Skin Refining Martial Artist

It took a quarter of an hour for the clear water in the pot to turn into a pitch-black, sticky liquid.

Seeing that his "Fierce Tiger Skin Refining Technique" was only seven points away from entry on the panel, Luo Yi poured the black medicinal liquid into a bowl and downed it in one gulp.

As the liquid entered his stomach, waves of heat spread from his abdomen.

Feeling the medicine take effect, Luo Yi rushed into the yard, assumed a stance, and repeatedly practiced every move of the "Fierce Tiger Skin Refining Technique" Body Forging Art.

Luo Xi, who had finished tanning the wolf hide in the corner of the yard, looked up to see a tall, upright figure constantly striking various poses.

Thinking about how her brother had been either hunting or practicing martial arts lately, she silently vowed to herself that she would learn martial arts and grow stronger in the future, to protect him.

Immersed in martial arts practice, time slipped by as he completed a full cycle of the "Fierce Tiger Skin Refining Technique."

Luo Yi felt a prickling pain all over his skin, as if countless ants were gnawing at it.

Sweat the size of beans rolled down his forehead, and his linen clothes were soaked through. Just as he was about to give in, a loud bang echoed in his mind, as if some shackle had been broken.

His skin, originally tanned pitch-black from practicing archery under the scorching sun, began to change color rapidly.

Amid the charcoal-black skin, hints of a bronze color started to appear.

Watching the change in his skin, Luo Yi recalled the records in the "Fierce Tiger Skin Refining Technique":

Upon entering the Fierce Tiger Skin Refining Technique, one reaches the first realm of this martial art: Skin Refining Entry.

The skin would gradually shift from its original color to a bronze hue, and as the realm advanced, the bronze color would spread.

Until the 'Fierce Tiger Skin Refining Technique' was perfected, the entire body would turn completely bronze.

At that point, the skin would become as hard as iron, impervious to ordinary blades.

Since it was only Skin Refining Entry, the transformation didn't last long. As the pain gradually faded, Luo Yi opened his Attribute Panel:

Host: Luo Yi

Age: 16

Realm: Skin Refining (Entry)

Skills: Basic Archery (Major Accomplishment 27/400)

Fierce Tiger Skin Refining Technique (Entry 1/200)

Traits: None

"Skin Refining Entry"!

Confirming he was now an Entry Realm Martial Artist, having finally stepped onto the path of martial arts since crossing over, Luo Yi burst into loud laughter in the yard.

His predecessor's father had said that at the Town Martial Arts Hall, the cheapest tuition was Ten Silver Taels. After entering the hall, if one couldn't become an Entry Realm Martial Artist within a year, they'd have to pay tuition again.

Many families in town drained decades of savings to send their kids to the Town Martial Arts Hall, dreaming they'd become Entry Realm Martial Artists and change their fate. Reality, however, slapped these people hard.

Ninety percent of the hall's apprentices emptied their families' coffers just for tuition. Without enough nutrition to support their training, they'd drag down their martial arts progress and slink home after a year, shattering their parents' hopes and illusions.

He'd only gotten the technique yesterday, and now he'd already entered? It hadn't even been two full days!

Though he knew the modifier was powerful, he hadn't expected it to be this strong. Thinking back on the difficulty of martial arts training in his predecessor's memories, he felt a sense of unreality.

Suppressing his excitement, Luo Yi began to sense his improved strength.

He easily drew the Three Stone Bow on the ground—his power had more than doubled.

With one step, he covered three meters. Recalling the speed Luo Wei had suddenly shown that day, he realized that becoming a Bronze Skin Martial Artist had greatly boosted his speed too.

Not stopping his tests, he picked up the Chopping Knife and gently sliced at the bronze-colored skin on his arm. The spot where the knife passed only left a faint white mark.

When he used half his strength, a thin scratch appeared on the skin's surface, with a trace of blood seeping out. Luo Yi quickly pulled back.

Though becoming a Skin Refining Martial Artist brought big gains in strength and speed, they paled in comparison to the defense.

Assessing his overall power now, as a Skin Refining Entry, he could take on at least three of his former self.

Not wasting time, he continued practicing the "Fierce Tiger Skin Refining Technique." After one full cycle, he saw no change in the panel's progress.

He didn't stop and kept going until he finished the third round, when the panel finally popped up with a progress +1 notification.

After the "Fierce Tiger Skin Refining Technique" improved, what used to increase progress with one cycle now took three. Just as he was about to continue, "Brother, time to eat," came Luo Xi's voice from the kitchen.

Seeing his younger sister carrying a large basin full of wolf meat, Luo Yi's mouth watered involuntarily.

The two sat in the yard, eating big chunks of meat and gnawing on bones, finishing off the entire basin of wolf meat.

Letting out a burp, Luo Yi got up and resumed practice.

He trained until midnight, when a feeling of depletion returned. Luo Yi checked the panel: Fierce Tiger Skin Refining Technique (Entry 28/200).

After taking the Tonic Medicine this evening and practicing all night, he'd gained 27 points of progress, but his body felt drained.

If he took the tonic morning and evening, he could probably gain about 50 points of progress per day.

That meant in another four or five days, he could reach Minor Accomplishment in the "Fierce Tiger Skin Refining Technique."

Thinking this, Luo Yi's heart surged with excitement. Maybe because he was too worked up, he wasn't sleepy at all.

He picked up the bow and arrows on the table and started practicing Basic Archery in the yard, drawing and shooting repeatedly.

After practicing for nearly an hour, a wave of drowsiness hit him. He glanced at the panel, which showed: Basic Archery (Mastery 50/400).

Luo Yi returned to his room and fell into a deep sleep.

The next day, Luo Yi slept in for a rare change, not waking until noon when sunlight streamed through the hole in the roof.

Jolted from a good dream by the glaring sun, he looked at the hole in the roof, then felt the hundred-tael silver note in his arms, and a thought of moving house stirred in his mind.

Eyeing the scorching sun in the yard, he remembered he hadn't practiced yet today. He scrambled up from the floor and headed to the kitchen to brew his medicine.

Seeing her brother awake, Luo Xi carried out a large bowl of wolf meat porridge and a bowl of pitch-black herbal medicine from the kitchen.

Luo Yi was about to enter the kitchen to brew the medicine when he saw this.

"Xiao Xi, I've been putting you through a lot with my training lately."

"No trouble at all! No trouble! Big brother works the hardest—hunting every day, training every day. You're the one who works hardest."

Looking at his sensible younger sister, Luo Yi took the wolf meat porridge and the tonic medicine.

After downing the medicine and porridge, he looked at the blazing sun in the yard and figured there was no need to suffer for no reason. He simply started practicing the Fierce Tiger Skin Refining Technique right in his room.

After a full three hours of practice, he checked the panel and saw that the Fierce Tiger Skin Refining Technique's progress had increased by 24 points.

Seeing Luo Xi, who had already prepared lunch and was waiting obediently by his side, Luo Yi smiled.

"Xiao Xi, from now on, if I'm still training when it's time to eat, just go ahead and eat first. Don't wait for me."

By the time the two finished lunch, it was already close to Shenshi. Considering that it would be dark in at most two hours, too short a time to head into the mountains to hunt, Luo Yi decided to go ask Wang Meng about the specifics of the county town, so he could prepare properly.