Chapter 29: Progress of Bone, Tendon, and Marrow

Classes end at the sixteenth week, and examinations begin at the nineteenth. The seventeenth and eighteenth weeks are naturally set aside to provide students with time for review. These two weeks are quite flexible, granting students ample time to attend to their own affairs. Of course, this applies only to the students; for the faculty, these two weeks are exceptionally busy, as they must arrange exams and oversee the preparation of test papers.

Students admitted to Tianlan University are the absolute elite from their high schools, and they are inevitably outstanding. However, once gathered together, distinctions in ability emerge. After all, some students possess such an unreasonable talent for learning that even within the halls of Tianlan University—a top-tier institution brimming with gifted minds—some still manage to stand head and shoulders above the rest, outshining their peers. Similarly, others fade into the crowd, becoming lost in distractions like video games, their former brilliance all but vanished.

The difficulty of the school's examinations is neither too hard nor too simple. It strikes a balance, ensuring it is not so difficult that top students cannot solve the problems, yet not so easy that those at the bottom can breeze through them. Therefore, these two weeks of intensive study serve as a vital period for all students to catch up.

Chen Xian sat quietly in his bedroom. For once, he held a textbook in his hands rather than his usual scriptures. With exams approaching, he needed to dedicate some time to his studies. Throughout this semester, his mind had been preoccupied with the Dragon-Tiger Elixir Scripture and martial arts cultivation, with the bulk of his energy poured into his physical training. He had truly spent very little time on his academic coursework. Furthermore, the curriculum at Tianlan University was quite profound and proved challenging even for him. If he were to walk into the exams completely unprepared, he would have little confidence in his performance. As a senior, failing a course was a major headache; even if professors were lenient, failing a subject with too low a grade was a genuine risk. At Tianlan University, it was not uncommon for students to be unable to graduate on time due to failed courses.

On his desk lay a sheet of paper containing a summary of his own martial arts progress:

[Realm: Mingjin (Clear Power) – Perfection]
[Bone Tempering: Perfection]
[Skin and Flesh: Perfection]
[Tendon Tempering: 80%]
[Marrow Cleansing: 60%]
[Internal Organs: 20%]
[Blood Refinement: 10%]

This was Chen Xian’s current state, the harvest of three years of martial arts practice. Naturally, it was also the result of this semester's cultivation after acquiring transcendental power and the Dragon-Tiger Elixir Scripture. In terms of martial realms, he had reached the perfection of Mingjin; he only needed to grasp Anjin (Hidden Power) to become an Anjin practitioner. As for the tempering of skin, flesh, tendons, blood, organs, and marrow, these techniques came from the secrets of the Dragon-Tiger Elixir Scripture. As a "God-Seeing" lineage from the millennium-old Mount Longhu sect, the cultivation methods recorded within were far more powerful than ordinary traditions.

The Dragon-Tiger Elixir Scripture contained not only the secrets for tempering tendons, bones, and marrow through the stages of Mingjin, Anjin, and Huajin (Transformative Power), but also unique methods for tempering skin, flesh, organs, and blood—things absent in standard lineages. These secret methods allowed for the cultivation of specific body parts without needing to reach the corresponding realm first. This was why Chen Xian’s tendon tempering had reached 80% despite not yet mastering Anjin. Such is the power of a "God-Seeing" lineage and the profundity of the Dragon-Tiger Elixir Scripture.

This meant that once Chen Xian grasped Anjin, he could immediately step into the late stage of the Anjin realm. Once he mastered that power, his progress in blood, organ, and marrow cultivation would inevitably advance further. It also meant that for every subsequent martial realm, as long as he mastered the corresponding force, he could leap straight into the middle or late stages, bypassing the initial phase. Compared to practitioners of ordinary lineages, this was terrifying and inconceivable.

The advantages of the Dragon-Tiger Elixir Scripture were simply too numerous. Within the same realm, a practitioner of this scripture possessed strength far exceeding that of other martial artists. While others at the Mingjin stage could only transform their bones, those who practiced the Dragon-Tiger Elixir Scripture experienced a comprehensive transformation of skin, flesh, tendons, bones, blood, organs, and marrow. The same applied to the subsequent stages of Anjin and Huajin; they remained far superior to ordinary practitioners. Their cultivation speed was similarly accelerated, as they bypassed the initial—and sometimes even middle—stages of each realm.

After studying his textbook for a while, Chen Xian looked at the summary on his desk and fell into deep thought. "Bone tempering is now perfect, and Mingjin is fully mastered; I only need to grasp the secret of Anjin. I just don't know when that opportunity will arise. It's a pity that tendon tempering has hit a wall at 80%. Even the secrets recorded in the scripture can no longer push the transformation further. It seems the final 20% can only be achieved after I master Anjin, using that power to drive the transformation," Chen Xian mused to himself.

During this period, he had spent a great deal of time on tendon tempering and marrow cleansing, but his progress had been nearly stagnant. No matter how he tried, he could not advance. This made him realize that he had reached the limit of what the secret techniques could achieve for his tendons and marrow; the rest required the impetus of internal power.

*Ring, ring...*

Suddenly, the phone resting beside him chimed. His gaze shifted to the screen, and he paused slightly. The call was from Yang Fan. Ever since Yang Fan’s martial arts master had arrived, he had become a rare sight, even missing some of his less important classes. He had visited Chen Xian far less frequently, and on the few occasions he did, he never stayed long before hurrying away.

This semester, not only had Chen Xian undergone tremendous changes, but so had Yang Fan. Under the guidance of his master, Yang Fan had made remarkable progress. The last time they met, Chen Xian could clearly perceive that Yang Fan’s presence had become much steadier; his movements were more disciplined, and he now carried a faint, sharp edge. All these changes indicated that Yang Fan had truly mastered the craft and was no longer just a brute with raw strength.

Lost in thought, Chen Xian answered the call.

"Chen Xian, that person has arrived. He’s here at the school," Yang Fan’s voice came through, sounding slightly excited. "What do you think? Should we go pay him a visit? There are probably only the three of us who are truly practicing martial arts here at Tianlan University. If we get to know him, we might be able to exchange insights."

Clearly, Yang Fan was eager to meet this freshman, a disciple of Mount Longhu. After all, this was the legendary mountain; any connection formed with them could become a valuable resource in the future.