Xiantian Mortal Transformation, Bronze Skin Iron Bones

Han Zheng returned home, set the bottle of pills Yuan Longshan had given him on the table, rubbed his brow, and let out a long breath.

Earlier, Li Jingzhong had told him that the skies over Black Stone County were about to change. He had told Han Zheng to focus on martial arts and not get involved in this messy business.

Yet now, he had been drawn into the open and hidden struggle between the Incense Cult and the Demon Extermination Division. There was nothing bigger than this.

Such was the helplessness of being caught within the game. Without strength, one could only become a chess piece. Who knew when he would become the one arranging the board and placing the pieces?

Besides, even if Han Zheng wanted to hide, he had no way to do so. From the moment he had transmigrated, he had already become enemies with the Three Harmonies Gang. Sooner or later, he would be swept into the situation.

Suppressing these useless thoughts, Han Zheng carefully examined the bottle of pills.

Whether he was caught in the game or not, strength alone was the foundation for survival.

After the medicinal bath, Han Zheng's cultivation had advanced by leaps and bounds, reaching the Peak Acquired Stage.

Originally, Han Zheng had planned to accumulate strength for a while and seek an opportunity to break through into the Innate Realm. He had not expected that opportunity to arrive so soon.

The words "Spirit Nurturing Pill" were written on the bottle. The instant he opened it, medicinal fragrance filled the air.

Unlike the unpleasant smell of the medicinal bath, the Spirit Nurturing Pill's fragrance was rich and potent. The aura it gave off even carried a strangely intoxicating quality.

He poured the pill into his palm. It was only the size of a thumb, blackish-red and perfectly round, so round it looked like a pearl.

Han Zheng swallowed the pill in one gulp and instantly felt as though he had swallowed a ball of fire.

The fire was not violent, but the instant it entered his stomach, it ignited all the inner force within the three hundred and sixty-five acupoints across his body.

Vast inner force and true qi surged through Han Zheng's body, causing a faint glow to radiate from him. His billowing true qi even made the table creak and rattle.

If Han Zheng did not vent this power, his meridians might burst before long, killing him.

Without hesitation, Han Zheng immediately poured all that power into every inch of flesh, skin, and bone throughout his body.

The Bronze Skin Iron Bones stage of early Innate Realm required one to continuously scour and temper one's flesh, skin, and bones with inner force.

For ordinary people, this step would bring unbearable agony. But Han Zheng had sacrificed his sense of pain, so it did not matter. Only his sense of touch remained.

Han Zheng could feel inner force coursing through his bones and flesh, scouring them over and over, continuously destroying them while also nourishing them and allowing them to regenerate.

Humans were born Xiantian, but as they grew in the acquired world, filthy impurities continuously entered their bodies, transforming their Xiantian bodies into acquired ones.

The Xiantian Mortal Transformation Realm was the process of cleansing and tempering the body, returning it to Xiantian.

The Spirit Nurturing Pill released its medicinal power within Han Zheng's stomach, like an endless blaze that continuously supplied him with strength.

Han Zheng could even clearly sense a strange transformation taking place in the texture of his flesh, skin, and bones.

Half an hour later, the pill's medicinal power had completely dissipated, and the flames went out.

After the final scouring of his bones, his inner force and true qi received no further replenishment. Han Zheng was finally exhausted.

Han Zheng frowned slightly.

The feeling was deeply unpleasant, as if everything had abruptly stopped halfway through.

This was not practicing stopping at the brink. It was far more satisfying to break through in one burst of momentum.

The last time he had killed Feng Yuan, Han Zheng had obtained 30 points of Vitality Essence. He had directly sacrificed all of it for 300 points of Satiety and entered the Gluttonous Crucible to cultivate.

The Innate Realm tested not only talent, but also one's control over power and one's perseverance.

After losing the aid of the pill, Han Zheng simply restored his inner force, then tempered his flesh and bones. Once his power was depleted, he tempered them again.

Han Zheng's talent was ordinary, and his physical constitution was ordinary as well.

Martial artists from great sects with exceptional talent naturally had fewer impurities in their bodies. They did not need to repeatedly temper themselves as Han Zheng did.

Martial artists from the lower levels of society were naturally destined to have a harder time cultivating than those born into great sects and great clans. From the very start, they had to spend far more time than others.

After cultivating for a full three hundred days within the Gluttonous Crucible, Han Zheng had exhausted all his Satiety, yet he still had not entered the Innate Realm. He was still short of that final sliver of feeling.

The step from the Houtian Realm into the Innate Realm was a great threshold in martial cultivation.

Some people might never cross it in their entire lives.

"Just one sliver short."

Han Zheng shook his head with a trace of helplessness.

If talent was lacking, then hard cultivation had to make up for it. If hard cultivation was not enough, then he could only cheat.

He cultivated until dawn. Han Zheng did not go to the Martial Arts Academy again. Instead, he had a disciple from the academy who lived nearby ask Li Jingzhong for several days of leave on his behalf, saying that he was exploring the Innate Realm and would be entering seclusion for the next few days.

Li Jingzhong had already known that Han Zheng was nearing the Innate Realm, so it was natural enough for him to request leave for seclusion.

But Li Jingzhong thought Han Zheng intended to establish his Xiantian foundation and lay the groundwork for a breakthrough. He had not expected Han Zheng to be only a hair's breadth away from breaking through into the Innate Realm.

Over the next three days, Han Zheng spent all his time cultivating apart from buying a large pile of steamed buns to fill his stomach.

Until the night of the third day, when the final trace of impurities in Han Zheng's bones and flesh had been washed away completely, did he finally step into the Xiantian Mortal Transformation Realm and forge Bronze Skin Iron Bones!

Han Zheng looked at his hands and the skin on his body.

There had originally been some scars on his body, but now they had all vanished, leaving behind only smooth, flawless skin.

There had once been old calluses on the tiger's mouths of Han Zheng's hands from practicing his fists, but those calluses had disappeared as well.

Of course, this transformation happened only once. Future injuries would still leave marks unless he cultivated other body-tempering arts to cleanse his flesh again.

He picked up a teacup and rubbed it between his hands a few times.

Those slightly pale, tender-looking hands were now like a grinder, reducing the white porcelain teacup to powder!

Han Zheng could most directly sense that his strength had undergone a qualitative leap.

His bones were no longer the white of bone. Instead, they gave off a metallic texture and sheen.

Summoning the Gluttonous Crucible, Han Zheng checked his attributes.

Name: Han Zheng

Cultivation: Early Xiantian Mortal Transformation Realm (Bronze Skin Iron Bones)

Martial Arts and Cultivation Methods: Houtian Realm "Iron Elephant Skill" perfected, Houtian Realm "Vajra Fist" perfected.

Innate Realm "Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill" proficiency 65%, Innate Realm "Vajra Demon Subduing Seal" proficiency 18%, Innate Realm "White Ape Through-Arm Fist" proficiency 10%, Houtian Realm "Blood Fiend Saber Art" proficiency 15%.

Current State: Pain sensation absent, inner force depleted

After breaking through into the Xiantian Mortal Transformation Realm, the Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill's proficiency had also surged by a large amount.

"Eh? You actually broke through into the Innate Realm so quickly? Even with the Spirit Nurturing Pill the boss gave you, this speed is astonishing. You're no worse than those elite disciples of the great sects."

The voice suddenly rang out in the courtyard. Han Zheng was startled and instinctively grabbed the hilt of the Wild Goose Feather Saber beside him before spinning around.

At some unknown moment, Zhang Tianyang was standing in Han Zheng's courtyard, sizing him up with a faint look of amazement.

Han Zheng's heart was also filled with shock. He had not sensed in the slightest how the other man had entered the courtyard.

Was Zhang Tianyang at the peak of the Innate Realm, or was he in the Profound Gang Realm?

Li Jingzhong was in the late Innate Realm, but he had never given Han Zheng such immense pressure.

Zhang Tianyang was only one minor realm above Li Jingzhong. Why did it feel as if his strength far surpassed Li Jingzhong's?

"I have Lord Yuan's Spirit Nurturing Pill to thank. Otherwise, I would not have had enough foundation to complete my Xiantian foundation establishment so quickly."

"Tut, tut, don't be modest. Your speed is already astonishing.

Even the young people in the Demon Extermination Division need one or two months to complete the cleansing with pill assistance. Those who can finish cleansing within ten days and forge Bronze Skin Iron Bones are all geniuses."

Han Zheng gave a dry laugh.

Strictly speaking, with pill assistance, he had spent more than three hundred days—ten months—before completely finishing the cleansing.

Calling that the speed of a genius would be too much. Mediocre would be more like it.

"Since you've broken through into the Innate Realm, I came today to give you a reminder. Gao Kaiyuan's people are about to investigate you.

Everyone else has already been cleared of suspicion. You'll be the next one they investigate.

Black Stone County is only so big. Once the Three Harmonies Gang decides to investigate someone, they can't keep it hidden for too long.

I could only find excuses to arrest some of Gao Kaiyuan's men and stall for time, but I can't go too far. Otherwise, it will arouse suspicion."

Han Zheng nodded. "Thank you for the trouble, Lord Zhang. It's time for me to make my move as well."

In truth, even if Zhang Tianyang had not said anything, Han Zheng had planned to act after breaking through into the Innate Realm.

As someone in the Houtian Realm facing Gao Kaiyuan, who was in the late Innate Realm, he had not stood the slightest chance.

Only after entering the Innate Realm would he possess the strength to fight.

Zhang Tianyang nodded in satisfaction. "Go ahead and do it. You only need to muddy the waters. Leave the rest to me."

Han Zheng had not taken the benefits without doing the work. Zhang Tianyang was quite satisfied with that.

As his words fell, Zhang Tianyang leaped away and vanished from Han Zheng's small courtyard.

After recovering his inner force for a night, Han Zheng rose early the next morning and prepared to investigate the Three Harmonies Gang's current situation first.

Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated in a hundred battles.

In fact, ever since learning that the Three Harmonies Gang was connected to his death, Han Zheng had constantly kept watch over all kinds of news and intelligence regarding the gang. He had long since formed a plan in his heart.

Although Han Zheng had now stepped into the Innate Realm, he had seen Gao Kaiyuan's strength before.

The Shattered Jade Hand of the late Innate Realm could split gold and shatter stone. It was far beyond what Han Zheng could compare to now.

Therefore, to deal with Gao Kaiyuan, a frontal assault was definitely impossible. He had to begin from another direction.

The grudge between Gao Kaiyuan and First Gang Leader Cao Bin was the point of entry Han Zheng had chosen.

The Three Harmonies Gang's hall was in the western district. Han Zheng had never seen what the gang's hall looked like, since his strength had previously been insufficient and he could only avoid the Three Harmonies Gang as much as possible.

Now that he was preparing to act against Gao Kaiyuan, he at least needed to understand the Three Harmonies Gang's situation in detail.

But as Han Zheng passed Shenghe Hall, he discovered Li Feng arguing with several people at the entrance.

The leader was a tall, burly man with a face full of flesh. He gripped Li Feng by the collar and glared at him viciously. "What do you mean by this, old man? You dare withhold our gang leader's Spiritual Medicine? Are you tired of living?"

Li Feng had always appeared refined and scholarly, but now his clothes were disheveled and his face was full of fear.

Shenghe Hall had several strong, sturdy assistants, but none of them dared step forward.

Behind that burly man stood a group of thugs glaring like tigers eyeing their prey, each one looking fierce and vicious.

Li Feng pleaded in a low voice, "I really didn't withhold your gang leader's Spiritual Medicine. Young Master Cao said he wanted that batch of Spiritual Medicine, and you said you wanted it too. If I give it to you, how am I supposed to explain it to Young Master Cao?

The head shopkeeper specifically instructed that the accounts for this batch of Spiritual Medicine haven't been settled yet, so I can't hand it out carelessly."

"You're afraid you won't be able to explain yourself to him, but you're not afraid you won't be able to explain yourself to us? I think you just don't take us seriously. You're asking for a beating!"

As he spoke, the burly man swung a slap at Li Feng.