Starting as The Young Master of A Pharmacy, He Trained Swordsmanship in Seclusion For Twenty Years - Chapter 23

The middle-aged man wore a simple white robe, his left sleeve hanging empty and limp against his side—clear evidence of a missing arm.

His name was Wang Fu, a martial artist who had only recently reached the Bone-Forging Realm. He had come to the Lu family a few years prior, grievously injured and missing an arm, saved by Lu Xuan’s father, Lu Jiahe.

To repay the debt of his life, Wang Fu had stayed with the Lu family ever since, managing the affairs of the medicinal warehouse and overseeing its security.

Though the loss of his left arm had significantly weakened his Bone-Forging Realm strength, dealing with martial artists below that level was still effortless for him.

“Uncle Fu.”

Lu Xuan greeted him politely before continuing, “Same as last time, please. And… add a Red Spirit Mushroom to the order.”

“Red Spirit Mushroom?”

“Young Master, you—?”

Wang Fu’s eyes widened in shock, as if Lu Xuan’s request had caught him completely off guard.

After all, the Red Spirit Mushroom was an extremely rare and potent tonic. The warehouse only had two in stock.

If an ordinary person consumed even a small piece raw, the mildest consequence would be an overwhelming surge of yang energy and blood pressure. The worst? Reverse qi flow, leading to a violent death.

Even martial artists would suffer from unbearable body heat after ingesting a small portion.

Only those who had reached the peak of the Muscle-Tempering Realm or higher could safely consume the Red Spirit Mushroom, as their refined internal physique could withstand its terrifying medicinal effects.

Had the young master already reached the peak of the Muscle-Tempering Realm?

Hiss—!

Truly terrifying!

Even the experienced Wang Fu could no longer remain calm.

When he had first arrived at the Lu family, the young master had only been at the Skin-Refining Realm.

Yet now, in such a short time, he was already on the verge of the Bone-Forging Realm.

And he was only twenty years old!

Was the young master one of those legendary martial arts prodigies?

Still reeling, Wang Fu handed over the prepared medicinal ingredients.

Even long after Lu Xuan had left, Wang Fu’s astonishment lingered, refusing to settle.

…..

Back in his courtyard, Lu Xuan casually placed the small wooden box of herbs to the side.

With a thought, the system’s interface materialized before his eyes.

Host: Lu Xuan
Realm: Blood-Tempering (Peak)
Technique: Blazing Saber Art (1/9) (Can be Upgraded)
Points: 50

Confirm expenditure of 30 points to upgrade Blazing Saber Art?

Confirm!

Having prepared everything, Lu Xuan had no hesitation. With a mental command, he confirmed.

The moment he did, the system’s points dropped from 50 to 20.

Instantly, an enigmatic, indescribable light-shadow flashed through his mind.

Countless intricate and profound saber techniques unfolded before him, each one assimilated into his being as though he had spent years mastering them.

Snap!

A faint sound echoed from within his body.

Lu Xuan felt it—the bottleneck that had restrained him for so long had finally shattered.

A terrifying power erupted from his enhanced physique, a fierce aura surging outward.

The courtyard was engulfed in a tempest, winds howling like crashing tidal waves.

Lu Xuan’s eyes snapped open, deep and abyssal, with traces of a mysterious energy swirling within.

He could feel his body enveloped in an inexplicable force, an endless well of strength coursing through him.

He had broken through!

This… was the Inner Qi Realm!

Never before had Lu Xuan felt so powerful. His senses had undergone a staggering enhancement.

He could now distinctly perceive the elusive energy that permeated the world—the same energy now flowing within him.

Was this… the Qi of Heaven and Earth?

Puzzled, Lu Xuan raised his right hand, silently channeling the mysterious energy inside him.

A paper-thin layer of translucent qi coated his palm, nearly invisible, as if it were mere air.

Then—

Boom!

With a sudden strike, his palm slammed into the ground.

The earth beneath him collapsed, instantly forming a massive crater.

“Hm?”

Lu Xuan stared at the deep pit beneath his feet, silent for several seconds.

Even though he had known the Inner Qi Realm was formidable, he hadn’t expected this level of power.

That strike had only used a fraction of his strength—yet it matched the full-force blows of his previous self.

It was said that Inner Qi possessed unimaginable power, allowing martial artists to enhance their techniques and entire bodies, unleashing their maximum potential.

So this was how it worked.

If a casual palm strike held such destructive force, what would happen if he channeled Inner Qi into the Blazing Saber Art?

The thought sent a thrill through him.

But he quickly dismissed the dangerous idea.

This was not the place to test such a technique. If he lost control, he might very well reduce his own home to rubble.

Growl—!

A ravenous hunger suddenly gripped him. Without hesitation, Lu Xuan grabbed the prepared medicinal herbs and devoured them.

Thankfully, he had anticipated this.

Breaking through to the Inner Qi Realm had taken an entire day, draining his body’s reserves completely.

As the potent herbs entered his system, a comforting warmth spread through him—his body rapidly absorbing their essence.

Moreover, due to his breakthrough, his Inner Qi accelerated the absorption process.

In mere moments, Lu Xuan had fully digested all the medicinal energy.

He summoned the system interface once more.

Host: Lu Xuan
Realm: Inner Qi Realm
Technique: Blazing Saber Art (2/9)
Points: 22

Seeing the remaining points, Lu Xuan’s expression turned slightly pained, though unsurprised.

This breakthrough had consumed most of the herbs, leaving only residual energy—enough to provide a mere 2 additional points.

The Red Spirit Mushroom, a tonic worth 500 taels of silver, had been completely expended.

And that wasn’t even counting the other high-grade herbs he had used.

A flicker of regret passed through Lu Xuan’s eyes.

Such a massive expense made his heart ache as if bleeding.

It seemed the best way to earn system points was still by slaying those supernatural entities.

Gazing into the distant horizon, Lu Xuan’s pupils darkened like an unfathomable abyss, his thoughts unreadable.

For the next three days, he remained in his courtyard, refining his mastery over the mysteries of the Inner Qi Realm.