Chapter 23: Breaking through the Barrier

The Flame-maned Wolf was incredibly strong, far beyond the ordinary realms of wild beasts. Xu Yan felt the pressure; at this moment, he could only feel his blood and qi boiling over, his entire person in a state of sublimation. His body’s blood and qi circulated, strength constantly building. Boom! He rushed forward again, entering combat with the Flame-maned Wolf. With each clash, his blood and qi boiled even more, to the point where, at times, he was grappling with the Flame-maned Wolf on the ground, rolling over and over. He was unaware of how many times he had been kicked by the Flame-maned Wolf’s rear legs. He gripped the wolf’s gaping maw with both hands while simultaneously kicking at the wolf’s body. A man and a beast rolled around on the ground, kicking and grappling with one another. Thud! All of a sudden, Xu Yan was thrown against a large tree. He bellowed in fury, grabbing onto the wolf’s sharp fangs, and, with a mighty heave, he swung the wolf onto the tree. The fight had reached a fever pitch. At this point, Xu Yan could feel the barrier on his jade-like bones starting to loosen as his blood and qi were relentlessly stimulated, expended, and squeezed out. At some moment, as though a ‘snap’ was heard, the barrier shattered. His blood and qi surged instantaneously, and his bones continued to temper. "Think you’re the only one who can bite?” Xu Yan gripped the Flame-maned Wolf’s fangs and threw it onto the ground. Letting it beat against his body with its limbs, his bloodshot eyes widened as he sank his teeth into the wolf’s exposed neck. Splutter! A mouthful of fur. Xu Yan spat out the fur and continued to bite down. The Flame-maned Wolf was a bit panicked at this point, struggling violently. Its limbs flailed at Xu Yan, whacking sounds filling the air. Xu Yan could even feel his bones vibrating from the onslaught. He held tightly onto the Flame-maned Wolf, changed his position, and with his legs, trapped the wolf’s forelimbs, continuing to bite on the wolf’s throat. Bite after bite, at some moment, with a ‘squirt’ sound, he ripped open the wolf’s throat; fresh blood poured out. A stream of fresh blood entered his stomach. At that very moment, Xu Yan only felt his blood and qi boiling over, as if a tonic had filled him, making him feel refreshed. The speed of bone tempering increased at this moment. Xu Yan’s eyes brightened; he lay on top of the Flame-maned Wolf, pinning it to the ground, and continued to bite savagely at the wolf’s throat. At this moment, the Flame-maned Wolf was on its back, writhing and struggling. It let out terrified howls, all in vain. With the beginning of bone tempering, Xu Yan felt his blood qi strengthen, his strength becoming greater. After countless times of biting, all of a sudden, the wolf’s throat squirted blood, and the major artery was pierced. Xu Yan greedily consumed the Flame-maned Wolf’s blood, like nectar, his eyes flashing with excitement. The blood that entered his mouth quickly turned into blood and qi; the speed of bone tempering was constantly increasing. His bones became more and more radiant, getting one step closer to the flawlessness of jade bones. The Flame-maned Wolf was on the brink of death and tried to escape with a burst of energy. But Xu Yan was not about to let his hard-earned prey escape. He pounced on it, punching and kicking, tearing and biting, until the Flame-maned Wolf ultimately fell to the ground, barely alive, covered in wounds. "Can’t waste it; this is a treasure for bone tempering!” Xu Yan pounced forward, greedily sucking the blood from the Flame-maned Wolf. With his blood qi boiling, the speed of his bone tempering increased further. The blood had almost been drained dry, while Xu Yan himself was in a state of transformation. He hurriedly stood up and began his cultivation. His blood and qi were like dragons circling his bones, his marrow becoming crystal clear. His bones were undergoing some kind of transformation. They seemed integrated as one, with no more gaps in between. Boom! His blood and qi exploded. Xu Yan felt his body covered in a layer of old blood, his entire person shrouded in blood. A luminous radiance emanated from him, creating an unusual spectacle around him. Jade bone achieved! The bones all around Xu Yan were as clear as jade, devoid of any flaws, moist, and smooth. On the flawless jade bone, it was as if exquisitely fine textures were born naturally, possessing profound mysticism. His blood and qi surged tremendously, and it was even more purified; it could be referred to as flawless blood and qi. Moreover, at every moment, new blood and qi were being born, continuously growing stronger. The loss from battle had long been recovered. If Xu Yan were to confront the Flame Mane Wolf again now, he wouldn’t need to fight as intensely or as challengingly as before. Maybe with just three punches and two kicks, he would be able to kill the Flame Mane Wolf. "I feel like I’ve transcended, as if I’ve broken away from the realm of ordinary people!” Xu Yan clenched his fists, a look of exhilaration on his face. Only after achieving the jade bone could he truly realize its power and profundity. "My Martial Arts foundation surpasses the prodigies of old. I’ve achieved jade bone!” The jade bone is unblemished, unchanging forever! Even if he perishes now, his bones will endure for countless ages. Far from decaying, they will continue to become more lustrous and can even become a treasure between heaven and earth. This is the might of the jade bone, truly surpassing the realm of ordinary people. After refining the jade bone, his martial arts path is clear, unrivaled within the same realm! Overcoming his excitement, Xu Yan looked at the Flame Mane Wolf’s body he had savagely mauled, and an expression of regret spread across his face. "The Flame Mane Wolf’s fur has been torn to shreds; I can’t peel it off to give to my master now.” "Master must have already known where the opportunity for my jade bone breakthrough lay—in the Flame Mane Wolf. Master had already paved the path for my Martial Arts.” The more he thought about it, the more touched Xu Yan felt. Taking one look at the blood all over him, Xu Yan decided not to return to the small mountain village. He decided to go home once and, by the way, find another excellent-quality Jade Ruyi for his master. Xu Yan hoisted the mangled remains of the Flame Mane Wolf with one hand, found the horse, and slung the corpse onto the horse’s back. As a result, the horse, frightened by the smell of the Flame Mane Wolf, nearly fell to its knees, unable to move. Only when Xu Yan stimulated his blood and qi to mask the scent of the wolf did the horse begin to move under his intimidation. "The blood and flesh of the Flame Mane Wolf are great tonics. They are just right for refining my viscera. Now that I’ve shaped my jade bone, my viscera refining will soon be completed.” "I aim to complete refining my viscera within three months!” Xu Yan was full of fighting spirit, not far from the entry to Martial Arts! He will finally become a real Martial Arts cultivator. All the mockery and disdain will be gone. He will make those people understand that the frog at the bottom of the well has no idea of the vastness of heaven and earth! And he has already stepped into that vast world, while they remain arrogant at the bottom of the well! Li Xuan stood on the hillside, looking at the route Xu Yan had taken, and sighed. This silly apprentice of his has not returned for five days. He wondered if Xu Yan had managed to safely pass through the Wicked Forest or if he had been eaten by the ferocious beasts. Though he came up with a sham cultivation technique to deceive Xu Yan, after such a long time together, he couldn’t say that he had no feelings of attachment. Li Xuan was quite content with Xu Yan as his disciple. Alas, he is not a secluded master. This deception was destined to have no good end, and even if Xu Yan was kept in the dark all along, Li Xuan did not dare to keep up the deception. There is no scam in this world that won’t eventually be uncovered. His only hope is that a year later, there will be no hiccups, and they can part in peace. Maybe he can leave Xu Yan with the regret that he once had an opportunity, but due to his lack of talent, he couldn’t grasp it. And he, Li Xuan, will still be the master revered in his heart. That way, it will be the best ending for this particular master-disciple bond.