Special Constitution

Hundred Herbs Hall, the largest medical clinic in Jiujiang Commandery City, was presided over by a physician named Hu Cong, a renowned doctor far and wide whose mastery of medicine was truly impressive.

Today, Doctor Hu was attending the clinic when a rather special guest arrived.

"Doctor, prepare some medicine for me."

"I want something highly nourishing—the more potent, the better."

It was common for wealthy families to come to the clinic for tonics to restore their health, so this was nothing unusual. It was just that this young man was a little too reckless. What did he mean by "the more potent, the better"?

Tonics could nourish the body, but they could not be taken indiscriminately.

All medicine was three parts poison. One had to pay attention to the principal ingredient and its assistants, prescribing medicine according to the symptoms. If medicine was used recklessly, a weak body might be unable to absorb the nourishment, and would instead be damaged.

This young man clearly did not understand such intricacies and was obviously a layman. Doctor Hu therefore asked, "I can prepare tonics, but who will be taking them?"

"I will."

"You?"

Doctor Hu carefully sized up the young man before him.

He saw that the man was full of vigor and energy, with a sturdy physique. He did not look like someone who needed tonics at all.

And this young man was none other than Li Yuan, who had come all this way searching for him.

Seeing the doctor's puzzled expression, he explained, "Practicing martial arts isn't easy for me. I need to take some tonics, or my body won't be able to endure it."

"Practicing martial arts?"

What kind of reason was that?

If he practiced martial arts, then he should be even more cautious with his medicine.

Doctor Hu helplessly shook his head. "Come over here. I'll take your pulse first."

Li Yuan sat down before Doctor Hu and placed his hand on the table. When Doctor Hu pressed his fingers against Li Yuan's wrist, he instantly froze.

"This pulse...!?"

Doctor Hu sensed that the qi and blood within Li Yuan were immensely vigorous, like a flood dragon!

Every muscle and bone throughout his body was incomparably strong, harder than metal!

As a physician who had long been renowned, Doctor Hu had treated countless patients. He had even come into contact with martial artists, and had treated powerful martial artists of the True Qi Realm.

Yet even those martial artists of the True Qi Realm had bodies nowhere near as formidable as Li Yuan's!

The strength of Li Yuan's body was simply beyond belief. Doctor Hu even suspected that he was some kind of monster wearing human skin!

Doctor Hu said nothing, merely sizing up Li Yuan with a strange look. Li Yuan felt increasingly awkward under his gaze and tentatively asked, "Doctor... is there something wrong with my body?"

"No."

"It's simply too healthy."

Too healthy?

What kind of explanation was that?

Li Yuan felt somewhat relieved. "As long as there's nothing wrong, that's good. Prepare some tonics for me. The more potent, the better."

Doctor Hu sighed inwardly. He knew this gentleman was someone who required no worrying over. As the saying went, a tough man needed strong medicine—and this gentleman was definitely tough enough!

Had anyone ever seen a monster eat itself to death from taking tonics?

Doctor Hu immediately got up to prepare the medicine. He chose a prescription called Eight Treasures Soup. It used eight precious medicinal ingredients, including ginseng, atractylodes, poria, angelica, and Sichuan lovage, and could replenish qi and blood while strengthening the body.

Since this layman, Li Yuan, did not know how to decoct medicine, Doctor Hu feared he would recklessly waste the ingredients, so he had his disciple prepare the decoction.

Because Li Yuan had paid very generously—twenty taels of silver in total—Doctor Hu also gave him a very generous amount of medicine, filling two enormous jars!

The medicinal ingredients nearly pushed the lids off the jars!

Once the decoction was ready, they lifted the lids and took a look. Good heavens, the medicinal liquid was so thick it was almost paste!

You could dip a spoon into it and pull out strands!

When Li Yuan looked at the two jars of Eight Treasures Soup, a rich, cloying medicinal smell rushed into his face, and his brows immediately lifted in delight.

This was exactly the flavor he wanted!

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

The clinic was not far from the small courtyard where he lived. Li Yuan soon returned to his yard, and it was time for another pleasant session of cultivation.

After placing the two jars of Eight Treasures Soup in the kitchen, Li Yuan returned to the yard. His gaze moved back and forth over several solid weapons: an iron rod, a sledgehammer, and a cleaver.

His Iron Body Skill had already reached the great accomplishment stage, and his body was as sturdy as metal. Weaker forms of impact could no longer bring out much benefit from his cultivation. He needed something even more brutal.

Li Yuan's gaze passed over the iron rod and settled on the sledgehammer. This was the kind of sledgehammer a blacksmith used to forge metal. Its hammerhead was larger than a human head, and its weight was unquestionably sufficient.

He heaved up the sledgehammer and weighed it in his hand, revealing a satisfied smile. Then he flicked his wrist, sending the sledgehammer crashing down onto his thigh!

"Clang—"

The sound no longer resembled something striking flesh. It sounded more like metal being struck!

Li Yuan circulated the Iron Body Skill with all his strength. A faint metallic sheen appeared over his skin, and his resistance to blows increased dramatically!

As Li Yuan repeatedly struck every part of his body with the sledgehammer, his cultivation realm continued to rise. However, raising this martial art to perfection was no easy task.

External hard-body techniques were famous for being difficult to train. For an ordinary martial artist, reaching perfection was practically impossible. It required exceptional aptitude, enormous effort and time, and a vast quantity of medicinal ingredients. Even Li Yuan felt how difficult this technique was to cultivate.

The progress of the technique was increasing, but the speed of that increase was slowing!

Li Yuan hammered himself for two hours. By the time the sky had darkened, the Iron Body Skill still had not reached perfection.

Moreover, no matter how he struck himself with the sledgehammer now, his cultivation realm showed no sign of breaking through. It had become stuck.

"Sigh—"

Li Yuan let out a long breath, tossed the hammer aside, and replaced it with the thick-backed cleaver... It was time to bring out something truly brutal.

To avoid damaging his clothes, Li Yuan wore only a loincloth. He then began repeatedly swinging the cleaver at various parts of his body.

Blades and axes battered his body, leaving only streaks of white across Li Yuan's skin.

Li Yuan slightly furrowed his brow and increased the force of his swings.

Fine bloodstains appeared across his body, with tiny beads of blood seeping out, but the wounds soon began to heal!

At that moment, the Iron Body Skill, which had been stagnant, began to advance once more. It was drawing closer and closer to perfection.

With the Iron Body Skill nearing perfection, Li Yuan's physique had become inhumanly powerful. The cleaver continued leaving bloody marks across his body, only for them to rapidly heal.

Li Yuan kept increasing the force of his swings. The wounds appearing on his body grew heavier, while the Iron Body Skill drew ever closer to perfection!

This cultivation scene could no longer be called merely horrifying. It was somewhat perverse, looking more like torture.

Half an hour later, Li Yuan was practically a man of blood.

His body was drenched in the blood that had seeped from his wounds, yet his expression and aura showed no trace of weakness.

On the contrary, his eyes glimmered with divine light, and his immense vitality nearly spilled from them!

He could clearly sense that his Iron Body Skill was only a single layer of window paper away from perfection!

A few breaths later, Li Yuan's entire body trembled, and tremendous strength surged out from within him!

The technique had finally broken through again!

Iron Body Skill has broken through to perfection!

Acquired special constitution: Iron Body

A special constitution?

Li Yuan froze. This was the first time he had seen such a thing. He hurriedly opened it to inspect it.