Martial Arts Longevity Begins with the Equipment Slot

Chapter 34 Rank Advancement, Effects Doubled

As the Wild Bull Mountain-Shaking Hammer Technique was practiced to its limit, the rank of the skill slot was also improved.

【Technique Section (Tier 2 3%)】

[Technique]: "The Mighty Bull Shaking Mountain Hammer Technique"

[Quality]: Low Grade, Rank 8

[Status]: Equipped

[Progress]: 13th floor (1300/1300)

[Equipment Requirements]: Perfected Skin Refining Realm

[Equipment Effect]: Cultivation will surely yield results, once proven, forever, progress is visible, cultivation efficiency +40%.

Chen Yu examined it.

Previously, the skill level in the skill bar was Tier 1 with 98% skill level. After practicing the Wild Bull Mountain-Shaking Hammer Technique, it was raised to Tier 2 with 3% skill level.

The higher the rank, the more the equipment's effect value doubles!

Originally it was +20% cultivation efficiency, now it's +40% cultivation efficiency.

Chen Yu was slightly surprised by the magnitude of the improvement.

He had considered that upgrading the cultivation technique's rank would improve cultivation efficiency, but he hadn't expected the increase to be so generous.

At this rate of increase, the cultivation efficiency will be +60% by the third stage.

This means that, under normal circumstances, my training will only become faster and easier in the future.

Then my next goal is very clear.

As long as you collect more cultivation techniques and cultivate them to their limit, you can increase the experience points in your cultivation technique inventory.

Once the experience points are maxed out, the rank of the cultivation technique will increase, thereby improving cultivation efficiency.

The increased efficiency of cultivation can in turn aid in the cultivation of techniques, significantly shortening the cultivation time of a technique.

In this way, he could cultivate multiple techniques to their limits in a short period of time, thereby raising the rank of his technique inventory.

This way of playing is like stepping on your right foot with your left and spiraling upwards.

The sun had completely sunk behind the western mountains.

Composing himself, Chen Yu went straight back to his dormitory.

Silence fell over the dormitory.

Cheng Daqi went to bed early.

With the assessment approaching, Han Feilong and Hou San became much more well-behaved.

He no longer goes out drinking every day like before, and causes all sorts of trouble after drinking.

Although he still didn't give Chen Yu a friendly look, he didn't say anything rude or provoke him anymore.

I slept soundly through the night.

……

The next day, inside the forging workshop.

Chen Yu told Xiahou Fei about his breakthrough to the Great Perfection of Body Refinement.

"Alright! I knew I hadn't misjudged you, kid!"

Xiahou Fei looked delighted and patted Chen Yu on the shoulder heavily.

"Truly, the younger generation is to be feared. In just over ten days, they have mastered the Wild Bull Mountain-Shaking Hammer Technique to the thirteenth level."

"Your master has been practicing diligently for three years to achieve this level."

Xiahou Fei was quite moved at that moment.

Although I say that I practice slowly because my aptitude is average.

But this apprentice's progress is too fast.

He was no less talented than any of the geniuses he had met before.

You should know that martial arts skills cannot be improved simply by practicing relentlessly.

Many people have practiced diligently for years but have made no progress, or even regressed in their skills.

"Master, now that I have mastered the art of meat refining, could you please teach me the method to perfect it?"

Chen Yu asked.

He came to see Xiahou Fei today in order to seek further techniques for cultivation.

"Perfected Body Refinement? Why would you need to achieve Perfected Body Refinement?"

Xiahou Fei was somewhat puzzled.

"There's no need for that; achieving perfect meat refinement is very difficult."

"The ultimate goal of muscle training is to build up and harden muscles, thereby generating powerful bursts of strength."

"It becomes much more difficult to achieve perfection in meat refining."

"We should do the opposite: work our way up from large muscles to small ones, from hard muscles to soft ones."

"He looks no different from an ordinary person, but his explosive power and endurance far surpass those of a fully-fledged meat refiner."

"Isn't this great?" Chen Yu asked, puzzled.

"It sounds good, but it's impossible to do."

Xiahou Fei shook his head.

"I've only heard of the Perfected Body Refinement Technique; I've never actually seen it."

"There are very few cultivation methods on the market for perfecting the body refining technique. Even if someone knows such a method, not many people are willing to learn it."

"Why?" Chen Yu continued to ask.

"Because it's not worth it."

Xiahou Fei used gestures to describe the scene in detail.

"Once you achieve the Great Perfection in Body Refinement, you can begin cultivating the Tendon Refinement Realm."

"Most people would choose to start strengthening their tendons directly."

"The combat power boost brought by entering the Muscle Refining Realm is much better than your painstaking efforts to achieve the Perfection of Body Refining Realm."

Chen Yu nodded, seemingly lost in thought.

What Xiahou Fei said is easy to understand.

It's simply a matter of cost-effectiveness.

Forcing yourself to achieve perfect meat refinement is a thankless and exhausting endeavor.

Sometimes, instead of striving for perfection, it's better to elevate your standards early on.

The Tendon Refining Realm involves training an entire additional system compared to the Flesh Refining Realm.

Even the lowest level of tendon refining is probably not comparable to the perfect level of body refining.

Seeing Chen Yu deep in thought, Xiahou Fei's one eye flickered, and then he spoke again.

"Although I don't know the method to perfect the Body Refinement stage, I don't recommend that you continue to waste your time in the Body Refinement stage."

"But if you insist on perfecting your flesh refinement, it's not impossible; there's always a way."

"What method?" Chen Yu asked curiously.

After observing his surroundings and confirming that no one else was around, Xiahou Fei lowered his voice and continued speaking.

"There's an underground black market in the neighboring city of Wangjiang."

"The 3rd, 13th, and 23rd of each month are small market days, where you can trade some rare cultivation techniques, elixirs, weapons, and so on."

"If you can't find what you're looking for at the small market, you can wait for the big market every three months, where people of higher status will come with their goods to trade."

"Thank you for your guidance, Master. I will go there when I have time."

After thinking about it, Chen Yu decided that he still wanted to pursue the realm of perfection.

Since I already have equipment in my inventory, there's no rush to make progress.

Achieving perfection is of course the best, as it provides a solid foundation and avoids potential problems for future cultivation.

"Okay, I was just telling you."

"I do see a bit of genius in you."

Xiahou Fei pondered for a moment, as if he had remembered something else.

"The five stages of body refinement are: refining blood, refining skin, refining flesh, refining tendons, and refining bones."

"If you can master all five realms to perfection, the resulting improvement is indeed quite powerful."

"Xie Hongchen, who was ranked first on the Hidden Dragon List back then, mastered all five levels of Body Refinement at the age of eight, making him invincible among his peers!"

"At the age of twelve, he traveled from south to north, challenging masters from all sides along the way."

"First, in the sixteen prefectures of the Great Liang, starting with renowned and righteous sects such as the Cangyun Pavilion and the Divine Sword Sect, they discussed the Dao through swordsmanship, winning without arrogance."

"Then they crossed the border eastward, entered the Great Wei, and broke the heavy armor formation of the Tiger and Leopard Iron Cavalry Camp."

"Then they marched south to the Wu Kingdom and defeated seven instructors from the naval martial arts academy in succession."

"Finally, he went north and deep into the northern grasslands, where he fought against mounted archers with swords in the Wolf Tent tribe, defeating twelve archers in succession."

At this point, Xiahou Fei changed the subject.

"Unfortunately, his brilliance was too great, which aroused resentment."

"Xie Hongchen was not even sixteen years old when he died at the hands of someone three realms higher than him."

"Although your talent is far inferior to Xie Hongchen's, you should still be careful and not be too ostentatious in your actions."

Xiahou Fei solemnly instructed.

Chen Yu was also moved by this.

Even someone as powerful as Xie Hongchen couldn't escape the machinations of a villain?

Xie Hongchen's death was perhaps inevitable.

His sharp edge touched three layers of interests.

The dignity of the defeated, the path to advancement for peers, and the unspoken rule of the martial arts world that "young people should not surpass established masters."

Ultimately, a master whose cultivation level was three levels higher than his stepped forward and assassinated him.

This precisely proves Xie Hongchen's strength; even though he is three realms higher, there is no guarantee of victory in a direct confrontation.

"If I cultivate all five stages of body refinement to perfection, can I also reach this level?"

Just as I was pondering this, I suddenly heard footsteps outside the door.