The Martial Lord of the Troubled World

Chapter 54 Blood Refining
Five guards, led by Wang Shuisheng and Sun Youzhu, each carrying an iron ruler, came up and surrounded Fu Juemin.

Although it's called an iron ruler, it's not actually made of pure iron. The main material is still a hardwood stick, but it's covered with a thick layer of wrought iron.

Once everyone was in position, Fu Juemin immediately assumed the stance of the Hunyuan Zhuang (Primordial Stance).

Then, taking a deep breath, his strong, smooth muscles tensed slightly, and he uttered in a deep voice, "Come."

Wang Shuisheng and the others exchanged glances, and without further ado, they made their move.

"Snapped--"

A metal ruler struck Fu Juemin on the back with moderate force, leaving a faint red mark.

Fu Juemin couldn't help but frown, and said in a flat tone, "Heavier."

Wang Shuisheng gritted his teeth and immediately increased the force of his strike, delivering a powerful blow to Fu Juemin.

Fu Juemin swayed slightly from the blow, but his eyes closed in response.

"continue."

Seeing that Wang Shuisheng had earned Fu Juemin's approval, the others followed suit and increased their strength in attack.

They were all veterans who had accompanied Fu Juemin in his training for a long time, and they had developed a high degree of understanding. They knew how to strike, and which spots to strike to best help their young master practice without causing him discomfort.

For a moment, only the crisp sound of hammering could be heard in the huge practice room.

The iron ruler struck his body again and again, making Fu Juemin feel as if he had returned to the time when he was being rubbed raw and whipped by Li Tong with rattan cane.

He followed the living stance training method of Hunyuan Zhuang, as well as the breathing and force-bearing techniques of Tieyi Gong, constantly adjusting his posture and contracting and relaxing his muscles.

Gradually, Fu Juemin felt a slight "boiling" sensation in his blood and qi.

The marks left by the iron ruler became hot and burning.

As this feeling intensified and reached a peak, Fu Juemin's body began to feel numb, tingly, and itchy, as if something was about to crawl out from between his muscles and bones.

"Whoosh-"

As Wang Shuisheng swung his iron ruler down, Fu Juemin instinctively moved forward to meet it.

"Snapped!"

With a crisp sound, the iron ruler that had landed on Fu Juemin's shoulder seemed to be subjected to some strange force, and it trembled violently before snapping in the middle with a "crack"!
All the guards wielding the rulers immediately froze, staring in horror at the broken wrought iron ruler with its hardwood interior. They were so shocked that they couldn't speak for a moment.

At that moment, Fu Juemin suddenly opened his eyes and called out, "Medicinal bath!"

The servants who were waiting nearby immediately ran downstairs and soon returned carrying in a bathtub filled with the steam of medicinal herbs.

Fu Juemin walked in wearing only his pants. The warm medicinal water in the bath made his already boiling blood feel even hotter.

The parts of his body that had just been struck by the iron ruler were now even more vividly red and dripping with blood.

He simply submerged himself completely in the water.

It's unclear how much time passed, but it continued until the guards and sparring partners watching began to show slight changes in expression and couldn't help but reveal worried looks.
"Wow--"

Fu Juemin emerged from the water.

"bath towel!"

The servants who had been waiting nearby hurriedly presented a bath towel, and then set up a screen around the bathtub to cover it.

After Fu Juemin washed and dried himself, changed into a new set of dry clothes, and came out from behind the screen, Cao Tian suddenly stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Congratulations, young master, on advancing to the Blood Refining stage."

Fu Juemin, his hair still wet, nodded slowly with a half-smile on his handsome face.

The other guards then seemed to snap out of their daze and immediately chimed in, "Congratulations, young master, on your advancement to Blood Refinement!"

"Tell Uncle Chen."

Fu Juemin smiled and instructed the servants beside him, "Those who practice with me today will each receive a ten-dollar red envelope."

"Thank you, Master!"

Upon hearing that there was a reward, the cheers from below immediately became even more enthusiastic, with some sly ones even shouting things like, "Congratulations, young master, on mastering your divine skills! You will soon unify the martial arts world!"

Fu Juemin chuckled and waved everyone away, then pulled up his character panel to check it out on his own.

-

[Fu Juemin] [Attack - 14, Defense - 11, Health - 4, Mana - 0]

【功法：混元桩（精通：生命+1）明拳（入门：攻击+1）八极锻骨功（大成：攻击+6，防御+6）五行通背拳（入门：攻击+2）

Iron Armor Skill (Beginner: Defense +2)

[Talent: Soft Bones, Quiet Listening]

On the panel, Fu Juemin's [Attack] and [Defense] attributes each increased by 1 point.

The former comes from bone forging, advancement, and blood refinement, resulting in an increase in strength and speed due to a surge in qi and blood.

This is not the limit; it should continue to grow. Just like when Cao Tian advanced to the Blood Refinement stage, his physical attributes increased dramatically for more than a week before gradually slowing down and stabilizing.

After all, the transformation of the body by qi and blood takes time and cannot be achieved overnight.

As for the latter, it comes from the [Iron Armor Skill] that I finally mastered.

Iron Armor Skill was originally practiced alongside bone forging, so formally entering the beginner level now is both unexpected and reasonable.

To be honest, although the extra attribute that comes with the beginner level of [Iron Armor Skill] is "Defense +2", it has some overlap with the advanced level of [Eight Extremes Bone Forging Skill]. It was quite surprising that these 2 points of defense were not completely covered by [Eight Extremes Bone Forging Skill].

After mastering the Iron Armor Kung Fu, the thick membrane that had grown on Fu Juemin's arms due to his mastery of Bajiquan Bone Forging began to spread to his entire body, and his skin also darkened.

Originally a pampered ivory white, it now has a bronze-like hue.

Fu Juemin casually took a long sword from the weapon rack next to him, placed the blade on his arm, and slowly began to slash.

At first, I didn't feel anything, but as he gradually increased the force, I felt a faint stinging sensation.

He applied about 20% of his strength, and the skin on his arm was cut open, leaving a faint red line.

"Pain perception seems to have been weakened somewhat; defense is only passable."

Fu Juemin was slightly disappointed. This level of defense was far inferior to the way Li Tong had withstood a knife to his neck without getting hurt.

He guessed that Li Tong's Iron Armor Skill had probably reached its peak, or even surpassed it.

"Forget it, it's just something I practiced on the side anyway. To truly achieve invulnerability, I'll still have to rely on the 'Medicine Master's Glass Body'..."

Fu Juemin shook his head, tossed aside the long sword, and turned back to continue examining the changes in himself.

After advancing to the Blood Refinement stage, his biggest feeling was that he constantly felt his blood and qi surging.

With each strike, blood and qi surged, skin flushed red, and the mobilization of energy was far faster and more powerful than during bone forging.

The practice of "blood cultivation" is precisely about cultivating this vital energy and blood.

This vital energy will naturally increase with daily practice, but the fastest way to increase it is through medicinal and dietary supplements.

"This is where I can really leverage my strengths."

As for burning money, Fu Juemin is least afraid of burning money when practicing martial arts.

"After refining the blood, daily physical training can be put on hold for now."

The focus will be on introducing the basics of "The Medicine Master's Glass Body" and "The Medicine Master's Pure Light Blade."

Fu Juemin has now practiced the fourth of the five "purification diagrams" in "The Medicine Buddha's Glass Body". He has also prepared all the medicinal materials needed for the medicinal bath and is just waiting for the right time to officially start his attempt at the beginner level.

Just as I was pondering this, a servant came in to report.

"Young master, two young ladies have arrived at the door and wish to see you."

Fu Juemin asked instinctively, "What's your name?"

The maid replied, "One is named Jiang Yao, and the other is named Zhou Yunzhi."

They said they were your friend and came specifically to return your things.

Zhou Yunzhi?
Fu Juemin was taken aback, but quickly regained his composure and nodded, saying, "Okay, I understand."

Tell them to wait in the living room.

"Yes."

(End of this chapter)