Meanwhile, a surge of hunger, indescribable with words, swept over.
Zhao Ya felt as if his entire body were empty; even if a cow were placed before him, he could swallow it whole.
Luckily Zhao Ya was prepared, and he immediately pulled out a piece of earthworm dried meat from his chest and put it into his mouth.
There was no time to chew, so he swallowed it directly.
In an instant, the dried meat was completely torn apart by the ravenous stomach and absorbed thoroughly.
Yet, the hunger not only didn't decrease but grew even fiercer.
Zhao Ya took out the box containing dried meat and, without caring for anything else, stuffed large handfuls into his mouth.
Piece after piece of dried meat went into his belly, and the Water Valley Essence Talent immediately activated, grinding these meats into their finest state, then absorbing the essence completely into the Qi Blood needed by the body.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
With each heartbeat sounding like a drum, Zhao Ya felt his Qi Blood circulation speed increase significantly.
The abundant Qi Blood was pumped by the powerful heart to every part of the body, nourishing each organ, meridian, bone...
Finally, after swallowing almost twenty pieces of dried meat, the hunger gradually faded.
Zhao Ya slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air, feeling that his whole being was renewed and filled with strength.
Is this the positive effect of heart enhancement?
Indeed, it's strong enough!
Thinking of the talent gained after unlocking his stomach, Zhao Ya couldn't help but be fascinated.
Now, just at three percent progress, he already felt the effects; what would it be like once completely unlocked?
It's known that the Heart is the most yang of yang, the ruler among officials, governing the body's blood vessels, and the root of Qi Blood operation.
Any Martial Dao cultivation cannot do without a strong heart.
If he could unlock his heart early, it would certainly lay a solid foundation for future cultivation, benefiting him immensely.
Thinking of this, Zhao Ya's gaze became increasingly resolute.
Next, Zhao Ya took out the Meteorite Iron Saber and began practicing the Gale Saber Technique.
As soon as he started, Zhao Ya felt a whole new sensation.
With Great Success in Muscle Strengthening, both his strength and reaction speed were far beyond before.
Each strike brought a gust of saber wind, and when the technique reached its climax, it seemed as if a gale swept through the small courtyard, lifting the dust from the ground.
Suddenly.
Zhao Ya soared into the air, swinging his saber across.
In an instant, the dried grass on the roof was neatly cut, scattering in the sky and beautifully illuminated by the cold moon.
Zhao Ya held the treasured blade, quietly watching the scene, gaining an insight.
Previously, he merely hacked with the blade; although there were changes, he was confined to the framework of the Gale Saber Technique, appearing very rigid.
But the slash just now was purely intuitive, moving with feeling.
At the moment of striking, Zhao Ya felt his Qi Blood move with the saber's momentum, enabling him to deliver this powerful blow.
[Gale Saber Technique proficiency increased by 50]
The system's prompt arrived belatedly.
Zhao Ya knew his Gale Saber Technique had broken through again.
Zhao Ya lovingly stroked the saber blade, aware that his saber technique's fierce advancement was largely due to this treasured blade.
In fact, a formidable saber is not only sharp but more importantly, it is forged with meticulous precision in weight and dimensions to achieve near perfection.
Don't underestimate this aspect; to a skilled saber user, it's extremely important.
At this moment, Zhao Ya was immensely satisfied.
That night, Zhao Ya experienced a qualitative leap in overall strength.
Zhao Ya's heart also felt somewhat more at ease.
Even if Zhao Ya were placed in the outside Jianghu at this moment, he was confident he could protect himself to a certain extent.
The premise is not to act recklessly, maintaining a low profile.
Zhao Ya decided to keep his breakthrough hidden for now, and tell the Escort Agency later.
After all, a seventeen-year-old Martial Artist in the Second Realm is rather conspicuous.
The gun strikes the first bird, and Zhao Ya didn't want to become a target.
The following day.
The New Year's holiday ended, and Zhao Ya arrived early at the Escort Agency.
Just after the New Year, the Escort Agency was also quite idle.
Zhao Ya happily spent a day idling and then declined Luo Feng's enthusiastic invitation before leaving the Escort Agency.
Zhao Ya didn't go home but instead changed clothes in a small alley and then turned into another street.
Soon, Zhao Ya arrived at a location, looked up, and saw a plaque with four characters.
Shuangsheng Treasure Bureau.
Even standing on the street, one could feel the noise inside.
Crowds cheering, cursing, and the sound of dice striking.
All these indicate that it's a gambling house.
And Zhao Ya's destination was right there.
Pulling aside the thick cotton curtain, Zhao Ya stepped inside.
Upon entering, a strange smell mixed with sweat, foot odor, and smoke assaulted him.
Zhao Ya couldn't help but hold his breath and then looked around.
He saw a large room filled with long tables, each crowded with people.
Some were playing Pai Gow, others throwing dice, and there was even a table betting on chess.
In short, any gambling method imaginable was available here.
"Sir, you seem unfamiliar—is it your first time here?"
Zhao Ya looked down and saw a man before him, not tall, but with a face full of shrewdness.
"Yes, just passing by, taking a look!"
Zhao Ya feigned great interest.
The man's eyes lit up.
People like him have keen eyes, and from Zhao Ya's attire and demeanor, he discerned that Zhao Ya is wealthy, thus his smile became warmer.
"I'm Liu San, a worker here at the Treasure Bureau. Sir, since it's your first time here, may I show you around?"
"Sure!"
"How much do you intend to exchange for chips?"
"Start with this!" Zhao Ya pulled out a piece of broken silver.
Liu San reached for it, estimating it to weigh seven or eight qian, and smiled.
"Alright, I'll exchange this for chips!"
After exchanging for chips, Liu San led Zhao Ya around various tables.
Whenever there was a spot, Zhao Ya joined in betting a few times; perhaps because he felt good, after an hour, Zhao Ya surprisingly won over one liang of silver.
After giving Liu San a small tip, Zhao Ya exchanged the chips for silver and left.
Stepping outside, Zhao Ya took a deep breath of the cold air, a glint of coldness flashing in his eyes.
He was not here to gamble but to gather information.
Zhao Ya's biggest predicament right now was a lack of money!
Because only five or six days had passed, and the box of dried meat that Tan Ziwang gave him was already half gone.
Especially with last night's breakthrough, he devoured twenty-one pieces of dried meat.
Though driven by the recent breakthrough, Zhao Ya clearly felt that upon becoming a Martial Artist in the Muscle Strengthening Realm, his demand for meat grew.
Previously, four dried meats a day sufficed for cultivation needs; now, six or even eight might be needed.
This means that monthly consumption of earthworm dried meat alone could be astronomical.
In brief, it's two words.
Make money!