Chapter 155: Jade Bone
Chapter 155: Jade Bone
After leaving the Inspector Bureau, Chen Mu made his way back to the Yu Family compound and soon arrived at his own courtyard.
The situation was becoming clearer by the day. A battle between the Four Sects and the Sky Corpse Sect was imminent, and the best-case scenario was to contain it within the Purple Mist Mountain Range. However, in a worse-case scenario, the entire Yu Prefecture might be affected.
Before that, he still needed to improve his strength as much as possible. While he was confident in dealing with ordinary Five Viscera Realm cultivators, he knew that without reaching the Five Viscera Realm, he would always fall short.
The Tranquil Chamber.
Chen Mu endured the arduous process of consuming medicinal soups, applying ointments, and practicing the Tiger Demon Bone Forging Fist.
By now, he was well-versed in the bone-forging process, and the Tiger Demon Bone Forging Fist had become second nature to him. He decided to increase the intensity of his Body Tempering Technique cultivation during these two days.
Typically, martial artists had a fixed cultivation regimen for bone-forging techniques, as their bodies and skeletons had limited endurance. But Chen Mu, having reached the limits of his Copper Skin, Iron Muscle, Sinew Transformation, and Bone Forging realms, was only a step away from the limit. Even with the increased intensity, his body could handle it.
Previously, he had evenly divided his cultivation time between the Body Tempering Technique and comprehending the Concept.
"Haa!"
Chen Mu struck out with a powerful punch, and a thick white mist erupted from his mouth and nose as his entire body surged forward, echoing a tiger's roar within the tranquil chamber.
This wasn't a vocal cry; it was the resonance of his muscles, tendons, and bones under the Tiger Demon Bone Forging Fist, creating a deep and muffled tiger's roar. Only a select few could achieve such a level of mastery with this technique.
And so it went on.
Chen Mu practiced until late into the night.
After a brief rest, instead of visiting the Demon Slayer Bureau to comprehend the Conceptual Diagram, he only made a trip to the Inspector Bureau to handle some affairs. Then, he returned to his courtyard to continue refining his Bone Forging technique.
After two consecutive days of this routine, he finally gained enough experience to make up for the last bit he needed!
Tranquil Chamber.
Chen Mu slowly calmed his restless Qi and blood, took a deep breath, and summoned the system panel. With a thought, he added the final touch to his Tiger Demon Bone Forging Technique.
[Tiger Demon Bone Forging Technique (100%)]
[Experience: 3 points]
As the final bit of experience was filled, a nearly violent medicinal power surged within Chen Mu's body, enveloping his bones and rushing towards his skull.
According to what Chen Mu had learned from Meng Danyun, the most challenging part of reaching the limit in the first stage of Bone Forging was the tempering of the skull. The skull, being connected to the brain, was the most fragile and crucial part of the human body.
Ordinary cultivators were often cautious with the medicinal power applied to the skull, maintaining a delicate balance. As a result, even when they reached the peak of Bone Forging, the skull might still be slightly lacking, although it wouldn't hinder their advancement to the Five Viscera Realm. However, this slight deficiency was the key obstacle to achieving the Jade Bone state.
Meng Danyun had mentioned that in the path of martial arts, each 'limit' offered a specific advantage. The limits of Copper Skin, Iron Muscle, Sinew Transformation, and Bone Forging were Copper Skin, Iron Muscles, Sinew Strength, and Jade Bone, respectively.
Reaching each limit provided an additional advantage when facing opponents of the same level. These advantages didn't diminish with higher cultivation realms; instead, they became more pronounced as one ascended.
For the direct disciples of major sects, reaching the limits of Copper Skin, Iron Muscle, and Sinew Transformation was relatively easy, but achieving Jade Bone was rare. It wasn't due to an inability to cultivate it but rather because many cultivators were unwilling to take the risk. In the past, some had attempted to forge Jade Bone, but the medicinal power seeped into their brains, driving them insane.
Even Meng Danyun herself hadn't achieved Jade Bone.
She had even advised Chen Mu not to aspire for the Jade Bone state and to settle for a normal Bone Forging completion before entering the Five Viscera Realm.
If Chen Mu didn't have the system panel, he would have hesitated about taking such a risk. However, with the system panel's assurance, he only superficially agreed with her suggestion.
Regardless,
He believed in the power of the system panel!
"Huff..."
The sound emanating from his skull, like the pounding of metal, made Chen Mu's head buzz. His thoughts were shaken, and he felt slightly dazed. Despite this, he could still sense that the medicinal power was entirely focused on the surface of the skull, showing no signs of seeping inward.
Time passed, and Chen Mu felt a warm current rising from the soles of his feet, flowing up his leg bones, spine, and into his arms, finally reaching his neck and connecting with the skull.
At this moment,
If one were to cut open his skin and muscles, they would see that his originally silver-white bones, already perfectly tempered, had undergone a transformation. The finest details were gradually disappearing, and his entire skeletal structure was becoming one, evolving from silver-white to a faint, crystalline jade hue.
The bones were flawless, translucent like jade, a manifestation of the Jade Bone!
Chen Mu's closed eyes suddenly snapped open, and he abruptly raised his right hand, unleashing a punch forward with tremendous force.
This punch, without the augmentation of conceptual power, relied solely on raw strength, causing the air around his fist to visibly distort and then explode.
Boom!!!
The iron pillar in front of him, usually used for testing strength, reverberated with a deep, bell-like hum, and a fist-shaped indentation appeared on its surface.
If this was achieved solely by the power of the punch, it wouldn't be impressive; even ordinary Bone Forging Realm practitioners could do the same. But Chen Mu's strike was different—his fist and the iron pillar never made direct contact!
His fist hovered about half a finger's width away from the pillar.
After cultivating the Jade Bone, combining the limits of the muscle, skin, and membrane realms, the power unleashed was far beyond what he had previously experienced. Even the air compressed by his punch, at such close range, could leave a slight indentation on steel!
"No wonder they say that with the Jade Bone, one can shake the Primordial Energy of the Five Viscera Realm with just this physique."
"Primordial Energy is merely the condensation of Qi and Blood, a method to integrate a strand of heavenly power. It allows one to strike from a distance. But the Jade Bone, once cultivated, can achieve a similar effect through sheer physical might. This punch's power is naturally no less than a strike using Primordial True Force."
Chen Mu slowly lowered his fist, gazing at the mark on the iron pillar, and muttered to himself.
He didn't ponder for long.
Soon, he walked to the side, consumed a piece of demon meat to replenish his Qi and Blood, and then sat down in a meditative posture. He carefully regulated his restless Qi and Blood, and as he regained a state of fullness, a set of cultivation instructions emerged in his mind.
He had long memorized this Inner Vitality Technique, essential for breaking into the Five Viscera Realm.
The human body's five viscera:
Heart, Liver, Spleen, Lungs, and Kidneys.
The Grand Proclamation Martial Canon states: Among the five viscera, each has its own Mystic Gate. These are the human divine gates, and by breaking through them, one communicates with the self-divine. This enables the five viscera to cycle endlessly, forming a complete internal circulation. Through this, one can absorb the essence of heaven and earth to refine Primordial Energy.
For Bone Forging Realm practitioners, the most challenging aspect of breaking into the Five Viscera Realm is that all five Mystic Gates must be opened simultaneously. If only two or three are opened, a cycle cannot be established, and they will gradually close again.
Although each time a Mystic Gate is broken, even if it closes again, the next attempt becomes slightly easier. However, the issue is that most Bone Forging Realm practitioners reach their peak around the age of thirty-five.
At this age, their Qi and Blood are still vigorous, but not as vibrant as before. Usually, they can only break through one or two Mystic Gates with each attempt, and it takes about half a month to recover from the energy expenditure.
While each attempt becomes slightly easier, as age increases, the vitality of Qi and Blood gradually diminishes. With this trade-off, it's nearly impossible to enter the Five Viscera Realm.
Reaching the peak of the Bone Forging Realm before the age of thirty significantly increases the chances of entering the Five Viscera Realm.
At twenty-five, it's almost certain to step into this realm.
As for the Jade Bone...
The Grand Proclamation Martial Canon has a saying: Breaking through or not, it's all in the heart's desire.
In simpler terms, you can break through the Five Viscera Realm whenever you want to.
The Jade Bone represents the pinnacle of the Bone Forging Realm, a stark contrast to ordinary practitioners. Those who cultivate the Jade Bone have likely reached the limits of the first three realms, with Qi and Blood at their peak, pushing the human body to its limits. Breaking through the Mystic Gates of the five viscera becomes an effortless task.
Cultivating the Jade Bone is equivalent to having already entered the Five Viscera Realm.
As Chen Mu's thoughts shifted, the Inner Vitality Technique gradually stirred his Qi and Blood. Soon, his entire being was energized, and the power flowed towards the Heart Mansion in his chest.
This was the so-called breakthrough, but in reality, there was no tangible barrier to break through in the heart. The breakthrough was, in essence, nourishing the five viscera with Qi and Blood, awakening the 'divine' within them.
With the limits of the four realms and the flawless Jade Bone, the accumulated vitality of his Qi and Blood surged downward. It was not so much awakening as it was like wielding a large iron hammer, forcefully knocking each viscera awake one by one. The path was clear and unobstructed! All phenomena arise from the heart.
As the heart's divine awakened, the Qi and Blood flowed downward, reaching the spleen, awakening the 'Post-Natal Foundation'. Then, it surged upwards to the lungs, penetrating the Crown, awakening the 'Root of One Qi'. It then descended to the kidneys, awakening the 'Pre-Natal Essence', and finally, it returned to the Heart Mansion, reaching the liver, awakening the 'Source of Stored Blood'.
In an instant, the five viscera in his chest and abdomen seemed to house five awakened divine beings, and Chen Mu felt as if the entire world before his eyes had transformed, becoming distinctly different. It was as if a new sensation had emerged, and the human body's seven orifices were interconnected, enhancing their sensitivity.
(End of Chapter)
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