Chapter 137: Flesh Tempering Realm (Stage-2)

Time passed quietly beneath the shade of the ancient trees.

The spear continued tracing smooth arcs through the air, each swing carrying the full weight imposed by the Training Rings.

Gradually, Li Yan began to sense subtle changes in his body.

His muscles no longer responded as crisply as they had at the beginning of the session. A heavy soreness spread through his shoulders, arms, and back, while every movement demanded slightly greater effort than the last.

Li Yan nodded faintly. "Just as recorded."

The cultivation manual had described this stage in remarkable detail.

Unlike the Skin Tempering Realm, where medicinal baths primarily strengthened the body's exterior, the Flesh Tempering Realm relied upon repeated destruction and recovery. Every burst of exertion produced tiny injuries throughout the muscles. As the body recovered, those damaged fibers gradually became denser and stronger than before.

A single strike accomplished almost nothing.

Only thousands upon thousands of repetitions could slowly transform the flesh.

Li Yan neither accelerated nor slowed his movements.

He simply continued.

Not far away, Ji Xin remained immersed in her own practice.

Her sword moved steadily through the familiar sequence of forms, pale Sword Aura extending gracefully along the blade. Rather than pursuing speed, she refined every transition, every angle, and every adjustment between movements.

From time to time, her eyes drifted toward Li Yan.

To an outsider, he appeared to be doing nothing more than practicing the spear beneath an unreasonable burden.

Yet after spending months training beside him, Ji Xin understood that every exercise he chose served a specific purpose.

Whether cultivating, refining pills, crafting artifacts, or practicing swordsmanship, he approached each path with the same quiet patience.

Now, he was treating his own body no differently.

Hours slipped by unnoticed.

Only then did Li Yan lower the spear.

He slowly rotated both shoulders. Every muscle throughout his upper body burned with a deep soreness. Exactly as expected.

Without hesitation, he focused his thoughts upon the Training Rings around his ankles. The second stars of the Brown Training Rings illuminated simultaneously.

Another five hundred jin settled upon his legs. His muscles instinctively tightened beneath the sudden increase.

Li Yan steadied his breathing before taking a single step forward.

Then another.

His pace remained slow and controlled.

Every step demanded complete coordination between his feet, legs, waist, and back. The additional burden magnified even the slightest flaw in his posture, forcing every movement to become increasingly efficient.

Only after completing several circuits around the clearing did he gradually deactivate the second stars.

The tremendous pressure disappeared instantly.

Even so, the muscles throughout his legs continued trembling faintly from exhaustion.

Li Yan quietly assessed his condition. "My upper body has adapted well. My lower body still requires further tempering."

His conclusion carried neither satisfaction nor disappointment.

It was simply another observation to guide the next training session.

Rather than resting, he walked toward the clearing where Ji Xin continued practicing. She immediately stopped and looked toward him.

Li Yan observed several more sword forms before calmly offering a few suggestions on her footwork, timing, and transitions between consecutive movements.

Ji Xin listened attentively, repeating the corrections several times until they felt natural.

Only then did Li Yan leave once more.

This time, all four Brown Training Rings illuminated with their second stars. A thousand jin descended upon his body.

Ahead lay a broad stretch of uneven terrain scattered with exposed roots, loose stones, and gentle slopes.

Li Yan lowered his center of gravity.

Then he sprinted forward.

Every step struck the ground with tremendous force.

The crushing burden transformed an ordinary run into relentless resistance training. His legs continually fought against the added weight as they adapted to the irregular terrain beneath his feet.

Loose stones shifted unexpectedly. Roots forced him to make constant adjustments to his footing. Steep inclines demanded even greater effort from every muscle.

Sweat gradually soaked through his robes. His breathing became noticeably heavier. Yet his pace never faltered.

Throughout the entire training session, Li Yan remained within sight of the clearing.

Although Ji Xin possessed sufficient strength to protect herself against ordinary dangers, this was still the Tier-4 Hunting Ground.

A single Tier-4 Magical Beast would place her in considerable danger.

As he trained, part of his attention quietly remained upon the surrounding forest, constantly monitoring the area through his Spiritual Sense.

Fortunately, no beasts approached.

By the time the sun had begun descending toward the horizon, Li Yan finally returned to the clearing.

Seeing him approach, Ji Xin sheathed her sword with a soft smile. "You've been training without stopping since morning."

Li Yan smiled faintly before retrieving a water flask from his Storage Ring and handing it to her. "So have you."

"I think we can call it a day."

Ji Xin accepted the flask and took several measured drinks before returning it. "I'm simply obsessed with swordsmanship."

"It demands repetition."

Li Yan nodded. "I can tell."

After storing the flask away, he looked toward the gradually darkening forest. "Are you returning to the Sect?"

Ji Xin followed his gaze toward the setting sun before smiling helplessly. "Not today. I want to know what it feels like spending a night outside the safety of the Sect."

A faint smile appeared on Li Yan's face. "Then we'll find a suitable place first."

He calmly surveyed the surrounding forest. "Tier-4 Magical Beasts are far more cunning than those in the lower hunting grounds. A secure campsite will be much safer."

Ji Xin laughed softly. "You sound as though you've lived here for years."

Li Yan chuckled. "Not years. But long enough to understand their habits."

"They become considerably more active after nightfall."

The two quietly packed their belongings before continuing deeper into the forest.

Not long afterward, they discovered a spacious hollow beneath the roots of an enormous ancient tree. The natural cave was dry, stable, and well concealed by dense vegetation, making it suitable for spending the night.

Together, they prepared the shelter before sharing a Tier-4 meal that Li Yan brought as the last rays of sunlight disappeared beyond the western horizon.

Night gradually settled across the Tier-4 Hunting Ground.

The distant cries of Magical Beasts echoed faintly between the ancient trees, while cool evening winds drifted quietly through the forest.

After ensuring everything around the cave was secure, Li Yan stepped back outside.

Ji Xin watched him with slight curiosity. "I thought today's training had already ended."

Li Yan smiled faintly as his gaze lifted toward the moonlit forest. "Body tempering needs harder training."

With those words, he walked into the open space before the cave and quietly resumed his Body Cultivation beneath the silent night sky.

*****

Three days passed quietly within the Tier-4 Hunting Ground.

Li Yan repeated the same routine without interruption.

Body cultivation beneath the crushing burden of the Training Rings. He tempered his muscles through countless repetitions with the spear, traversed the uneven terrain under immense weight, and sometimes sought out Tier-4 Magical Beasts available in the surroundings.

He defeated them, relying primarily on his physical strength rather than Qi, to temper himself through real combat.

Each evening, after returning to the shelter beneath the ancient tree, he consumed the meat of Tier-4 Magical Beasts before circulating his Body Cultivation technique, allowing his exhausted muscles to recover and rebuild before the following day's training.

The progress was slow.

Almost imperceptible.

Yet Li Yan clearly sensed the subtle changes accumulating day after day.

His muscles gradually became denser.

Their explosive strength continued increasing, while their endurance against repeated strain steadily improved. Every session also refined coordination among the different parts of his body, allowing him to expend less effort while producing greater force.

Everything progressed exactly as the cultivation manual had described.

By noon on the fourth day, both of them had once again settled into their respective training.

Ji Xin no longer required constant guidance.

Her sword rose and fell in steady succession as pale Sword Aura quietly extended from the blade, every movement calm, deliberate, and increasingly refined.

Not far away, Li Yan sat cross-legged beneath the same ancient tree he had used throughout the previous three days.

His breathing gradually slowed.

He began circulating the Body Cultivation technique.

The surrounding Heaven and Earth Energy was quietly filtered, separating faint strands of Martial Energy from the countless other energies contained within the atmosphere.

Those strands slowly entered his meridians.

After passing through his Martial Core, the refined Martial Energy flowed steadily toward every muscle throughout his body.

Li Yan's Spiritual Sense carefully observed the entire process.

Each muscle fiber quietly absorbed the incoming Martial Energy, together with the nourishment obtained from the Magical Beast meat and the countless tiny improvements accumulated through repeated tempering over the previous days.

Everything proceeded naturally.

Nothing appeared unusual.

Several minutes passed.

Then, a faint fluctuation spread quietly throughout his body. It was neither violent nor accompanied by any spectacular phenomenon.

Instead, every muscle seemed to resonate simultaneously.

A comfortable warmth emerged from deep within his flesh before gradually spreading throughout his entire body.

Li Yan remained completely calm. He simply continued circulating the cultivation technique. The fluctuation gradually stabilized.

His muscles compressed almost imperceptibly before relaxing once again, becoming denser, more refined, and more harmonious than before.

Only after the transformation had completely settled did Li Yan slowly open his eyes.

A faint smile appeared upon his face. "The breakthrough."

There was no surprise. The previous three days had already accumulated everything his body needed. Today's advancement merely marked the moment when that foundation naturally matured.

Flesh Tempering Realm (Stage-2).

Li Yan slowly stood. He casually clenched his right fist. The muscles throughout his arm contracted with remarkable harmony.

The increase in strength was not overwhelming.

Instead, it felt…

More complete.

Every movement flowed more naturally than before. His body responded with greater precision, while unnecessary exertion had diminished noticeably.

"The coordination has improved. My body wastes less strength."

He nodded slightly.

That alone justified the breakthrough. His gaze naturally shifted toward the Training Rings wrapped around his wrists and ankles.

For the past three days, he had continuously trained beneath the burden of the second stars of the Brown Training Rings.

His body had adapted considerably, but not yet completely. Now that he had advanced another stage, it was time to verify his current limits.

Without hesitation, Li Yan circulated Qi into the rings. The second stars quietly illuminated.

The burden increased from four to five thousand jin and descended upon his body.

He remained standing calmly. Unlike before, the familiar burden no longer felt particularly restrictive.

He slowly rotated his shoulders before taking several measured steps. His movements remained smooth.

A faint smile appeared on his face. "As expected."

The breakthrough had fully allowed his body to adapt to the previous burden.

Only then did he circulate Qi into the rings once more. The third star quietly lit up. Instantly, another thousand jin descended upon his body.

The surrounding earth sank several centimeters beneath his feet.

His breathing immediately became heavier.

Every muscle throughout his body instinctively tightened beneath the overwhelming pressure.

His knees bent ever so slightly.

Li Yan remained motionless for several breaths, carefully analyzing every sensation transmitted throughout his body. "My muscles are responding immediately. The burden exceeds my current adaptation."

Although he had successfully broken through to the second stage of the Flesh Tempering Realm, the additional pressure remained beyond what his body could comfortably endure.

His heartbeat accelerated.

The muscles throughout his arms and legs trembled faintly.

Even maintaining an upright posture demanded noticeably greater effort.

Not far away, Ji Xin sensed the sudden increase in pressure and immediately turned toward him.

Her eyes widened slightly. "You increased it again?"

Li Yan nodded calmly.

Ji Xin looked at him for a long moment before letting out a helpless laugh. "Sometimes I wonder whether you even understand the meaning of the word 'rest.'"

Li Yan actually considered the question before answering. "I do."

"I simply haven't reached the point where I need it."

Ji Xin shook her head, unable to suppress another laugh. "I should have expected that answer."

Li Yan smiled faintly.

Rather than forcing himself to continue beneath the additional burden, he quietly dispersed the Qi within the rings.

The third stars gradually dimmed. The crushing pressure immediately lessened. He had already obtained the answer he sought.

There was no need to force unnecessary progress. Body cultivation demanded persistence. Not recklessness.

Li Yan slowly lifted his gaze toward the deeper regions of the Tier-4 Hunting Ground.

A calm light quietly appeared within his purple eyes. "Now…"

"It's time to continue hunting."

The afternoon passed peacefully as the two returned toward the teleportation portal.

After personally escorting Ji Xin safely back to the Shadow Haven Sect, Li Yan neither returned to his residence nor rested.

Instead, he turned around once more and calmly stepped back through the teleportation portal leading toward the Tier-4 Hunting Ground.

The hunting began.