Diamond Body and Bear Demon Technique

The crowd dispersed, and the small courtyard returned to tranquility.

Shen Qiuyue rested for a moment before rising to continue her training. She increased her daily training volume by thirty percent, executing every movement with meticulous precision. Even as sweat soaked her temples, she paid it no mind, repeatedly lifting weights and performing squats. Her tenacity was no less than that of any man.

Qin Meng watched quietly from the doorway of the main room, his eyes filled with approval. She did not rush to consume the blood replenishing pill, choosing instead to solidify her foundation through grueling training. Such clarity and patience were rare among martial artists.

Progressing step by step and solidifying the foundation—she is right, Qin Meng thought. Deciding not to disturb her, he turned and walked into the small room next door used as a meditation chamber.

He sat cross-legged on the earthen bed and took out the Diamond Body manual he had exchanged for at the Duobao Pavilion. He subconsciously pressed his lips together, a flicker of excitement flashing in his eyes.

Since arriving in this world, he had experienced many things and understood the importance of strength. His desire for the pinnacle of the martial path had long since become a raging fire.

The martial path in this world was profound and mysterious; the strong could soar through the skies and burrow into the earth.

Body forging realm was divided into three stages: boiling blood, blood changing, and body tempering.

The boiling blood realm used breathing techniques to vibrate the qi and blood, making them surge like boiling water to strengthen the physical body.

The blood changing realm used essence blood to refine the entire body's blood, allowing the physique to undergo a complete transformation.

Only with a solid foundation could one advance with courage and vigor.

The original owner of his body had been greedy for quick success, ultimately leading to a depletion of qi and blood and the total ruin of his martial path.

He is him, and I am me. Qin Meng cleared his mind and flipped open the pages.

The thin booklet contained illustrations of Arhats and annotations, detailing breathing rhythms, mental guidance, and the pathways for qi and blood circulation with both text and images.

Qin Meng studied it word by word and discovered that Diamond Body was completely different from mainstream techniques—

It did not concentrate the power of qi and blood in the heart meridians, but rather guided it into the dantian at the danzhong acupoint, using secret methods to refine and compress it until it finally condensed into a seed of qi and blood.

Once the seed was formed, it would operate autonomously. The newly generated qi and blood would possess the inherent qualities of a diamond, capable of activating the body's potential.

The body forging section was divided into six levels. By tempering the body step by step, one could reach a level of profound mastery where strength and explosive power were peerless. A single arm could swing with a divine force of one hundred thousand jin, and a single punch could crush an ordinary bone forging realm martial artist.

However, the threshold for this technique was extremely high. It required the practitioner to have a naturally formidable physique, possessing several thousand jin of strength even before practicing body forging techniques; otherwise, one would exert twice the effort for half the result.

Yet, with the fusion of the original body and the system's enhancement, Qin Meng already possessed twenty thousand jin of strength. His physique far exceeded that of ordinary people; this technique was practically tailor-made for him. While others were building mud-brick huts, he was constructing a fortress of blue bricks.

[Diamond Body: Body Forging Section (Not yet initiated, 1/100)]

[Special Effects: None]

The moment the two lines of golden text appeared before his eyes, a massive amount of the technique's essentials imprinted themselves into his mind. The breathing, mental intent, and circulation pathways became crystal clear.

Qin Meng closed his eyes to regulate his breath. Following the hand seals of the technique, he began to guide his qi and blood.

Under the guidance of his intent, the qi and blood scattered throughout his limbs and bones began to flow slowly. At first, it was like a thin stream, but as his breathing lengthened, it gathered like a hundred rivers flowing into the sea, all converging into the danzhong acupoint to form a warm mass of qi.

The proficiency of the cultivation technique climbed steadily:

[Not yet initiated, 3/100, 4/100, 9/100...]

Qin Meng was immersed in the process, his breathing barely audible, with only the mass of energy in his chest continuously solidifying.

He did not know how much time had passed when a soft sound echoed from within his body, and an invisible shackle shattered with a roar.

The cloud of blood energy within his danzhong acupoint suddenly contracted. Under the hammering of his will, it compressed rapidly, finally coalescing into a vortex glowing with golden light.

The seed of blood energy was formed!

The vortex gave a gentle tremor, and a strand of blood energy—far purer, more refined, and carrying a faint diamond luster than before—flowed out spontaneously. Following the rhythm of his heartbeat, it merged into his blood and surged throughout his entire body.

[Diamond Body - First Layer (1/100)]

[Special Effect: Bronze Skin and Iron Bones (Initial Manifestation)]

[Bronze Skin and Iron Bones]: Skin like leather, bones like stone; ordinary iron cannot pierce it.

It did not conflict with his innate talents; rather, it was a further enhancement under the amplification of his multiple talents.

Qin Meng opened his eyes, a flash of pale golden light flickering within his pupils before vanishing.

The changes were immediate. A slight sense of tightness came from his skin, as if it were covered by a highly resilient membrane, its luster restrained.

From within his bones came the faint sound of adjustment. Their density increased significantly, and faint golden patterns spread through them, making them even more solid.

He curled his finger and drew a nail across the skin of his arm, producing a harsh, grating sound. He then flicked his forearm with his finger, and a metallic "clang" rang out.

"Bronze skin and iron bones, the reputation is well-deserved."

Qin Meng clenched his fist, feeling the brand-new power surging within him.

The increase in physical strength was secondary; this comprehensive reinforcement of his defense and the improvement in his body's resilience gave him a great boost in confidence. Even better, the diamond blood energy circulated on its own, continuously nourishing his flesh and blood in an endless cycle.

A strong sense of hunger washed over him—this was the consumption caused by the tempering of his body. He ate two boiled wolf hearts, their immense vital energy rapidly replenishing what he had spent.

Inadvertently, Qin Meng's gaze fell upon the inconspicuous gray cloth bundle on the edge of the kang.

"Almost forgot about this."

He untied the gray cloth to reveal a booklet inside.

Qin Meng had long expected it. The booklet was ancient and yellowed, and on its cover, five vigorous characters were written in thick ink: Mystic Fiend Bear Demon Art.

Qin Meng's eyelids twitched violently. The moment his fingertips brushed over the raised characters, a sudden, intense palpitation arose in his heart without warning!

The flow of his blood seemed to have accelerated slightly.

The newly condensed seed of qi and blood for the diamond body within his body seemed to awaken, blooming with golden light. It was not a sense of rejection, but rather a strange feeling of "exultation."

He vaguely felt that this technique might be perfectly suited to him. An inexplicable sensation that "this technique is destined for me" lingered in his heart, impossible to shake off.

Collecting his focus, Qin Meng carefully opened the booklet.

The handwriting inside was of a different style—vigorous and powerful, with every stroke imbued with strength.

The illustrations were simple line drawings of a human figure. Without any superfluous decoration, they clearly outlined various postures and movements, with small annotations beside them marking human acupoints, vital joints, and complex arrows indicating the flow of qi and blood.

Mystic Fiend Bear Demon Art!

Qin Meng only needed to read a few lines of the opening summary to know its origin was extraordinary. This was an authentic, mainstream body forging realm technique that emphasized gathering the power of qi and blood into the heart for tempering, refining the physique step by step.

Although the copy in his hands only contained the "Body Forging Chapter," the system it described—covering the progression from the boiling blood realm to the blood changing realm and laying the foundation for subsequent body refinement—was rigorous, complete, and progressive. It was far beyond the militia techniques in his predecessor's memories, and it was in no way inferior to the diamond body, perhaps even more profound.

To practice such a superior technique, one must first memorize it by heart, understanding the subtlety of its breathing rhythm, the nuances of qi and blood circulation, and the essentials of the stance, until it is thoroughly mastered and becomes instinctual. Only then can one begin to cultivate.

Qin Meng cast aside all distracting thoughts, his mind completely immersed in the text.

He studied it word by word, cross-referencing the line drawings, simulating the flow of qi and blood in his mind, and pondering the coordination between breath and movement.

Even with his powerful spirit and astonishing memory, it took him a full half-hour to completely digest this thin volume of body forging techniques.

He closed the booklet and shut his eyes.

All the text and diagrams unfolded in his mind like a scroll, no longer containing the slightest obstruction.

[Mystic Fiend Bear Demon Art (Not Initiated, 1/100)]

[Special Effects: None]

The small golden characters appeared right on cue.

At the same time, Qin Meng felt his understanding of this technique deepen, as if a veil had been lifted, and many obscure points suddenly became clear.

"This is the moment!"

Without any hesitation, he immediately adjusted his posture on the kang to begin cultivation.

He did not sit cross-legged. Instead, following the instructions of the technique, he adopted a posture resembling a "crouching bear." His hands were held loosely in front of his abdomen, his spine slightly arched. It looked comical, yet it contained a tension capable of erupting at any moment.

He adjusted his breathing, his mind gradually sinking into stillness.

At first, Qin Meng's breathing was faint and nearly inaudible, long and deep, as if a giant bear were hibernating in a cave. His vital signs dropped to their lowest point, with only his heart beating slowly and powerfully, accumulating energy.

Gradually, the rhythm of his breathing began to change. At times, it became short and intense, his nostrils flaring and his chest and abdomen heaving rapidly, as if a fiend bear had been enraged; his panting sounded like a bellows, filled with a sense of violent power.

At other times, it shifted back to being long and drawn out, but this time, the length carried a heaviness, as if poised to strike.

With every inhale and exhale, a profound mystery took shape.

Within his body, the seed of qi and blood from the diamond body circulated on its own, nourishing his flesh.

At a deeper level, as the breathing technique of the mystic fiend bear demon art began to circulate, another distinct warmth sprouted from his limbs and bones.

He could feel his blood accelerating as if under some sort of summons, boiling, as wisps of pure qi and blood drifted out, gradually merging into his muscles and gathering toward his heart.

On the panel in his mind, the progress of the mystic fiend bear demon art began to tick upward slowly:

2/100...3/100...