Starting Bone Tempering

The years of cultivation slipped by in the blink of an eye.

Since completing Flesh Hardening, Jiang Liu had trained desperately every day. He could now perform fourteen rounds of the Five Elements Fist each day.

During this time, aside from necessary chores, Jiang Liu had poured every moment into practicing the Five Elements Fist. Compared to the other apprentices, he was countless times more diligent.

Even Wang Zhuang, that cultivation maniac, had to bow in defeat. Every time they sparred, Wang Zhuang was beaten flat on the ground, unable to get back up. Yet the next day, he would still come alive and kicking to spar with Jiang Liu again. Jiang Liu could only marvel at it.

After finishing his boxing practice each day, if he could bear the stench of sweat on his body, Jiang Liu would have liked nothing more than to skip washing up and go straight to sleep.

After their sparring session that night, Jiang Liu willed it, and a dark blue light screen appeared before him.

Auxiliary System:

Name: Jiang Liu

Realm: Body Refinement (Flesh Hardening)

Alchemy (Beginner 37/100)

Basic Fist Technique (Uninitiated 5/10)

Five Elements Fist (Minor Mastery 133/300)

Thinking back, he had practiced eleven rounds a day for the first three days, twelve rounds a day for the next two, and fourteen rounds a day for these last two days. His body had gradually reached its limit for containing qi and blood.

He had performed the Five Elements Fist eighty-five times in just one week. At this pace, he could reach great mastery in a little over ten days. It truly hadn't been easy!

Jiang Liu sat cross-legged on the ground and restored his qi and blood. He slowly circulated it through his body. When it reached his breastbone, he suddenly sensed a slight change. It seemed that the edge of one part of his breastbone was different?

Jiang Liu's mind stirred. This is...? Could I have started Bone Tempering? When in doubt, ask the system.

Auxiliary System:

Name: Jiang Liu

Realm: Body Refinement (Bone Tempering 0.1/206)

He really had started Bone Tempering! Jiang Liu did not know which bone others began tempering first, but he knew that starting from the breastbone was probably related to his perfect execution of the Five Elements Fist's qi-circulation method.

The breastbone was the shell that protected the heart. Only when the heart supplied sufficient blood could enough qi and blood be produced to further improve the body, contain more qi and blood, and temper the body even further.

Practicing martial arts was a process of tempering the body step by step, until one reached a realm beyond ordinary people. Once one's entire body had been further tempered to its limit, a strand of qi would emerge from within.

This qi was different from the qi in qi and blood. The qi of qi and blood was born mixed with blood and could be seen. This strand of qi was pure, formless and intangible; it could only be sensed, never seen or touched.

When one could sense this strand of qi, it meant one had reached Entry Grade.

So I've just entered Bone Tempering? Jiang Liu's face was filled with delight. He carefully sensed the changes within himself. When his qi and blood flowed through his breastbone, it was indeed much smoother than through his other bones.

Realm: Body Refinement (Bone Tempering 0.2/206). It seemed that each circulation of qi and blood increased it by 0.1. From now on, he would have to spend more time circulating his qi and blood. With both hands working together, he could complete Bone Tempering sooner.

Early the next morning, Jiang Liu and Wang Zhuang hurried to the apprentice square and first performed five rounds of the Basic Fist Technique. Basic Fist Technique (Beginner 0/100).

The system immediately displayed: A mergeable fist technique has been detected. Confirm merge? Jiang Liu confirmed in his mind. The Basic Fist Technique vanished, and the Five Elements Fist's proficiency increased by 10.

"Lin Hai, while I was away, I told you to keep an eye on Jiang Liu. Did you discover anything?" Master Lin asked Lin Hai as they walked.

"Master Lin, I didn't find anything unusual! It's just that Jiang Liu's progress is indeed faster than everyone else's. Master Ma even gave him an extra reward of medicinal soup!" Lin Hai replied.

"Have you investigated his background?"

"It has already been investigated. He's just an ordinary commoner living in the western part of the city. Both his parents are dead."

"He usually scraped together enough to eat by bringing customers to inns and restaurants. He attended Elementary School when he was young before becoming an apprentice at a medicine shop. His family moved here in his grandfather's generation. There's nothing else unusual." Lin Hai replied.

"I see! Good! Go call Jiang Liu over to me later. I want to take a look at him." Master Lin sat down.

"While I was away, did anything happen in the hall?" Master Lin continued.

"There was nothing major, but Fu Rong Street has been a little unsettled." Lin Hai answered.

"What happened?" Master Lin frowned.

"For several days in a row, we caught people cheating at our gambling house!"

"Oh? Who had the gall to swallow a bear's heart and leopard's guts, daring to cheat at our gambling house?"

"For several days in a row? So it happened more than once? Have the people been caught? Did you interrogate them and find out who was behind it?"

"They're still locked in the dungeon. They're clamming up and refusing to speak, and they won't admit they're in the same group!"

"It seems someone is jealous of my Hunting Eagle Hall!"

"Jealous of the Hunting Eagle Hall? Then it isn't an outsider?"

"Don't make any noise about this yet! Keep them locked up for now! Leave them alone first! I have my own use for them!"

"Yes!" After replying, Lin Hai left.