Chapter 137: Breaking Through to the First Grade (Please Subscribe)

Picking up the bottle and examining it, Yang Ze was startled once again. The label bore the words "Bone Tempering Pill." The Bone Tempering Pill could accelerate the bone tempering process for martial artists who had already reached the First Grade Bone Tempering Realm, whereas the Bone Solidifying Pill helped those who had not yet entered the First Grade realm to temper a single bone directly.

The Bone Solidifying Pill’s effects were limited; after tempering ten bones, if one had not broken through to the First Grade realm, consuming more would cause the pill’s medicinal power to overwhelm and rupture the body. However, once a breakthrough to the First Grade realm was achieved, the pill’s effectiveness diminished, often requiring multiple doses to have any real impact.

The Bone Tempering Pill was an enhancement on the Bone Solidifying Pill and was among the most essential elixirs for First Grade martial artists.

Yang Ze carefully stored the Bone Tempering Pill away. Xie Yuan seemed quite generous—providing him with a cave dwelling and these precious pills.

After retrieving five bottles of pills, Yang Ze rifled through the package Ning Teng had given him. There wasn't much inside, but eventually, he found a jade talisman.

The moment he touched the talisman, a voice echoed in his ears: "This is a special creation of mine, containing my full-strength strike. Use it wisely; it can save your life!"

The brief sentence was unmistakably Ning Teng’s voice. At this moment, Yang Ze’s spirit was deeply shaken. This was Ning Teng’s full-power strike—truly the most precious treasure within the package.

Ning Teng was a formidable master who had reached the fifth rank of Qi Sea Realm Completion. His full-strength strike was not merely a life-saving opportunity for Yang Ze; it was his greatest trump card.

Yang Ze had witnessed Ning Teng’s astounding power outside Zhouquan City that day. Such a strike was indeed his strongest ace.

Having secured the talisman, Yang Ze gazed at the array of pills before him.

Counting those gained from the martial arts tournament—two Grade-Defying Pills, thirty Superior Essence-Cultivating Pills, ten Essence-Condensing Pills, and ten Bone Solidifying Pills—he now had a substantial supply of medicine.

With these pills in hand and a month’s time to train in this cave dwelling, a thought began to take root in Yang Ze’s mind: He wanted to break through to the First Grade Bone Tempering Realm.

Though sudden, this was a decision he had contemplated. Preparing to break through elsewhere would waste precious time. The environment here was excellent, and with the cave dwelling, he could strive to convert his true energy into genuine essence. Moreover, he had Ning Teng’s cultivation insights.

The little booklet clearly contained Ning Teng’s understanding of the First Grade Bone Tempering Realm. With these insights, Yang Ze could avoid many detours.

Having made up his mind, Yang Ze gathered all the pills and opened Ning Teng’s cultivation notes.

To break through to the First Grade Bone Tempering Realm, he first needed to deepen his knowledge; otherwise, reckless training might lead to disaster.

He carefully studied the booklet for several hours before closing it with a deep breath and massaging his temples. Indeed, cultivating the First Grade Bone Tempering Realm was far more complex and difficult than advancing through the Nine Stages of True Energy.

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Putting aside other matters, the two essential elements to break from the Nine Stages of True Energy to the First Grade Bone Tempering Realm were: converting the true energy in the dantian into genuine essence, and successfully tempering a single bone.

Both were no simple feats.

To transform true energy into genuine essence, one first had to saturate the dantian’s true energy to its fullest, then begin circulating the final chapter of the Nourishing Qi Technique, painstakingly refining it into genuine essence.

The refinement process depended heavily on talent—those gifted could condense essence quickly, while others might spend a lifetime in vain.

Bone tempering came after essence refinement because only with genuine essence could one control the tempering of the body’s bones.

When the Nine Grades of martial arts first emerged, everyone cultivated this way—until recent centuries, when alchemical civilization revived, producing various pills that increased the chances of breaking into the First Grade Bone Tempering Realm. These pills even allowed martial artists to temper bones before condensing genuine essence.

The pills in Yang Ze’s possession were proof of this advancement.

"Once genuine essence and the first tempered bone succeed, dispersing the bone tempering power throughout the body combines the two, propelling the qi and blood to elevate the realm, ultimately allowing one to step into the First Grade Bone Tempering Realm."

Yang Ze closed the booklet and whispered the words to himself.

Though he lacked a cultivation method for the First Grade Bone Tempering Realm, he had the breakthrough technique—the final chapter of the Nourishing Qi Technique detailed the approach.

His current obstacle was converting true energy into genuine essence. His true energy was far from saturation, and reaching that critical threshold would take a long time.

After much thought, Yang Ze found no shortcut. He decided to bathe, change clothes, and adjust his state before beginning slow cultivation.

Fortunately, the stone chamber wasn’t large but contained all necessary facilities.

Half an hour later, sitting cross-legged on a meditation cushion, Yang Ze closed his eyes and silently circulated the Nourishing Qi Technique, guiding his true energy through his meridians.

Occasionally, white vapor drifted from his nostrils, and his aura intermittently flared, showing he had fully immersed himself in cultivation.

This state persisted for twelve hours until his body trembled and he withdrew from meditation.

"No good. Although the spiritual energy in this cave is dense, my limited talent means I can’t absorb enough to rapidly advance. After a month here, I might not even condense genuine essence, let alone break through to the First Grade."

After a day and night of arduous training, Yang Ze sensed slow progress within.

Martial cultivation was a long and tedious journey; advancing in a day and night was rapid indeed. Yet, for him, in such a spiritually rich environment, this speed was insufficient.

As he pondered, a plan formed. Rising, he opened the package and took out two Grade-Defying Pills, clutching them tightly.

Grade-Defying Pills were normally consumed only after condensing genuine essence and tempering the first bone, to harmonize the two perfectly.

Their purpose was to elevate genuine essence, enabling it to control bone tempering power. Yang Ze intended to use the Bone Tempering Pills to push his true energy to its peak, aiming to force its transformation into genuine essence.

As for what came afterward, he was unconcerned. With the Black Stone on his chest, his breakthrough would face no bottlenecks. The Grade-Defying Pills might be unnecessary.

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With resolve, Yang Ze swallowed the first pill whole.

The instant it touched his tongue, the Black Stone emblem on his chest blazed with light, instantly decomposing the pill into pure energy infused into his body.

As the energy coursed through him, his meridians surged painfully with a sharp sting.

He understood this was the pill’s effect enhanced by the Black Stone’s transformation. His body was not yet ready to absorb such potent energy, causing the pain.

But he had no choice. He forced himself to circulate the Nourishing Qi Technique to its limit, absorbing the pure energy with all his strength.

As he circulated the technique, the pain lessened briefly before a far stronger sting erupted.

The technique’s guidance allowed the pure energy a moment to release itself, thus it flared uncontrollably.

Yang Ze’s eyes bloodshot, wild with determination. Gritting his teeth, he accelerated the Nourishing Qi Technique’s operation several times faster than usual to digest the energy.

Despite the pain, he sensed the true essence in his dantian rising rapidly under the pill’s influence.

In mere breaths, his progress equaled an entire day of training, though the strain on his meridians neared a critical point.

His jaws trembling, he persisted, the Black Stone emblem radiating faint light that seeped into every meridian.

Suddenly, a cracking sound echoed in his mind. Images appeared, shattered and reformed. These were the cultivation methods of the Nourishing Qi Technique, merging anew into an entirely original technique, now deeply imprinted in his mind.

It was as if he had cultivated this new technique for a long time.

Ceasing the original Nourishing Qi Technique, Yang Ze immediately began using the new version.

From the first moment, he was astounded by its efficacy. Under this new technique, the pill’s energy was rapidly absorbed.

The pain in his meridians diminished significantly.

After several hours, the energy was fully absorbed.

Clenching his hands, he swallowed the second Grade-Defying Pill without discomfort, quietly absorbing its energy.

After another few hours, Yang Ze sat expressionless on the cushion. The second pill’s energy was nearly exhausted, and the true essence in his dantian had reached saturation.

Summoning the last traces of energy, the true essence in Yang Ze’s dantian surged and began to fuse. At this moment, his aura fluctuated violently.