Chapter 6

Night. On the mountain peak where Xiao Han was located, inside the stilt house that belonged to him.

"Whoosh~~~"

Xiao Han stood up from the wooden tub filled with medicinal bath, taking a step forward. Today, he had taken several heavy blows from the top entry-level disciple, Tu Yifei, but not only did he not die, it made him thoroughly understand what the 'Indestructible Golden Body' was all about.

"Ha ha ha, this divine skill is indeed extraordinary. It can actually refine the muscles, skin, and bones through taking hits. Now, my entire body is brimming with energy, my strength surges, and I feel as light as a swallow. I, Xiao Han, have finally made it..." Xiao Han slightly moved his limbs, and his bones immediately made a faint popping sound, like beans being stir-fried. After washing off the dirt and grime from his body, Xiao Han's skin emitted a lustrous, jade-like glow.

On Xiao Han's chest, there were several bruises that were purple and swollen, gifts from Tu Yifei. A touch made Xiao Han grit his teeth in pain.

Suddenly, Xiao Han took a deep breath and began to perform the ten movements of the 'Indestructible Golden Body' in a fluid, continuous manner. The heat flow within his body surged and swirled, lingering around the bruised areas.

Gradually, these bruises faded and became lighter, eventually disappearing...

"Ha ha ha! It doesn't hurt anymore!" Xiao Han laughed, quickly dressed, and went downstairs.

It was deep into the night, and all was quiet. Xiao Han perked up his ears and heard the snoring of the live targets from many stilt houses, and even the mumbling of some in their sleep.

"Huh? My hearing seems to have improved a lot," Xiao Han, guided by the faint light of the stars and moon, quickly left the area. He ran through the hills and ridges, his figure agile, and soon reached a small valley.

The valley was filled with strange rocks and a variety of flowers and trees, and the occasional cry of a strange bird could be heard.

Xiao Han took a stance, suddenly bent his body, and with a flick of his left hand, his right fist shot out like a cannonball.

It was clearly the opening move of the 'Savage Bull Bone Strengthening Fist.'

Immediately after, Xiao Han performed the entire set of 'Savage Bull Bone Strengthening Fist' with each move and technique. In the past, when Xiao Han performed this set of boxing, his steps were unsteady, and his movements were weak, making it look like a mere show. But tonight, every punch he threw produced a cracking sound like a whip striking the air, with fierce power. As he moved, the pebbles under his feet were kicked up, hitting the trees with a series of 'pats.'

Waist and hips in unison! Every inch of his muscles, bones, spine, and abdomen felt powerful and full of energy, with strength to spare!

After completing the set of boxing, Xiao Han's face was not flushed, his heart did not race, and he did not pant. He stood still like a mountain, exuding a sense of standing tall like a crane on a pine tree.

"Thump thump~~ thump thump~~~"

Under Xiao Han's skin, a sound like the stretching of cotton could be heard!

This was the sound of his muscles and skin being taut, and the slight movement produced this sound.

"Good, good, very good. My skin is as tight as leather, it seems I have entered the 'Sinew and Skin Refinement' stage that the entry-level disciples mentioned." Xiao Han nodded repeatedly.

Suddenly, Xiao Han's immovable body shot forward, delivering a series of rapid punches. His bones made a heavy grinding sound, and then he roared like a tiger, smashing a punch into a tree trunk as thick as a bowl. The trunk immediately cracked, and with a 'snap,' it broke in half, with branches and leaves flying everywhere.

"I wonder if my punch would hurt those entry-level disciples if it hit them?" Xiao Han stuck out his tongue and licked his lips.

However, he quickly gathered his focus and practiced the 'Savage Bull Bone Strengthening Fist' and the first ten movements of the 'Indestructible Golden Body' over and over again. He trained tirelessly.

After several hours, Xiao Han returned to his residence, fell asleep, and had a very sweet and peaceful sleep.

The next morning, Xiao Han still followed the other live targets to the mountain peak where the entry-level disciples practiced, to take their hits. Now, for Xiao Han, taking hits was no longer a deadly and arduous task but a good thing. Through taking hits, his muscles, skin, and bones could be continuously cleansed and refined. Moreover, through taking hits, dirty mud and grime were constantly expelled from his body. This was the process of purifying the body. It expelled impurities from his body, making Xiao Han feel increasingly light and agile. In the past, Xiao Han felt like he was carrying a heavy burden while walking, but now, through this purification, he had shed the burden, feeling incredibly light and refreshed, and his breath was filled with fragrance.

Every time he took a hit, Xiao Han deliberately let out a pig-like scream and made various pitiful and miserable expressions, arousing no suspicion from anyone.

Xiao Han took hits during the day and secretly ran to the back of the mountain peak at night to practice the 'Savage Bull Bone Strengthening Fist' and the 'Indestructible Golden Body.' Day after day.

Three months later.

Deep into the night.

On the mountain peak where the live targets resided. Back of the mountain. Valley.

"Roar!"

Xiao Han roared, his momentum like a tiger, suddenly rushing into the dense forest. His entire body's bones exploded, and his muscles and skin surged like a mighty river, surging and crashing, like a great whale emerging from the sea, fierce and powerful! With one kick, Xiao Han produced a heart-wrenching sound, and a large tree was directly shattered by his leg, collapsing with a loud noise!

Immediately after, Xiao Han used his hands and feet, delivering a dozen punches and a dozen kicks, sweeping through the forest like a lumberjack. His punches were like iron hammers, and his kicks like axes, cutting down trees one by one!

"Whoosh!"

After completing a set of the 'Savage Bull Bone Strengthening Fist,' Xiao Han transitioned from movement to stillness, standing motionless, with a solemn and dignified presence. A faint image of a savage bull began to form above his head.

At this moment, where was the appearance of a live target? Xiao Han stood like a mountain, his presence deep and majestic, gradually cultivating a certain aura.

During these three months, Xiao Han took hits during the day and practiced at night, diligently and tirelessly. Now, he was only half a head taller than before, but his muscles, bones, and skin had become incredibly strong and dense, and his body weight was three to four times what it used to be!

"Bone Explosion!"

Suddenly, Xiao Han shouted, and in an instant, a loud explosion sounded from within his body, like a bomb detonating!

"Bang!"

This explosion was clearly much more wild and fierce than the bone explosions of top entry-level disciples like Qi Shi and Tu Yifei! It erupted with the force of a thunderbolt, causing an earthquake and mountain collapse!

"Clack clack~~ clack clack~~"

The birds roosting in the forest were all startled and flew away, flapping their wings. The noisy insects around also fell silent, as if sensing some threat and not daring to make a sound.

Immediately after...

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Xiao Han's body continued to experience bone explosions one after another, like a strong man continuously striking a bell! Sand and stones flew around, and the air currents surged. Pebbles were swept up and shot out, making a continuous 'pat pat pat pat' sound.

The explosions continued for 200 times before finally stopping.

"Whoosh~~~" Xiao Han's tense expression relaxed, and his features looked particularly harmless. He smiled, with a sense of innocence and romance. "Hehe, 200 bone explosions, I, Xiao Han, have actually reached this level."

Xiao Han had also heard many entry-level disciples talk about the first few stages of the martial arts' physical realm.

The physical realm. The first stage is health preservation, which all martial artists can achieve. It involves consuming rich foods and medicinal dishes, such as ginseng and polygonum, and of course, taking elixirs is even better for health preservation; the second stage is the Sinew and Skin Refinement, which most martial artists can also reach. For example, entry-level disciples of the Yunyu Sect can complete this stage in a few years by taking the sect's 'Skin Refinement Pill' and 'Sinew Refinement Pill' and practicing the 'Savage Bull Bone Strengthening Fist'; the third stage is Bone Refinement, which almost all entry-level disciples of the Yunyu Sect can achieve, but the number of bone explosions varies.

Entry-level disciples with poor aptitude, no matter how they practice, can only achieve 20 to 30 bone explosions in their lifetime.

Those who can achieve more than 50 bone explosions after a few years of practice have a chance to continue on the path of martial arts.

Disciples like Qi Shi and Tu Yifei are among the more outstanding ones among the tens of thousands of entry-level disciples of the Yunyu Sect. They have achieved more than 90 bone explosions, just a step away from the 100-explosion realm. Of course, Qi Shi achieved this with the help of a White Tiger Bone Refinement Pill, which is a different story.

Achieving more than 100 bone explosions means successfully crossing the Bone Refinement stage and entering the Organ Refinement stage.

Entering the inner sanctum.

However, in the Bone Refinement stage, the number of bone explosions determines the foundation and future potential. Achieving 100 bone explosions is just the basic requirement to enter the Organ Refinement stage, a passing grade.

If, in the Bone Refinement stage, one can achieve more than 100 bone explosions, reaching 120, 150, or even more, it means a more solid foundation and a greater potential to advance further in martial arts. Of course, this is not absolute. Some disciples may only achieve the minimum 100 bone explosions in the Bone Refinement stage but later surpass others and make rapid progress, which is also very common.

But no matter what, Xiao Han's 200 bone explosions have already surpassed all the entry-level disciples of the current generation of the Yunyu Sect!

"If I could become an outer sect disciple, that would be great..." Xiao Han stuck out his tongue and licked his lips, his brows furrowing. "Now, my cultivation seems to have reached a bottleneck, having refined my bones to the extreme. If I don't become an outer sect disciple and obtain the methods for Organ Refinement, my path in martial arts will stagnate..."

During these three months, Xiao Han refined his entire body's muscles, skin, and bones through taking hits and expelling impurities from his body. At first, the effects were very noticeable, and even a single punch or kick had its benefits. But as time went on, his muscles, bones, and skin became stronger, and the pain from the hits decreased, making the refinement less effective. In recent days, after taking hits, Xiao Han could not even absorb a single thread of warmth to refine himself.

Moreover, the 'Indestructible Golden Body' cultivation, which had produced a heat flow as thick as his wrist, had become less effective. Even though Xiao Han continued to practice diligently every day, the heat flow in his body did not increase.

Xiao Han had refined his bones to the extreme and needed to enter the next stage, Organ Refinement.

"I've heard that the Organ Refinement stage is considered the true entry point of martial arts, where one can practice various martial techniques with terrifying destructive power. However, with my current status and position, I cannot obtain the methods for Organ Refinement," Xiao Han rubbed his hands. "Xue Jianfeng completed Bone Refinement three years ago and became an outer sect disciple. By now, he has probably already completed Organ Refinement and reached a higher level. He can take various elixirs and practice various martial techniques every day. If I don't become an outer sect disciple, the gap between us will only grow larger, and I will never be able to take revenge! No, I must become an outer sect disciple!"

"With my current physical strength, becoming an outer sect disciple should be easy; I just need an opportunity," Xiao Han thought as he returned to his stilt house.

---

End of the page.