Marrow-Washing Tendon-Changing, Challenge

Clutching the Nine Apertures Golden Pill in his right hand, Xiao Yang gritted his teeth and gathered his douqi into the index and middle fingers of his left hand, holding them together like a sword. Like a golden blade, they slashed directly toward his heart!

Since Xiao Yang had concentrated all of his douqi into those two fingers and withdrawn it from his chest, the skin over his heart was quickly cut open.

The instant his left hand cut open his chest, his right hand pressed down with the Nine Apertures Golden Pill, forcibly pushing the golden pill through the wound over his heart and into his flesh, where it fused at once.

The Nine Apertures Golden Pill was used neither by swallowing it nor applying it externally.

The only way to use it was to cut open the area around the heart and stitch it inside. Then, using the heart's circulation to continuously wash over it, its medicinal power would constantly dissolve into the blood. In the end, it would replace all the blood in the body, cleansing the marrow, changing the blood, and remaking one's body from the ground up!

From then on, the path of cultivation would become a broad, open road leading straight to the heavens!

At the same time, the portion of blood Yellow Springs Great Emperor had infused into the Nine Apertures Golden Pill completely merged into Xiao Yang's body, activating his long-dried-up Battle Emperor Bloodline!

Xiao Yang's face twisted in agony as he bared his teeth and endured the pain, all for the chance to one day stand atop the peak.

Fortunately, the moment the Nine Apertures Golden Pill was stitched into the flesh around his heart, its medicinal power began to spread. The blood from the cut immediately stopped flowing. Then the wound healed in an instant, leaving behind only a faint red mark—the pink color of newly grown skin.

But immediately afterward, Xiao Yang felt his stomach churn violently. He hurried to the toilet, where he expelled nothing but foul-smelling black tainted blood. Then sweat began to pour from his body, carrying a rank, fishy stench.

Xiao Yang took out a large wooden tub from his Ring of Acceptance and thoroughly washed himself.

This Ring of Acceptance had been part of the beginner's gift package given by the system. Its name was Sumeru, and it contained a Cave Heaven Small World with nearly limitless space.

What was more, he felt as though he had gained another heart. With every breath, his heart beat twice, and each beat seemed to make him a little stronger.

The Nine Apertures Golden Pill was like an even more powerful heart, assisting his original heart in circulating his blood.

At the same time, Xiao Yang could clearly sense that his sea of consciousness had become exceptionally clear. Every rustle of wind and grass seemed vividly apparent within his mind!

Most importantly, although his cultivation had not increased, Xiao Yang could clearly feel that his physical body had risen to an entirely new level. As he curled his five fingers into a fist, the air immediately erupted with a sharp boom.

Xiao Yang raised his hand and threw another punch forward. A piercing airburst rang out again, and the corners of his mouth lifted once more.

Now, even relying solely on his physical strength, this punch of his could severely wound a Dou Master!

Killing a bull with a casual punch was no joke—it was a fact.

Most crucially, with his strengthened body, his cultivation of the Vajra Glazed Body could advance even further.

This Heaven-Tier Fighting Skill itself placed extremely high demands on physical strength. If Xiao Yang had not cultivated its matching douqi technique and possessed the corresponding secret cultivation method, he would not have been qualified to practice it at all.

Yet even so, every cultivation session hurt him so badly that he wished he were dead.

However, after the Nine Apertures Golden Pill strengthened his body, that pain would be greatly reduced and no longer so unbearable.

And while cultivating the Vajra Glazed Body strengthened his physical body, it could also promote the absorption of the Nine Apertures Golden Pill's medicinal power.

On the Douqi Continent, once one reached the Dou Emperor level, one could use the douqi within one's body to resonate with the energy of heaven and earth, thereby unleashing incomparably terrifying power!

That was why Dou Emperor experts possessed such horrifying destructive force.

It was also why a Dou Emperor could easily slaughter an armored cavalry legion of ten thousand without suffering a scratch.

But there was another path: abandoning the opportunity to resonate with the energy of heaven and earth and continuously strengthening one's physical body. Once the body was cultivated to its peak, a punch could shatter the earth and break space itself. Its destructive power would be no less than that of controlling the energy of heaven and earth—perhaps even greater.

A thousand years ago, Glazed Saint, the creator of the Heaven-Tier Fighting Skill Vajra Glazed Body, had taken precisely this path!

However, strengthening the body was far more difficult than cultivating douqi. Moreover, the excruciating pain produced by strengthening the body was something those without firm resolve simply could not endure.

If Xiao Yang had not known the plot and known that Soul Emperor, the ultimate world-destroying boss, awaited in the future, he would never have been able to withstand it either.

More importantly, there was the unwillingness deep in his heart.

Before crossing over, Xiao Yang had drifted through life because he truly had no other choice.

But if he still drifted through life after crossing over, then wouldn't he have crossed over for fucking nothing?

With such a rare chance at longevity and reaching the pinnacle, how could Xiao Yang be content not to see the view from the summit for himself?

Over the next few days, he continued cultivating as usual. Then, taking advantage of his age, he went to get close to big sister Xue Ni and the others, relaxing his body and easing the intense pain from using the Vajra Glazed Body to strengthen it.

But before long, those comfortable days were shattered.

Because Xiao Yang had a sweet tongue and an adorable appearance, he quickly won the affection of the girls in the class led by Xue Ni. Coupled with Instructor Ruo Lin's obvious favor toward him and the news that Xiao Yang lived under the same roof as Instructor Ruo Lin, Xiao Yang thoroughly became a thorn in the eyes and flesh of the other boys in the class.

After more than ten days of building up, that jealousy finally erupted completely!

A fellow named Xue Cheng challenged Xiao Yang to a duel, claiming to be Xue Ni's ex-boyfriend.

This left not only Xiao Yang stunned, but Xue Ni as well.

Because Xue Ni had no impression of him whatsoever. The guy was purely talking himself up.

Using Xun Er's appearance as the standard, if Xun Er was a ten, then Xue Ni was around a seven.

But when it came to her figure, Xue Ni was much more endowed than Xun Er.

Going by the original description, the only one whose figure could surpass Xue Ni's was Medusa Queen.

Xue Ni's only disadvantage was that she was a minor supporting character who only made a brief appearance at the beginning.

As everyone knew, beauty was nothing in the face of sex appeal, so it was hardly strange that Xue Ni had so many admirers.

Xiao Yang, meanwhile, nodded and accepted the challenge.

After taking the Nine Apertures Golden Pill and receiving a massive boost to his physical body, Xiao Yang had been itching to find something to test his fists on. And now someone had delivered himself right to Xiao Yang's doorstep. It was like being handed a pillow just when he was sleepy—how thoughtful.