Chapter 281: Bone Cultivation

Chapter 281: Chapter 281: Bone Cultivation

Lin Qi clenched his fists. He had finally broken through to the Fourth Realm.

That last 0.01 of his Qi and Blood Value had made him endure two long hours of pain.

But he had finally passed this hurdle, and his body was instantly different.

Only someone with his kind of physical Talent could have succeeded on the first try. Other geniuses would have failed to break through even with the help of Jade Skin Ointment.

They would have to continue refining their skin, hoping for a breakthrough one day.

GULP~

Lin Qi quickly downed three energy drinks and dragged his exhausted body into the bathroom.

As the hot water washed over him, he rubbed his skin and, just as he’d expected, easily peeled off a thin layer of old skin from his arm.

A moment later, Lin Qi had shed all the old skin from his body. He looked at his reflection in the mirror, completely renewed.

It was as if the dust and grime had been wiped from a piece of jade, revealing its inherent luster.

His skin was smooth and lustrous as jade, a true jade-like skin.

It was smooth, delicate, and elastic, yet tougher than cowhide.

Lin Qi looked at his reflection, feeling as if he had been completely transformed.

This was the change brought by Perfect Skin Cultivation. Combined with his already handsome features, he looked like a Celestial God descended to the mortal world.

...

「Half an hour later」

Azure Sky Sixth Institute, Villa 01

After returning home, Lin Qi first ate a Level 4 Nutritional Bar to replenish the energy he had expended in the Gravity Room.

Then, he went back to his Martial Arts Room. Although his stomach was full, his body still felt hungry.

WHOOSH~

He sat cross-legged, cleared his mind and body, entered a state of Meditation, and began to practice his Source Energy Skill, dispelling all distracting thoughts.

A Vajra Tiger, towering like a mountain and cast from solid gold, roared at the heavens, frantically absorbing the Source Energy Particles from the surrounding air.

WHOOSH~

At the same time, fierce gusts of wind swirled throughout the Martial Arts Room.

Lin Qi instantly felt a difference in his body. Today’s Cultivation felt completely different.

A massive amount of Source Energy Particles poured into his body like a pillar of water, and his absorption efficiency had skyrocketed.

’Did my Cultivation efficiency increase after the breakthrough?’

Lin Qi wondered about this as wisps of Source Energy Particles continuously entered his body through his pores.

Waves of coolness spread to every corner of his body. His cells still felt starved, frantically devouring the Source Energy.

Since he had broken through to the Fourth Realm, his physical constitution had improved once more. He had advanced from the Low Realm to the Middle Realm.

It was a massive leap, a breakthrough into a new Great Realm.

Lin Qi finally understood where the feeling of emptiness was coming from. It was his body’s cells. After breaking through to the Fourth Realm, it wasn’t just his skin that had transformed.

His entire body had transformed, and its cells had developed a much bigger appetite.

They could now consume far more Source Energy.

His body was instinctively devouring Source Energy Particles.

The entire process lasted for three hours before it ended.

WHOOSH~

As the fierce winds blew, Lin Qi snapped his eyes open. A Golden Light flashed, and a domineering aura erupted from him, just like the attribute of the Vajra Tiger.

He stood up and twisted his body, his bones letting out a series of CRACKING sounds.

[You have broken through to the Fourth Realm. Your body has transformed, your Cultivation efficiency has increased, and your Qi and Blood Value has broken through. Qi and Blood Value +5]

[Qi and Blood Value: 100 → 105]

...

Lin Qi felt his body was at its peak. He clenched his fist, feeling the power surge through him, and breathed a sigh of relief after seeing the information on the panel.

"What a huge gain. I actually increased my Qi and Blood Value by 5 points. That’s even better than using cultivation resources."

He felt incredibly powerful right now.

After calming himself down, he began to ponder.

’I’ve broken through to the Fourth Realm of Bone Refining now. What should my next steps be? I need someone to guide me.’

’It’s a shame my instructor went to the Otherworld to break through to the Eighth Realm and there’s been no news from him. Should I ask Dean Liu for guidance?’

Lin Qi thought to himself that since he had reached the Fourth Realm, he needed to prepare for the Cultivation of Fourth Realm Bone Refining.

For this brand-new Realm, he needed systematic guidance, preferably from a High Realm Martial Artist, who could typically provide a comprehensive explanation from various perspectives.

...

「The next day, at the Azure Sky Sixth Institute’s Cangjing Teaching Building.」

RING RING RING!!

"Class dismissed!!"

As the bell rang, instructors in the various lecture halls left, and students began packing their textbooks and leaving the classrooms.

Some prepared to return to their dorms to cultivate, while others headed for the Refining God Tower or the Gravity Room to train.

Still others went to find their Martial Arts Instructors to work on their Martial Arts.

"What? Brother Qi, you’re going to see my instructor?"

Outside the classroom, Jiangtao was dumbfounded when he heard Lin Qi. Guan Mountain and Wang Qiufeng were equally surprised.

"My instructor isn’t around, and Dean Liu is busy, so your instructor is my only option," Lin Qi replied with a smile.

’What kind of question requires a High Realm Martial Artist’s guidance?’

Although Jiangtao was confused, he still led Lin Qi into an elevator and up to a spacious Martial Arts Room on the fourth floor.

The moment he walked in, Lin Qi sensed several powerful auras.

Five or six people, both men and women, were already gathered in the Martial Arts Room. Their auras were formidable, and their eyes were bright and focused.

Standing among them was a woman in a white training uniform who looked to be in her early thirties, with her hair in a simple ponytail.

Her features were sharp and striking, her figure tall. Her muscles were lean and defined, and her healthy, wheat-colored skin made her resemble a cheetah on the savanna.

Her powerful aura made her stand out from the crowd. Upon seeing her, Jiangtao, Guan Mountain, and Wang Qiufeng all greeted her respectfully.

"Instructor!"

"Brother Qi, this is my instructor—Liu Ran!" Jiangtao introduced in a low voice.

"The others here are my senior brothers and sisters."

"The most talented is Senior Sister Ding Danxuan. She’s the sophomore Dean of our Sixth Institute."

Lin Qi looked over curiously. A well-endowed, statuesque young woman stood at the center of the group.

She had striking, beautiful features, and her Qi Blood was vigorous. Dressed in a white Martial Arts Uniform, she was quite eye-catching.

Just then, Liu Ran, swinging the Miao Blade in her hand, looked curiously at Lin Qi as he walked in.

Tall, with fair skin, sharp features, a handsome face, and a unique air about him.

His Qi Blood was formidable, making him the most dazzling one in the room.

"This Qi Blood...?"

Liu Ran’s Perception was sharp. Sensing Lin Qi’s unconcealed aura, she was inwardly surprised.

’He’s actually broken through to the Fourth Realm already?’

That morning, she had been notified by Dean Liu to explain Fourth Realm Bone Cultivation to the freshman Dean, Lin Qi.

She had assumed that because Mu Hong was away, Lin Qi just wanted to learn about Fourth Realm Cultivation in advance.

But it turned out Lin Qi had already broken through to the Fourth Realm.

As expected of the one who defeated an Awakened genius. He was a prodigy beyond reason, even in the history of the Xia Country.

At this moment, she felt incredibly envious of Mu Hong. ’Why isn’t a disciple like this mine?’

"You must be Student Lin Qi, right?"

"If only you trained in the blade, you might have become my disciple!" Liu Ran said.

"So that’s Lin Qi?"

"The top freshman? The one who beat an Awakened genius at the National Freshman Competition?"

The sophomores and juniors looked at Lin Qi with curiosity.

Lin Qi nodded. "Yes!"

Liu Ran nodded, glanced around, and said, "Everyone, come here."

"Today, Student Lin Qi has come to listen in on a class."

"I will give a detailed lecture on the Fourth Realm that comes after the Third Realm of Skin Refining—Bone Refining!"

"For the sophomores and juniors, this will be a review. Jiangtao, Guan Mountain, and Wang Qiufeng, you three should also listen carefully, as you’ll need to know this in the future."

Everyone nodded. Liu Ran looked down and began operating her smartphone.

Jiangtao immediately sensed something was off and leaned in to ask Lin Qi in a low voice:

"Brother Qi, are you preparing to break through to the Fourth Realm?"

Lin Qi said calmly, "No, I’m already in the Fourth Realm."

Jiangtao’s eyes widened as he stared at Lin Qi in astonishment. "You broke through?"

Although they spoke quietly, everyone around them heard them loud and clear.

Instantly, all eyes snapped toward them. Guan Mountain and Wang Qiufeng also wore looks of complete surprise.

"Fourth Realm?"

"Hasn’t the semester just started? This fast?" The group of sophomores and juniors was instantly unsettled.

Many of them were also in the Fourth Realm, and now their junior was already catching up.

Every one of them felt a wave of pressure wash over them.

Although they were all top-100 elites in their respective years, the pressure of being around a genius like this was immense.

Among them, Ding Danxuan, the Dean of the Sixth Institute, was secretly astonished.

As the sophomore Dean of the Sixth Institute, she herself was an S-class Talent.

Her Cultivation speed was far beyond that of an ordinary person, but even so, she had only broken through to the Fourth Realm in June of her freshman year.

It was only March now. He was a full three months faster than her!

Jiangtao, Guan Mountain, and Wang Qiufeng were already numb with shock.

"Alright, let’s begin the class!"

Liu Ran spoke, her voice loud and clear.

The intelligent lifeform beside her floated over and projected a large green screen displaying a diagram of the human body.

"The Nine Great Gates of Martial Arts. One gate, one Realm. One Realm, one shackle."

"Each time you break a shackle, your strength takes a quantum leap."

"The Nine Great Realms are divided into three Great Realms. The First to Third Realms are for Low Realm Martial Artists, the Fourth to Sixth Realms are for Middle Realm Martial Artists, and the Seventh to Ninth Realms are for High Realm Martial Artists!"

"Breaking through to the Fourth Realm means you are considered a Middle Realm Martial Artist. It is a watershed moment."

"Across all of Blue Star, the Low Realms have already eliminated eighty percent of all Martial Artists. The ones who remain can be considered Elites."

Everyone nodded. After reaching the Fourth Realm, one’s social standing rose a level. You would never have to worry about food and drink wherever you went.

You completely leave the class of ordinary people behind.

"According to the theoretical sequence of bodily Refinement researched by the nations of Blue Star: First Realm is Muscle Training, Second Realm is Muscle Training, Third Realm is Skin Refining, and the Fourth Realm is Bone Cultivation!"

After speaking, Liu Ran used her slender Miao Blade to point at the projected diagram of the human body, which showed the various bones and joints.

"What is Bone Refining? It is the tempering of our bones, making them as hard as steel."

"Hardened bones not only improve our physical constitution but also allow us to withstand stronger attacks."

"The Calamity Beasts you will face are enormous. Their charges have the power to shatter walls and crush stone. If your bones aren’t hard enough, a single collision will shatter them, causing your body to fall apart and lose all combat ability."

"Of course, the most crucial part is that it gives your strength more piercing force, increasing your damage output."

As she finished speaking, Liu Ran clenched her left fist and threw a punch. The students around her felt their hair stand on end as a terrifying sense of crisis washed over them.

BOOM!!

Liu Ran’s punch sent a violent wind howling, ravaging the faces of the onlookers. The air exploded with a sound like an air cannon.

Lin Qi was shocked. If that simple punch had hit him, he wouldn’t have been able to withstand it at all, not even with his Steel Bones and Iron Flesh.

He could clearly feel that as Liu Ran threw her punch, her strength condensed, channeled through her bones, and erupted with a burst of Power, creating a massive impact force.

This power was immense, and it was generated purely from her physical conditioning.

...