Night had fallen deep, and snores rose and fell inside Class C Room Seven.
Zhao Hu lay sprawled across his bed, drool trickling from the corner of his mouth as he mumbled indistinctly in his sleep, seeming to brag about his "astonishing" progress in cultivation that day. The gaunt youth, Li Gou Er, curled up at the foot of the bed, breathing faintly. Shi Feng, the cold, hard-faced boy, still sat with his back against the wall, breathing slow and deep as if he, too, were cultivating.
Li Yuan lay on the hard bed near the door. The straw mat beneath him was rough and lumpy, but he barely noticed.
His consciousness was entirely immersed in the realm within him, ruled by the "Crimson Sun."
The Crimson Sun Tempering Method he had discovered that day had shown him a shortcut, but it had also brought new problems: it demanded tremendous mental control and consumed Crimson Sun Qi and Blood.
Like the stingiest of stewards, he carefully guided the "Crimson Sun" in his qi sea, coaxing out strands of pale golden qi and blood finer than a hair and precisely "stabbing" them into the skin on his arms.
It was an extraordinarily taxing process. He had to focus completely, controlling the strength of every wisp of qi and blood, how deeply it penetrated, and how long it stayed. The slightest mistake, and the overly hot qi and blood would burn his fragile skin; if it wasn't strong enough, the effect would be negligible.
At first, progress was slow. It was like drilling holes in dense leather with an embroidery needle—difficult and exhausting.
But as time passed, he grew more adept at this delicate control. He also discovered that the skin tempered by Crimson Sun Qi and Blood had not only become tougher, but seemed to have developed a faint "affinity" for further penetration, with the resistance gradually diminishing.
Deep in the night, when all was quiet, was the perfect time to cultivate.
He cast aside every stray thought and devoted his entire focus to this silent tempering. Inch by inch, he guided the Crimson Sun Qi and Blood with his mind, like the most patient of craftsmen, repeatedly working the skin on his arms.
He could clearly "see" through Internal Vision that wherever the Crimson Sun Qi and Blood flowed, the structure of his skin underwent subtle, wondrous changes. Its fibers grew denser and more orderly, and its resilience increased dramatically. The feeling of solidity—as if covered by an invisible film—grew clearer and clearer.
He didn't know how long had passed. It was only when the first cockcrow sounded outside that Li Yuan slowly stopped cultivating.
He opened his eyes. In the darkness, his gaze was bright, without the slightest trace of fatigue.
He gently raised his arm and looked at it in the faint light filtering through the crack beneath the door. His skin still looked as it always had; it hadn't taken on the metallic sheen of Instructor Chen's. But when he touched it, he could feel an astonishing springiness and resilience, as if what lay beneath were not flesh and blood, but a tough, air-filled hide.
He brought his fingers together like a knife and dragged a fingernail hard across his arm!
Before, that would have left a bloody mark. Now, only a faint white line appeared on his skin, and it quickly vanished.
Not enough yet, Li Yuan judged. This was only the first stage of strengthening. He was still some way from the level described in the Iron Body Technique as "skin tough enough to withstand ordinary blows from sticks." But at this rate, the skin on both his arms would be fully tempered in two or three days at most!
If word of this efficiency got out, it would be enough to astonish the world.
He checked his qi sea. A night of tempering had consumed about a third of his Crimson Sun Qi and Blood. A distinct hunger rose from his belly.
The growth of the "Crimson Sun" and this highly efficient method of tempering demanded too much energy.
He glanced at the empty wooden bowl in the corner that was his. The meager meat served for the martial arts school's two daily meals was nowhere near enough to replenish such massive losses.
His eyes happened to sweep over the wooden tub in the middle of the room, wisps of steam rising from it. The school had handed it out that evening to help with cultivating the Iron Body Technique.
The other three had clearly already used it. The liquid inside had faded in color, and less than half a tub remained.
A thought stirred in Li Yuan's mind.
He rose silently and went over to the tub. The liquid inside was murky, with a faint smell of several mixed herbs. Its spiritual energy was extremely weak.
He dipped a finger into the cool liquid.
His consciousness stirred the "Crimson Sun."
A faint suction formed at his fingertip.
In an instant, the previously still liquid rippled in tiny rings around his finger, as if a pebble had been tossed into it! The thin medicinal power remaining in the liquid was drawn by an invisible force, surging wildly toward his fingertip!
"Smelting" activated!
The weak, impure medicinal power was instantly refined by the Crimson Sun Power the moment it touched his fingertip. Its impurities were stripped away, leaving only a wisp of the purest energy, which traveled along his meridians and flowed into his body, merging with his Crimson Sun Qi and Blood!
The energy was extremely weak, nowhere near as potent as the flesh and blood of Fierce Beasts, but even a mosquito's leg was still meat! Besides, the medicinal power seemed to have a slight effect on nourishing his meridians and easing the fatigue left by cultivation.
In just a few breaths, the last traces of medicinal power at the bottom of the tub had been drawn away, leaving nothing but murky water.
Li Yuan withdrew his finger. Feeling the barely noticeable replenishment within him, he shook his head. It was a drop in the bucket.
Still, this method had opened another window for him. If he could get enough medicinal baths of better quality...
He returned to bed and lay down again, his thoughts racing.
The martial arts school's standard provisions were nowhere near enough. He had to find a way to obtain more resources within the school's rules.
The sky gradually brightened, and the other three in the room began to wake.
Zhao Hu stretched and proudly slapped his thick arm, showing off to Li Gou Er and Shi Feng. "Hey, Fatty here can feel his skin getting thicker! At this rate, I might make it into Class B Room by the midmonth exam!"
Li Gou Er looked at him enviously and mumbled, "Brother Zhao, you're amazing..."
Shi Feng remained silent, simply tidying his bed.
Zhao Hu's gaze fell on Li Yuan, who had just sat up. Seeing how calm he looked, and that there were no signs of his qi and blood stirring after cultivation, Zhao Hu couldn't help but scoff. "Hey, you new guy. How's the training going? Don't tell me you won't even be able to stay in Class C Room. Now that would be a real disgrace!"
Li Yuan raised his eyelids and gave him a cool glance without answering. He got out of bed, picked up his wooden bowl, and prepared to go to the Dining Hall.
In Zhao Hu's eyes, his silence looked like guilt and cowardice.
"Hmph, trash is trash!" Zhao Hu spat disdainfully and called to Li Gou Er before swaggering out the door.
Li Yuan was the last to leave. He watched Zhao Hu's self-satisfied back, his expression calm and unruffled.
A frog in a well knew nothing of the swan's lofty aspirations.
How could an ordinary man like that fathom the path he walked?
Feeling the steady "Crimson Sun" within him and the solid strength held beneath the skin of his arms, Li Yuan strode forward with firm, steady steps.
The acceleration had only just begun.
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