Terrifying Rewards

"Abbot Huizhen, your disciple is ashamed. My martial arts aptitude is truly poor and inferior. After three years of training, I have only just now reached the Minor Completion of Sinew Transformation, and I have yet to fully temper even a single major sinew!"

As Gu Han spoke, his body suddenly moved, like a hidden dragon soaring to the heavens. His bones and sinews vibrated in unison, emitting a series of dull, crackling sounds.

The sounds numbered twenty-four.

In martial arts, Sinew Transformation—judging how many sinews one has fully tempered—has many methods, but the simplest is to listen for the sounds!

As the saying goes: A thousand gold pieces can't buy a single sound!

It is well known that during Sinew Transformation, if a martial artist fully tempers a minor sinew, when their bones and sinews vibrate together, it produces a dull sound. If they fully temper a major sinew, it produces a crisp sound.

Now, as Gu Han's bones and sinews moved in unison, only twenty-four dull sounds rang out. This was clearly a sign that he had only fully tempered twenty-four minor sinews!

"He really is only at Minor Completion of Sinew Transformation!"

Hearing the sounds from Gu Han's body, the various hall masters exchanged glances, all seeing shock in each other's eyes.

"Jingming, since you've only tempered twenty-four minor sinews, why is your strength so formidable? Could it be that, like that Wang Lang, you are also exceptionally gifted?"

After a few breaths, Abbot Huizhen let out a light sigh and asked with confusion.

"The Abbot has keen insight—your guess is correct! Jingming does indeed possess Innate Divine Strength. However, unlike Wang Lang, who showed his extraordinary nature from childhood, I was ordinary when young. It wasn't until I formally began martial arts three years ago that I slowly started to change. My body has been growing stronger, and now, even without practicing martial arts, my raw physical strength alone can rival a martial artist at Grand Completion of Sinew Transformation!"

Gu Han replied with a smile.

His words were a mix of truth and falsehood, falsehood and truth.

In truth, as a transmigrator, if he had crossed into a world of immortal cultivation or high-level or mid-level martial arts, he could easily fabricate hundreds of excuses—eating a miraculous fruit, receiving guidance from an immortal in a dream, and so on.

But unfortunately, although the Great Yan Kingdom was part of the Heavenly Azure Realm, a world of immortal cultivation, it seemed to have no trace of immortals or high-level martial arts. It was merely an ordinary ancient world with only a sliver of supernatural power.

Thus, the story he had concocted wouldn't hold water. So he simply mixed truth with falsehood, covering it with natural talent to avoid arousing suspicion.

"I see! Truly, the world is full of wonders. This old monk's Wang Lang was already exceptionally gifted, a rare sight in a thousand years, but to think that Jingming's talent surpasses his—this is truly a blessing for our Treasure Pearl Temple."

Hearing Gu Han's explanation, Abbot Huizhen and the other hall masters, though still somewhat incredulous, reluctantly nodded, accepting Gu Han's words. Then, turning to the head of the Medicine Master Institute, Bendeng, he said:

"Junior Brother Bendeng, since Jingming has yet to break through to Blood Tempering, I ask that your Medicine Master Institute take on the extra burden. From now on, refine three extra White Tiger Sinew Pills each month. This pill's effect on Sinew Transformation is excellent and will be of great use to Jingming.

And Junior Brother Benyin, you just said you wanted to thank Jingming for saving your Prajna Hall disciple, Jingyuan. Since you've spoken, you must show some sincerity. I recall your Prajna Hall still has a few Minor Return Pills—how about giving two of them to Jingming?"

"This..."

Hearing the conditions Huizhen had promised, not only was Gu Han shocked and overjoyed, but even the Prajna Hall head Benyin and the Medicine Master Institute head Bendeng were startled, awed by the Abbot's generosity.

The White Tiger Sinew Pill was the most effective pill for Sinew Transformation currently available in the Great Yan Treasure Pearl Temple, and even in the entire Great Yan martial world.

One pill down could help a martial artist fully temper about one-fifth of a minor sinew or one-thirtieth of a major sinew. Its effects were terrifyingly potent!

Of course, there is no free lunch in the world. Such powerful effects came with a great cost.

The cost of the White Tiger Sinew Pill was its high price and extreme difficulty in refinement. Even if the entire Medicine Master Institute strained itself, it could produce at most a dozen or so pills per month.

In the past, the entire Arhat Hall only received two pills per month, with the bulk going to the Dharma Institute and Prajna Hall.

As for Gu Han in the Arhat Hall, even with the full support of the Arhat Hall head Benguan, over the course of a year, he had only consumed about a dozen White Tiger Sinew Pills in total—roughly one per month.

But now, Huizhen had opened his mouth and granted Gu Han a quota of three pills per month. This meant Gu Han alone would enjoy resources equivalent to one and a half Arhat Halls. What tremendous support was this?

And this wasn't even the most precious part. Even more valuable were the two Minor Return Pills from the Dharma Institute.

The Minor Return Pill was a simplified version of the Treasure Pearl Temple's supreme treasure, the Great Return Pill, created by the ninth-generation head of the Medicine Master Institute.

Everyone knew that in the Great Yan Treasure Pearl Temple, there was a miraculous pill called the Great Return Pill! In the Great Yan martial world, it was hailed as a divine pill, an immortal pill, a holy pill, with powers said to be beyond measure.

It was claimed that with one pill in hand, one could cure all internal injuries in the world and greatly increase the probability of a martial artist breaking through to Inner Qi and Grand Completion of Inner Qi, advancing to higher levels.

Of course, the Minor Return Pill's effects were far inferior to the Great Return Pill, but in the mundane world, it was still a top-tier treasure. It could not only heal many injuries but also accelerate a martial artist's breakthrough from Grand Completion of Sinew Transformation to the Blood Tempering realm. With multiple functions, its effects were terrifying.

Thinking of this miraculous pill soon falling into his hands, and with three White Tiger Sinew Pills to come each month, even Gu Han, with his current state of mind, couldn't help but feel a surge of joy. He quickly expressed his gratitude and made a promise to Huizhen:

"Jingming thanks the Abbot for the pills. From now on, your disciple will train diligently in martial arts and will never let down the Abbot's painstaking efforts to nurture me!"

"Hehe! Good!"

Huizhen let out a faint laugh, then said with a kind expression:

"Jingming, there's no need for such formality. This time, you have rendered great service to our Treasure Pearl Temple, and it is only right that you be rewarded. These things are merely what you deserve.

And this old monk is not without selfish motives. Your talent is unheard of, rare in this world. I am eager to see whether this gifted prodigy will continue to grow as before once you reach the Blood Tempering realm. If so, it will truly be a blessing for our Treasure Pearl Temple!"

Looking at this disciple with such terrifying talent, Huizhen seemed to see a legend rising before his very eyes.

After all, Jingming was only at Minor Completion of Sinew Transformation in martial cultivation, yet his strength already rivaled a Blood Tempering martial artist.

If, in the future, he could cultivate to the Grand Completion of Inner Qi like himself, how formidable would he become? Even if he couldn't match Patriarch Bodhidharma, he might rival or even surpass the two patriarchs, Jue Ming and Liao Kong!

Huizhen's heart was full of anticipation.