Chapter 79: Chapter 78: Talent Advancement "That’s right, the Stone Spirit may not be considered precious, but it’s extremely rare, and the young lady put in a lot of effort to get it." Xiao Qian praised her master. She turned to leave, but Lou Yi stopped her. "If I want to find your lady, what should I do?" To find Tian Suxi, one could directly go to the Su Family’s main entrance, but that would be too conspicuous. What Lou Yi was asking about was an undisclosed contact method. Xiao Qian thought for a moment, then took out a pink sachet from her bosom: "The Shanglong Tea House in the west of the city is the young lady’s private property, and this is the token." "Alright." Lou Yi took the sachet. Then, he pulled out a piece of fine white jade from his chest. It was completely snow-white, with a few natural red veins running through its surface, like a burning flame. "Help me return this piece of jade to your young lady." "You’re quite conscientious." Xiao Qian gave Lou Yi a coquettish glance and happily took the Spirit Breath Jade. The Spirit Breath Jade was a precious item Tian Suxi had nurtured with her essence blood for years, left with Lou Yi to gain his trust at the time. After numerous interactions, Lou Yi had a certain understanding of Tian Suxi’s character and returned the treasured item to its rightful owner. This action not only gained the other party’s favor but also deepened their alliance. Back in his room, Lou Yi closed the door. He looked at his Attribute Panel. The Energy barely reached twenty points over this period, and with the newly acquired Stone Spirit, it just met the requirements for talent enhancement. Well then, let’s enhance. Lou Yi grasped the Stone Spirit and imagined a surge of power in his mind, pressing the "+" sign behind Talent. Immediately, the Stone Spirit began to shrink at a speed visible to the naked eye. A few breaths later, Lou Yi was left with only some sesame-sized gray residues in his hand. Alien memories simultaneously appeared in Lou Yi’s mind. He transformed once more into that monkey capable of absorbing the essence of the sun and moon. Every day, he led the monkey group in the daytime, gathering wild fruits, driving away wolf packs, and leading the tribe to grow stronger. At night, he lay in that sunken boulder, bathing in the bright moonlight, absorbing the moon’s essence. Day after day, year after year. After an unknown amount of time, the Monkey King’s body became increasingly powerful, reaching a higher level. After transformation, the fur and skin color changed from the original gray-white to a more substantial porcelain white. Previously, some animal leaders who could contend with him, like the Bear King and the Tiger King. After this enhancement, even their fur couldn’t withstand his bite, and they were all driven out of the Monkey King’s territory. The memory ended, and Lou Yi opened his eyes to find a large stream of gentle energy within his body. Lou Yi felt as if every muscle, bone, and organ in his body was soaking in nutrient fluid, comfortable, light, and smooth, with countless cells frantically absorbing nutrients... He looked at the Attribute Panel: [Name: Lou Yi] [Age: 19/56] [Realm: None] [Cultivation Technique: Hu Family Breathing Technique (Not Initiated 0/10)] [Skills: Lou’s Axe Skill (Proficient 0/100), Extreme Fist (Skilled 0/30), Stone Throwing (Proficient 0/30), Light Body Technique (Proficient 0/60), Basic Spear Technique (Beginner 0/6), Secret Skill: Dragon Piercing Technique - Fragment (One)] [Talent: Petrification (Skilled 0/60+3 Stone Spirits+1 Phoenix Blood Stone)] [Energy: 0] With the talent of Petrification reaching the skilled level, the next upgrade requires more resources, not only 60 Energy points but also 3 Stone Spirits and a Phoenix Blood Stone. Lou Yi had never even heard of what a Phoenix Blood Stone was, but it must be more precious than the Stone Spirit. However, Lou Yi’s focus shifted from talents to the age line. His lifespan had, unprecedentedly, increased by one year! What does this signify? Lifespan isn’t fixed; it can truly be enhanced! The hidden anxiety within all this time can finally be let go. I can defy the heavens and change my fate! But the lifespan increase from talent enhancement is too slight; most likely, it will depend on the Breathing Technique. Lou Yi started to study the enhanced Petrification talent, but the introduction hadn’t changed: Petrification (Passive): The strength of the body gradually increases over time. Petrification (Active): Can selectively petrify a surface area of the body for a short time. The duration and area of petrification will expand with talent enhancement. "Petrification." Lou Yi silently mouthed in his heart. Soon after, the entire surface of his right arm, including his palm, turned a gray-white color. At the initial level, it could only cover most of the palm’s surface. As for resistance to injury, there wasn’t much change compared to before. Lou Yi tried using a regular broadsword and needed fifty percent more force to break the defense. "So I grew myself a Qilin Arm?" Lou Yi chuckled to himself. When the day comes when I lose my weapon, this arm can become my second weapon. And this is just the skilled level of the talent. Upon mastery and minor achievement, the coverage will undoubtedly become fuller, eventually covering the entire body to form a small stone figure. However, thinking of the porcelain white fur of the Monkey King in his memory, Lou Yi got an idea. The white color on his arm receded like water. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺 In the end, only a patch of white remained in the palm, but it had transformed from gray-white to porcelain white. Lou Yi took out a broadsword and tapped the blade’s tip against it. ’Ting!’ A crisp sound of hard materials clashing rang out, and as Lou Yi continuously experimented, even sparks burst forth. "This defense is comparable to ordinary steel!" Lou Yi was overjoyed. The porcelain white petrification function, if used well, could be stronger than the Qilin Arm. After all, the petrified position can be adjusted in real-time at one’s whim. Lou Yi tested the duration of the talent’s operation again, which could last about three to four breaths, not long but enough to turn the tide of a battle. With the talent upgrade, Lou Yi was brimming with confidence, feeling he could challenge a Three Blood Realm martial artist. Of course, having never witnessed a Minor Circulation realm martial artist in action, this was merely his estimation. Now returning to the old problem, the gap in Energy is widening. He needs to join the Beast Hunter Guard as soon as possible; perhaps only the spirit monsters in the Hundred Beasts Mountain Range can meet his needs. Or maybe there’s a clever trick? Lou Yi’s eyes lit up as he thought of a solution. ... Extreme Fist Sect, Martial Arts Training Ground. In a corner, Lou Yi sat on the ground with Zhan Weida, chatting casually. "Where can I buy Spirit Monster Meat?" Zhan Weida asked curiously, "You haven’t learned the Breathing Technique yet, so you wouldn’t need it, would you?" "Just tell me the location." "That stuff is easy to get at a big pharmacy, but it’s not cheap." Zhan Weida pulled out a fingernail-sized piece of black jerky from his sleeve and tossed it to Lou Yi, "Have a taste." Lou Yi put it in his mouth and took a bite, tearing off a piece of straight meat. It tasted somewhat like pork jerky but tougher to chew, with a slight sweetness. After eating it, a noticeable warmth soon arose in his abdomen. "Just a little piece like that costs over a hundred wen." Zhan Weida shook his head, "To maintain bodily functions at the martial artist level, you need to eat several dozen pounds of beef or mutton a day, which isn’t easy to absorb, plus constant detoxing, it’s troublesome. To avoid these issues, you need to eat Spirit Monster Meat, but it’s much more expensive than beef or mutton, costing several taels of silver per pound, which an average household can’t afford." After speaking, he looked at Lou Yi intently: "But, if you’re willing to join my Zhan Family as a Guest Minister, you can eat as much Spirit Monster Meat as you like, until you’re full, even to the point of throwing up." "So you’ve had your eyes on me for a while, huh?" Lou Yi chuckled, "But I don’t want the cured kind; I want fresh Spirit Monster Meat, as whole as possible, preferably the entire thing. Can you make that happen?" The Zhan Family is a major supplier of medicinal materials, and due to the nourishing properties of Spirit Monster Meat, it’s also one of their main products. "Fresh and whole? That’s a weird request." Zhan Weida was puzzled, "Unless the Beast Hunter Guard just happens to bring one back, and you happen to catch it." "If you’re looking for that, you’ll have to try your luck at the Black Market." "Black Market?" Lou Yi raised an eyebrow. ...