After his first session in the Bone-Forging Pool, Lu Chen's Nine-Burial Jade Bone Art successfully reached minor mastery.
But Ouyang Xuanfeng did not let him use his remaining opportunities immediately.
"Forging bones is like forging a weapon. Each hammer blow must be followed by tempering."
After examining Lu Chen's bone markings, Ouyang Xuanfeng cautioned him gravely, "Newly tempered bones may seem hard, but many minute parts inside still need time to settle into harmony."
"Consolidate your gains for a while before coming back."
Lu Chen asked, "Then when can I undergo my second cleansing?"
Ouyang Xuanfeng replied solemnly, "At least ten days from now."
Lu Chen nodded. "I understand."
Over the following days, Lu Chen headed to the mountain behind the Divine Armament Academy every morning to practice the Golden Crow Breathing Technique facing the rising sun.
When the sun first rose, the yang energy between heaven and earth was at its purest.
His chest rose and fell, his breathing gradually growing long and deep.
With every inhalation, a strand of warm sunlight seemed to enter his body; with every exhalation, pale white mist streamed from his mouth and nose, only to scatter in the mountain breeze.
The yang energy within him circulated continuously with his breathing. Threads of warmth flowed into his blood, gradually heating his vital blood like a furnace kindled by the morning light. When he pushed the technique to its limit, Lu Chen's skin flushed faintly red, his heartbeat thundered like a drum, and even the dew around him steamed into a thin mist.
Once his vital blood brimmed throughout his body, he began cultivating the third level of the Fourfold Demon-Subduing True Force-the Vermilion Bird Baleful-Burning Force.
Each complete circulation absorbed a strand of yang energy, further solidifying the fiery essence within his vital blood.