Breaking the Skill

You Man was thirty-seven this year. Since the age of ten, he had practiced external hardening martial arts such as the Iron Shirt Technique, Iron Head Technique, Iron Crotch Technique, Bronze Bone Technique, and more.

He had nourished his vital essence with precious medicinal ingredients, endured lashes from vines, then wooden staves, then iron rods. Only after countless temperings had he attained his current realm of external hardening; the hardships were truly beyond words.

It could be said that You Man was a genuine master forged step by step through living, breathing practice. His achievements came from his natural gifts, his martial arts, and, most importantly, his patience and tireless perseverance.

Of course, if that were all, he would at most have been a second-rate master. After all, there was no shortage in this world of people like You Man.

Then one year, he was fortunate enough to receive the mantle of a senior martial artist. He unified his scattered and fragmented external hardening arts into one and advanced them into the Iron Armor Divine Skill. His martial arts were thus brought to great completion. It could not be said that he had no rivals left, but among acquired masters, few could truly match him.

For instance, the renowned Northern Darkness Divine Sword, Duan Canghai—once his opponent and now his comrade—was his nemesis. Whether it was the Northern Darkness Divine Skill or the Six Meridian Divine Sword, neither was something he could withstand.

This was a pure victory through strength.

If Northern Darkness drew in his inner force, and all his true qi were drained away, the so-called Iron Armor Divine Skill would collapse without being attacked. There was no effective way to resist it.

The sword qi of the Six Meridian Divine Sword was sharp and indestructible, immensely powerful,