Bone Tempering Method, Point Allocation!

Not far away, the brothers Tie Shan and Tie Zhu stared at the scene, dumbstruck, their eyes fixed on it! Only after Hongxiu had run far away did they come back to their senses. The looks they gave Dongfang Yueming were full of undisguised envy, jealousy, and resentment!

"Ahem..." Dongfang Yueming coughed twice, gathered his thoughts, and regained his composure. He looked at the envious Tie Shan and Tie Zhu, pondered for a moment, and said:

"All right, now that we've reached Black Stone Fortress, our temporary squad has come to an end."

He paused, then continued, "I plan to find somewhere to enter seclusion for a while. I won't be taking any missions for the time being."

"As for you two..." He looked at Tie Shan and Tie Zhu. "You can make your own arrangements. If you want to earn military merits quickly, you can see if any other squads are willing to take you in. With your strength at Lesser Flesh Refining, it shouldn't be hard to find a squad."

"Huh?!" Tie Shan and Tie Zhu froze at his words, the envy on their faces instantly turning to shock and confusion. "Captain... you're not taking us with you anymore?" They had thought they would continue following this powerful captain!

Dongfang Yueming did not answer Tie Shan and Tie Zhu immediately. Instead, with a thought, he brought up his status panel.

[Points: 574]

The sight of that number made his heart burn with excitement! Over five hundred points! Enough! Enough to raise the Hundred Beasts Bone Tempering Method to a considerable level, perhaps even directly to perfection!

That's right! The most urgent thing is to break through to the Bone Forging Realm!

Suppressing his excitement, Dongfang Yueming raised his head and said to Tie Shan and Tie Zhu, who were still standing there in a daze, "There's no feast under heaven that doesn't end. We met by chance, like duckweed on the water, and our squad was only temporary. You have your own paths to walk, and I have my own plans."

His tone was calm, but it left no room for doubt.

Though Tie Shan and Tie Zhu were somewhat disappointed and reluctant to part, they understood that Dongfang Yueming was telling the truth. They were ordinary martial artists, while Dongfang Yueming was clearly a genius with a boundless future. He could not lower himself to remain at their level forever.

The two exchanged a glance and ultimately accepted the outcome.

"Then... take care, Captain!" Tie Shan said in a deep, muffled voice. He and his younger brother Tie Zhu cupped their fists at Dongfang Yueming, then turned and disappeared into the bustling crowd to find their own way.

After seeing Tie Shan and Tie Zhu off, Dongfang Yueming immediately immersed his mind in the Hundred Beasts Bone Tempering Method he had just obtained.

Information flowed into his mind, and he quickly grasped the essence of the cultivation method. Its description mentioned that perfection in the Bone Forging Realm was likewise divided into three levels: Pitch-Black Iron Bones, Radiant Gold Bones, and Glazed Jade Bones.

In theory, cultivating the Hundred Beasts Bone Tempering Method to its utmost could bring one to the second level, Radiant Gold Bones. But reaching the legendary third level, Glazed Jade Bones, was impossible.

Reaching Radiant Gold Bones is already quite good! Dongfang Yueming thought. After all, Hongxiu had obtained the cultivation method on a whim. That it had such potential had already exceeded his expectations. As for a higher realm, he could find a way later.

He looked at the panel again:

[Character: Dongfang Yueming]

[Realm: Body Tempering - Flesh Refining Realm (Heaven-Splitting Body) (gains 6 points daily)]

[Cultivation methods: Basic Skin Tempering Method (perfected), Layered Wave Skin Tempering Method (perfected), Crimson Sun Flesh Refining Method (perfected), Nine-Turn Coiled Dragon Force (perfected), Hundred Beasts Bone Tempering Method (0/10, not Entry)]

[Martial arts: Basic Thirteen Fast Saber Forms (perfected), Gale Movement Technique (perfected), Venomous Snake Dagger Technique (0/1, not Entry)]

[Points: 574]

I'm finally going to break through! Bone Forging Realm, here I come! Dongfang Yueming's heart was filled with excitement he could barely contain!

Without further hesitation, he set off at once. In the temporary residential area on the outskirts of the fortress, he spent one military merit to rent a very basic but reasonably clean stone house as a temporary place for seclusion.

He shut the door, set up a simple precaution, and sat cross-legged, sinking his mind into the panel.

"Allocate points! Hundred Beasts Bone Tempering Method!"

Buzz-!

A strange warm current instantly rose from his dantian and began surging toward the bones throughout his body along a particular route through his meridians! It was as though countless tiny files were grinding and tempering every inch of his bones!

[Hundred Beasts Bone Tempering Method (0/30, Entry)!]

Points consumed: 10. Points remaining: 564.

"Keep allocating points!"

The warm current grew even more turbulent! Waves of tingling heat came from within his bones, as though they were undergoing some profound transformation! Their density and hardness increased at a rate visible to the naked eye!

[Hundred Beasts Bone Tempering Method (0/50, Minor Accomplishment)!]

Points consumed: 30. Points remaining: 534.

Bone Forging Realm, Minor Accomplishment!

In just a few breaths, Dongfang Yueming had reached a realm that countless martial artists would need months or even years of arduous cultivation to attain!