Salvation, Human Hearts

"The Tiger Demon Bone Refining Fist from my Life-Slaying Martial Hall can refine all 206 bones in the human body. It is the highest-grade martial art among all Tendons and Bones Realm techniques."

"I will personally demonstrate the essence of these forty-eight forms for you. With your current Spirit Solidification Realm cultivation, I believe you will be able to engrave them in your heart quickly."

Old Master Zhang wasted no words.

He directly took off his clothes, revealing his powerful physique to Li Xijun, and began demonstrating the forty-eight forms of the Tiger Demon Bone Refining Fist.

With clear movements, he allowed Li Xijun to see the trembling of his major tendons and the crisp sounds of his qi and blood surging through his bones as he practiced.

Compared to the full set of the "Tiger Demon Bone Refining Fist" demonstrated by Yu Xiangyang previously, Zhang Fuhu now felt like a true 'Tiger Demon' to Li Xijun, leaping, pouncing, slashing, and killing within the spacious training hall.

The intense aura and vast blood energy almost filled the entire hall.

Although it was just the two of them in the vast space, Li Xijun clearly felt a primal fear, his Divine Soul suppressed to the point where it couldn't manifest. Aside from observing the martial arts forms, no other thoughts could even arise.

Even after Zhang Fuhu finished demonstrating the remaining forty-eight forms, Li Xijun still felt unable to move. His Divine Soul continuously transmitted a feeling of lingering fear, like being pulled out of drowning.

"A Martial Sage! Even a mere Blood-Exchange Martial Sage of the Da Sheng World is this terrifying."

Li Xijun recalled that when he first observed, his mind only contained a 'Tiger Demon' practicing those forty-eight forms. He couldn't recall anything else.

The more he tried to recall, the more he felt captivated by the profound meaning of the 'Tiger Demon's' movements.

This caused Li Xijun's body to instinctively leap forward without a conscious thought, beginning to practice the entire forty-eight forms of the fist technique, refining his tendons and bones.

Li Xijun felt his major tendons within his body being torn, damaged, and burned. During the 'refining' process, they twitched and trembled alarmingly, while his qi and blood continuously stimulated and cleansed all 206 of his bones.

A pain from within his body, a burning sensation, accompanied by a stinging pain and itchiness from his bone marrow, caused Li Xijun's spirit to constantly experience suffering, even leading to thoughts of giving up.

"No wonder the books say that even with mediocre talent, one can reach the 'Skin and Flesh Realm' through time and resources."

"But once one reaches the 'Tendons and Bones Realm,' it can filter out ninety percent of ordinary people."

"Just the pain of 'refining' tendons and bones is something ordinary people cannot endure."

As Li Xijun thought this, his Divine Soul instinctively began to contemplate the "Twenty-Four Rank White Lotus Salvation Chart."

This plunged his mind into a state of pure clarity and emptiness.

All worldly hardships, all physical pain, before these blooming white lotuses, were like illusory dreams, scattering with the wind.

'Salvation and Destruction!'

'This is salvation and destruction!'

Li Xijun suddenly understood the true meaning contained within the "Twenty-Four Rank White Lotus Salvation Chart."

[Your Contemplation Method, "Twenty-Four Rank White Lotus Salvation Chart," has increased from Proficient 20% to Proficient 40%.]

[Your Spirit-Refining System: Spirit Solidification Realm, has increased from 8% to Proficient 13%.]

[Your Mental level has increased from 9.8 to 10.3.]

This made Li Xijun fight faster and smoother. The rapidly advancing mental power of the Spirit Solidification Realm allowed him, as the books stated, to easily and precisely guide his qi and blood to refine his tendons and bones more efficiently.

When he finally came to his senses, the sky outside had already turned dark.

His 6.4-level qi and blood had been completely depleted, even feeling somewhat deficient.

The messages before him continued to refresh one after another.

[Your Martial Arts System: Tendons and Bones Realm, has increased from 0% to 1%.]

[Your "Subduing Tiger Bone Refining Method" realm has increased from Proficient 100% to Mastery 11%.]

[Your "True Martial Thirty-Six Forms" realm has increased from Mastery 29% to Mastery 34%.]

Li Xijun was engrossed in reading, while Zhang Fuhu, who had initially been surprised to see a genius, then astonished by the breakthrough in spirit refinement, and finally fell silent as his martial arts cultivation steadily progressed, ultimately let out a sigh filled with complex emotions when Li Xijun stopped.

"Alas, Master Boyan, your suggestion back then was correct."

"Combining spirit refinement with martial arts truly complements each other and yields twice the results with half the effort."

"Especially for those with superior talent in both spirit refinement and martial arts, they can easily grasp the essence of the 'Tiger Demon Bone Refining Fist' when practicing martial arts. Their Divine Souls can easily withstand the pain of refining tendons and bones, and the results of their powerful minds and refined qi and blood are ten times that of ordinary people."

"He should achieve Greater Bone and Tendon Refinement within three months."

"Such talent... such talent, it's a pity that the path of martial arts in my Da Sheng has no future!"

Zhang Fuhu's heart was filled with a thousand emotions, but his face remained impassive. He simply let out a hearty laugh as usual:

"Xijun, when I first saw you comprehend the essence of the 'Tiger Demon Bone Refining Fist' on your first attempt, I intended to take you as a direct disciple."

"But now, I have indeed changed my mind."

With that, Zhang Fuhu looked at Li Xijun's expression.

Seeing his calm demeanor, devoid of joy or sorrow, he stroked his beard with satisfaction and said:

"Three months! I'll give you three months. If you can achieve Greater Bone and Tendon Refinement and minor success in Spirit Solidification, I will grant you a great opportunity then."

"Go now. Go back and rest well, and nourish your body."

After walking out of the main residence's gate, Before Li Xijun could sort through his day's gains, people who had been waiting for a long time surrounded him.

"I saw that it was getting late, but my junior brother was still training hard with Master. I knew he must have consumed a lot of energy."

The direct disciple, dressed in short attire and called Meng Qifeng, stepped forward and quickly handed a Qi and Blood Great Pill to Li Xijun.

"Junior brother, please take this medicine to recover and rest well. We can go to Wangjiang Restaurant together another day."

Given Meng Qifeng's well-mannered approach, Li Xijun naturally nodded and smiled in agreement.

Next, as he passed by the large outdoor training ground, many martial hall disciples who were practicing late into the night saw him emerge from the main residence and a boisterous group swarmed him.

"Greetings, Senior Brother Li. I've heard much about you. Junior Brother Gong Yun has long admired you."

"Senior Brother Li became a Tendons and Bones Realm martial artist in just one month. Truly gifted! I think he's much better than Su Qiuzhen was before."

"Senior Brother Li, do you have some free time? Perhaps we could go for drinks at Wangjiang Restaurant."

Previously, the martial hall disciples had viewed Li Xijun as just a rich young master, even seeing him as a fat sheep with ulterior motives.

But after the news of Li Xijun's advancement to the Tendons and Bones Realm spread today, they all showed fawning and worshipful attitudes.

Anyone with a brain would assume he started as a Marrow Refinement Grandmaster and might even reach the Martial Sage realm.

Li Xijun dealt with them one by one, finally managing to exit the martial hall's main gate with great effort.

"Senior Brother, Senior Brother Li!"

Li Xijun, who had just breathed a sigh of relief, turned around.

The martial hall disciple who had been at the gate when he arrived had already eagerly run over. He casually slipped a silver ingot into Li Xijun's pocket and said with a smile, "It was my fault earlier, I was out of my mind. Please forgive me, Senior Brother Li, forgive me. Haha."

Looking at the man's apologetic smile, Li Xijun figured that if he didn't accept it, the man would likely feel uneasy.

"I've forgotten what happened before. But it's getting late, so I'll be going now."

"Indeed, indeed! Senior Brother Li is likely to become a Martial Sage, so he naturally needs to take care of himself."

The man quickly agreed, bowed slightly, and scurried away.

Seeing this scene, Li Xijun first gazed at the ancient and simple martial hall before him for a long time. Then, he looked up at the sky, where countless stars dotted the pure night sky. Lost in thought, he became somewhat dazed for a moment.