Chapter 47: Indestructible

Chapter 47: Chapter 47: Indestructible

The steward was somewhat displeased, but recalling the Patriarch’s instructions and this young man’s current status, he didn’t dare to insist. He could only manage a dry laugh.

"Chen the Pill Master is devoted to pills and martial arts, free from distractions. It’s truly admirable. In that case... I’ll take He back with me. If you have any needs, Chen the Pill Master, feel free to command the outer court servants at any time."

"My thanks." Chen Yue nodded.

The steward left with a dejected-looking He, and the courtyard gate closed once more.

Night fell, and a profound silence descended.

[Daily Settlement]

[Diligently deduced and attempted to merge Cultivation Techniques. Merge successful. Obtained new Cultivation Technique: Vast Firm Essence Technique.]

...

[Skill: Vast Firm Essence Technique - Great Success (125/3023)]

...

Staring at the information on the panel, Chen Yue’s eyes brightened. ’The experience required for this new Cultivation Technique to reach Great Success is actually 3023 points. That’s almost the same as the Vertical Cloud Thousand Layer Step.’

’It seems the Vertical Cloud Thousand Layer Step is also a Body Technique on par with the Refining Organ Realm,’ Chen Yue thought, a smile in his eyes.

Insight into the new Cultivation Technique flooded his mind. His Qi Blood naturally began to circulate slowly along a brand-new path. With each cycle, he could feel his Qi Blood being tempered to greater purity, invigorating his very spirit.

The next day, Chen Yue finally had a large amount of free time, something he hadn’t had in a long while.

He only needed to spare some time in the morning to refine a batch of Blood Circulation Pills. After handing over three, he still had one left for himself.

For the rest of the day, Chen Yue threw himself wholeheartedly into practicing his various Cultivation Techniques.

He planned his time with greater precision. As his Heart Method, the Vast Firm Essence Technique required a sufficient amount of daily practice; after all, Cultivation was the foundation of everything.

The Tiger Roar Golden Bell Shield was his strongest trump card, and it was on the verge of reaching Minor Success, so he naturally invested a great deal of time into it. The layer of faint golden Protective Gang Qi flowed ever more smoothly across the surface of his body, and its coverage seemed to have expanded slightly.

His practice of the Vertical Cloud Thousand Layer Step Body Technique in the courtyard grew more fluid and agile. Cultivating the Breath Concealing Technique made Chen Yue’s aura even more restrained. An ordinary Martial Artist would find it difficult to gauge the depths of his power without deliberately probing.

He was also beginning to grasp the Meridian Bone-Piercing Nail techniques, his wrist strength and accuracy slowly improving through tedious practice. He hadn’t neglected his work on the Bone-Enhancing Pill Formula either, which was also on the cusp of reaching Minor Success.

Throwing himself into his training with an almost fanatical devotion yielded rich and significant results.

His new Vast Firm Essence Technique, combined with the Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill, increased his daily Cultivation growth to 17 points—1 point more than he had gained with the Mountain-Suppressing Essence-Stabilizing Technique.

Combined with the Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill’s continuous Marrow Cleansing and Bone Forging effect, which steadily reduced the experience cap for the Refining Flesh Realm by 3 points a day, Chen Yue’s actual daily Cultivation progress was equivalent to an increase of 20 points.

At this rate, his breakthrough to the Bone Forging Realm was set to happen within the month, perhaps even sooner!

Meanwhile, the experience he gained for the Tiger Roar Golden Bell Shield increased from around 60 points per day to 65. This was partly due to the extra time he invested, but it was also likely related to the improved quality of his Qi Blood, courtesy of the new Vast Firm Essence Technique.

At this pace, in eight or nine days at most, this Body Refining Divine Skill of limitless potential would reach the Minor Success stage! When that happened, his defense, strength, and rebounding power would all experience a qualitative leap.

His other Body Techniques, Hidden Weapon Techniques, and Disguise Technique were also advancing by leaps and bounds. Even the progress of his Immune to Hundred Poisons Talent increased by a steady 1 point each day.

Everything was heading in the best possible direction.

Chen Yue was immersed in the exhilarating feeling of his rapidly increasing strength, almost forgetting the turmoil of the outside world.

The Chen Mansion also seemed to grow safer and more tranquil, likely due to his increased value and the family’s clear intention to nurture him. No one came to disturb his training anymore.

The days passed, one by one. On the sixth day, the night of the full moon arrived.

Cold moonlight, like liquid mercury, flooded the streets, blanketing the sleeping Youlin County. But the silence was broken by the sound of dogs barking, one after another.

The next day, news spread like a plague. Several families had died violently overnight. The state of the bodies was bizarre; they bore no signs of blade wounds or poisoning. Instead, all their vital essence and blood had been drained, their muscles had atrophied, leaving nothing but a thin layer of skin stretched over their skeletons.

There were no signs of a violent struggle inside the homes. Some of the deceased were even discovered in Quiet Chambers with the doors and windows sealed shut.

In an instant, a sense of dread gripped everyone in the city, and a panicked paranoia set in.

The thick walls of the Chen Mansion insulated its residents from most of the panic and dark undercurrents outside. Only through the hushed whispers of the servants could one catch a glimpse of the truth.

"All their vital essence and blood gone, leaving nothing but skin..."

When Lin Quan mentioned the matter, his aged face was etched with unconcealable worry and lingering fear. "It’s a good thing we moved into the Chen Mansion when we did..."

He didn’t finish his sentence, merely letting out a heavy sigh.

"A ghost?" Chen Yue asked tentatively.

"It looks like the handiwork of some malevolent spirit."

Lin Quan lowered his voice. "But there are also rumors that it’s certain Martial Artists who cultivate extreme Demon Skills. To achieve rapid progress, they commit such inhuman acts to strengthen themselves. Whichever it is, they’re not to be trifled with."

"What is the Chen Family doing about it?" Chen Yue was more concerned with this.

"The Patriarch has issued a strict order: no one in the mansion, especially us, is to go outside without a valid reason for the time being. Any necessities will be procured by trusted servants. The number of guard shifts has also been increased, and they are patrolling day and night."

Lin Quan continued, "In any case, you can’t be too careful. This world... sigh, it’s getting more and more chaotic. All sorts of monsters and demons are crawling out of the woodwork."

Chen Yue nodded silently. ’An age of chaos is upon us, and evil is running rampant.’

’In times like these, the only reliable protection is one’s own strength.’

Another two days passed peacefully, with no more reports of the gruesome "human skin" deaths in the county.

When the midnight settlement arrived as expected, Chen Yue’s consciousness sank into the panel. His breath caught when he saw the line of text he had been waiting for.

[Daily Settlement]

[Diligently practiced the Tiger Roar Golden Bell Shield. Tiger Roar Golden Bell Shield experience +21.]

...

[Skill: Tiger Roar Golden Bell Shield - Minor Success (1/9912)]

...

The very instant the panel’s information appeared, a tremor and a roar originating from the deepest parts of his being erupted from within Chen Yue’s body.

VMMMM!!!

It was no longer the low-pitched thrum of sinew and bone he felt during his usual training. This was like the simultaneous snap of a thousand taut longbows and heavy crossbows.

At that moment, Chen Yue’s bones, his great sinews, his muscles, and even his deep-seated internal organs began to resonate together with an unprecedented tightness.

It was as if an invisible net had linked and integrated his body, inside and out, in a way it never had before!

A much heavier torrent of Qi Blood rose from his Dantian, surging along the new path formed by the Tiger Roar Golden Bell Shield at Minor Success.

Wherever it passed, his skin and fascia grew tighter and tougher. His muscle fibers twisted and condensed like steel cables, and even his bone density seemed to increase slightly, emitting faint creaking sounds.

Chen Yue could clearly feel that his strength, defense, and even the total volume and recovery rate of his Qi Blood had all grown significantly because of this breakthrough.

More important was the sense of integrity. His body was no longer a simple collection of parts but a precisely coordinated whole. Wherever his intent focused, his power could be transmitted and unleashed with maximum efficiency.

With a flicker of thought, Chen Yue tried to activate his Protective Gang Qi.

FWOOSH!

A layer of Qi Force instantly materialized on the surface of his body.

This time, it wasn’t just a palm-sized patch. It covered almost the entire front of his torso, like he was wearing a half-cuirass of armor.

The surface of the Gang Qi rippled faintly, like the surface of water, emanating an invisible yet indestructible might.