Bone Remodeling

The atmosphere in the plaza was tense.

Xiao Lang and the members of the Heavenly Wolf Society behind him slowly advanced like a pack of hungry wolves eyeing their prey. The chilling killing intent emanating from them seemed to freeze the very air. The students, who had just been reveling in the joy of advancement, fell silent and instinctively retreated, clearing a large area.

All eyes were focused on the center of the impending conflict. On one side stood the renowned, overwhelmingly powerful new noble of the royal city; on the other, the newly emerged, mysterious dark horse.

"Lin Xiao, I admit I underestimated you." Xiao Lang stopped three steps away from Lin Xiao. His handsome face was devoid of any trace of flippancy, replaced by a viper-like coldness. "You are cunning and know how to exploit rules. But in the face of absolute power and authority, your little tricks are worthless."

"The assessment is over. Tokens won't save your life here," a sinister laugh erupted from the Heavenly Wolf Society members behind him as they all reached for the weapons at their waists.

Shi Lei and Su Yue's expressions changed, and they immediately stepped in front of Lin Xiao.

"Xiao Lang! What do you think you're doing?!" Shi Lei's eyes blazed, his muscles tensing like a charging bull. "This is the academy plaza, with three deans and hundreds of instructors watching. Do you dare to make a move here?"

"Make a move?" Xiao Lang sneered, his eyes filled with disdain. "Why would I need to make a move against you? Once we're in the academy, I'll have plenty of ways to make your lives miserable. Especially you, Lin Xiao. I'll make you understand that offending me, Xiao Lang, was the most foolish decision you've ever made."

The threat was naked and unvarnished. He wanted to announce his "ownership" over Lin Xiao in front of everyone, letting everyone know that this young man was his enemy. Anyone who dared to associate with him would be declaring war against the entire Heavenly Wolf Society and the Marquis Wuwei's mansion in the royal city!

This was an open scheme, a crushing display of power.

However, to everyone's surprise, Lin Xiao's face showed no fear in the face of this threat, which would have made any newcomer tremble.

He gently pushed aside Shi Lei and Su Yue, stepped forward, and calmly met Xiao Lang's cold gaze before speaking slowly.

"Are you finished speaking?"

These simple four words carried a heart-stopping calmness.

Xiao Lang's brow furrowed involuntarily.

Lin Xiao's lips curved into an almost imperceptible arc, a smile tinged with mockery and disdain.

"First, I dared not make a move against you in the mountains, and I fear you even less here. Because I know you fear breaking the rules more than I do." "Second, you mentioned power. Perhaps in your eyes, the Marquis Wuwei's mansion is an insurmountable mountain. But in my eyes, it is nothing." "Third..." Lin Xiao paused, his voice suddenly turning cold. A bone-chilling killing intent erupted from him without warning, precisely locking onto Xiao Lang!

"...If you dare to look at my companions with that kind of gaze again, I will personally snap your neck. Whether it's in the academy or in the royal city."

The killing intent was so pure, so condensed! It was a death aura truly forged in seas of corpses and mountains of bones!

Xiao Lang's pupils contracted sharply!

At that moment, he felt as if he were being stared at by a primordial beast from the depths of hell. The hairs on his body stood on end. He even had the illusion that if he dared to say another word, the other party would truly pounce and tear him to shreds without hesitation!

How could this be?!

He was a genius at the Body Refinement Fifth Level Peak! How could he be suppressed by the aura of someone at Body Refinement Third Level?!

Just as the situation reached a breaking point, an old and majestic voice echoed through the plaza like a thunderous drum.

"Stop!"

It was Vice Dean Chu Tianxing!

He had appeared at the edge of the high platform at some unknown time. His seemingly cloudy old eyes were now sharp as an eagle's, sweeping coldly over Xiao Lang and Lin Xiao.

"Cloud Creek Academy is not your arena for settling scores! The assessment is over. Put all your grievances aside for now! Any further violations will be severely punished!"

An invisible pressure descended from the heavens, instantly washing away the tense aura between the two.

Xiao Lang's face turned pale and then flushed. He knew that Chu Tianxing had spoken, and he could do nothing today. He glared venomously at Lin Xiao, snorted, and turned away with the Heavenly Wolf Society members, leaving in anger.

The storm had subsided.

Lin Xiao retracted his killing intent and bowed respectfully to Chu Tianxing on the high platform.

Chu Tianxing looked at him deeply, a hint of imperceptible approval flashing in his eyes, and then announced, "All successful candidates, proceed immediately to the Merit Hall to collect your entry rewards!"

Inside the Merit Hall, the one thousand successful candidates collected their rewards according to their final rankings.

The rewards were not particularly generous: each person received a set of cyan robes representing their status as an outer disciple of Cloud Creek Academy, a jade token recording their identity information and merit points, and an introductory manual detailing the academy's rules and a map.

Lin Xiao's initial merit points, due to his thirty-fifth place finish, were one thousand. This was a considerable sum for a newcomer.

After receiving their rewards, the academy granted all new students three days off to rest and familiarize themselves with the environment. Classes would officially begin after three days.

Lin Xiao and the other two politely declined invitations and banquets from other students, returning to the inn immediately.

"That was too close! That Xiao Lang won't give up that easily!" Shi Lei said, still shaken.

"We'll deal with whatever comes our way," Lin Xiao's expression was calm. "The priority now is to improve our own strength as quickly as possible. Only strength is the foundation for dealing with all troubles."

As he spoke, he took out the large crocodile skin and said to Su Yue, "Su Yue, you're a local to Cloud Creek City. I'll entrust the matter of finding a refiner to you. Money is not an issue. There's only one requirement: the best craftsmanship to tailor three sets of inner armor for the three of us."

"Don't worry! I'll handle it!" Su Yue patted her chest, her face beaming with excitement.

After arranging this, Lin Xiao said to the other two, "I'll be in seclusion for the next three days. The consecutive battles in the assessment have given me some insights, and I need time to consolidate them. Don't you two be idle either. Familiarize yourselves with the academy's environment, inquire about the use of merit points, and how to earn them quickly."

Shi Lei and Su Yue nodded in agreement without hesitation.

After sending them out of the room, Lin Xiao immediately hung a "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door and propped it shut with a heavy object.

He walked to the center of the room, took a deep breath, and his eyes blazed with unprecedented fervor and anticipation.

He carefully took out the waterskin filled with Earth Core Body Tempering Milk from his embrace.

As he removed the stopper, an indescribably exotic fragrance instantly permeated the entire room. The scent seemed to have a life of its own; just a single whiff made his limbs and bones feel much more comfortable, and the spiritual energy within him began to stir.

He slowly poured the milky white liquid from the waterskin into the inn's bathtub.

The liquid was viscous like paste, but upon entering the water, it did not disperse immediately. Instead, it wriggled slowly like a living thing, dyeing the entire bucket of clear water milky white. Waves of pure life energy and essence of the earth emanated from it.

Lin Xiao no longer hesitated, shed his clothes, and stepped into the bathtub.

The moment his body came into contact with the milky white liquid, an unimaginable pain surged through his entire body like a tide!

"Ugh--!"

He couldn't help but let out a suppressed groan, his muscles spasming and twitching uncontrollably.

It felt like billions of ants were gnawing at his flesh, bones, meridians, and even his soul!

The energy of the Earth Core Body Tempering Milk was too overbearing! It was forcibly reshaping his body in the most brutal and direct way, crushing, burning, and expelling all the impurities and shackles within him!

Lin Xiao's skin began to ooze layers of black, foul-smelling viscous matter. These were the deepest impurities in his body.

His bones let out crackling sounds, as if being shattered and reassembled inch by inch by an invisible giant hammer!

His meridians were stretched to the brink of rupture by the violent energy, the burning pain almost making him faint.

But he gritted his teeth tightly, relying on the resilient will of two lifetimes to desperately endure. He knew this was his only chance to be reborn; giving up now would mean all his previous efforts were in vain!

He frantically circulated the Qi Gathering Art, guiding the overbearing energy to wash over his limbs and bones again and again.

Time slowly passed amidst the extreme pain.

After an unknown amount of time, the heart-wrenching pain finally began to recede, replaced by an unprecedented sense of comfort and lightness.

He felt his body become as pure and transparent as crystal, filled with explosive power. His previously tough meridians had been widened several times over, and spiritual energy surged through them like rivers flowing into the sea, without the slightest obstruction.

And the system panel on his retina was already flooded with a series of rapidly refreshing data.

[System Notification: You are absorbing Earth Core Body Tempering Milk. Your body is being reshaped...]

[System Notification: Physique improved! Root bone improved! Meridian toughness improved!]

[System Notification: Detected aptitude shackles being broken...]

[System Notification: Aptitude improved! Current Aptitude: Mortal Grade, Upper Rank!]

[System Notification: Aptitude improved! Current Aptitude: Profound Grade, Lower Rank!]

[System Notification: Aptitude improved! Current Aptitude: Profound Grade, Middle Rank!]

[System Notification: Energy overflow! Realm breakthrough initiated!]

[Current Realm: Body Refinement Fourth Level!]

[Current Realm: Body Refinement Fifth Level!]

When Lin Xiao opened his eyes again, the milky white liquid in the bathtub had become completely clear. He himself felt as if he had been reborn.

He slowly stood up, looking down at his skin, which was like white jade emitting a faint luster, and feeling the surging power within him, more than ten times stronger than before. His eyes were filled with shock and ecstasy.

He immediately brought up his status panel.

[Name: Lin Xiao]
[Realm: Body Refinement Fifth Level (1/1000)]
[Level: 5 (121/200)]
[Strength: 15 (Extraordinary)]
[Agility: 15 (Extraordinary)]
[Spirit: 15 (Extraordinary)]
[Aptitude: Profound Grade, Middle Rank]
[Cultivation Technique: Qi Gathering Art (Perfection)]
[Martial Skill: Cloak Axe Technique (Minor Accomplishment)]

Body Refinement Fifth Level!

He had actually broken through two levels consecutively, soaring directly from Body Refinement Third Level to Body Refinement Fifth Level! He was now at the same realm as Xiao Lang!

What made him even more ecstatic was the change in the [Aptitude] column!

Profound Grade, Middle Rank!

He had finally broken free from the shackles of "Mortal Grade" and possessed cultivation aptitude no less than any genius!

He could clearly feel that his affinity with the spiritual energy between heaven and earth had increased by more than a hundredfold! Before, cultivating was like drinking water through a straw, but now it was like opening his mouth and gulping like a whale!

"This is truly my real beginning!"

Lin Xiao clenched his fist, feeling the unprecedented power, his eyes burning with a fierce flame.

Xiao Lang? Heavenly Wolf Society?

A cold smile curved his lips.

The next time they met, who the hunter and who the prey would be was yet to be determined.