Chapter 5: Iron-Bone Technique

Who among those present could have expected that such an unassuming, callow youth would possess such terrifying fighting spirit and explosive power?

Especially that reckless, life-defying ferocity—who could compare to it?

In an instant, the way these men looked at Qin Jue changed. There was admiration, there was awe… They were completely won over by this fellow!

The burly man, in particular, looked at him with eyes full of appreciation. The boy’s bravery and resilience stirred a sense of respect within him. Having such a fierce individual in their barracks was an absolute blessing. After all, they were bound for the battlefield sooner or later; with him around, their chances of survival and achieving glory were significantly higher. On the battlefield, a powerhouse often draws the bulk of the enemy's fire, thereby easing the pressure on their companions. Moreover, once a momentum is established, they could follow in his wake to secure military merit. Such a fierce warrior was a prized asset in the heat of war.

With this thought, the burly man strode toward Qin Jue, cupped his fists, and spoke with genuine sincerity: "Brother, I have to hand it to you—I’m impressed by your ferocity and drive!"

"My name is Zhang Qi. If you have time later, we can spar more often."

...

Outside the barracks, Liu Da had been waiting for quite a while. Seeing the three of them emerge one after another, he shouted, "You finally came out! If you had dawdled any longer, I would have been starving to death before dinner."

The sky was darkening; it was already dusk. As he spoke, Liu Da’s gaze happened to land on Qin Jue, and his thick eyebrows arched slightly. "You? A kid like you made it into the top three?"

Hearing this, Zhang Qi took the initiative to recount what had happened inside the tent. Upon hearing of Qin Jue’s glorious achievement, Liu Da was stunned. He walked up to Qin Jue, looked him up and down, and clicked his tongue in amazement. "Well, I’ll be. You’re a dark horse, aren't you? What’s your name?"

"Qin Jue!" Qin Jue replied.

"The Qin of the Qin family?" Liu Da became instantly alert.

"I have nothing to do with them!" Qin Jue stated.

Liu Da let out a sigh of relief. The Qin family was a prestigious noble clan, not someone they could afford to provoke. But then again, it made sense... If the boy were truly from the Qin family, why would he come here to be a common soldier?

Having reasoned this out, Liu Da laughed heartily. "Good! From now on, you’re with me, Liu Da. I guarantee you’ll have plenty to eat and drink."

Having said that, he scanned the three of them and handed over the prepared "Thousand Gold Prescription" and a stack of booklets. "This 'Iron Bone Technique' is the cultivation method used in the military. Take it back, distribute it to the others, and study it carefully. If there’s anything you don’t understand, come ask me."

Seeing that it was a martial arts manual, the three were overjoyed. Qin Jue, in particular, felt a surge of anticipation. The path of martial arts focuses on the exploration and enhancement of individual power; practitioners temper their bodies and spirits through techniques and skills to strengthen their physique. Therefore, a cultivation method is of paramount importance to a martial artist. However, the vast majority of these methods are monopolized by noble clans and royal families, remaining inaccessible to ordinary martial artists. A part of the reason he had joined the army was precisely for these techniques. Now that his wish was granted, he was naturally delighted.

Zhang Qi and the other man were equally excited.

"Also... it is best to use this Thousand Gold Prescription in conjunction with the technique..." Liu Da added. The medicinal liquid served to improve one's constitution and boost vital energy and blood. The strength of one's vital energy is a tremendous aid in mastering the foundation of a technique and is even more beneficial for subsequent bone-tempering. He then proceeded to explain the secrets of how to maximize the synergy between the two. The three listened with rapt attention.

Qin Jue, in particular, knew from the original owner’s memories that the earlier one begins martial arts, the better. Generally, sixteen is considered the optimal age for starting, which is when the scions of noble families begin. The original owner had also been slated to start, which was why he had undergone the physical examination that revealed his "Golden Tendons." Alas, fate was cruel...

Once the explanation was finished, Liu Da licked his dry lips and waved his hand. "Alright, go on back."

The three returned to the barracks. Inside, the other recruits, seeing the return of this "mad god," involuntarily shivered and cleared a path. Qin Jue ignored them, found a bunk, sat cross-legged, and opened the booklet.

The manual stated that the Iron Bone Technique was an "external" method for tempering the body’s sinews and bones, enhancing physical strength and defense. In the later stages, one could even withstand ordinary weapons! It was divided into four stages, corresponding to the four checkpoints of the first realm of martial arts: Skin-Cleansing, Tendon-Refining, Flesh-Forging, and Bone-Tempering.

Although this booklet only contained the oral formulas and postures for the first stage, it was more than enough for Qin Jue at the moment.

After finishing the booklet, the meal prepared for the new recruits was delivered to the tent. Having been through a long day, Qin Jue was famished. He stepped forward, grabbed a bowl and chopsticks, and began to devour his food. Watching his ravenous style, the others quickly followed suit. Within moments, the massive basin of rice and dishes was polished off by the twenty men. Qin Jue ate the most; his improved physique had significantly increased his caloric needs. He consumed as much as Zhang Qi, who was already a martial artist.

After dinner, everyone headed to the open ground outside the barracks, eager to start practicing the "Iron Bone Technique." To them, commoners, this manual was precious, and they wished they could master it in a single night. Qin Jue first took off his blood-stained clothes, changed into the military-issued uniform, and, following Liu Da’s instructions, prepared the Thousand Gold Prescription.

As the bowl of medicinal soup hit his stomach, Qin Jue felt a surge of vital energy and a wave of heat throughout his body. He went outside, found an empty spot, and began to practice. He stood with his feet slightly wider than his shoulders, knees slightly bent in a high horse stance. He pressed his palms together, the Lao Gong points facing each other.

This posture was called "Red Sun Enters the Dantian." By combining specific postures with breathing techniques, one guides an imagined warm current of the red sun from the Tianmen point into the Lower Dantian to nourish and strengthen the internal energy. Qin Jue closed his eyes, focused, and directed his consciousness to his Tianmen point. Before long, he felt a warm current spring forth, flowing down directly into his Dantian, suffusing it with warmth.

The Dantian is the reservoir for essence and the regulator of vital energy and blood. The most critical element is that single "breath." As the saying goes: "Practice the breath internally; practice the skin, flesh, and bones externally." Once the breath in the Dantian is cultivated, one has truly stepped onto the path of martial arts. Running that breath through the entire body—the "Great Circulation"—to wash away the mortal skin and undergo a transformation is the Skin-Cleansing Realm. The subsequent stages follow the same principle.

Since the "Iron Bone Technique" only covered the first stage, Qin Jue focused the warmth on tempering and cleansing his skin. The time required for this process depends on the practitioner's potential. Had Qin Jue not had his Golden Tendons extracted, the three checkpoints before Bone-Tempering would have been a natural evolution, requiring little effort. That was the benefit of talent. Fortunately, though he lost the tendons, they had been innate and had nourished him for sixteen years; his vital energy was already far superior to that of an average person. Moreover, he now had the Thousand Gold Prescription to help boost his blood. The key to mastering the "Iron Bone Technique" lay in the resonance between vital energy and the technique itself.

Ordinary people must first enhance their vital energy and then align it with the technique to catch a glimpse of the path. Qin Jue had skipped a step, naturally putting him ahead of the others. Thus, after two hours, he had mastered the entry-level requirements! Meanwhile, inside the barracks, only a handful of others had managed to make even a start, while the rest were still struggling.

After finishing his practice, an exhausted Qin Jue returned to his bunk, sat cross-legged, and opened his personal interface. He hadn't yet used the victory points earned from defeating Zhang Qi.

[Name]: Qin Jue
[Age]: 16
[Realm]: None
[Attributes]: [Strength] 3, [Physique] 2 [+], [Agility] 2 [+]
[Technique]: Iron Bone Technique (Entry-level) [+]
[Martial Arts]: None
[Victory Points]: 4

"Hmm?"

When Qin Jue looked at the technique on his interface, his eyes brightened—especially at the conspicuous [+] sign next to it. So, techniques could be leveled up directly! He understood. It seemed that as long as he reached the entry-level of a technique, he could spend points to increase his proficiency. He just didn't know how many points were needed for an upgrade.

Qin Jue looked at his remaining 4 points. He had earned 3 points from defeating Zhang Qi, a martial artist. His previous attempts had taught him that increasing an attribute would cost at least 2 points; however, he was curious to see what improvements the "Iron Bone Technique" would bring. He decided to add a point to the technique.

The next second...

Qin Jue immediately felt a surge of immense power sweep through his entire body! It felt as if his body were being reshaped. His originally soft skin grew tight and thick! His muscles heated up and twitched, as if dancing with joy. Simultaneously, the secrets and experience of practicing the "Iron Bone Technique" flooded into his mind as if by instinct.

Hoo—

Qin Jue exhaled a breath of stale air, and his fatigue vanished. He looked at the personal interface again.

[Name]: Qin Jue
[Age]: 16
[Realm]: Skin-Flesh Realm ("Skin-Cleansing Checkpoint")
[Attributes]: [Strength] 3, [Physique] 2, [Agility] 2
[Technique]: Iron Bone Technique (Minor Success)
[Martial Arts]: None
[Victory Points]: 1

An entry-level martial artist—he had done it!

Qin Jue felt the fierce power within his body and the burgeoning muscles, his heart trembling. He hadn't expected that reaching "Minor Success" in the "Iron Bone Technique" would allow him to enter the Skin-Flesh Realm and become a true martial artist! If he could reach "Major Success," would he jump directly to the next stage? At this moment, his desire for victory points grew even stronger.