External Skills

This energy possessed extremely high quality, allowing Chu Kuang's condition to quickly return to its peak, and even greatly enhancing his own potential.

The medicinal power of the Source Energy Potion had activated the deep-layer cells within his body, temporarily elevating his bone structure potential to a tremendous degree, almost as if he had been temporarily raised to the upper three grades.

This enhancement could assist an apprentice in breaking through to the Mortal Transformation Realm smoothly, and also greatly benefited the breakthrough of Basic Internal Martial Arts to perfection, significantly lowering the difficulty of overcoming its bottleneck.

However, once the medicinal power of the Source Energy Potion was exhausted, these activated deep-layer cells would sink back into dormancy, so he had to seize the time to quickly break through the bottleneck of Basic External Martial Arts.

Knowing that time was precious, Chu Kuang immediately immersed all his focus into the cultivation of Basic External Martial Arts.

Basic External Martial Arts consisted of thirty-six forms in total, a fusion of the Body Forging methods of myriad races compiled by humanity, a repeatedly streamlined foundational technique. Hence, it was extremely strenuous to practice, and an ordinary person would be utterly exhausted after completing one set.

After taking the Source Energy Potion, Chu Kuang felt as if the power within him was nearly inexhaustible.

He performed three consecutive sets of Basic External Martial Arts, not only feeling no strain, but instead growing increasingly relaxed and proficient, with a hint of fluid harmony in his movements.

Finally, after completing the cultivation of Basic External Martial Arts for the ninth time, Chu Kuang suddenly felt a flash of insight. The originally stiff and difficult Basic External Martial Arts became completely smooth and harmonious, and in his hands, it even carried a trace of a master's bearing.

"It's done!"

Chu Kuang took a deep breath and, like flowing clouds and running water, completed the Basic External Martial Arts practice once more. He immediately felt that his entire body's skin, flesh, meridians, blood, and bones had undergone an ultimate transformation.

As his bones crackled and popped in succession, he slowly withdrew his stance and stood still, then sensed the panel within his mind.

Name: Chu Kuang

Race: Human

Life Level: 5.1

Realm: Body Forging Perfection [Pebble Body], Organ Refining Grand Completion

Bone Structure: Medium [Fourth Grade]

Comprehension: Upper [Seventh Grade]

Physique: Mortal Body

Cultivation Method: Basic External Martial Arts [Perfection 0/3]...

"Life Level 5.1."

"Pebble Body."

Chu Kuang was not surprised by the increase in Life Level; his gaze fell on the words "Pebble Body."

Body Forging was divided into four levels: Pebble Body, Mysterious Iron Body, Barbaric Bronze Body, and Adamantine Body.

Basic External Martial Arts could at most cultivate the Pebble Body, with a Life Level cap of only 5.5. Paired with a Basic Internal Martial Arts of the same level, one could cultivate Life Force to level 7.

The success rate of breaking through the Mortal Transformation Realm with Life Force at level 7 was pitifully low. Even if one managed to break through by luck, it would be nearly impossible to advance further. This was why Xu Yue had urged Chu Kuang to quickly cultivate an advanced cultivation method.

Chu Kuang's Iron Armor Technique and Jiang Feng's Brute Ox Technique, though only basic advanced methods, could both cultivate the Mysterious Iron Body.

The Life Level cap for the Mysterious Iron Body was around 6.5. Paired with an internal technique of the same grade, one could achieve a Life Force of level 8.

With Life Force at level 8, the chances of breaking through the Mortal Transformation Realm would greatly increase, and the future potential ceiling would also be broadened considerably.

Beyond that were intermediate and advanced methods, which could cultivate the Barbaric Bronze Body and Adamantine Body.

The Barbaric Bronze Body had a Life Level of 7.5, and the Adamantine Body a Life Level of 8.5. Paired with internal techniques of the same level, Life Force could even reach levels 9 and 10, but generally, only elites from the Key Class had hopes of cultivating them.

The minimum standard for a First-Order Mortal Transformation Realm martial artist was roughly Life Level 11.

"Basic External Martial Arts is just for laying a foundation. Its characteristic is a stable foundation that doesn't harm the bones and muscles during practice, but it has no additional effect on tempering the physical body."

Chu Kuang murmured to himself, understanding that to cultivate the stronger Mysterious Iron Body, he would need an advanced method like the Iron Armor Technique. With this thought, he used his will to click on Basic External Martial Arts.

Basic External Martial Arts [Perfection 0/3]: The compendium of all external martial arts under heaven, easy to learn but hard to master. It is the most suitable method for laying humanity's foundation.

Attached Affix: Compendium of External Martial Arts [Gold].

Compendium of External Martial Arts [Gold]: All external martial arts under heaven bow before it. When cultivating any external martial art whose realm does not exceed that of Basic External Martial Arts, cultivation speed is increased tenfold, and the difficulty of breaking through bottlenecks is reduced tenfold.

"Tenfold external martial arts cultivation speed, and the difficulty of breaking through bottlenecks is also reduced tenfold?"

Chu Kuang's heart trembled slightly, and he couldn't help clenching his fist, clearly unable to hide his excitement.

With the tenfold cultivation speed boost and the reduced bottleneck difficulty, even his speed in cultivating external martial arts might surpass that of upper three-grade bone structure, and likely rival even top-grade bone structure.

Top-grade bone structure was extremely rare. Throughout Tian Heng Third Middle School, there was only one person with it—the school's undisputed number one, a genius ranked among the top ten of his peers in all of Tian Heng City.

As for earth-grade bone structure above that, it was considered top-tier genius material across the entire Tian Yuan Galaxy.

"In two months, securing a spot in the top hundred should be no problem."

Chu Kuang's mind settled, and he noticed the [0/3] behind Basic External Martial Arts. He immediately focused his will and clicked on it, soon gaining some insights.

Basic External Martial Arts had already reached perfection, but if he could cultivate one volume each of the basic, intermediate, and advanced Body Forging methods, and bring them all to perfection, he could enable Basic External Martial Arts to step into the [Break Limit] realm.

"Break Limit... breaking the limits. So this is the realm beyond perfection?"

Chu Kuang pondered. He had heard of the concept of Break Limit before, but it was something only truly peerless prodigies could achieve. Among all high school students in Tian Heng City, only a few managed it each year.

Once a cultivation method achieved Break Limit, it was almost equivalent to obtaining a ticket to the Three Top Universities.

He withdrew his focus and immediately began cultivating the Iron Armor Technique. To his surprise, the speed of cultivation this time was astonishingly fast. In just a short while of practice, he had already cultivated the Iron Armor Technique to the Minor Accomplishment realm.

Iron Armor Technique [Minor Accomplishment 1%].

"So fast."

Chu Kuang felt a flicker of joy in his heart, roughly understanding that the Iron Armor Technique's rapid progress wasn't just due to the gold entry, but also related to his mastery of Basic External Martial Arts.

After all, having perfected Basic External Martial Arts, his understanding of external techniques had reached near-master level. Cultivating the lower-tier Iron Armor Technique from such a height naturally made it effortless.

"At this rate, the Iron Armor Technique will reach great success within ten days."

Chu Kuang murmured to himself, then looked back at the Iron Armor Technique's entry.

Iron Armor [Blue]: Iron armor protects the body, impervious to blades and spears. Iron Armor Technique defense increased by twenty percent.

"The Iron Armor entry boosts defense by twenty percent, not the thirty percent I expected."

"It seems these combat-enhancing entries don't have as exaggerated numbers as those that boost cultivation speed. Of course, it might also be related to the strength of the technique being cultivated. I'll find out once I practice a stronger technique later."

Chu Kuang ended his training and felt a gnawing hunger, realizing he had been cultivating until dawn. The energy from the Source Energy Potion had gradually faded.

He quickly took out two Nutrient Solutions and drank them down, only then feeling much better.

Nutrient Solutions were the foundation of human martial civilization and one of the keys to humanity's rise.

Because Nutrient Solutions were extracted from tons of potatoes, rice, corn, wheat, beef, pork, and other staple foods, with the essence of dozens of pounds of ginseng, lingzhi, deer antler, fleeceflower root, and other potent medicinal herbs added.

The energy contained in a single small Nutrient Solution rivaled that of several cows.

Practicing martial arts—thirty percent relies on training, seventy percent on talent, and ninety percent on medicinal supplements. Without enough Nutrient Solutions, training could genuinely kill a person.

Fortunately, he was born in this good era. With humanity's current technological level, staple crops could already yield tens of thousands of pounds per acre.

Large-scale soilless cultivation of staple crops and medicinal herbs was even possible in space near stars, driving the cost of these Nutrient Solutions down to extremely low levels.

Yet even so, one Nutrient Solution cost a hundred Federal Coins, and a hundred Federal Coins was enough for an ordinary person to live comfortably for a year.

After all, behind the Nutrient Solutions were a million livelihoods at stake. Father Chu and Mother Chu's current jobs were also tending to the farms that cultivated these staple crops.

"Poverty for literature, wealth for martial arts."

"It's a pity I can't get a scholarship anymore."

Chu Kuang muttered, feeling envious that the school gave Jiang Feng an extra ten Nutrient Solutions each month. In fact, the school had always provided Nutrient Solutions for the Top Students in the class. Chu Kuang had received them for a while in middle school too.

Unfortunately, after entering high school, he never broke into the top ten of the class again, so the Nutrient Solutions were naturally no longer his.

"Only two Nutrient Solutions left."

After drinking them, Chu Kuang looked at the last two Nutrient Solutions in his storage cabinet, his brow furrowing slightly.

After perfecting Basic External Martial Arts, there was no bottleneck before his life force reached level 5.5, but it would require a massive amount of Nutrient Solutions to solidify his foundation.

Relying on just these last two Nutrient Solutions, there was no way he could raise his life force level to 5.5.

With that thought, he got up and left the Martial Arts Room, heading to his parents' room to consider asking them for money to buy Nutrient Solutions, only to hear an argument.

"We only have a hundred thousand left in the house, and you spent it on a Source Energy Potion?"

"What about your hand? Tell me, are you still going to treat it or not?"

Mother Chu's voice was somewhat hysterical, a sob creeping into her tone.

The man's voice was calm, his tone firm as he said, "Limb reconstruction costs a million. With our abilities, we can't afford it."

"And unless we find some rare healing treasure in the Dark Domain, ordinary limb reconstruction surgery can't restore my foundation. I still won't have a chance to break through to the Mortal Transformation Realm."

"The eldest is still young. He needs this opportunity more than a cripple like me."

"But what about Chu Yu?"

Mother Chu's voice trembled, her tone agonized as she said, "Chu Yu will be starting middle school in the second half of the year. He'll begin learning martial arts too, and his resource consumption will only increase."

"Without the savings we've built up over the years, when both the eldest and the second start, the annual cost of Nutrient Solutions alone will crush us."

"I know." The man's voice was like an enraged lion, resolute and decisive as he said, "Then I'll go to the Dark Domain!"

"Are you insane!"

After a fierce argument, as if afraid of waking the two children, the voices inside the room gradually lowered.

Only the woman's quiet sobbing and the man's heavy breathing echoed, oppressive and stifling.