Target

Anyuan Town.

"My Flesh and Blood Tempering has already reached the Wood Skin Limit."

"I'm only missing the final inscription on my face for the Wood Skin Inscription!"

"Once I complete the inscriptions, no matter what Zhao Cheng's situation is, I'll reveal that I've broken through to the Flesh and Blood Realm."

Shi Yi's cultivation in the Flesh and Blood Realm had gone about as smoothly as he had anticipated.

His Flesh and Blood Tempering was rapidly improving, causing the defensive power of his flesh and skin to increase considerably once more.

The inscriptions on his limbs progressed according to his rhythm and were completed before long. After that, Shi Yi began working on the inscriptions on his chest and back.

With the aid of his Double Pupils, everything went exceptionally smoothly.

Now, only the inscription on his face remained, because facial inscriptions were far too conspicuous.

Even with makeup, some traces would remain and could easily be noticed.

Thus, after reaching this stage of the Wood Skin Inscription, Shi Yi no longer planned to hide the fact that he had broken through to the Flesh and Blood Realm.

"The Wood Skin Inscription on my face needs to be done more carefully. Otherwise, it'll leave overly obvious marks, damage the skin on my face, and affect my future cultivation in the Flesh and Blood Realm."

Shi Yi controlled his blood essence and began carving the Blood Essence Inscriptions bit by bit.

The entire process required far more caution than the inscriptions he had previously carved onto his body.

He still had to return to his home on Blue Star on Saturday to meet his family. If there were wounds on his face, it would cause unnecessary trouble.

"The patterns overlap, connect as one, and form a complete inscription across the whole body."

Shi Yi carved in the final Wood Skin Inscription.

In an instant, the blood essence infused into it began to circulate.

This was the effect of a complete inscription. As blood essence flowed through the inscriptions, the consumption would be greatly reduced.

At the same time, once the inscriptions were complete, his defensive power would increase again.

Shi Yi dispersed his blood essence and slashed himself hard with a kitchen knife. Other than a pale mark, nothing was left behind.

After rubbing it a few times, the pale mark vanished as well.

"With my current defense, ordinary weapons can no longer hurt me. In the Central Great World, it would take at least a ten-refined weapon to break through my defenses."

Shi Yi silently estimated that his defense could withstand ordinary weapons.

Ordinary people wielding ordinary weapons posed little threat to him, though martial arts experts were an exception.

Once one's strength reached a certain level, even ordinary weapons became deadly tools in their hands, because sheer power alone could kill.

"This level of defense is already quite good, but unfortunately, even if I circulate the Wood Skin Inscription at full force, I still can't block handgun bullets."

Shi Yi circulated his blood essence, and his skin became like withered wood—rougher and vastly more resilient. Yet even this level of defense was still insufficient.

Two Flesh and Blood Realm Martial Scholars from the Five Tigers Gang had died beneath Shi Yi's silenced pistol. Both had been at the Wood Skin Inscription level.

Although one had been completely unprepared and the other severely wounded, neither had managed to block the shots at all. After all, the bullets had pierced straight through their bodies.

Shi Yi estimated that even if he used the Wood Skin Inscription, at most the bullets would remain lodged in his body. The outcome would not change much.

"Still, I'm not at the limit of the Flesh and Blood Realm yet. Once I add the Stone Skin Inscription and Copper Skin Inscription, my defense will definitely increase again. Then I'll find out whether I can block handgun bullets!"

Cultivation in the Flesh and Blood Realm was not a matter of replacement, but of stacking layer upon layer. Thus, as one's realm rose, one's defensive power would grow ever stronger.

Shi Yi had yet to encounter truly powerful enemies, nor had he ever attacked anyone truly strong, so he could not confirm whether stronger existences could ignore handguns.

But after personally experiencing the Wood Skin Inscription, Shi Yi wanted firearms with even greater destructive power more than ever.

In truth, Shi Yi had also considered forging more destructive bullet tips. If he used materials refined ten or even a hundred times to make armor-piercing rounds and the like, their destructive power and lethality would become even more terrifying.

However, materials of that level were difficult to obtain. Especially domestically, merely coming into contact with such materials might get him invited in for a cup of tea.

For the time being, Shi Yi did not want to take that risk.

He dispersed the blood essence reinforcing the Wood Skin Inscription, and the skin across his body quickly returned to normal.

His face felt much rougher to the touch than before.

Shi Yi took a photo of his face with his phone, then compared it with older photos in his gallery. The changes were obvious.

People who saw him often would find it extremely easy to notice those changes. This was already after the completion of the inscriptions had allowed the skin over his entire body to recover somewhat.

This was also the realm within the Flesh and Blood Realm that brought the greatest changes.

The difference was far greater than with the later Stone Skin Inscription and Copper Skin Inscription. It could even be said that with those later inscriptions, the skin would gradually recover, eventually surpassing its original condition.

The records in the Lesser Heavenly Cycle Strength Training Fist stated that upon reaching the Copper Skin Inscription level, one's skin would become more delicate, smooth, and resilient. Blades and swords would struggle to wound it, and one's face would grow thicker as well.

Shi Yi was still some distance from that step and would need more time.

"These changes are within expectations. Zhao Cheng and the others will be able to see the changes in my body, which will be the perfect opportunity to reveal my cultivation."

"And on Blue Star, I only need to say I've been exercising under the sun lately."

Shi Yi's physique had become considerably more robust during this period.

It was clearly the result of training. On Blue Star, saying that he had exercised in the sun made the changes in his skin perfectly normal, while also making him look more masculine.

That would also put his family more at ease.

Exercising regularly was much better than staying at home all day without moving.

His mindset would be very different as well.

Anyang Martial Arts School.

When Shi Yi went to the pavilion in the rear courtyard, he saw that Zhao Cheng was there as well.

"Not bad. You've already completed the full Stone Skin Inscription. You're an expert at the Stone Skin level now and can go to Anhe Martial Arts School in Ninghe County to cultivate!"

Lu Feng looked at the changes in Zhao Cheng's skin and spoke with satisfaction.

At this moment, Zhao Cheng's skin was noticeably more delicate than before.

Shi Yi understood this change very clearly. It was the result of completing the full inscriptions. After completing the full Wood Skin Inscription, the skin on his body had become somewhat better than it was when he had only completed the Wood Skin Inscription on one arm.

Martial cultivation did not destroy the body. Rather, it allowed the body to transform, evolving toward a flawless and perfect physique.

"Thank you, Master."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Cheng hurriedly bowed in reply.

If he wanted to travel farther down the path of martial arts, he naturally had to leave Anyuan Town and cultivate at Anhe Martial Arts School in Ninghe County.

Not only would that allow him to obtain subsequent cultivation techniques, it might also enable him to go farther on the road of martial cultivation.

Zhao Cheng had set a goal for himself: surpass his father and Lu Feng, and become an expert Bone-Refining Martial Master.

That step was difficult. As far as Zhao Cheng knew, there was not a single Bone-Refining Martial Master in Anyuan Town. Thus, if he broke through to the Bone-Refining Martial Master realm, he would become the strongest person in Anyuan Town.

Even in Ninghe County, Bone-Refining Martial Masters possessed high status.

At the same time, there could be vast differences in strength within this realm. It was a realm that truly widened the gap in Martial Artists' combat power.

The combat power martial arts prodigies displayed in this realm was even more terrifying, and Zhao Cheng yearned deeply for it.