Tempering Bones, Breakthrough to Tempering Bone!

"Comprehension plus six... The Six Heavens Blood-Strengthening Technique actually reached the sixth tier?" Lu Changsheng had somewhat anticipated that the Six Heavens Blood-Strengthening Technique would reach perfection around now. It was merely a little earlier than he had estimated. However, the fact that the panel judged the Six Heavens Blood-Strengthening Technique to be a sixth-tier martial art genuinely surprised him. He had only known that it was a superior, extraordinary technique. Afterward, Lu Changsheng checked his attribute panel. Host: Lu Changsheng Comprehension: 211 (considerable potential) Six Heavens Blood-Strengthening Technique: Sixth layer, perfection Looking at the 211 points of comprehension on the attribute panel, Lu Changsheng could not bring himself to be happy. Two full months had passed, and without any second-tier martial skills, his comprehension had barely increased at all. "My qi and blood now suffuse my entire body, practically reaching the limit." "The peak of the Strengthening Blood Realm. Now I can safely step into the Tempering Bone Realm." Lu Changsheng retrieved a manual from a concealed compartment; it was none other than the Barbarian Bull Tempering Bone Technique. In truth, Lu Changsheng had long met the requirements to practice the Barbarian Bull Tempering Bone Technique. But he had held off, waiting for the Six Heavens Blood-Strengthening Technique to reach perfection. Now that it had, his qi and blood could progress no further, making it natural to begin practicing the Barbarian Bull Tempering Bone Technique. "Tempering bone is essentially using qi and blood to temper the bones." "Bones appear rigid, but in reality, they are also quite fragile." "They must be tempered from the inside out with qi and blood, over and over again." Lu Changsheng had long understood the basic principles of tempering bone. He opened the Barbarian Bull Tempering Bone Technique, read through it carefully, and instantly committed every detail to memory. "Let's begin." Lu Changsheng mobilized his qi and blood, tempering his bones according to the method of the Barbarian Bull Tempering Bone Technique. *Boom.* Tempering his bones for the first time was intensely painful. Yet he bore it, continuing to temper them bit by bit with his qi and blood. Thanks to his formidable comprehension, Lu Changsheng possessed a profound understanding of the bone-tempering method laid out in the technique. The moment he began, it was as though he had practiced it countless times before, and his efficiency was remarkably high. Even so, fully tempering his skeleton once would take at least ten days. After all, the human body possessed many bones, and tempering every single one thoroughly required patience and time. After roughly four hours, Lu Changsheng began to feel fatigued, so he stopped. Focusing his mind, he checked the attribute panel. Host: Lu Changsheng Comprehension: 211 (considerable potential) Barbarian Bull Tempering Bone Technique: First layer Lu Changsheng had not even finished a single complete cycle of bone tempering yet. Even so, having stepped into the Tempering Bone Realm, he could distinctly feel that his strength, defense, stamina, and other faculties had all vastly improved. Far surpassing the Strengthening Blood Realm! "No wonder people say that in the three stages of Body Tempering, every stage is a whole new world." "In the Tempering Bone Realm, even this initial stage makes a martial artist's physical constitution far superior to someone in the Strengthening Blood Realm." Lu Changsheng felt deeply satisfied. Soon, the night passed. The next morning, Old Wen came looking for Lu Changsheng with a slight smile on his face. "Changsheng, it's settled." "Physician Wu Jing has agreed to take you as a disciple." "However, proper etiquette cannot be neglected. Wu Jing values propriety above all else. If you want to become his disciple, you must perform the formal apprenticeship ceremony." Delight surged through Lu Changsheng, and he nodded. "Naturally. Thank you for your trouble, Old Wen." "Good. Come with me now to see Wu Jing and formally pay your respects." Led by Old Wen, Lu Changsheng arrived at a pharmacy shop belonging to Miaoshou Garden. Inside stood an elderly man in his sixties. He was slightly hunchbacked, but his spirit was vigorous, his complexion was ruddy, and his voice resonated with deep vitality. "Wu Jing, I've brought the boy to you," Old Wen said directly to the elder. The two appeared quite familiar with each other. Wu Jing turned to glance at Old Wen, then shifted his gaze to Lu Changsheng. "Old Man Wen, this is the genius you said memorized the Classic of Herbs in just a few months?" "Indeed. If you don't believe it, feel free to test him." Wu Jing waved his hand dismissively. "No need. For an old codger like you to praise a junior so highly, what would be the point of a test?" "Lu Changsheng, was it? Since Old Man Wen recommended you, I accept you." "However, if you fail to live up to expectations, this old man can expel you at any time. When that happens, you'll go right back to being an apothecary. Do you understand?" Lu Changsheng nodded. "This disciple understands." Inwardly, Lu Changsheng was somewhat surprised; Physician Wu Jing truly had a terrible temper, just as the rumors claimed. To take someone in and still threaten expulsion right off the bat? Still, Lu Changsheng had nothing to fear. With 211 points of comprehension, why should he worry about failing to satisfy Wu Jing? Thus, Lu Changsheng served tea, kowtowed, and completed the formal rites of apprenticeship, officially becoming a disciple of the renowned physician Wu Jing. This was not an apprentice, but a true disciple. Apprentices were assigned by Miaoshou Garden, whereas disciples were meant to inherit one's mantle and legacy—a fundamental difference between the two. Wu Jing had apprentices under him, more than one in fact. But when it came to disciples, Lu Changsheng was the sole one. When Old Wen prepared to leave, Lu Changsheng saw him out. Old Wen advised him, "Changsheng, truth be told, Old Wu took in some disciples before, but none of them satisfied him, so he threw them all out." "So this old man doesn't want to see you cast out by that old codger." "His temper might be eccentric, but he possesses genuine skill. You must study diligently under him." Lu Changsheng felt a slight chill. So his new master hadn't just been speaking in hyperbole—he really had expelled disciples before. His temperament was truly bizarre. After Old Wen departed, Lu Changsheng stayed by Wu Jing's side. Wu Jing's apprentices were hardly welcoming toward Lu Changsheng. After all, Miaoshou Garden had placed them there as apprentices in the hope that they might become Wu Jing's disciples and learn his skills. Now Lu Changsheng had cut in out of nowhere and become his personal disciple; it would be strange if they gave him a pleasant look. Yet Lu Changsheng did not care. He had followed Wu Jing solely to learn medicine and had no interest in petty squabbles with the apprentices. Over the next few days, Lu Changsheng spent his daylight hours alongside Physician Wu Jing, studying medicine. With his astounding comprehension, he began discerning the underlying principles and diagnostic subtleties merely by observing. In just a few days, Wu Jing was thoroughly pleased, and he began imparting his medical skills in earnest. Even so, the art of medicine was vast and profound. No matter how high Lu Changsheng's comprehension was, it could not be mastered in a handful of days. But with hands-on guidance from a renowned physician like Wu Jing, Lu Changsheng's medical expertise advanced by leaps and bounds. In the blink of an eye, over a month slipped by. On this day, Lu Changsheng arrived at the pharmacy shop as usual, preparing to assist Wu Jing. By now, he was capable of inquiring into patients' conditions beforehand and reporting them to Wu Jing, acting as a genuine assistant. Suddenly, a flurry of hurried footsteps rang out outside. "Hurry, hurry! Find Physician Wu quickly! Someone has internal organ injuries and is on the verge of death!" "Where is Physician Wu?" "Save them, quick!" Dozens of people barged into the pharmacy shop at once, crowding the interior almost completely. They carried several wounded individuals, every single one of them pale as wax and teetering on the brink of death. "What happened?" Lu Changsheng felt a jolt of alarm. "Miaoshou Garden was attacked by bandits!" "Those wretched bandits are brazen beyond belief! Pillaging a pharmacy shop last time wasn't enough, so they actually raided Miaoshou Garden itself!" "Apprentices, apothecaries, physicians, even the guard team—countless people were killed! Even the family head was wounded! Blood flowed like a river through all of Miaoshou Garden!" "Curse those bandits...!" The pharmacy shop instantly filled with wails and weeping. Lu Changsheng's heart jolted violently. Miaoshou Garden was pillaged? Miaoshou Garden had Refining Organs martial artists overseeing it! How dared those bandits do such a thing? "What about Old Wen? How is Old Wen?" Lu Changsheng asked immediately. He remembered distinctly that Old Wen was at Miaoshou Garden. "What is all this racket?" "Everyone who isn't wounded, get outside!" "Changsheng, what are you standing there for? Hurry and examine the wounds!" Wu Jing emerged, swiftly taking control of the chaos. Lu Changsheng drew a deep breath, forcing himself to steady his mind so he could assist his master in treating the wounded. Yet deep inside, a persistent wave of worry for Old Wen lingered.