To Lin Shuguang, the matter with Song Wan had been only a minor interlude.
It was not until the weekend evening that Steward Zhou called.
"The Martial Artist Cultivation Method you wanted has arrived."
Lin Shuguang stood up without hesitation. "I'm on my way!"
Twenty minutes later.
Lin Shuguang finally received the Martial Artist Cultivation Method from Steward Zhou.
Steward Zhou reminded him, "Master Jin personally annotated all the key points in this Thunderous Roar Scripture for you. Read it carefully when you get back. Master Jin compared quite a few other cultivation methods before choosing this one. It has the highest success rate, and even if you fail, it won't endanger your life."
Hearing this, Lin Shuguang cupped his hands in thanks. "That was thoughtful of Master Jin. Thank him for me. And you too, Zhou. Sorry for all the trouble these past few days."
Steward Zhou quickly smiled. "It's all part of my duties. I'll pass your words along to Master Jin."
Neither of them lingered. Having obtained the Martial Artist Cultivation Method, Lin Shuguang headed straight home.
The paper was very new, probably a freshly transcribed copy rather than the original.
But Lin Shuguang did not care. As long as it could make him a Martial Artist, that was enough.
He closed his bedroom door.
Lin Shuguang sat in a chair and began reading.
The cultivation method's breathing and circulation routes... the distribution of bones in the human body... all the possible risks during Bone Tempering were listed in great detail.
At the end was a passage left by Master Jin.
"The human body has many bones, generally two hundred and six. However, a Martial Artist's Bone Tempering does not mean tempering every bone.
"The number of bones is determined by the grade of the cultivation method. The higher its grade, the more bones it can activate when circulated... however, such methods are exceedingly rare and are mostly held by top-tier Martial Arts Schools or certain superpowers.
"The most common are basic cultivation methods, most of which temper fewer than twenty bones... although the Thunderous Roar Scripture is a basic cultivation method, it can temper eighteen bones, placing it among the better basic cultivation methods.
"An ordinary person would need at least five to ten years to finish cultivating it. With your talent, it should suffice for the next three years..."
"Three years?" Lin Shuguang's expression was inscrutable.
Master Jin did not know he had the Pay-to-Win System, so naturally, his estimate was somewhat conservative.
He continued reading.
"The first step of Bone Tempering is crucial. You must memorize the circulation route before attempting a breakthrough, because once begun, the process is irreversible. If anything goes wrong with the route, escaping unharmed would be sheer luck.
"If you cannot make it through by chance, the lesser consequence is damage to your bones and meridians, leaving you crippled.
"In severe cases, you will die on the spot.
"Remember this! Remember this!"
Half an hour later, Lin Shuguang had absorbed everything Master Jin had written.
"Although it can only temper eighteen bones, that's enough for me right now."
He remembered Bun Head, Pei Xi, saying that Chen Yao was a Martial Artist with Six Resonances of Bone Tempering. In other words, he had tempered six bones.
Just six bones had made him that powerful. Lin Shuguang was shaken.
He felt no dissatisfaction with the simplicity of the Thunderous Roar Scripture.
Besides, once he entered a top-tier Martial Arts School, he could switch to one of its advanced cultivation methods. There was no need to reach too far right now. He would get through this first.
The more bones he tempered, the stronger he would become... Lin Shuguang understood that much.
After committing the circulation route to memory, Lin Shuguang sat cross-legged on the floor, intending to attempt his first breakthrough.
He had just positioned his hands when he suddenly stopped.
He remembered the Thunderous Roar Scripture mentioning how dangerous the breakthrough process was. It would be bad if he wrecked his bedroom desk and chair. Heaven knew which kitchen knife his mother would come charging in with this time.
Taking the cultivation method with him, Lin Shuguang headed out into the night to a nearby park and found a seldom-visited patch of woods.
He sat cross-legged.
He began silently reciting the cultivation formula.
In less than fifteen minutes, the Blood Energy within Lin Shuguang began pulsing rhythmically, gradually spreading from the inside out.
Ring after ring of invisible ripples spread out around his body.
Leaves, pebbles, and specks of dust slowly floated into the air as though freed from gravity, circling Lin Shuguang along fixed paths like planets in the heavens.
An unknown amount of time passed.
Apart from the cold moonlight shrouding it, the wooded hillside fell into utter stillness.
Thump-thump! Thump-thump! Thump-thump! Thump-thump!
Suddenly, a sound like a heartbeat rang out like muffled thunder.
The Blood Energy in Lin Shuguang's body erupted, surging to its peak.
The Thunderous Roar Scripture circulated at high speed within him, as though operating under an excessive load. Great clouds of white vapor rose from his skin, which glowed as though lit by fire.
His right arm, in particular, felt as though it were being torn apart.
It hurt hundreds of times worse than when Chen Yao had beaten him.
Lin Shuguang felt he was about to die.
He really was about to die!
This warning sign of cultivation deviation sent the Blood Energy within him surging wildly, completely out of control.
Before long, his Blood Energy would run dry, turning him into a desiccated corpse and killing him on the spot!
And just as Lin Shuguang felt his breakthrough was about to fail-
The system appeared!
[Obtained "Thunderous Roar Scripture." Long-term practice can unlock the human body's potential, increase strength, and make you a Martial Artist.] [Pay 10,000 to attempt a breakthrough.]
The system's voice finally reached Lin Shuguang like heavenly music, like finding a way out of certain death at the very last moment.
"Any later and you'd have been widowed for life! Take my damn money!"
Thump!
A powerful, resonant sound came from within Lin Shuguang.
All his pain vanished. A vigorous new strength even surged within him, as though it would break out of its shell in the next second.
Lin Shuguang suddenly opened his eyes, his face filled with uncertainty. "Did I succeed?"
He hurriedly summoned the Attribute Panel.
[Name]: Lin Shuguang; [Blood Energy Value]: 2,020 cal; [Skills]: Basic Body Refining Technique LV13 (increases Blood Energy Value by 90 cal daily), Star Prison Gale Slash LV6, Tiger Roar Saber Technique LV6 (max level), Bone Dissection LV3 (max level); [Destined Soul]: Slaughter Blade (silver); (Description: possesses a certain degree of destructive power when manifested); [Special Ability]: Absorption LV4 (successful kills grant four times the Blood Energy Value) Achievement: Bronze Skin Iron Bones Cultivation: breakthrough (1%)
Seeing the cultivation field, Lin Shuguang frowned thoughtfully.
"Looks like I'm not a Martial Artist yet!"
He focused his gaze, and a line of small text slowly appeared.
(Pay 10,000 to increase progress by 1%.)
Lin Shuguang understood, though he was truly amazed by the Pay-to-Win System's ability to swallow money.
Including his earnings from the Desolate Ghost Ape King, he only had a little over 1.4 million left in total. After all, the further he progressed, the greater the cost became. Spending hundreds of thousands at a time pained him terribly.
With a stony face, he decisively chose to upgrade.
"Pay 10,000, increase progress by 1%!"
"Pay 10,000, increase progress by 1%!"
"Pay 10,000, increase progress by 1%!"
After pouring in a million, Lin Shuguang finally broke through and became a Martial Artist in the truest sense.
[Cultivation: Martial Artist Bone Tempering 1 Resonance]
Lin Shuguang slowly rose to his feet.
At the same time, an invisible wave of air erupted from all around him.
It was like thousands of troops and horses thundering past, its momentum ferocious.
Yet the "culprit" who had caused it swept through the night like a hurricane, leaving nothing but a mess along the seldom-traveled streets.
On the eleventh day of the countdown, Lin Shuguang finally became a Martial Artist!
PS [Thanks to our two friends over on Book City, Blue Sky and Seventy Percent Swagger, for the tips o(^▽^)o]
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