Chapter 78: Chapter 76 Tendon Changing
Black Jade Tendon Changing Pill.
Tendon Changing Pills are not the kind that one swallows in one go. They are instead tough, pearl-like objects that need to be refined with high heat, gradually extracting the medicinal power within.
Chen Mu had recently obtained the “Black Jade Tendon Changing Method” from Xu Hongyu. By now, he was basically familiar with the Tendon Changing cultivation techniques. Holding the egg-sized Black Jade Tendon Changing Pill, he walked towards the furnace.
“Wang Ni, fetch me some water. I need to bathe,” Chen Mu instructed.
The way to use the Black Jade Tendon Changing Pill was to boil it over high heat for about an hour, then pour the boiled medicinal juice into a bath, immersing oneself completely.
Yes.
Because the medicinal power of the Tendon Changing Pill was too fierce, it was not only unsuitable for direct consumption but even the boiled medicinal juice needed to be diluted with water. Moreover, one also had to take a corresponding herbal decoction to protect the heart and lungs.
Skin Toughening, Body Refinement, Tendon Changing—each step had to be taken one at a time and could not be skipped.
Without well-tempered skin and muscles full of Qi-Blood to withstand the overwhelming medicinal power of the Tendon Changing Pill, one would fail to achieve Tendon Changing. Worse still, one’s own flesh and skin would break down under the strain.
He placed the Black Jade Tendon Changing Pill he was holding into the medicine pot and started to boil it.
“The medicinal power of the Tendon Changing Pill is so terrifying, it’s likely because it mostly comes from that essential ingredient, Jiao blood,” Chen Mu pondered while staring at the medicine pot.
In the Da Xuan Dynasty Court’s Myriad Demon Atlas, the Black Jiao, rated as Seventh Rank, is undoubtedly an extremely terrifying demon.
Jiao blood is an essential catalyst for Tendon Changing, which means that long, long ago, before Body Tempering Methods even reached the Tendon Changing stage, ancestors of the Human Race’s Martial Arts had already fought with such creatures.
Such a feat is not impossible to achieve, but in Chen Mu’s view, it is extremely difficult, probably requiring at least the third step in the Stage of Martial Arts Artistic Conception, or even the legendary realm above that, to fight a creature like the Black Jiao without a strong physical body as a foundation.
Then, numerous Martial Arts ancestors sorted out the path of the Body Tempering Method. Compared to the abstract aspects of Martial Arts Artistic Conception, the Body Tempering Method was more grounded. Only after the two complemented each other did the Human Race ultimately secure their footing. The saints of successive generations defeated those nearly mythical demons, becoming the rulers of this land.
Compared to that long and magnificent history, the Da Xuan Dynasty that has ruled the mountains and rivers for a thousand years is just a minor and insignificant part of it.
Of course.
That’s about all Chen Mu knew since the Da Xuan Dynasty had erased much of the past history since its founding, to the point where even the name of the previous dynasty was blurry.
Now, the Da Xuan Dynasty was also in decline. Unless a great rejuvenating leader emerged, given the current momentum, it would not be long before the kingdom changed hands again.
Chen Mu’s thoughts drifted for a while, but after a moment, his mind returned to the present. He didn’t have the power to ponder those issues now; his current goal was simply to establish a firm foothold in Yu City as soon as possible.
Gurgle, gurgle!
The medicine pot boiled and boiled on the furnace for a full hour before the medicinal juice inside finally began to boil, making a gurgling sound.
Lifting the lid, Chen Mu saw that the water inside had turned into a black, viscous liquid, which was now bubbling.
He took a spoon and gently scooped out the Black Jade Tendon Changing Pill, which by then had become clear and translucent, looking like a black pearl, with steam continuously rising from it.
He packed the Black Jade Tendon Changing Pill into a medicine pouch, stored it carefully, then picked up the medicine pot and headed to the side room.
Inside the side room.
A large wooden bathing tub was placed there, filled with some cold water. Seeing Chen Mu come in, Wang Ni hurried to move the boiled hot water together with Ku’er.
However, both of them were too young and lacked the strength. Chen Mu shook his head and didn’t wait any longer. He went straight to the boiler room, grabbed the edge of the large pot of boiling water with one hand, lifted the entire pot, and in front of the wide eyes of Wang Ni and Ku’er, took it back to the side room, pouring the pot of boiling water directly into the tub.
“Alright, you two go ahead,”
Chen Mu put down the pot and then poured the boiled Black Jade medicine juice into the barrel.
Sizzling!
The medicine juice made a sizzling sound, quickly turning the entire barrel of water black.
Wang Ni and Ku’er dumbly followed Chen Mu back to the side room, where they looked at the pot that was still emitting steam, then looked at each other, and upon hearing Chen Mu’s voice, finally snapped out of it, hurriedly responded in a low voice, and slipped out.
Chen Mu took off his clothes, revealing a body that didn’t seem particularly muscular. After reaching Perfection in the Sky Wolf Body Refinement Method, the bulging muscles produced by the Fierce Ox Body Refinement Method were counterbalanced, making his muscles less pronounced, but in reality, as soon as he exerted force, the muscles beneath the skin would bulge in layers.
He stepped into the wooden barrel.
As soon as he entered, Chen Mu couldn’t help but let out a slight hiss.
Even when he had grabbed a pot of boiling water with his bare hands, he hadn’t reacted at all, but soaking in the medicine juice was a completely different experience.
The medicine juice wasn’t too hot, but it felt like it hid millions of tiny needles that incessantly burrowed into every pore of his body, making it seem as though even his Copper-Steel Skin could hardly block this erosion.
But Chen Mu, after all, was not a beginner in practicing martial arts, and soon endured the discomfort, sitting down directly, submerging everything below his head in the water.
Sizzling!
A sizzling noise came from within the barrel.
Chen Mu only felt the scorching heat in the medicine juice, which spread into countless needle-like pinpricks, permeating every corner of his body into the inside, quickly passing through the skin and reaching into the muscles. Then slowly squeezing through the muscles, eventually reaching deeper to the body’s tendons.
The Tendon Changing was a minor leap for the practice of Body Refining Methods because the previous Skin Toughening and Body Refinement, despite also enhancing Qi-Blood strength, left the muscles disconnected without the linking tendons throughout the body.
Once Tendon Changing cultivation was complete, all the muscles could be connected as one, thereby the explosion of strength compared to before could almost double.
A Martial Man who had reached Body Refinement Perfection might be able to leap two or three zhang in a single bound, landing atop a high wall, but after entering the Tendon Changing Level, a mere jump of four or five zhang becomes quite easy. Whether it’s the burst of strength or the agility, it’s a qualitative change compared to before.
Seven or eight Minor Achievement Body Refiners might stand against one at the Perfection level, but even seven or eight at Perfection would struggle to block someone who has stepped into Tendon Changing, even if it’s just a Tendon Changing Minor Achievement.
The vast disparity in status between Body Refinement Martial Men and those who have undergone Tendon Changing lies not only in the difficulty of Tendon Changing but also in the span of strength it provides.
The scorching medicinal power gradually melded into the body’s tendons, making Chen Mu feel as if all the tendons in his body were being scorched by fire, turning incandescent and red. This sensation lasted nearly two hours before it finally began to subside.
When all sensation vanished.
The pitch-black medicine juice in the barrel had somehow turned a dull grey color.
Chen Mu slowly opened his eyes and stood up from the water, then clenched his fist.
“Hmm… doesn’t seem like there’s any change,”
He had previously asked Hongyu in detail about Tendon Changing, knowing that the process involves using medicinal power to temper and remodel the body’s tendons, transforming them into ‘Jiao Tendons,’ but not everyone could achieve this step. Some people might not be able to permeate the medicine after three months of refinement and end up back at square one, while others with exceptional talents might complete the transformation after just four or five attempts, thoroughly entering the Tendon Changing Level.
At this moment, Chen Mu could feel that after the medicinal power faded, it didn’t linger within the body’s tendons and quickly dispersed completely, his body returning to its previous state.
It seems the breakthrough wasn’t achieved in one go.
But he still had the system.
Chen Mu silently called out the system panel.
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