Chapter 40: Gang Transformation Complete, Eighth Grade

Chapter 40: Chapter 40: Gang Transformation Complete, Eighth Grade

"Go play. You don’t need to stand guard by my side," Lu Yuan said, giving Yaoyao a gentle push.

"Okay." Yaoyao looked back repeatedly as she walked away, returning to the kitchen to continue tending the fire. She had been called out by Wei Huiling just now to check on him.

"I almost blew my cover." Lu Yuan took out a Qi Nourishing Pill and swallowed it to restore his True Qi.

"Brother Yuan." Lin Siyao appeared, jumping down from the wall.

"Hmm? Are you hurt?" Her eyes flashed as her expression abruptly changed.

"No," Lu Yuan said, shaking his head.

SWOOSH!

She quickly arrived at his side, grabbing his arm and pressing her delicate fingers to his pulse. "Huh?" Lin Siyao frowned slightly. He wasn’t injured! But the stench of blood in the courtyard... She could still distinguish between human and animal blood. Since it wasn’t Brother Yuan, it must be...

"I told you I’m not hurt." Lu Yuan flipped his hand to grasp hers.

"Mhm." Lin Siyao nodded. Her gaze caught the bloodstains on his clothes, as well as the remnants on the ground that hadn’t been fully swept up. "Brother Yuan, you should be able to complete your Gang Transformation very soon."

"That’s right, but don’t tell anyone else," Lu Yuan said, blinking and smiling.

"Mhm, I know." Lin Siyao’s eyes curved into a pair of crescents. "An Eighth Grade martial artist before turning sixteen. Brother Yuan, your cultivation is advancing at a breakneck pace. You’re a true genius now!"

"Does that mean I was a fake genius before?" Lu Yuan teased.

"No! Oh, Brother Yuan, you know I didn’t mean it like that." Lin Siyao pouted playfully, then couldn’t help but sigh. "You’re already at the Eighth Grade, yet I still can’t cultivate."

"If you could cultivate, Siyao, you would definitely improve much faster and be ten times more formidable than me," Lu Yuan gently comforted her. He knew exactly how much potential his fiancée possessed.

"Eh? How could you tell, Brother Yuan?" Lin Siyao asked with a smile, tilting her head.

"Because you’re exceptionally bright." Lu Yuan tapped her forehead.

"Hehe." Lin Siyao smiled happily, then gently rested her head on his shoulder. "I’ll protect you from now on, Brother Yuan."

"Mhm. I’ll be waiting. I look forward to it," Lu Yuan said, nodding.

"I’m heading home then!" Lin Siyao abruptly turned and left.

"Ah..." Lu Yuan blanked for a moment, watching as she swiftly scaled the wall and disappeared. "This girl..." He lowered his head, glancing at the bloodstains on the ground, and covered them with some dirt, rubbing it in. Only then did he resume his cultivation.

Old Lu didn’t come home for dinner tonight; he was probably working overtime again. After eating, Lu Yuan continued cultivating. He pushed forward in one vigorous effort.

Strangely, Lin Siheng never came to find him. In the past, that kid would climb over the wall at least three or four times a day, wishing he could stick to him at all times. This was quite abnormal. However, it likely wouldn’t last more than a few days.

Yaoyao sat quietly on the side all the while, watching Lu Yuan cultivate. He wasn’t sure if she was worried about his health or if she wanted to learn martial arts. Lu Yuan cast aside his stray thoughts and focused entirely on his cultivation.

Since recovering from injuries would make him stronger, he could be much bolder in his training and exert a fiercer force. He didn’t need to worry about minor internal injuries; a short rest would easily fix them. This approach yielded better results, allowing him to progress at a phenomenal speed. The True Qi within his body became increasingly pure, eventually turning as clear and limpid as water. It gradually grew easier to control, until...

SWOOSH!

Lu Yuan brought his hands together and then pulled them apart. A translucent Qi-Formed Gang Membrane materialized. It was incredibly thin yet possessed immense resistance and tension, forming a sphere between his palms. This was True Gang!

With True Gang, he could fully unleash his power and attack from a distance. He no longer had to worry about depleting his Primordial Qi when projecting his True Qi externally. His combat prowess had surged significantly. True Gang was ten times purer than True Qi, packing far greater might. Its effects on body tempering and nourishment were vastly superior, and it held many more wondrous applications. Most importantly, it could seep into the bones for Bone Tempering...

Lu Yuan studied it for quite a while, experimenting with the various wondrous uses of True Gang multiple times. His Realm of Perfection Fist Technique and flawless Fist Intent made doing so incredibly simple, without the slightest bit of pressure or strain. His combat strength had skyrocketed by at least tenfold...

CLANG!

Lu Yuan drew his long saber and slashed forcefully.

SWISH SWISH SWISH!

Streaks of Saber Qi emerged, thin as silk threads, weaving a crisscrossing net. They instantly shrouded a ten-foot radius, carrying overwhelming lethality.

Only now could he fully draw out the true might of the Wind-Breaking Nine Slashes. A Superior Saber Technique at the Realm of Perfection already possessed a trace of the aura of Divine Techniques, looking incomparably profound and mystical. This was the true source of Lu Yuan’s confidence as an Eighth Grade.

Stirring awake from the commotion, Yaoyao watched Lu Yuan wield his saber, her eyes inevitably shining with a radiant luster. She thought, "This saber technique is incredible! Has Young Master already become this powerful?"

SHING!

Lu Yuan retracted the saber in his hand, returning it to its sheath. He then picked Yaoyao up and carried her back to her room. It was the middle of the night. Too much noise would disturb his family and the neighbors’ rest. He knew that his future mother-in-law was at least a Sixth Grade Peak Martial Artist with an extremely sharp Sixth Sense.

The next morning, Lu Yuan woke up punctually before dawn.

Having successfully cultivated Gang Qi, his body’s recovery rate had drastically improved. Just four hours of sleep was enough for him to be fully rested, brimming with vigor and vitality. Lu Yuan warmed up first before officially beginning the first step of Eighth Grade cultivation: Bone Tempering.

Bone Tempering meant refining one’s bones until they were like gold and jade, allowing them to withstand even greater force. This process was typically determined by three major factors:

The first was the purity of the True Gang. The purer the True Gang, the better the tempering effect and the faster the speed of improvement.

The second was the power and realm of the Fist Technique. Fist Techniques were categorized into high, low, superior, and inferior grades. The more formidable the technique and the higher its realm, the better the tempering effect and the faster the natural progression.

The third was one’s innate root bone, which was the foundational quality of the skeleton itself. A good root bone made tempering easier and more effective, accelerating the rate of improvement. Conversely, a poor root bone meant a slower pace and required careful, meticulous effort.

Of course, there was another major determining factor: pills. A Bone Tempering Pill could drastically increase the speed of Bone Tempering. Lu Yuan currently had two Bone Tempering Pills on him. He immediately consumed one.

The effect of the Bone Tempering Pill was to render the bones highly permeable, allowing Gang Qi to seep in more easily for tempering and nourishment. At its core, it was still about tempering and nourishing.

After figuring out the buff of the Undying Body, Lu Yuan embarked on the violent path of an Evil Cultivator. He just needed to go all out with Bone Tempering. There was no need to worry about fractured bones, osteoporosis, or marrow necrosis. The only things he needed to consider were whether he had enough internal energy, if his Gang Qi was sufficient, and how many Qi Nourishing Pills he had left.

Consequently, a single Bone Tempering Pill yielded the effect of nearly three pills for him. One cultivation session was equivalent to at least two months of normal practice without pills for an ordinary person. Of course, the flip side was severe Gang Qi consumption. In less than two hours, his body was completely hollowed out. What was even more critical was that he had run out of Qi Nourishing Pills the previous night.

HSSS... HUUU...

Lu Yuan let out a long breath and ceased his cultivation.

"Haha, Lu Yuan, I’m here!" Lin Siheng suddenly appeared on top of the wall, hands on his hips and his nose in the air. "Take a look at me. What’s different about me today?"

"What’s different about you? There’s nothing different," Lu Yuan said, shaking his head.

"What?" Lin Siheng grew irritated. His eyes instantly went wide as he leaped down from the wall.

BAM!

Two bluestone bricks in the Lu family courtyard shattered, mostly crumbling into powder.

"Taste my Tyrant Fist!"