Knocking Open the Skin Realm (Seeking Follow-up Reads)

The first light of day broke, and the morning sun began to peek through.

Chen Yuan woke up from his bed, feeling refreshed and full of vigor.

He glanced at his panel, which showed the usual +3 points for the Dao of Survival.

After washing up, he headed straight for Huo Academy.

He exchanged his remaining one tael of silver for a Skin Strengthening Pill and dug into his own pockets to buy a Blood Qi Pill.

Sun Chengjie walked over carrying a food tray, his eyes filled with both worry and confusion:

"Brother Chen, how could you be abandoned by the Gu Family? It makes no sense!"

Chen Yuan was not surprised that he had heard the news. Whenever Yu Yan and his circle made a move, Sun Chengjie was always the first to know; clearly, he had his own sources.

He peeled an egg with a calm expression: "Since it has already happened, all I can do is accept it with an open mind."

Sun Chengjie gave a bitter smile. Chen Yuan had been summoned by the Gu Family yesterday, so that must have been why.

Yet his Brother Chen showed no signs of distress, still chatting and laughing today as if he hadn't taken it to heart at all.

He thought that if this had happened to him, he would surely be depressed for a long time.

He truly lived up to being the strongest Grade D-Upper!

He whispered: "Brother Chen, now that this has come out, those who don't see eye to eye with you are going to be overjoyed."

"Take Chen Kai, for example..."

Lotus Lane, Chen Family.

Ever since Chen Yuan broke three of his ribs in public, Chen Kai's expression had been gloomy, devoid of any smile.

He had been recuperating ever since, and with his family scraping together every bit of silver they could borrow to buy expensive medicine from a doctor, an injury that should have taken months to heal was now, after just one month, finally on the mend.

Yet Chen Kai still couldn't find a reason to be happy. He was no match for Chen Yuan before, and now that he had lost a month of training time, how could he possibly compete?

He had even heard that Chen Yuan's monthly stipend had increased by two taels. With one rising and the other falling, he would never have a chance to turn his life around.

Just as he was wallowing in misery, a friend from Kaishan Martial Hall visited, bringing news that made his heart bloom and tears of joy well up—Chen Yuan had been abandoned by the Gu Family! There would be no more funding next month!

"Heaven, you have treated me well!" Chen Kai laughed wildly toward the sky, the gloom in his heart swept away in an instant.

With Chen Yuan unable to afford martial arts training, this was a god-given opportunity for him to overtake him!

He was once again filled with ambition.

"And then there is Gao Mingchang..."

Changhong Martial Hall.

Gao Mingchang had already returned to his martial arts training over the past few days.

It was only a minor internal injury, and his family had gritted their teeth to scrape together money to hire a doctor for some quality medicine to speed up his recovery.

After all, cultivating blood qi was like rowing a boat against the current; if you just lay in bed doing nothing, your blood qi would gradually dissipate.

Today, he had shaken off his past ailments, his face beaming with a spring-like smile.

He practiced his Through-Arm Boxing with the energy of a monkey that had successfully found a mate.

Chen Yuan being abandoned by the Gu Family was truly gratifying!

Gao Mingchang could instantly guess that this was Yu Yan's doing.

Having just become the future son-in-law of the Gu Family yesterday, Chen Yuan was abandoned immediately after; it was clearly Yu Yan seizing the opportunity to push things along and take revenge for the day he was slighted.

He felt quite smug, as this proved his decision last month had been the right one.

So what if Chen Yuan had beaten them to take first place in the group? What good was being able to fight?

Once you offend Yu Yan, you're destined to be kicked out in disgrace.

As for Chen Yuan's future prospects, Gao Mingchang scoffed.

This incident would inevitably affect Chen Yuan's state of mind. Even if he could withstand the pressure and succeed in breaking through the Skin Realm, comprehending Clear Force was an even greater hurdle.

To hold a position in a faction, a martial artist at the Skin Realm who had also mastered Clear Force was the standard requirement.

And if Chen Yuan couldn't find a backer this month, he was finished! He would simply fade into the crowd.

The one who would have the last laugh was still him, Gao Mingchang!

"Then let them be happy; after all, it's not easy to be stuck lying in bed all the time," Chen Yuan said with a faint smile.

Sun Chengjie took a sip of meat soup, thought for a moment, and suddenly asked:

"Brother Chen, you don't happen to have absolute certainty that you'll break through in these next few days, do you? Or perhaps even comprehend Clear Force before the month's funding ends?"

Other than that, he couldn't think of any reason for Chen Yuan's composure.

Chen Yuan stuffed the last piece of chicken into his mouth and laughed: "It depends on luck."

After the meal, he immediately took the Blood Qi Pill and the Skin Strengthening Pill, then began practicing the Rock-Solid Stance Technique.

The medicinal effects gradually took hold, a scorching heat spreading from his lower abdomen, and under the guidance of the Rock-Solid Stance Technique, it flowed into his limbs and bones. His blood qi grew increasingly vigorous, and the feeling of tightness in his chest became incredibly intense.

A strange force slowly nourished his skin and membranes, leaving his entire body tingling with heat as beads of sweat began to break out.

Sensing the time was ripe, Chen Yuan immediately sought out Senior Brother Tao to stand guard for him.

One must be fully focused when attempting to breach the Skin Realm; any outside interference could lead to a total failure.

Tao Ping saw that Chen Yuan's skin was flushed, sweat pouring off him like rain as he radiated heat.

Knowing that the arrow was already on the string and had to be fired, he immediately agreed:

"Junior Brother Chen, focus on your breakthrough. I will keep watch."

He frowned as he watched Chen Yuan practicing the Rock-Solid Stance Technique in the corner, feeling that this junior brother was being far too hasty with this attempt.

He had only learned this morning that the Gu Family had withdrawn their support for Chen Yuan, and for Chen Yuan to immediately begin his breakthrough clearly showed he was acting out of spite.

He might succeed by relying on this surge of emotion, but it was far more likely that his impatience would lead to a wasted effort.

After all, attempting a breakthrough after only two and a half months was the speed of a Grade C-Upper Bone Structure, and Chen Yuan was merely Grade D-Upper; even with the aid of Blood Qi Pills and Skin Strengthening Pills, his foundation was likely insufficient.

He could only hope that Chen Yuan would steady his mind and succeed.

The commotion of the breakthrough also drew the attention of many other disciples.

Though the Skin Realm was merely the first hurdle of martial arts, it had barred countless people from the path.

The diligent Zhang Shi had already been forced to bow out in defeat last month.

Xue Anping and his two companions also gathered around; having just learned from Sun Chengjie that Chen Yuan had been abandoned by the Gu Family, they were shocked to find him beginning his breakthrough.

It was enough to rattle their nerves.

Xue Anping said with a grave expression, "Brother Chen is being a bit too reckless this time."

To be the second-best performer and yet be abandoned—even Xue Anping couldn't understand it, let alone the person involved.

Chen Yuan must be trying to prove himself to make the Gu Family change their minds.

But how could one succeed in a breakthrough with such a mindset?

He Qing also found it inconceivable.

He had expected to be the first one eliminated, yet here was Chen Yuan moving ahead of him.

His eyes flickered.

Without the Gu Family's support and coming from a poor background, Chen Yuan must be short on funds for his training.

If he succeeded, perhaps he could be recruited to hunt in the mountains.

Many people watched quietly from the periphery, not daring to make a sound.

Then, unfriendly voices rang out: "What did I say? They're all just dogs of the Gu Family; discarded the moment they're no longer useful. If this flashy dog Chen Yuan is treated like this, one can only imagine the fate of the others."

It was the Zhou Brothers.

They walked near Xue Anping's group, speaking in hushed tones.

They made sure Senior Brother Tao wouldn't hear them, but their words were clear enough for Sun Chengjie to catch.

Xue Anping looked at them coldly: "Once I succeed in my breakthrough, you two will be the first I kill."

Having trained this long, he too had a temper.

Zhou Qian sneered: "You, a piece of trash, want to succeed? Oh, I'm so scared. Why don't you try breaking through now and kill me?"

The confrontation here was merely an interlude.

Xu Heng had stopped his own movements, standing in place to watch Chen Yuan practice the Rock-Solid Stance Technique.

More than a month after he himself had broken through the Skin Realm, this former senior brother was finally making his move.

Song Qiao said indifferently, "Chen Yuan has been training for about two and a half months, right? If he succeeds, he'll be a model of how diligence can compensate for a lack of talent."

However, he didn't think highly of Chen Yuan, estimating his chance of success at around thirty percent.

Xu Heng shook his head, his eyes filled with detachment: "Diligence might compensate in the early stages, but martial arts is ultimately about talent. His bone structure and comprehension aren't enough to take him very far."

He had once hoped to walk alongside Chen Yuan as a kindred spirit on the martial path.

But he had discovered that the chasm between people was insurmountable; some were simply destined not to walk the same road.

Song Qiao laughed: "Naturally, he can't compare to you, Junior Brother. But if he can manage to become an entry-level martial artist, at least he won't have to worry about food and clothing."

Chen Yuan was fully immersed in the Rock-Solid Stance Technique, recalling Master Huo's teachings as he slowly guided the blood qi gathered in his chest, causing it to dissipate and flow along his meridians toward the skin and membranes of his entire body.

The blood qi in his chest was quite vigorous; he had been able to break through five days ago but had forcibly suppressed it until today, which was why it took some effort to disperse it.

This was definitely a good thing; sharpening the axe would not delay the woodcutting.

Under the guidance of the Rock-Solid Stance Technique, the refined blood qi spread out, surging continuously toward his skin and membranes, as if to thoroughly reshape them.

This massive surge of blood qi worked in tandem with the medicinal power of the Skin Strengthening Pill, clearing the barrier between his body and his skin without any resistance.

In an instant, Chen Yuan's skin turned bright red—this was the result of the blood qi permeating through, and the mark of having broken through the Skin Realm!

Seized in one go, the breakthrough was instantaneous.

The Skin Realm, achieved!