Cultivating Iron Shirt, Breaking Through Two Realms

Ning Chuan had barely hidden behind the door when he heard the sound of a lock turning. Then, with a creak, the dungeon's wooden door was pushed open from outside.

Two bald bandits walked in one after the other, their backs turned squarely toward Ning Chuan.

The dungeon was dimly lit. When the two entered and saw no one, they thought their eyes were playing tricks on them.

They took a few more steps forward, widening their eyes as they scanned the room.

"Eh, where'd that kid go?"

Wang Er had barely spoken when a crisp crack sounded from behind him.

He turned around to see Li San's head lolling crookedly onto his shoulder. Swaying, he slumped to the ground, exposing a dark figure behind him.

Wang Er was horrified and was about to cry out when a pair of iron fists came whistling down onto his head.

He only felt stars bursting before his eyes, and then everything went black.

These two were merely ordinary bandits. Attacking from behind and putting his full strength into it, Ning Chuan killed them both in the blink of an eye.

Ning Chuan looked at the two men sprawled on the ground. They were taking in more air than they breathed out.

His whole body suddenly slackened, his limbs aching and weak, utterly devoid of strength.

After intense tension and excitement, his body had entered a state of self-adjustment.

Having killed two people in a row, he felt not the slightest fear. Instead, there was even a faint, inexplicable thrill.

Could it be that I'm suited for this chaotic age? I'm not even afraid?

Once he had calmed down, Ning Chuan frowned.

Would killing these two bandits be discovered by the others?

What should he do next?

He first searched the two bandits. Neither had brought a weapon, and altogether, he found five copper coins on them.

"Poor bastards!"

Ning Chuan cursed. Seeing that the two were not quite dead yet, he hardened his heart and twisted their necks all the way around.

"Ding, you have killed an enemy and obtained 1 Attribute Point."

"Ding, you have killed an enemy and obtained 1 Attribute Point."

Killing people rewarded Attribute Points?

Ning Chuan's heart pounded wildly. This made things much easier—he could sustain himself through battle, growing stronger as he killed!

Now, Ning Chuan was practically hoping that some bandits would come in to investigate.

He added the two points to his physique, feeling the surging heat within his body reshape him as his strength rose once more.

Outside the cell was a cramped hall, the room where the bandits stood watch.

An iron rod and a broadsword lay on the table. They were Wang Er and Li San's weapons.

Ning Chuan secretly counted himself lucky. Those two had been far too careless, treating him as a lamb waiting for slaughter without the slightest vigilance.

If they had gone in carrying their weapons, then no matter how strong he was, he would still have been stabbed into a hornet's nest.

He took the broadsword and iron rod, returned to the cell, locked it, and pocketed the key.

He then hid the weapons at the base of the wall, dragged Wang Er and Li San's corpses over as well, and covered them with straw.

He walked to the entrance and looked inside. The cell was dark, making it impossible to see clearly. Only then did he relax.

With unease in his heart, Ning Chuan sat cross-legged in the dungeon and waited quietly for dawn.

What he did not know was that the bandits were loose and undisciplined. Even if a few people went missing, no one would take notice.

Time seemed to crawl by. There was no one in the dungeon calling the watches, and after who knew how long, a smile suddenly appeared on Ning Chuan's face.

Behind the system panel, his remaining Sign In attempts had changed from 0 to 1. Dawn had arrived.

Ning Chuan steadied his mind and hurriedly murmured, "Sign In!"

"Ding, you have signed in at Three Tiger Mountain. You have obtained 30 Attribute Points and Third Boss's exclusive martial art Iron Shirt. Would you like to learn it?"

"System, you're amazing!"

Ning Chuan clenched his fists in excitement. This time, not only had he signed in for physique, he had even obtained the cultivation technique Iron Shirt. It was rain in a drought!

He silently commanded, "Add points!"

A massive current of heat surged and roared through his limbs and bones, ceaselessly scouring and reshaping Ning Chuan's body.

Improving physique transformed the body in every aspect.

Ning Chuan's skin became tougher, his muscles swelled continuously, his bones were strengthened, and his sinews grew more vigorous.

His vitality, agility, reflexes, and mental strength were all enhanced!

Stronger—continuing to grow stronger!

The range of Ning Chuan's spiritual perception abruptly expanded outward by another zhang, reaching two zhang.

Opening the system, he saw that his physique had reached 52, and his realm had reached the fifth level of the Body Tempering Realm.

After allocating the points, he continued studying Iron Shirt.

A flood of information surged into his mind. Iron Shirt trained the tendons, bones, and skin externally, and cultivated a breath internally. It was an exceptionally profound hard-style martial art.

The technique was divided into five levels.

The first level, Copper Skin, increased defense.

The second level, Iron Bone, increased attack.

The third level, Silver Tendon, increased agility.

The fourth level, Golden Muscle, strengthened endurance.

The fifth level, Jade Marrow, generated inner force.

Upon reaching Great Perfection at the fifth level, one would progress from the outside inward, unifying inner and outer. Iron Shirt true qi would then naturally arise within the body.

When used to attack, it was like steel and iron, indestructible and unstoppable.

When used for defense, it was like an iron-clad shirt, impregnable and unbreakable.

However, cultivating this technique required great perseverance, great courage, and great wisdom. Otherwise, one could only grasp its superficial form.

What Ning Chuan did not know was that Iron Shirt was a widely circulated technique, practiced by many martial artists.

But because it was extraordinarily difficult to cultivate, those who had trained it to profound heights were as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns.

Even Third Boss of Three Tiger Mountain had practiced it for over twenty years, yet had only barely reached the peak of the first level.

Once he had absorbed the information on the Iron Shirt technique, it felt as though he had practiced it for a very long time. The technique had already fused into his blood, flesh, and bones.

Unable to help himself, he assumed a stance and began to practice.

The first level of Iron Shirt shook the qi and blood throughout the body, repeatedly tempering the skin and membranes.

As Ning Chuan moved, the qi and blood throughout his body were slowly stirred, vibrating repeatedly in a certain rhythm.

Ning Chuan moved faster and faster, his form becoming smoother and smoother. The fifty-twofold physique boost turned Ning Chuan into an unparalleled martial arts prodigy.

Before long, his body suddenly shuddered. A ring of yellow light glimmered across his skin, then vanished in an instant.

Ning Chuan felt as if his skin had been coated with a thick membrane. This was Great Perfection in the first-level Copper Skin realm.

Legend had it that this was the realm where a blade could only leave a mark and a spear could only pierce a point, greatly increasing one's defense.

"No, the Copper Skin realm still isn't secure enough. Third Boss also practices Iron Shirt—I wonder what level he has reached?"

"And who knows whether he has even more formidable martial arts?"

Next, Ning Chuan practiced tirelessly. He continued on to the second-level Iron Bone realm, once again driving his qi and blood to temper his bones.

After an unknown amount of time, a ring of iron-gray light suddenly burst from Ning Chuan's body.

The light flickered for a moment before gradually fading away. The second-level Iron Bone realm had reached completion, and his attack power greatly increased.

"The first level specializes in defense, while the second boosts attack. Now I have both offense and defense, along with that terrifying physique boost.

"My strength, agility, reactions, mental power, and more have all risen dramatically!"

As long as he did not run into Third Boss, escaping Three Tiger Mountain should not be difficult!

He looked at the system again.

Host: Ning Chuan

Realm: Body Tempering Realm, Level 5

Lifespan: 16/68

Physique: 52

Technique: Iron Shirt (Second-Level Iron Bone Realm, Peak)

Attribute Points: 0

Remaining Sign In Attempts: 0

He peered outside through the palm-sized window. The night was pitch-black; he had no idea when dawn would come.

"I can't keep practicing!"

"Killing people can earn Attribute Points. I might as well make a move under cover of darkness, then escape Three Tiger Mountain."

With martial arts at his disposal, Ning Chuan's courage swelled.

Ning Chuan picked up a simple saber from the corner and strapped it to his back, then carried an iron staff out of the dungeon.

When he pushed open the dungeon doors, a cold wind rushed into his face. Outside, the night was dark and the wind was fierce.