Entering the Iron Body Technique

The next day, at the hour of the Dragon.

On the vast Bluestone Training Ground of Blustering Wind Martial Hall, more than a hundred new and veteran apprentices stood in orderly rows, not a sound among them. The morning sun spilled over them, illuminating the young faces—some excited, some nervous, some defiant.

Li Yuan stood at the end of Class C Room's line. His coarse clothes, washed pale with wear, made him indistinguishable from the crowd. He kept his head slightly lowered, but his sharp gaze swept over the raised platform ahead. Several instructors stood there, their auras steady and their eyes keen. The stern young instructor from yesterday's registration was among them, standing behind the imposing, broad-shouldered middle-aged man at the center.

That middle-aged man was Shi Lie Feng, the head of Blustering Wind Martial Hall. He said nothing, merely standing with his hands behind his back, yet an invisible pressure descended over the entire training ground, filling every apprentice with awe.

The young instructor, whose surname was Chen, was in charge of teaching the technique.

Instructor Chen's cold gaze swept across the crowd below. His voice was not loud, yet it carried clearly to every ear. "Today, I'll teach you the introductory chapter of the Iron Body Technique! This is the foundation of Blustering Wind Martial Hall. It tempers the skin and strengthens your qi and blood—the beginning of the martial path!"

"The Iron Body Technique hinges on the word 'iron'! You must use qi and blood as your hammer and your will as the flame. Tempered a thousand times, your skin will grow as tough as iron, impervious to blades and swords! I'll demonstrate the chant and circulation route only three times. How much you remember will depend on your own fortune!"

With that, Instructor Chen moved to the center of the training ground and began his demonstration. His movements were not fast, and each move was clear and distinct. He paired them with a unique breathing rhythm, reciting an obscure chant as he went. As he moved and breathed, a faint metallic sheen shimmered across his skin, as if it were truly covered in a thin layer of iron.

Every apprentice stared wide-eyed, holding their breath and concentrating, afraid to miss a single detail. Li Yuan focused even harder. His powerful Mental Power, nourished by Crimson Sun, let him catch every subtle movement Instructor Chen made, each shift in his breathing, even the faint fluctuations of qi and blood as they flowed through specific meridians. He needed to hear the awkward chant only once to commit it firmly to memory.

After the third demonstration, Instructor Chen finished the technique and stood at ease, neither red-faced nor short of breath. He said coldly, "Study and practice on your own! If you have questions, ask the Deacon Disciple in your area. In the Half-monthly Exam, held in half a month, anyone whose skin shows no clear improvement will be expelled from the martial hall!"

At his command, the training ground burst into a commotion. Apprentices scattered to find open spaces and began imitating the demonstration.

Li Yuan found a quiet corner too. He closed his eyes and went over Instructor Chen's movements, breathing, and chant in his mind several times. Only after confirming he had them right did he begin to practice.

He took up the stance and adjusted his breathing, trying to stir the qi and blood within him and follow the Iron Body Technique's route to nourish the skin on his arms.

However—

The moment he tried, he discovered a problem.

His Crimson Sun Qi and Blood was pure and mighty, far beyond that of an ordinary beginner. But its nature was far too "proud" and "domineering"! It seemed to reject the Iron Body Technique's relatively crude, clumsy method of guidance. Its flow was terribly sluggish, nowhere near as smooth and natural as when it circulated through his body on its own.

It was like using a Divine Weapon, tempered a thousand times, for the rough work of turning over soil and digging in the dirt. Not only was it inefficient, it was completely ill-suited to the task.

He struggled for nearly an hour, until sweat beaded on his forehead. Yet the skin on his arms had gained only the faintest hint of firmness, so slight it was almost negligible. At this rate, forget the Half-monthly Exam—even after a year of practice, he might not achieve much.

Several apprentices nearby were already letting out excited cries. Some had evidently begun to feel their qi and blood nourishing their skin. The effect was faint, but it offered hope.

"Haha, I can feel it! My skin's getting a little hot!"

"Me too! This Iron Body Technique really is amazing!"

Zhao Hu, who shared Class C Room Seven with Li Yuan, proudly swung his thick arms and bragged to a few followers. "See that? Your big brother Zhao's gifted! I've barely been at it, and my skin already feels a lot thicker! Unlike certain useless pieces of trash, who can practice all day without a peep!"

His gaze swept toward Li Yuan's corner, full of mockery.

Li Yuan paid no heed to the commotion around him or Zhao Hu's taunts. He slowly finished the technique, his brows drawing together.

There was nothing wrong with the Iron Body Technique itself. It was indeed a fundamental method for tempering the body. The problem lay with his Crimson Sun Qi and Blood. Its level was too high to be compatible with such an inefficient way of using it.

Was this path a dead end?

No. There had to be a way.

He recalled the subtle changes in the skin as qi and blood flowed through specific meridians during Instructor Chen's demonstration. It was a process of using external stimulation to guide qi and blood into nourishing the skin.

But his Crimson Sun Qi and Blood already possessed an exceptionally powerful ability to nourish and strengthen on its own. All it lacked was the right guidance—and a target.

Perhaps... he didn't need to follow the Iron Body Technique's clumsy circulation route to the letter?

A daring idea took shape in his mind.

He closed his eyes again. Rather than force the Crimson Sun Qi and Blood to follow the Iron Body Technique's route, he tried to make a thread of it seep directly into the skin on his arms!

Just as he had used Crimson Sun Power to roast meat before, precisely controlling the heat!

The process demanded extraordinarily fine control. The slightest mistake, and the scorching qi and blood could damage his delicate skin.

He carefully guided that hair-thin thread of Crimson Sun Qi and Blood, like the nimblest embroidery needle, slowly "stitching" its way into his skin.

At first, he felt a faint sting and heat.

But then—

Something miraculous happened!

The tiny patch of skin directly permeated by the Crimson Sun Qi and Blood seemed to have been parched for ages before a timely rain finally came. At a speed visible to the naked eye, it grew faintly taut and took on a subtle, healthy sheen, almost indistinguishable from the surrounding skin. A resilient firmness spread from that spot!

It worked!

And it was ten, a hundred times more efficient than practicing the Iron Body Technique step by step!

Li Yuan was overjoyed, though he kept his expression unchanged. He slowly opened his eyes and glanced at his arm, which still looked as it always had.

There was no visible difference, but he knew that beneath his skin, a highly efficient and precise strengthening—one led by Crimson Sun—had quietly begun.

He looked up at the apprentices on the training ground, still struggling to guide their qi and blood by conventional methods, and at Zhao Hu, puffed up with pride. His gaze remained calm and unruffled.

They needed half a month to see their first results?

For him, one night might be enough.

He would keep the framework of the Iron Body Technique, but the "content" that filled it would be redefined by his Crimson Sun!

He closed his eyes once more, sinking into that delicate control as he guided more Crimson Sun Qi and Blood, like countless tiny needles of flame, to begin a thorough, full-scale "tempering" of the skin on his arms.