Chapter 16: Tempering the Bones; Breaking Through to the Bone Tempering Stage!

"Six points of Perception? So the Sixfold Heaven Blood Strengthening Art is actually a sixth-tier art?"

Lu Changsheng was taken aback. He had anticipated reaching Perfection in the Sixfold Heaven Blood Strengthening Art, but not so quickly. What truly surprised him, however, was that it ranked as a sixth-tier martial art. He had only ever known it to be top-tier, far beyond the ordinary, yet had never imagined it ranked so high.

As he collected himself, Lu Changsheng inspected his status panel again.

[Status Panel]

Host: Lu Changsheng

Perception: 211 (Full of Potential)

[Skills]

Sixfold Heaven Blood Strengthening Art: Sixth Layer Perfection

The realization that his Perception had risen to 211 brought him little joy. Two full months had passed, and without a second-tier martial technique, his Perception had scarcely increased.

"My blood qi has already spread through my entire body, almost reaching its limit. With the Blood Strengthening Stage at its peak, I can now step into the Bone-Tempering stage without worry..." Lu Changsheng muttered to himself.

He took out a secret manual from a box he had hidden away. It was the Wild Ox Bone Tempering Art. He had long since met the conditions to practice it, but he had held back, waiting until he managed to elevate the Sixfold Heaven Blood Strengthening Art to Perfection. Now that he had achieved that, and his blood qi could advance no further, he could finally dive into the new art.

"At the end of the day, Bone Tempering means using blood qi to refine the bones. Bones might seem sturdy, but in reality, they're awfully fragile. They must be repeatedly tempered with blood qi."

Lu Changsheng had long understood the fundamentals of Bone Tempering. When he opened the

Wild Ox Bone Tempering Art

and read it carefully, the contents etched themselves into his memory with perfect clarity. With everything firmly in mind, he exhaled and said quietly, "Let's begin."

He stirred his blood qi, guiding it according to the instructions in the manual, and began tempering his bones.

Boom.

At his first attempt at Bone Tempering, a wave of pain tore through Lu Changsheng, but he endured it, pressing on with the tempering bit by bit. Thanks to his sharp Perception, his grasp of the Wild Ox Bone Tempering Art was remarkably deep.

From the very beginning, it felt as if he had practiced this before—so remarkable was the efficiency of his tempering. Even so, completing a full cycle and tempering every bone in his body would take at least ten days. Bones were composed of countless parts, and tempering them thoroughly demanded both time and patience.

Lu Changsheng stopped after about four hours, when fatigue had finally set in. After taking a moment to gather himself, he turned his attention to his status panel.

[Status Panel]

Host: Lu Changsheng

Perception: 211 (Full of Potential)

[Skills]

Wild Ox Bone Tempering Art: First Layer

Although Lu Changsheng had yet to complete a full cycle of Bone Tempering, he could already feel the changes within himself. His strength had surged, his defenses grown firmer, and his stamina risen to new heights. Every aspect of his body had been greatly enhanced. This apparent transformation was far beyond anything the Blood Strengthening Stage could offer.

"No wonder they say Body Tempering has three thresholds, each one like a heaven of its own."

He was only at the beginning of the Bone Tempering Stage, yet his physique had already far surpassed that of any Blood Strengthening martial artist. The realization left him deeply satisfied.

The night had slipped by quickly, and by the next morning, Old Wen came looking for him, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

"Changsheng, everything is settled," Old Wen said. "Physician Wu Jing has agreed to take you as his disciple. However, propriety cannot be neglected. Wu Jing values etiquette above all. If you wish to become his disciple, you must perform the disciple ceremony."

Lu Changsheng bowed his head in gratitude, deeply overjoyed by the news. "Of course. Thank you for your trouble, Old Wen."

"Yes, now come with me. I'll take you to Wu Jing so you can formally perform the ceremony under him."

They quickly arrived at one of Miaoshou Garden's herbal medicine shops. Inside sat a man in his sixties, slightly hunched yet sharp-eyed, his complexion ruddy with blood qi.

"Wu Jing, I've brought the one I told you about." Old Wen addressed the elder directly.

The two seemed well acquainted. Wu Jing glanced at Old Wen, then turned his gaze on Lu Changsheng.

"Old Wen, this is the so-called genius who memorized the pharmacopoeia in just a few months?" His voice was firm and resonant.

"That's right. If you don't believe me, you can test him," Old Wen said confidently.

Wu Jing waved his hand. "No need. It's rare enough for you to praise a youth so highly. Why bother with a test?

"Lu Changsheng, is it? Since Old Wen here has vouched for you, I'll take you in. But be careful. If you disappoint me, I'll cast you out at once, and you'll return to being an apothecary. Is that clear?"

Lu Changsheng nodded firmly. "This disciple understands."

In truth, Lu Changsheng was slightly taken aback. Physician Wu Jing was exactly as the rumors described him; his temper didn't seem particularly pleasant. It seemed almost absurd that he would cast someone out after accepting them as a disciple.

Even so, Lu Changsheng wasn't daunted. With his Perception as high as 211, there was no way Wu Jing would be dissatisfied with him.

Thus, Lu Changsheng offered Wu Jing tea, bowed his head to the floor, and performed the full disciple ceremony. From that moment on, Lu Changsheng was officially the disciple of the renowned Wu Jing.

This was not a mere apprenticeship; it was discipleship. Apprentices were assigned by Miaoshou Garden, but disciples were chosen to inherit their master's true legacy. The difference was fundamental. Wu Jing had many apprentices under him, but Lu Changsheng was his one and only disciple.

When Old Wen prepared to leave, Lu Changsheng personally escorted him out. The old man gave him a final reminder. "Changsheng, Wu Jing did accept disciples before, but he was dissatisfied with them and kicked them out. I don't wish to see you end up like them. Wu Jing might have a peculiar temper, but his expertise is undeniable. As his disciple, you must do your best."

A faint chill gripped Lu Changsheng's heart. So Wu Jing's warning was genuine; he actually cast out disciples if they failed to meet his expectations. A strict mentor indeed.

After Old Wen departed, Lu Changsheng remained at Wu Jing's side. Wu Jing's apprentices were far from cordial to him. After all, each of them had once hoped to be chosen as Wu Jing's disciple and inherit his skills. Yet, Lu Changsheng had appeared out of nowhere and snatched those hopes away.

Naturally, they showed him no kindness, not that Lu Changsheng cared for that. He had come to Wu Jing solely to study medicine, with no interest in scheming against mere apprentices.

In the days that followed, he remained at Physician Wu Jing's side, paying close attention and absorbing everything he could. His Perception was extraordinary; in matters of theory and diagnosis, he could discern patterns simply by watching.

Within just a few days, he had already left Wu Jing deeply impressed, enough that the physician began to personally pass on his medical techniques. Even so, the art of medicine was vast and profound, far deeper than what could be grasped in a handful of days.

Even with Lu Changsheng's extraordinary Perception, he needed time to actually master medicine. Still, with the renowned physician guiding him hand in hand, his medical techniques advanced at a remarkable speed.

More than a month had passed like a breeze. On one particular day, Lu Changsheng arrived at the herbal medicine shop as usual, ready to assist Wu Jing. By now, he knew how to question patients regarding their conditions and report to Wu Jing; he had become a capable assistant.

Suddenly, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed outside.

"Hurry, hurry! Fetch Physician Wu at once. People have been hurt, badly! Internal damage! Their life is hanging by a thread!"

"Where is Physician Wu?"

"Save him, quickly!"

A large crowd burst into the shop, barely fitting inside. Each group carried the gravely wounded. Their faces were ghastly pale, their breathing shallow. They hovered on the very edge of death.

"What happened?" Lu Changsheng's heart tightened.

"Miaoshou Garden was attacked by bandits!" someone cried.

"Those scoundrels dared to go so far! After raiding the herbal medicine shop last time, they now dared to raid Miaoshou Garden itself! Apprentices, apothecaries, physicians... even guards were slaughtered! The Patriarch himself was wounded. The entire Miaoshou Garden has become a river of blood! Those bastards..."

The shop was filled with pained groans and weeping.

Lu Changsheng felt a pang in his chest.

Miaoshou Garden... raided? But wasn't it guarded by Organ Refinement martial artists? What bandits would try to pull off something like this?

"What about Old Wen? How is he?" Lu Changsheng asked immediately. He remembered all too clearly, Old Wen had still been in Miaoshou Garden.

"What's all this commotion? Didn't I say only the injured could come in?" A stern voice cut through the chaos.

Wu Jing came in, his presence instantly steadying the room. "Changsheng, what are you standing there for? Quickly, assess their wounds!"

Lu Changsheng drew a deep breath, forcing his emotions down as he rushed to assist his master in treating the wounded. Still, he couldn't shake his concern for Old Wen. It lingered in the depths of his heart, gnawing at him.