Chapter 37: Changing Battle Qi
The alchemy cabin was the most luxurious place on the Deep Sea Monster Fish.
The tower spirit was floating in the air, and controlling an alchemy formation.
The alchemy formation emitted a bright white radiance, and there were two crab alchemy puppets around it.
These were the yellow crab puppets, and were serving as alchemy assistants.
The ghostly Zi Di was watching every movement and change of the formation closely.
At the opportune moment, she immediately threw in a piece of alchemical material.
This was Flowing Gold and Silver, a type of alchemical material that only lasted a few minutes. Using a unique alchemy technique, gold and silver were mixed together to form this liquid alloy.
When the alloy was placed into the formation, it immediately split into ten parts as it was drawn into the white radiance and covered the framework of one of the alchemy puppets.
The puppet quickly fined tuned the Flowing Gold and Silver after it was covered by it.
Soon after, a flock of bird alchemy puppet appeared before Zi Di, they gleamed with the luster of silver and gold.
The cabin doorbell suddenly rang, causing a lapse in Zi Di’s focus.
The ghost girl with a lot of authority faintly stared, then after finding out who it was, she opened the cabin door.
The door softly swung open.
“Lord Captain.” The ghost girl floated towards the door and bowed to the dragonman youngster at the door.
“Zi Di.” The young man entered and forced a smile, “Before I change my battle qi, I need to trouble you with something first.”
Before he could say what, a large face appeared behind him.
It was the big guy.
The big guy grinned and giggled at Zi Di.
The big guy’s chin was stained thick with blood, causing Zi Di to immediately understand, “You tried to teach him how to cultivate battle qi again?”
This was not the first time the big guy got injured cultivating battle qi.
The big guy had low intelligence, it was very difficult for him to comprehend the mechanisms of battle qi techniques, and would get injured every time. To date, he still hadn’t succeeded in completing a single cycle of battle qi yet.
“Mhmm.” The implication of the dragonman youngster’s bitter smile grew deeper. After he glanced at the alchemy formation, he said, “If you can, please examine him first.”
The big guy found it difficult to enter the alchemy cabin, and as the alchemy formation was activated, Zi Di might as well examine him at the door.
“He really is wounded, but it isn’t serious. His body and organs are very strong, either medicine or treatment scrolls can heal him instantly. However, I suggest that you let him heal himself.” Said Zi Di after carefully inspecting him.
The big guy’s injured body had a giant bloodline, his bodily recovery was very strong, far greater than any normal man.
“What self…heal?” The big guy was confused.
“It’s when you go to sleep.” The young man smiled as his mind relaxed.
The giant immediately understood, causing him to giggle, “Sleep, this big guy is the best at sleeping.”
“Go back, and sleep well. When I’m not there, do not cultivate battle qi.” The young captain reminded him.
The big guy wanted to stay with his father, but he was very sensible and reluctantly left.
The young man and lady stood at the cabin door and watched the big guy’s enormous body rub across the walls and ceiling of the passageway, until it finally disappeared behind a corner,
The youngster sighed, “I gave the big guy a battle qi technique called Unintentional Sleeping Posture, the main way to cultivate it is cycling and purifying the battle qi within one’s body while they sleep. The difficulty of this battle qi technique is very low, as long as he succeeds in cycling it within his body a few times, his body will record it to memory, and do it while he sleeps, using his own heartbeat to purify and cycle the battle qi.”
“But the big guy is stuck at the beginning, his body is unable to record the structure and method. No matter how much I teach him, he either forgets or makes a mistake.”
“If we can find an eastern imperial battle fighter that can help the big guy complete his battle qi circulation, it will allow the big guy to cross the biggest hurdle.”
Zi Di replied, “My Lord, the big guy’s battle qi cultivation greatest obstruction is actually his intelligence.”
“Perhaps, we can think of a way to improve his intellect.”
The young captain was instantly interested, “Eh? What kind of methods?”
Zi Di shook her head, “Currently, there are only a few ways.”
Intellect, the body, and the soul are all strongly connected.”
“If a person does not develop their brain fully, they will become weak-minded and demented. The healthier and active a brain is, the shrewder their thoughts will be.”
“On the one hand, the stronger a person’s soul, the smarter they will be. Necromancy has a spell called Soul Send that allows a magician’s soul to possess other lifeforms or objects. If a soul is strong enough, even if they are inside a corpse or a pale skeleton, they can become a zombie or a skeleton soldier with exceptional intellect.”
The young captain realized what he was hearing.
The survivors had obtained War Merchant’s inheritance, including many things that dealt with the secrets of life alchemy.
War Merchant also wanted to improve the intelligence of artificial magic beasts, and through experimentation, had transformed their brains with alchemy.
Modifying one’s physical body is one way to improve intelligence.
After Zi Di had been reduced to a ghost, she had received Cang Xu’s necromancy inheritance.
Thus, Zi Di had absorbed this inheritance and knew how to improve soul strength, another way of improving intelligence.
“But how specifically? What are the risks?” The young captain asked.
Zi Di shook her head, and candidly admitted that the risks could not be controlled, for at present, she had barely learned how to.
There was still a long while till it was of practical use.
But no matter what, it was still a hope.
After the two people discussed this, they returned to the alchemy cabin.
The radiance of the formation inside gradually dissipated, the tower spirit was in the middle of conducting the final step, coloring it with top-grade lacquer.
One after the other, the metal birds inside the alchemy formation changed color, and looked nearly identical to actual birds.
“These are scout birds.” Zi Di presented, “Small alchemy puppets. I can only play a supporting role and make some alchemy materials. Only with the tower spirit can such puppets be made.”
“Esteemed master, good evening.” After the tower spirit finished, its white crystal ball shined as it transmitted its voice.
Zi Di replied, “Tower spirit, please introduce these scout birds.”
With a flat tone, it immediately issued the corresponding presentation.
The young captain frowned as he listened, the presentation had too many alchemical terms, things he found difficult to understand, Throughout the entire thing, the only thing he knew was that these alchemy puppets also used the mimicry alchemy technique.
Luckily, Zi Di supplemented the explanation, “These bird types are all made in the form of common sea bids native to this area, the can serve as routine scouting tools.”
“Although the Deep Sea Monster Fish’s detection capabilities are very strong, it has a big systemic problem.”
It is too broad, if we need to get more detailed information from areas, we need to rely on these birds to probe and reconnoiter them on-site.”
“At dawn tomorrow, we will release them, clearly survey Snake Rat Island, and find the Green Jade Gold Coffin we fought for.”
After the survivors arrived at the island, their principal objective was finding the misplaced divine artifact.
On Mystifying Monster Island, the Green Jade Gold Coffin was teleported by Jia Sha first. Currently, the survivors do not know where the divine artifact was.
Zi Di then said, “The scouts can be made in other shapes, and have a wide range of applications.”
“I plan to make a rat shape that will be placed in the five pirate ships, to strengthen our supervision over the sailors.”
The young captain nodded, “Very good. Previously, Rou Zang was able to pursue us accurately, it is likely that he has an inside man within our sailors.”
“Now, help me change my battle qi.”
The young man wanted to change his battle qi, and had discussed it earlier with the others, it was part of their plan.
The alchemy formation quickly changed to a completely new one,
In accordance with Zi Di’s guidance, the young man entered the center of the formation and sat cross-legged.
The two yellow crab alchemy puppets sat to the youngster’s right and left, and extended their crab limbs.
Ding, ding ding…
A series of crisp noises rang as the tips of the limbs extended with slender needles.
The slender needles poked towed the youngster, but were immediately blocked by the dragon scales.
The young man’s dragon scales could ward off Rou Zang’s gold level battle skills, of course it could stop these thin needles easily.
But soon after, the youngster’s mind sank into the Bloodcore, and he controlled his transformation.
His external dragon scales rapidly softened, as the transformation was drawn back into Bloodcore.
The thin needles, now without obstructions, smoothly pierced into the young man’s body.
“I will begin.” Said Zi Di.
The young man nodded.
A moment later, the magic formation was activated.
The young captain immediately sensed a powerful suction coming from the twenty needles, battle qi was being sucked out.
The youngster’s body had great amounts of White River battle qi, if he wanted to change his battle qi, he first needed to cleanse away all of the old within him.
Therefore, the young man did not stop the needles, instead he helped them as he consciously moved his battle qi towards the needles so they could suck it out easier.
The White River battle qi quickly vanished.
In but a short while, it was sucked clean away.
The thin needles withdrew, and the young man covered himself in dragon scales again so he could rely on his excellent recovery ability.
This was just the beginning.
Now that the young man was temporarily empty of internal battle qi, it was time to start refining a new one.
The man way to cultivate White River battle qi was swimming, while the Bursting Explosion battle qi cultivation method was boxing.
Standing in the middle of the alchemy formation, the youngster began to punch his fist through the air while his mind focused on certain parts of his body.
Battle qi was quickly produced.
Unfortunately, it was not Bursting Explosion battle qi like the young man wanted, but White River battle qi still.
Fighters cultivated battle qi by refining their internal energy.
The youngster’s body was adapted to and was accustomed to cultivating the White River battle qi technique, therefore even if the young man wasn’t cultivating actively, his body would still constantly produce White River battle qi.
As a result, the longer one cultivated a battle qi technique and the stronger the fighter was, the harder it was for them to change their battle qi technique.
The young captain had anticipated this situation and continued to cultivate without pause.
Not long after, they young captain sat cross-legged again.
The amount of White River battle qi within him was a grave disturbance to the new battle qi he was producing.
Thus, Zi Di activated the alchemy formation again and controlled the two yellow crab puppets to draw out the young captain’s battle qi once again.
After being cleansed, the youngster continued to cultivate as he constantly boxed the air.
After three rounds of this, he still couldn’t sense the new battle qi.
The youngster was not discouraged and continued to persevere.
It took eight rounds in the end, his fist slowing as he smiled happily, “Success, I generate d a new battle qi!”
He was completely drenched in sweat.
His body was finally beginning to change, as it accepted this new thing.
Deciding to strike while the iron was hot, the youngster continued to convert his battle qi.
Constant refinement, constant sitting and having his mixed internal battle qi drawn out.
Several rounds later, it was midnight.
The young man was covered in sweat, as blood flowed from his mouth, nose, and the needle holes on his body.
More and more of the new Bursting Explosion battle qi was being produced, however there was still White River battle qi mixed in with it, the friction between them encroached on the youngster’s internals.
His dragonman body’s healing capabilities couldn’t keep up with the rate of his injuries were worsening.
“You need to rest first.” Said Zi Di.
“Ok.” The youngster followed good advice.
Besides the mixed battle qi damaging his body, his cultivation was also depleting his stamina greatly.
Therefore, fighters can only cultivate for a finite amount of time.
Battle qi comes from a fighter’s refined internal energy, and consumes one’s bodily essence. If it was excessively squeezed, not only will depleted stamina be a problem, it will also cause injuries, permanently reduce one’s essence, lower lifespan, and cause other terrible consequences.
The young captain first consumed some medicine, then ate some food to replenish his stamina.
The food was not magic beast meat, during this phase of change, adding external energy would make the mixed battle qi far more detrimental.
Using the interval while the youngster rested, Zi Di answered Cang Xu’s request and departed the alchemy cabin for the storage room.
The Deep Sea Monster Fish had three storerooms, there were not many and were of small size.
Zi Di entered the storeroom that served as the survivors’ prison, the place where they locked up their important captives.
Not long ago, they had added many important members of Da Zhao’s pirate group to this place.
They were all drugged, to keep them alive, but comatose.
As Zi Di hurried over, Cang Xu was fiddling with an alchemy device.
It was the Memory Extraction and Maker device.
Although War Merchant had records and insights of its usage, this was the first time Cang Xu had used it. In addition, this was the only one they survivors had, if they made a mistake when operating it that damaged it, the survivors could not repair it.
Since this was such an important matter, Cang Xu asked Zi Di to come over, for with her experience, the risks would be minimized as much as possible.
The two people first woke up an iron level fighter of Dao Zhao’s pirate group.
This person was an expert at martial kicks, a competent subordinate of Da Zhao, and former captain of one of the pirate ships.
The fighter woke up slowly, he was weak and could barely budge.
Even while they slept, their bodies would automatically produce battle qi, thus the yellow crab alchemy puppets had to keep them drained.
Mo Hu’s vision gradually unblurred, and the iron level fighter saw who was standing in front of him. In an instant, his eyes contracted as he shouted in alarm, “Ah, Lord Rou Zang!”
The strong fear stimulated his strength, causing him to struggle up and kneel onto the ground, paralyzed.
In order to deceive the captive, Cang Xu used the Deceptive Disguise formation to turn into Rou Zang, while Zi Di was playing the role of the silver level warlock, Mo Kong.
“Spare me your Lordship, spare me your Lordship!” Cang Xu and Zi Di remained silent as this unlucky fellow unceasingly kowtowed with overflowing tears of fear.