Third Bone Tempering

Lu Hao arrived at the Martial Arts Training Room, walked to the center of the floor, and began preparing himself.

This time, he did not even take a pill for appearances' sake. His mother already had her suspicions, so taking one would make no difference. Besides, every medicine had its drawbacks, and pills did nothing for him.

He would avoid taking pills whenever he could. Out in public, of course, he would take one to keep up appearances.

When Bai Qiuyao saw Lu Hao begin preparing for his breakthrough without taking a pill, she nearly spoke up. Then she thought better of it. Hao knew what he was doing. He would not have forgotten; he simply had no need for one.

Could my husband and I fend off everyone who might set their sights on him? I can only hope Hao grows stronger soon.

Bai Qiuyao watched from the side, her thoughts full of worry.

Lu Hao had finished preparing. He brought up the panel and willed it to act.

[Spend 1,000 Slaughter Points to increase your Vital Blood limit by 1 point?]

Yes.

In an instant, Lu Hao felt a vast surge of Vital Blood appear inside him. If he released that power, even his mother might not withstand it.

Fortunately, the energy came from the system. Rather than running wild, it flowed through Lu Hao's meridians and battered the barrier to the third bone tempering.

If the barrier to the second bone tempering had been a stone door that required a great deal of Vital Blood to force open, the barrier to the third was a true wall of steel. It seemed utterly immovable.

Without the system's help, Lu Hao feared he would have been just like the original owner of this body, unable to reach even the second bone tempering, let alone the third.

As Lu Hao guided his Vital Blood against the barrier, he began circulating the Tempering Method.

The vast tide of Vital Blood slammed into the barrier like a fierce lion.

Once, twice, three times...

Lu Hao kept battering the barrier before him. After countless strikes, even that seemingly indestructible wall began to show damage.

Hope flared in him, and he drove his Vital Blood against it even faster.

At last, after more attempts than he could count, the barrier opposite him began to crumble.

Lu Hao gathered all his Vital Blood and charged the barrier once more.

Break!

As Lu Hao drove his Vital Blood through the barrier, his Vital Blood began to rise, his bones trembled, and his flesh writhed.

The third bone tempering had begun.

Joy spread across Lu Hao's face. He had finally broken through after more attempts than he could count.

With three bone temperings, his foundation was as strong as anyone's.

Tainted blood began seeping from his body as it expelled its impurities.

Lu Hao hurried into a standing stance, hoping to make progress with it.

For the past week, he had tried standing on a basin of water every night. He had not succeeded once. Each attempt had left him soaked to the skin.

He did not expect to enter the Void-Standing Realm on the spot. If this breakthrough gave him some insight and helped him reach it sooner, saving him a few more falls into the water, that would be enough.

Watching from the side, Bai Qiuyao relaxed when she saw him succeed. His breakthrough had taken two hours, and she had begun to think he might fail.

Half an hour later, Lu Hao stood up, covered from head to toe in tainted blood.

A smile appeared on his face. That half hour in the standing stance had given him quite a few ideas. Perhaps he could break through to the Void-Standing Realm soon.

The thought thrilled him. Once he reached the Void-Standing Realm, he could use the air as a foothold and stand in midair. Against anyone who had not reached that realm, he would have an unbeatable advantage.

With a thought, Lu Hao opened the panel and looked it over.

[Slaughter Point System]

[Host: Lu Hao]

[Vital Blood: 157/205 cal+]

[Spirit: 131/289 Hz+]

[Storage Space: 1 cubic meter]

[Slaughter Points: 175]

His Vital Blood had increased by six calories, and his spiritual power by ten hertz.

That was already a substantial gain. Once Vital Blood exceeded 200 calories, every additional calorie was hard-won.

Lu Hao checked the cost of increasing his Vital Blood limit by another calorie: 100 Slaughter Points. Fortunately, the cost had not risen too much. Once he reached the limit of the third bone tempering, he could prepare to break through to rank-one martial artist.

The third bone tempering was the limit. A non-martial artist's body could never withstand a fourth. His flesh would break apart, and he would die.

He waved to his mother to show that his breakthrough had succeeded.

Then Lu Hao headed for the washroom.

Half an hour later.

"Hao, how do you feel?" Bai Qiuyao asked from the sofa.

"I feel great. I've never felt better."

"Hao, remember: if anyone asks when you completed your second and third bone temperings, tell them the second happened earlier and the third later. Leave plenty of time between them."

"Don't worry, Mom. I know," Lu Hao replied. He knew she was afraid he might let the truth slip.

"Then, Hao, once you raise your Vital Blood to the limit, you'll break through to rank-one martial artist, right?"

Bai Qiuyao asked because she was genuinely afraid he might say he planned to temper his bones again. If he wanted to attempt a fourth bone tempering, she would have to stop him. Three was all a non-martial artist's body could withstand.

Others had attempted a fourth before. Their bodies could not bear it; their flesh had broken apart, leaving them in vegetative states.

If Lu Hao truly wanted to try a fourth bone tempering, she would stop him.

"Yes. Once I reach the limit, I'll break through to rank one. Don't worry, I won't attempt a fourth bone tempering. My body couldn't withstand it."

Lu Hao understood what his mother was asking, so he answered plainly.

"Good, good. Breaking through to martial artist is the right choice. No matter how many times a non-martial artist tempers their bones, they can only reach about the level of a rank-one martial artist. They definitely can't beat a rank-two martial artist. Once you reach the limit, you should break through."

"A higher rank will make you stronger anyway. I heard Xie Lei at Magic Martial University insisted on a third bone tempering. He succeeded, but his classmates have already reached rank three, while he's only just broken through to rank two."

"It simply wasn't worth it."

"I know. I'll break through as soon as I reach the limit. I won't waste time."

Lu Hao gave his word.

"I'll tell Li Siyuan you're preparing to attempt your third bone tempering, so he won't come by for the next few days. A few days after that, we can let him know you succeeded."

If Li Siyuan gave Lu Hao combat training, he would inevitably notice the change in his Vital Blood and deduce that he had completed his third bone tempering. He did not know when Lu Hao had completed the second, but they still had to be careful.

"All right. I'll practice the combat techniques on my own for the next few days."

Lu Hao did not think his mother was being overly cautious. They could not afford to let this slip. He remembered that, in the original story, Fang Ping had taken two months to go from his second bone tempering to his third.

Lu Hao's own attempts had been only half a month apart. If word got out, even his father might not be able to protect him.