Initial Savage Bone Accomplishment

When Squad Leader Zhang led a squad of blood-soaked, battle-hardened veterans to the area, this was the scene they found.

The burning tents had yet to be extinguished, the smell of char mixed with a thick scent of blood, creating a nauseating stench. The ground was littered with the corpses of Northern Barbarian Soldiers, their deaths gruesome, with barely a single one intact. And in the center of this devastation, a figure leaned on a charred, blood-stained wooden staff, his back to them, standing motionless.

The leather armor on his body was tattered beyond recognition, and the exposed skin had a strange, dark hue, seemingly entwined with faint, almost visible black and red energy. Just looking at the back of that figure sent shivers down one's spine, as if facing not a person, but a ferocious beast that had just crawled out of a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.

"Chen... Chen Qing?" Squad Leader Zhang called out tentatively, his voice dry and hoarse, a fact he himself didn't notice. He tightened his grip on the ring-pommel saber in his hand, and the veterans behind him instinctively adopted a defensive posture.

The figure slowly turned around.

It was indeed Chen Qing, but his young face was now shrouded in an unshakeable aura of ferocity, and the depths of his eyes held a non-human coldness and stillness, utterly incongruous with his age. The wounds on his shoulders and thighs were gruesome, but strangely, not much blood flowed out. Instead, they were entwined with wisps of black and red energy, seemingly writhing slowly.

Seeing Squad Leader Zhang, the coldness in Chen Qing's eyes faded slightly, and he spoke in a hoarse voice, "Squad Leader."

His voice sounded like a broken bellows, dry and unpleasant.

Squad Leader Zhang's heart relaxed, only to be replaced by a deeper shock. He strode forward, his sharp gaze sweeping over the corpses on the ground and then lingering on the obviously abnormal changes in Chen Qing.

"Did you do all this?" Squad Leader Zhang's voice was filled with disbelief. A rough count showed no less than twenty Northern Barbarian Soldier corpses in this area, and among them were many skilled fighters. Not to mention Chen Qing's current state, which clearly indicated he had used some extremely potent secret technique that might even damage his foundation, or... something else.

Chen Qing nodded, offering no further explanation. He felt an emptiness within him, yet it was also filled with the residual energy of violence. The two sensations intertwined, making him extremely uncomfortable. The integrated Black Tiger Fist intent seemed to have undergone some subtle, indescribable changes, and the newly comprehended Fierce Tiger Iron Body felt like a ferocious beast lurking within his body, ready to backlash at any moment.

"Shi Tou and the others..." Chen Qing asked.

"Don't worry, those four boys were lucky. They broke through, got a few injuries, but they'll live," Squad Leader Zhang waved his hand, his gaze still fixed on Chen Qing. "Are... are you alright?"

Chen Qing paused for a moment, then shook his head. "I can still manage."

Squad Leader Zhang looked at his pale, sallow complexion and the faint, oppressive aura surrounding him, his brow furrowed. He had spent many years in the military and the martial world, witnessing some evil martial arts that traded life for power. Chen Qing's current state was very similar, yet also different. That oppressive aura was too pure, too strange.

"This place is not safe for long. The Northern Mang have retreated for now, but they could return at any moment. Come back to the temporary encampment with me," Squad Leader Zhang suppressed his doubts and said gravely. Regardless, Chen Qing was alive and had killed so many enemies; that was a great merit.

In the hastily established field hospital for the wounded, it was overcrowded, filled with groans of pain. The air was thick with the smell of wound-healing medicine and blood.

The military physician examined Chen Qing's wounds on his shoulders and thighs, especially the persistent black and red oppressive energy, his brow furrowed deeply.

"What... what is this damn thing?" The old physician tried to probe with a silver needle. As the needle approached the oppressive energy, it faintly dimmed. "The oppressive energy has entered the bone, invading the meridians... Kid, what kind of desperate method did you use? These injuries are very troublesome!"

Chen Qing closed his eyes and remained silent, quietly circulating the altered remnant of the Fierce Tiger Iron Body. He discovered that this technique, mutated from the Iron Body Skill, though powerful and dangerous, was remarkably effective in refining and controlling the oppressive energy that had invaded his body. However, the process was extremely painful, like countless tiny steel needles scraping his bones.

Squad Leader Zhang stood by, his expression grave. "Can it be treated?"

The old physician shook his head. "Ordinary medicinal soups and wound dressings won't be very effective for his injuries. If this oppressive energy isn't removed, the wounds won't heal and will continue to erode his life force. Unless... there's a master who cultivates pure Yang energy or Buddhist meditation techniques willing to expend their true essence to expel the oppressive energy for him, or... he can refine it himself."

Refine the oppressive energy? Squad Leader Zhang looked at Chen Qing. He saw Chen Qing's brow furrowed, fine beads of cold sweat on his forehead, his body trembling slightly, clearly enduring immense pain. Yet, the uncomfortable oppressive energy surrounding him seemed to be genuinely thinning, bit by bit.

This kid... is he actually refining it?

Squad Leader Zhang was inwardly horrified. Oppressive energy was a mixture of battlefield death energy, resentment, and killing intent—chaotic and violent. Most people would avoid it at all costs, yet he could refine it for his own use? What kind of monstrous martial art and willpower was this?

"Bandage him first, use the best wound-healing medicine. As for the rest... it depends on his own fortune," Squad Leader Zhang sighed and instructed the physician.

In the following days, the camp entered a period of brief respite and deeper fear. Although the Northern Mang had temporarily retreated, everyone knew that the next attack would only be more ferocious.

Chen Qing was assigned to a small tent alone. Squad Leader Zhang announced to the outside world that he needed rest due to severe injuries, but in reality, it was a form of protection and observation.

Inside the tent, Chen Qing sat cross-legged, fully circulating the Fierce Tiger Iron Body.

The process was like torture. The oppressive energy that had seeped into his marrow was both poison and nourishment. Each time he guided his blood and qi to confront and merge with it, it felt like grinding his bones with a file, the pain piercing his heart. But his will, tempered by countless life-and-death battles, was as unyielding as iron.

He recalled the indomitable, all-consuming ferocity of the Black Tiger Fist intent, combining it with the Fierce Tiger Iron Body technique, actively guiding the oppressive energy to temper his bones.

Crack... crackle...

Faint, teeth-grinding sounds emanated from within his body. These were the sounds of his bones becoming denser and tougher under the scouring of the oppressive energy. The newly formed bones were no longer ordinary white but faintly exuded a dark metallic luster, with faint black and red patterns.

[Refined battlefield oppressive energy, Fierce Tiger Iron Body proficiency +20]

[Blood and qi tempered bones, Black Tiger Fist intent fused with oppressive energy, subtle changes occurred...]

[Realm Advancement: Bone Forging Realm (Initial)!]

After an unknown amount of time, when Chen Qing opened his eyes again, the ferocity in his gaze had largely dissipated. Although still cold, it had regained clarity. He moved his body, and a series of light crackling sounds echoed within him, filled with an unprecedented sense of power. The gruesome wounds on his shoulders and thighs, though not fully healed, had scabbed over, and the black and red oppressive energy was largely suppressed, no longer leaking outwards.

Bone Forging Realm!

And not an ordinary Bone Forging Realm, but one forged by the mutated Fierce Tiger Iron Body technique, infused with battlefield oppressive energy—Savage Bone!

He clenched his fist lightly, and the air itself let out a sonic boom. He felt his bones were several times harder than refined iron!

He looked at the system's light screen.

[Host: Chen Qing]

[Realm: Bone Forging Realm (Initial)]

[Martial Arts: Black Tiger Fist (Integrated, Proficiency: 1250/5000)—(Mutated: Contains Fierce Tiger True Intent)]

[Martial Arts: Black Tiger Saber Technique (Slight Accomplishment, Proficiency: 980/2000)]

[Martial Arts: Fierce Tiger Iron Body (Initial Glimpse, Proficiency: 350/1000)—(Mutated from Iron Body Skill, Mortal Grade Top-tier?)]

As expected, a notation was added after Black Tiger Fist, and Iron Body Skill had completely become Fierce Tiger Iron Body. Although only at the Initial Glimpse stage, its grade was clearly marked as "Mortal Grade Top-tier?", with a question mark, indicating that even the system couldn't fully ascertain the true level of this mutated technique.

Chen Qing could feel that Fierce Tiger Iron Body had immense potential, far beyond this. It seemed capable of growth by continuously absorbing and refining oppressive energy and blood qi.

Just then, the tent flap was lifted, and Squad Leader Zhang entered. He saw that Chen Qing's injuries were not only stable but his aura was even deeper and more formidable. Especially his eyes, which flashed with sharp light as they opened and closed, carrying an invisible sense of pressure. He couldn't help but be taken aback.

"You... broke through?" Squad Leader Zhang asked in disbelief. He was severely injured, yet not only survived but also benefited from the misfortune and broke through?

Chen Qing nodded, "By luck."

Squad Leader Zhang gave him a deep look, not pressing for details. He simply placed a set of semi-new iron armor and a better-quality standard military ring-hilted saber in front of him.

"Put them on. I've kept your Squad Leader position for you. Shi Tou and the other four are mostly recovered from their injuries; they'll still be your men," Squad Leader Zhang said calmly. "Also, you were rewarded for killing enemies before, especially that centurion. The higher-ups have given you a bounty: fifty taels of silver, and three 'Blood Strengthening Pills.' They're better than Blood Qi Pills and useful for stabilizing your realm."

Chen Qing looked at the iron armor, the ring-hilted saber, and the silver and pills beside them. He was silent for a moment before saying, "Thank you, Squad Leader."

"No need to thank me; this is what you deserve," Squad Leader Zhang waved his hand and walked to the tent entrance. He stopped with his back to Chen Qing, his voice low, "Chen Qing, I don't know what happened to you, nor do I want to pry. But remember, strength is a double-edged sword. It can kill enemies, but it can also harm yourself. Take care of yourself."

With that, he lifted the curtain and left.

Chen Qing watched the swaying tent flap, his gaze falling on his hands. Beneath his skin, his bones emanated a faint, cold, and hard sense of power.

Fierce Tiger Iron Body, Bone Forging initial completion.

This chaotic world seemed to have become a little more interesting.

He picked up the standard ring-hilted saber, his fingers brushing over the cold blade.

The next step should be to test this newfound strength. The Northern Barbarian brats, don't keep me waiting too long.