Bang! Bang! Bang!
The commotion in the bathroom was as loud as ever!
The water splashing onto Li Jinshui's body instantly vaporized, filling the entire shower stall with steam.
When his Stake Standing reached great mastery, he had opened six meridians.
Now that his Stake Standing had reached perfection, the remaining six meridians were being opened.
The human body had twelve Standard Meridians, divided into six yin and six yang meridians. They were mainly distributed across the head and face, torso, and limbs, running through the entire body.
Opening the twelve Standard Meridians marked one's official entry into the ranks of First-rate Martial Artists.
"Bang!"
As the final muffled boom thundered through his body,
the twelve Standard Meridians connected with the Eight Extraordinary Meridians, forming an endless "Great Heavenly Cycle"!
Li Jinshui slowly opened his eyes, his gaze growing ever deeper.
Standing amid the dense steam, his normally restrained physique now resembled a raging, humanoid flame, ready to unleash terrifying energy at any moment.
With every movement, Qi-Blood coursed through his limbs and body at an astonishing speed. He didn't need to build up power at all; every inch of his muscles was enveloped in Qi-Blood, brimming with explosive, terrifying force!
The Heaven Rewards Diligence panel had also undergone a dramatic change.
[Name: Li Jinshui] [Realm: First-rate Martial Artist] [Martial Skills: Basic Lightness Skill (Minor Achievement 0/500)] [Lame Fist (Not Started 0/100)] [Lightning Pulse Step (Proficient 0/300) (Can Be Upgraded)] [Meteor Chasing Moon (Not Started 0/100)] [Techniques: Basic Stance Technique (Perfect 0/1)] [Traits: None] [...]
"Stake Standing perfection—perfect perfection!"
He breathed out a long, scorching breath, sending the water falling onto his head flying back up in a spray. A relieved smile appeared on his face.
He had finally entered the realm of a First-rate Martial Artist.
The journey had been far too difficult.
It had taken him over two precious months of youth to go from an ordinary person just starting out in martial arts to a First-rate Martial Artist.
"If things keep going like this, won't I have to train like crazy for another two or three years before I reach the peak of martial arts and become a Martial Saint?"
Li Jinshui suddenly felt a sense of urgency. How old would he be in two or three years? Twenty-two! He'd practically be an old man!
"Ah, forget it. That's just how martial arts training goes."
He slowly stopped practicing and walked out of the shower, then changed into clean clothes.
His gaze then fell on the Heaven Rewards Diligence panel again.
The Basic Stance Technique had reached perfection. That should have been the end of the road. There was nothing more to practice, whether it was the breathing method or the circulation route.
But why... did the panel show "Perfect 0/1"?
"If I just need one more point of proficiency, can I improve it further?"
Li Jinshui was confused. He had never heard of any realm beyond perfection.
There were all kinds of settings in novels on Earth, with things like greater perfection and artistic conception beyond perfection.
"Could Heaven Rewards Diligence have another trick up its sleeve? Is there still a way forward after perfection?"
Li Jinshui rubbed his chin. There was only one way to find out!
He leaped off the bed and quickly took a potion from the cabinet.
He had eaten all the Exotic Beast Meat, and now had only three D-Grade Supplement Potions and three C-Grade Supplement Potions left.
D-Grade Supplement Potions were no longer useful once he reached minor achievement. As for the C-Grade ones...
Eighty thousand each was a bit pricey, but worth a try!
If it didn't work on his perfected Stake Standing, he could use it to improve Lightning Pulse Step or Meteor Chasing Moon instead.
"Glug!"
He quickly tipped back an entire C-Grade Supplement Potion.
The moment the potion's power entered his stomach, it stirred up his Qi-Blood, which began surging and roaring through his body.
Li Jinshui didn't hesitate. He ran through the entire Basic Stance Technique from beginning to end.
"Wait, it's really working?"
His eyes lit up. He couldn't feel anything in his body, but the line on the Heaven Rewards Diligence panel was flickering faintly.
"I get it. There isn't enough energy. One more!"
Without hesitation, Li Jinshui opened a second C-Grade Supplement Potion and downed it in one gulp.
He swallowed with a glug, and the potion's power entered his stomach once more.
The next moment, the numbers beside Stake Standing on the panel changed.
[Basic Stance Technique (Perfect 1/1)]
First, the proficiency progress filled up. Then the whole line blurred and flickered before gradually clearing again, while its suffix suddenly grew longer.
[Basic Stance Technique (Extreme Realm: Deduction)]: Iron-Skin Stake (Ninth Grade), Blood-Spike Stake (Seventh Grade), Hundred-Tendon Stake (Eighth Grade), Poison-Flesh Stake (Eighth Grade).
"Holy crap!"
Li Jinshui abruptly straightened up. Four complete Stake Standing methods appeared in his mind.
Iron-Skin Stake: Derived from the essence of Iron-Skin Beast meat; tempers the skin.
Blood-Spike Stake: Derived from the essence of Blood-Spike Worm meat; alters Qi-Blood.
Hundred-Tendon Stake: Derived from the essence of Hundred-Tendon Rat meat; tempers human tendons.
Poison-Flesh Stake: Derived from the essence of Poison-Tumor Frog meat; infuses the flesh with poison.
"Jeez!"
Li Jinshui sucked in a sharp breath, and his heart began pounding faster.
Oh no. His cheat had just gone into overdrive.
These were all Exotic Beast meats he'd eaten recently. He could actually use the Basic Stance Technique to Deduce Graded Stake Techniques.
Did this mean he'd never have to spend money on Stake Standing methods again?
No, that was far from all. He could even publish and sell Stake Standing methods. He'd get rich!
The Blood-Spike Stake was especially impressive. It was a Seventh Grade technique!
Clearly, the grades of these Stake Standing methods were determined by the grades of the Exotic Beast meat.
"If I can get my hands on even higher-grade Exotic Beast meat, couldn't I even Deduce a First Grade Stake Standing method? That's a one-time investment with endless returns!"
His face was alight with barely contained delight.
Every Graded Stake Technique started at the beginner level, but the higher its grade, the harder it was to learn.
Li Jinshui chose the easiest one, the Ninth Grade Iron-Skin Stake. Following the breathing method and circulation route in his mind, he began practicing it from the beginning.
Since his meridians and acupoints were already open, practicing another Stake Standing method was twice as easy. All he had to do was breathe, move his Qi-Blood, and follow the motions without thinking.
Boom!
From the beginner stage to the proficient stage, then on to minor achievement...
His massive Qi-Blood surged through his body like a flood bursting through a broken dam, forming a small heavenly cycle.
The Iron-Skin Stake's progress appeared on the panel, changing rapidly.
[Iron-Skin Stake (Minor Achievement 0/5)]
The moment the progress bar stopped,
the wild joy on Li Jinshui's face suddenly froze, then gradually turned to horror.
"Damn... ah!"
He only managed to curse before letting out a bloodcurdling scream.
Under the force of his surging Qi-Blood, his skin tore apart like cloth, splitting and crumbling away in pieces.
In the blink of an eye, it was as if he'd been skinned alive. Only his bloody muscles remained exposed, and blood pooled across the floor—a horrifying sight.
The sudden change left Li Jinshui frozen in place, his whole body convulsing. He nearly passed out.
Fortunately, the transformation reached its end after only a few breaths.
His flesh writhed as tiny buds of new tissue intertwined. A translucent, crystal-clear layer of skin quickly grew over his body, gradually layering and thickening until it grew increasingly taut.
At last, a faint metallic sheen appeared across his skin, like finely forged steel. But it vanished in a flash, leaving his skin its normal color once more.