Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Within the darkness of the night, the Crimson Blaze Fruit’s miraculous light could vaguely be seen. It was like a lively red flame that bounced around, exuding a powerful aura whilst emanating a sense of warmth.
“Legend says that the Crimson Blaze Fruit is the best spirit medicine for those in the Strength Boundary. Not only can it enhance one’s vital energy and blood, but it can also toughen one’s flesh. I wonder how effective it is, though…”
Luo Feng stared at the Crimson Blaze Fruit in his hand with an expression of great anticipation. Unable to wait any longer, he quickly consumed it.
Kaboom!
Upon consuming the fruit, a thunderous crackle exploded within his body, followed by a thick, tremendous wave of heat that manifested within his stomach. The heatwave was tyrannical in nature and it was strong enough to cause Luo Feng to break out in a sweat; he heaved a long sigh.
“What potent effects this medicine has! It’s incredibly hot!”
His blood turned into boiling hot lava and if one were to stand by Luo Feng’s side, they would see his skin emanating a faint red glow as if it was molten steel.
Not wanting to waste any time, Luo Feng immediately set off to practice his martial arts in full force. He was attempting to refine the medicinal effects and to make this terrifying power his own.
For the next two days, Luo Feng constantly remained in his courtyard and practiced his martial arts non-stop until he got hungry, in which he ate dry food that had been prepared earlier.
Due to the effects of the Crimson Blaze Fruit, Luo Feng was not exhausted at all.
During the morning of the third day…
Bam! Bam! Bam…
Within the courtyard, a figure could be seen practicing fist moves. His steely fists unleashed strong gusts with every blow, causing the surrounding trees to rustle loudly as they swayed back and forth.
Boom! Bam! Wham!
A chain of Roaring Tiger Fists was masterfully unleashed, causing the figure’s body to unleash a thunderous screech. Soon after, the fist wind had intensified by several magnitudes!
Bam!
The figure punched a massive boulder beside him, releasing a loud cracking noise in the process. Soon after, the adult-height boulder was smashed into pieces by the figure’s terrifying fist, and it scattered all around the floor.
“Cracking bones and thunderous sounds!”
A glint of joy flashed across Luo Feng’s eyes as he hurriedly suppressed his aura and shut his eyes.
His kidneys which had originally been dark and obscured were now shining brightly due to the two blazingly bright Meridian Cycles shining on it. It was practically bursting with vitality.
“My vitality has now penetrated my kidneys! I’ve finally reached the Fifth Meridian Cycle Boundary, the Iron Bone Boundary!”
Luo Feng flung open his eyes as he broke out an agitated shout.
The whole process of advancing into the Iron Bone Boundary was much easier than Luo Feng had imagined.
“The Crimson Blaze Fruit is truly the most suitable spirit medicine for Strength Boundary martial artists. To think that it had enabled me to directly advance into the Iron Bone Boundary!” Luo Feng was extremely excited.
He had originally thought that the Crimson Blaze Fruit would only allow him to advance into the apex of the Strength Boundary at most. However contrary to his expectations, it had instead enabled him to reach the Iron Bone Boundary! This had way surpassed his original goals.
From what Luo Feng could tell, this feat could be attributed to the eighteen Meridian Cycles within his body.
Back when he had first consumed the Tiger Energy Endurance Pill, Luo Feng could feel that his body absorbed medicines more efficiently compared to the average person. As such, the effects he experienced were also more effective!
“When one cultivates the Iron Bone Boundary to the apex, they could then be described as possessing bronze skin and iron bones. When that happens, normal blades would find it hard to harm such a body! I’d like to put this rumor to the test!”
Luo Feng grabbed his Tiger Essence Saber in a flash, and using thirty percent of his strength, he slashed his arm.
A shredding sound could be heard as the blade ran through his skin. However, all that remained of the act was a dull-white scar!
As Luo Feng inspected the area he ran the blade over, he thought to himself, ‘Not bad! The strength that I exerted was enough to slice a mountain boulder in half, but there’s barely a scratch on my body. My defensive ability has at least risen by five-fold!’
After a brief moment of celebration, Luo Feng gradually calmed down and began to analyze his current abilities.
In those three days, Luo Feng had practiced all kinds of martial arts, and at this point, Luo Feng’s Heavy Mountain Blade Technique and Roaring Tiger Fist had now achieved the Success State. Furthermore, his Leopard Fist was on the brink of surpassing its Complete State; meaning his abilities had vastly improved!
“At my current state, I can easily defeat Li Tianyang. Moreover, with the help of the Soaring Dragon Step, I might even be able to go toe to toe with the Golden Sun Class’ number one genius, Li Heshan. However, I’m still not entirely convinced I would be able to defeat him.”
After all, the resources provided to the Golden Sun Class students were a cut above those that were provided to the Silver Moon Class students. All the martial arts they cultivated were at least Yellow Rank Middle Class martial arts, and each of the martial arts had been cultivated to at least the Minor Success State. As such, they were not to be looked down upon.
The moment Luo Feng had thought about Li Tianyang, he chuckled coldly and willed for the wandering dragons within his Meridian Cycles to calm down. When that happened, his aura had reverted to the later phase of the Strength Boundary.
This was a discovery Luo Feng had made while cultivating the Soaring Dragon Steps during the past few days.
The Soaring Dragon Steps had converted his Meridian Cycles to wandering dragons, and once the dragons calmed down, he was able to conceal his true cultivation level.
Knock…Knock…
A series of knocks resonated from his front door.
“Who’s there?”
“Luo Feng, it’s me.”
Upon realizing that it was Bing Ruolan’s voice, Luo Feng opened the front door.
Past the door, stood a figure drabbed in pale blue. It was Bing Ruolan, and she had her arms crossed. She donned a pale blue skirt and looked as pretty and poised as ever. It was as if she was a river lotus.
‘This chick’s getting prettier and prettier…’
Luo Feng shot a glance at Bing Ruolan and asked, “What brings you here, Ruolan?”
Bing Ruolan stared at Luo Feng with her pair of beautiful eyes, and with her delicate and flushed face that looked as alluring as a reddened apple, she said with a smile, “Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten what day today is.”
“What day is it?” Luo Feng furrowed his brows as he answered.
Bing Ruolan swept her gaze across his messy courtyard and pouted. “You’re really a training freak. Today’s the day to register for Roaming King Tournament!”
Luo Feng did a double-take and chuckled bitterly soon after. “It almost slipped my mind.”
For the past few days, Luo Feng had been practicing throughout day and night, and as such, he had completely lost track of time.
Bing Ruolan showed a defeated look on her face and urged, “Hurry up and take a bath. We’ll head out together.’
Luo Feng nodded and quickly freshened up. Once that was done, he was off to the common area along with Bing Ruolan.
The two were walking side by side, and since Luo Feng’s boundary had been constantly advancing, his actions had exuded an air of confidence. Bing Ruolan, on the other hand, was born with good looks ever since birth, and she was the very picture of beauty. As such, she had garnered many looks of envy.
“Ruolan, I see that you’ve advanced to the middle phase of the Iron Bone Boundary.” Along the way, Luo Feng had been carefully inspecting Bing Ruolan, and he was surprised at the discovery.
Bing Ruolan grinned and nodded her head. “I owe it to you cultivating the Roaring Tiger Fist with me. However, your improvement is much more astounding compared to me. It has only been half a month, but you’re already at the later phase of the Strength Boundary! I fear that even those geniuses from the Golden Sun Class could not match this rate of cultivation of yours!”
‘Later phase of the Strength Boundary…’
Luo Feng chuckled as he rubbed his nose.
Had Bing Ruolan known that he had reached the Iron Bone Boundary, he was unsure whether she would react in the same way.
The two had reached the common area, and by that point, the area was already crowded. After all, not only were there students who wished to register for Roaming King Tournament that was to be held on the next day, there were also plenty of students from the Inner Institution who wished to join in on the ruckus.
At the center of the common area stood a thirty-feet-tall bronze tripod1.
Located beside the bronze pot were several stone desks, and each of the desks sat a mentor from the institution. These mentors were responsible for handling the registration process.
The process was actually fairly simple. After making the registration, the registrant would need to move the bronze tripod over thirty feet forward. If they were successful in doing so, they would then be eligible to participate in the tournament.
After registering themselves at the stone desks, Luo Feng and Bing Ruolan patiently waited for their turn at the bronze tripod.
“Chen Shan!” shouted a middle-aged mentor who stood beside the tripod.
“Here!”
A bushy-browed teen stepped forward and walked towards the bronze tripod. After giving a good spit at his palms, he yelled out loud, grabbed the bronze tripod with both hands and gradually lifted it up. Then, with a reddened face, he gradually took his steps towards the red line.
Kaboom!
After taking five steps, the teen had exhausted his strength. He staggered slightly and dropped the bronze tripod thunderously onto the ground.
“Only twenty feet! You’re ineligible!” The middle-aged mentor mercilessly shook his head, and with an ashen face, the teen called Chen Shan stood up and rested at the side.
Luo Feng was not particularly surprised at the scene that unfolded before him.
After all, the bronze tripod had weighed over five thousand pounds, and one would need to possess at least the Strength Boundary to realistically stand a chance in moving it. Chen Shan had only just advanced into the Strength Boundary, and as such, there was no way he would have been able to carry the tripod thirty feet ahead.
“Lin Xiaoxiao!”
Upon calling out the name, Luo Feng’s eyes instantly perked up.
A delicate figure walked out from the crowd. She had a pair of beautiful eyes and a smoldering gaze. She was beautiful beyond a shadow of a doubt, and she was none other than Lin Xiaoxiao.
Lin Xiaoxiao walked towards the bronze tripod, and with a huff, her slender, jade-like hands wrapped around the tripod. She then gradually hoisted it up, and without much of an effort, carried it over thirty feet forward, past the red line.
“Eligible!”
Upon hearing the mentor’s voice, the crowd exploded in cheers.
Lin Xiaoxiao’s maintained her composure in spite of the cheers and she scanned across the crowd. Upon noticing Luo Feng, she raised her slender brows slightly and formed an extremely proud expression.
“You’ve reached the apex of the Strength Boundary, huh. Not bad.”
Luo Feng had only shot a glance at Lin Xiaoxiao and promptly ignored her thereafter.
Noticing this, Lin Xiaoxiao’s expression turned cold and clenched her fists within her sleeves.
Within a single month, Lin Xiaoxiao had advanced from the early phase of the Strength Boundary into the apex. This was a considerable improvement, and Lin Xiaoxiao had originally wished to see Luo Feng’s defeated expression. However, Luo Feng had disregarded her which in turn enraged Lin Xiaoxiao to no end.
“Junior Sister Lin, don’t take it to heart. Tomorrow’s the day of Roaming King Tournament. His days of laughing you off are numbered!” Noticing Lin Xiaoxiao’s expression, Li Tianyang stated coldly as he directed his gaze at Luo Feng.
“Okay.” Lin Xiaoxiao nodded and with that, the two left the area.
Following that, tens of dozens of people had continued to take the eligibility test, but in the end, only a dozen or so had been successful in their attempts, most of which had come from the Golden Sun Class.
“Bing Ruolan!”
Upon hearing the mentor’s voice, the surrounding students drew their attention towards Bing Ruolan.
Bing Ruolan maintained a neutral expression, and after flashing a smile at Luo Feng, she made her way towards the bronze tripod. Using her slender fingers, she grabbed hold of the creases on the bronze tripod and effortlessly lifted it up. A moment later, she had surpassed the thirty feet mark and had placed the bronze tripod at the opposite end of the red line.
“Eligible!”
The middle-aged mentor gave Bing Ruolan a look of approval as he made the announcement in a thunderous voice.
“Hey guys, look! The Jade-legged Goddess has advanced to the Iron Bone Boundary!”
“What a feat. Even within the Golden Sun Class, there are only a handful of students who made it to the Iron Bone Boundary. It seems that her results as the eleventh-place last year have served as quite a huge incentive. I’m sure she’ll be able to make it into the top ten this year!”
“She’s so beautiful, and she’s so strong as well! If she were my girlfriend, I’ll die without any complaints…”
“Hah, you wish to pursue her with that measly middle phase Strength Boundary of yours? I heard that Duanmu Yu himself had pursued Bing Ruolan back then, but he was rejected. So, what hope do you have?”
“Even young master Duanmu was rejected? Then, there truly is no hope for me.”
The eruption of cheers from the surrounding had nearly swallowed Bing Ruolan whole. Nevertheless, Bing Ruolan gracefully turned around, and like a blue butterfly, she fluttered her way to Luo Feng’s side.
“Congratulations,” Luo Feng said with a smile.
A trace of joy could be detected within Bing Ruolan’s eyes as she replied with a grin, “Thanks.”
HAH?!
Noticing that Bing Ruolan had smiled faintly at Luo Feng, the voices of the surrounding students turned even louder.
“Who’s that punk? Why would the Jade-legged Goddess joke around with him?”
“He’s from the Silver Moon Class. I think his name is Luo Feng.”
“Ptui! He’s only in the Strength Boundary. Hey there, you lil punk! I challenge you to a one-on-one duel! The Jade-legged Goddess is mine!”
Several envious glares filled with animosity were directed towards Luo Feng.
The middle-aged mentor looked at the registration list and gave Luo Feng a look of pity as he loudly yelled out, “Luo Feng!”
“This’ll only take a moment.”
Luo Feng flashed a faint smile and walked towards the bronze tripod with a dignified air.
“Let’s just see how good this lil punk is! Hah, he’d better be able to lift the tripod!”
Laughter filled the air as there were plenty who hoped that Luo Feng would embarrass himself.
Nevertheless, Luo Feng paid these people no heed and launched his fist.
Dong!
A deafening sound reverberated through the Purple Sun Institution as the 5000-pound bronze tripod shot forward like a meteorite. It flew past the red line, and after traveling another thirty or so feet forward, another thunderous boom could be heard as it sunk three feet into the ground, shocking the crowd.
The crowd was now eerily silent.
Everyone had left their mouth wide open as they stared back and forth at Luo Feng and the three-foot deep crater. Their expressions were of pure shock.
The middle-aged mentor was also bewildered by Luo Feng’s actions. It had taken quite some time before he snapped back to reality, and when he had finally returned, he took a huge gulp and declared, “Eligible!”