Iron Cloth Shirt Perfection! Raw Talent!

Deep within the Green Cloud Mountain Range lay Crimson Hair Stronghold.

The stronghold was built into the mountainside, its terrain treacherous. The outer perimeter was riddled with visible and hidden sentries, making it heavily guarded.

Inside the stronghold, in a secret chamber built from massive stones, a brazier blazed fiercely, casting distorted, flickering shadows of ferocious beast hides on the walls.

Two men sat at the head of the chamber.

The man on the left was as burly as a bear, with a full beard and dozens of small braids woven into his fiery red hair. He was Xiong Ba, the "Crimson Beard Dragon" and the chief of Crimson Hair Stronghold.

The man on the right was gaunt and sinister, with a hooked nose and eyes like a viper's. He was Liao Fan, the "Shadow Hand" and the second-in-command.

Below them sat the third-in-command, the "Ghost Shadow Leopard Cat," who had fled from Prajna Temple in a sorry state the previous night.

The Ghost Shadow Leopard Cat was no longer showing the panic from the night before. He sat up straight, a hint of disdain on his face, and recounted his experience with embellishments. Naturally, in his telling, he had been completely in control, and Prajna Temple's defenses were utterly inadequate.

"Brother, Second Brother, that Prajna Temple has long lost its former glory! I infiltrated the Scripture Repository as if no one was there. Those so-called patrolling Martial Monks were just a bunch of drunkards!" the Ghost Shadow Leopard Cat declared. "If those old bald donkeys hadn't reacted so quickly, I would have even stolen their abbot's meditation room!"

"Oh?" The second-in-command, Liao Fan, narrowed his eyes, his voice hoarse. "Then why did you return empty-handed? And why did you cause such a commotion?"

The Ghost Shadow Leopard Cat's face stiffened for a moment, then he let out a cold snort. "It was all because of a little monk! I don't know what kind of evil external martial art that kid practiced, but his skin was incredibly tough, like a block of iron. I was caught off guard and entangled by him for a moment, which alerted those old guys. To avoid being surrounded, I had to retreat."

A trace of malice flashed in his eyes, but he spoke casually. "However, Brothers, rest assured. That kid is just a brute who practices external martial arts, relying on sheer strength. In terms of true cultivation, I could feel it – he's at most at the Second Skin Tempering stage, far inferior to me! If I hadn't been wary of the old monks in the temple, I would have ripped his head off right there!"

He knew very well that he was genuinely at the Third Skin Tempering stage, and his movement techniques were his specialty.

Last night's failure was entirely due to the opponent's defense exceeding his expectations, catching him completely off guard.

But in terms of overall strength, he firmly believed he could defeat Su Haoran.

"Hmph, a junior at Second Skin Tempering dares to stop my third brother?" The chief, Xiong Ba, snorted coldly and slammed his palm, as large as a fan, onto the stone table. The wine bowls on the table vibrated with a hum. "This Prajna Temple is truly declining more and more!"

He already harbored deep resentment towards Prajna Temple.

This Green Cloud Mountain Range should have been the territory of Crimson Hair Stronghold. Prajna Temple's presence there was like a thorn in his side.

The second-in-command, Liao Fan, had a glint in his eyes, and he chuckled sinisterly. "Brother, what third brother said might be true. If Prajna Temple truly had the confidence, they wouldn't have sent just an elder with a few disciples to demand an explanation, but would have brought their entire army. Their current behavior clearly shows they are putting on a brave front while being inwardly weak, just looking for an excuse to back down."

"An excuse?" Xiong Ba grinned, revealing his yellow teeth in a ferocious smile. "I refuse to give them one! They want to demand an explanation? Very well! I'd like to see whose head is harder, theirs or my Crimson Hair Stronghold's rolling stones and logs!"

He suddenly stood up, and a fierce, violent aura instantly filled the entire secret chamber.

"Pass down my order! Set up an ambush on their unavoidable path up the mountain, 'One-Line Sky'! Once that old bald donkey Hui Jue leads his men into the valley, immediately cause a rockslide to block the path, and ready the archers!"

"Brother means..." Liao Fan's eyes revealed a naked killing intent.

"Exactly!" Xiong Ba grinned menacingly. "Since they dare to come, they won't be leaving! First, we'll kill Hui Jue, then we'll slaughter Prajna Temple! From now on, in the Green Cloud Mountain Range, there will only be one voice – that of Crimson Hair Stronghold!"

Inside the woodshed, Su Haoran was unaware of the dramatic turn of events unfolding outside.

All his focus was immersed in the turbulent sea of Blood Essence within his body.

The medicinal power of the second Blood Strengthening Pill was even more ferocious than the first!

If the first pill was a bursting dam, the second was a roaring, surging lava!

That intensely hot power relentlessly assaulted his limbs and bones. Every inch of his flesh and every sinew cried out under the strain of this tempering.

Agony! Unimaginable agony!

It felt as if countless red-hot branding irons were searing every corner of his body repeatedly!

But Su Haoran's will, forged by two lifetimes of experience, was as firm as rock.

He desperately held onto the last shred of clarity in his mind, frantically circulating the Iron Cloth Shirt cultivation technique, guiding this violent energy to impact the last, and most stubborn, barrier!

His skin had already transformed from a dark blue-black to a deep bronze hue, shimmering with a hard, metallic luster.

Under his guidance, the Blood Essence acted like invisible heavy hammers, striking again and again at the two acupoints that had not yet been opened!

Three inches below the armpit! Slightly to the right of the lower back!

These two points were natural nodes in the body's Blood Essence circulation and the most difficult blind spots to cultivate in external martial arts.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Each impact brought heart-wrenching pain. But Su Haoran could clearly feel the obstruction being worn away bit by bit. Those two dim areas were gradually being permeated and illuminated by the vigorous Blood Essence!

Time flew by in a torment of pain.

After an unknown period, as the medicinal power of the second Blood Strengthening Pill was about to be exhausted, the Blood Essence within Su Haoran's body reached its peak!

[Iron Cloth Shirt (Major Accomplishment 99%)]

Just the last sliver remained!

That barrier was incredibly tough, like a piece of parchment – visible, tangible, yet impossible to break through!

"Still a little bit short..."

A resolute madness flashed in Su Haoran's eyes.

Opportunity knocks but once!

Without the slightest hesitation, while the Blood Essence within him was still boiling, he suddenly opened his mouth and swallowed the last Blood Strengthening Pill from the wooden box!

To press on with one's momentum, lest it wane and die! He wanted to use this surge of breakthrough to achieve success in one go!

RUMBLE—!

The medicinal power of the third pill was like the last straw that broke the camel's back, or rather, like pouring oil onto a raging inferno! The residual force of the three stacked medicinal powers detonated within him!

Su Haoran felt an explosion in his mind, as if he had been thrown into a furnace. His consciousness began to blur.

But at this critical moment, his comprehension, a sky-high 16 points at the "Exceptional Talent" level, once again worked its magic!

The mental cultivation techniques of the Iron Cloth Shirt and Arhat Fist circulated in his mind, merging and becoming one.

With a flash of inspiration, he unconsciously began to use this surging Blood Essence to simultaneously advance both techniques!

He used the methods of the Iron Cloth Shirt to temper his skin and flesh, and the Arhat Fist's intent to guide his Blood Essence!

One defensive, one offensive, one yielding, one forceful, they formed a mysterious balance!

The originally violent medicinal power, enough to explode a person, now became docile. Part of it integrated into his skin and membranes, while another part was guided by the Arhat Fist's energy, flowing ceaselessly through his meridians, repeatedly tempering him.

Finally, at a certain moment!

It was as if a great river had broken through its final dam, or like spring thunder cracking, bringing all things back to life!

CRACK!

A crisp shattering sound, seemingly from the depths of his soul, rang out!

Su Haoran's entire body trembled violently. Those two stubborn weak points were, at this moment, forcefully broken through by the formidable Blood Essence!

A sensation of perfect, unhindered flow, of being completely whole and without flaw, instantly spread throughout his body!

He abruptly opened his eyes, and a sharp glint shot out, illuminating the entire woodshed!

"This... is this what Perfection feels like?"

Su Haoran looked down at his hands. His skin was smooth and lustrous like jade, but with just a thought, a deep sheen, as if cast from black iron, would instantly appear.

He could feel an explosive power filling his body, as if he were no longer flesh and blood, but a humanoid weapon forged from fine steel and profound iron!

With a thought, he brought up his status panel.

[Name: Su Haoran]
[Lifespan: 25 years]
[Techniques: Meditation Scripture (Perfection), Arhat Fist (Perfection), Iron Cloth Shirt (Perfection), Soaring Dragon Startling Swan Art (Perfection)]
[Comprehension: 20 (Raw Talent)]

He did it!

Iron Cloth Shirt, Perfection!

Arhat Fist, Perfection!

Meditation Scripture, Perfection!

Three techniques, all breaking through at once!

What delighted him even more was that as the two techniques simultaneously reached Perfection, his Comprehension finally broke through its bottleneck, leaping from the "Exceptional Talent" level of 16 points to the "Raw Talent" level of 20 points!