Chapter 100 - 99: Massive Enhancement (Part 1)

Chapter 100: Chapter 99: Massive Enhancement (Part 1)

He Xiaotian quickly scribbled his signature, and before the delivery guy could say another word, he slammed the door shut with a BANG.

"Master, open up! I want to become your disciple and learn martial arts."

"?!"

He Xiaotian couldn’t understand what had gotten into the delivery guy, who suddenly wanted to become his disciple and learn martial arts.

So, he opened the door.

"SOB SOB... Master, it’s so great to see you again. My brother-in-law won’t teach me. He said he just sells antiques, not secret martial arts manuals. So..."

Before the guy could finish, He Xiaotian whipped out six manuals.

"Fire-refined Golden Body, Iron Sand Palm, Eight Steps Chasing Cicada, Thirteen Grand Protectors’ Cross Training, Vajra Lion’s Roar, and Secret Dream Observation Achievement Method. I’ll sell you the whole bundle for six hundred thousand.

After you pay, I’ll even give you personal instruction. No guarantees you’ll be able to learn any of it, though. So? What’s it going to be, kid?"

The delivery guy was stunned. He thought he would have to endure all sorts of hardships and overcome countless trials before the master would finally take him in.

He had never imagined that this great expert was nothing like he’d pictured. ℯ

’He’s actually charging money!’

’And six hundred thousand at that!’

’If I had six hundred thousand, why the hell would I bother learning martial arts?’

’I’d have bought a house long ago!’

After holding it in for a long moment, the delivery guy gave a deep bow. "My apologies for bothering you. Goodbye."

The moment the words left his mouth, he vanished without a trace, moving even faster than a rabbit.

’Sigh! I finally run into a sucker who wants to learn martial arts, and he doesn’t even fall for it. Looks like these manuals are going to be stuck on my hands forever. The old saying is true: poverty for scholars, wealth for warriors.’

’No money, and you want to learn martial arts from me? You want to get stronger without paying to win? Dream on, ugly. Seems like you didn’t learn your lesson from Daddy Tencent’s games when you were a kid.’

He Xiaotian shook his head with a sigh, then closed the door.

’He can’t even afford the manuals. Don’t even get me started on the wild ginseng and other stuff he’d need later.’

He opened the package, took out the manuals one by one, and laid them on the coffee table.

In addition to the five manuals he’d ordered, there was another one for a skill called Black Tiger’s Dominating Aura.

It seemed this one was a freebie from the seller.

He focused his Spirit and tapped ’Scan’.

[Ding! Discovered three mostly complete manuals, two incomplete manuals, and one manual with most of its contents missing. Do you wish to spend 1,300 Experience Points to restore them to their complete forms?]

’Spend them.’

[Experience Points: 52,800 -> 51,500]

[Golden Bell Shield - 0/50+ (Uninitiated)

Iron Cloth Shirt - 0/50+ (Uninitiated)

Golden Armor Divine Skill - Giant Stone Chapter: - 0/200+ (Uninitiated)

Black Tiger’s Dominating Aura: - 0/100+ (Uninitiated)

Grasshopper - 0/50+ (Uninitiated)

Flying Bird Crossing Skill - 0/50+ (Uninitiated)]

’The Golden Armor Divine Skill - Giant Stone Chapter is clearly a cut above the other five skills, starting at two hundred Experience Points. Next is Black Tiger’s Dominating Aura, which starts at one hundred.’

Why would He Xiaotian continue to practice external hardening skills when his physical body was already incredibly tough?

The reason was simple: he wanted to be as tough as old boots.

After all, hadn’t Qilong stabbed him again and again with two clearly extraordinary daggers while he was trapped in the Gluttonous King’s Illusion Technique?

And what was the end result?

Aside from some tears in his hoodie, He Xiaotian’s skin didn’t even have a scratch on it.

Qilong must have been in utter despair at that moment.

He must have been on the verge of a breakdown; otherwise, Captain Su wouldn’t have been able to exploit his opening and immobilize him with a single paper talisman.

Hardening skills were his foundation.

They guaranteed he wouldn’t get hurt when he was bull-rushing his way through fights.

He Xiaotian’s plan was to stack his defense to an insane degree.

He would keep stacking until he’d mastered every hardening skill in existence. That way, his survivability would undoubtedly be at the apex of the pyramid.

’Hehe, I wonder how much my Hardness and Speed stats will increase once I max out all these skills.’

[Golden Bell Shield - 50/50+ (Uninitiated) -> 100/100+ (Initiated) -> 200/200+ (Beginner) -> 300/300+ (Minor Accomplishment) -> 600/600+ (Familiar) -> 1200/1200+ (Integrated) -> Golden Bell Shield - ∞ (Perfected)]

Tiny streams of Inner Strength burrowed into his flesh, gradually strengthening his muscles and making his skin even more resilient.

With each successive level-up, a barely perceptible layer of Qi Force formed over his entire body.

This layer of Qi Force was as tough as thick leather.

At the same time, He Xiaotian could feel another layer of defense hidden just beneath his skin.

It felt as if, with a single thought, he could project the Qi Force from between his muscles and skin to form an indestructible protective barrier around himself.

In total, it cost 2,450 Experience Points to raise Golden Bell Shield to the Great Perfection stage.

Tapping on it revealed the following details.

[Golden Bell Shield - ∞ (Perfected: Great Perfection, Inner Strength +15, Strength +3, Hardness +5, Recoil +5, Special Effect - Guardian Golden Bell +1)]

’Huh! Another special effect, Guardian Golden Bell? Whatever, I’ll keep upgrading. I can experiment with it after I’ve maxed everything out.’

The cost to level up Iron Cloth Shirt was the same as Golden Bell Shield: another 2,450 Experience Points.

The sensation of improvement this time wasn’t as intense.

His body had probably grown so powerful after mastering several other hardening skills that minor improvements no longer felt as significant.

Anything short of a massive leap forward wouldn’t give him that same intense feeling of empowerment.

Still, he was definitely stronger than before.

When you’re penniless, a hundred dollars feels like a fortune.

But when you’re a millionaire, what’s ten thousand dollars?

’As for the stats, they were pretty mediocre, to be honest. Not even as good as Golden Bell Shield’s.’

[Iron Cloth Shirt - ∞ (Perfected: Hardness +5, Strength +2, Special Effect - Iron Garment +1)]

Next were Grasshopper and Flying Bird Crossing Skill, which cost a total of 4,900 Experience Points.

The muscles in his legs grew denser, and he could feel his explosive power increase.

His body felt much lighter, and he could even faintly perceive the flow of the wind around him.

It was as if he could now borrow the power of the wind to accelerate his speed at will.

Their respective effects were as follows:

[Grasshopper - ∞ (Perfected: Speed +5, Lightness +3, Borrow Wind +2)]

[Flying Bird Crossing Skill - ∞ (Perfected: Speed +5, Air-time +4, Gliding +3)]

Mastering these four skills cost 9,800 Experience Points, leaving him with 41,700.

[Golden Armor Divine Skill - Giant Stone Chapter - 200/200+ (Uninitiated) -> 400/400+ (Initiated) -> 800/800+ (Beginner) -> 1600/1600+ (Minor Accomplishment) -> 3200/3200+ (Familiar) -> 6400/6400+ (Integrated) -> 12800/12800+ (Perfected) -> Golden Armor Divine Skill - Giant Stone Chapter - ∞ (Transcendent)]

Pain! The long-lost sensation of pain!

The previous few skills had only given He Xiaotian a sore, tingling sensation.

But the Golden Armor Divine Skill - Giant Stone Chapter brought him true agony.

His Inner Strength was growing, his power was increasing, and his physical fortitude was undergoing a complete transformation.

"Hah!"

With a short cry, Inner Strength erupted from his entire body.

A phantom image resembling a giant stone materialized, shielding He Xiaotian completely.