Several days later, Su Mu's blood and strength surged once more. Then came a searing heat, and that mass of flame ignited again, scorching his flesh and acupoints.
The temperature inside him kept climbing. This time, it was even more intense than before. Su Mu sweated like rain, his clothes instantly drenched. His skin flushed red all over, as if he were a piece of iron glowing hot from the forge.
Throughout the process, the impurities inside Su Mu were slowly burned away, bit by bit, washing away the dross.
Hummm—
Time passed second by second. The acupoints throughout Su Mu's body continued to tremble and ring. At one moment, he suddenly heard a crisp snap.
Crack, crack!
Strength burst out from his acupoints, then surged like a river breaking its banks. It flowed down from Su Mu's abdomen, through the perineum, Guanyuan, Qihai, and throat, before finally connecting to the Chengjiang acupoint beneath his lower lip.
Boom!
With one meridian connected, the limit on the strength his body could bear was smashed apart.
The strength within Su Mu began to swell wildly, like a river after an autumn downpour.
And as the meridian opened, the route along which his strength had once flowed like a tiny creek widened. His strength now coursed unimpeded through his meridians, and its speed of circulation increased astonishingly once again.
Right after that, the blazing flame within Su Mu finally found release. Every inch of his skin slowly relaxed, driving impurities from his body through the steam of his sweat. The red flush covering him gradually subsided.
In the darkness, the young man slowly opened his eyes. They glimmered like two fireflies, and delight showed on his face.
Just now, after reaching great mastery in Hidden Force, he had connected the Ren Meridian, one of the Ren and Du Meridians. His strength now flowed through his skin and all the way to his pores, reaching the level of Refined Strength that ordinary Martial Artists considered great mastery.
After achieving great mastery in Manifest Force and Hidden Force, one could set about advancing to the Eighth Rank Bone Forging Realm. That was the choice made by the vast majority of Martial Artists in the world. Geniuses were few and far between, no matter the world.
"Great mastery in Hidden Force connects the Ren Meridian... Perhaps the third realm of Refined Strength, Transforming Force, means connecting the remaining Du Meridian. The Ren Meridian starts in the lower abdomen and runs down the center of the front of the body, making it a yin meridian. The Du Meridian runs up the center of the back, making it a yang meridian."
Since obtaining Gale Fist from Wu Heng, Su Mu now possessed three entry-level fist techniques. Though each technique circulated strength along a different route, all of them involved the body's meridians and acupoints. Su Mu had gained a fair amount of understanding in this area.
Having completed his breakthrough, Su Mu casually threw a punch.
Whump!
After opening the Ren Meridian, even the slightest circulation of strength made the air before his fist ring with a crisp, muffled boom.
"The total amount of strength in my body has more than doubled, and the quality of every wisp of it has nearly doubled as well!"
Feeling the surging strength within him, Su Mu was now confident that he could easily kill Wu Heng without even using Limit Break.
"Martial arts are about tapping into the body's hidden treasures. The path of martial arts is endless. After this breakthrough, my strength, speed, and other attributes have all improved... My physique is at least thirty percent stronger than before!"
Su Mu casually curled his hand into a tiger's claw. His five fingers tore through the air with a series of sharp whistles.
"So this is great mastery in Refined Strength?!"
After testing the changes to his body, Su Mu looked satisfied. Then he turned and walked into the bedroom.
"Breaking through this time was actually harder than I expected. I have Wu Heng's generosity to thank for that."
Su Mu took a sandalwood box from the cabinet. It was the one he had seized from Wu Heng's home. Inside lay a box of medicinal paste and three porcelain vials of pills.
The pills in the vials were Blood Strengthening Pills. Taking them could boost a Martial Artist's blood and energy and aid in cultivating strength.
After reaching great mastery in Rock Shattering Fist that day, Su Mu had estimated that he would need only three to five days to reach great mastery in Refined Strength. In truth, he had underestimated the gap between the two.
A hair's breadth of difference could mean a thousand miles of error. What looked like a tiny gap had actually required Su Mu to train hard for another half a month.
"Wu Heng really was a good man. These Blood Strengthening Pills are good stuff, too."
After a sigh, Su Mu's gaze fell on the box of medicinal paste. A small white label on it read "White Jade Savage Bone Paste," and it bore Hundred Pills Tower's red cinnabar seal.
"Hundred Pills Tower—one of the five great powers in the Qingyun region, alongside the Qingyun authorities and the Black Mountain Army."
"This was made by Hundred Pills Tower. It should be a medicinal paste for Bone Forging."
After some thought, Su Mu decided to test its effects. However, he didn't intend to attempt Bone Forging just yet. He planned to wait until he reached great mastery in Transforming Force and opened the Du Meridian along his spine before making a push for the Eighth Rank Bone Forging Realm.
"I'll apply some to my left arm first and see how it works."
To avoid affecting the medicine, Su Mu found a cloth and dried the sweat on his left arm. Then he scooped out a small dab with his finger and spread it evenly over his arm.
At first, the paste felt cool against his skin. Then it began to burn, searing through the skin and sinking into the flesh until it reached the bones of his left arm.
It was as if hot oil had been poured over the bones, but the effect was uneven. One stretch of bone grew exceptionally hot, while another remained untouched.
"Should I try circulating my strength?"
Su Mu hesitated, then directed his strength toward the bones in his left arm. As it circulated, his eyes lit up. The paste began to work in earnest.
Whoosh!
Su Mu felt the pores in his left arm open completely. The bones throughout the arm began to heat up, accompanied by a tingling sensation, as though they were slowly stretching, growing, and strengthening!
But the change was extremely slow. It was like a gentle rain soaking into the earth without a sound.
Hmm?
Soon, Su Mu couldn't help making a soft sound of surprise. He had discovered something remarkable: as the strength inside him circulated faster through his left arm, the bone-forging paste's glacially slow effects accelerated too. The efficiency of Bone Forging rose noticeably.
"Could the effects of this bone-forging paste really be linked to a Martial Artist's own strength?!"
Su Mu looked delighted at the discovery, and suddenly understood. He hadn't quite understood why one's level of strength affected the Eighth Rank Bone Forging Realm that came next, let alone the Seventh Rank Muscle Tendon Transformation.
He had thought that strength only affected the power of a Martial Artist's techniques and their ability to fight. Now, Su Mu finally saw the light.
"So that's how it is. The stronger a Martial Artist's strength, the more efficiently he can forge his bones—and the better the results, too... Strength really is the foundation of martial arts."
It was as if clouds had parted and the blue sky had appeared.
Su Mu grew even more determined to wait until he had reached great mastery in Transforming Force before attempting the Eighth Rank Bone Forging Realm. After all, to do a good job, one must first sharpen one's tools!
"But there's no need to stop forging the bones in my left arm. I can keep going."
A Martial Artist's right arm was normally stronger than his left. If Su Mu forged his left arm first, he might catch an opponent off guard in a fight later.
His left arm, forged separately, could become a hidden trump card.
"I wonder if this box of paste will be enough to finish forging the bones in my left arm."
Su Mu was full of enthusiasm for Bone Forging. He kept at it until noon the following day. When the paste's effects ran out once again, he let out a soft breath and decided to visit the medical hall again.
He left the courtyard and crossed the lanes. Though Su Mu had kept to himself these past few days, he took a different route to the medical hall each time. His exceptional comprehension came with astonishing memory, and he had already grown thoroughly familiar with the streets around his courtyard.
When he arrived at the medical hall again, the wooden sign reading "Away on a Journey" still hung outside the quiet little courtyard.
Su Mu sighed to himself and was about to leave when several footsteps sounded inside the courtyard. He paused. From behind him came a sweet, gentle voice.
"Um... If you're in a hurry, perhaps I could take a look at you first?"
For several days, the Young Physician at Cloud Crane Medical Hall had seen Su Mu lingering nearby. That day, she took the initiative to speak with him.
Su Mu, still facing away from the medical hall, furrowed his brows. To be honest, he didn't quite trust such a young physician. In his previous life, medical students had to study several years longer than students in ordinary university programs.
Even the other Old Physicians in Qingyun County had been powerless against the Gu Poison in his body.
But Su Mu reconsidered. He could give her a try. What if she could help?
Even if the Young Physician couldn't cure the poison, he could still build a rapport with her. Then, when Pharmacist Lin returned a few days later, he might have a better chance of getting an appointment.
"Sorry for the trouble, Young Physician."
"Come inside with me."
Before you continue