The completion of the Initial Marrow and Flesh Quenching brought Yu Yuanchen not only a significant enhancement in physique but also a deeper sense of control over his own power. As his Bloodline Power circulated, it was harmonious and smooth, without the slightest obstruction. With a mere thought, the surging Bloodline Power could instantly gather at a single point or distribute evenly throughout his body, acting as an extension of one's arm with minimal consumption. In this state, his efficiency in both unleashing Soul Skills and relying solely on physical strength had improved considerably.
However, he did not indulge in these initial results. The path of body tempering was long; the quenching of flesh and marrow had merely laid the external foundation. The pillars that truly supported the "palace" of the human body—the bones and tendons—were the key targets that needed to be conquered next.
"Bones and tendons are the framework of strength and the bridge for Bloodline Power to pass through." Yu Yuanchen sat cross-legged before the core stone wall of Thunderclap Ravine, his body wreathed in dense, pale purple lightning. He continued to deduce the body-tempering method in his mind, If the bones and tendons are strong, then one's strength can lift a tripod, and the meridians can contain a river. Tempering the bones and tendons is far more meticulous and dangerous than tempering the flesh.
The method he conceived stemmed from a deeper application of Bloodline Power: compression.
Unlike tempering the flesh, which involved guiding the Bloodline Power to vibrate and surge between the skin and muscle, tempering the bones and tendons required compressing the massive Bloodline Power to the extreme as it flowed through the bones and major meridians. Bloodline Power compressed to the limit would generate an inward "pressure" and a high-speed "scouring force." This power would act like an invisible forging hammer, repeatedly striking every inch of the bones, penetrating into the microscopic structures of the bone tissue, forcing them to absorb the essence of the blood and become denser and harder, like steel tempered a hundred times. At the same time, this force would expand and toughen the walls of the meridians, enabling them to withstand even more violent and massive impacts of Soul Power and Bloodline Power.
This method seemed direct, but in reality, it placed extreme demands on control. Bones were distributed throughout the entire body with complex structures, and the meridians were even more delicate and fragile. If the intensity of the compressed Bloodline Power was slightly uneven, it could lead to hidden injuries in the bones and damage to the meridians at best, or directly shatter the bones and tear the meridians at worst, causing irreversible consequences. This was by no means something that could be achieved overnight; it could only rely on patient, grinding effort—guiding, compressing, and scouring bit by bit, step by step.
"Start with the main bones of the limbs, gradually spread to the torso, and finally involve the spine and skull..." Yu Yuanchen formulated a cautious plan. He chose to start with the arm and leg bones, which were relatively thick and located in non-lethal areas.
At the beginning of his cultivation, he held his breath and focused, pushing his Spiritual Power to the limit to look within himself. He guided a thick stream of Bloodline Power to flow slowly toward the humerus of his right arm. When the Bloodline Power enveloped the entire section of bone, he moved his thought and began to apply pressure slowly.
"Hum—"
A strange vibration came from deep within the bone. At first, it was faint, but as the degree of Bloodline Power compression increased, it gradually became distinct. Yu Yuanchen felt as if his right arm bone was being pierced from the inside by countless fine steel needles, or as if it were being crushed under a giant millstone. A sour, numb, swollen, and painful sensation intertwined deep into the marrow, indescribable. Cold sweat instantly beaded on his forehead, and his complexion turned slightly pale.
He dared not lose focus for even a second, precisely controlling the intensity and range of the compression to ensure the force acted evenly across the entire bone, avoiding the formation of overly strong pressure points in specific areas. At the same time, he had to divide his attention to guide the compressed Bloodline Power, simulating a scouring motion to wash and refine the bones and the meridians attached to them over and over again.
This process was extremely draining on his mind and Bloodline Power. After tempering just one section of arm bone for an hour, he felt mentally exhausted, and the blood and energy in the arm area where that bone was located were also faintly depleted. He immediately stopped, turned to consume Soul Beast meat, and circulated his Soul Power to regulate his breath. Once his state recovered, he would switch to another bone to continue.
Day after day, he immersed himself in this dull and painful cultivation. During the day, most of his time was spent tempering the bones and tendons, with a small portion used to consolidate his Soul Power. At night, he meditated with all his might, absorbing the Lightning Element of Thunderclap Ravine, while using his Soul Power to nourish the bones and meridians he had tempered during the day, promoting their absorption and recovery.
However, a new problem soon arose—the consumption of resources was too fast!
The consumption of Bloodline Power for tempering bones and tendons far exceeded that of tempering flesh. The high-quality Soul Beast meat, which was originally expected to last for half a year, had already bottomed out in his Storage Soul Tool after only three months of such high-intensity consumption. Without sufficient blood and energy replenishment, the progress of tempering would be greatly delayed, and he might even injure himself during the process due to a lack of blood and energy.
"I must replenish my resources." Yu Yuanchen looked at the empty Storage Soul Tool and sighed helplessly. Secluded cultivation did not mean being cut off from the world; necessary resource security was indispensable.
He had to temporarily interrupt his cultivation. After carefully disguising himself and confirming everything was in order, he quietly left Thunderclap Ravine and headed toward the nearest large city outside the mountain range.
Half a month later, Yu Yuanchen returned, covered in dust and looking slightly exhausted, but his eyes were relaxed. He had successfully arrived at the border city called Ironstone City. To avoid attracting attention, he did not make large-scale purchases. Instead, he changed his appearance and identity several times, buying enough Soul Beast meat to last for a year or a year and a half in multiple batches from different chambers of commerce and markets. These were mainly thousand-year Soul Beast meat, mixed with plenty of hundred-year Soul Beast meat that was easy to store and rich in blood and energy, and he even purchased some low-grade medicinal herbs specifically for strengthening bones and tendons. He sorted these supplies into different Storage Soul Tools before returning to Thunderclap Ravine with satisfaction.
With the resource problem solved, Yu Yuanchen once again threw himself into his frantic, bitter cultivation.
Time passed, spring turned to autumn, flowers bloomed and withered within Thunderclap Ravine, and the stream rose and fell; only the roar of the waterfall and the lightning permeating the core stone wall remained eternal.
A year and a half of time silently passed in this day-after-day bone tempering, meditation, consumption, and breath regulation.
At this moment, compared to a year and a half ago, Yu Yuanchen's aura had undergone a earth-shaking change.
His figure seemed more upright and well-proportioned, not the brawny, muscular type, but one containing an introverted sense of power, as immovable as a mountain. His skin presented a healthy bronze color, faintly glowing with a jade-like luster. Most striking were his hands; his fingers were slender and powerful, his knuckles distinct, and when he gently clenched his fist, one could almost hear the faint sound of metal and stone clashing.
Within his body, the main bones of his limbs and skeleton had already completed their initial tempering. The bone density had increased significantly, and their hardness far exceeded that of ordinary metal, shimmering with a faint bronze luster. Bloodline Power flowed through them without obstruction, even capable of inducing a subtle resonance. All the major meridians in his body had also widened by nearly thirty percent under this continuous scouring of Bloodline Power, their walls tough and elastic, like a widened and reinforced river channel, sufficient to accommodate more surging "floods" of power.
The Initial Bone and Tendon Quenching was complete!
As for his Soul Power cultivation, during these two years of bitter cultivation (including the previous half-year of flesh tempering), although his progress was slightly slower in the early stages due to his divided focus on body tempering, thanks to the amazing effects of the treasure land that was Thunderclap Ravine, his own solid foundation, and the subtle purification of his Soul Power by the "Thunder God Power," he had long since reached the peak of level 59. He was only one step away from the important hurdle on the path of a Soul Master—the level 60 Soul Emperor!
On this day, it was the dead of night. Everything in Thunderclap Ravine was silent, save for the gurgling of the stream and the faint thunder leaking from the holes in the stone wall.
Yu Yuanchen sat cross-legged on the stone platform, his body wrapped in dense, pale purple lightning elements that had almost materialized into substance, like a giant lightning cocoon. His internal Soul Power surged like a great river, roaring and powerful, having already reached the limit of level 59. The bottleneck barrier leading to the Soul Emperor realm stood clearly before him, indestructible, yet seemingly ready to break at a single touch.
He was not impatient. His mind was focused and calm as he guided his Soul Power to strike the barrier again and again. At the same time, he divided his attention, beginning to actively draw upon the "Thunder God Power" within his body, which had grown significantly larger.
After two years of uninterrupted cultivation and the nourishment of blood, energy, and Soul Power, although the total amount of this purple-gold energy grew slowly, it was more than twice as thick as it had been initially. Its color was deeper, and the trace of divine majesty contained within it was becoming increasingly apparent.
"It is time!"
A gleam of light erupted in Yu Yuanchen's eyes. The moment he adjusted his state to the peak, he held nothing back, fully driving that strand of "Thunder God Power" to crash into the surging torrent of Soul Power like an awakened Purple-Gold Thunder Dragon!
"BOOM—!!!"
It was as if a thunderclap from the nine heavens had exploded in his mind! The addition of this high-level energy caused the nature of Yu Yuanchen's Soul Power to undergo a mysterious change in an instant, becoming more violent, more penetrating, and more destructive! The torrent of Soul Power, fused with the "Thunder God Power," struck the solid bottleneck barrier with the force of a landslide!
"Crack..."
A faint but clear sound of shattering echoed from within his body. That solid barrier that had troubled countless Soul Kings shattered at the impact of this divine-fused power!
The obstruction vanished, and his Soul Power rushed into a broader, tougher, and brand-new world like a burst dam! Yu Yuanchen's aura soared wildly as if it had taken a rocket! The dense lightning element cocoon was instantly swallowed by him, and he even drew upon the lightning elements of the entire Thunderclap Ravine, forming a small energy vortex that poured madly into his body.
Level 60!
His Soul Power surged like bamboo being split, stopping only after it had firmly stabilized at the level 60 threshold. Breaking through to level 60 was not just a massive increase in total Soul Power, but a qualitative change. He felt as if his soul had been sublimated, his perception of the Heaven and Earth Origin Qi had become clearer, and his control over his own power had stepped onto a new level.
More importantly, at the moment of the breakthrough, he clearly felt his Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul let out a joyful dragon roar, and the Martial Soul Origin seemed to have grown and solidified. The "Thunder God Power" within his body also seemed to have established a deeper connection with his Martial Soul, flowing more smoothly and naturally as it fused with his Soul Power and Bloodline Power.
Yu Yuanchen slowly opened his eyes. In his pupils, purple-gold lightning flashed and vanished, as if it were substance, illuminating the dim ravine for an instant. He let out a long breath of turbid air, and this breath even carried faint electric arcs.
Feeling the vast Soul Power surging within him, far exceeding what it had been before, and his powerful physique that had completed the initial tempering of flesh and bones after two years of bitter cultivation, a surge of great ambition rose in Yu Yuanchen's heart.
Level 60 was achieved, and the initial bone and tendon quenching was complete! The next step was to obtain his sixth Soul Ring and truly step into the ranks of high-level Soul Masters. At the same time, he could begin to conceive the even more dangerous tempering of his internal organs.
He stood up and stretched his limbs, his entire body's bones emitting a series of crisp and dense explosions, like rolling thunder. His gaze turned toward the direction outside Thunderclap Ravine, filled with anticipation. It was time to leave this treasure land where he had been in secluded cultivation for two years and go to meet new challenges and opportunities.
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Translated by: randomtranslator.com
Proofread by: GodKun-Chan