The metal box opened slowly, releasing a fresh fragrance. Inside lay two types of containers in different packaging.

They were nestled in a special material. Lin Qi reached out and took one of the jars. It was a transparent container holding a viscous, reddish-brown paste.

A black and white QR code was printed on its side.

BEEP!

Lin Qi took out his phone and scanned it. The screen jumped to a webpage where text and images appeared—it was the instruction manual.

Lin Qi read it carefully from beginning to end, even watching the embedded video. A moment later, he understood everything.

[Red Blood Ointment]

[Effect: Apply all over the body to stimulate muscles and enhance the tempering of Qi Blood. Can be stacked with other potions.]

Lin Qi nodded. This was a resource produced by the Red Dome Martial Arts Dojo. It was meant to be applied all over the body before training to stimulate the muscles and Qi Blood, accelerating the tempering process.

At first, it was to be used once a day. After a while, it could be applied multiple times a day.

Lin Qi took out his phone again and searched for Red Blood Ointment online. He quickly found the price.

[Item: Red Blood Ointment]

[Price: 50,000 Xia Country Coins/Jar]

Hiss...

After seeing the price, Lin Qi had only one thought:

’Expensive!’

He had thought the Energy Potion was expensive enough, but he never expected the Red Blood Ointment to be ten times its price.

And in the Metal Box, there were four jars of Red Blood Ointment, worth 200,000 Xia Country Coins.

Next, he looked at the other potion.

This one was quite similar to the Energy Potion. There was only one vial, containing a crystal-clear, deep blue liquid.

Lin Qi scanned the QR code again and quickly got the results.

[Item: Blue Marrow Potion]

[Effect: Contains a large amount of Source Energy. Dissolve in water and soak to absorb. Can significantly increase Qi and Blood Value.]

[Price: 200,000 Xia Country Coins/Bottle]

Phew...

Lin Qi exhaled. This Blue Marrow Potion was even more expensive than the Red Blood Ointment—a full four times pricier. A single bottle was actually worth 200,000!

That was equivalent to a third-tier talent loan, for just this one small bottle of potion!

In the past, his family wouldn’t spend 200,000 Xia Country Coins in several months. Now, a single bottle of Potion cost that much.

’Practicing Martial Arts really burns through money.’

Without his contract, he couldn’t possibly afford this kind of Potion.

Today had been quite a shock for him.

These resources were ridiculously expensive, something his past self could never have imagined.

Furthermore, the Blue Marrow Potion was always in high demand at the Martial Arts Supermarket; every time it was stocked, it would sell out instantly.

Buying it from other places was even more expensive, possibly costing 250,000 or 260,000.

Only talents with a B-level Contract or higher could possess it. This was the benefit of having backing.

Lin Qi looked at the four jars and one vial in the Metal Box. Together, they were worth 400,000 Xia Country Coins.

That was enough to buy a decent new energy vehicle, or what an ordinary family would spend in four or five years.

And this was just the first shipment. According to the contract, a new batch of resources would be delivered every so often.

This staggered delivery was to ensure the resources’ security.

Lin Qi put the items away, placing the Metal Box in a cabinet.

’There’s one week until the midterm exam. This batch of resources came at the perfect time. It can help me boost my Qi and Blood Value by a significant amount.’

...

「That evening, at the Red Dome Martial Arts Dojo.」

Room B123, Lin Qi’s Independent Martial Arts Room.

Lin Qi changed into his Martial Arts Uniform and took the Red Blood Ointment out of his backpack.

"I’ll try out its effects today!"

With that, he opened the jar. A rich, spicy aroma wafted out, which even smelled a bit like grilled meat.

Lin Qi scooped a little out and spread it evenly all over his body.

After he had coated his entire body, he could clearly feel a warmth spreading through him.

Phew...

Taking a deep breath, he began to assume the Hunyuan Posture. Just as he regulated his breathing and entered the proper state, his body grew even hotter.

’It’s so hot!’

Lin Qi frowned. His body grew hotter and hotter, soon crossing some kind of threshold and turning into pain.

His skin stung with a fiery pain. His body felt scorching hot, as if it were on fire, and radiated immense heat.

"Agh..."

Lin Qi gritted his teeth and frowned, an intense burning sensation engulfing his entire body. It was excruciatingly painful.

It felt like he was being immolated, his body temperature rising continuously.

The feeling made one want to give up and dive into an ice cave.

’I can’t give up. The instructions said that each application of the ointment lasts for one hour. If I give up now, it’ll all be for nothing.’

Lin Qi endured the pain and focused his entire being on holding the posture.

Sweat dripped continuously from his forehead. White steam rose from his body, which was flushed bright red, like a steamed lobster.

Hooo...

Lin Qi struggled to endure. His body felt like it was on fire; not many first-time users could withstand it.

But he was different. He possessed astonishing Willpower. Having undergone several template modifications, he had long since forged a will of steel.

Amidst the pain, he could feel his muscles become exceptionally active, like someone dancing on hot coals, forced to remain in motion.

Qi Blood surged into every corner of his body. The intense heat penetrated his skin and shot into his muscles, tempering them frantically.

His muscle cells moved violently, and Lin Qi felt as if his Qi Blood was also constantly being transformed.

[You have used "Red Blood Ointment". While holding your stance, your Qi Blood has been enhanced. Qi and Blood Value +0.01]

[While holding your stance, your Qi Blood has been enhanced. Qi and Blood Value +0.01]

[..., Qi and Blood Value +0.01]

Lin Qi felt the pain as his muscles grew stronger and his chest heaved. His Qi and Blood Value continued to rise.

「One hour later.」

"Master, one hour is up!"

Little Chan, dressed in a Blue Robe, automatically projected herself and alerted Lin Qi.

Phew...

Lin Qi flopped onto the ground. The spot where he sat was instantly soaked; the area around him was already drenched, forming a small puddle. The burning sensation on his body began to fade.

He looked at his data panel. His Qi and Blood Value had changed.

[First-time use of "Red Blood Ointment" has yielded a significant effect. Qi and Blood Value +0.05]

[Qi and Blood Value: 9.0 → 9.05]

...

Lin Qi looked at the Qi and Blood Value data, a smile appearing on his exhausted face.

’As expected of an ointment worth 50,000. The effect from the first use is excellent. In a few days, my Qi and Blood Value will break through 9.1.’

’Taozi said that everyone’s progress slows down between a Qi and Blood Value of 9.0 and breaking through to the First Realm.’

’Unless they use better resources, and for me, this Red Blood Ointment *is* a better resource. My progress will still be very fast.’

Lin Qi thought to himself as he slowly sat up.

He picked up a sports drink from the side and took a large gulp, looking at the puddle of sweat on the floor.

He recalled the pain from moments ago. It truly wasn’t something an ordinary person could endure.

’The instructions mentioned a resource called Cooling Potion. It can significantly reduce the burning pain from the Red Blood Ointment.’

’But I just checked, and a bottle of Cooling Potion actually costs 5,000—the same price as an Energy Potion.’

’And while it reduces the pain, it also has a side effect: the Red Blood Ointment’s effectiveness is slightly diminished.’

’Whether it’s the 5,000-coin cost or the reduced effectiveness, both are unacceptable outcomes for me.’

’So I’d rather endure the pain. This way, I can also temper my will.’

’The world’s strongest expert, Emperor Red, once said: Only a will of steel can forge a true expert.’

As Lin Qi thought of this, his gaze became bright and resolute. He changed into a fresh Martial Arts Uniform, socks, and shoes.

Once he felt a good amount of his stamina return, he grabbed a Training Lance and began to practice.

SWISH! SWISH!

As the Long Spear cut through the air, Lin Qi’s thoughts drifted back to the Blue Marrow Potion.

’The Red Blood Ointment’s effect is already strong enough, but the Blue Marrow Potion’s will be even stronger.’

’The instructions said that I need to let my body adapt to the Red Blood Ointment before using the Blue Marrow Potion. The two are complementary, and using them this way will maximize the effects.’

’The adaptation time varies depending on one’s constitution—it can be as fast as one month or as slow as two.’

’Also, it’s best to use it when my Qi and Blood Value is above 9.2 to absorb over 80% of its effects.’

’With my Talent, it definitely won’t take two months. One month should be enough. I might even be ready to use it in less than 30 days.’

Lin Qi silently speculated. He soon cleared his mind of stray thoughts and devoted himself completely to his Spear Technique.

...