Entering the Ranks, Profound Inner Strength

The crimson Qi radiance, after leaving the sword, instantly pierced straight through the giant boulder ahead.

One could even see that the cut surface was charred black.

"The destructive power of this Blazing Sun Sword Qi is indeed much stronger than mere sword radiance."

Lu Yuan sheathed his sword and stood tall, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

Most importantly, Sword Qi can injure enemies from a hundred paces away, and its power is even more terrifying than the Flick Finger Technique combined with an Iron Pellet.

It can be said that with the Blazing Sun Sword Qi as a trump card, even a Ninth Grade expert who has truly achieved Iron Skin could be handled with ease, and he would even have a chance to reverse the outcome of a battle.

In addition to the Blazing Sun Sword Technique, over the past ten days, Lu Yuan had also truly mastered the Skin Refining Chapter of the Five Elements Vajra Body.

[Five Elements Vajra Body Skin Refining Chapter: Beginner (111/5000)]

Beyond the change in progress on the Ancient Scroll, a wisp of internal energy had also been born within Lu Yuan's dantian.

The birth of this internal energy marked that, from this moment on, he had truly entered the ranks, becoming a Ninth Grade Skin Refining Realm martial artist.

Next, he only needed to continue using his internal energy to polish the skin membrane all over his body until it was as tough as iron.

After successfully entering the ranks, Lu Yuan finally understood clearly why Master Song had previously said that those who do not enter the ranks are, in the end, merely ants.

The gap between those who have not entered the ranks and those who have is as vast as the difference between clouds and mud.

The root of this lies in internal energy.

The profound nature of internal energy is far beyond what mere blood-qi can compare to.

Firstly, the efficiency of internal energy in tempering and nourishing the physical body far exceeds that of blood-qi.

Secondly, internal energy can solidify one's foundation and cultivate vitality, meaning there is basically no need to worry about the decline of blood-qi.

Or, one could say that once a martial artist enters the ranks, the concept of a "golden age" no longer exists.

Even after passing the age of thirty, one can still continue to steadily improve their cultivation and strength.

Most importantly, when techniques are driven by internal energy, the power unleashed is stronger than that driven by blood-qi, especially for blade radiance and sword radiance, which see their destructive power increase several times over.

In short, after possessing internal energy, a martial artist can be said to have achieved an all-around leap.

It is no exaggeration to call it a qualitative transformation.

"As I am now, even looking across the entire Qinghe County, I should count as a rare top-tier expert."

Lu Yuan stood holding his sword, a sharp glint appearing in his eyes.

Of course, he was also very clear that once he left Qinghe County and stepped into the wider martial arts world, entering the ranks was only the beginning.

Above the Ninth Grade Skin Refining Realm, there is the Eighth Grade Flesh Refining Realm.

And above the Eighth Grade, there are also the Seventh, Sixth, and so on, up to the First Grade.

Even within the single realm of skin refining, there are significant gaps.

A few days ago in the backyard of Guangchun Hall, Huang Hui had mentioned many details about the Ninth Grade Skin Refining Realm during a casual chat.

"For an average Ninth Grade martial artist, perhaps having skin like iron is the pursuit of this realm; once Iron Skin is achieved, one can directly charge toward the Eighth Grade Flesh Refining Realm. However, for true geniuses, that is still just the beginning—they can continue to advance toward Bronze Skin, and even Gold Skin!"

"But without excellent aptitude, a pile of sufficient resources, or even the assistance of precious medicines, Bronze Skin might be attainable, but Gold Skin is merely a pipe dream!"

Huang Hui had also warned Lu Yuan that after truly entering the ranks, he must remember not to blindly pursue Gold Skin.

Although Gold Skin is far tougher than Iron Skin and Bronze Skin, it not only requires a massive amount of resources but also consumes a great deal of time and energy.

Cultivation is, after all, the foundation of a martial artist; no matter how impressive Gold Skin is, it is difficult to compensate for a gap in cultivation realm.

While he is busy pursuing Gold Skin, others might have already broken through to the Eighth Grade Flesh Refining Realm, or even stepped beyond the Eighth Grade.

Simply put, if one's aptitude is not exceptional and there are not enough resources to support it, once one enters the Ninth Grade, one only needs to achieve Iron Skin to directly charge toward the Eighth Grade.

If one's aptitude is excellent and there is a sufficient pile of resources, or even the assistance of precious medicines, then one can attempt to pursue Bronze Skin or even Gold Skin.

How one proceeds depends on individual trade-offs.

Of course, Lu Yuan had no need to make such trade-offs.

Whether it be Gold Skin or cultivation realm, he could have both.

Although the proficiency cap increased directly to five thousand after mastering the Skin Refining Chapter of the Five Elements Vajra Body, he could still reach the minor completion stage in a short time.

Upon reaching minor completion, one can achieve Iron Skin.

By extension, reaching major completion allows for Bronze Skin, and perfection allows for Gold Skin.

Although the consumption involved in practicing the Skin Refining Chapter of the Five Elements Vajra Body and condensing internal energy was far greater than during the phase of refining force, with the assistance of Rejuvenation Pills and Blood-Qi Pills, he could still guarantee a pace of at least three practice sessions a day.

Coupled with the fact that the Blazing Sun Sword Technique had already been practiced to perfection, all his time and energy could now be focused on polishing his skin membrane.

After consuming a Rejuvenation Pill and a Blood-Qi Pill, Lu Yuan continued his practice.

He could clearly perceive that as the wisp of internal energy in his dantian began to roam through the skin membranes of his entire body, every inch of his skin felt as if it were being repeatedly hammered and tempered.

His skin membrane trembled slightly, as if a faint humming sound were being emitted.

With every cycle the internal energy completed, Lu Yuan felt as if he could vaguely sense a genuine, tangible change occurring in his skin membrane.

After about an hour or so, he finally stopped.

[Five Elements Vajra Body Skin Refining Chapter: Beginner (317/5000)]

After this training session concluded, the proficiency had increased by nearly two hundred.

Beyond that, Lu Yuan also discovered that not only was his body soaked in sweat, but it was also mixed with a trace of black substance, which was likely the impurities expelled after his skin and membranes were tempered and polished.

However, polishing the skin and membranes consumed internal energy, and condensing internal energy required a vast amount of blood-qi; even with the assistance of Blood-Qi Pills, it still felt somewhat unsustainable.

After resting briefly, Lu Yuan held a slice of Century-Old Blood Ginseng in his mouth and immediately entered a state of cultivation once more.

Just like that, for the next few days, Lu Yuan spent almost all his time training at home.

As his progress continued to climb, the Five Elements Vajra Body Skin Refining Chapter was nearing minor completion, with Iron Skin within reach.

Even so, Lu Yuan still had no intention of showing off.

Only by keeping a few more trump cards hidden could he have a bit more confidence.

He now had only one thought: to master Iron Skin as quickly as possible, and then strive to achieve Bronze Skin or even Gold Skin before the Martial Examination.

The next day, early morning.

Lu Yuan arrived at Guangchun Hall once again.

The moment he stepped into the backyard, almost everyone who was practicing stopped their movements in unison.

Not only did they voluntarily yield the best spots to him, but some even cupped their fists in salute, calling out "Master Lu."

Although Lu Yuan was very young—even a few years their junior, just a seventeen-year-old boy—in their eyes, he was already a senior more formidable than Master Huang.

Zhang Feng was even quick-witted and agile, immediately rushing to the canteen to fetch him a serving of meat.

Chen Zheng, Wang Chao, and the others all eagerly vied to help him serve tea and water.

Even Shopkeeper Yu personally brought the Qi-Replenishing Soup and Essence-Replenishing Soup to him.

Such is human nature; when you are powerful, everyone around you is a good person.

"Lu Yuan, do you want to make a big profit?"

Just as Lu Yuan was preparing to leave, Master Huang walked over with a smile on his face.

"Master Huang, please elaborate!"

Lu Yuan's eyes brightened slightly, and he replied with a smile.

Although his current cultivation resources were basically provided by the Zhou Family, and he still had more than half of the Century-Old Blood Ginseng left, he still needed money—the more, the better.