Chapter 528: Ironwood Grain

“Wow, Brother Su won! His saber technique is so cool!” Li Ningcai’s face lit up with excitement. She turned to Gu Changfeng beside her and said, “Changfeng, you should hurry up and learn the saber!”

Gu Changfeng scratched his head helplessly, offering no reply. All of his talent was concentrated in his physical body, leaving his brain somewhat lacking. When it came to sabers, spears, swords, or halberds… he was completely clueless about all of them. He had tried them one by one in the past, but none felt as satisfying as a simple slap.

Up in the VIP seats, the three True Dragon Seed Candidates had varied reactions.

Zhao Qingyue scoffed coldly, his expression somewhat ugly. He had repeatedly asserted that Su Yu would lose, only for Su Yu to turn the tables every single time. For an expert like him, it was no different from a public slap in the face.

He thought, “I hope you don’t run into me, kid. Otherwise, I will definitely teach you a lesson.”

His way of doing things was distinctly in the style of the Zhao family; he didn’t care at all about people like Su Yu who lacked a powerful background. This tied into the situation of the three major families. The Zhao family was notoriously overbearing in Black Stone City. Coupled with their growing trend of surpassing the other two families in recent years, they had become increasingly unscrupulous in their actions.

The Li family, on the other hand, had always maintained a good reputation. Their business and investments were quite fair. Especially recently, with the rise of war and chaos, the Li family, who controlled the grain channels, had tried their utmost to stabilize Black Stone City’s food supply and prevent a total collapse.

As for the Wang family, they appeared to be in a state of decline. Rumor had it that their ancestor didn’t have much time left to live and had no hope of breaking through to become a Grandmaster. Furthermore, the power struggle between two factions within the family had intensified over the past two years, causing their overall strength to wane even further.

Therefore, as a True Dragon Seed of the Zhao family’s younger generation, Zhao Qingyue looked down on most people. As for Su Yu’s personal talent, in his eyes, as long as one hadn’t reached the True Dragon Tendon, they didn’t deserve to sit as equals with them. After all, the True Dragon Tendon had stymied countless heaven-defying geniuses.

Wang Jifan, who was sitting nearby, wore a faint smile and said, “Zhao, this Su Yu’s talent is quite impressive. He actually defeated Wen Lichu. To think even you misjudged him.

“Tsk tsk. Back when you were in the Little Dragon Tendon, you comprehended the Qingyue Sword Manual to Great Success. You once shocked everyone with a single strike, defeating an enemy at the Great Dragon Tendon against the odds. This Su Yu certainly possesses a bit of your former flair.

“I heard that Su Yu and Gu Changfeng are also good friends. Both of them come from humble beginnings. He might just be another Gu Changfeng.

“Oh, right. I still vividly remember how Gu Changfeng kicked your Qingyue Sword away when he was at the Great Dragon Tendon…”

How could Zhao Qingyue not see through Wang Jifan’s instigation? Yet, he still couldn’t help but let out a cold scoff, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes.

He thought, “Su Yu, Gu Changfeng… what qualifications do these lowly people have to make a name for themselves in Black Stone City?

“If the Black Stone Army and Zhenwu Mansion hadn’t been backing them these past few years, people like them would be nothing but slaves to my Zhao family.”

Li Lishu ignored their conversation. Looking at Su Yu on the stage, he nodded slightly.

He mused, “As expected of my cousin Jingfeng’s friend. With such talent, he is destined to become an expert with a boundless future. He can be allied with.”

He picked up the bamboo slips of Military Books from the table beside him and began to read through them again.

“Today’s selection for the top five of the Martial Examination has concluded. After a three-day rest, the top five arena battles will be held to compete for the title of Martial Examination Champion Scholar!”

Following the conclusion of today’s Martial Examination arena matches, the results quickly spread throughout Black Stone City. Su Yu’s reputation once again soared, and even the Inner City was abuzz with discussions about him. While the advancement of the other four True Dragon Tendon experts was completely expected, Su Yu’s advancement marked him as a total dark horse, shocking numerous factions.

“Have you heard? Su Yu, a Commander from the Outer City, actually defeated two Great Dragon Tendon experts from the Inner City, Wen Lichu and Lu Xu, back-to-back!”

“This person’s talent is truly terrifying. You have to remember, he’s only at the Little Dragon Tendon realm! With such talent, he could probably overpower even the core direct descendants of the three major families!”

“Hard to say. Speaking of this generation, Zhao Qingyue was also able to slay experts two realms above him back in the day. But Fairy Wen is different… To think even she lost.”

“What’s the use? Didn’t that young genius from the Zhong family also shine brilliantly in the Dragon Tendon Mirror back then? But what happened in the end? He simply couldn’t break through to the True Dragon Tendon. Forced to advance to the Profound Bone Realm instead, his potential has been completely exhausted over the years. Now, he has absolutely no chance of reaching the Divine Storage Realm!”

“Yeah, yeah. Whether one can break through to the Divine Storage Realm, or even become a Grandmaster in the future, this True Dragon Tendon is simply too crucial, and far too difficult.”

In every street and alley, countless people were engaged in fervent discussions. Su Yu’s reputation had evolved from being a genius from the Outer City to becoming a true genius of Black Stone City.

In the Outer City, at the Su Mansion.

Numerous factions flocked to their door, effectively blocking the main street of Anping Square. Even though the Martial Examination had not yet concluded, many powers were already coming to befriend Su Yu, bearing all sorts of gifts. Most of them were family factions from the Inner City, and they were extremely generous with their offerings.

Su Yu himself used the excuse of preparing for the Martial Examination in three days to avoid making an appearance, leaving everything for Yang Zhen and Yang Ai to handle.

Beside the stone table in the Inner Courtyard.

Su Yu looked at the three fruits placed on the table. The outer shells of these fruits were a deep, dark black, and their surfaces were covered in concentric rings of golden wood grain. With a single glance, one could tell they were no ordinary items.

These fruits were precisely the spoils of war he had won from Tiemu Xiaoyun earlier: the Iron Wood Fruits!

According to ancient texts, the Ironwood Tree grew in the borders of the Great Snow Mountain. Rooted deep within the earth veins and bathed in the tempering strikes of heavenly thunder, its trunk was pitch-black like Meteorite Iron, making it incredibly difficult for ordinary blades and swords to damage. Every few decades, it would bear a batch of fruit, which were these very Iron Wood Fruits.

As for the efficacy of the Iron Wood Fruit, it could be summarized in a few words: “Ironwood does not break; dead wood meets spring. Rigid yet not stiff; tough yet not slack.” The Iron Wood Fruit did not directly increase Qi and Blood, but it could strengthen the body’s flesh, blood, and fascia. It generated a layer of ironwood texture on the skin, vastly improving a Martial Artist’s defenses.

“Most people of the Tiemu family cultivate the Iron Wood Golden Body, and they rely precisely on this Iron Wood Fruit,” Su Yu murmured. “For me, I can use it to elevate my Black Stone Body Forging Skill.”

Su Yu raised a hand and summoned his Martial Arts panel.

[Martial Arts]: Black Stone Body Forging Skill (1st Floor) (Breaking Limit 1 Time) (Formless Flowing Gold)

Membrane like mercury, hardness and softness at your will! Your Flowing Silver Profound Armor has broken through morphological shackles, allowing it to rapidly transform between “Indestructible” and “Liquid Flow,” and you can freely reshape its external form according to your will. This layer of flowing gold membrane is like a living extension of your body, integrating offense and defense in endless variations.

He wiggled his fingers, and the Formless Flowing Gold transformed into a small black sword in his hand, before instantly shifting into a small shield blocking the front of his fist.

“Although this Formless Flowing Gold form is miraculous, its defense is ultimately a bit lacking.” Su Yu shook his head helplessly.

However, he couldn’t blame this Martial Art for being subpar. Rather, it was because he was always fighting above his realm—and not just by a single realm, but by several. If he were fighting opponents of the same tier, his Formless Flowing Gold would absolutely not be lacking; in fact, it would be a major weapon.

“Time is tight right now, so I don’t have the time to learn the 2nd Floor of the Black Stone Body Forging Skill just yet. As for continuing Breaking Limit, I’ll have to wait until my Breakthrough Points are abundant to consider it. Let’s test the effects of this Iron Wood Fruit first.”

The next moment, Su Yu picked up an Iron Wood Fruit and swallowed it. As the fruit entered his stomach, the azure-gold flesh beneath the skin was continuously digested, and a viscous sap began to ooze outward. Su Yu soon felt the changes in his body. The skin all over his body began to itch, as if countless ants were crawling over it.

Through his Divine Sense Internal Observation, he immediately detected the transformation. He saw that the medicinal power of the Iron Wood Fruit had actually morphed into countless tiny roots, converging beneath his skin as if they were branding themselves and taking root. They continuously intertwined and spread. At first, there were only a few sparse lines, but after just a few quarters of an hour, they had woven together to cover him in a large net that faintly emanated a golden light.

CRACKLE…

Su Yu felt his fascia undergoing a transformation, becoming rigid yet not stiff, tough yet not slack. However, the medicinal power of a single Iron Wood Fruit was clearly insufficient. After merely branding the mysterious ironwood patterns onto his fists and arms, it could no longer sustain the process. Without hesitation, Su Yu swallowed a second Iron Wood Fruit.