Breakthrough, Grinding Force, Second Layer

The once-lively training ground was much emptier now.

There were fully a third fewer disciples practicing their fists.

Even beneath the grapevine, Chen Wang was nowhere to be seen in his reclining chair.

When he saw Lu Yuan,

You Tai, who had been instructing the new disciples, walked over.

"Senior Brother, why are so many people absent from the hall? And where is Master?"

Lu Yuan asked in confusion.

"They're all carrying out assignments issued by the county office. Demon infestations have been breaking out frequently around Pingyang County lately, so the county office ordered the major martial halls to form demon-hunting squads. That missing third has all been assigned to squads to hunt demons."

You Tai sighed.

His expression was somewhat dim.

Before leaving last time, Lu Yuan had overheard You Tai discussing this matter with their master.

What surprised him was—

They could not possibly keep hunting demons outside forever. They still had to cultivate, didn't they?

"Where is Master?"

"Isn't it all to reduce casualties? Master has been spending much less time in the hall. Those junior brothers who are gone... they all were while hunting demons..."

At this point, You Tai paused and shook his head.

Lu Yuan's heart sank.

They had all died?

The death rate was actually this high?

It had only been a few days!

But on second thought,

Lu Yuan was relieved.

In this world, demons ran rampant. For ordinary martial artists, facing demon beasts was already a nine-deaths-one-life ordeal.

If he had not had the system at his side, he probably would have been gnawed down until not even bone dregs remained when he first encountered that Gray-Skinned Rat Demon in Blackwater Village.

"Times are hard. All we can do is make ourselves a little stronger."

"When death comes, at least we can die with some dignity."

You Tai gave a self-mocking smile.

Never mind disciples like them.

Even Chen Wang could die if he encountered a powerful demon beast.

"Go train your force. The stronger you become, the better your chances of surviving if you're assigned to a demon-hunting squad in the future."

You Tai sighed.

Lu Yuan said no more.

He walked straight to the wooden trough, dropped into a horse stance, and thrust both hands into the gravel.

He summoned the system panel.

[Host: Lu Yuan]

[Realm: Mortal Realm (Not Grade Entry)]

[Lifespan: 25 days]

[Arts: Blood-Baleful Demon-Slaying Saber ???, Wild Bull Force (Mastery 20/300), Carefree Steps (Minor Mastery 0/100), Ironhide Body-Tempering Art (Not Initiated 0/50)]

[Experience Points: 710]

[Draw Attempts: 1 (Free)]

Seeing the displayed [Lifespan: 20 days], his gaze became incomparably resolute.

Only twenty days remained.

Then Lu Yuan's gaze fell upon the newly acquired Ironhide Body-Tempering Art.

Although system experience points could only directly raise the realm of martial techniques and could not conjure up a stronger physical foundation from nothing, the cultivation memories and tricks contained within an art could point him in the right direction.

"Consume 50 experience points to raise the Ironhide Body-Tempering Art."

[Ding! 50 experience points consumed. Ironhide Body-Tempering Art raised to Minor Mastery (Minor Mastery 0/100).]

[Remaining Experience Points: 660.]

In an instant, a vast flood of memories

poured into Lu Yuan's mind like a raging torrent.

They were memories of how to mobilize one's blood and qi to scour the skin membrane,

how to use external objects to stimulate the skin,

and the techniques for making one's skin tougher.

Lu Yuan's eyes lit up.

The skin-tempering method recorded in the Ironhide Body-Tempering Art

shared the same melody through different songs with Grinding Force, though the former was clearly far more profound.

With this layer of reference,

Lu Yuan's understanding of Grinding Force instantly became much clearer.

He no longer hesitated.

He walked straight to the wooden trough.

Dropping into a horse stance, he viciously plunged both hands into the sharp gravel.

He wrapped his arms around that two-hundred-pound piece of bluegang rock.

"Up!"

As the stone rose and fell,

the sharp gravel sliced across his forearms.

Blood seeped out.

Yet under the guidance of the Ironhide Body-Tempering Art's blood-and-qi circulation route, the blood at his wounds rapidly congealed and scabbed over.

For three straight days, apart from eating and sleeping,

Lu Yuan remained before the wooden trough.

The skin on his arms broke open, scabbed, and peeled away countless times.

Nourished by ample blood and qi,

the fresh skin was no longer tender.

It gradually took on a sheen like ancient bronze.

On the evening of the third day,

when Lu Yuan swiftly lifted the two-hundred-pound boulder from the gravel again and set it back down,

the sharp gravel scraped over his forearms, producing only a rustling friction sound. It could not even leave a white mark.

"Whew!"

Lu Yuan let out a long breath.

Grinding Force, First Layer—complete!

Over those three days,

Lu Yuan had not been stingy with food supplements in the slightest.

Every day, he spent over half a tael of silver buying ten pounds of fine beef and mutton from the town butcher, then picked up several potent blood-and-qi replenishing medicines from the apothecary and stewed them into a thick pot of medicinal meat broth.

A massive amount of meat and medicinal power transformed into pure blood and qi.

It supported his self-torturing cultivation.

However, Lu Yuan did not immediately break through into the Entry Realm

and become a martial artist.

According to the records of the Ironhide Body-Tempering Art,

Grinding Force seemed to have more than just the First Layer.

There was another layer, which transformed the bronze-colored skin back into its original complexion.

It carried a hint of returning to simplicity.

On the fourth day, Lu Yuan replaced the two-hundred-pound stone in the wooden trough with a massive five-hundred-pound bluestone.

He also spent one tael of silver at the apothecary to purchase a large bundle of herbs called Windgap Grass.

When applied to the skin, this herb could make it—

"Again!"

Lu Yuan thrust both arms into the gravel and hugged the five-hundred-pound boulder.

Riiip!!!

A heavier stone, sharper friction.

His newly softened bronze skin was brutally sliced open again, blood streaming everywhere.

This was exactly the result Lu Yuan wanted.

Break first, then stand anew; tempered a hundred times, steel would be forged.

Over the next ten days,

Lu Yuan trained over and over like a machine.

"This kid is quite diligent."

Seeing Lu Yuan's state, You Tai shook his head.

He somewhat suspected that telling Lu Yuan about the demon-hunting squads

had given him a sense of urgency.

But could the kid endure such a training method?

After thirteen days had passed,

when Lu Yuan slammed the five-hundred-pound boulder into the gravel trough for the final time,

and withdrew his arms,

the bronze skin on his forearms

actually began shedding like molting skin, layers of calluses falling away.

Fresh skin was revealed.

Fair and delicate.

It had returned to the complexion he had possessed before cultivating Grinding Force.

Grinding Force, Second Layer—complete.

At this moment, Lu Yuan's skin was exceptionally tough.

He was even confident that, even if it were the Gray-Skinned Rat Demon from Blackwater Village,

if he used his arm to receive one of its strikes, those sharp claws would no longer be able to pierce his skin.

At this very moment, Lu Yuan also felt a surge of blood and qi pounding toward his dantian.

It seemed that only a single membrane blocked it. Once he broke through that membrane, he would enter the Entry Realm and become a martial artist.

After Lu Yuan broke through to the Grinding Force, Second Layer,

a burst of clamor arose outside the martial hall.

Chen Wang, who had gone out to lead a demon-hunting squad, returned to the martial hall.

Two newly accepted disciples had come with him as well.

The man, Su Yu, wore fine martial attire. With sword-like brows and starry eyes, his entire body radiated the sharp spirit of a noble family scion.

The woman, Lin Ruoxue, had bright eyes and pearly teeth, with a natural charm about her. Yet the powerful aura radiating from her made it clear that she was no simple person.