Special Physique

Hundred Herbs Hall, the largest medical clinic in Jiujiang Commandery, was presided over by a physician named Hu Cong, a renowned doctor famous for his exceptional medical skills.

Today, Dr. Hu was seeing patients when a rather peculiar guest arrived.

"Doctor, please give me some medicine."

"I want a tonic, the stronger the better."

It wasn't uncommon for the clinic to have wealthy individuals come in for tonics to improve their health. However, this young man was a bit reckless, asking for a tonic that was "the stronger the better."

Tonics could nourish the body, but they couldn't be taken indiscriminately.

All medicine had a degree of toxicity, and it required a careful balance of ingredients, tailored to the individual's condition. Taking medicine carelessly, or when one's body couldn't handle it, could actually harm them.

This young man clearly didn't understand these principles and was an amateur. Dr. Hu asked, "I can prescribe a tonic, but who is it for?"

"It's for me."

"You?"

Dr. Hu carefully examined the young man before him.

The man appeared full of vigor and possessed a robust physique, showing no signs of needing a tonic.

This young man was none other than Li Yuan, who had been searching for him.

Seeing the doctor's puzzled expression, Li Yuan explained, "My martial arts training is difficult, and I need some tonic, otherwise my body can't withstand it."

Martial arts training?

What kind of reason was that?

If anything, martial arts training called for even more caution with medication.

Dr. Hu shook his head helplessly. "Come here, let me take your pulse first."

Li Yuan sat down in front of Dr. Hu and placed his hand on the table. As the doctor's fingers pressed against Li Yuan's wrist, he was immediately stunned.

"Such a pulse!?"

Dr. Hu felt the immense vitality and blood flow within Li Yuan, like that of a dragon!

His muscles and bones were incredibly strong, tougher than metal!

As a seasoned physician, Dr. Hu had treated many people, including martial artists. He had even treated powerful cultivators in the True Qi Realm.

But even those True Qi Realm cultivators didn't have bodies as robust as Li Yuan's!

Li Yuan's physical strength was almost unbelievable. Dr. Hu even suspected he might be a spirit in human skin!

Dr. Hu remained silent, observing Li Yuan with a strange look. Li Yuan felt increasingly uncomfortable and tentatively asked, "Doctor... is there something wrong with my body?"

"No."

"It's actually too good."

Too good?

What kind of statement was that?

Li Yuan felt a little relieved. "It's good that there's nothing wrong. Please give me a tonic, the stronger the better."

Dr. Hu sighed inwardly, knowing that this gentleman was someone who didn't need to be worried about. As the saying went, strong men needed strong medicine, and this gentleman was definitely strong!

When had you ever seen a spirit die from taking tonics?

Dr. Hu immediately got up to prepare the medicine. He chose a prescription called Eight Treasures Soup, which used eight precious medicinal ingredients such as ginseng, atractylodes macrocephala, poria cocos, Angelica sinensis, and chuanxiong. It had the effect of benefiting qi and blood, and strengthening the body.

Since Li Yuan, being an amateur, wouldn't know how to decoct the medicine, Dr. Hu feared he might waste the ingredients. So, he asked his apprentice to decoct the medicine properly.

Because Li Yuan paid generously, a full twenty taels of silver, Dr. Hu also provided a generous amount of medicine, filling two large jars!

The medicinal herbs in the jars almost pushed the lids off!

After the medicinal soup was brewed, upon opening the lid, Dr. Hu exclaimed, "Good heavens, the medicinal soup was incredibly thick, almost like paste!"

It was the kind of consistency where a spoon dipped into it would leave a stringy trail.

Li Yuan looked at the two jars of Eight Treasures Soup, and a rich, almost overwhelming medicinal aroma wafted towards him. His eyes lit up with joy.

This was exactly the scent he wanted!

After paying, Li Yuan picked up the two jars of medicinal soup and headed home.

The clinic wasn't far from his small courtyard. Li Yuan quickly returned to his own yard, ready for more enjoyable cultivation time.

After placing the two jars of Eight Treasures Soup in the kitchen, Li Yuan returned to the courtyard. His gaze swept across several heavy items: a steel bar, a large hammer, and a chopping knife.

His Iron Body Skill had reached great mastery, making his body as sturdy as metal. Weaker forms of striking were no longer effective for cultivation. He needed more brutal, heavy-duty tools.

Li Yuan's eyes passed over the steel bar and landed on the large hammer. This was the kind of hammer blacksmiths used to forge iron. The hammerhead was larger than a human head, and it was definitely heavy enough.

He picked up the hammer, hefted it in his hand, and a satisfied smile appeared on his face. With a flick of his wrist, the hammer heavily struck his thigh!

"Clang—"

The sound of the impact was no longer like that of hitting flesh, but like striking metal!

Li Yuan circulated his Iron Body Skill with all his might. His skin faintly took on a metallic sheen, and his resistance to impact greatly increased!

As Li Yuan continuously struck all parts of his body with the large hammer, his cultivation realm was also steadily improving. However, reaching the perfect stage of this martial art was not easy.

External hard martial arts were notoriously difficult to practice. It was almost impossible for normal martial artists to reach the perfect stage. Not only did it require high aptitude, but it also demanded immense effort, time, and a large quantity of medicinal ingredients. Even Li Yuan felt the difficulty of this martial art.

The progress of his cultivation was increasing, but the speed of this increase was slowing down!

Li Yuan had been hammering himself for two hours, and the sky had already turned dark. This [Iron Body Skill] still had not reached the perfect stage.

Furthermore, no matter how he struck himself with the large hammer now, his cultivation realm wouldn't break through; it was stuck.

"Sigh—"

Li Yuan let out a long sigh, tossed the hammer aside, and picked up the thick-backed saber. It was time to get serious.

To avoid damaging his clothes, Li Yuan was only wearing a pair of underpants. He then continuously swung the saber, cutting himself all over.

With the saber and axe striking him, only white marks were left on Li Yuan's skin.

Li Yuan frowned slightly and increased the force of his slashes.

Fine blood marks appeared on his body, and thin streams of blood seeped out. However, the wounds quickly began to heal!

At this moment, Li Yuan's stagnant [Iron Body Skill] began to improve again, getting closer and closer to the perfect stage.

With his [Iron Body Skill] nearing perfection, Li Yuan's physique became incredibly strong, almost inhuman. The saber continuously left blood marks on his body, which then quickly recovered.

Li Yuan kept increasing the force of his slashes. The knife wounds on his body became heavier and heavier, and the distance to the perfect stage of [Iron Body Skill] grew shorter and shorter!

This training scene could no longer be described as gruesome; it was somewhat perverse, looking like torture.

Half an hour later, Li Yuan looked like a bloodied mess.

His body was soaked in the overflowing blood, but his expression and aura showed no signs of weakness.

On the contrary, his eyes gleamed with divine light, and his immense vitality seemed to overflow from his eyes!

He could clearly feel that he was only separated from the perfect stage of [Iron Body Skill] by a thin veil!

After a few breaths, Li Yuan's body trembled, and immense power surged from within him!

His cultivation had finally broken through again!

[Iron Body Skill has broken through to perfection!]

[Special Physique Acquired: Iron Body]

Special Physique?

Li Yuan was stunned. This was the first time he had encountered something like this, so he quickly clicked on it to check.