Chapter 52: Skin Tempering Stage

The remaining ice and crystals were then melted into liquid as Feng Qin slowly sat up, feeling the numbness receding from his body. Flames were burning all across his body, increasing his body temperature and further heating up his surroundings to rid of the ice and water.

He looked around the room, having gotten used to his enhanced senses now, he saw his sheathed Heavenly Yang Sword sitting against a wooden drawer next to the bed he was on.

'... The sword was useless, in my previous match with Cain and now with Mei Lin, or whoever the hell that is.' He dryly chuckled.

'Well that's to be expected. I may have the Sword Immortal's memories and experience of the sword, and I share his sentiment that following the path of the sword could help me reach the peak of the world, but in my heart I put my trust in myself more than anything else.'

Moreover, it was also because he didn't want to follow the Sword Immortal's path.

There are hundreds, thousands of paths in the Martial Way. Feng Qin refused to follow someone else's path. This is his life, he makes his own choices.

He had swore to himself that he would carve out his own martial path, one that suited his own strengths and weaknesses.

'The sword is a weapon, and is only as strong as its owner.'

Feng Qin stood up from the floor and picked up his sword, feeling the weight and balance of the weapon in his hand. He unsheathed it and examined it closely, noticing the fine inscriptions on the blade. It was meticulously hidden well alongside the red vein-like marks across the blade.

'Old man, you...' His eye twitched upon noticing the inscriptions. 'Didn't you say you were just going to make a 'decent' sword?! What the hell are these inscriptions?!'

He frowned slightly, realizing that he had never bothered to look further into the sword. He had simply relied on his own instincts and abilities during battles. This was made by a Divine Craftsman after all, their pride just wouldn't allow them to make some run of the mill weapons.

'Time to change that.' He thought to himself, sheathing the sword again and making a mental note to study the inscriptions in the future.

Feng Qin paused for a moment and let out a sigh, scratching the back of his head at the soaked and slightly ruined room.

"I should clean up a bit." He then looked down at himself. "... And get some pants."

Five minutes later

After cleaning up the room and changing into a casual white tank-top and black shorts, Feng Qin went and opened up the drawer next to his bed, and saw the Dragon Breaking Pill and Instant Spirit Pill that Mei Lin had mentioned earlier.

"I shouldn't waste this opportunity." he muttered to himself, a determined glint in his eyes. He knew he still had a long way to go, but he was ready to work hard and improve himself.

For a moment, he couldn't but think about the mysterious girl who had taken over Mei Lin's body and possessed such terrifying power... he couldn't help but wonder who she was and what her true intentions were.

Feng Qin shook his head and took both the pills into his hand and went to sit on his bed in a cross-legged position, and started mediating.

If he wanted to get most of the pills' effects, then he had to be at his peak condition.

After several minutes of mediating and doing basic breathing exercises to calm both his mind and body, Feng Qin opened up his left hand to reveal the pills.

Both pills were of the same shape and size, their colors being their only difference. The Dragon Breaking Pill is a deep green, resembling the color of the scales of a dragon, while the Instant Spirit Pill was a bright blue, as if it were glowing with an inner light.

'I should go with the Dragon Breaking Pill first, having my body and meridians strengthen would make the surge of spirit power flowing in by swallowing the Instant Spirit Pill easier.' Feng Qin thought to himself, popping the Dragon Breaking Pill into his mouth and immediately feeling a surge of warm energy coursing through his body and he immediately circulated the Heretical Spirit Body Strengthening Art.

The pill was powerful and Feng Qin could feel his muscles and bones strengthening as his meridians expanded and became more resilient. His body temperature rose as his blood circulation increased, and he could feel his senses becoming sharper and more acute.

Feng Qin concentrated on the flow of energy, using the Heretical Spirit Body Strengthening Art to direct and use it to its full potential, refining it until it was pure and strong. His skin turned a bright shade of red like he was a lobster being boiled in extreme hot water, blood even started seeping out of his skin.

He was breaking into the Skin Tempering Stage, to shed his mortal skin and become a weapon that can equal the strongest metal.

Feng Qin could feel his muscles and bones strengthening and becoming more resilient. His senses also became sharper, and he could feel his eyesight and hearing become more acute than before. Unexpectedly as he opened his mouth some of his teeth sharpened.

His blood red skin started to darken, resembling charcoal and a fishy smell spread out of his body. Slowly, his skin began peeling off his body, revealing a bright red layer underneath. It was as if he was shedding his mortal skin and becoming something more.

He was successfully entering the Skin Tempering Stage of the fifth stage Body Strengthening Realm.

But he underestimated Dragon Breaking Pill's medical energy, as its domineering energy surged once more throughout his body. The once warm and exhilarating feeling immediately turned into a painful sensation, as if ten thousand ants were crawling under his muscles and biting him.

The pill contains a powerful combination of true dragon blood, rare spiritual herbs, and other enhancing elements that work together to unlock the full potential of the spirit master's physical body. Upon ingestion, the pill immediately begins to break down and assimilate into the body, spreading its nourishing and strengthening properties throughout their vessels and meridians. Wiping away the wastes in a human's body through its medical force.

And if one was extremely lucky, they could even inherit the true dragon bloodline used in the production of the pill. But the chance of that happening was impossible, a staggering statistical 0.0001%! And even if they can't get a true dragon bloodline, the Dragon Breaking Pill is more designed to boost a spirit master's overall physical strength permanently.

But the pain and discomfort he was feeling was unlike anything he had ever experienced before. It intensified, as if his body was being ripped apart from the inside out, and his screams echoed throughout the room.

Feng Qin clenched his teeth together tightly, trying to endure the excruciating pain and channel it into his cultivation. He had to push through this, he had to complete the transformation.

Minutes and hours passed, the pain continued to rip through Feng Qin's body, never letting up for even a moment. But a newfound strength was slowly taking root within him, and he knew that it was all thanks to the Dragon Breaking Pill.

A sheen of golden light lit up around his body, exuding a majestic and formidable aura, like a sovereign that overlooks the world. Suddenly, in just a few seconds, new layers of skin began to grow out and his big sturdy muscles bulged out along as well.

Unexpectedly, some parts of his skin began to take a change and now faint dragon scales began to appear under his eyes, around his neck, across his chest, arms and legs. He felt a new strength coursing through his veins.

He could feel his muscles contracting and expanding with ease, and his movements were smoother and more fluid. His body was now stronger and more resilient than ever before.

And finally, after what felt like an eternity, the pain subsided. Leaving behind only an incredible feeling of unparalleled explosive power flowing throughout his veins, bones and skin.

A smile appeared on Feng Qin's face as he opened his eyes, revealing his red eyes with his pupils glowing a golden light.

"Peak of Skin Tempering Stage, success!" He laughed out and collapsed onto the bed, a wide smile on his face as he looked down at his hands, and saw that they had become slightly larger and more muscular.

And if he could look at himself in a mirror, he would find out that he had grown a couple inches, his broad shoulders were wider, muscles more defined and rippling with hidden explosive strength. Moreover his abs turned into an impressive robust eight, and most important of all... his 'dong' was bigger.

How could he not be happy? Not only did he enter the Skin Tempering Stage but he also skipped the beginning stages of it and went straight towards the peak, just a step away from entering Marrow Purification.

With his mortal skin shed and tempered successfully, he wasn't afraid of most normal earthly elements and even bladed weapons wouldn't be able to pierce through his skin!

With a smile on his face, he closed his eyes and began to channel the energy and spirit power of the Instant Spirit Pill that was still in his hand, determined to make the most out of this opportunity and move one step closer to his goal of becoming the strongest in the world.

"Welp, no rest for the hard workers I suppose." He muttered as he sat back up to continue breaking through his limits, as he began circulating Heavenly Vast Universe Art, the ray of the sunset pierced through the window shone on his face.

'Its already this late? No wonder I felt hungry, I haven't had anything to eat yet. Thankfully the energy of the Dragon Breaking Pill is enough to momentarily stave off my hunger.' Feng Qin hummed and frowned, he looked around his room in confusion. 'Where's Long Yuyin? She should've been here ages ago.'

.....

❄️Shout-outs to the great Cultivators of my patreon, may you all reach the peak of the heavens!

•Vora

❄️Shout out for the Ones Above All of my patreon, the goats. The gods! The ones who reign unmatched in the heavens!

•Varanys

•Dwhateverprof

AN: Sorry for not posting on Friday, completely forgot, I was busy, still am, with some family drama that involves an uncle being a shameless gossiper spreading false rumours all across the village and his friends about my mom because he wanted sympathy from grandma to help pay for my cousin's(his daughter) college tuition.

Jokes on the fucker because no one, except my grandma because he and my other uncle really manipulated her throughout the months since dad went overseas, took his side because they all know my mom personally and that he's a total massive douche to pretty much everyone else. Hah! He got slapped(metaphorically) hard on the face when my mom confronted him, holy fuck did his face turned red as a tomato as he tried hard to counter her words(which failed epically).

It doesn't help that he owes a lot of debt from most of them, and that includes us as well! Fuck. Just writing this down just pisses me off again.

Wanna read more content? Head on over towards my patreon and if we get an average of 50$ every month then I'll post 2-3 chapters every weekday.

patreon.com/FroztDouluo