The Way, Opening the Dantian

"Everyone, you all plan to participate in the Martial Examination this year, right?"

Zhang Feng asked, turning toward Chen Zheng, Wang Chao, and the others.

"Of course. It was hard enough to step into the Dark Jin realm, and now that the Martial Examination is here, how could I miss it? I have to give it a try!"

Wang Chao nodded and spoke directly.

"Perhaps, as Cao Yang said, it is nearly impossible to pass the Martial Examination without reaching the Hua Jin realm. But the point is to participate; I'll treat it as a chance to broaden my horizons and gain experience for next time."

Chen Zheng also nodded with a smile.

"It's just that I've heard this year's Martial Examination will not only be harder than previous years, but also far more dangerous. Even though we are all at the Dark Jin level, I fear our chances are slim, and we might even..."

"How can we martial artists be so timid and afraid of death? Other things can wait, but the Martial Examination must not be missed!"

"That's right! Even if I die in the Martial Examination, I will have no regrets in this life!"

The group discussed it heatedly, and almost everyone solidified their resolve to participate in this year's Martial Examination.

After all, for ordinary people like them from humble backgrounds, the Martial Examination was essentially the most fair, relatively easy, and fastest path to upward mobility.

Once one passes the Martial Examination, they not only gain the title of Martial Scholar, crossing class barriers and enjoying various privileges, but they also have the opportunity to obtain an official position and secure a spot at the County Martial Academy.

Lu Yuan was naturally determined to succeed in this Martial Examination.

If necessary, he would even do his best to take the title of Martial Champion.

With the desire for the Martial Examination ignited, everyone seemed to train even harder.

Lu Yuan, however, remained unaffected. After finishing his complimentary meal of meat, he returned home with his daily dose of Qi-Replenishing Soup and a Qi-Supplement Pill.

Over the next two days, Lu Yuan waited for his Five Animals Fist to break its limit while focusing all his efforts on practicing the Blazing Sun Sword Technique.

He had originally thought that the Five Animals Fist would successfully break its limit in two days at most.

Unexpectedly, it seemed he would have to wait one more night.

Furthermore, although practicing the Five Animals Fist continued to increase the Qi and blood within his body, the gains were becoming smaller and smaller, so Lu Yuan simply stopped and devoted all his time and energy to practicing the Blazing Sun Sword Technique.

As a result, the progress of the Blazing Sun Sword Technique accelerated significantly.

Under the night sky, after Lu Yuan completed a full practice session of the Blazing Sun Sword Technique:

[Blazing Sun Sword Technique: Great Success (789/50000)]

Lu Yuan stood still, sheathing his sword as a sharp glint flashed through his eyes; the Blazing Sun Sword Technique had finally reached Great Success.

Immediately, he swung his sword.

"Sshhh!"

The next moment, a crimson glow an inch long bloomed from the tip of the blade. Not only did it carve a deep mark into the ground, but the edges of the cut were charred black, as if they had been scorched by fire.

The sword radiance triggered by the Blazing Sun Sword Technique seems not only sharper than the blade radiance of the Wind-Breaking Blade Technique, but it also possesses a scorching property.

Lu Yuan thought to himself with a look of surprise.

The Blazing Sun Sword Technique was truly worthy of being a Profound-grade technique. Not only could it trigger sword radiance upon reaching Great Success, but the destructive power of that radiance was terrifying; it was likely that even a true Ranked martial artist would find it difficult to withstand.

Perhaps even within the Blazing Sun Martial Hall, there were few who could cultivate this technique to Great Success.

But this was not Lu Yuan's ultimate goal.

His true objective was to cultivate the Blazing Sun Sword Technique to Perfection and successfully condense an even stronger Blazing Sun Sword Qi.

When that time came, it might even be possible to defeat a Ranked martial artist while still at the Hua Jin level.

Although it would take 50,000 proficiency points to advance the Blazing Sun Sword Technique from Great Success to Perfection, Lu Yuan could now gain over 800 points in a single session, and the proficiency gained increased with every subsequent practice.

He estimated that in ten days or so, he would be able to reach Perfection.

[Five Animals Fist: Perfection (Limit Break Pending: 97%)]

After checking the progress of the Five Animals Fist's limit break, Lu Yuan finally rested.

He only hoped that when he woke up tomorrow morning, there would be good news.

The next day, as soon as Lu Yuan opened his eyes, he couldn't wait to check the ancient scroll.

[Five Elements Vajra Body - Skin Refining Chapter: Not Yet Initiated (1/1000)]

On the ancient scroll, the line for the Five Animals Fist had completely changed.

Not only had the technique name changed from Five Animals Fist to Five Elements Vajra Body - Skin Refining Chapter, but a new proficiency requirement had appeared below it.

Clearly, the limit break of the Five Animals Fist had fused the essence of the first three volumes of the Vajra Technique into a brand-new technique: the Five Elements Vajra Body.

Perhaps because the Vajra Technique only consisted of the first three volumes, this Five Elements Vajra Body currently only had three chapters: Skin Refining, Flesh Refining, and Bone Forging.

Although Lu Yuan couldn't yet determine the grade of the Five Elements Vajra Body, the fact that it required 1,000 proficiency points just to initiate the Skin Refining Chapter—twice that of the Blazing Sun Sword Technique—was enough to suggest it was at least Profound-grade.

So, being "Ranked" actually means that after opening the Dantian, one condenses Qi and blood into a stronger existence—Internal Force—and then uses that Internal Force to temper and wash the body, constantly breaking through limits!

Relying on the Five Elements Vajra Body, Lu Yuan easily grasped the secret of Ranked martial artists.

Simply put, three rounds of Qi and blood body-tempering could only push a martial artist's physical limits to the Hua Jin level.

To continue breaking through the limits of the physical body, a higher level of energy is required.

This energy is internal force, formed by continuously compressing and refining blood-qi within the dantian.

Only by tempering and cleansing the physical body with internal force can one continue to shatter physical limits and step into a higher realm.

For any martial artist, the physical body is the fundamental essence and the true foundation for reaching the peak of the martial path.

The process of cultivating the martial path is, in reality, a process of continuously breaking through the limits of the physical body.

This process moves from the outside in, beginning with the skin and membranes.

The skin is the first line of defense for the human body; the tougher it is, the better it can protect the body.

The Skin Refining Chapter of the Five Elements Vajra Body allows Lu Yuan to forge the toughest skin possible.

To master it, however, one must first open up a dantian within the body.

The dantian is an indispensable existence for a ranked martial artist and the foundation for continuously breaking physical limits.

Yet, for any martial artist at the Transformation-Jin stage, the difficulty of opening a dantian far exceeds that of the three blood-qi body temperings.

It not only requires a terrifying accumulation of blood-qi but also allows for no failure.

Should the attempt to open the dantian fail, the consequences range from blood-qi backflowing into the internal organs to the total loss of cultivation, or even death by bodily explosion; it is extremely perilous.

Precisely because of this, for most martial artists at the Transformation-Jin stage with ordinary aptitude and insufficient resources, this hurdle is a true life-or-death trial.

Even for top-tier geniuses with exceptional aptitude, ample preparation is required before opening the dantian, including a full and thick accumulation of blood-qi, sufficient Blood-Qi Pills, or even precious medicinal herbs.

As it happens, Lu Yuan's blood-qi accumulation has already reached the absolute limit his body can bear; while he lacks sufficient Blood-Qi Pills, he possesses something even better: the Century-Old Blood Ginseng.

"Time waits for no one. Let us begin!"

Without hesitation, Lu Yuan first held a slice of the blood ginseng in his mouth, then followed the techniques of the Five Elements Vajra Body to drive the blood-qi within his body with all his might, beginning his attempt to open the dantian.