Chapter 85 - 84: Above Copper Skin, Immaculate

Chapter 85: Chapter 84: Above Copper Skin, Immaculate

Immortal Pills!

Chen Xuan’s answer was just two short words.

But they landed in Lu Jing’an’s mind with a heavy thud.

"That’s what they’re called within the Ascension Platform,"

Chen Xuan explained to Lu Jing’an.

Chen Xuan stood opposite Lu Jing’an, bathed in the light filtering through the window.

It obscured half his face, leaving only his eyes, remarkably calm in the shadows.

Lu Jing’an’s knuckles tapped lightly on the desk as he mulled it over for a moment.

’The name sounds abrupt at first, but it makes sense on second thought.’

’Didn’t the Dragon King swallow one and transform from a mere Water Bandit into a Smoke Cultivator?’

’Didn’t he become the Dragon King who dominated the Canglan River for over a decade?’

’Calling them [Immortal Pills] wasn’t wrong at all.’

As his thoughts turned, another matter surfaced in his mind.

"Master."

Lu Jing’an leaned forward slightly, resting his arms on the edge of the desk.

"Is there some connection between the Anping Bureau and the Ascension Platform?

Could it be that the Anping Bureau of today is just the old Ascension Platform under a new name?"

Chen Xuan shook his head. His movement was slow, but without a hint of hesitation.

"As far as I know, there is no line of succession."

"The Ascension Platform still exists, but it has moved into the shadows, operating with greater secrecy.

The Anping Bureau is a Government Office that was established later."

He paused, as if trying to recall something.

"I was suspicious about it back then, too. I investigated it secretly for a while and eventually confirmed the two are unrelated."

"However,"

He raised his eyes, meeting Lu Jing’an’s gaze.

"The Anping Bureau has Immortal Pills in its possession. Of that, there is no doubt."

Lu Jing’an leaned back into his chair.

The matter of the Anping Bureau was still distant from his current concerns. Since Chen Xuan didn’t know more, he decided not to press the issue for now.

Having asked most of what he wanted to know, Lu Jing’an proactively changed the subject.

"Master, I plan to use that Copper Gong against the Water Monkeys.

As for the other items, I’ll have someone send them to you. You can see if any of my master’s wife’s belongings are among them."

Chen Xuan waved his hand. "No need. She didn’t bring many personal belongings with her when she boarded the ship back then."

He fell silent for a moment, as if pushing certain emotions back down into the depths.

"You keep them and put them to use."

Just as he finished speaking, Chen Xuan suddenly remembered something and looked up. "Besides the Copper Gong, was there also a whip in the cabin?"

Lu Jing’an carefully recalled the contents of the warehouse and the scenes within the Dragon King Memory Pearl.

Finally, Lu Jing’an shook his head. "I didn’t see a whip.

Master, what is that whip for?

Can it also be used against the Water Monkeys?"

"Yes."

Chen Xuan nodded.

"It’s a special Treasure made by the Immortal Platform. Every Demon Transport Ship is equipped with one, specifically for Demon Training."

Lu Jing’an understood. "I’ll go back and have Second Uncle take another inventory. If it’s really there, I’ll definitely find it.

If not, I’m afraid it was lost in the River when the ship sank."

Hearing this, a faint flicker of gloom passed through Chen Xuan’s eyes.

It was so fast it was almost imperceptible, but Lu Jing’an still caught it.

He guessed that when it was on the ship, the whip was most likely wielded by his master’s wife.

Lu Jing’an wanted to help find it, but if it truly couldn’t be found, there was nothing he could do.

"No matter," Chen Xuan’s voice returned to its usual calm. "Without the whip, repairing the Copper Gong will be even more effective."

Lu Jing’an agreed. "I’ve already asked Second Uncle to find the materials to see if it can be restored to its original state."

Chen Xuan nodded, then straightened up. "Is there anything else, Young Master?"

Lu Jing’an knew that his master needed to be alone at this moment to process the day’s conversation, which had stirred up so many old memories.

He didn’t try to keep him. "Nothing else, Master. Take care."

Chen Xuan turned to leave, his hand already on the doorframe.

But then he stopped and turned his head halfway back.

"Young Master," his voice was low and slow, "do not give those Immortal Pills to anyone lightly."

"Hmm?" Lu Jing’an looked up.

Chen Xuan explained, "Although the Immortal Pills have the power to turn a mortal into an Immortal, their medicinal properties are extremely potent. No ordinary body can withstand them.

Even with the Ascension Platform’s ritual for becoming an Immortal, not even one in a hundred can endure it to the end.

Without the aid of the ritual, death is all but certain."

Lu Jing’an’s heart stirred upon hearing this.

’In that case, the Dragon King must have been a man blessed by fortune.’

’To swallow an Immortal Pill in ignorance and not only survive, but actually carve out a path for himself... that’s incredible.’

’Then again,’ he thought, ’in these chaotic times, which local overlord isn’t blessed by fortune?’

’It’s just that some are blessed with overwhelming fortune, while others have but a shallow dose of luck.’

Seeing Lu Jing’an lost in thought, Chen Xuan assumed he was considering using the pills and added:

"I don’t know the details of the Ascension Platform’s ritual, but I know someone who does.

If you truly wish to use it on someone, Young Master, it wouldn’t be too late to wait until I have investigated the ritual and then reconsider."

Lu Jing’an had no intention of using someone to test the pills, but if he could truly master this ritual, there might be a chance to try it in the future.

He cupped his fists. "I’ll have to trouble you then, Master."

Chen Xuan said no more, pushed the door open, and left. The sound of his footsteps faded down the hallway.

Lu Jing’an sat alone in his office, his fingertips unconsciously tracing the wood grain of the desk.

He had never expected that annihilating the Black Shark Gang would dredge up so many old stories.

But no matter what, finding a way to deal with the Water Monkeys was a good thing.

He sat quietly at his desk for a moment before getting up and heading to the training hall in the back courtyard.

As the head of the Water Patrol Bureau, the administrative and routine tasks were handled by veterans dispatched by Lu Huaiqian; Lu Jing’an only needed to approve the final reports.

A career as an official was not the path he had chosen; rather, circumstances had pushed him onto it.

What Lu Jing’an’s heart truly yearned for was the path of Martial Arts.

He would never let himself be buried in paperwork and neglect his Tendons and Bones.

The training hall was a specially constructed, standalone building.

Its floor was paved with bluestone, and its four walls were unadorned.

Only a weapon rack stood in one corner, the sabers, spears, swords, and staves upon it polished to a bright sheen.

Lu Jing’an stripped off his uniform, leaving him in a set of short, practical training clothes.

He settled into a stable stance and began practicing the Six Harmonies Fist.

Having achieved the Copper Skin Realm, his Six Harmonies Fist was considered to be at the Minor Success stage.

To break through further, he needed to master the other two fist skills within the Six Harmonies Fist.

Chen Xuan had already sent people to find and purchase those two Fist Manuals, and there should be news soon.

Once he had them, he could choose one to practice and step into the Muscle Refining Realm.

After one set of the fist routine, wisps of hot steam rose from Lu Jing’an’s skin. Beads of sweat evaporated from his body heat before they could even drip down.

The temperature in the entire training hall seemed to rise, and the air filled with the scorching scent of vigorous blood-qi.

He concluded his form and stood still, evening out his breath. His gaze fell upon the illusory panel that only he could see.

[Six Harmonies Fist] (Minor Success)

The "+" sign after it was still lit up.

Lu Jing’an had already thought about this.

’Logically, he had already practiced both the [Mountain-Breaking Fist] and the [Thunder Shock Fist] to their limits.’

’The Minor Success stage of his Six Harmonies Fist should have been perfect and without flaw.’

’But the fact that the "+" sign was still lit meant there was still room for improvement.’

He hadn’t tried it before because of the complicated affairs at the Water Patrol Bureau.

He didn’t know what kind of changes adding points would trigger.

He wasn’t worried it would be a bad change, but rather that it would be too good.

So good that he wouldn’t be able to process it all at once, which could interfere with his duties.

Now that the Black Shark Gang was eliminated and he had a lead on the Water Monkeys, it was a good time to try.

He focused his mind on the "+" sign, and the required points appeared:

[Energy Points required: 10]

Lu Jing’an’s eyebrow twitched slightly.

’The more points required, the greater the change would be.’

’Ten points. This was the most he had ever invested in a single upgrade.’

Including the points gained from wiping out the Black Shark Gang, he currently had thirty-five Energy Points.

Repairing the Copper Gong would cost five points, so even if he spent ten now, he would still have plenty to spare.

Without further hesitation, he willed it.

Ten Energy Points flowed into the [Six Harmonies Fist].

In an instant, the two words "Minor Success" on the panel remained unchanged.

But a tidal wave of memories flooded Lu Jing’an’s mind—the experience of practicing the Six Harmonies Fist over ten thousand times.

There were no new moves, only the fist routines he had already mastered.

But each repetition was more refined, more profound, as if countless versions of himself were tempering the skill over and over in the same space and time.

At the same time, a drastic transformation was occurring inside his body.

The fascia beneath his skin was like an old vine in spring, thickening and tightening layer by layer.

It wove itself into a tougher, more resilient net.

The cells of his epidermis became unprecedentedly active, and his skin began to glow from within like red jade.

This wasn’t from blood rushing to the surface due to his practice, but a result of overflowing vitality.

A sticky, turbid substance began to seep from the surface of his body. At first it was like sweat, but it gradually thickened into a slurry.

Finally, it solidified on his skin, forming a hard, black, foul-smelling shell.

When the changes within his body reached a certain critical point...

BOOM!

It was as if a clap of thunder exploded in his mind, or as if the Celestial Sect itself had been thrown wide open.

Lu Jing’an was in a daze for a long time before he finally pulled himself out of that mysterious state.

He looked down to see his entire body covered in a pitch-black filth, the hard shell like a suit of armor.

There was a bathing tub in the corner of the training hall. He shed his clothes and submerged himself in the clean water that had been prepared beforehand.

The filth gradually dissolved in the water, and the murkiness spread.

After he had scooped up water to wash his whole body clean, he lifted his arm for a closer look and couldn’t help but hold his breath.

His skin was like suet jade—fine, smooth, and warm, with a faint, precious light flowing within it.

It was nothing like the rough, dark complexion he had when he first achieved the Copper Skin Realm; in fact, it was even better than before.

He had reached a kind of flawless state.

If he had to describe his current state...

Lu Jing’an could only think of one word:

Immaculate!

His skin looked soft and smooth, but its toughness and hardness hadn’t diminished in the slightest. On the contrary, it had improved upon the foundation of his Copper Skin.

However, the true transformation was not just this.

With a mere thought, a faint coppery sheen appeared on the skin of his arm, entirely at his will.

It then immediately reverted to its jade-like fairness. His control over it—to manifest or retract it at will—was far superior to before.

More importantly, the sound of blood and qi rushing beneath his skin was now deeper and more powerful.

Every inch of his body was filled with an unprecedented vitality, as if he could unleash the power to shatter mountains and part rivers at any moment.

This vitality made Lu Jing’an feel that he could instantly recover from any wound to his skin.