Boulder Startles Neighboring Elder, Sand Rolls to Forge Iron Body

It was the third watch of the night, and Ye Qingxuan sat on the edge of his bed. Under the moonlight filtering through the window, he examined his still swollen left arm.

The pain from yesterday's sand-rubbing felt as if it were still present. The fine scratches on his skin had scabbed over, but a deep, gnawing ache lingered, impossible to shake.

In his mind, the image of "+1 Merit" was as clear as day.

He had misunderstood.

The core principle of the Indestructible Vajra Body was gradual progression: cloth training, sand-rubbing, stone striking, and stick beating. Sand-rubbing wasn't just about rubbing with one's hands; the technique's diagram clearly depicted a small figure rolling in a pile of sand and stones. The proper method was to use the skin and flesh of the entire body to withstand the grinding force of the sand and stones.

However... this method required far more sand and stones than the two bags by the corner of the courtyard. At the very least, he would need to dig a shallow pit and fill it with four or five large baskets of sand and stones to allow for full body movement.

With this thought, he hesitated no longer.

The night passed without incident.

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Ye Qingxuan got up and quietly left the courtyard.

The alley on East Street was still shrouded in a grey-blue morning mist. The blacksmith's forge had not yet been stoked, and only the occasional weak puff of the bellows could be heard.

He knew the way and arrived outside Uncle Zhang's courtyard.

The courtyard gate was ajar. Uncle Zhang was squatting in the yard, puffing on his pipe, the embers in the bowl flaring and dimming. In front of him lay a newly ground stone, as if he were contemplating where to strike.

"Uncle Zhang," Ye Qingxuan walked into the courtyard.

Uncle Zhang looked up and saw him. A row of yellow teeth appeared on his wrinkled face. "Qingxuan? Why so early again? Was yesterday's sand and stones not enough?"

"It wasn't enough," Ye Qingxuan nodded, feeling a bit embarrassed. "Uncle, I want... to ask for some more. I'll need about four or five baskets."

"Four or five baskets?" Uncle Zhang put down his pipe and stood up, patting the lime dust off his clothes. "What are you up to, kid? Sand and stones, are you building another stove in your backyard?"

"Not building a stove," Ye Qingxuan thought for a moment and came up with an excuse. "I want to dig a small pit to practice my hand and foot techniques."

"Practicing your skills?" Uncle Zhang sized him up, his gaze lingering on his still faintly red and swollen arm. Then he chuckled heartily. "Good! Good! Young people should move their muscles and bones more! Your father was also a strong man back in the day!"

He was very generous and waved his hand. "Take as much as you need! Don't be polite with your Uncle!"

With that, he turned and walked to the corner of the wall, dragging out a giant basket, larger than a regular water bucket. The basket was woven from thick bamboo strips and was clearly meant for heavy loads.

"Use this to carry it, so you don't have to run back and forth," Uncle Zhang set the basket down and pointed to a thick, bowl-sized carrying pole next to it. "But when this thing is full, it'll probably weigh two to three hundred pounds. You'd better take it easy with your small frame."

Ye Qingxuan didn't say much, only offering a word of thanks before picking up the shovel and starting to fill the basket with sand.

He first put in half a basket of fine sand, then scooped in half a basket of evenly sized pebbles. The mixture of sand and stones made the weight even more astonishing. The basket was quickly filled to the brim, piled up like a small mountain.

Uncle Zhang watched from the side, shaking his head. "That's enough, enough, Qingxuan. If you add any more, you won't be able to lift it."

Ye Qingxuan didn't stop, adding a few more shovels until the basket could hold no more.

He threaded the carrying pole through the basket's handles, took a deep breath, lowered his stance slightly, and assumed a standard horse stance.

"Lift!"

He let out a soft shout, engaging his waist and back. The thick carrying pole suddenly pressed down on his shoulders, bending into an astonishing arc.

The basket, filled with sand and stones, lifted off the ground.

Ye Qingxuan's steps merely faltered slightly before he stabilized himself. Carrying the two to three hundred pounds on his shoulders, his back was straight, and he walked steadily, his footsteps barely making a sound on the ground.

The pipe Uncle Zhang had been holding in his mouth fell to the ground with a "clack."

He rubbed his eyes, watching the teenager carrying the heavy load, his back as steady as a mountain, gradually disappear into the morning mist at the alley entrance. For a long time, he couldn't speak.

Where did this kid... get so much strength?

Returning to the small courtyard, Ye Qingxuan poured the sand and stones into the shallow pit he had dug the night before.

He then tore open the two thick burlap sacks and spread them on the bottom of the pit, finally completing the setup.

Ye Caiwei had also woken up by now. Rubbing her eyes, she came out of the house and saw the large pit filled with sand and stones in the courtyard. Her small mouth opened wide enough to fit an egg.

"Brother, you... did you move the riverbank into our home?"

Ye Qingxuan smiled and patted her head. "Brother is going to practice a very powerful skill."

Breakfast was still meat porridge and steamed buns. Ye Qingxuan's appetite had increased again compared to yesterday, and he ate until the pot was scraped clean, feeling only about seventy percent full.

He instructed his sister to go back to her room to review her studies and not to come out. Then, he locked the courtyard gate, took off his shirt, revealing a body with well-defined muscles, not exaggerated, but clear.

He stood at the edge of the pit and looked at the full pit of sand and stones. The sharp-edged pebbles gleamed coldly in the morning light.

Without any hesitation, he stepped into it.

The sand and stones immediately submerged his ankles, a cold and rough sensation shooting up from the soles of his feet.

He slowly lay down, burying his entire body in the sand and stones.

Then, he began to roll.

"Hiss—"

The sound of rolling sand and stones was exceptionally clear in the quiet courtyard.

The intense pain swept over his entire body at the same time.

This was a completely different sensation from the sand-rubbing of the previous night. Countless sharp-edged pebbles, as he rolled, repeatedly ground, scraped, and pressed against his back, chest, and limbs.

The feeling was no less than being skinned alive.

Every inch of his skin was wailing.

He gritted his teeth, swallowing back the cry of pain that was about to escape his throat.

In his mind, there was only the elm wood square table carved with palm prints.

Duan Tianbao, Fierce Tiger Hall, monthly silver.

These words, like steel needles, pierced his heart, then turned into an unnamed fire, burning through his limbs and bones.

Under the scorching of this fire, the pain gradually became bearable.

He began to follow the mental cultivation method of the Indestructible Vajra Body, controlling the tightening and loosening of his muscles, guiding the flow of qi and blood, making every roll of his body in sync with the technique.

"Rumble... rumble..."

The sound of rolling sand and gravel became rhythmic.

After an unknown amount of time, when he had completed a full set of rolling movements, he was utterly exhausted. Sweat mixed with blood, dyeing the sand and gravel beneath him a dark crimson.

At that very moment, the scroll in his mind unfurled!

Three dazzling points of light poured into it, one after another!

[Merit: +3]

The instant the characters appeared, an unprecedented sense of comfort surged from the depths of his heart, washing away the fatigue and pain in every corner of his body.

Ye Qingxuan propped himself up and sat up from the sand pit.

He gasped for air, then focused his gaze inward.

[Name: Ye Qingxuan]
[Realm: Body Tempering First Layer, Perfection]
[Martial Art: Indestructible Vajra Body (Realm: Minor Accomplishment, Progress: Two Inches, Merit: 6/45)]

One practice session, three points of Merit!

The effectiveness of this "Sand and Gravel Rolling" method was actually three times that of ordinary training!

He looked down at his body.

His skin was flushed red, covered in fine scratches and blood spots. It looked somewhat terrifying, but there were no truly serious injuries. After achieving Minor Accomplishment in the Indestructible Vajra Body, the toughness of his skin and flesh had far surpassed his imagination.

The door to the inner room creaked open a crack.

Ye Caiwei hid behind the door, her small hands covering her mouth, her large eyes brimming with tears.

She had been startled awake by the strange noises in the courtyard and had peeked out, only to see her brother rolling in the sand pit.

Every "rumble" sound felt like it was grinding against her heart.

She saw the red marks all over her brother's body and couldn't help but cry tears of heartache.

But she also saw that when her brother sat up from the pit, his face, covered in sweat and dust, held no trace of pain. Instead, it radiated a brilliance she couldn't understand.

It was a brilliance of surging power.

She suddenly remembered the martial arts masters described by the storytellers, who had all endured immense hardship to hone their world-shattering skills.

Was her brother like them?

"Brother... is a Martial Path genius."

The little girl used the most magnificent word she could think of in her heart to describe her brother.

In the courtyard, Ye Qingxuan stood up and walked to the well. He drew a bucket of icy well water and poured it over his head.

The bone-chilling cold invigorated his spirit.

The wounds on his skin stung fiercely as the clean water washed over them, but it also stimulated the circulation of qi and blood, accelerating their healing.

He reached back and touched his back. Although his skin was broken, his bones and muscles were filled with an unprecedented sense of fullness and strength.

This method, while fast-acting, was also harsh. Practicing like this every day would be too much for his skin and flesh to bear.

He needed to alternate between exertion and rest. He would practice for a day and then need to recuperate for a day, allowing his skin and flesh sufficient time to recover and grow. Only then could it be a sustainable path.

One month.

There were twenty-seven days left until he had to "pay the monthly silver" to Fierce Tiger Hall.

He had gained six points of Merit out of the required forty-five.

He looked at the sand and gravel in the pit, stained with his blood and sweat, his gaze calm.

This path, though paved with blood and pain, no longer led to an unattainable dream.