Chapter 136: The Tempering of Flesh

Most of the remaining flaws now originated from rune carving itself—every additional percentage required considerably greater precision than before.

Still, Li Yan remained patient.

The sixth attempt produced:

[Tier: Tier-1

Material Purity:90%

Rune Precision:86%

Overall Quality:88%

Artifact Level: High-Level]

The seventh finally reached the ninety-percent threshold, producing his first Peak-Level artifact.

The eighth reached an Overall Quality of 92%.

The ninth improved further to 93%.

Finally—

The tenth dagger quietly rested upon the stone table as Li Yan pointed the Artifact Tester toward it.

The tester emitted its familiar white radiance before five lines gradually appeared.

[Tier: Tier-1

Material Purity:96%

Rune Precision:94%

Overall Quality:95%

Artifact Level: Perfect-Level]

Li Yan silently looked at the completed dagger.

Compared to his first attempt, the difference was obvious even without the Artifact Tester.

The alloy possessed a far smoother texture.

The runes had become almost indistinguishable from the blade itself, yet their circulation of Qi had become significantly more harmonious.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

Repeated practice had transformed knowledge into instinct.

However, Li Yan did not continue forging another dagger.

Instead, he placed the tenth dagger beside the previous nine before calmly putting away the blueprint.

Unlike alchemy, where Li Yan usually made 20 attempts at a single pill recipe, craftsmanship encompassed an enormous variety of artifacts.

Every blueprint possessed its own unique structure, alloy composition, rune arrangement, and forging characteristics.

Continuing to forge the same dagger would certainly improve his familiarity with its blueprint. However, the gains would gradually diminish compared to studying an entirely different artifact, whose structure, materials, and rune arrangement would present new challenges.

Achieving a Perfect-Level artifact on only the tenth attempt was already an exceptional result.

Li Yan had no intention of becoming a craftsman who excelled at producing only a single weapon.

He intended to master Craftsmanship itself.

With that decision made, Li Yan retrieved another blueprint from the remaining stack inside his storage ring and began studying it.

The days that followed passed quietly as Li Yan continued working through the remaining blueprints.

The quiet chamber became his entire world. Day after day, the Craftsman Furnace burned without interruption as one blueprint after another transformed from theory into reality beneath his hands.

Following the dagger, he forged swords, sabers, spears, shields, gauntlets, bows, armor, and other Tier-1 artifacts recorded within the collection Ji Hong had prepared for him.

Every new blueprint presented different challenges.

Some demanded greater control during alloy creation. Others relied upon increasingly intricate rune networks. A few required unusual combinations of materials that tested his understanding of compatibility far more than his technical skill.

Yet each successful artifact deepened his comprehension of craftsmanship.

As he continued, failures became increasingly rare and even his mistakes grew smaller. Each completed artifact added another layer of experience, gradually turning the knowledge he had studied into practical instinct.

His rune carving, in particular, improved at an astonishing pace. Every line became smoother, every curve more natural, and the flow of Qi through the rune pathways became increasingly harmonious.

Even the time required to complete an artifact steadily decreased.

Compared to his earliest attempts, his current forging process required barely a quarter of the original time, while the overall quality continued to improve through greater consistency rather than luck.

More than ten days passed quietly.

When Li Yan finally extinguished the furnace and stepped out of the crafting chamber, he had already completed twenty-one of the forty-five Tier-1 artifact blueprints.

Although he had attempted each blueprint only ten times before moving on to the next, he was satisfied with the decision.

Returning to his bathroom, Li Yan prepared a hot bath before sinking comfortably into the warm water. The lingering fatigue from days of uninterrupted crafting gradually left his body, while his mind remained as active as ever.

Senior Yao's task was still far from complete.

During the months ahead, his attention needed to be divided among alchemy, craftsmanship, and other cultivation paths; they had to be balanced.

Leaning against the edge of the bathtub, Li Yan quietly organized everything before him.

Qi Cultivation.

Body Cultivation.

Soul Cultivation.

Swordsmanship.

Alchemy.

Craftsmanship.

Alongside them remained Senior Yao's task, which required both restrained cultivation and overwhelming combat ability.

Each path supported the others.

Neglecting any one of them would eventually limit the rest.

Drawing on the habits he had formed during his years managing vast business enterprises in his previous life, Li Yan calmly reorganized his priorities. Every activity was arranged into repeating cycles, ensuring that each path received sufficient attention without hindering the others.

Hunting, Qi, Body, Soul Cultivation, professions, and sword practice were all placed where they would produce the greatest overall improvement.

Only after reviewing the plan several times did he nod in satisfaction.

A balanced foundation would always produce the greatest long-term results.

After finishing his bath, Li Yan returned to his room.

The moment his head touched the pillow, sleep quietly claimed him, preparing him for the new routine that would begin with tomorrow's sunrise.

*****

Time flowed quietly.

Before anyone realized it, the four and a half months had passed in the blink of an eye.

Throughout that period, Li Yan's life remained remarkably disciplined.

Every day unfolded according to the cultivation cycle he had carefully designed. Qi cultivation advanced steadily, while the Hunting Grounds became the primary place where he tempered both his body and combat instincts through constant battle.

Alchemy, craftsmanship, and the Sword Tower progressed alongside one another without disrupting the balance he had established. Body and Soul Cultivation likewise continued without interruption.

Although no major events disrupted those months, countless ordinary days gradually added up to extraordinary progress.

His Qi Cultivation had advanced to the Qi Channeling Realm (Stage-5).

His Body Cultivation had entered the Flesh Tempering Realm (Stage-1). The medicinal baths inside the Fire Mine had laid the foundation for his body by strengthening it. At the same time, months of continuous combat beneath the Training Rings had forced his muscles to adapt to increasingly severe strain. 

His Soul Cultivation remained at the Spiritual Awakening Realm (Peak Stage). Despite steady improvement during every cultivation session, the invisible barrier separating him from the next realm remained unmoved, requiring something beyond simple accumulation to overcome.

The burden of the Training Rings had increased together with his physical strength.

With the White and Green Training Rings fully activated and the first stars of the Brown Star Training Rings now in use, the total weight pressing upon his body had reached four thousand jin.

The crushing pressure had long since become part of his daily life. Every movement, every breath, and every step silently tempered his body.

Hunting beasts also continued strengthening his Killing Aura. The fourth Killing Aura orb finally reached completion during those months, allowing him to begin condensing the fifth. The new orb now revolved alongside the other four, although its crimson radiance remained noticeably dimmer than theirs.

His achievements beyond cultivation were equally remarkable.

In alchemy, he had begun refining Tier-4 Mid-Level pills, and in craftsmanship, he had already completed all forty-five Tier-1 artifact blueprints and mastered 41 of the 56 Tier-2 artifact blueprints.

Although both professions still demanded more practice before true mastery, every successful refinement and every completed artifact deepened his understanding of their respective paths.

Meanwhile, countless hours spent within the Sword Tower continued bearing fruit.

His Earth-Level Sword Intent had advanced to the Advanced Stage.

None of those achievements had been granted by fortune.

They were the natural result of countless ordinary days filled with cultivation, practice, failure, reflection, and steady improvement.

Like water carving through stone, Li Yan's progress appeared unremarkable from one day to the next.

Only after looking back did its true extent become clear.

***

The familiar teleportation portals outside the Shadow Haven Sect shimmered quietly beneath the morning sunlight, their spatial formations releasing gentle ripples that distorted the surrounding air.

Moments later, two figures approached the portal leading to the Tier-4 Hunting Ground.

The first was Li Yan, whose azure robes swayed lightly with each measured step. Beside him walked Ji Xin, dressed in the same Sect robes, a slender sword hanging naturally at her waist.

Compared to several months earlier, the aura surrounding her had become noticeably steadier.

The swordsmanship practice she had undergone alongside Li Yan, combined with the guidance he had quietly offered throughout their sparring sessions, had gradually refined both her technique and her understanding of the Sword Path.

As they stopped before the portal, Ji Xin turned toward him with a faint smile. "So…"

"We're going to practice in the Tier-4 Hunting Ground today?"

Li Yan nodded. "My tempering technique requires harsher training."

Ji Xin tilted her head slightly. "I thought ordinary training was already enough."

"It was," Li Yan replied calmly. "But not anymore."

His gaze rested upon the shimmering portal. "My current stage demands greater physical pressure. Without it, further progress will become increasingly slow."

Ji Xin considered his words for a moment before smiling. "You've thought this through far more carefully than I have."

Li Yan merely nodded.

Neither of them spoke further as they stepped into the teleportation portal together.

The surrounding space distorted gently before the familiar sensation of weightlessness enveloped them.

Li Yan had no intention of explaining the true reason behind today's training.

The path of Body Cultivation remained known only to himself and Yao Fuhuo.

The Skin Tempering Realm focused upon strengthening the body's outermost layer. Constant external pressure, repeated impacts, and medicinal baths gradually transformed the skin into a far stronger protective foundation.

The Flesh Tempering Realm, however, demanded something entirely different.

Soaking in medicinal baths was no longer sufficient.

The muscles themselves had to endure repeated strain, absorb tremendous impacts, and gradually adapt to burdens beyond their previous limits. Only through that continuous process of destruction and recovery could genuine advancement be achieved.

Several breaths later, both of them stepped out of the portal.

Towering ancient trees stretched high into the sky, their enormous trunks requiring several people to encircle them together. Massive boulders lay scattered naturally throughout the forest, while fallen logs rested across the uneven ground, covered by thick moss that had accumulated over countless years.

Even the surrounding air felt noticeably heavier, carrying the faint oppressive presence of the Tier-4 Magical Beasts inhabiting the region.

Without exchanging another word, the two quietly walked into the Hunting Ground.

Roughly ten minutes later, Li Yan gradually slowed his pace before stopping beside a broad clearing surrounded by ancient trees.

"This area should be sufficient."

Ji Xin looked around before turning toward him. "What about me?"

Li Yan pointed toward the open clearing several dozen meters away. "Practice your sword there. I'll observe whenever I have the opportunity."

She followed his gaze before nodding obediently. "Alright."

Without any further conversation, Ji Xin walked to the clearing, drew her sword, and took up her familiar stance.

Their repeated sparring sessions had gradually changed the way Ji Xin viewed him. Although she was older, she had begun addressing him as "Senior Brother Li," acknowledging the gap that had emerged between them in swordsmanship and combat experience.

A faint stream of pale Sword Aura gradually flowed across her blade.

Rather than immediately practicing techniques, she began with the fundamentals.

One swing.

Then another.

Every movement remained slow, deliberate, and precise as she repeatedly practiced the most basic sword forms, refining every detail through repetition.

Not far away, Li Yan stood quietly beneath the shade of an ancient tree.

With a single thought, the Training Rings around both wrists and ankles gradually revealed themselves.

The White and Green Training Rings were already fully activated, while the first stars of the Brown Star Training Rings continued shining faintly.

Together, they imposed a constant burden of four thousand jin upon his body.

Without hesitation, Li Yan activated the second star of the Brown Training Rings in his arms.

Immediately, another five hundred jin descended upon him.

The total burden rose to 4,500 jin.

The sudden increase caused his knees to bend slightly. His muscles tightened under the additional pressure, and he steadily stabilized himself and began assessing how the new burden affected his balance, movement, and breathing. 

The ground beneath his feet sank a fraction of an inch, and fine cracks quietly spread across the hardened ground.

Li Yan slowly clenched both fists. "This should be an appropriate beginning."

Although the pressure was considerable, he did his best to endure it through sheer physical strength, without using Qi.

With a wave of his hand, a spear appeared from his Storage Ring.

He gripped it firmly, then began practicing. There was no circulation of Qi, no technique, and no enhancement from cultivation. He relied entirely on his physical strength.

The spear traced simple arcs through the air as he repeatedly performed the most basic movements.

A dull ache gradually spread through his shoulders, arms, back, and waist as the muscles beneath his skin endured repeated strain. Every movement demanded greater effort than the last, forcing his body to adapt continuously beneath the crushing weight.

Rather than resisting the discomfort, Li Yan quietly accepted it.

This was precisely the kind of pressure the Flesh Tempering Realm required.

Li Yan continued without interruption. Every thrust strained his shoulders and back, every recovery tested the stability of his muscles, and every movement beneath the additional burden forced his body to adapt further. He was no longer merely carrying weight.

He was teaching his flesh to withstand it.

After a few minutes, Ji Xin stopped and glanced toward him. "Senior Brother Li, my wrist is still turning slightly too early during the transition."

Li Yan looked over as she swung her sword to let him observe for a moment before he nodded. "Your movement is correct until the final third. You're allowing the blade to lead your wrist instead of letting the wrist guide the blade."

She considered his words, then repeated the movement.

This time, the sword passed through the air with noticeably greater stability.