Chapter 36: Muscle Tempering Technique
Chapter 36: Muscle Tempering Technique
The Bull Demon Muscle Tempering Method.
The Bull Demon, as the name suggests, is not the docile farm animals like yellow or water buffaloes, but a ferocious creature akin to a demon.
Outside Jade City, there is a Protectorate Army of nearly ten thousand soldiers, directly commanded by the city's Protector General. Their primary task is to clear the area surrounding the city of various venomous creatures and ferocious beasts that threaten the nearby farmlands, including the Bull Demon.
However, the Protectorate Army's jurisdiction is limited to a few dozen li around Jade City. Beyond that, they do not intervene, making the world outside this radius a perilous land for ordinary commoners, plagued by bandits and demons.
"In a world where martial artists can cut through gold and jade, the existence of demons is not surprising."
Chen Mu muttered to himself as he read the description of the Bull Demon Muscle Tempering Technique.
The technique primarily focuses on the Bull Demon's muscular physique, which is vastly different from ordinary farm cattle. Each muscle is as hard as iron, and even a spear-wielding soldier's full-force thrust would struggle to penetrate it.
The Bull Demon possesses immense strength, capable of easily uprooting a tree. With a single swing of its horns, it can tear apart tigers and wolves, as the legends say.
This Bull Demon is believed to have evolved from ordinary yellow cattle. Ancient observers studied its transformation process and the various plants it consumed. After countless experiments, they finally developed a formula effective for humans, known as the Bull Demon Muscle Tempering Technique.
"During the skin tempering process, the accumulated Qi and blood are channeled through several specific muscle-tempering postures, integrating them into the muscles. This achieves skin and muscle integration, and with the aid of an internal medicinal formula, the entire muscular system is gradually tempered to iron-like hardness..."
Chen Mu nodded slightly as he read about the different postures.
The technique is quite simple, consisting of only two postures: Bull Demon Horn Thrust and Bull Demon Stomp.
The Horn Thrust focuses on the upper body, involving a series of back-bending and waist-bending movements while keeping the lower body stationary. It encompasses the waist, hips, shoulders, elbows, and even the neck in a unified upward force.
The Stomp, on the other hand, involves keeping the upper body still while sinking the torso and then suddenly lifting the legs to stomp, alternating left and right. This posture tempers the muscles in the thighs, calves, and even the feet.
The technique further mentions that once the initial stage of muscle tempering is achieved and the skin and muscles begin to integrate, the difficulty should be increased. This involves finding suitable large stones and using both fists to press against them, followed by repeating the Horn Thrust and Stomp postures.
This method shares similarities with some weight-bearing exercises from Chen Mu's past life, but the unique medicinal formulas available in this world, which can temper the skin and muscles to an iron-like state, are absent in his previous life.
Chen Mu personally went to purchase the medicinal ingredients.
He was always cautious in his actions, buying the ingredients from several different medicine shops and purchasing various types. Upon returning home, he would carefully measure and divide them into small portions according to the instructions in the muscle-tempering technique, mixing and brewing them accordingly.
"The saying 'Scholarly Poverty, Martial Wealth' holds true. The muscle-tempering formula is far more valuable than skin-tempering techniques."
Chen Mu shook his head as he brewed the infusion.
He had perfected all three skin-tempering techniques, and the process involved mostly overloading his system with medicinal powder. However, the entire process cost him less than a hundred silver taels.
In comparison, one of the ingredients in the muscle-tempering technique, a herb called Blood Herb, was incredibly expensive. A small portion of it cost ten silver taels, and it would only last for three to four days.
In other words,
For an average person practicing the Bull Demon Muscle Tempering Technique, the medicinal costs alone would amount to nearly a thousand silver taels in a year.
Naturally, different muscle-tempering techniques have varying formulas and prices. Some less effective techniques might be much cheaper, requiring only two to three hundred silver taels for a year's worth of practice. However, the Bull Demon Muscle Tempering Technique is undoubtedly expensive.
Even with Chen Mu's current wealth, after purchasing some of the ingredients, he still felt a twinge of pain.
The decoction process was complete.
After spending several taels of silver on medicinal herbs, the final result was just a small bowl of deep red infusion.
Chen Mu didn't care about the bitter taste and drank it all in one go. Then, following the Bullish Muscle Cultivation Method, he stood with his feet firmly planted, his upper body slightly bent, and performed the Horn Thrust. With each thrust, a surge of power caused his qi and blood to naturally churn and rise within him.
At the same time, the infusion he had consumed seemed like a ball of scorching flames, burning and churning inside his body. As he moved, the flames rose, making their way to his lungs, and then rushed out of his mouth and nose in a powerful surge.
"Hmm!"
Chen Mu completed a set of Horn Thrusts, letting out a low grunt, like the sound of a bull exerting its strength. Simultaneously, a visible white mist escaped from his mouth and nose.
Chen Mu stabilized his upper body, sinking his knees, and the surging qi and blood in his body flowed downward, gathering between his legs. Then, he hooked his arms around his thighs and, with a powerful stomp, brought them down to the ground, creating a dull thud.
At the same time, another sound escaped from his mouth and nose.
"Ha!"
Dense white mist poured out, moving forward in a straight line, like a wave of qi.
After just one complete cycle, Chen Mu immediately felt a difference. Perhaps it was because his qi and blood, repeatedly tempered through skin polishing, had become too thick. In this round alone, some of it had already seeped into his muscles and skin.
Chen Mu wasn't overly excited about this change. He maintained his calm expression, returned to his initial stance, and once again bent his torso slightly, performing another Horn Thrust. Then, he followed it up with a Stomp.
"Hmm. Ha."
The sounds of his grunts and exhalations were perfectly synchronized.
Although it was just one person tempering his body, at this moment, he seemed to transform into a bull demon, lifting his head, stomping his hooves, grunting, exhaling, thrusting, and stomping.
This went on.
Chen Mu continued his tempering, and soon, an hour had passed. The churning qi and blood in his body finally began to wane, and the effects of the consumed infusion gradually dissipated.
When Chen Mu finished his stance and stopped his tempering, he noticed that in just one short hour, his strength had noticeably improved. It was evident that the first cultivation session had the most significant effect.
Moreover, his solid foundation and rich inner energy played a significant role in this progress.
"Huff..."
Chen Mu exhaled another cloud of white mist.
Then, he summoned the system panel.
[Bullish Muscle Cultivation Method (Incomplete)]
[Experience: 5 points]
"This muscle cultivation method is slightly different from skin polishing. It's not just the effect of the infusion, but the Horn Thrust and Stomp techniques are also crucial. Most of the experience gained comes from both."
Chen Mu nodded slightly as he looked at the system panel.
The requirements for advancing in this muscle cultivation method were the same as those for skin polishing and blade techniques—he needed a hundred experience points to reach the minor success stage. In other words, in at most twenty days, he would completely break through the first stage of skin polishing and enter the minor success stage of muscle cultivation.
With his current body of steel and copper skin, and his rich inner energy, once he reached the minor success stage of muscle cultivation and mastered the second level aura, his strength would take a massive leap. He would be almost on par with figures like Min Baoyi.
(End of Chapter)
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