Flesh Tempering

Wild Bull Lian Rou Method.

The so-called Wild Bull was not the yellow cattle or water buffalo domesticated for farm work, but a ferocious creature akin to a "demon."

Outside Jade City, a Protectorate Army nearly ten thousand strong was stationed there, directly commanded by Jade City's military governor. In ordinary times, it was responsible for clearing out the venomous insects and fierce beasts that approached Jade City and ravaged the farmland beyond its walls, including savage demon beasts like the Wild Bull.

But the Protectorate Army's jurisdiction extended only a few dozen li around Jade City. Beyond that, it no longer concerned itself. Thus, the world several dozen li away was a desolate land where ordinary poor folk could scarcely survive—bandits blocked the roads, and demons ran rampant.

"If this world has Martial Warriors capable of slicing gold and shattering jade, then the existence of demon beasts is nothing strange."

Chen Mu silently mused as he read the description in the Wild Bull Lian Rou Method.

This Lian Rou Technique focused on describing the Wild Bull's muscles and flesh. They were utterly different from those of ordinary cattle, every piece hard as iron. Even if a soldier holding a spear thrust with all his strength, he would find it difficult to pierce through them.

Its strength was boundless as well. It could easily topple a tree, and with a toss of its horns, tear apart tigers and wolves!

It was said that—

This kind of Wild Bull had also transformed from ordinary yellow cattle. An ancient being had once observed its transformation, studied the various plants it consumed, and after countless experiments, finally compiled a formula that was effective on humans as well. This was the Wild Bull Lian Rou Method.

"Use the qi and blood accumulated during Skin Tempering, and through several specific tempering postures, make it all merge into the muscles and flesh throughout the body, achieving the union of skin and flesh. Then supplement it with an internal medicinal formula for tempering the muscles, slowly refining every muscle in the body until it is tough as iron..."

Chen Mu nodded slightly as he studied the several postures.

The training method itself was quite simple. There were only two postures in total: Raging Bull Horn Thrust and Raging Bull Stomp.

Raging Bull Horn Thrust trained the skin-and-flesh skill of the upper body. One bent the back and lowered the waist, keeping the lower body still, then tossed and thrust upward, encompassing the waist, hips, shoulders, elbows, and even the neck. It was a single integrated motion of exerting force upward.

Raging Bull Stomp, on the other hand, kept the upper body still while sinking the body down. Then one abruptly lifted a leg and stomped, repeating from left to right, tempering every piece of skin and flesh in the thighs, calves, and feet.

The technique also mentioned—

After reaching Initial Accomplishment in Flesh Tempering, when the skin and flesh had initially become one, one could increase the difficulty of the training. Find a suitable large stone, brace it with both fists, then repeat the two movements of Raging Bull Horn Thrust and Raging Bull Stomp.

It had something in common with some of the weighted exercises from his previous life, though that world had none of these unique "medicinal formulas" capable of training one's skin and flesh until it was seamless as iron, tough as forged steel.

Chen Mu still went to purchase the medicinal formula himself.

He had always been cautious in his dealings. Whenever he bought medicinal herbs, he would visit several different apothecaries and purchase different kinds from each. Only after returning home would he divide them into small portions according to the quantities stated in the Lian Rou Technique—so many fen, so many qian—then mix and brew them.

"It truly is no lie that scholars are poor while Martial Warriors are rich. This Flesh Tempering formula is far more expensive than Skin Tempering."

Chen Mu secretly shook his head as he brewed the medicine.

He had trained all three Mo Pi Fa methods to Perfection. Throughout the entire process, he had practically just force-fed himself excessive amounts of medicinal powder, yet the whole process had not cost even a hundred taels of silver.

In comparison, one of the medicines in the Lian Rou Technique was called Blood Grass, and its price was outrageous. A single small segment cost ten taels of silver, and that segment would last, at most, three or four days.

In other words—

For an ordinary person to train in this Wild Bull Lian Rou Method, the medicinal formula alone would cost nearly a thousand taels of silver in a year.

Of course, different Lian Rou Techniques used different medicinal formulas, and their prices varied greatly. Some less effective Flesh Tempering techniques might have much cheaper formulas, costing only two or three hundred taels of silver a year. But this Wild Bull Lian Rou Method was truly expensive.

Even with Chen Mu's current wealth, purchasing only a portion of the ingredients still made his heart ache.

The medicinal decoction was finished.

Several taels' worth of medicinal herbs had ultimately yielded only a small bowl of dark-red medicine.

Ignoring the bitterness, Chen Mu drank it in one gulp. Then, following the postures in the Wild Bull Lian Rou Method, he first planted both feet on the ground and bent his upper body slightly. With a thrust and a toss, as he exerted force, a surge of qi and blood naturally began to roil and rise within him.

At the same time, the medicinal decoction he had consumed seemed like a ball of scorching flame, burning and churning within his body. Following his movements, it rose upward, all the way to his organs, surging fiercely toward his mouth and nose.

"Hmph!"

After completing a set of Raging Bull Horn Thrust movements, Chen Mu let out a deep grunt, like the snort of a Wild Bull after exerting its strength. At the same time, visible white mist burst from his mouth and nose.

Immediately afterward, Chen Mu steadied his upper body and sank his knees. The qi and blood throughout his body surged downward, reaching his legs. Then he gripped the sides of his thighs with both hands, alternately lifted his legs, and stomped down hard, producing dull thuds as his feet struck the ground.

At the same time, another syllable came from his mouth and nose.

"Ha!"

Dense white mist spilled from his mouth and nose, shooting straight ahead like a wave of air.

After only one complete cycle, Chen Mu immediately felt the difference. Perhaps because his qi and blood had been tempered repeatedly during Skin Tempering and had accumulated to an exceptional depth, some of it had seeped into his skin and flesh after merely this round.

Chen Mu did not grow delighted over such a small change. His expression remained steady as he returned to the starting posture, bent his torso slightly again, and performed another Raging Bull Horn Thrust, followed by Raging Bull Stomp.

"Hmph." "Ha."

Even his breathing followed an orderly rhythm, producing alternating deep sounds of humph and ha.

Though it was clearly just one person tempering his body, at this moment he seemed to have transformed into a Wild Bull demon beast, raising its head and stamping its hooves—humph and ha, inhale and exhale, toss and thrust, kick and stomp.

Just like that—

Chen Mu continued tempering himself. Soon, an hour had passed. The roiling qi and blood within him finally began to weaken, while the effects of the medicinal decoction gradually ran dry.

When Chen Mu withdrew his stance and stood still, ending his training, he sensed the changes in his body. In merely one short hour, his strength had improved noticeably. Evidently, the first session of cultivation produced the most obvious results.

This was also due to his deep reserves and solid foundation.

"Whew..."

Chen Mu exhaled another breath of white mist.

Then he summoned the System Panel.

Wild Bull Lian Rou Method (Unattained)

Experience: 5 points

"This Lian Rou Technique still differs somewhat from the Mo Pi Fa. It is not entirely the decoction's effect—the two movements, Raging Bull Horn Thrust and Raging Bull Stomp, are also crucial. The accumulation of experience likely comes from both."

Chen Mu nodded slightly as he looked at the System Panel.

The requirements for improving this Lian Rou Technique were still the same as Skin Tempering and saber techniques: one hundred points of experience to advance to Initial Accomplishment. In other words, at most twenty days would be enough for him to completely break through the Skin Tempering realm and enter Initial Accomplishment in Flesh Tempering.

With his Copper Steel Skin and deep foundation, once he entered Initial Accomplishment in Flesh Tempering and cultivated two levels of Saber Force, his strength would undergo an enormous leap. Even compared to someone like Min Baoyi, he would not be far behind.