reflecting on the previous practice through the moon mirror, the laurel incense could triple Zhong Cang's proficiency in the technique.

This characteristic was somewhat universal, so it could be applied to other techniques such as the Qi Consumption Technique and the Ignorant Heart Sword Art.

However, the laurel incense had a fatal flaw—it was expensive.

The cost of five spirit stones for one stick prevented Zhong Cang from using it to assist in the practice of all his techniques.

If it weren't for the imminent advancement of the Five Beasts Infusion Technique, Zhong Cang wouldn't have bought even one stick.

"Hoo..."

After lighting the laurel incense, Zhong Cang didn't dare to delay. He immediately swallowed the Scarlet Blood Pill and began moving his body, demonstrating the postures of the tiger, deer, ape, turtle, and fish one by one.

The tiger posture was fierce, the deer posture was leisurely, the ape posture was explosive, the turtle posture was solid, and the fish posture was agile... During this period, Zhong Cang trained in the Five Beasts Infusion Technique every day, so he had already become proficient in it and rarely made mistakes.

However, today, just three minutes later, Zhong Cang involuntarily stopped his movements and fell to his knees in pain.

There was a conflict between the Snow Jade Cream and the Scarlet Blood Pill.

The Snow Jade Cream alone made Zhong Cang feel cold, and the Scarlet Blood Pill alone created a heat in his abdomen.

But when both were taken together, they seemed to stimulate each other, causing a sudden surge in their effects and multiplying the negative pain Zhong Cang experienced by dozens of times.

Currently, Zhong Cang's body was burning hot on the inside and freezing cold on the outside. This dual realm of ice and fire made him feel as if his body was being torn apart.

What made it even more unbearable was that both the Snow Jade Cream and the Scarlet Blood Pill contained healing herbs during their refinement.

Therefore, after the burning heat and freezing cold, a healing effect took place in his body, healing his injuries.

However, after the heat and cold, there was a heart-wrenching itchiness inside him.

The battle between the cold and the heat raged throughout his body, and this itchiness spread all over, causing him unbearable pain as if he were being bitten by countless ants.

"No wonder the pharmacists at the Four Seas Pavilion don't recommend taking these two medicines together. It's truly too uncomfortable!"

The pain and itchiness caused Zhong Cang's veins to bulge and cold sweat to pour down.

In this situation, just enduring it was already exhausting all his strength, so naturally, he couldn't continue his practice.

And this was also another difficulty of taking these two medicines together.

—Enduring the pain and itchiness was not enough. In addition to enduring them, practitioners like Zhong Cang also needed to continue practicing their respective techniques. Only then could they transform the medicinal effects into enhanced strength.

However, the willpower required to accomplish this step was truly beyond the reach of ordinary people.

At least, Zhong Cang alone couldn't do it.

Fortunately, before cultivating, he understood that he couldn't rely solely on himself, but he had Sword Heart!

"Buzz!!!"

The maddening pain and itchiness could be considered a kind of danger, and danger triggers the effect of Sword Heart. Zhong Cang's consciousness instantly entered a state of emptiness.

In this state, although he could still feel the clash of ice and fire, the Transcendent will bestowed by Sword Heart allowed him to endure it!

In this way, maintaining the state of being possessed by Sword Heart, Zhong Cang began practicing the Five Beasts Infusion Technique in the room.

With the Tiger's prostration, Zhong Cang stretched his bones to the maximum, which was a tempering of his skeletal structure.

With the Monkey's playfulness and jumping, it was an exercise in explosiveness, or rather, a tempering of his muscles...

Tiger, Deer, Monkey, Turtle, Fish—Zhong Cang repeatedly tempered himself, and when he moved, the effects of the Snow Jade Ointment and Scarlet Blood Pill continued to take effect.

Exercise can increase strength, which is true in both the previous life and this world.

The principle of strengthening through exercise is that muscles are composed of the most basic muscle fibers. Strength training involves causing minor damage to the muscle fibers in the trained area. The injured muscle tissue releases a substance similar to cell activators, and the body repairs the minor damage in response to the signal.

However, during the repair process, there is an "excessive recovery" that occurs, just like calluses on the hands, which become thicker and thicker.

With more muscles, strength will correspondingly increase.

Taking Snow Jade Ointment and Scarlet Blood Pill at the same time will greatly enhance the body's strength, which is equivalent to muscle growth.

...The clash of ice and fire brought intense pain and itchiness to Zhong Cang. There was no doubt that it caused damage to his body.

And when the body is injured, the healing properties in the Snow Jade Ointment and Scarlet Blood Pill will repair Zhong Cang's physical body.

In this cycle of damage and repair, Zhong Cang's physical body will gradually become stronger.

...

During cultivation, Zhong Cang discovered similarities between his past life and the present world, as well as differences between the two worlds.

This world has spiritual energy, and the incorporation of this special substance not only strengthens Zhong Cang's muscles, but also makes his bones and internal organs stronger and more resilient under the influence of spiritual energy.

Moreover, this enhancement does not change Zhong Cang's physique, preventing him from becoming a muscle-bound man.

In addition to maintaining his physique, spiritual energy can also strengthen the body, surpassing the limits of humans...

"In this world, spiritual energy is the foundation of everything."

In addition, Zhong Cang also discovered that the cultivation technique, the Five Beasts Infusion Technique, guides the strengthening of the body, making the cycle of damage, repair, further damage, and further repair more efficient and leading to positive results.

...Under Sword Heart, Zhong Cang's will not only became Transcendent, but his comprehension also increased.

In this state of cultivation, Zhong Cang not only endured the pain, itchiness, and fatigue caused by the damage and healing of his body, but also gained insights.

These insights manifested as an increase in Zhong Cang's proficiency in the Five Beasts Infusion Technique by +36.

"This should be the legendary enlightenment, but unfortunately, it's too small to be called enlightenment, only a momentary flash of inspiration..."

...

Cultivate, cultivate, cultivate... Under Sword Heart, Zhong Cang tirelessly cultivated.

Until the effects of the medicine dissipated and his body reached its limit, Zhong Cang finally stopped.

What Zhong Cang didn't anticipate was that when Sword Heart left his body and the Transcendent will dissipated, the accumulated pain, itchiness, and endless fatigue flooded his consciousness all at once.

These negative states were too overwhelming, like a tidal wave crashing against Zhong Cang's mind.

In a moment of carelessness, with a "buzz," Zhong Cang's exhausted consciousness was directly submerged by these negative states.

Then, the body's emergency mechanism kicked in, and Zhong Cang—his eyes rolling back—fainted.

He didn't know how long it took for his consciousness to recover.

And at the moment of regaining consciousness, what Zhong Cang felt was hunger!

(End of this chapter)