Chapter 35: Pushing the Limits
Chapter 35: Pushing the Limits
The Sand-Iron Skin Tempering Technique required one to dig a deep pit, bury coarse iron sand around its perimeter, and then consume a medicinal powder internally while applying a special medicinal liquid externally. Following this, one had to strike the iron sand around the pit's edge to temper the skin membrane.
During the initial practice, the skin membrane was prone to damage, resulting in bloodstains. An additional Qi and Blood Recovery Potion was needed to heal the wounds, and after repeated attempts, the skin gradually improved. Eventually, one could vigorously strike and rub against the iron sand in the pit without causing any damage to the skin membrane, indicating the successful mastery of the technique.
"Compared to the Jade-Gold Skin Polishing Technique, this method is indeed much more crude," Chen Mu thought to himself.
Such a violent method of skin tempering, even with the aid of Qi and Blood Recovery Potions and internal medicinal infusions, would undoubtedly leave hidden injuries and ailments. These issues might not manifest in youth but would cause pain throughout the body in old age, making it far inferior to the Jade-Gold Skin Polishing Technique.
It was evident that the efficiency of this medicinal powder was not on par with the Jade-Gold Skin Polishing Technique. Simply burying sand and pouring the liquid was insufficient to allow the medicinal power to penetrate the skin membrane. It required the additional steps of striking and tempering with iron sand to produce any effect.
Chen Mu, being efficient as always, quickly dug up the sand pit from his previous practice of the Jade-Gold Skin Polishing Technique and created a deep pit filled with coarse iron sand. He prepared several concocted medicinal powders, removed his clothes, applied the medicine internally and externally, and then jumped into the iron sand pit.
According to the manual, during the initial practice, one should only train for a quarter of an hour each day. As the skin membrane gradually toughens, the training time should be increased until the technique is mastered. At the minor success stage, one can practice for an entire hour daily, and upon reaching perfection, two hours of training can be endured each day.
However, for Chen Mu at his current level, such restrictions were non-existent.
With his Jade-Gold Skin Polishing Technique at perfection, his skin membrane's strength was such that even someone who had perfected the Sand-Iron Skin Tempering Technique would have a similar level of toughness. The coarse iron sand in the deep pit could not cause any damage to his resilient skin membrane.
Chen Mu wasn't particularly concerned about the lack of wear on his skin. As a man, he didn't need to cultivate a delicate and fair complexion. He was only interested in how efficient the Sand-Iron Skin Tempering Technique would be for someone with his current skin membrane strength.
Soon, an hour of intense training passed.
Chen Mu felt that his entire skin membrane... hadn't undergone any noticeable changes.
It was evident that the effect of the Sand-Iron Skin Tempering Technique was minuscule compared to the foundation he had built with the Jade-Gold Skin Polishing Technique at perfection. Even if it was still effective, it would take years of dedicated practice to see any significant results.
However, Chen Mu wasn't bothered by this. He summoned the system interface, which, as expected, did not disappoint him.
[Sand-Iron Skin Tempering Technique (Incomplete)]
[Experience: 27]
Although he couldn't feel any immediate effects, after an hour of intense training and repeatedly applying the medicinal liquid, he had accumulated a whopping 27 experience points, and Chen Mu felt no discomfort whatsoever.
With his current skin membrane strength, this hour of training was like a mere splash of water.
"As expected," Chen Mu smiled slightly, then continued to concoct the medicinal powder and resumed his practice in the iron sand pit.
After nearly four hours of continuous training and repeatedly applying the medicinal liquid, Chen Mu finally felt a numbing discomfort throughout his skin membrane, indicating that he had reached his limit.
When he summoned the system interface again, he found that he had accumulated a total of 132 experience points! Chen Mu leaped out of the deep pit, took a brief rest, and then spent the experience points to directly improve the Sand-Iron Skin Tempering Technique to the minor success stage!
A buzzing sound filled the air as if the accumulated effort of two to three months of training in the iron sand pit had exploded all at once. A wave of heat surged within him, constantly rising and spreading to every part of his skin membrane.
This sensation was different from when he had improved the Jade-Gold Skin Polishing Technique. That technique felt like countless needles pricking his skin, while this one felt like the coarse iron sand vigorously rubbing against every inch of his body.
For the current Chen Mu, this rubbing sensation wasn't particularly painful.
In fact, it was almost comfortable.
After all, compared to the painful process of perfecting the Jade-Gold Skin Polishing Technique, this was nothing. It was due to the significant increase in his skin membrane's resistance after achieving perfection in the previous technique.
After a moment, the surging Qi and blood within his body stabilized.
Chen Mu clenched his fist, and this time, he finally felt a slight change. The minor success of the Sand-Iron Skin Tempering Technique, combined with the perfection of the Jade-Gold Skin Polishing Technique, still had some effect, making his skin membrane slightly tougher.
"Excellent, seems like I'm on the right track," Chen Mu said to himself.
In just one day, he had improved the Sand-Iron Skin Tempering Technique to the minor success stage, and that too, on top of already perfecting another skin tempering technique. If word got out, it would surely astonish countless people.
However, for Chen Mu, this was not surprising. With his current skin membrane strength, he could endure five hours of training in the Sand-Iron Skin Tempering Technique in a single day, and during those five hours, the repeatedly applied medicinal liquid was not wasted at all, as the system interface converted it all into experience points.
This was a pill that would normally take an average person two to three months to slowly refine and absorb its medicinal power.
As midnight approached, Chen Mu did not continue his cultivation. After cleaning up, he returned to the house to rest.
The next day, as dawn broke, Chen Mu resumed his cultivation of the Sand-Iron Skin Tempering Technique. This time, he endured for a longer period, and apart from the time spent eating and resting, he refined his skin membrane for six hours. With the remaining experience points from before, he accumulated nearly two hundred experience points.
On the third day, after four hours, Chen Mu achieved perfection in the Sand-Iron Skin Tempering Technique!
Chen Mu's skin membrane, which he had been cultivating since learning the Jade-Gold Skin Polishing Technique, had not changed much. But with the mastery of the Sand-Iron Skin Tempering Technique, his skin tone deepened slightly, gaining a hint of an ancient bronze hue.
Just as Chen Mu had anticipated, his simultaneous cultivation of skin polishing techniques not only avoided diminishing returns but also accelerated as his skin membrane strengthened. It took him just three days to progress from minor success to mastery in the Sand-Iron Skin Tempering Technique, and only five days to reach perfection!
At this moment, Chen Mu's skin membrane was deep and robust, exuding a thick, ancient bronze color similar to the steel copper skin possessed by Zhang Xiangshen's son. Using a slightly dull kitchen knife, he made a shallow white mark on his arm.
Chen Mu felt a surge of satisfaction as he realized that even if he wasn't quite on par with that person, he had at least reached nine-tenths of their level. Moreover, the qi and blood within his body had thickened further. Although the increase in pure strength was not significant, his stamina had at least doubled compared to before.
Chen Mu exhaled a breath.
When martial artists fought, at lower levels, it was a test of courage, and the bolder one prevailed. But as their cultivation progressed, the competition became more fundamental—who could take more hits, who had more refined blade techniques, and who possessed greater strength and endurance.
With both skin polishing techniques perfected, the benefits were not limited to increased resistance. It also brought about more robust stamina, meaning that once he entered the realm of muscle cultivation, his bursts of power would be even more enduring.
Chen Mu quickly found the answer to the question of the limit of skin membrane strength.
When he obtained and perfected the third technique, the Coarse Salt Skin Tempering Method, within just seven days, his qi and blood surged like a blazing flame, reaching the limit of what his body could endure. And his skin membrane strength had reached its peak as well.
After mastering the Sand-Iron Skin Tempering Technique, his skin turned into a deep, ancient bronze color. But upon cultivating the Coarse Salt Skin Tempering Method, his skin gradually lightened, eventually returning to its original wheat color, or even a shade lighter.
"Steel Copper Skin," Chen Mu said, feeling the strength of his skin membrane and breaking into a smile.
For ordinary people, achieving such a Steel Copper Skin required either exceptional talent or years of dedicated training. But for Chen Mu, it took less than a month to reach perfection!
If one had to put a label on it, this level was likely the limit of the first realm of skin polishing. It was no less than those born with copper skin, and perhaps his qi and blood were even more robust!
"Once skin polishing reaches perfection, it can withstand the strain of muscle cultivation and the surge in muscle power. With my current Steel Copper Skin, when I enter the realm of muscle cultivation, the strength I can bear will undoubtedly be much greater." Chen Mu took a deep breath.
Slowly, he retrieved a small booklet from his bedroom.
Bullish Muscle Cultivation Method
He had asked for this from Min Baoyi three days ago. Although he could have requested it from Xu Hongyu, having a figure like Min Baoyi, who had achieved perfection in muscle cultivation, nearby made it unnecessary to seek it elsewhere. He just needed a suitable reason.
In truth, Min Baoyi didn't care about Chen Mu's reason. Hearing Chen Mu's desire to study muscle cultivation methods in advance, he casually agreed and brought the cultivation method the next day, handing it over to Chen Mu even more casually than Chen Mu had anticipated.
Clearly, for someone like Min Baoyi, muscle cultivation methods were not rare. Moreover, Chen Mu was someone Xu Hongyu intended to nurture.
However, when Min Baoyi gave the muscle cultivation method to Chen Mu, he did offer a word of caution. He advised Chen Mu not to rashly begin muscle cultivation unless he had already perfected skin polishing. Due to the progressive nature of cultivation, if one started muscle cultivation before mastering skin polishing, the integration of skin and muscles would make it extremely difficult to return to skin polishing, directly affecting the ability to perfect muscle cultivation as well.
Skin polishing was the foundation for muscle cultivation, and muscle cultivation, in turn, laid the foundation for future sinew transformation and bone forging.
This realization made Chen Mu think that cultivating a Steel Copper Skin was probably the right decision. If there were limits to muscle cultivation, sinew transformation, and bone forging, then a solid foundation at each step would fully leverage the advantages of the system panel.
(End of Chapter)
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