Muscle Tempering: The Limit of Perfection

"That won't do either. If you don't recuperate properly, you might never be able to hold a saber again in this lifetime." The clinic doctor stroked his beard and pondered for a moment before speaking gravely.

"All right." Zhang the Butcher immediately became crestfallen.

He could only blame his own terrible luck for getting injured at such a time.

The clinic fetched Trauma Medicine and applied it to the burly man, then prescribed several doses of medicine.

Zhang the Butcher left the clinic with a dejected expression.

Chu Feng had heard the entire conversation between the burly man and the clinic doctor. His expression shifted, and he followed after him.

After leaving the clinic, Chu Feng, transformed into 'Chu Liu Xiang,' called out to Zhang the Butcher.

"Hey, the man ahead—is he a butcher?"

The burly man turned at the sound and said, "That's right! In Yong'an City, who doesn't know me, Zhang the Butcher?"

Chu Feng smiled faintly. "This isn't the place to talk. There's a teahouse up ahead. Shall we chat as we go?"

"Sure!"

Zhang the Butcher hesitated, but agreed in the end.

He was tall and powerfully built, and the teahouse was on a bustling street, so naturally he wasn't afraid of Chu Feng.

After the two exchanged words, Zhang the Butcher was overjoyed when he learned that Chu Feng wanted to help.

For the next three days, Chu Feng went to Zhang the Butcher's home to earn some extra money after finishing his work at the restaurant.

The Ghost Festival had caused the townspeople's meat consumption to soar. He had to slaughter at least four or five fat pigs every day to supply Zhang the Butcher's shop.

White blade in, red blade out. Five fat pigs were butchered by Chu Feng without the slightest awareness.

[Slaughtered five fat pigs. Plundered five years of lifespan!]

"Brother, that's some truly superb skill!" Zhang the Butcher exclaimed in astonishment from the side.

A true expert knew at a glance whether another had the goods. Though this wasn't his first time seeing it, he was still amazed by Chu Feng's superb butchering skills.

How could he know that this was merely the Great Accomplishment level of Butcher Ding's Ox-Dissecting Saber Technique? Chu Feng had only stopped upgrading the technique because he wanted to use his lifespan where it mattered most.

"Big Brother, you flatter me. I've finished processing today's meat. I'll come again tomorrow." Chu Feng exchanged a greeting and was about to leave.

"Ah, little brother, the Ghost Festival will be over tomorrow, and the meat shop won't have such great demand anymore. My injury has almost healed as well, so I'm sorry for the trouble." Zhang the Butcher rubbed his hands, looking somewhat embarrassed.

"This is your payment for the three days." He hurriedly took ten taels of silver from his chest and handed it to Chu Feng.

"All right. Farewell, Big Brother Zhang." Chu Feng weighed the silver in his hand, said nothing, and left directly.

Chu Feng understood that Zhang the Butcher was being wary. He was probably afraid that, after Chu Feng figured out the meat shop's business, he would open another shop and seize his trade.

"All right."

Chu Feng smiled faintly and said nothing more.

Over these three days, he had accumulated quite a bit of lifespan. Besides, the townspeople's demand for meat had indeed fallen, so there was nothing for him to be reluctant about.

Watching Chu Feng disappear into the distance, Zhang the Butcher secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

In the small courtyard he rented.

After continuously drinking Nourishing Body Soup for three days, Chu Feng could clearly feel his body becoming like old machinery that had been given a fresh application of lubricant. His strength flowed smoothly and freely, without the slightest trace of sluggishness.

Chu Feng checked his attributes.

[Name: Chu Feng.]

[Cultivation: Late Stage Marrow Tempering.]

[Plundered Lifespan: 15 years and 2 months]

[Techniques: Dark Gold Marrow Polishing Technique perfected, Breaking Edge Saber Technique perfected, Savage Ox Muscle Tempering Art perfected, Golden Toad Muscle Tempering Art at Great Accomplishment, Butcher Ding's Ox-Dissecting Saber Technique at Great Accomplishment.]

All that rushing around these days hadn't been in vain. Adding the lifespan plundered from killing Fang Yun Hu and the mounted bandit three days ago, Chu Feng's account had become well-stocked again.

Since his talent wasn't good enough, he would just have to make up for it with hard work!

After swallowing the prepared Nourishing Soup Medicine, Chu Feng growled inwardly.

"Lifespan, extrapolate for me!"

As usual, he went all in, leaving nothing in reserve.

[You diligently cultivated for five years. The Golden Toad Muscle Tempering Art reached perfection, tempering all 599 muscles in your body and allowing you to unleash eighteen thousand jin of tremendous force!]

[You diligently cultivated for ten years. You comprehended and integrated the two techniques, combining them with modern anatomical knowledge to successfully create a new Muscle Tempering Technique—the Ox-Demon Golden Toad Muscle Tempering Art!]

[You diligently cultivated the Ox-Demon Golden Toad Muscle Tempering Art for five years and two months, perfectly tempering all 639 muscles in your body. Your strength surged through every limb and bone, allowing you to unleash thirty thousand jin of force!]

Chu Feng lowered his waist and settled into a horse stance, bending his knees downward until they were parallel to the ground. He raised his head high like a bull's horns, resembling a Golden Toad clad in armor and crowned with horns.

His qi and blood circulated through his body. With the sound of a frog's cry, Chu Feng suddenly shot three zhang into the sky!

His massive qi and blood spread from his heart through his muscles, and every muscle on his body trembled like waves.

His qi and blood surged forward in a triumphant advance, spreading throughout his body. His muscles seemed to come alive, erupting with overwhelming power.

The instant he landed, the ground trembled. Dust spread and filled the entire courtyard, and within the haze, a towering figure stood erect.

As the smoke cleared, Chu Feng's muscles could be seen bulging all over his body. The muscles of his back resembled Vajra Mingwang—brows knitted in wrath, eyes glaring, fangs bared, as though he wished to slay every evil foe!

Chu Feng's skin was flushed red. The lightning patterns hidden deep beneath it had become clearly visible, forming an image of a one-legged Kui Niu roaring toward the heavens.

His bones crackled loudly, as though they were about to be unable to bear the terrifying power of his muscles.

He could feel that this punch of his would unleash far more than thirty thousand jin of force. He could easily smash through a house, rivaling a small missile—but since his meridians and bones had not been tempered, the backlash might well tear his own muscles and bones apart!

Chu Feng slowly exhaled. The peach tree before him swayed as though buffeted by a gale, and its leaves fell in a flurry.

The muscles throughout his body contracted, and he once more became that frail, emaciated 'Chu Liu Xiang.'

He even carefully added a tiny bit of weight. After all, living conditions had improved now, and never putting on even an ounce of flesh would easily arouse suspicion.

Looking at the leaves covering the ground, Chu Feng muttered, "This Flesh Vajra is truly terrifying. I can now unleash thirty thousand jin of tremendous force without damaging my body. No one in the Muscle Tempering Realm can possibly be my opponent!"

"As for Muscle Tendon Realm martial artists, I'll only know after fighting one!"

Chu Feng's Flesh Vajra could unleash thirty thousand jin of force, far surpassing Li Zhenshan's estimate of twenty thousand. It was probably because he had tempered "Kui Niu's Hide," combined with his special physique, "Bronze Skin Iron Bones."

Chu Feng now needed a suitable weapon. Gao Han had already begun to suspect him.

He could sense that the other party would certainly make a move in the next few days. He had to make preparations.

Chen's Blacksmith Shop.

The moment Chu Feng entered, he felt a wave of heat rush toward his face.

A man hammering iron asked without stopping his work, "What kind of farming tool does the customer need? We have everything in the shop."

Looking at the blacksmith shop, which mostly contained hoes and kitchen knives, Chu Feng said, "Shopkeeper, I want a weapon—a weapon capable of killing people!"

"I couldn't tell that you were a martial artist, little brother." The blacksmith stopped his work.

He looked at Chu Feng's ordinary features and worn, patched clothes. A martial artist wouldn't be this shabby.

A martial artist could casually find employment as a wealthy household's guard and live far better than an ordinary person. He shouldn't be dressed in such a sorry state!

Chu Feng had been too busy these past few days to pay any attention to his appearance.

The Fang family's great saber could come crashing down at any moment. He hadn't dared relax in the slightest, desperately accumulating lifespan. Only now, after reaching the perfected Muscle Tempering Realm, had he finally let out a small sigh of relief.

"Here are twenty taels of silver. Is that enough to buy a superior long saber?"

"Of course it is. Customer, this way, please..." Seeing the gleaming silver, a smile appeared on the blacksmith's face.

The blacksmith led Chu Feng into the inner room. It was spacious and bright, with a world of its own. Various weapons hung on the walls—axes, halberds, sabers, and swords, dazzling in their variety.

"This is a Straight Saber. Its blade is perfectly straight and weighs ten jin and six liang. It's very suitable for a young hero like you."

Chu Feng took one look and said directly, "Too light!"

"Too light?"

The blacksmith looked at Chu Feng's slender build, said no more, and directly carried over a broad Ring-pommel Saber.

"This Nine-Hole Ring-pommel Saber weighs sixty-two jin and three liang. What do you think?"

"It's still too light. Do you have anything heavier?" Chu Feng gave it a routine glance and spoke.

"Young man, you haven't even tried it. How do you know it's too light? Don't reach for the stars. If a weapon's too heavy, you'll tire yourself to death before you even hit the enemy!"

The blacksmith grew irritated. He wondered whether this boy had come simply to make fun of him.

He had seen plenty of young martial artists who thought themselves extraordinary and believed they were the chosen protagonists of destiny. They insisted on having the best and heaviest weapons, only to turn themselves into clowns once they actually swung them. More than a few had lost their lives that way.

Chu Feng said nothing more. He picked up the Nine-Hole Ring-pommel Saber. The sixty-jin weight seemed like a toothpick in his hand. It whirled through the air like an elf, light and effortless.

"Indeed, it's still too light..."

As he spoke, Chu Feng's wrist paused. The Nine-Hole Ring-pommel Saber slid steadily into its sheath, handled with ease despite its weight, as though it were weightless.

The blacksmith's heart jolted. This saber technique had probably already reached the realm of perfection.

Seeing this, he no longer dared be negligent. A bitter smile surfaced on his face. "Young hero, this is only an ordinary blacksmith shop. This Ring-pommel Saber is already the heaviest weapon we have."

Though he coveted those twenty taels of silver, they truly had no heavier weapons.

At that moment, the young apprentice beside them suddenly whispered into the blacksmith's ear, "Master, don't we still have a Saber Blank? It weighs more than three hundred and eighty jin. We can certainly let this customer try it."

"But that Saber Blank is crude and unfinished. It only has the basic shape of a saber and doesn't even have an edge. How could it be used?" The blacksmith hesitated.

"It's fine, Master. You can bring it out first and let me take a look..."

Chu Feng's curiosity was piqued as well. What kind of Saber Blank weighed more than three hundred jin?