In chaotic times, one can become a martial immortal.

"Gentlemen, you'll all be participating in the martial arts exam this year, right?"

Zhang Feng then asked Chen Zheng, Wang Chao, and the others.

"Of course! Having finally reached the level of Inner Strength, and with the martial arts training just beginning, how could I miss this opportunity? I have to give it a try!"

Wang Chao nodded and said directly.

"Perhaps it's true, as Cao Yang said, that without reaching the Transformation Realm, there's almost no chance of passing the martial arts exam. But the important thing is to participate, so let's just consider it a chance to broaden our horizons and accumulate experience for the next time."

Chen Zheng nodded with a smile.

"I've heard that this year's martial arts exam will not only be more difficult than in previous years, but also more dangerous. Although we are all at the internal strength level, I'm afraid not only is our chances slim, but we might even..."

"We martial artists cannot hesitate, fear death, or be afraid of what is right or wrong. Other times may be different, but we must never miss out on martial arts training!"

"That's right, even if I die in the martial arts field, I will have no regrets in this life!"

The crowd discussed it animatedly, and almost everyone was determined to participate in the martial arts competition.

After all, for ordinary people like them who come from humble backgrounds, martial arts is already a relatively fair, relatively easy, and relatively fast path to advancement.

Once you pass the martial arts exam, you will not only have the title of a martial arts scholar, thus transcending social classes and enjoying many privileges, but you will also have the opportunity to obtain an official position and a direct route to the county martial arts academy.

Lu Yuan was naturally determined to succeed in this martial arts examination.

He would even try his best to take down Wu Kui Shou if necessary.

With this newfound desire for martial arts, everyone seemed to train even harder.

Lu Yuan was not affected at all. After finishing the free meat, he returned home with his daily dose of Qi-replenishing soup and Yuan-replenishing pills.

Over the next two days, Lu Yuan waited for the Five Animal Fist to break through its limits while focusing all his efforts on cultivating the Blazing Sun Sword Technique.

I thought that it would only take two days at most for the Five Animal Fist to successfully break through its limits.

Unexpectedly, it seems we'll have to wait another night.

In addition, although practicing the Five Animal Fist could continue to increase the body's Qi and blood, the increase was getting smaller and smaller. So Lu Yuan simply stopped and devoted all his time and energy to practicing the Blazing Sun Sword Technique.

In this way, the progress of the Blazing Sun Sword Technique was accelerated considerably.

Under the cover of night, Lu Yuan completed a full practice of the Blazing Sun Sword Technique.

【Mastery of the Blazing Sun Sword Technique (789/50000)】

Lu Yuan sheathed his sword and stood there, a glint of light flashing in his eyes. The Blazing Sun Sword Technique had finally been mastered.

Immediately, he swung his sword.

"laugh!"

The next moment, a crimson light, about an inch long, burst forth from the tip of the sword, not only carving a deep sword mark on the ground, but also revealing that the cut surface was charred black, as if it had been roasted.

"The sword light generated by the Blazing Sun Sword Technique seems to be not only sharper than the blade light generated by the Wind-Breaking Saber Technique, but also has a scorching property."

Lu Yuan murmured to himself, a strange look appearing in his eyes.

This Blazing Sun Sword Technique truly lives up to its reputation as a Xuan-grade technique. Not only can one unleash sword light upon mastering it, but the destructive power of that sword light is also far more terrifying. It is estimated that even a true entry-level martial artist would find it difficult to withstand.

Even within the Blazing Sun Martial Arts School, there are probably very few who can master the Blazing Sun Sword Technique.

However, this was not Lu Yuan's goal.

His true goal is to cultivate the Blazing Sun Sword Technique to its highest level and successfully condense an even stronger Blazing Sun Sword Qi.

At that time, it might not be impossible for someone with the Transformation Realm cultivation to defeat an entry-level martial artist.

Although it takes 50,000 proficiency points to cultivate the Blazing Sun Sword Technique from the advanced stage to the perfect stage, Lu Yuan can now gain more than 800 proficiency points with each practice session, and the proficiency points gained will be even greater with each additional practice session.

It is estimated that it will take him at most ten more days to complete his cultivation.

[Five Animal Fist Perfected (Unlimited: 97%)]

After glancing at the progress of breaking through the limits of the Five Animal Fist, Lu Yuan stopped and rested.

I just hope that when I wake up tomorrow morning, there will be good news.

……

The next day, as soon as Lu Yuan opened his eyes, he couldn't wait to examine the ancient scroll.

[The Five Elements Vajra Body Skin Polishing Chapter: Beginner's Guide (1/1000)]

On the ancient scroll, the line depicting the Five Animal Fist had been completely changed.

Not only did the technique change from Five Animal Fist to Five Elements Vajra Body Skin Polishing Chapter, but new levels of proficiency also appeared later on.

Clearly, the breakthrough of the Five Animal Fist is the fusion of the essence of the first three volumes of the Vajra Skill, forming a completely new skill: the Five Elements Vajra Body.

Perhaps because the Vajra Skill only has the first three volumes, the Five Elements Vajra Body also only has three chapters for the time being: the Skin Polishing Chapter, the Flesh Refining Chapter, and the Bone Forging Chapter.

Although Lu Yuan couldn't yet determine the grade of the Five Elements Vajra Body technique, the fact that just mastering the Skin Polishing Chapter required a thousand points of proficiency—twice that of the Blazing Sun Sword Technique—was enough to suggest that it was at least a Profound grade technique.

"So what's called 'entering the ranks' is actually opening up the dantian, condensing the qi and blood into a stronger form, internal energy, and then using that internal energy to temper and cleanse the physical body, constantly breaking through limits!"

With the help of the Five Elements Vajra Body, Lu Yuan easily understood the intricacies of a rank-1 martial artist.

Simply put, three rounds of Qi and Blood tempering can only bring a martial artist's physical body to the level of Transformation Force.

To continue pushing the limits of the physical body, a higher level of energy is needed.

This energy is the internal force formed by continuously compressing and condensing blood and qi in the dantian.

Only by tempering and cleansing the physical body with internal energy can one continue to break through the limits of the physical body and step into a higher level.

For any martial artist, the physical body is the foundation and the true basis for reaching the pinnacle of martial arts.

The process of cultivating martial arts is actually a process of constantly breaking the limits of the physical body.

This process proceeds from the outside in, starting with the skin.

The skin membrane is the body's first line of defense; the tougher the skin membrane, the better it can protect the body.

The Five Elements Vajra Body's skin-polishing technique allows Lu Yuan to develop the most resilient skin membrane.

To master this skill, one must first develop a dantian within the body.

The dantian is an indispensable part of a martial artist's cultivation and the foundation for constantly breaking through the limits of the physical body.

However, for any martial artist who has reached the Transformation Realm, opening up the dantian is even more difficult than undergoing three Qi and Blood Tempering sessions.

It not only requires an astonishing accumulation of vital energy and blood, but also does not allow for failure.

If one fails to open the dantian, at best the qi and blood will rush back to the internal organs, at worst one will lose all cultivation, or even die from body explosion, which is extremely dangerous.

For this reason, this hurdle is a true life-or-death ordeal for most martial artists of average talent who do not yet have sufficient resources to support them.

Even top-tier geniuses with exceptional aptitude need to make thorough preparations before opening their dantian, including accumulating abundant and robust qi and blood, as well as sufficient qi and blood pills, or even precious medicines.

Fortunately, Lu Yuan's accumulated Qi and blood had already almost reached the limit that his physical body could withstand. Although he did not have enough Qi and blood pills, he had a better century-old blood ginseng.

"Time waits for no one, let's begin!"

Without hesitation, Lu Yuan first put a piece of blood ginseng in his mouth, and then, following the method of the Five Elements Vajra Body, he fully activated the qi and blood in his body and began to try to open up his dantian.

……