He clenched his fist.
The moment his knuckles curled inward, the muscles in his arm snapped taut. A faint golden luster rippled across the surface of his skin. Beneath the membrane lay the cold white of the Iron Bone. An unprecedented surge of strength gathered in his forearm.
Chen Yuan stood in the small courtyard, looking down at his hands in a long silence.
The Copper Skin of the Skin-refining stage acted as an external armor, and the Iron Bone of the Bone-refining stage served as the internal framework. The Muscle-refining stage finally fused the two into a singular entity. Muscles were the bridge between the Copper Skin and the Iron Bone, acting as the central hub for force transmission.
Before breaking through the Muscle-refining stage, his power had erupted directly from his bones to his skin membrane before striking out. It possessed more than enough ferocity but lacked endurance, merely making superficial use of his muscles. Now, with the muscle meridians fully connected, his power could be channeled and layered continuously through the muscle fibers.
Using the same Beng Fist, his previous strikes were like a sledgehammer smashing against a door. Now, they were like a massive battering ram crashing through it. The sheer force was no longer on the same level. The combat power boost provided by the Muscle-refining stage was far beyond anything the Bone-refining stage could offer.
Yuan recalled his previous battle with Ge Jinhua. He felt somewhat fortunate that the man’s strength had regressed so severely that he couldn’t unleash the true power of the Muscle-refining stage. Otherwise, escaping that fight unscathed would not have been so easy. However, if he were to fight Jinhua again now, Yuan believed he wouldn’t need to rely on evasive tactics. He could beat the man to death within three punches!
Over the past month and a half, his progress hadn’t been limited to his Body Refining stage. He had blossomed in all aspects, pushing his overall strength to an entirely new tier.
[Comprehension: 95]
[Root Bone: 100]
[Cultivation: Muscle-refining (Initiation); Hidden Force (Initiation)]
[Cultivation Technique]
[Rocky Pile Skill (Great Success): 798/2000]
[Heart Intent Six Harmonies Fist (Great Success): 443/2000]
[Dragon Elephant Prison-Suppression Body Second Layer (Dragon Sinew): 251/2000]
[Ripple Step (Shallow Ripples): 472/1000]
[Low-key Points: 6]
[Evaluation: Unassuming and unprovocative, you understand the principle of concealing your strength and biding your time. You have grasped the basics of the low-key path. Daily Low-key Points +5]
After a month and a half of accumulation, his Comprehension had risen from 72 to 95, nearly catching up to his Root Bone progress. He had earned some extra points specifically for refusing to participate in the Li Family tournament. This rapid growth also accelerated the improvement of his various Cultivation Techniques. His Hidden Force would reach the Minor Achievement Stage in less than a month, guaranteeing a breakthrough before the martial exam.
The Dragon Elephant Prison-Suppressing Skill’s progress was slightly slower, gaining fewer than 200 points in a month. However, now that he had shattered the Muscle-refining bottleneck, his vitality and blood were much more robust. This technique’s advancement would only speed up from here. More importantly, his daily base points would increase after today. As long as he pushed his Root Bone higher, he wouldn’t have to worry about the Dragon Elephant Prison-Suppression Body lagging behind.
According to the technique’s records, if his Dragon Sinew reached Great Success, he would be able to steamroll through the four refining stages and three forces, instantly stepping into the ranks of Qingyuan County’s top-tier Martial Artists.
Bolstered by his formidable Comprehension, his Qinggong, the Ripple Step, was already nearly halfway through its first layer after just a month and a half. If he could maintain this pace, he would fully master the first layer in another month and a half. When that time came, peeping at baths... no, dodging sneak attacks and fleeing would be well within his capabilities. Even now, his Body Technique had seen a massive improvement. It yielded miraculous results for both survival and offense.
He had truly kept a tight, low profile this past month!
Yuan also began to recall the events of the past month.
First, Xu Heng had broken through to the Muscle-refining stage with his Iron Bone, and his Hidden Force had stepped into the Minor Achievement Stage. His progress remained as swift as ever. Yuan wasn’t surprised by this. After all, if Heng didn’t break through soon, he was going to catch up and overtake him.
Then there was the Li Family tournament. As expected, it was a fierce clash of titans. Just from listening to Xue Baoshan recount the event, Yuan could sense the sheer number of talented individuals emerging. There were at least four or five people in this generation stronger than Yu Yan. One even possessed a Grade-B Upper Root Bone, just like Heng. This person’s strength was quite formidable, but due to a short training period, they suffered a narrow defeat to a contestant with a Grade-B Lower Root Bone. Yet, everyone knew the former’s potential was far greater.
Among the contestants with Grade-B Lower Root Bones, one named Tang Chuan possessed decent strength, sitting at the Muscle-refining stage with Hidden Force. The only reason Yuan remembered him was because Baoshan had shared an amusing anecdote.
After winning a match beautifully, the family elders asked Chuan what reward he wanted. His response shocked the crowd—he declared that he had admired the Li Family’s precious daughter, Li Lingshu, for a long time and hoped they could interact more frequently. Although he didn’t state it outright, his intention to propose was clear as day. It was an incredibly audacious move. Lingshu was present that day, and the atmosphere instantly flared up. The family elders seemed intent on playing matchmaker and asked for her opinion. If the match succeeded, it would become a beautiful local legend.
However, Lingshu politely declined. She stated that she already had a man of interest who was currently under her observation period, so she wouldn’t consider anyone else for the time being. This left Chuan disheartened and utterly humiliated. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, he didn’t have the nerve to press the issue and had no choice but to drop it.
Thinking of this, Yuan let out a long breath. He remembered that the Miss Li whom Li Changfu had tried to introduce him to was none other than this Lingshu. Thank goodness he hadn’t gotten involved. Otherwise, Chuan definitely would have marked him as a romantic rival and harbored a grudge, bringing completely unnecessary trouble. Furthermore, since Lingshu already had someone she was interested in, forcefully inserting himself into the picture might provoke both her and her mystery man.
This entire tangled mess of romance and affection was extremely troublesome and highly dangerous. It was the natural enemy of the low-key path. Yuan then thought back to the Martial Arts stories he had read in his previous life. He sighed, recalling just how many top-tier masters had died tragic deaths due to romantic entanglements.
He just wanted to quietly walk his low-key path.
That was why he had no intention of voluntarily revealing his breakthrough to the Muscle-refining stage. Yet, with such a massive leap in strength, it was inevitable that someone would notice the clues.
Two days later. At the Huo Courtyard.
As the day of the martial exam drew ever closer, Huo Lin summoned the eligible disciples who had a chance of passing to the Inner Courtyard to issue instructions regarding the test. Besides Yuan and Heng, there were only three other disciples, most of whom were merely going to make up the numbers.
"First, let me outline the martial exam process," Lin said calmly. "The minimum entry requirement is the Bone-refining stage and Manifest Force. However, without Great Success in both, your efforts will likely be in vain."
As soon as the words left his mouth, the faces of two disciples fell. It seemed their participation this time would simply be a way to broaden their horizons.
Lin continued.
"The martial exam is divided into three trials. The first trial assesses your Body Refining accomplishments, primarily testing your raw physical strength. Your ranking will be determined by the weight of the stone locks you can lift. Muscle-refining Martial Artists hold a massive advantage here.
"The second trial evaluates your technical mastery, primarily testing your force generation. Examiners will exchange punches with you. Those who have comprehended Hidden Force must use it to its absolute limits, and those who have grasped Manifest Force must display it fully.
"The third and most crucial trial is the practical combat assessment. You will be matched against opponents based on your performance in the previous two rounds. Don’t worry about encountering a formidable foe in your first match; the weaker performers from the first two trials will battle each other first before facing the stronger competitors."
The martial exam had been held for many years, and its mechanisms were highly refined. Those who deserved to pass might still fail, but those who didn’t deserve to pass absolutely would not succeed.
After finishing his explanation, Lin shifted his gaze to Heng and offered a faint smile.
"Heng, with your strength, you should perform exceptionally well in the first two trials. As long as you maintain your composure, passing the exam won’t be an issue. The real question is whether you can push for the top tier list."
A Muscle-refining Martial Artist with Hidden Force was already among the absolute elite in the martial exam. Very few could achieve the Marrow-refining stage or Projected Force at this age. Doing so required not only tremendous talent but also perfectly timed age brackets.
With that said, Lin looked over at Yuan, instructing him with the same faint smile.
"Yuan, your raw strength is slightly lacking, so you might not be able to pull ahead there. However, your technical mastery is already at the Hidden Force level. If you perform well, you’ll still hold a distinct advantage and could avoid fighting an extra match or two.
"If you perform consistently, you have a strong chance of making the list. Just do your best and, above all, be careful."
As he spoke, his gaze lingered on Yuan, subconsciously observing the youth’s physical condition. But the longer he looked, the more he realized something was off. That long, powerful breathing. The fluid, sculpted lines of his muscles. That vibrant, spirited aura...
Lin’s eyes suddenly lit up. He lunged forward, reaching out to grab Yuan’s arm.
Yuan’s pupils shrank. "And they claim this old geezer’s vitality is declining!" he thought in shock. "His speed is so immense that even someone practicing Qinggong can’t dodge it!"
He instinctively took a step back before realizing Master Huo’s intention. Offering a helpless smile, he allowed the master to seize his arm.
The other four disciples, along with Senior Brother Tao standing nearby, were stunned by the sudden turn of events.
That was until Lin stared at Yuan with burning eyes and burst into roaring laughter.
"Good boy! You sure know how to hide things. Breaking through the Muscle-refining stage without making a single sound. Excellent, truly excellent! Did you achieve the Iron Bone?"
"Not just the Iron Bone. It’s the Iron Elephant Bone," Yuan thought to himself.
However, he simply smiled and nodded. "I managed to forge the Iron Bone by a stroke of luck. I just broke through two days ago and haven’t had the time to tell you."