Black Tortoise Battle Body

"He... his injuries are even worse than yours. His chest was punched through by you, and he was rushed away by the Sun family overnight. I heard they used the best medical pods and genetic repair fluid to treat him."

"By now, he should be lying in treatment alongside Sun Ao, right? I hope those two brothers can make amends."

Lin Feng seemed unwilling to dwell on this topic. He patted Li He's uninjured arm: "Anyway, Junior Brother, you won! You won!"

Won!

These two words.

Once again, they struck Li He's heart.

A surge of heat washed away the lingering pain and exhaustion in his body.

Li He slowly closed his eyes, feeling the pure energy from the Wine Crystal flowing through his limbs and bones, repairing damaged tissues and nourishing his newly formed muscles and bones. He could vaguely sense a surging power lying dormant and growing deep within his body.

"By the way, Senior Brother, what about my mother?"

He had been in a coma for three days; his mother, Zhang Xiujuan, must have been worried sick.

"Don't worry. We were afraid she would be anxious, so we sent someone to your house in advance to explain the situation. We told her the martial arts gym had urgent business that required a few days of lockdown, and that you were selected for your outstanding performance and couldn't return home for now. We promised her you'd go back to report you're safe once your injuries stabilize."

Hearing this, Li He felt a sense of relief.

His father was still out on an adventure; if his mother knew he had been injured this badly, she would likely have fallen ill from worry.

The gym's arrangements were very thoughtful.

"Alright, you just woke up and need to rest. I won't disturb you any further." Lin Feng stood up, gave a few more reminders about resting well and taking medicine on time, and then exited the ward.

The room returned to silence.

Li He lay there for a while.

Feeling the new sense of power within his body, he felt restless. He couldn't do strenuous exercise, but practicing his stance work should be fine, right?

The Turtle-Crane Health Stance consisted of both the standing Crane form and the lying Turtle form.

He carefully moved his body, enduring the slight pulling sensation, and set himself into the Turtle form. He sank his mind into his body, guiding his blood and qi to flow slowly along the paths of the stance.

Hum!

A sudden change occurred.

A wave of blood and qi quietly radiated outward, centered on his body.

Threads of blood and qi seeped out from his pores, intertwining and wrapping around each other until they formed a thin, transparent field of energy around him.

Li He snapped his eyes open.

"What is this?"

This faint field was not as rigid or tough as protective internal energy; it felt like an invisible membrane, carrying a peculiar sense of isolation.

He continued to circulate the Turtle-Crane Health Stance.

The faint field shifted its form, transforming into the phantom of an inverted turtle shell that enveloped him.

A precise surge of energy churned wildly within the phantom shell, and after one full cycle of blood and qi circulation, this energy poured into his body.

[Proficiency +1]

[Proficiency +1]

[Proficiency +1]

Three notifications in a row!

A flash of lightning struck Li He's mind, and he understood in an instant.

Why had his progress been so difficult after reaching the minor success stage of martial arts?

Why did he always feel that his power was trapped within his body, struggling to erupt?

Why did the movement techniques and defenses of Sun Jiaoyang and Yuan Lingling look so seamless and agile? Even though they were all at the First Stage, they clearly possessed extraordinary power that he lacked.

It was all because his blood and qi were too weak to be projected externally.

The physical body is limited, but the world is infinite.

He recalled Sun Jiaoyang's elegant and composed, ghost-like movement, and the seamless control with which he moved the air and deflected force with every gesture.

It wasn't just movement technique; it was the manifestation of projecting blood and qi to control the surrounding airflow. This was a sign of entering a higher level of martial arts.

Great success in martial arts means blood and qi like a dragon, woven into a net, stirring up wind and thunder with every movement. This is modern martial arts.

His heart surged with excitement, and just as he was about to sink back into the stance to experience the mysteries of blood and qi projection—

Gurgle, gurgle, gurgle!

An incredibly loud sound of his stomach growling erupted from his abdomen, catching him off guard.

A wave of intense hunger swept over him, causing his vision to darken slightly, and he nearly dropped out of the Turtle-Crane Health Stance.

Only then did Li He remember that he had been in a coma for three days, surviving solely on nutrient solution, and his body was already overdrawn. Now that he was projecting his blood and qi, it was like opening a floodgate, causing his demand for energy to skyrocket.

"I need to find something to eat." He licked his cracked lips and prepared to press the button to call the nurse.

At this very moment, the Wine Crystal he had swallowed into his belly seemed to be stimulated, erupting with a pure and massive surge of energy that actively poured into his famished cells.

The phantom image of the turtle shell enveloping his body brightened and solidified slightly, and the circulation speed of his blood-qi accelerated abruptly.

[Proficiency +1]

[Proficiency +1]

[Proficiency +1]

The notification sounds rang out in rapid succession.

"This Wine Crystal is truly worthy of being a treasured item in the martial arts gym's collection."

Li He was overjoyed and immediately cast aside all distracting thoughts, immersing his mind completely into the artistic conception of the Turtle-Crane Health Stance.

Inside the hospital room.

His arms were rounded, his knees slightly bent, and his body arched, curling himself into a ball. This was not done deliberately, but rather the posture naturally assumed by his muscles and bones as the turtle-form stance reached a deep level of practice.

At this moment, he did not look like an injured patient lying in a hospital bed, but more like an ancient giant turtle dormant in the deep sea.

Under the continuous infusion of energy, the turtle shell phantom covering his body became increasingly solid, gradually taking on a thick, bronze hue, with ancient patterns emerging on its surface.

Threads of blood-qi grew more numerous and dense, intertwining and wrapping around each other, causing the color of the shell to deepen further.

[Proficiency +1]

[Proficiency +1]

The cold notification sound rang out with every surge of blood-qi.

It was unknown how much time had passed.

[Proficiency +1]

[Turtle-Crane Health Stance: Minor Accomplishment (99%) → Major Accomplishment (0%)]

[Vitality: 17 → 18]

"Major Accomplishment!"

A sharp glint erupted in Li He's eyes as he leaped off the bed, landing steadily on the floor; the blood-qi surging within his body was vigorous and refined.

His entire body's bones, muscles, blood vessels, and even every single cell were humming with joy, and an unprecedented sense of toughness filled his whole being.

He looked down at his chest; the previously collapsed wound had completely regenerated, his skin glowing with a healthy, rosy luster, and his muscle lines appearing smooth and powerful.

"Even the injuries have healed, and my vitality has broken through—it actually has such an effect!"

Li He was overjoyed.

With a thought.

A layer of cyan turtle shell phantom instantly covered his entire body, clinging tightly to his skin. On the surface of the phantom, mysterious patterns flowed, emitting an indestructible and heavy aura.

He flicked his finger, and it collided with the stainless steel guardrail of the hospital bed.

Clang!

A crisp sound of metal clashing rang out.

The hard steel guardrail was actually dented with a deep mark from his light flick, yet his finger did not feel even a trace of pain.

"The ultimate technique of the Turtle-Crane Health Stance, Black Tortoise Battle Body!" Li He was ecstatic.

What the Black Tortoise Battle Body brought him was not just physical defense; he could clearly perceive that this layer of turtle armor also had a resistance effect against mental erosion.

He retracted the battle body, and the cyan turtle shell phantom quietly faded away.

"It is time to discharge myself from the hospital. Once all my martial arts reach Major Accomplishment, I will be able to become a Tier 2 martial artist!" Li He felt a surge of grand ambition in his heart.

Knock, knock, knock.

The hospital room door was gently knocked.

"Please come in."

The door was pushed open, and in walked Jin Wancai, his face glowing and wearing a beaming smile.

"Little Brother Li, I've brought my Yousheng to see you!"

His gaze swept over Li He, and seeing that he was standing on the floor, looking rosy-cheeked and even faintly exuding a powerful aura, he said in surprise, "Little Brother Li, are you out of bed practicing martial arts? You mustn't do that; it's only been a few days. It's a good thing that young people have strong recovery abilities, but you shouldn't be too impatient."

As he spoke, he made a gesture to help him.