Flesh Refining

He silently thought, Open Panel: Berserk Bear Flesh Refining Technique (Uninitiated 37/200).

Seeing that the progress had increased by 12 points, he was very satisfied with the tonic medicine he had concocted. Taking the tonic alone had achieved the same effect as taking it together with bear gall before!

He took out a piece of bear gall and swallowed it, ready to test how much progress he could gain with each practice session after switching to the new tonic.

After swallowing the bear gall, he practiced for over forty minutes, relying on its medicinal effects, until the warmth in his abdomen faded.

Knowing he had reached his limit, Luo Yi stopped practicing.

Berserk Bear Flesh Refining Technique (Uninitiated 43/200)

Six points, added to the 12 from before, for a total of 18.

Taking bear gall with the tonic every morning and evening would let him gain at least 35 points of progress a day. Seeing that the Panel showed he still needed 156 points, he would be able to successfully enter the Flesh Refining Realm in five days at most.

At the thought, Luo Yi felt his heart swell with boundless pride.

At that moment, a room in the Green Wolf Gang's main hall was crowded with its core members.

Seated in the place of honor was a man with frost-white hair at his temples and a bloodthirsty, cruel gaze. Though he wore coarse hemp clothes, they could not conceal the mountain-like outline of his shoulders and back.

This man was none other than the Green Wolf Gang's leader, Wolf Howl. As far back as twenty years ago, Wolf Howl had been a martial artist who had reached the Great Accomplishment of Flesh Refining. But after he was ambushed and injured while fighting other gangs in Yunlu County, his foundation was damaged. Since then, he had remained stuck in the Flesh Refining Realm, unable to make any further progress in martial arts.

Even without making further progress, a martial artist at the peak of the Flesh Refining Realm could pretty much throw his weight around in a small place like Yunlu County, as long as he didn't go picking a fight with the Four Great Clans in the Inner City.

"Quiet! If anyone has a problem, bring them up one at a time."

Wolf Howl, who had been resting with his eyes closed, spoke up to cut off the constant arguments among his subordinates.

"Reporting to the leader. Our men reported that last night, fierce fighting was heard in the courtyard where the deputy leaders, 'Mother Wolf' and 'Little Wolf Head,' lived. When the brothers went to check the courtyard today, they found it completely empty. The only sign of a fight was in the deputy leader's room."

"The two of them are missing. For the sake of the gang's future, we ask the leader to choose a new deputy leader as soon as possible."

Wolf Howl, seated in the place of honor, had thought his men would suggest finding the culprit and avenging the two. Instead, they wanted to elect a new deputy leader.

Looking at the greed and longing in everyone's eyes, he knew that if he refused, this bunch might try to test how capable their leader still was.

Wolf Howl thought it over, then spoke:

"Among the Hall Masters present, whoever first finds the killer of Mother Wolf and Little Wolf Head will become the new deputy leader of our Green Wolf Gang."

After saying that, he left for the back hall of the headquarters without giving the people below a chance to object.

The remaining Hall Masters of the Green Wolf Gang stayed in the room, exchanging glances.

Every Hall Master there was clever. They knew that whoever had taken out Mother Wolf was at least a Flesh Refining Realm expert. They were no match for such a vicious opponent, being no more than martial artists at the Great Accomplishment of Skin Refining.

"Alas, the leader's getting old. He doesn't have the same nerve he used to." One Hall Master said it first, then turned and walked out. The others heard him, exchanged strange looks, and filed out after him.

Four days passed in this peaceful routine.

Early on the fifth day, just as dawn was breaking,

Luo Yi climbed out of bed. The Berserk Bear Flesh Refining Technique on his Panel needed only five more progress points to level up, and he could hardly wait.

He went to the kitchen and set the tonic medicine to boil, then swallowed the last piece of bear gall he had.

Luo Yi walked beneath the large banyan tree in the courtyard, struck the opening stance of the Berserk Bear Flesh Refining Technique, and began to practice!

"I did it!" Feeling the changes in his body, Luo Yi looked delighted.

Boom! In an instant, pain several times more intense than what he had felt in the Skin Refining Realm swept through him.

"Ah!" Luo Yi felt flames surge inside him, furiously burning his flesh and blood.

Unlike the Skin Refining Realm, where the pain had been limited to his skin, now it felt as though his flesh and blood were being roasted over a fire.

Scalding streams of energy coursed through his flesh and blood, then gradually converged in his Dantian, below his navel in his lower abdomen.

Feeling the warmth inside him and where it finally flowed, could this be the "Qi and Blood Force" and "Dantian" described in the Berserk Bear Flesh Refining Technique?

As Qi and Blood Force surged into his Dantian, scalding steam poured from Luo Yi's body, making him seem like a red-hot iron brand, steadily steaming out mist.

Gradually, Luo Yi grew used to the sensation. The pain in his flesh and blood eased into comfort.

"Mm," "mm," "mm." Luo Yi couldn't help letting out strange, blissful sounds.

Sweat poured from him as though he'd been caught in a downpour without an umbrella. It soaked his clothes, which clung tightly to his body, revealing his strong build and the faint outline of eight abdominal muscles.

The warmth kept flowing through every part of his body. Wherever it passed, Luo Yi felt as though his flesh and blood had been reborn, brimming with strength.

After a quarter of an hour, the warmth inside him gradually faded. Luo Yi, soaked with sweat, took a deep breath.

Eager to test his guess, he silently thought, Open Panel.

Host: Luo Yi

Age: 16

Realm: Flesh Refining (Initiate)

Skills: Basic Archery (Great Mastery 270/400), Fierce Tiger Skin Refining Technique (Perfection), Introduction to Poison Techniques (Perfection), Mantis Skin Refining Technique (Perfection), Iron Head Skin Refining Technique (Perfection)

Berserk Bear Flesh Refining Technique (Initiate 1/300)

Traits: Immune to Poisons, Fierce Tiger Back, Mantis Leg, Iron Brain

Energy Points: 16

Bone Frame: Upper Upper Grade

"Awesome!" Seeing "Flesh Refining Realm—Initiate" displayed on the Panel, Luo Yi couldn't help shouting.

He had transmigrated to this world just over a month ago. Now he had gone from a frail young book attendant to a martial artist in the Flesh Refining Realm. He couldn't help feeling a little pleased with himself.

Forcing down his excitement, Luo Yi walked to the stone table beneath the banyan tree.

He bent over, slid one hand beneath the tabletop, and easily lifted the thousand-jin stone table over his head.

"That was so easy?" He felt as though he had used no more than half his strength to lift it, and even Luo Yi was shocked by how strong he was now.

Then he found a Dao and tested his defensive power, before testing his increased speed in the courtyard.

In the end, he concluded that advancing to the Flesh Refining Realm had more than doubled his strength.

After testing his current strength, Luo Yi wanted to see how much progress he could gain by completing all the moves of the Berserk Bear Flesh Refining Technique.

"A pounce," "a heave," "a thrust," "a stomp."

A prompt appeared before his eyes: "Berserk Bear Flesh Refining Technique progress +1."

Completing all the moves once gained him one point of progress. It wasn't too slow.

At this rate, he'd be able to level up again in less than half a month.