Chapter 26: Rank 2
Chapter 26: Rank 2
"Good."
Chen Mu gazed at the system panel, his mind at ease.
Though his body still felt sore and numb, he didn't rush to improve his skills. Instead, he waited until he had regained some strength before taking a bath, washing away the dirt and sand from his body. Only then did he return to his bedroom.
After adjusting his physical state and allowing his body to fully recover, he could feel his Qi and blood surging within him. Taking a deep breath, he summoned the system panel once more and, with a thought, spent experience points to upgrade his Jade-Gold Skin Polishing Technique.
Buzz!
This time, the sensation was different from when he had previously upgraded his swordsmanship.
When he upgraded his swordsmanship, he suddenly gained countless memories of spring, summer, autumn, and winter, and countless battles, as if he had personally experienced them all. All of this knowledge was infused into his consciousness in an incredibly short time.
However, upgrading the Jade-Gold Skin Polishing Technique was different. In an instant, he felt like he had transformed into a boiling pot, filled with seething blood and Qi. Then, a drop of hot oil fell into the pot, and in that moment, countless blood mists rose.
"Hiss..."
This sensation was indescribable.
It was as if all the skin-polishing experiences from a month or even several months were compressed into that instant, causing Chen Mu's consciousness to freeze. The word "pain" couldn't even begin to describe this sensation.
This experience far exceeded the limits of what the human mind could endure, causing Chen Mu's consciousness to black out momentarily. But regardless of his consciousness, his body's transformation continued without pause.
His skin visibly changed; the wheat-colored flesh quietly gained a jade-like luster, glowing several times before gradually fading and returning to normal.
Time seemed to stand still.
Chen Mu slowly regained consciousness.
The slightest movement caused a sharp, needle-like pain to shoot through his entire body, making him want to cry out. But he clenched his teeth and endured, his body stiffening.
"Upgrading the Skin Polishing Technique is far more intense than swordsmanship..."
Chen Mu forced himself to adapt to the changes in his body, gritting his teeth and bearing the pain.
The swordsmanship memories had flooded his mind, but they were merely intangible recollections and insights. The Skin Polishing Technique, however, was different. The medicinal power that suddenly emerged was tangible and real. The system panel, in a terrifying way, forced his body to absorb all this power in an instant, triggering a rapid transformation within a short time.
For an ordinary person, enduring the medicinal power required to go from the initial skin polishing to achieving Rank 2 would likely cause their Qi and blood to flow in reverse, leading to vomiting three liters of blood and death. But the system panel was incredibly domineering, ensuring that this power didn't harm his flesh, organs, or blood. Instead, it focused solely on the skin membrane, accelerating its transformation by a thousandfold in that instant.
Despite the excruciating pain that coursed through every inch of his skin, preventing him from moving, Chen Mu could clearly sense that his Qi and blood were significantly more vigorous than before.
This pain wasn't a side effect but rather a result of his skin membrane undergoing too much transformation in a short time, causing a temporary discomfort.
As time passed, the stinging pain gradually subsided, and Chen Mu slowly sat up.
He examined his arms; the color and texture hadn't changed much, but when he gently touched them with his fingers, he could feel that the resilience of his skin membrane had noticeably improved.
"So, this is what achieving Rank 2 in skin polishing feels like."
Chen Mu stood up slowly, clenching his fists and swinging them through the air a few times.
Skin polishing, muscle tempering, sinew transformation, and bone forging—each step was a process of refining one's physical body, from the outside in. Among these, the most crucial aspect was one's own Qi and blood. After all, the medicinal powders, whether ingested or applied topically, were external substances that couldn't completely replace the body's natural Qi and blood. Hence, there were sayings like "hollow supplementation."
After the age of thirty, progress in Body Tempering Techniques tends to slow down. This is because, by this age, one's Qi and Blood have already reached their peak, and the focus shifts from strengthening to nurturing. Before thirty, the emphasis is on 'strengthening' through various means to invigorate and stimulate the growth of Qi and Blood. After thirty, it's more about 'nurturing' and finding ways to nourish the Qi and Blood to prevent decline.
Skin Tempering is the most fundamental and external step, but it's also about laying a solid foundation.
At this moment, Chen Mu can clearly feel that the 'warm current' within his body, which he could only vaguely sense before, has become much more distinct. This is the Qi and Blood generated by a robust and healthy physique.
"The power of my fists and kicks hasn't increased significantly, but my stamina has definitely improved a lot. When I swing my sword with full force, I might be able to sustain it for an additional quarter of an hour compared to usual..."
Chen Mu made a rough assessment.
Don't underestimate this quarter of an hour. In many life-and-death situations, having that extra bit of stamina, being able to swing the sword one more time, could mean the difference between life and death. While the explosive power of a Skin Tempering martial artist and an ordinary strongman might not differ much, the stamina of a Skin Tempering practitioner, with their robust physique and refined Qi and Blood, is already far superior to that of an ordinary person.
Another aspect is the strengthening of the skin membrane.
Chen Mu recalled the changes in Ren Yan before and after. His skin had become noticeably rougher and more textured, undoubtedly due to his practice of Skin Tempering Techniques. However, Chen Mu's own experience was entirely different.
The Jade-Gold Skin Polishing Technique, named after the words 'jade' and 'gold', clearly indicates that it minimizes damage to the body. The skin, when polished using this technique, is naturally very different from ordinary Skin Tempering methods. Take Xu Hongyu, the District Prefect, as an example; her body is like jade, crystal clear and without a hint of the roughness associated with Skin Tempering. This is evidently a unique feature of this Skin Tempering Technique.
6◇9◇Book◇Bar
Although there were no visible changes on the surface, the strength of the skin membrane had indeed increased.
Chen Mu stepped outside, picked up a rough stone, and rubbed it against his arm.
In the past, this would have caused the skin to break and bleed, or at the very least, leave a large white mark and a stinging sensation. But now, he only felt a slight friction without any pain, and even the sharp, jagged edges of the stone left almost no trace on his skin membrane.
"Endurance and resistance."
Chen Mu tossed the stone away, muttering to himself.
The first step of Body Tempering, Skin Tempering, clearly focuses on improving these two aspects. Now that he has achieved a basic level of Skin Tempering, his skin membrane has become tougher. Although it can't block sharp blades, it can withstand blows from ordinary wooden clubs or blunt weapons if the force isn't too strong.
Unlike before, when he had fierce blade techniques but a frail body, facing a mob of thugs, a single mistake could lead to a fatal injury. Now, the chances of such an incident occurring have significantly decreased.
"Skills and physique complement each other. With a stronger physique, I can perform more freely in battle and fully unleash the power of my blade techniques."
Chen Mu's face showed a thoughtful expression.
Looking back, he realized that he had been extremely lucky to defeat Tang Quan that day. Not only was Tang Quan severely wounded by Xu Hongyu's sword, which nearly proved fatal, but he was also blinded by lime powder, unable to execute his techniques effectively.
Additionally, Chen Mu's blade techniques had reached the Blade Aura level, which allowed him to finally break through Tang Quan's skin membrane, slit his throat, and deliver the final fatal blow. Otherwise, even ten ordinary people wielding sharp blades might have been severely injured by Tang Quan.
Achieving a basic level of Skin Tempering is just the first step, but for Chen Mu, it marked a significant milestone.
With the help of the System Panel, the efficiency of his progress is greatly enhanced. A Skin Tempering journey that would take an ordinary person two to three years can be significantly shortened for him!
(End of Chapter)
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