Continuous Breakthroughs!

Inside the cave.

Within five steps of the entrance, withered branches and fallen leaves were piled high, with over a dozen animal traps hidden among them.

Deep in the cave.

Su Que sat cross-legged on the ground, cultivating the Wedding Dress Divine Skill.

As true qi circulated through his body, wisps of steam rose from his Baihui Acupoint.

Name: Su Que (17 years old)

Lifespan: 83

Talent Value: 14

Martial Arts: Seven Injuries Fist (5th realm Peak Mastery 15%), Five Animal Frolics (1st realm Initial Glimpse 1%)

Internal Art: Wedding Dress Divine Skill (2nd realm Minor Accomplishment 2%)

After over ten days of cultivation, his Wedding Dress Divine Skill had advanced by one realm, reaching 2nd realm Minor Accomplishment.

His lifespan had extended by twelve years, and his Talent Value had increased by two points.

Seeing that his Wedding Dress Divine Skill had reached the Minor Accomplishment realm, he channeled true qi to move his blood and qi, aiming to elevate his martial realm.

These days, Su Que had also frequently traveled between gambling dens and taverns in Jade Water City, gathering quite a bit of knowledge about martial arts.

He learned that the martial realm was a martial artist's basic physical quality, the foundation of a martial artist.

The higher the martial realm, the stronger a martial artist's strength, speed, reflexes, and endurance.

Of course, when two martial artists dueled, victory wasn't determined solely by martial realm.

After all, besides the martial realm, there was also the martial arts realm.

Listening to some wanderers in the tavern, Su Que heard tales of martial artists overcoming opponents of higher martial realms.

Rumor had it that a certain martial artist, though low in martial realm, mastered an extremely exquisite swordsmanship and had comprehended it to a very high level.

Thus, he defeated many opponents whose martial realms surpassed his own.

In truth, Su Que knew he himself was an anomaly, and his strength couldn't be judged purely by martial realm.

He had cultivated the Seven Injuries Fist and the Wedding Dress Divine Skill, strengthening his five organs, meridians, and flesh through the process.

His base strength, speed, and defense far exceeded those of martial artists at the same realm.

His true strength naturally couldn't be measured by the common standard of martial realm.

He heard at the gambling den that advancing in martial realm meant breaking the body's shackles step by step, accelerating the cultivation of martial arts and internal arts.

To speed up progress in the Seven Injuries Fist and the Wedding Dress Divine Skill, he needed to raise his martial realm.

The first major realm in martial realms was the Blood and Qi Realm.

In this realm, the main task was "Blood and Qi Body Tempering."

The first step of the Blood and Qi Realm was "First Blood Skin Refining."

Su Que stirred his true qi, merging it into his blood.

His blood, already boiling and surging from the potency of the Startling Blood Soup, now raged even more fiercely under the impetus of true qi!

Then, with a thought, his blood and qi surged, spreading abruptly to his limbs and bones, washing toward his skin.

The next moment, the skin exposed outside his clothes turned visibly bright red, like a boiled shrimp shell.

A burning sensation spread across his entire skin, as if he were immersed in scalding hot springs.

Su Que used both hands, quickly stripping off his clothes.

Revealing a body of muscle flushed crimson by the burning blood and qi.

On his reddened skin, wisps of heat gradually rose, drifting upward toward the cave ceiling.

This was "First Blood Skin Refining"—using blood and qi to temper the skin into toughness.

Though after passing "First Blood Skin Refining," a martial artist's skin became considerably tougher.

It still couldn't withstand the sharpness of blades.

However, when a blade cut the skin, the tough skin would delay the weapon from fully breaking through and entering the flesh.

Though this time was brief, perhaps just an instant.

But that instant allowed many martial artists to react in time, avoiding severe injury or even death from the blade.

The true qi generated by cultivating the Wedding Dress Divine Skill was extremely fierce and domineering.

The blood and qi infused with this true qi was far more violent than that produced by cultivating ordinary internal arts.

Coupled with Su Que's 14-point Talent Value and the boost from the Startling Blood Soup, he completed "First Blood Skin Refining" in just three days.

Such speed was typically only achieved by scions of major clans, who used others' true qi, consumed large amounts of medicine, and underwent costly medicinal baths during cultivation—extremely extravagant methods.

After the "First Blood Skin Refining," his skin had brightened considerably, with the previous dullness completely gone.

The skin became exceptionally taut and tough.

Following "First Blood Skin Refining" came "Second Blood Muscle Refining."

Just like "First Blood Skin Refining," "Second Blood Muscle Refining" involved using blood energy to temper the body's muscles and flesh.

After undergoing "Second Blood Muscle Refining," the physical body grew stronger and more resilient.

This was reflected first in strength and speed.

A Two-Blood Warrior's strength and speed often far exceeded that of a One-Blood Warrior.

Moreover, because the flesh became tougher, the warrior's endurance against blows also increased significantly.

If a blade struck the body, after breaking through the tough skin, it would still be blocked by the dense muscles.

Thus, after "Second Blood Muscle Refining," warriors could more easily avoid fatal wounds.

Su Que continued to focus on circulating his blood energy, the scorching heat soaking every inch of his muscles.

Since the blood energy hadn't yet permeated his skin at this stage, only a faint reddish hue showed beneath the surface.

It was no longer as exaggerated as during "First Blood Skin Refining."

For others, the progress of "Second Blood Muscle Refining" would be much slower than "First Blood Skin Refining."

However, the true energy of the Wedding Dress Divine Skill could cause hidden damage to the muscles of ordinary warriors.

For Su Que, though, cultivating the Wedding Dress Divine Skill actually nourished his flesh and blood.

As a result, his muscle strength had already improved significantly during his practice of the skill.

The minor realm of "Second Blood Muscle Refining" was simply a natural progression for him.

He completed "Second Blood Muscle Refining" in just one night and entered the stage of "Third Blood Tendon Strengthening."

He felt his muscles taut and brimming with power.

Stepping outside the cave, he found a rock as large as a tiger and smashed his fist down!

Boom!

Under the force of the Seven Injuries Fist, his physical strength, and the true energy of the Wedding Dress Divine Skill, the massive rock shattered into pieces!

Gravel the size of fingertips shot out in all directions.

With a series of thuds, some fragments even embedded themselves into tree trunks.

Su Que looked at his fist, completely unharmed after crushing the rock.

"I wonder if this punch could pierce through iron armor?"

Punching through iron armor was a feat achievable by a "Fourth Blood Bone Forging" warrior.

Su Que estimated that since he could shatter such a massive rock with one punch, he should also be able to pierce iron armor.

If so, then despite only completing "Third Blood Tendon Strengthening," his strength had already caught up to that of a "Fourth Blood Bone Forging" warrior.