Extreme

The Iron Sand Skin Grinding Method required one to dig a deep pit, bury rough iron sand around its walls, then consume a medicinal powder and apply a medicinal concoction externally. After that, one would slam into and rub against the iron sand around the pit's edges, tempering the skin membrane.

When first practicing it, the skin membrane was easily damaged and left covered in bloodstains. One needed an additional dose of Qi Blood Powder. After repeating this many times, it would gradually improve. Once one could crash and scrape freely within the iron sand pit without damaging the skin membrane, the method would gradually be mastered.

"It really is far cruder than the Gold Jade Mo Pi Fa."

Chen Mu silently thought.

Using such a brutal method for Skin Tempering, even with Qi Blood Powder to nourish the body and medicinal soup taken internally to protect it, would certainly leave hidden injuries and chronic ailments. They would not show in one's youth, but in old age, one's entire body would ache. It was far inferior to the Gold Jade Mo Pi Fa.

Clearly, the efficiency of this medicinal powder was inferior to that of the Gold Jade Mo Pi Fa. Simply burying oneself in sand and pouring medicine over the body could not make the Medicinal Power seep into the skin membrane. It had to be supplemented by impacts and the grinding of iron sand before it could take effect.

He did it as soon as he decided.

Chen Mu was highly efficient. Before long, he had dug open the sand pit he had previously used to cultivate the Gold Jade Mo Pi Fa and made a deep iron sand pit. He also prepared several batches of boiled medicinal powder. After removing his clothes, taking medicine internally, and applying it externally, he jumped into the iron sand pit.

The booklet on the Iron Sand Skin Grinding Method stated that beginners should train only a quarter of an hour each day. Once the skin membrane gradually became tougher, they could begin extending the training time. At Initial Accomplishment, they could train for one shichen per day; after Major Accomplishment, they could endure two shichen of grinding per day.

For the current Chen Mu, such restrictions naturally did not exist.

His Gold Jade Mo Pi Fa had reached Perfection. The strength of his skin membrane now was, at most, comparable to someone who had cultivated the Iron Sand Skin Grinding Method to Perfection. The rough iron sand in the deep pit could not damage his skin membrane in the slightest.

Chen Mu did not particularly care whether it was damaged or not. As a man, he had no need to cultivate skin like ice and bones like jade. He only cared about how efficient the Iron Sand Skin Grinding Method would be with skin membranes as strong as his.

Very soon.

After a long session of one shichen.

Chen Mu felt that the skin membrane over his entire body... had not changed at all.

Clearly, with the foundation of Gold Jade Mo Pi Fa at Perfection, the effects of the Iron Sand Skin Grinding Method had become negligible. Even if it still worked, it would be difficult to see any results without years upon years of cultivation.

But Chen Mu did not care about that. He directly summoned the System Panel, and as expected, it did not disappoint him.

Iron Sand Skin Grinding Method (Not Mastered)

Experience: 27

Though he could not feel any effect himself, after one shichen of grinding and repeated applications of medicinal concoction, he had accumulated a full 27 experience points. Moreover, Chen Mu did not feel the slightest discomfort.

Clearly, with the current strength of his skin membrane, one shichen of grinding was nothing more than a drizzle.

"Just as expected."

A faint smile appeared on Chen Mu's face. He continued boiling medicinal powder and continued tempering himself in the iron sand pit.

He trained for nearly another four shichen this way. With the medicinal concoction continuously applied, he finally felt a numb, uncomfortable sensation in the skin membrane across his body. He had vaguely reached the limit of what he could endure.

When he summoned the System Panel again, his experience had accumulated to a full 132 points!

Chen Mu leaped out of the deep pit. After a brief rest, he spent experience points and directly raised the Iron Sand Skin Grinding Method to Initial Accomplishment!

Buzz!!!

It was as though the grinding he would have accumulated over two or three months in the iron sand pit had erupted all at once. A wave of heat surged and exploded within his body, continuously rising and spreading through every part of his skin membrane.

This differed from upgrading the Gold Jade Mo Pi Fa. The Gold Jade Mo Pi Fa felt more like ten thousand needles stabbing into him, while this method felt like rough iron sand fiercely rubbing every inch of his body.

Yet for the current Chen Mu, that sensation of friction could not be called especially painful.

It was even faintly comfortable.

After all, compared to the process of upgrading the Gold Jade Mo Pi Fa, the pain was utterly incomparable. This was also because, after laying the foundation of Gold Jade Mo Pi Fa at Perfection, the resistance of his skin membrane throughout his body had greatly increased.

A moment later.

The surging qi and blood within him gradually returned to calm.

Chen Mu clenched his fist. This time, he finally sensed a slight change. The Iron Sand Skin Grinding Method at Initial Accomplishment, layered atop the Gold Jade Mo Pi Fa at Perfection, still had a small effect. It had made his skin membrane somewhat tougher.

"Very good. It seems the direction is right."

To temper the Iron Sand Skin Grinding Method to Initial Accomplishment in a single day, on the foundation of already having cultivated a Skin Tempering method to Perfection—if word of this got out, no one knew how many jaws would drop.

Yet on Chen Mu, it was perfectly reasonable. With the current strength of his skin membrane, being able to withstand five shichen of Iron Sand Skin Grinding Method cultivation in one day already meant pushing his intensity to the limit. And during those five shichen, the medicinal concoction repeatedly applied to him was all converted into experience points by the System Panel without wasting a drop.

This was Medicinal Power that ordinary people would need two or three months of slow grinding to gradually absorb.

It was nearing midnight.

Chen Mu did not continue cultivating. After washing up, he returned to his room to rest.

When dawn came the next day, he began cultivating the Iron Sand Skin Grinding Method again. This time, he endured for longer. Excluding the time spent eating and resting midway, he tempered his skin membrane for a full six shichen. Adding what remained from before, he accumulated nearly two hundred experience points.

On the third day.

After four shichen, the Iron Sand Skin Grinding Method reached Major Accomplishment!

Ever since cultivating the Gold Jade Mo Pi Fa, the appearance of Chen Mu's skin membrane had not changed much. Yet as the Iron Sand Skin Grinding Method reached Major Accomplishment, his complexion finally darkened somewhat, gaining a hint of bronze luster.

And just as Chen Mu had expected, cultivating multiple Skin Tempering methods would not make him achieve twice the result with half the effort. Instead, as his skin membrane gradually strengthened, his progress became faster and faster. The Iron Sand Skin Grinding Method took only three days to go from Initial Accomplishment to Major Accomplishment, and only five days to go from Major Accomplishment to Perfection!

At this moment.

Chen Mu's skin membrane had a deep complexion and a thick bronze sheen. It was very similar to the Copper Steel Skin possessed by Zhang Xiang Shen's son. He drew a slightly dull kitchen knife across his arm, and it left only a white mark.

"Even if I still cannot compare to that man, I should be at least ninety percent there. And the qi and blood within my body have grown further, becoming more robust. Though the increase in sheer strength is not great, my stamina has at least doubled compared to before."

Chen Mu let out a breath.

When Martial Warriors fought at lower realms, they competed with courage. When enemies met on a narrow road, the brave emerged victorious. But as their realms gradually rose, they competed in things more fundamental: who could take more hits, whose blade techniques were more refined, whose strength was more abundant, and whose stamina lasted longer!

With two Skin Tempering methods both at Perfection, layered together, he gained not merely greater resistance, but also more abundant stamina. This meant that once he entered the Flesh Tempering level, his bursts of power would last even longer.

What was the limit of skin membrane strength?

Chen Mu soon found the answer to that question.

After he tempered the third method he had found, the Coarse Salt Skin Grinding Method, to Perfection in just seven days, the qi and blood within his body surged like a blazing flame. It had reached the limit his current body could endure, and the strength of his skin membrane had likewise reached its limit.

After the Iron Sand Skin Grinding Method reached Perfection, his skin had turned a deep bronze. But after mastering the Coarse Salt Skin Grinding Method, his complexion was gradually washed pale again, ultimately returning to its original wheat-colored shade, perhaps even lighter.

"Copper Steel Skin."

Feeling the formidable strength of his skin membrane, Chen Mu could not help but smile.

For ordinary people, they either needed extraordinary talent or had to pay the price of several years to have a chance of cultivating such Copper Steel Skin. But for him, it had taken less than a month to bring his cultivation to Perfection!

If he had to put it into words, this level should be the true limit of the Skin Tempering realm. It was not the slightest bit inferior to someone born with Copper Skin. In fact, when it came to the richness of his qi and blood, he might even be stronger!

"Once Skin Tempering reaches Perfection, one can withstand the burden brought by the explosive increase in muscular strength at the Lian Rou Realm. Then with my current Copper Steel Skin, once I enter the Flesh Tempering level, the strength I can bear will surely be far greater."

Chen Mu took a deep breath.

He slowly took a small booklet from his bedroom.

"Wild Bull Lian Rou Method"

He had asked Min Baoyi for this three days earlier. He could have asked Xu Hongyu for it, but with Min Baoyi, someone at Lian Rou Completion, so close at hand, there was no need to seek what was distant instead of using what was near. He merely needed to find a suitable excuse.

In truth, Min Baoyi had not cared about Chen Mu's reason at all. Upon hearing that Chen Mu wanted to study a Flesh Tempering method in advance, he casually agreed. The next day, he brought this Lian Rou Technique and handed it to Chen Mu, even more casually than Chen Mu had expected.

Clearly, to someone like Min Baoyi, a Lian Rou Technique was nothing remarkable. Besides, Chen Mu was someone Xu Hongyu intended to cultivate.

However.

When Min Baoyi handed the Lian Rou Technique to Chen Mu, he still gave him a warning. Unless his Skin Tempering had already reached Perfection, he should not rashly begin cultivating a Lian Rou Technique. Because of the progression between realms, if one practiced a Lian Rou Technique before Skin Tempering reached Perfection, the skin and flesh would fuse together at once. Trying to go back and temper the skin afterward would become harder than climbing to heaven, and it would more directly prevent the Lian Rou Technique from reaching Perfection as well.

Skin Tempering was the foundation of Flesh Tempering, and Flesh Tempering was likewise the foundation for the subsequent Tendon Transformation and Bone Tempering.

This also made Chen Mu realize that tempering a body of Copper Steel Skin had perhaps been entirely correct. If Flesh Tempering, Tendon Transformation, and Bone Tempering all had their own limits, then only by advancing steadily, step by solid step, could he fully bring the System Panel's advantages into play.