The Strongest Foundation

In the Training Room, Song Ankang practiced the second fist technique of the Seven Injuries Demonic Scripture, the Muscle Tempering Fist, over and over. Notifications from the Heavenly Book of Fate Defiance kept appearing.

"You are cultivating the Seven Injuries Demonic Scripture. You are being affected by the side effects of the Seven Injuries Demonic Scripture. Your mental will is about to be damaged... The Heavenly Book of Fate Defiance takes effect. Your mental will has increased, and you have become more clear-minded!"

"You are cultivating the Seven Injuries Demonic Scripture. You are being affected by the side effects of the Seven Injuries Demonic Scripture. Your foundation is about to be damaged, your qi and blood are about to become unstable and insubstantial, and hidden dangers are about to arise in your muscles... The Heavenly Book of Fate Defiance takes effect. Your foundation is becoming increasingly stable, your qi and blood are becoming increasingly vast and pure, and your muscles are becoming increasingly perfect!"

The Muscle Tempering Fist had a total of nine variations, capable of tempering every muscle throughout the body. Once performed, it could just as easily intoxicate its practitioner, causing them to fall into demonic deviation without realizing it, until their essence, blood, and lifespan were exhausted.

But after obtaining the Heavenly Book of Fate Defiance, Song Ankang could effectively absorb those side effects, strengthen his mental will, and easily keep track of his current progress. He would not end up consuming his essence, blood, and lifespan after his energy ran dry.

Yet Song Ankang could still enjoy the pleasure brought by practicing the Seven Injuries Demonic Scripture. Cultivating demonic arts was therefore a delightful thing to him, rather than something that left him trembling in fear like everyone else, constantly worried that he would suffer demonic deviation.

To other cultivators, demonic arts were practically suicidal. To Song Ankang, they were a heaven-sent opportunity. Not only could demonic arts bring him no side effects, but those side effects could instead turn calamity into treasure.

This feels amazing!

Song Ankang threw himself into it wholeheartedly, only stopping after every last trace of excess Medicinal Cuisine energy had been completely used up.

By then, the muscles all over his body had become incomparably well-proportioned. Eight faint abdominal muscles had emerged on his stomach, while his strength, speed, reaction time, and mental will had all improved considerably.

With such overall physical qualities, he had probably surpassed the limits of humans on Earth in many respects. Feeling the surging Qi and Blood Power within him, Song Ankang smiled broadly.

After taking some time to adjust to his greatly increased strength, Song Ankang left the Training Room and went to the bathhouse for a thorough wash.

Because he had specifically instructed Qiushi, she was no longer waiting outside the Training Room that night. Still, she had placed steamed Medicinal Herbs in Song Ankang's room. They were herbs that could be eaten directly, perfect for a midnight snack.

She had also prepared ice for Song Ankang. Her meticulous care warmed his heart.

After eating a piece of steamed Yao Hua Fruit, Song Ankang stood before the bed and hesitated for a moment. In the end, he gritted his teeth and unleashed three consecutive Flesh Injury Fists. Then the overwhelming pain in his muscles drowned him, and he collapsed onto the bed and fell unconscious.

Such pain was difficult to endure. After all, Song Ankang had never suffered pain like this back on Earth. As an ordinary person, his willpower had never been especially strong.

He had been just another ordinary member of the masses, the kind who needed anesthetic even for a minor operation. Once, he had undergone a small procedure where anesthesia was inconvenient to administer, and it had taken three or four people holding him down for the operation to proceed smoothly. One could imagine how violently Song Ankang had struggled.

Naturally, he had screamed just as fiercely. It was said that the doctors, nurses, and patients across all nine floors of the hospital had heard him. Because of that, he had become one of the hospital's legends.

The fist techniques of the Seven Injuries Demonic Scripture, which injured oneself before injuring others, were far more painful than that minor operation. Even after merging with the original owner's soul and memories, and even after strengthening his mental will through the practice forms of the Seven Injuries Demonic Scripture, Song Ankang still could not quite withstand it.

If he truly could have endured it, he would not have been drowned by pain and directly knocked unconscious after only three punches.

Still, thinking of the dangers of this vast world, along with the benefits it brought, Song Ankang forced himself through his terror and fear and delivered those three punches.

As its name implied, the Skin Injury Fist injured the skin membrane. The Flesh Injury Fist naturally injured the muscles throughout the body.

Such willpower might seem a little cowardly, but among most ordinary people on Earth, it should have ranked above average.

Song Ankang believed that if anyone else from Earth had experienced the pain brought by the Seven Injuries Fist, most of them would never want to try it a second time. His performance already made him a warrior among ordinary people.

Of course, if not for the temptation of skyrocketing strength, Song Ankang would have had water in his brain to do something like this.

Over the following days, Song Ankang consumed Medicinal Cuisine and cultivated the practice forms of the Seven Injuries Demonic Scripture during the day. At night, he used the combat forms at least three times, and if he had enough time, he would use them six times—meaning he would faint twice.

Practice forms by day, combat forms by night, supplemented by ample Medicinal Cuisine—Song Ankang's strength rose rapidly.

Early one morning, when Song Ankang woke once more, he delightedly discovered that his strength had unknowingly advanced into the next realm.

The Muscle Tendon Realm!

A realm that other martial artists needed one or two years, or even several years, to reach had taken Song Ankang only a few days to break through, with the help of the Heavenly Book of Fate Defiance and demonic arts.

Although he had only just entered the Muscle Tendon Realm, Song Ankang's cultivation was already very stable. Every tendon was flexible and nimble, allowing him to perform movements that had previously been impossible no matter what he did.

Incidentally, while in the Muscle Tempering Realm, Song Ankang had successfully turned himself into a muscle-bound powerhouse. Not the kind made of nothing but bulky muscle, either—his muscles were evenly proportioned.

Every movement carried several hundred pounds of force. He could split bricks with ease, and if placed on Earth, he would have counted as an expert.

The rolling qi, blood, and power within his body fascinated Song Ankang as well, making his determination to cultivate even firmer.

Over the past few days, Song Ankang had also brought the Heaven Concealing Earth Absorbing Art to the beginner level, barely managing to conceal his greatly increased strength.

As a quasi-Demonic Path Secret Technique, the Heaven Concealing Earth Absorbing Art was quite effective. The only problem was that its cultivation damaged the body and caused one's qi and blood to deteriorate.

This quasi-Demonic Path Secret Technique was mainly divided into three levels: Form Concealment, Qi Concealment, and Spirit Concealment. Among them, Form Concealment corresponded to the Outer Forging Fourth Layer, Inner Refinement Fourth Layer, and Earth Gate Realm.

These realms were mainly stages of tempering the body, so they required Form Concealment—what was concealed was one's form, namely the body.

"You are cultivating the first stage of the Heaven Concealing Earth Absorbing Art, Form Concealment. You are being affected by the side effects of the first stage of the Heaven Concealing Earth Absorbing Art, Form Concealment. Your skin membrane, muscles, and tendons are about to be harmed, and your Seven Injuries Qi and Blood are about to deteriorate... The Heavenly Book of Fate Defiance takes effect. Your skin membrane, muscles, and tendons have become stronger, while your Seven Injuries Qi and Blood have become increasingly pure!"

Form Concealment had already reached the beginner level. Once activated, it constantly damaged Song Ankang's body. Yet with the Heavenly Book of Fate Defiance assisting him, operating Form Concealment not only did not harm Song Ankang's body, but instead made it stronger, effectively aiding his cultivation of the Seven Injuries Demonic Scripture.

This made Song Ankang enjoy operating the Heaven Concealing Earth Absorbing Art even more. Whenever he had spare time, he would use it.

The combination of the Seven Injuries Demonic Scripture and the Heaven Concealing Earth Absorbing Art laid the most solid possible cultivation foundation for Song Ankang, one that far surpassed any martial artist of the same rank.

Pat, pat, pat...

Qiushi stood before Song Ankang, gently patting his body as she adjusted his clothing.

Her delicate little face was full of concentration. With every breath, a faint fragrance drifted onto Song Ankang's face, smelling exceptionally pleasant.

Song Ankang's eyes became slightly unfocused, but Qiushi did not notice. Her fine brows furrowed along with the movements of her hands. "Ever since Son-in-law embarked on the path of cultivation, your body has changed so much. You're much sturdier and more well-proportioned than before, so your clothes and shoes are a little too small now."

"How about we make a trip to Tongxin Town today, Son-in-law? We can buy some better cloth and shoe soles, and I'll make you several larger sets of clothes and shoes. Otherwise, your old clothes and shoes will be too uncomfortable to wear."

Song Ankang also felt that his old clothes had become a little tight. He had already intended to find time to visit nearby Tongxin Town and buy a few sets. Hearing Qiushi's words, he immediately agreed. "Sure. We'll go to Tongxin Town after we eat."

Having stayed at Chaoyun Manor for several days, Song Ankang also wanted to go out and have a look. Moreover, having just broken through to the Muscle Tendon Realm gave him quite a bit more confidence.

This world was certainly dangerous, but with Jiang Yunhe, an Inner Refinement Realm cultivator, protecting him, and with it being broad daylight, nothing should go wrong, right?

This newbie writer checks every chapter more than twice, terrified that there might be something readers find unpleasant. If there is anything that displeases you esteemed readers, please point it out, and this newbie writer will correct it as much as possible.