Over the past few days at home, Li Bufan had enjoyed one of the rare periods of peace and warmth since arriving in this world. The wound on his left arm, once deep enough to expose bone, had fully healed. The blood scab had fallen away, revealing tender pink flesh beneath, leaving only a faint white scar that spoke of the danger not long past.
Even rarer was the change in his state of mind. The twenty days of bitter cold and solitude in the mountains, the tension brought by life-and-death battles, and the indescribable psychological shock of taking a life for the first time were all slowly soothed and settled by his younger brother Ping'an's safe, innocent smile, hot meals, and peaceful sleep.
Watching Ping'an's little face glow with happiness and satisfaction every day simply because he could eat meat and wear new clothes, Li Bufan's conviction to protect him became firmer and purer.
This quiet, heartwarming life seemed like a tempering of the soul, washing away his violent edge and leaving behind a steadier, tougher core. His gaze became calmer, and his breath deeper and more enduring. This was growth and sublimation of the heart and mind.
Yet the instinct for martial arts had always surged through his blood. Now that his injuries had healed and his mind had settled, his desire to grow stronger sprouted anew like spring grass, becoming ever more intense.
"If I don't train now, then when?" Li Bufan looked at his family's low, cramped thatched mud house and shook his head helplessly. The Spirit Ape Muscle Tempering Technique required leaping, shifting, and stretching one's sinews and bones. In such a tiny space, he could barely perform even an opening stance properly.
His gaze shifted to the cold, desolate street beyond the window, and he immediately thought of an excellent place—the road leading into the mountains from the Official Road!
It was deep winter now, and the weather was growing ever colder. The signs of heavy snow sealing off the mountains had already appeared. Ordinary hunters and herb gatherers had long since returned home to hole up for the winter. There was not a soul on the Official Road, and the area near the mountain entrance was even more barren and deserted.
The terrain there was relatively open, with trees and rocks that could serve as cover and footholds. It was the perfect place to cultivate the Spirit Ape Muscle Tempering Technique! Besides, it was not too far from Huaiyuan County, making the trip convenient.
Once he had made up his mind, Li Bufan no longer hesitated. Looking at Ping'an, who was curiously fiddling with his new cotton clothes indoors, he said gently, "Little brother, I'm going out to train. The house is too small to move properly, so I need to find somewhere spacious outside the county town."
Hearing this, Ping'an immediately looked up. There was a trace of reluctance on his little face, but even more trust and support for his brother. He nodded obediently. "Go ahead, Brother. I'll stay home and behave. I won't run around, and I'll wait for you to come back." He paused, then added with sparkling eyes, "Brother, is practicing martial arts amazing? Can I become like you someday too?"
Li Bufan smiled and rubbed his head. "Of course you can. Once your brother is more settled, I'll teach you martial arts and send you to the Academy to learn to read and write. Then you'll be accomplished in both letters and martial arts. How does that sound?"
"Okay!" Ping'an nodded hard, his face filled with longing for the future.
After soothing his brother, Li Bufan returned to the inner room and carefully retrieved a small bundle wrapped in cloth from its hiding place. Inside were three Cinnabar Fruits, crimson as dragon's blood, their strange fragrance assailing his nose as they radiated vast energy.
He took a deep breath and picked up one of them. This trip was for training, and he would use the power of this spiritual treasure of heaven and earth to break through his bottleneck!
He tucked the Cinnabar Fruit against his body, reminded Ping'an once more to lock the doors and windows, then strode out and headed straight for the Official Road outside the county town.
The cold wind was still biting, the snow on the Official Road had yet to melt, and no travelers could be seen. He found a relatively level place suitable for training, adjusted his breathing slightly, and brought his body to its optimal state. Then, without further hesitation, he took out the Cinnabar Fruit, drew a deep breath, and put it directly into his mouth!
The Cinnabar Fruit melted the instant it entered his mouth. It was not hard as he had imagined, but instead like a stream of warm nectar that slid down his throat in an instant! Immediately afterward, an indescribably vast, pure, scorching energy erupted within him like a sleeping volcano!
"Boom—!"
The immense medicinal power became a rolling torrent that rushed through his limbs and bones in an instant! Li Bufan felt as though all the meridians in his body were being stretched open. His blood burned as though boiling, his skin flushed scarlet at once, and faint white steam even rose from the top of his head!
This power was incomparably tyrannical, far beyond his imagination! If he had not already reached the Muscle Tempering realm, with a physique far surpassing that of an ordinary person, he might have ended up like that Snow Fox that had mistakenly eaten a Cinnabar Fruit. It would not have killed him, but he would still have bled from all seven orifices.
Daring not to slacken in the slightest, Li Bufan endured the slight swelling pain and burning sensation in his body as he assumed the stance of the Spirit Ape Muscle Tempering Technique!
"Spirit Ape Extends Its Arms! Savage Ape Shakes the Tree! Spirit Ape Tumble..."
He pushed each set of body-tempering movements to their very limit! This time, unlike the familiar practice and tempering of the past, he was undergoing a violent assault and refinement under the frenzied impetus of that vast medicinal power!
The torrent of qi and blood transformed from the Cinnabar Fruit was guided by the technique and poured madly into every inch of muscle throughout his body! His muscle fibers were torn apart, reorganized, and strengthened at an unprecedented speed! Every exertion came with a violent expenditure of internal energy and rapid growth in his muscles!
At the same time, the footwork of Spirit Monkey Three Leaps beneath his feet was not slow in the least. His figure turned into blurred afterimages amid the forest snow, leaping and bounding like a flying creature, using the movement and changes of direction of the footwork to better guide, disperse, and make use of the immense medicinal power that was nearly bursting his body apart.
All his past insights into the Spirit Ape Muscle Tempering Technique and Spirit Monkey Three Leaps, every subtle technique of exerting force, every understanding of the circulation of qi and blood, perfectly merged at this moment with the surging medicinal power and his body's most instinctive reactions!
Many profound subtleties that had once been obscure and difficult to grasp were now comprehended and connected one after another, cutting through all obstacles like a bamboo stalk splitting open.
His movements became faster, smoother, and more precise! His body seemed to turn into an enormous furnace, using the Cinnabar Fruit as fuel to frantically forge his flesh, bones, and sinews!
Sweat streamed from his entire body like rivulets, only to be instantly evaporated or frozen by the heat within him and the cold outside, forming a faint layer of white frost vapor around him.
At this moment, time seemed to lose all meaning.
Li Bufan was completely immersed in a selfless state of cultivation. There was only the technique in his heart, only rushing qi and blood and continuously strengthening muscles within his body.
Who knew how long had passed? Only when the terrifying medicinal power within him, like a volcanic eruption, gradually weakened and became gentler—though it still retained tremendous lingering force—did Li Bufan's movements slow slightly.
But he still did not stop. Taking advantage of the remaining medicinal power and the effects of the Heaven Rewards Diligence fate still being present, he continued cultivating tirelessly, greedily absorbing the final benefits.
His consciousness sank into his body, and he could clearly "see" the proficiency of the Spirit Ape Muscle Tempering Technique jumping and increasing at a frenzied pace...
When the afterglow of the setting sun painted the snow in a warm golden hue, Li Bufan finally slowly withdrew his stance, ending this near two-hour session of frenzied cultivation.
He stood where he was, heat billowing from his entire body like a freshly steamed basket, yet his eyes were so bright they were almost frightening!
Carefully sensing the changes in his body, especially the information fed back by the Heaven Rewards Diligence fate, even he could not help drawing in a sharp breath as wild joy surged through his heart!
[Heaven Rewards Diligence] Spirit Ape Muscle Tempering Technique, Beginner (488/500)
Just one hour! Driven by the terrifying medicinal power of the Cinnabar Fruit and his own life-risking cultivation, his proficiency had surged by nearly a hundred points! He was only one step away from breaking through to the Proficient realm!
Moreover, he could feel that the medicinal power of the Cinnabar Fruit had not yet been fully exhausted. Part of it still lay deposited in his limbs and bones, needing to be slowly refined and absorbed afterward. Even so, his gains were already unimaginably enormous!
Looking at the Spirit Ape Muscle Tempering Technique on the Heaven Rewards Diligence panel, only one step from breaking through, and feeling the residual medicinal power still slowly releasing within his body, a trace of determination flashed through Li Bufan's eyes.
"Strike while the iron is hot. Today is the day!"
He understood the path of cultivation well: with the first burst of effort, one could succeed; with the second, one's strength waned; by the third, it was exhausted. His condition was at its peak now, and the remaining medicinal power of the Cinnabar Fruit was helping to drive him onward. This was the best time to break through!
He focused his mind and steadied his breathing once more. Ignoring the slight fatigue in his body and the hunger in his stomach, he again assumed the stance of the Spirit Ape Muscle Tempering Technique. This time, he no longer pursued the utmost speed and strength. Instead, he paid greater attention to the precision of his qi and blood circulation, the coordination of his muscular exertion, and a deeper understanding of the technique's underlying essence.
Again and again, he practiced this muscle-tempering technique, his mind and spirit completely immersed in it. He sought perfection in every movement, and every breath followed the hidden rhythm. The deposited medicinal power of the Cinnabar Fruit was stirred out thread by thread, merging into his qi and blood, nourishing his muscles, and pushing against that invisible barrier.
The radiance of the Heaven Rewards Diligence fate flickered steadily and continuously in the depths of his consciousness, ensuring that every bit of his effort received a hundred percent return.
Sweat seeped out once more, only to be quickly dried by his body heat. On the snow, his figure leaped stubbornly in the twilight as though he knew no fatigue.
Time slipped away bit by bit. The sun completely sank below the horizon, and darkness swiftly descended, leaving only the snow reflecting faint starlight.
Finally, after performing "Spirit Ape Tumble" for who knew what number of time, Li Bufan felt the qi and blood within his body suddenly shudder, as though some restraint had been blasted open with a thunderous crash!
Every muscle in his body trembled, contracted, and expanded at once! A sense of power far more agile, formidable, and obedient to his will than before instantly flooded his limbs and bones!
The circulation of his qi and blood suddenly accelerated, becoming more vigorous and surging like liquid mercury as it flowed endlessly between his strengthened muscle fibers!
[Heaven Rewards Diligence] Spirit Ape Muscle Tempering Technique, Proficient (134/1000)
He had broken through!
The breakthrough in his technique had also driven a breakthrough in his realm. Li Bufan had taken another great stride forward in the Initial Muscle Tempering stage.
Li Bufan slowly finished his practice and stood in place, carefully experiencing this brand-new realm. Compared with the beginner stage, the Proficient Spirit Ape Muscle Tempering Technique brought him not only an increase in strength, but also meticulous control over every muscle in his body! It was as though every strand of muscle fiber could exert force exactly as he wished, unleashing greater might while circulating qi and blood more efficiently and reducing unnecessary expenditure.
"This Cinnabar Fruit truly deserves to be called a spiritual treasure of heaven and earth! Its medicinal power is so immense and miraculous!" Li Bufan's heart was full of astonishment and delight. A single Cinnabar Fruit had not only sent his proficiency soaring, but also helped him break through the technique's realm in one stroke!
Only then did he recover from the excitement of his breakthrough and realize that the surroundings had long since become pitch-black, with only the cold wind howling. This session of selfless cultivation had actually lasted for more than three full hours!
Intense hunger and fatigue swept over him like a tide. At the same time, he felt stiff and freezing all over—his sweat from training had long since frozen into icy granules in the low temperature, clinging to his clothes and skin in great discomfort.
"I need to get back quickly!" He shivered and immediately activated Spirit Monkey Three Leaps. After the breakthrough, his steps seemed lighter and swifter as well. Though his body was exhausted, his travel speed was instead much faster.
Stepping through the night and facing the cold wind, Li Bufan returned to Huaiyuan County at top speed and knocked on the firewood gate of his home.
"Brother! You're back!" Ping'an had been waiting anxiously the entire time. Hearing the sound, he immediately ran to open the door. Seeing his brother radiating cold air, looking exhausted but with shining eyes, he felt both distressed and curious.
"You must be starving, Brother? I've been keeping the food warm in the pot for you!"
Li Bufan's heart warmed. He rubbed his younger brother's head. "Mm, bring it over quickly. Your brother is starving to death."
When two large bowls full of steaming mixed coarse and polished rice, along with a large platter of tender stewed tiger meat, were brought to the table, Li Bufan could no longer care about appearances and began wolfing it down.
His appetite had grown by an unknown amount compared with two months ago. Like a gale sweeping away fallen leaves, he devoured the two large bowls of rice and more than three jin of tiger meat until nothing remained. In the end, he even mixed the broth with rice and cleaned it all up. Sweat beaded on his forehead as warmth spread through his body, and the day's fatigue and cold were completely driven away by the hearty meal.
Ping'an stared from the side, dumbfounded, and muttered softly, "Brother, practicing martial arts uses up that much food..."
Li Bufan burst into laughter, his mood incomparably carefree.
After dinner, he heated a large tub of water, and the two brothers happily took a hot bath, washing away the sweat and exhaustion from their bodies. Then they changed into clean, soft underclothes and lay on the heated kang, warm and toasty, listening to the faint wind outside the window and the steady sound of his brother's breathing beside him.
Li Bufan felt a sense of contentment and peace from the inside out. The weariness of his body rapidly recovered in sleep, while the joy of his breakthrough and anticipation for the future carried him into dreamland with a smile.
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