Chapter 10

Outside the cave, all was silent.

Zhang Dashan's footsteps abruptly stopped before Luo Qingchen. He looked down at him with cold eyes.

"Senior Brother, is something the matter?"

Luo Qingchen opened his eyes but did not rise, still looking weak and frail.

The coldness in Zhang Dashan's eyes instantly vanished. He smiled faintly. "Junior Brother Luo, you just took a bath. Why did it take so long?"

Luo Qingchen sighed. "My body was too exhausted. I accidentally fell asleep in the tub."

"Oh?"

Zhang Dashan maintained his smile and stared at him for a few more moments before suddenly saying, "By the way, Junior Brother Luo, Master said we will return to the sect in three days. By then, we may need a fresh corpse."

Having said that, he watched the expression on his face.

Luo Qingchen froze for a moment at those words. "Then when the time comes, shall we go down the mountain to find one?"

Zhang Dashan's smile remained unchanged. "But Master also said that only one person can return to the sect then."

The air suddenly fell silent.

In that instant, even the wind outside the cave seemed to have stopped dead.

The corners of Zhang Dashan's lips could not help curling into a cold, ambiguous smile.

"Oh."

After a brief silence, Luo Qingchen's tone was exceptionally calm. "Then Senior Brother can follow Master back to the sect. I... I won't live much longer anyway. I'll just find some place and let myself fend for myself."

A sharp glint flickered in Zhang Dashan's eyes. For a moment, he could not tell whether Luo Qingchen was truly foolish or merely pretending to be.

"Rest well."

He said nothing more. With a cold snort, he walked out of the cave.

He had just broken through today and still needed to consolidate his cultivation.

Master had said they needed a fresh corpse, preferably one that had died that very day, so there was no rush.

The cave became quiet again.

Luo Qingchen lay motionless in the dark corner, his eyes open.

Only after a long while did he mutter, "Three days?"

After the medicinal bath, the cultivation progress at the end of the first Blood Bar within his body had become 75/100.

Clearly, the farther he progressed, the slower it became.

But three days should be enough.

He did not think further. Closing his eyes and emptying his mind, he prepared to rest well for the night.

Only with sufficient rest could he cultivate more effectively.

Soon, he drifted into sleep.

That night, he slept soundly until the next morning, when the sun rose.

After waking, he went to look at the innermost part of the cave. Only after confirming there was no movement inside did he leave the main cave and quietly make his way to the entrance of the rock cave on the right.

The moment he reached the entrance, he heard the sounds of punches being thrown within.

"Hu! Hu!"

After breaking through to the Bone Strengthening Realm, Zhang Dashan's fists had clearly become fiercer and more powerful. Every move carried a sharp fist wind.

Luo Qingchen did not draw closer. He quietly left and went to the cave on the other side.

First, he scattered some dead branches, fallen leaves, and stone chips along the path outside.

After making these preparations, he went to the forest beneath the slope.

Only half an hour later did he emerge from the woods, enter the cave, and begin a new day of cultivation.

He maintained Rock Stance until noon.

In the afternoon, he began practicing the Mountain Embracing Fist move by move.

He first punched through it twice slowly. Once the muscles throughout his body had adjusted slightly, he gradually increased his speed.

He could clearly feel the medicinal power hidden among his muscles rapidly burning away.

His muscles began to sting, and his skin began to grow scorching hot.

The flesh across his body was rapidly being tempered as strength and medicinal power collided and merged.

Time slipped quietly away.

In the blink of an eye, evening had arrived.

The light outside the cave had dimmed, and the wind sweeping in through the entrance carried a trace of chill.

Yet his whole body was burning hot, without the slightest feeling of cold.

He collapsed onto the ground, gasping heavily. His clothes were soaked through, sweat blurred his vision, and every muscle in his body twitched and throbbed with pain.

Yet there was also the exhilarating relief of being squeezed to the limit and suddenly released.

Nourished and soothed by the remaining medicinal power, the pain in his muscles gradually began to fade.

He could feel a new strength quietly taking root and growing between his muscles.

Within his body, the cultivation progress at the end of the first life Blood Bar had risen from 75/100 that morning to 85/100!

Soon! Only 15 remained!

After resting briefly, he got up and left the cave to bathe in a pool among the trees.

When he returned to the main cave, the innermost depths remained silent.

Tian Feng was in seclusion, and Zhang Dashan had not returned either.

He lay down in the corner, thought for a while longer, and only then closed his eyes.

With his current physique, he could not cultivate day and night without pause. He had to rest well to endure the next day's high-intensity tempering.

The sky outside quickly turned dark.

Who knew how long had passed before Zhang Dashan's figure silently appeared at the cave entrance.

He stared coldly at the figure lying in the corner for a while before turning and leaving.

The next day.

As dawn broke, the sound of Luo Qingchen practicing his fists came from the rock cave to the left of the main cave.

After dark, he returned to the main cave to sleep once more.

Within his body, the cultivation progress at the end of the first Blood Bar had risen from yesterday's 85/100 to 95/100!

Only 5 points remained!

Late that night, Zhang Dashan silently came to look at him again, seemingly afraid that he might flee.

On the afternoon of the third day, just as Luo Qingchen was throwing the Scattered Stones Piercing the Forest move in a downpour of sweat, he suddenly heard a muffled sound within his body, like the beating of a drum, or the sound of something being shattered.

Then, the aching muscles throughout his body abruptly tightened and spasmed.

Luo Qingchen suddenly realized something and hurriedly looked within himself.

Sure enough!

The cultivation progress behind the first Blood Bar had changed from yesterday's 95/100 to 100/100!

It was finally full!

Suppressing the excitement in his heart, he immediately closed his eyes, drew a deep breath, and threw his final punch with all his strength.

Break through!

He shouted inwardly. The fist he launched was like a heavy hammer smashing into the air!

A strange energy suddenly appeared within his body!

Like snow melting in warm spring, the burning, painful muscles all over his body were instantly wrapped in a warm current. Then the pain vanished at an unbelievable speed, while the muscles that had been clenched and spasming instantly returned to normal.

At the same time, he clearly felt the flesh across his body becoming tighter and sturdier. His body and mind, which had been exhausted to the extreme, immediately burst back into vigorous life, brimming with strength!

Within his body, [Flesh Refinement: 100/100] had become [Bone Fortification: 0/1000]!

He had finally broken through!

At that moment, it felt as though his clenched fist held his very life.

At last, he had the chance and the hope to seize control of it himself!

Swish!

He could not resist throwing a punch!

The strange power filling his muscles erupted around his fist as though exploding!

A heavy, forceful sound of fist wind rang through the air, like the shriek of a punch!

Bang!

Then he threw another punch at the hard stone wall before him!

Before, striking stone with bare flesh at such force would surely have split his skin and left him dripping with blood.

But now, with a single punch, a thin crack opened in the stone wall and stone chips shattered and fell away, while his fist remained completely unharmed, suffering only a slight pain from the rebound.

This was the difference between a cultivator and an ordinary person!

Today, he had finally taken his first step and formally become a cultivator!

The new power within him was still flowing, swiftly nourishing and repairing the exhaustion and injuries throughout his body.

There was still plenty of daylight outside, and he intended to perform another complete set of the Mountain Embracing Fist.

But at that moment, an unusual sound suddenly came from outside, like dead leaves being crushed underfoot.

Not only had his strength increased now, but the senses of his five faculties had also become sharper than before.

Clearly, someone was coming!

He immediately walked to the left corner, bent his legs, wrapped his arms around himself, and stood motionless.

The moment he assumed the stance, Zhang Dashan appeared at the cave entrance.

Seeing him in an imperfect Rock Stance, his legs still trembling slightly and his clothes soaked through, Zhang Dashan could not help curling his lips in a cold smile. Yet a smile immediately appeared on his face as he said, "Junior Brother Luo, you're cultivating?"

Luo Qingchen's tense body suddenly slackened. His whole body went limp as he sat on the ground, panting as he looked at him. "Yes, Senior Brother, but this Rock Stance feels so difficult. Every time I stand for only a little while, I can't hold on any longer."

Zhang Dashan smiled broadly. "I told you long ago to wait until your body had recovered before cultivating. Cultivating now will not have much effect."

Luo Qingchen sighed. "I also wanted to wait until my body recovered before cultivating, but Master is in seclusion every day, and Senior Brother, you are cultivating too. I can't exactly sit around doing nothing."

Zhang Dashan smiled at those words and said nothing more. Rubbing his fist, he said, "Then continue. I'm going to take a bath."

With that, he turned and left.

Watching his figure disappear beyond the cave entrance, Luo Qingchen relaxed the taut string in his heart slightly.

But he did not dare let down his guard. He immediately rose and walked to the entrance to glance outside, then returned to the cave, picked up a stone from the ground, and smashed it against the wall he had just cracked with his fist.

After erasing the traces of his fist, he did not dare continue cultivating and left the cave directly.

Back in the main cave, he sat in the corner, took out the remaining small piece of Ginseng Deer Meat, placed it in his mouth, and slowly chewed.

His gaze turned toward the innermost depths of the cave.

Today was already the final day.

Tomorrow, that Master should emerge from seclusion.

Or perhaps tonight.

After finishing the meat and drinking a few mouthfuls of water, he leaned against the wall behind him, closed his eyes, and rested.

Outside the cave, the sky gradually darkened.

When the boundless curtain of night silently shrouded the entire mountain forest, Zhang Dashan returned.

At that very moment, a sudden sound also came from the depths of the cave.

Luo Qingchen abruptly opened his eyes.