Adding Points! Skin Tempering Perfection!
He did not linger, rushing back to his dormitory at an almost flying pace.
It was an extremely spartan single dorm room. Aside from a hard plank bed and a desk, there was nothing in it. A faint musty smell even hung in the air, a testament to its occupant's straitened circumstances.
But none of that mattered now!
Bang!
Dongfang Yueming slammed the door shut behind him and even slid the bolt into place, as though sealing out the entire world.
He could hardly wait to sit cross-legged on the bed. Taking a deep breath, he instantly sank his consciousness into his mind and fixed his burning gaze on the technique entry that had just appeared!
[Technique: Basic Skin Tempering Method (0/1, not initiated)] [Points: 1000]
Now!
Add points!!
Dongfang Yueming roared in his heart!
Buzz!
With just 1 point spent, a faint but unmistakable warm current suddenly rose from his dantian. Like a trickling stream, it quickly flowed through his limbs and bones, especially toward the surface of his skin! An extremely faint tingling sensation followed, as though a machine long covered in dust had finally begun to turn!
The information on the panel refreshed instantly!
[Technique: Basic Skin Tempering Method (0/3, initiated)] [Points: 999]
He had broken through to initiation! He really had! The sense of qi and blood that might have taken others days or even weeks of grueling practice to develop had come to him in a single thought!
"Not enough! Nowhere near enough!" A brilliant light flared in Dongfang Yueming's eyes!
"Keep adding points!!"
Boom!
3 points vanished! The warm current suddenly surged and swelled, racing through his body like a rushing stream along the route of the Skin Tempering Art! His skin burned noticeably, and his pores opened as though something were about to be squeezed out!
[Technique: Basic Skin Tempering Method (0/5, minor mastery)] [Points: 996]
His skin was growing tougher at a rate visible to the naked eye! His once-ordinary skin now seemed to possess an indescribable density!
"Still not enough!!" Dongfang Yueming felt the changes in his body, his fighting spirit soaring!
"Add more!!"
Whoosh!
5 points burned away! The warm current of qi and blood in his body all but transformed into a raging river!
A faint oily sheen appeared on the surface of his skin. When he pressed it lightly, it actually felt like tough leather! Strength! He could clearly feel his base strength rising with it, like a boat lifted by the tide!
[Technique: Basic Skin Tempering Method (0/10, major mastery)] [Points: 991]
"Perfection! Push straight to perfection in one go!!"
Dongfang Yueming all but roared aloud as he slammed down his final command with his mind!
Thump!!
10 points turned into a vast torrent of energy that exploded inside him like an erupting volcano!
Qi and blood surged like a tide, scouring every inch of his skin! He could even hear faint crackling noises coming from within his body, like beans frying in a pan! Beneath his skin, an invisible, resilient membrane seemed to be rapidly forming and solidifying! A layer of black, oily impurities with a fishy smell also seeped out onto the surface of his body!
[Technique: Basic Skin Tempering Method (perfection)] [Points: 981]
He had done it!
Dongfang Yueming's eyes snapped open, brilliant light shining from them!
He looked down at his hands. His skin was as smooth as ever, but it possessed a toughness unlike anything it had before.
He lightly clenched a fist, and his knuckles cracked explosively. A sense of strength far greater than before filled his entire body! He could clearly tell that his skin's defensive power and ability to withstand blows had increased severalfold at the very least!
"So this is... skin tempering perfection!" Feeling the changes, as though he had shed his mortal body and remade his bones, he could not stop the corners of his mouth from rising!
"Qin Rushuang said it would take a month to reach initiation... Those self-proclaimed geniuses might take ten days or half a month..."
"And how long did I, Dongfang Yueming, take to reach skin tempering perfection after getting the technique? No more than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea!"
This is where my confidence comes from!
Gao Hu, a month from now?
Who the hell is he!
An unprecedented confidence in his own strength filled Dongfang Yueming's chest, nearly making him throw back his head and howl!
Just then, however, he frowned slightly.
He could feel that his skin seemed capable of being strengthened further, as though the tempering effect of qi and blood had not yet reached its true limit.
But... the panel already showed "perfection" after [Basic Skin Tempering Method]. He could no longer spend points to improve it.
"It seems... the word 'basic' really does limit its upper bound." Dongfang Yueming looked thoughtful. "If I want to go further in the Skin Tempering Realm, or rather, lay a firmer foundation for the Body Tempering Realm, I'll probably need a more advanced technique..."
But he quickly put the thought aside.
A meal had to be eaten one bite at a time, and a road traveled one step at a time!
First, he would turn his current advantage into real strength!
Suppressing the surging emotions in his heart, Dongfang Yueming did not dwell on the joy of his breakthrough for long. He quickly switched on the old terminal in his dorm room, which could still connect to the internet, and began browsing the United University Martial Arts Academy's internal website, his fingers flying.
Know yourself and know your enemy, and you would never be imperiled in a hundred battles. He needed a more comprehensive understanding of the path of the Martial Dao to better plan for the future.
Before long, he found a detailed introduction to the Body Tempering Realm in the website's "Martial Dao Basics" section.
"The six stages of body tempering: skin tempering, flesh refining, bone forging, sinew transformation, marrow cleansing, and blood replacement!"
A prominent line of large text caught his eye, clearly laying out the foundational path of the mortal Martial Dao.
Dongfang Yueming's gaze sharpened as he carefully read every word.
Skin tempering was only the first step, intended to toughen the skin and improve basic defense and the capacity to bear qi and blood.
After skin tempering came flesh refining! Through a specific method, one tempered muscle fibers to increase strength, explosive power, and endurance!
After that, bone forging strengthened the bones, sinew transformation improved flexibility and speed, marrow cleansing purified the body, and blood replacement awakened the potential of qi and blood... Step by step, the mortal body was honed to its utmost!
He continued reading and soon came across a passage that particularly caught his attention:
"...Generally speaking, once students cultivate the Basic Skin Tempering Method to major mastery, they may begin preparing to cultivate a flesh-refining method. However, ancient texts record that perfection is not the end of the skin-tempering path. Depending on the depth of qi-and-blood tempering and the toughness of the skin and membrane, skin tempering perfection can be further divided into different levels. The most widely known are the Cowhide Realm, the Stone Skin Realm, and the Jade Skin Realm! Cowhide is tough, stone skin is thick and weighty, and jade skin is flawless! The deeper the foundation, the greater one's future potential..."
Dongfang Yueming's gaze hardened, and he instinctively checked the condition of his skin. It was tough and full of strength, but it seemed... still not enough!
At my current level, have I only reached perfection at the lowest level, the Cowhide Realm? he pondered. No wonder I felt I could keep improving. It's just that the Basic Skin Tempering Method has already reached its limit...
His gaze instantly grew resolute!
"Now that I know there are higher levels, how could I, Dongfang Yueming, settle for the mere Cowhide Realm?! If I'm going to do it, I'll go all the way! Jade skin! I must reach the Jade Skin Realm!"
Pursuing the utmost was not just about greater strength. More importantly, it was for the future! The firmer the foundation, the farther one could travel on the path of the Martial Dao in the future!
Of course, there was also a very practical reason-
Dongfang Yueming continued browsing the website's "Technique Exchange" section and soon found the requirements for exchanging the Basic Flesh Refining Method.
"Basic Flesh Refining Method. Exchange cost: 120 contribution points!"
The Basic Skin Tempering Method he had seen earlier, on the other hand, cost only 20 contribution points to exchange for!
"As expected, it's a good deal more expensive..." Dongfang Yueming frowned slightly.
At this academy, and indeed throughout the entire world of martial artists, the hard currency was not Federation currency, but contribution points!