"Senior Brother, to be honest, Yuezhen has a favor to ask."
"Yuezhen would like to ask Senior Brother to guide me in cultivating Cinnabar Palm."
As soon as those words left her mouth, Li Yuan froze.
He had barely interacted with Dong Yuezhen before, yet the girl had suddenly come running over and asked him to help her cultivate?
Ah... what?!
"The Cinnabar Palm Martial Arts School has instructors, and the schoolmaster himself is an expert in Cinnabar Palm cultivation. Why don't you go ask him..."
Before Li Yuan could finish, Dong Yuezhen interrupted him. "The schoolmaster's Cinnabar Palm isn't as strong as yours."
Good grief!
Li Yuan could only exclaim inwardly at her audacity!
This girl really dared to say that!
If those words reached the schoolmaster's ears, he definitely wouldn't let you off easy.
Li Yuan coughed awkwardly. "Yuezhen, you flatter me. I was just throwing my hands around randomly."
Dong Yuezhen's face was written all over with disbelief. She completely ignored Li Yuan's modesty.
As a fellow Cinnabar Palm practitioner, how could Dong Yuezhen not know the difference between Qi Zhengyang and Li Yuan?
Back then, Li Yuan had forcefully contended with Qi Zhengyang, blasting out over a hundred Cinnabar Palms in one breath. Shocking Force and true qi had collided and exploded nonstop. The sheer roar had made the internal organs of the disciples watching from the sidelines churn, leaving them miserable!
And you're telling me that kind of strength came from throwing your hands around randomly?
Who were you kidding?
There wasn't a single person in all of Jiujiang Commandery whose Cinnabar Palm was stronger than Li Yuan's!
Looking at the determination on Dong Yuezhen's face, Li Yuan felt a headache coming on.
He was on the verge of breaking through to the True Essence Realm. He could clearly sense that he was drawing closer and closer to the limit his physical body could reach. It might happen within the next few days. At this critical juncture, he truly had no time to guide Dong Yuezhen's cultivation.
"Ahem, it's like this. Senior Brother will be somewhat inconvenienced these next few days..."
Inconvenienced?
I understand!
Dong Yuezhen took a small booklet from her robes and gently placed it on the stone table.
"Senior Brother, Yuezhen won't disturb your time for nothing."
"This manual is payment for Senior Brother's guidance. Please have a look."
Li Yuan looked toward the booklet. Three large characters were clearly written on its cover: Iron Body Skill.
Dong Yuezhen promptly explained, "This Iron Body Skill is a type of external hard-body technique. Once cultivated to an advanced level, it not only strengthens the tendons and bones, but also makes the body resemble iron armor, leaving it unharmed by blades and swords."
Dong Yuezhen had also practiced this external hard-body technique before. Unfortunately, she truly lacked the aptitude for hard-body cultivation. Despite practicing for a long time, she had failed to achieve much, barely reaching the entry level. She had simply decided to use it as payment for Senior Brother's guidance. It was also the most precious thing she could offer.
After hearing Dong Yuezhen's explanation, Li Yuan seemed to think of something, and his eyes suddenly lit up!
External hard-body techniques!
What did external hard-body techniques mean?
Their greatest feature was that they could increase the body's strength and defensive power. However, they were extremely difficult to cultivate. One had to spend year after year striking the body with hard objects, rubbing the skin against gravel, stabbing every part of the body with sharp objects, and enduring all manner of such trials. This gradually strengthened the body and brought about constant transformation until the technique was perfected.
External hard-body techniques were famous for being difficult and punishing. Without more than a decade of cultivation, one could achieve nothing. Not everyone could endure such suffering.
As a result, few people practiced external hard-body techniques, and even fewer succeeded in cultivating them.
But no matter how difficult external hard-body techniques were to cultivate, they posed no problem for Li Yuan. With Divine Wisdom enhancing him, any cultivation method would advance by leaps and bounds.
His physical strength was already approaching its limit, yet this Iron Body Skill that had suddenly appeared before him offered another possibility.
Breaking through the limit!
Raising his physical strength to another level!
Previously, when he had exchanged for cultivation methods through the Special Capture Division, Li Yuan had seen the existence of external hard-body techniques. But he hadn't paid much attention at the time. It wasn't until today, when Dong Yuezhen had listed all the benefits of external hard-body techniques, that he suddenly realized the truth.
External cultivation to temper the body!
That was exactly what he needed right now!
This Iron Body Skill might very well strengthen his body by a great deal once again!
"Fine. I can guide you in cultivating Cinnabar Palm."
"For one month, you can come find me whenever you have questions. How much you learn will depend on you."
Seeing that Li Yuan had agreed, joy bloomed in Dong Yuezhen's heart. "Thank you, Senior Brother. When shall we begin?"
"We'll begin now."
"First, go close the door."
"C-close the door?"
Dong Yuezhen's face stiffened, and a trace of panic flashed through her eyes. With a man and a woman alone here, close... close what door?
Li Yuan gave her an exasperated look. "The method cannot be passed on lightly. It wouldn't be good if someone passing by the doorway learned it."
I-is that really the reason?
Dong Yuezhen flushed with embarrassment and hurried over to close the door.
Li Yuan carefully sized up Dong Yuezhen's figure. He discovered that she was actually quite attractive.
Dong Yuezhen was tall and strong, yet still possessed a woman's softness and beauty. Her features were gentle, while a hint of heroic spirit showed through her bearing. She was the kind of woman who grew more pleasing the longer one looked.
The two of them stood in the courtyard, and Li Yuan spoke. "Use your Cinnabar Palm once so I can take a look."
The chance to receive guidance from a genius martial artist like Li Yuan was not something everyone could get. Dong Yuezhen hurriedly performed Cinnabar Palm once in the courtyard.
Before long, she finished a full set of the palm technique. Li Yuan nodded, now aware of the situation. He pointed out the several obvious mistakes in Dong Yuezhen's technique one by one, then taught her some methods for using Shocking Force.
After the round of guidance, Dong Yuezhen clearly felt that her Cinnabar Palm had become completely different. Her movements were smoother and more powerful, and its might had increased by thirty percent.
Impressive!
As expected of the senior disciple!
Joy filled Dong Yuezhen's heart. She knew she had found the right person.
Li Yuan had Dong Yuezhen continue practicing the palm technique in the courtyard while he sat beside her at the stone table and began studying the Iron Body Skill he had just obtained.
Soon, he had gone through the Iron Body Skill once, and a new cultivation method appeared on his personal panel.
Iron Body Skill (Not Yet Initiated)
This was a mid-grade martial art, a typical external hard-body technique. It required one to constantly strike the body with hard objects, stimulating and strengthening it.
The first step was to strike the body with hard wood. Once the body grew stronger, one would switch to iron rods, and finally bring out spiked maces and great sabers alike. Anyone who wasn't a true tough man wouldn't be able to cultivate this martial art.
Paired with the Iron Body Skill was a breathing technique. Circulating the breathing method while practicing could, after reaching a certain level of mastery, produce a stream of Iron Body Force!
When Iron Body Force circulated throughout the body, combined with a set of powerful, sturdy tendons and bones, one would truly resemble someone clad in iron armor!
Cultivating this external hard-body technique not only consumed a great deal of qi and blood, but also damaged the body. Thus, one needed a large supply of meat while practicing, as well as frequent medicinal supplements. Otherwise, one's qi and blood would certainly be drained dry, placing one's life in danger.
After reading through the Iron Body Skill several times, Li Yuan began cultivating the technique.
He turned and walked into the kitchen nearby. From the firewood, he picked out the thickest and heaviest piece, then walked back out and stood in the courtyard.
Dong Yuezhen also stopped practicing Cinnabar Palm. She stared wide-eyed at the ridiculously large piece of wood in Li Yuan's hands.
Li Yuan drew a deep breath and shouted as he swung the log in a full circle, smashing it heavily against his own forehead...
Before you continue