Chapter 40: Same scammer again.

Canglong Cave Heaven. 

Crane Claw Marks the Sand. 

Red Cliff Copper Wall. 

Ten Miles of Thunder. 

With every punch and kick, Zhong Lin stirred up violent gusts of wind, his chest rising and falling like a bellows. 

The true essence of Iron Mountain Strength Technique did not lie in its moves, but in the breathing method embedded within the execution of those moves. Only by integrating this breathing technique with his strikes could he fully harness the body-tempering effects of Iron Mountain Strength Technique. 

With his maxed-out experience, Zhong Lin could always bring out the full potential of Iron Mountain Strength Technique. As he moved, his muscles and bones continuously contracted and stretched, absorbing the medicinal energy and strengthening with each motion. 

In seven days, with an ample supply of Blood Replenishing Pills and his near-perfect absorption of their medicinal properties, Zhong Lin's martial cultivation advanced at a breakneck pace. 

In the courtyard, Zhong Lin stood shirtless. His once-thin frame had filled out, muscles firm and well-defined, his limbs supple yet powerful. 

To an outsider, he might simply appear stronger than before, but only Zhong Lin himself knew the extent to which his muscles had compacted and his bones had solidified. His weight had increased by at least twelve to eighteen kilograms. 

Suddenly, Zhong Lin let out a deep shout, and the style of his punches shifted dramatically. His movements carried the aura of a ferocious tiger, a faint echo of a tiger's roar emanating from his strikes. 

"Tiger Descends the Mountain." 

Zhong Lin stomped his foot hard. His previously lean legs swelled instantly, muscles bulging, veins surfacing. 

**Swish!**

Zhong Lin exploded forward, launching a powerful kick. 

One sprint. 

One kick. 

One explosion. 

The force of his leg tore through the air, producing a sharp, ear-piercing sound that carried far into the distance. 

As he landed and stood still, Zhong Lin closed his eyes briefly. After a moment, he slowly opened them again. 

"Eighth Grade—Tendon Refinement Realm… achieved." 

"My tendons have strengthened, my skin has become tougher, and my strength has increased significantly. I should be able to exert at least three hundred kilograms of force now." 

"And this is just the beginning of the Eighth Grade Tendon Refinement Realm. Since Iron Mountain Strength Technique focuses on raw power, my strength should continue to grow as I advance further." 

Zhong Lin was ecstatic. He finally had a solid understanding of the Eighth Grade Tendon Refinement Realm. 

In an era where ninety-nine percent of people struggled to get enough food, leaving them malnourished, possessing three hundred kilograms of strength made him a true powerhouse. 

Then, his gaze fell upon the empty bottles scattered on the ground, and his heart ached. 

"The saying is true—cultivating literature is cheap, but martial arts are costly. In just seven days, I used up twenty-three Blood Replenishing Pills, which cost me a total of two hundred and thirty taels of silver… Damn it." 

Most of the money he had earned in the past few days had gone into buying Blood Replenishing Pills. Unfortunately, he still hadn't managed to decipher the formula for making them. 

While he had identified all the medicinal ingredients used in the pills, his attempts to refine them had failed spectacularly. Every time he tried, he ended up with a pile of useless residue—poisonous, no less. 

"What a waste." 

After lamenting for a moment, Zhong Lin dressed himself properly, packed up thirty bags of Eight-Treasure Blood nourishment Powder from doctor Xu 's clinic, and crouched down. With a single leap, he cleared the courtyard wall. 

Having reached the Eighth Grade Tendon Refinement Realm, his muscles and tendons were now exceptionally resilient, allowing for explosive movement and agility. Scaling a two-meter-high wall felt as effortless as walking on flat ground. 

He swiftly made his way to the market hidden in the valley. After paying three large coins, he set up his stall to sell medicine. 

"Little brother, interested in a secret manual?" 

A familiar figure approached Zhong Lin—it was none other than the scrawny monkey-like man who had first tried to sell him a martial arts manual when he arrived at the black market. 

This guy was a regular at the market, showing up like clockwork to peddle his so-called "secret manuals." And strangely enough, people actually fell for his scams. 

Zhong Lin had never interacted with him before, but after selling medicine here for seven consecutive days, he had become a familiar face. Even though neither had seen each other's true appearance, they now recognized one another. 

However, Zhong Lin hadn't expected this guy to try selling him something again. Did he have a death wish? 

Before Zhong Lin could lose his temper, the skinny man quickly added, "Don't be mad, little brother! Just hear me out. This time, I'm not selling martial arts techniques or weapons. It's a book on unconventional skills—a genuine one. Interested?" 

"Not interested. Get lost." 

Zhong Lin cursed and waved him away. 

The skinny man laughed awkwardly and scurried off, not daring to provoke Zhong Lin. More importantly, he had recognized the ghost-headed saber Zhong Lin carried—a weapon whose original owner had mysteriously disappeared. It was obvious what had happened. 

Soon, customers arrived—many of them returning buyers. 

"I'll take three packs." 

"Give me two." 

"Five packs for me." 

"One pack, please." 

Business was booming as always. In just a few days, Zhong Lin's Eight-Treasure Blood Nourishment Powder had gained a strong reputation, attracting loyal customers. 

Within half an hour, all thirty packs were sold out. Zhong Lin secured the silver in his pouch. He no longer needed to buy Blood Replenishing Pills—the masked seller who used to supply them had disappeared three days ago, leaving Zhong Lin disappointed. He had hoped to cozy up to him and somehow acquire the formula for further study. 

Just as he was putting away his earnings, Zhong Lin suddenly felt a pair of eyes watching him from afar. His instincts immediately sharpened, and he turned his head toward the source of the gaze. 

The moment he looked over, the person in question hastily averted their eyes, pretending to be engrossed in inspecting the goods at a nearby stall. Their actions seemed natural, but to Zhong Lin, they were anything but. 

"So, someone finally couldn't resist, huh?" Zhong Lin sneered. 

His lucrative sales had long made him a target. This wasn't the first time he had sensed someone tailing him. Over the past few days, he had noticed faint traces of surveillance but had pretended to be unaware. 

After wiping the writing off his signboard, Zhong Lin joined the crowd, casually browsing the market while purchasing supplies he needed. 

An hour later, he exited the black market. 

Shortly after his departure, several shadowy figures also slipped away, sparking murmurs among the remaining vendors. 

"Damn, someone beat me to it. That fat sheep got away." 

"Who were those guys just now?" 

"Not just one group. Open your eyes—there were two. One was from the Black Tiger Gang, led by that iron-tower-like man, Dong Yan. His Mixed Iron Palm can kill Eighth Grade martial artists. The other group? The skinny monkey brought them in. No clue who they are, but they don't look weak either." 

"Damn! That means the medicine seller is done for?" 

"Not necessarily. If he gets caught, they'll definitely torture him for his medicine recipe. Then we'll just be buying from a new stall." 

"True enough." 

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