Chapter 19

This day.

A large tripod, taller than a person, was set up on the Lian Clan's grain-drying field, filled with Li Fire Water.

This Li Fire Water was also purchased from a large clan. It inherently contained the power of fire, and its temperature could reach four to five hundred degrees without boiling, specifically used for boiling wild bones.

The firewood piled under the tripod was no ordinary kind. It was Purple Fire Wood, which looked twisted and gnarled, like withered old snakes.

Though it seemed unremarkable, Purple Fire Wood was quite valuable. It contained the power of fire, and a half-foot-long piece could burn for a whole day, boiling several large pots of water.

The Lian Clan had been preparing for this day for a long time. Even so, they were reluctant to use too much Purple Fire Wood, only using one piece per day.

Thus, the fire was lit.

The Purple Fire Wood spewed out dark purple flames, burning quietly, yet the flame's temperature was extremely high, capable of melting rocks!

Under the scorching of the purple fire, the Li Fire Water in the tripod quickly heated up!

The person in charge of refining the wild bones was the Lian Clan's chief, also Lian Chengyu's great-grandfather. Given the importance of this task, the old chief decided to take charge personally.

"Put in the wild bones!"

Seeing that the water temperature was about right, the old chief gave the order.

Several sturdy villagers carried the large wooden box, lifting the wild bones and tossing them into the tripod!

The old chief watched the bubbling in the tripod, his expression somewhat solemn.

Normally, refining wild bones was not something ordinary people could accomplish.

In this world, there were specialized people who refined wild bones, known as Wild Heaven Masters!

Wild Heaven Masters held an incredibly revered status!

Their ability was to purify the essence in wild bones, refining it into a crystal that many martial artists found captivating, even to the point of obsession—Wild Bone Sarira.

The skeletons of ordinary wild beasts could weigh thousands of pounds. Although it was known that wild bones contained astonishing energy, humans could not possibly consume thousands of pounds of bones. Even if they forced themselves to eat them, they would find it hard to digest!

The energy in wild bones was not easily absorbed. Eating a piece of wild bone might result in absorbing less than one-tenth of its energy.

However, after being refined by a Wild Heaven Master, the Wild Bone Sarira was as small as a dragon eye, or even a soybean. If one had enough wealth, they could eat seven or eight a day without any problem.

Moreover, the energy essence refined by Wild Heaven Masters was very easy to absorb. As long as a martial artist's realm was sufficient and they did not die from the energy overload, they could eventually refine the Wild Bone Sarira completely.

A Wild Heaven Master capable of refining high-level wild beasts was an absolute target for all major forces to vie for!

It was said that the Grand Master of the Taiyi Divine Kingdom was a Wild Heaven Master, and the status and glory he possessed were beyond the imagination of ordinary people.

In this world, wild beasts had many levels. Some could stir up rivers and seas, tear apart mountains and rivers. The wild bones of these beasts were even more difficult to refine, and ordinary people shouldn't even think about it!

It was rumored that a Wild Heaven Master whose cultivation realm was already unimaginable had once set up an unparalleled array to refine the bones of the ancient wild beast, the Purple Gold Kylin, which took a full twelve years!

Twelve years to refine a set of wild bones, and the person involved had a mysterious identity. Such a legend naturally inspired awe.

It was said that during that refinement, a thousand-mile radius of the Great Wasteland turned into a desert. In the end, the Wild Heaven Master paid a certain price to refine the Wild Bone Sarira.

As for what he used the Purple Gold Kylin Sarira for, there were many versions. Some said it was to save someone.

As for who was saved, there were over a dozen versions, each told with great detail, such as the Wild Heaven Master's daughter, his lover, his beloved disciple, and so on.

Such legends also proved the revered status of Wild Heaven Masters in people's hearts, which is why their stories were embellished and passed down orally.

This was understandable. People living in the Great Wasteland faced extremely harsh living conditions. They revered the strong and legendary figures. Even if they knew they could never become such people, hearing their legends could still excite them.

As for the Lian Clan, a tiny clan like a small ant, they could not afford to hire a Wild Heaven Master, even a low-level one, who was an existence they could hardly look up to.

Therefore, they could only use primitive methods to refine wild bones.

Fortunately, the wild bones they were refining were of a low grade, and using primitive methods, they could勉强 refine about 50-60% of the essence in the wild bones.

This was enough for Lian Chengyu.

Regardless of day or night, the Lian Clan never stopped refining the wild bones.

Especially at night, from any unobstructed vantage point in the village, one could see the dark purple, dazzling flames of the burning Purple Fire Wood.

...

While the Lian Clan was refining wild bones day and night, Yi Yun was also training tirelessly.

The back mountain of the Lian Clan was usually deserted, making it the best place for Yi Yun to train.

By today, Yi Yun had been practicing the "Dragon Sinew Tiger Bone Fist" for five days.

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

Yi Yun threw punch after punch, and after each punch, a bowstring-like vibration could be heard from within his body, like the pulse of life.

One tree after another was broken by Yi Yun's punches. His blood flowed faster, he breathed heavily, and the veins on his arms and fists bulged slightly.

"Roar!"

Yi Yun let out a loud shout and punched the rock in front of him.

"Crack!"

The rock shattered, and the sound of his tendons snapping reached its peak!

"Rustle, rustle, rustle!"

In the forest, a group of early birds were startled into flight, flapping their wings and rising into the sky.

Because they flew hastily, some leaves were knocked off and fluttered down, landing on Yi Yun's face.

At this moment, Yi Yun felt a sense of exhilaration, as if all the strength in his body had fused together, making him feel incredibly comfortable!

The eighteen forms of the Dragon Sinew Tiger Bone Fist, though he hadn't reached the level of startling flying geese, he could now startle the birds in the forest, making them think a hunter was coming, which was a significant improvement.

It was important to note that Yi Yun's strength was still limited, only about five to six hundred pounds. If he could reach the strength of several tripods or even ten thousand pounds in the future, startling a solitary goose in the sky would not be impossible!

Although he only had five to six hundred pounds of strength, when Yi Yun used the "Tiger Descending the Mountain" technique, his attack was far more powerful than just five to six hundred pounds!

The "Tiger Descending the Mountain" technique used the tendons as a bowstring, and the key was in the buildup of power. This punch, with the right technique, could generate a force of over a thousand pounds, enough to crush a tiger's skull.

Yi Yun closed his eyes in satisfaction, savoring the newly acquired strength. The feeling of this strength fusing together made him very comfortable.

Unconsciously, Yi Yun's breathing became long and steady, and the speed of his blood flow changed.

Hmm, this is...

Yi Yun looked at his hands and noticed that the slightly raised veins on his arms had disappeared. His breathing became even calmer, and his heart rate slowed significantly.

Yi Yun suddenly realized something. He lightly stepped on the ground, took a deep breath, and exhaled forward.

"Whoosh!"

A white mist shot forward like an arrow, traveling about five to six meters. The leaves that had fallen due to the birds were pierced by this breath, spinning and flying away.

"Qi Chang Realm! I have finally entered the second stage of the Mortal Blood Realm, the Qi Chang Realm!"

A Qi Chang Warrior had a long, steady breath and a slow, powerful heartbeat. The biggest difference from ordinary brave warriors was that Qi Chang Warriors had incredible endurance, capable of prolonged combat and long-distance raids.

For example, an army composed entirely of Qi Chang Warriors could travel hundreds of miles in a day on the battlefield, completing a thousand-mile surprise attack.

Yi Yun's breakthrough to the Qi Chang Realm was a natural progression. When his body reached this level, he naturally broke through.

"Since coming to this world, I have truly practiced martial arts for only five days. Breaking through to the second stage of the Mortal Blood Realm in five days, and this Mortal Blood Realm is just the foundation for martial arts. I wonder what other realms there are in the future, and what levels the experts of the Taiyi Divine Kingdom are at?"

Yi Yun had the Purple Card, so the energy needed for cultivation was not a problem. The issue was the cultivation technique.

Without a cultivation technique to guide him, it would be like a chef having a pile of good ingredients but not knowing how to cook, unable to prepare a delicious meal.

"Since I have entered the Qi Chang Realm, I can try the third form of the 'Dragon Sinew Tiger Bone Fist.'"

Yi Yun muttered to himself, seeing the eastern sky turning light. He leaped down the mountain quickly.

On the way, Yi Yun passed by the grain-drying field and slowed his steps.

Under the thousand-pound tripod, the purple fire burned brightly. A twenty-meter radius around it was surrounded by a high wooden fence, and no one unrelated was allowed to approach.

Due to the wooden fence, Yi Yun couldn't see the situation inside clearly, but he could feel the heat of the flames from a distance.

However, for some reason, amidst the layers of heat, Yi Yun faintly sensed a chill.

Although this chill was not obvious, it was bone-chilling...

(From now on, morning updates will be at 10 AM. The 8 AM update is too challenging; I can't get up if I sleep in a bit. +_+)

...