Chapter 281: Bone Cultivation (Requesting Monthly Votes)

Lin Qi clenched his fist; he had finally broken through to the fourth realm.

That mere 0.01 increase in blood qi had forced him to endure two hours of agony.

But this hurdle was finally overcome—his body had changed instantly.

Only someone with his innate physical talent could succeed on the first try; even other geniuses couldn't break through, even with Jade Skin Ointment.

He still needed to further refine his skin and membrane to achieve another breakthrough someday.

"Gululu~"

Lin Qi quickly downed three energy drinks, then dragged his exhausted body into the shower.

As hot water streamed over his skin, he rubbed his flesh—and effortlessly peeled off a thin layer of old skin from his arm.

Moments later, Lin Qi stripped off all the shed old skin, stared at his reflection, and saw himself transformed.

Like dust and grime wiped from jade, his true luster now shone through.

Smooth as jade, like jade skin.

His skin was smooth, fine, elastic, and tougher than oxhide.

Lin Qi gazed at his reflection—he felt as if he had been reborn.

This was the transformation brought by perfected skin cultivation, combined with his naturally noble and striking appearance, making him seem like a celestial deity descending.

…

Half an hour later

Sky Six Academy, Villa 01

After returning home, Lin Qi ate a Level-4 nutrient bar to replenish the energy he'd expended in the gravity chamber.

Then he returned to the martial arts room; though full, he still felt his body's hunger.

"Huu~"

He sat cross-legged, emptied his mind, entered stillness, dispelled distractions, and began cultivating the Source Energy Art.

A towering golden tiger, its body forged from gold, roared to the heavens, voraciously absorbing source energy particles from the surrounding air.

"Huu~"

Simultaneously, fierce winds stirred throughout the martial arts room.

Lin Qi instantly sensed a difference in his body—he felt today's cultivation was utterly unlike before.

Vast quantities of source energy particles poured into him like waterfalls, his absorption efficiency soaring dramatically.

Had his cultivation efficiency improved after the breakthrough?

Lin Qi wondered, as threads of source energy continuously entered his body through every pore.

A refreshing coolness flooded every corner of his body; his cells still hungered, voraciously devouring source energy.

Having broken through to the fourth realm, his physical quality had risen again—from low realm to mid realm.

It was a leap, a major realm breakthrough.

Lin Qi finally understood where the emptiness came from—it was his cells. After breaking through the fourth realm, not only had his skin membrane transformed.

His body had transformed too; his cells' appetite had grown sharper.

They could now consume far more source energy.

His body involuntarily devoured source energy particles.

The entire process lasted three hours before ending.

"Huhuhu~"

The fierce winds subsided; Lin Qi opened his eyes, golden light flashing, a dominant aura radiating from him like the Jin Gang Tiger's essence.

He stood up, twisted his body, and his bones cracked with sharp "clicks."

【You broke through to the fourth realm; your body transformed, cultivation efficiency increased, blood qi surged—blood qi +5】

【Blood Qi: 100 → 105】

…

Lin Qi felt his body was complete; he clenched his fist, power surging, then exhaled after seeing the panel's message.

"What a harvest—five extra blood qi points! Even more than from cultivation pills."

He now felt incredibly strong.

After calming his emotions, he began to think again.

"I've broken through to the fourth realm's Bone Cultivation. What path should I take next? I need someone to guide me."

"Too bad my Master has gone to another world to break through to the eighth realm—he hasn't sent word yet. Should I ask Liu Yuanzhang for guidance?"

Lin Qi silently decided: since he'd broken through to the fourth realm, he must prepare for the next stage of Bone Cultivation.

This new realm required systematic instruction—ideally from a high-rank martial artist who could offer comprehensive explanations from multiple angles.

…

The next day, Sky Six Academy, Cangjing Teaching Building.

"Dinglingling!!"

"Class dismissed!!"

The bell rang; instructors left the lecture halls, and students packed their books and departed.

Some headed back to dorms to cultivate; others went to the Spirit Refinement Tower or gravity chambers.

Some sought out their martial arts masters for skill training.

"What? Lin Lin Qi Ge, you're going to my teacher's place?"

Outside the classroom, Jiang Tao stared blankly upon hearing Lin Qi's words; Guanshan and Wang Wang Qiufeng were equally stunned.

"My Master is away, and Liu Yuanzhang is busy—I can only turn to your teacher," Lin Qi replied with a smile.

What kind of question required a high-rank martial artist to answer?

Though puzzled, Jiang Tao still took Lin Qi on the elevator to a spacious martial arts room on the fourth floor.

As soon as he entered, Lin Qi sensed several powerful auras.

Inside, five or six people had gathered—men and women alike—with formidable auras and sharp, piercing eyes.

Among them stood a woman in a white training suit, appearing barely over thirty, her hair tied in a simple ponytail.

Her features were vivid and sculpted, her figure tall, her muscles lean and taut, her skin a healthy wheat tone—like a cheetah of the grasslands.

Her aura was overwhelmingly strong, standing out sharply among the group; Jiang Tao, Guanshan, and Wang Wang Qiufeng all bowed respectfully. "Teacher!"

"Lin Lin Qi Ge, this is my teacher—Liu Ran!" Jiang Tao whispered.

"The others beside her are my senior brothers and sisters."

"The most gifted is Senior Sister Ding Ding Danxuan—she's the academy head of Year Two in our Sixth Academy."

Lin Qi looked curiously over; a full-figured, upright girl stood at the center of the group.

Her features were strikingly beautiful, her blood qi abundant, clad in a white martial arts suit—impossible to ignore.

At that moment, Liu Ran swung her miao dao, studying Lin Qi with curiosity.

Tall, pale-skinned, with sculpted features, noble and handsome, possessing a unique aura.

His blood qi was formidable—even among them, he stood out most brightly.

"This blood qi…?"

Liu Ran, with her sharp perception, sensed Lin Qi's unhidden aura and was startled.

!

He's already broken through to the fourth realm?

That morning, Liu Yuanzhang had notified her to explain fourth realm Bone Cultivation to Year One academy head Lin Qi.

She'd assumed it was because Mu Hong was absent, and Lin Qi wanted early insight into fourth realm cultivation.

But Lin Qi had already broken through.

No wonder he defeated an awakened genius—he's a prodigy beyond normal comprehension in Xia's history.

She felt intense envy toward Mu Hong—how wasn't this student his?

"You must be Student Lin Qi?"

"If only you trained the dao—you could've been my disciple!" Liu Ran said.

"This is Lin Qi?"

"The top freshman? The one who defeated an awakened genius in the National Freshman Tournament?"

Second- and third-year seniors stared curiously at Lin Qi.

Lin Qi nodded. "Yes."

Liu Ran nodded, glanced around, and said, "Everyone, gather closer."

"Today, Student Lin Qi will attend a lesson."

"I'll detail the fourth realm—Bone Cultivation—after completing the third realm's Skin Cultivation."

"Second- and third-year students, treat this as review. Jiang Tao, Guanshan, Wang Wang Qiufeng—listen carefully; you'll need this knowledge soon."

Everyone nodded. Liu Ran lowered her head and operated her smartphone.

Jiang Tao immediately sensed something was off; he leaned close and whispered to Lin Qi:

"Lin Lin Qi Ge, are you about to break through to the fourth realm?"

Lin Qi replied calmly: "No—I'm already there."

Jiang Tao's eyes widened in shock. "Broken through?"

Their voices were low, but everyone nearby heard them clearly.

All eyes snapped toward him; Guanshan and Wang Wang Qiufeng were equally stunned.

"Fourth realm?"

"It's only been a few weeks since the semester started—already?" The upperclassmen, sophomores and juniors, instantly lost their composure.

Many of them were already fourth realm themselves, and now their own junior was nearly catching up.

A wave of pressure crashed over each of them.

Though they were all among the top hundred in their respective grades, the pressure of being near such a genius was overwhelming.

Ding Ding Danxuan, head of the Sixth Academy, was internally startled.

As head of the Sixth Academy for sophomores, she herself was an S-class genius.

Her cultivation speed far surpassed ordinary people, yet she had only broken into the fourth realm in June of her first-year spring semester.

Now it's only March—she was beaten by a full three months!

Jiang Tao, Guanshan, and Wang Wang Qiufeng were all speechless.

"Alright, class begins!"

Liu Ran spoke, her voice clear and resonant.

The intelligent lifeform beside her floated over, projecting a large green screen displaying a human anatomical diagram.

"The Nine Martial Gates: each gate is a realm, each realm a shackle."

"Each time you break a shackle, your power leaps forward."

"The Nine Realms are divided into three major tiers: Realms One to Three are Low Realm martial artists; Four to Six are Mid Realm; Seven to Nine are High Realm!"

"Reaching the fourth realm is already a Mid Realm martial artist—it's a turning point."

"Across the Blue Planet, eighty percent of martial artists have been eliminated by the Low Realm; the rest are elites."

Everyone nodded: after the fourth realm, one ascends a social tier, able to live comfortably wherever they go.

They have fully escaped the ordinary class.

"According to the Blue Planet's nations' research on physical refinement: Realm One trains flesh, Realm Two trains tendons, Realm Three trains skin, Realm Four trains bone!"

Liu Ran finished speaking and pointed her slender miao blade at the projected human figure, highlighting the body's various skeletal joints.

"What is bone training? It is hammering our bones until they are as hard as steel."

"Hardened bones not only enhance physical attributes but also allow us to withstand stronger impacts."

"The disaster beasts you face are massive; when they charge, their force can shatter walls and rocks. If your bones aren't strong enough, one collision will shatter your skeleton, leaving you incapacitated."

"But most crucially, it grants your strikes greater penetration and damage."

As Liu Ran finished, she clenched her left fist and swung it—those nearby felt their body hairs stand on end, a terrifying sense of danger enveloping them.

"Boom!!"

Liu Ran punched forward; a gale howled, lashing across their faces, the air exploding like an air cannon.

Lin Qi was stunned: if that simple punch struck him, he couldn't possibly endure it—even with his steel bones and iron flesh, he'd be crushed.

He could clearly sense how Liu Ran's punch condensed power, pierced through bone, and unleashed a force that generated tremendous impact.

This power was immense—generated purely by physical strength.

……

(End of Chapter)