Breakthrough

He wasted no time on such worries about the sky falling.

According to the cultivation method, the pill had to be digested with the aid of its internal heat, so he needed to take it "while it was hot."

Jiang Yan sat cross-legged on the ground and swallowed the Golden Copper Darksteel Pill.

The pill was as large as a baby's fist and rather difficult to swallow.

Gulp~

A bulge traveled down his throat, and the pill dropped into his stomach.

Its heavy weight bobbed a few times. True to its nature as the essence of copper and iron, the pill was extremely heavy.

Had Jiang Yan's Fushi technique not improved further over the past six months, it would have crushed his stomach and intestines.

He activated his Fushi technique and began digesting the pill with all his strength.

Before long, the golden copper membrane on the pill's surface melted under the combined assault of the heat within and the Fushi technique without.

Like a puddle of golden oil, it gradually passed from Jiang Yan's stomach to the surface of his body.

Jiang Yan's entire body was enveloped in the golden oil.

Not only that, the liquid was slowly seeping into his skin, continually strengthening it.

The changes to his skin had already begun, while the inner portion of the pill was only just beginning to digest.

Without the outer layer of golden copper blocking it, the Black Iron Essence, saturated with Fire Qi, came into direct contact with the lining of Jiang Yan's stomach.

Fortunately, Jiang Yan had experience with Water-Fire Organ Refining and could still endure the burning sensation in his stomach.

Only when the changes to his skin were nearly halfway complete did the Black Iron Essence begin to react.

First, part of it dissolved, then more and more, until it too became a puddle of liquid.

The liquid formed from the black iron, however, was glossy black and had a sticky quality.

This black iron liquid spread toward the surface along the meridians of his stomach, adhering to his bones as it passed between flesh and bone.

Had Jiang Yan's flesh been cut open at that moment, his bones would have been seen to have turned black.

Now that the Golden Copper Darksteel Pill had dissolved, Jiang Yan naturally circulated his method at full strength to absorb it.

But once both the golden and black liquids were more than halfway absorbed, the process suddenly slowed.

Jiang Yan abruptly opened his eyes, took out an iron anvil he had prepared in advance, and lay across it.

Jinbao had been watching him without blinking. At this, he spat a large round-headed hammer out of his belly.

The hammer was made entirely of refined iron, its head alone measuring two feet across.

Jinbao wrapped his tongue around the handle, swung it through half a circle, and brought it down heavily on Jiang Yan's head.

Clang!

The hammer struck a human head, yet the sound was that of metal striking metal.

Having landed the blow, Jinbao did not pause. He continued swinging his tongue, hammering up and down.

For a time, the stone chamber seemed to be hosting a gathering for discourse on the Dao.

An endless succession of ringing clangs sounded like several great bells chiming together. The golden treasure toad leaped up and down, swinging the great hammer in a lively spectacle.

Jiang Yan lay motionless like a blank in a smithy, letting the hammer strike every part of his body. He even turned over of his own accord to offer his back.

As Jinbao continued hammering, the golden light on his body finally began to fade.

It was a sign that the golden copper liquid had almost completely merged into him.

After a while more of forging, the golden light withdrew into his skin and no longer showed.

After taking this long beating, including more than one blow to the head, Jiang Yan was already somewhat dazed.

Still, he noticed the change at once and immediately shouted to Jinbao,

"Switch!"

Clatter~

The round-headed hammer fell to the ground, and Jinbao took out a pointed hammer.

Its head resembled an oversized chisel, allowing each blow to transmit its force deeper, all the way to the bone.

Jinbao repeated his earlier movements, this time using far more force.

Every blow of the hammer had to strike the bone through the flesh.

Jiang Yan felt as though he had abruptly gone from a blank being forged in a smithy to a fish ball being pounded.

Fortunately, the golden copper skin he had just cultivated was indeed tough and supple, and the pointed hammerhead failed to break it.

He forced himself to remain still, letting Jinbao temper every bone in his body in one sustained effort.

Once his skull was finally finished, another clatter rang out as the second hammer fell to the ground.

Even Jinbao, a distinguished Golden Toad variant, was now so exhausted that he sprawled on the ground.

His tongue curled limply halfway back, and together with his panting manner, he looked rather more like a spirit hound.

Jiang Yan lay on the anvil, which now appeared to have sunk slightly beneath him.

He circulated Law Power throughout his body to ease the dizziness in his head.

Everywhere the Law Power passed, his skin and bones had already been fully tempered.

His tempered skin and bones also seemed faintly to resonate with one another, perhaps because he had used the Golden Copper Darksteel Pill.

Once the dizziness eased, Jiang Yan got off the anvil and raised a hand to examine himself.

His skin did not look much different from before, save for a little more of a lustrous sheen.

But the moment Jiang Yan activated his cultivation slightly, Law Power circulated, and a faint golden light immediately shone from his body.

Beneath that golden light, a faint inky hue also showed through his flesh.

Jiang Yan clenched his fist and punched hard at the anvil he had just been lying on.

Thud!

With a dull sound, the anvil went flying.

It tumbled several times before striking the wall, where the formation finally stopped it.

When he looked again, a distinct fist print marked the place he had struck, with several fine cracks around it.

Jiang Yan's punch had actually come close to shattering the anvil!

An ordinary Dao acolyte in the Ninth-Rank Lower Realm should never have possessed such immense strength.

It seemed that breaking through to Bronze Skin and Iron Bones using the method in the Guiding Method not only multiplied his Law Power, but also made his body stronger than others in the same realm.

That made sense. Since it could hold more Law Power, his body would certainly have to be stronger.

Sending the anvil flying had not satisfied Jiang Yan. He raised his leg and kicked at the hammers on the ground.

Channeling Law Power, he delivered two successive kicks, flattening both refined-iron hammers like squashed melons.

Before his breakthrough, even with Law Power protecting him, Jiang Yan's leg would have broken before he could kick refined-iron hammers into such a state.

Jiang Yan was very satisfied with these results and nodded repeatedly.

He then examined his Law Power. The Golden Copper Darksteel Pill had indeed been worth the considerable price he had paid for it.

Not only had it helped him break through successfully, but the Spiritual Qi it contained had also directly helped him condense two strands of Law Power.

In other words, the moment he broke through, Jiang Yan already possessed four strands of Law Power, exceeding the limit of the Ninth-Rank Lower Realm.

If he further refined his own methods, he could immediately become one of the stronger practitioners among them.

"Now that I've broken through, I can go do that too."

Previously, with only the strength of someone who had successfully cultivated his method, he had held no standing whatsoever in the Prefecture Academy.

Now that he had finally broken through, Jiang Yan had gained some ability to protect himself, and could at last begin many things he had long wanted to do.

With these thoughts in mind, he quietly cleaned up the stone chamber.

He put the broken copper cauldron, the anvil, and the hammerheads into the Thumb Ring, leaving not a trace behind.

Picking up Jinbao, who had caught his breath, he opened the stone chamber's great door.

Sunlight fell on Jiang Yan's head and pierced through the gap into the chamber, instantly bathing the dim space behind him in light.

After first checking out of the stone chamber, Jiang Yan strode down the road.

"Hmm, I only began preparing for my breakthrough after attending the monthly lecture on the Qi-Feeding and Method-Practicing Dao.

"Now that I'm out, I can catch the next monthly lecture on the Witchcraft and Gu Ritual Path. Just in time."

Making his plans, Jiang Yan did not have Jinbao carry him, but hurried home on foot.