Metal-Stone Body Reaches Major Completion, Combat Power Soars

The hidden mission prompt flashed through Jiang Yuan's mind, but he did not immediately investigate it further.

Finding that so-called martial arts expert lurking in the shadows was certainly important, but right now, turning the benefits he had just obtained into tangible strength was the top priority.

Once the assembly ended and the crowd dispersed, the principal specifically asked Jiang Yuan to stay behind. The sternness on his face had been replaced by undisguised appreciation and relief.

"Jiang Yuan, we have you to thank this time. Otherwise, those scum would have ruined the school's reputation."

As he spoke, the principal took a golden access card from his pocket and handed it over.

"This is the highest-level access card for an A-Class cultivation chamber. The school does not have much to offer as compensation, but this is one of them. You may use the cultivation resources inside as you please."

A young female assistant stood beside him, dressed in a professional skirt suit and wearing gold-rimmed glasses. She was tall and capable-looking.

"This is my assistant, Lin Xi. She will assist you throughout the process from now on. If you need anything, just ask."

"Thank you, Principal." Jiang Yuan did not stand on ceremony and accepted the card directly.

Lin Xi adjusted her glasses and spoke in a businesslike tone. "Jiang Yuan, please follow me."

She led Jiang Yuan through several tightly secured doors and arrived before an independent chamber brimming with futuristic technology. The spiritual energy concentration here was nearly ten times that of the outside world.

Lin Xi opened the refrigerator beside them and took out three sealed metal test tubes, along with a package that looked like a bag of powdered milk.

"According to your application, these are three vials of third-tier Wind God Wolf blood essence, as well as a packet of high-protein wild canine-antelope milk. It will be used to neutralize the violent energy of the wind-element blood essence."

As she spoke, she observed Jiang Yuan with great curiosity. What kind of student could make the principal value him so highly that he had even used an S-Class resource quota?

"Give them all to me."

Jiang Yuan took the items and entered the pod-like cultivation chamber without hesitation.

The chamber door slowly closed, and he sat cross-legged, his gaze calm.

He first tore open the packet of canine-antelope milk and gulped it down in one breath. A gentle, warm current flowed into his stomach, preparing him for the coming storm.

Then, he unscrewed a vial of Wind God Wolf blood essence.

"Gulp."

The dark bluish-green liquid transformed into an incomparably violent torrent of energy the instant it entered his throat!

Countless streams of wind-element vitality, hundreds of times sharper than blades, crashed wildly through his meridians and tore through them!

"Hiss..." Jiang Yuan suddenly had an idea.

Suppressing it blindly like this would never allow him to fully absorb the blood essence's energy. At most, he could refine thirty to forty percent of it. The rest would be wasted in the struggle against it.

Wasn't true body tempering about destruction before reconstruction?

To push Baxia · Stone-Metal Body to a higher level, he needed a stronger external force to hammer it!

At that thought, a hint of madness flashed through Jiang Yuan's eyes.

He actually dispersed the Nine Yang Inner Force he had been using for suppression, allowing the violent Wind God Wolf vitality to rampage through his body like a wild horse breaking free of its reins!

"Ah—!"

The bone-deep pain struck again, ten times more intense than before!

His meridians were sliced apart inch by inch, his flesh repeatedly torn open, and his entire body seemed like a rag doll ripped to pieces.

Yet at the same time, the Nine Yang Inner Force within him began circulating on its own, repairing his damaged body at a frightening speed. The cultivation method of Baxia · Stone-Metal Body also began operating madly amid this extreme cycle of tearing and restoration!

His body had become a perfect crucible!

Who knew how much time passed? When the energy in the first vial of blood essence had been completely absorbed, Jiang Yuan had not only remained standing, but his skin, flesh, tendons, and bones had become even tougher and more solid.

He did not stop. He opened the second vial, then the third!

Violent energy swept through his body once more.

But this time, those wind blades that could have torn an ordinary martial artist to shreds caused only a faint vibration in his skin and muscles after entering his body. They could not even leave a pale mark.

Baxia · Stone-Metal Body had reached major completion!

Boom! Boom!

With the breakthrough of his physical body, the vitality within him surged violently like floodwaters bursting through a dam!

His cultivation broke through repeatedly, advancing at an unstoppable pace as it charged straight toward the intangible threshold of the Meridian Opening Realm!

Just as he was preparing to press forward in one go and assault a higher realm, he sensed that the spiritual energy supplied by the gathering formation inside the cultivation chamber had suddenly grown thin.

Had it reached its limit?

Feeling the solid bottleneck within himself, Jiang Yuan voluntarily stopped his attempt.

He knew that the resources and spiritual energy environment of this Old Star could no longer support his transformation into the Meridian Opening Realm.

Slowly opening his eyes, Jiang Yuan exhaled a breath of stale air and rose to his feet, feeling explosive power fill every inch of his body.

He picked up the remaining mouthful of blood essence beside him and dripped it directly onto the wooden box on his back.

Buzz!

The rusty broken sword let out a soft hum. The dark red fire patterns on its blade lit up, greedily absorbing the drop of blood essence. The markings seemed to extend slightly farther toward the sword tip.

Jiang Yuan drew the broken sword. With a thought, he activated the second layer of the Heaven-Burning Sword Art, Thunderclap Vibration.

He casually thrust toward a specially made alloy pillar in the corner used for strength testing.

The sword tip lightly touched the surface of the alloy pillar. There was no sound, nor did it leave a mark, as though it had merely been a lover's caress.

Jiang Yuan sheathed his sword.

He walked to the alloy pillar, stretched out a finger, and flicked it lightly.

Crash...

The seemingly intact alloy pillar instantly collapsed from within, turning into a heap of silver powder finer than sand that spilled all over the floor.

"Not bad. I can finally keep all my force completely contained."

Jiang Yuan nodded in satisfaction.

The next morning, in the ordinary training area of the martial arts hall.

Guo Hongtao was practicing his punches with loud grunts. His older sister, Guo Yuting, had come along today as well. She was still wearing that alluring black dress with black stockings, watching from the side with great interest.

"Fatty, your method of exerting force is wrong. The strength from your waist and hips is not being fully transmitted to your fist."

Jiang Yuan's voice came from beside him.

He merely placed a hand on Guo Hongtao's shoulder and gave a light pull. Guo Hongtao felt a deft force move through him, causing him to involuntarily turn halfway around as all the power in his body instantly twisted into a single cord.

Boom!

Guo Hongtao threw out a punch on instinct, and the force of it actually produced a deep sonic boom.

"Holy shit! Brother Yuan, you're incredible!" Guo Hongtao stared at his fist, his face full of excitement and admiration.

"Little Brother Jiang Yuan, teaching only him won't do. I've been feeling stiff lately too. When will you give your big sister some guidance as well?"

Guo Yuting walked forward on a fragrant breeze, winked at Jiang Yuan, and spoke in a charmingly seductive voice.

"Sis, stop messing around. Brother Yuan is busy." Guo Hongtao scratched his head, somewhat embarrassed.

"Once we reach New Star, there will be plenty of time." Jiang Yuan smiled and gave her a promise.

"It's a deal, then." Guo Yuting held out her fair little finger.

Jiang Yuan hooked his finger with hers, sealing the promise.

After seeing off the Guo siblings, Jiang Yuan stood alone in the center of the empty training hall.

He clenched his fist, feeling the surging, turbulent power within him, power that was firmly suppressed by an invisible barrier.

His cultivation in the Body Tempering Realm had already reached the end of this planet.

His martial path, his life, could not and would never stop here.

Jiang Yuan raised his head, his gaze seeming to pierce through the martial arts hall's ceiling and into the deep, boundless starry sky.

New Star.

That was the stage he was truly meant to step onto.