Official Road Martial Arts, [Spirit Monkey] Proficiency

These past few days at home had been a rare stretch of peace and warmth since Li Bufan arrived in this world. The wound on his left arm, once deep enough to show bone, had fully healed—scabs fallen away, revealing tender pink flesh beneath, with only a faint white scar left to tell of the danger he'd faced.

Even more precious was the shift in his state of mind. The bitter cold and solitude of twenty days in the mountains, the tension from life-and-death combat, and the indescribable psychological shock of taking a human life for the first time—all of it had slowly been soothed and settled by his younger brother's innocent, sunny smile, warm meals, and restful sleep.

Watching Ping'an's face light up with happiness and contentment every day just from having meat to eat and new clothes to wear, Li Bufan's resolve to protect him grew firmer and purer.

This kind of simple, warm life was like a spiritual tempering—washing away the ferocity, leaving behind a steadier, tougher core. His gaze grew calmer, his breath deeper and more sustained. This was growth and elevation of the heart.

Yet the instinct of martial arts still surged in his blood. With his injuries healed and his mind settled, the desire to grow stronger sprouted anew like spring grass, fiercer than ever.

"If not now, when?" Li Bufan looked at his cramped, low-ceilinged thatched mud hut and shook his head helplessly. The Spirit Ape Muscle Tempering Technique required leaps, tumbles, and full extension of the limbs—impossible to even complete a starting stance in such a confined space.

His gaze drifted to the cold, deserted street outside, and then a perfect spot came to mind—the Official Road leading into the mountains!

It was deep winter now, the weather growing harsher, with signs that heavy snow would soon seal the passes. Ordinary hunters and herb gatherers had long since returned home to hole up for the season. The Official Road was utterly empty of travelers, and the area near the mountain path was especially desolate.

The terrain there was relatively open, with trees and rocks that could serve as cover or leverage—an ideal place to practice the Spirit Ape Muscle Tempering Technique! And it wasn't too far from Huaiyuan County, making the trip convenient.

Once the decision was made, Li Bufan didn't hesitate. He looked at Ping'an, who was curiously fiddling with his new cotton coat, and said gently, "Little brother, I'm going out to train. The house is too small to move around in, so I need to find a spacious spot outside the county."

Ping'an looked up immediately, a trace of reluctance on his small face, but more than that, trust and support for his brother. He nodded obediently: "Go ahead, big brother. I'll stay home and behave, won't run around, and wait for you to come back." He paused, eyes sparkling, and added, "Big brother, is martial arts really impressive? Can I be like you someday?"

Li Bufan smiled and ruffled his hair: "Of course you can. Once I'm a bit more settled, I'll teach you martial arts and send you to school to learn reading and writing. You'll be skilled in both civil and military arts, how about that?"

"Great!" Ping'an nodded vigorously, his face full of hope for the future.

After settling his brother, Li Bufan went back to the inner room and carefully retrieved a small cloth-wrapped bundle from its hiding place. Opening it revealed three Cinnabar Fruits, blood-red and radiating a strange fragrance, brimming with immense energy.

He took a deep breath and picked one up. For this training session, he would borrow the power of this heavenly spiritual fruit to break through his bottleneck!

He tucked the fruit close to his body, reminded Ping'an once more to lock the doors and windows, then strode out the door, heading straight for the Official Road outside the city.

The cold wind still bit sharply. Snow lay unmelted on the Official Road, with no travelers in sight. He found a relatively flat spot suitable for training, took a moment to regulate his breath and adjust his body to peak condition. Then, without further hesitation, he pulled out the Cinnabar Fruit, inhaled deeply, and popped it into his mouth!

The fruit dissolved instantly on his tongue—not hard as he'd imagined, but like warm nectar, sliding smoothly down his throat! Immediately, an indescribable, vast, and pure surge of scorching energy erupted within him like a dormant volcano!

"Boom—!"

The immense medicinal power turned into a roaring torrent, rushing through his limbs and bones! Li Bufan felt as if all his meridians were being stretched open, his blood boiling hot, his skin turning bright red, and faint white steam rising from the top of his head!

This power was overbearing, far beyond what he'd expected! If he hadn't already reached the Muscle Tempering realm, with a physique far surpassing ordinary people, he might have ended up like the Snow Fox that mistakenly ate a Cinnabar Fruit—not dead, but bleeding from all seven orifices.

Daring not to slack off, Li Bufan gritted his teeth against the mild pain of his swelling body and the burning sensation, assuming the stance of the Spirit Ape Muscle Tempering Technique!

"Spirit Ape Stretches Arms! Vicious Ape Shakes Tree! Spirit Ape Tumble..."

He executed each body-tempering move to the extreme! This time, it wasn't about familiar practice or refinement—it was a violent assault and tempering driven by the raging medicinal power!

The torrent of blood and qi transformed from the Cinnabar Fruit was channeled by the technique, madly flooding every inch of muscle in his body! Muscle fibers were torn apart, reorganized, and strengthened at an unprecedented speed! Every exertion of force was accompanied by a violent consumption of energy and rapid muscle growth!

At the same time, his footwork from the Spirit Monkey Three Leaps was no less swift, his figure turning into a blur of afterimages among the trees and snow, leaping and tumbling, using the movement and direction changes to better guide, disperse, and utilize the overwhelming medicinal power that threatened to burst his body.

All his past insights from practicing the Spirit Ape Muscle Tempering Technique and Spirit Monkey Three Leaps—every subtle technique of exertion, every experience of qi and blood flow—merged perfectly at this moment with the surging medicinal power and his body's most primal instincts!

Many obscure, hard-to-grasp subtleties that had eluded him before were now, under the impact of this violent force and the blessing of his fate, broken through and comprehended like splitting bamboo!

His movements grew faster, smoother, more precise! His body seemed to become a massive furnace, using the Cinnabar Fruit as fuel, madly forging his flesh, blood, and bones!

Sweat poured from his entire body like a stream, but it was instantly evaporated by his internal heat or frozen by the outside cold, forming a faint white frost around him.

Time seemed to lose meaning in that moment.

Li Bufan was completely immersed in a state of self-forgetful cultivation, his mind only on the technique, his body only on the surging blood and qi and the ever-strengthening muscles.

After who knows how long, when the terrifying medicinal power inside him, like a volcanic eruption, gradually weakened, becoming gentler but still potent, his movements slowed slightly.

But he still didn't stop. Taking advantage of the residual medicinal power and the ongoing effect of the Heaven Rewards Diligence fate, he continued training tirelessly, greedily absorbing every last benefit.

His consciousness sank into his body, and he could clearly "see" the proficiency of the Spirit Ape Muscle Tempering Technique jumping and growing at a maddening speed...

When the last rays of sunset painted the snow in a warm gold, Li Bufan finally slowly withdrew his stance, ending this nearly two-hour-long frenzied training.

He stood still, steam rising from his whole body like a freshly opened steamer, but his eyes were frighteningly bright!

Carefully sensing the changes within, especially the feedback from the Heaven Rewards Diligence fate, even he couldn't help but suck in a sharp breath, joy surging in his heart!

[Heaven Rewards Diligence]

Spirit Ape Muscle Tempering Technique, Beginner (488/500)

In just one hour! Driven by the terrifying medicinal power of the Cinnabar Fruit and his relentless training, proficiency had skyrocketed by nearly a hundred points! He was just one step away from breaking through to the Proficient level!

Moreover, he could feel that the fruit's power wasn't fully spent—some remained settled in his limbs and bones, needing gradual refinement and absorption. But even so, his gains were already unimaginably huge!

Staring at the proficiency panel showing the Spirit Ape Muscle Tempering Technique just one step from breakthrough, and feeling the residual medicinal power still slowly releasing in his body, a flash of determination crossed Li Bufan's eyes.

"Strike while the iron is hot—today is the day!"

He knew the way of cultivation: strike while the spirit is high, or it wanes and exhausts. Right now, he was at his peak, with the leftover medicinal power of the Cinnabar Fruit to boost him—this was the perfect time to break through!

He focused his mind again, ignoring the slight fatigue in his body and the hunger in his stomach, and resumed the stance of the Spirit Ape Muscle Tempering Technique. This time, he didn't pursue extreme speed or power, but instead emphasized precision in qi and blood flow, coordination in muscle exertion, and a deeper understanding of the technique's essence.

He practiced the muscle-tempering set over and over, his mind fully immersed. Every movement strove for perfection, every breath matched the rhythm. The settled medicinal power of the Cinnabar Fruit was drawn out bit by bit, merging into his blood and qi, nourishing his muscles, pushing against that invisible barrier.

The light of the Heaven Rewards Diligence fate shone steadily and persistently in the depths of his consciousness, ensuring that every ounce of effort yielded full returns.

Sweat seeped out again, only to be quickly evaporated by his body heat. On the snow, his figure moved stubbornly in the twilight, as if tireless.

Time trickled away. The sun sank completely below the horizon, the sky darkened rapidly, leaving only the faint starlight reflected off the snow.

Finally, after who knows how many attempts at the "Spirit Ape Tumble," Li Bufan felt a sudden jolt in his blood and qi, as if some shackle had been blasted open!

Every muscle in his body trembled, contracted, and expanded in unison. A surge of power—far more agile, far stronger, and far more controlled than before—flooded his limbs and torso!

The circulation of blood and qi accelerated abruptly, becoming more vigorous and surging, flowing like mercury through the reinforced muscle fibers without pause!

[Heaven Rewards Diligence]

Spirit Ape Muscle Tempering Technique, Proficiency (134/1000)

A breakthrough!

The breakthrough in the technique also drove a breakthrough in his cultivation realm, pushing Li Bufan a significant step further in Initial Muscle Tempering.

Li Bufan slowly withdrew his stance, standing still as he carefully savored this new level. Compared to the beginner stage, the proficient-level Spirit Ape Muscle Tempering Technique granted him not just a boost in strength, but a meticulous control over every muscle in his body! It felt as if each muscle fiber could exert force at will, unleashing greater power while also circulating blood and qi more efficiently, reducing unnecessary waste.

"This Cinnabar Fruit truly lives up to its reputation as a heavenly essence! The medicinal power is so vast and miraculous!" Li Bufan marveled inwardly, filled with amazement and joy. One Cinnabar Fruit had not only skyrocketed his proficiency but also helped him break through the technique's realm!

Only then did he snap out of the excitement of the breakthrough, realizing that darkness had fallen all around, with only the howling wind for company. This absorbed training session had lasted over three hours!

A fierce wave of hunger and exhaustion crashed over him like a tide. At the same time, he felt his clothes stiff and icy—the sweat from earlier training had frozen into frost under the low temperature, clinging to his garments and skin, making him extremely uncomfortable.

"I need to get back quickly!" Shivering, he immediately activated Spirit Monkey Three Leaps. After the breakthrough, his steps seemed lighter and swifter; though his body was tired, his travel speed had actually increased.

Under the cover of night, braving the biting wind, Li Bufan rushed back to Huaiyuan County as fast as he could and knocked on his own wooden door.

"Brother! You're back!" Ping'an had been anxiously waiting, and upon hearing the sound, he ran to open the door. Seeing his brother covered in cold vapor, his face weary but his eyes bright, he felt both concern and curiosity.

"You must be starving, brother! I've kept the food warm in the pot!"

A warmth spread through Li Bufan's heart. He ruffled his brother's head. "Yeah, hurry up and bring it over. I'm about to starve."

When two large bowls of steaming coarse rice and a big plate of braised tiger meat were set on the table, Li Bufan abandoned all pretense and wolfed it down.

His appetite had grown far beyond what it was two months ago. Like a whirlwind, he devoured both bowls of rice and over three jin of tiger meat, even scraping the plate clean with the leftover broth mixed into the rice. Sweat beaded on his forehead, his body warmed through, and the fatigue and chill of the day were completely dispelled by this hearty meal.

Ping'an watched in stunned silence, muttering under his breath, "Brother, martial training really makes you eat a lot..."

Li Bufan burst into laughter at that, his mood soaring.

After the meal, he boiled a large bucket of hot water, and the two brothers enjoyed a thorough bath, washing away all the sweat and exhaustion. Changing into clean, soft underclothes, they lay down on the warm kang, listening to the faint wind outside the window, with his brother's steady breathing beside him.

Li Bufan felt a deep sense of contentment and peace from the inside out. His body's fatigue quickly recovered in sleep, while the joy of the breakthrough and his anticipation for the future carried him into dreams with a smile on his face.