Bone and Tendon Thunderclap, Breaking Through to Level Sixty

The completion of Initial Marrow and Flesh Quenching brought Yu Yuanchen not only a significant enhancement to his physique, but also a deeper sense of control over his own strength. As his Qi and Blood circulated, it flowed smoothly and seamlessly, without the slightest obstruction. With a thought, his surging Qi and Blood could instantly gather at a single point or spread evenly throughout his body, as if an extension of his arm, with minimal expenditure. In this state, whether he used Soul Skills or relied purely on Physical Strength, his efficiency improved considerably.

However, he did not lose himself in this initial achievement. The path of body tempering was long. Flesh Quenching merely laid the external foundation; the bones and tendons, the beams and pillars that truly supported the "hall" of the human body, were the key obstacle he needed to overcome next.

"Bones and tendons are the framework of strength and the bridges through which Qi and Blood flow." Yu Yuanchen sat cross-legged before the core stone wall of Thunderclap Ravine, his body wreathed in dense pale-purple lightning. In his mind, he continued deducing the Body Tempering Technique. "When the bones and tendons are strong, one can lift a cauldron with strength, and the meridians can hold a river. Tempering bones and tendons is far more intricate and dangerous than tempering flesh."

The method he devised stemmed from a deeper application of Bloodline Power—compression.

Unlike Flesh Quenching, which guided Qi and Blood to surge and vibrate through the skin and flesh, tempering bones and tendons required him to compress his vast Bloodline Power to the utmost as it flowed through his bones and major meridians. Qi and Blood compressed to the limit would create an inward-collapsing "pressure" and the scouring force of high-speed flow. This force would be like an invisible forging hammer, repeatedly striking every inch of bone, seeping into the bone's minute structure and forcing it to absorb the essence of Qi and Blood, becoming denser and harder, like steel refined a hundred times. At the same time, it would expand and toughen the walls of the meridians, allowing them to endure fiercer and greater impacts of Soul Power and Qi and Blood.

The method seemed straightforward, but in truth, it demanded control to an exacting extreme. Bones spread throughout the body and had complex structures, while the meridians were even more delicate and fragile. The slightest unevenness in the compression of Qi and Blood could, at best, leave Hidden Injuries in the bones and damage the meridians. At worst, it could directly shatter bones and tear meridians, causing irreparable consequences. This was not something that could be achieved overnight. He could only rely on patient, grinding effort, guiding, compressing, and scouring bit by bit, progressing step by step.

"I'll begin with the major bones of the limbs, gradually spread to the torso, and only then involve the spine and skull..." Yu Yuanchen formed a cautious plan. He chose to start with the relatively thick, nonfatal arm and leg bones.

At the start of his cultivation, he held his breath and focused, pushing his Spiritual Power to its limit as he examined his body inwardly. He guided a rich stream of Qi and Blood slowly toward the humerus in his right arm. Once the Qi and Blood enveloped the entire bone, a thought crossed his mind, and he began gradually applying pressure.

"Buzz—"

A strange vibration rang out from deep within the bone. At first, it was faint, but as the compression of Qi and Blood intensified, it gradually became clearer. Yu Yuanchen felt as though countless fine steel needles were piercing his right arm bone from within, as though it were being crushed beneath an enormous millstone. A deep, indescribable mixture of soreness, numbness, swelling, and pain filled his bone marrow. Fine cold sweat instantly beaded on his forehead, and his face turned slightly pale.

He did not dare let his attention wander in the slightest. He precisely controlled the force and range of the compression, ensuring that the power acted evenly upon the entire bone and avoiding excessively powerful localized pressure points. At the same time, he had to divide his focus to guide the compressed Qi and Blood, simulating a scouring flow that repeatedly cleansed the bone and the meridians attached to it.

This process consumed an enormous amount of concentration and Qi and Blood. After tempering just one section of arm bone for an hour, he felt mentally exhausted, while the Qi and Blood in that arm had become faintly depleted. He immediately stopped, instead consuming Soul Beast Meat and circulating his Soul Power to Regulate Breath. Once he recovered, he switched to another bone and continued.

Day after day, he immersed himself in this tedious and painful cultivation. During the day, he spent most of his time tempering his bones and tendons, while devoting a small portion to consolidating his Soul Power. At night, he meditated with all his strength, absorbing the Lightning Element of Thunderclap Ravine while using Soul Power to nourish the bones and meridians tempered during the day, promoting their absorption and recovery.

However, a new problem soon arose—the resources were being consumed far too quickly!

Tempering bones and tendons consumed far more Qi and Blood than Flesh Quenching. The high-quality Soul Beast Meat that had originally been expected to last half a year was nearly exhausted in the Storage Soul Tool after only a little over three months of such intense consumption. Without sufficient Qi and Blood replenishment, the tempering process would slow greatly, and he might even injure himself during cultivation due to insufficient Qi and Blood.

"I need to replenish my resources." Yu Yuanchen looked at the empty Storage Soul Tool and sighed helplessly. Secluded Cultivation did not mean cutting himself off from the world. Necessary resource supplies were indispensable.

He had no choice but to temporarily interrupt his cultivation. After carefully disguising himself and confirming that there were no flaws, he quietly left Thunderclap Ravine and headed toward the nearest large city beyond the mountain range.

Half a month later, Yu Yuanchen returned travel-worn and dusty. There was a trace of fatigue on his face, but his gaze was relaxed. He successfully reached the border city known as Ironstone City. To avoid attracting attention, he did not make large purchases openly. Instead, he changed his appearance and identity several times, buying batches of Soul Beast Meat from different merchant associations and markets—enough to sustain him for a year and a half. Most of it was millennium Soul Beast Meat, mixed with a considerable amount of easily stored century Soul Beast Meat rich in Qi and Blood. He even purchased some low-grade medicinal herbs specifically used to strengthen bones and tendons. Only after sorting these supplies into different Storage Soul Tools did he return to Thunderclap Ravine in satisfaction.

With the resource issue resolved, Yu Yuanchen once again threw himself into frenzied cultivation.

Time passed. Spring turned to autumn; flowers bloomed and withered within Thunderclap Ravine, and the stream rose and fell. Only the roar of the waterfall and the lightning radiance suffusing the core stone wall remained eternal and unchanged.

A year and a half silently passed amid the daily cycle of bone tempering, meditation, eating, and regulating his breath.

At this moment, Yu Yuanchen's aura had undergone a heaven-shaking transformation compared to a year and a half earlier.

His figure seemed taller and more proportionate. He was not massively built with bulging muscles, but possessed a restrained sense of power, as immovable as a mountain. His skin had taken on a healthy bronze hue, faintly gleaming with a jade-like luster. Most eye-catching were his hands: his fingers were long and powerful, his knuckles distinct. When he lightly clenched his fists, it seemed as if faint metallic chimes could be heard.

Within his body, the major bones throughout his limbs and body had completed their Initial Bone and Tendon Quenching. Their density had increased tremendously, and they were far harder than ordinary metal, carrying a faint bronze sheen. Qi and Blood flowed through them without obstruction, even triggering subtle resonance. Under the continuous scouring of Qi and Blood, his major meridians had also widened by nearly thirty percent. Their walls were tough and elastic, like river channels that had been widened and reinforced, capable of containing even more torrential "floodwaters."

Initial Bone and Tendon Quenching was complete!

As for his Soul Power Cultivation Level, over these two years of arduous cultivation—including the previous half-year of Flesh Quenching—his early progress had been somewhat slower due to the distraction of body tempering. Yet thanks to the astonishing effects of Thunderclap Ravine, his solid foundation, and the subtle purification of his Soul Power by Thunder God Power, he had long since reached the peak of level fifty-nine. He stood only one step away from the crucial threshold on a Soul Master's path—level sixty, Soul Emperor!

This day, it was deep into the night. Thunderclap Ravine was utterly silent, with only the gentle babble of the stream and faint thunder spilling from the holes in the stone wall.

Yu Yuanchen sat cross-legged atop a stone platform, surrounded by dense pale-purple Lightning Element that had nearly solidified, like an enormous lightning cocoon. Within him, Soul Power surged like a great river, turbulent and immense. It had reached the limit of level fifty-nine, and the bottleneck barrier leading to Soul Emperor stood clearly before him—indestructible, yet seemingly ready to break at a touch.

He did not grow impatient. With his mind settled and focused, he guided his Soul Power to strike the barrier again and again. At the same time, he divided his attention and began actively drawing upon the strand of Thunder God Power within his body, which had grown considerably stronger.

After two uninterrupted years of cultivation and nourishment from Qi and Blood and Soul Power, this strand of Purple-Gold energy had still increased slowly in overall quantity, but it was now more than twice as thick as before. Its color had deepened, and the divine majesty it contained had become increasingly apparent.

"It's time!"

A sharp gleam burst from Yu Yuanchen's eyes. At the instant he adjusted himself to peak condition, he stopped holding back and fully activated that strand of Thunder God Power, causing it to charge into the surging flood of Soul Power like an awakened Purple-Gold Thunder Dragon!

Boom—!!!

It was as if a thunderclap from the nine heavens exploded in his mind! The addition of that higher-grade energy caused a mysterious transformation in the nature of Yu Yuanchen's Soul Power. It became more violent, more penetrating, and more destructive! The torrent of Soul Power fused with Thunder God Power crashed fiercely against the sturdy bottleneck barrier with overwhelming force!

"Crack..."

A faint yet distinct shattering sound rang out from within his body. The solid barrier that had troubled countless Soul Kings shattered at once under the impact of this power fused with divine force!

The obstruction vanished, and Soul Power surged like floodwaters pouring through a broken dam, rushing into a broader, tougher new realm! Yu Yuanchen's aura soared wildly, as though launched by a rocket! The dense lightning cocoon around him was swallowed up in an instant. He even drew in the Lightning Element of the entire Thunderclap Ravine, forming a small Energy Vortex that poured madly into his body.

Level sixty!

His Soul Power advanced unstoppably, only gradually settling after stabilizing directly at level sixty. Breaking through to level sixty was not merely an explosive increase in the total amount of Soul Power; it was a qualitative transformation. He felt as if even his soul had been elevated. His perception of Heaven and Earth Origin Qi became clearer, and his control over his own strength rose to a new level.

More importantly, at the instant of his breakthrough, he clearly sensed his Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul release a joyous Dragon Roar. Even the Martial Soul Origin seemed to have grown and become more Solidified. The strand of Thunder God Power within him also seemed to have formed a deeper connection with his Martial Soul. As it circulated, it fused more smoothly and naturally with his Soul Power and Qi and Blood.

Yu Yuanchen slowly opened his eyes. Purple-Gold lightning flashed through them before vanishing, almost tangible as it illuminated the dim ravine for an instant. He let out a long breath of turbid air, and even that breath carried faint arcs of electricity.

Feeling the vast Soul Power endlessly surging within him, far surpassing what he had possessed before, as well as his powerful physique that had undergone two years of arduous cultivation and completed the initial tempering of flesh, bones, and tendons, boundless ambition rose in Yu Yuanchen's heart.

Level sixty was achieved, and Initial Bone and Tendon Quenching was complete! The next step was to obtain his sixth Soul Ring and truly enter the ranks of high-level Soul Masters. At the same time, he could begin devising the even more dangerous tempering of his internal organs.

He rose to his feet and stretched his bones and tendons. A series of crisp, dense cracks erupted throughout his body like rolling muffled thunder. His gaze turned toward the direction beyond Thunderclap Ravine, filled with anticipation. It was time to leave this treasured place where he had cultivated in seclusion for two years and face new challenges and opportunities.