Free Web NovelChapter 190: Chapter 128: Rock Achieved, Elite Level
「One day later.」
The fiery sun ascended slowly, its orange light gradually illuminating the world.
After a silent night, Ring City once again buzzed with activity as office workers, munching on bread and sandwiches, hurried toward the station platforms.
The streets of District Two were bustling with people and endless traffic.
Soon, voices could be heard murmuring below the apartment building.
"Did you hear about the Hongyi Society?"
"Old news. But what’s that got to do with us? The expedition team, on the other hand... they’ve been fighting for months. If this keeps up and the wilderness blockade isn’t lifted, our jobs are probably done for."
"Sigh, don’t even talk about it. Didn’t you see Old Xia’s supermarket went out of business? They said he couldn’t even afford to restock. Then a couple of days ago, some protesters started a riot, smashed up his shop, and looted everything..."
A few middle-aged men squatted by the road, sighing. Shrouded in smoke, their faces were haggard and fraught with worry. The ground at their feet was littered with cigarette butts.
Zhao Yuanqing, finally off work after pulling an all-nighter, brushed past them. Though his eyes were bloodshot with fatigue, his mind was filled with thoughts of the past.
Brother Hao, the man he’d looked up to, had destroyed the very society he’d once served with such loyalty.
All those old scores had been settled.
He paid no mind to the rumors swirling outside; he was more concerned about Brother Hao’s safety.
’If Ah Chao was right, Brother Hao should have reached the wilderness by now.’
’That’s for the best. At least he can start over.’
Walking the rest of the way in silence, Zhao Yuanqing finally returned home.
Lu Chao’s words had eased many of his worries, helping him gradually accept his new reality.
Then, he opened the door.
The early morning sunlight streamed in from the living room window, carrying a hint of warmth.
As Zhao Yuanqing changed his shoes, he glanced toward the shower room, from which a light flickered.
He subconsciously softened his movements, and the fatigue and regret in his heart seemed to lessen.
’Ah Chao’s training again...’
’For a week straight, he’s been soaking in a medicated bath every day, either morning or night. Though I don’t know what kind of training it is, I know he’s the last friend I have left here in Ring City.’
...
HUMMM!
Steam billowed and a white mist drifted through the air.
A wooden tub took up a considerable amount of space in the shower room. It was filled with hot water, in which a secret medicinal powder had been completely dissolved.
Naked from the waist up, Lu Chao sat cross-legged as Martial Arts Power slowly circulated within his body.
He did his best to follow the cultivation method of the [Rock] Martial Skill, adjusting his breathing to guide the medicinal potency that was seeping into his pores.
His ears twitched. Though the door was shut tight, he still heard the faint sounds of Zhao Yuanqing coming home.
The feud between Brother Hao and the Hongyi Society had been too big to hide. Not wanting his friend to worry, he had told Zhao Yuanqing part of the story.
’Everything... will eventually pass.’
A complicated look flickered in his eyes before he suppressed his distracting thoughts.
Lu Chao knew what he had to do: keep getting stronger and protect all that he held dear.
In an instant, his mind was focused on a single thought.
Soaking in the medicinal bath, he slowly closed his eyes.
With his five senses enhanced, Lu Chao could clearly feel an invisible warm current from the medicinal liquid seeping into his body, permeating every part of him.
His skin, his tendons, his bones...
The parts of his body that had been struck repeatedly by Master Luo’s Ironwood Long Staff, the parts that had been injured and healed countless times, were now undergoing a transformation.
It was as if new flesh were growing, making his muscles denser and stronger. It was like his very sinews and bones were being fortified, becoming tougher and more resilient.
’Soon...’
A strong intuition rose in Lu Chao; he was about to master the [Rock] Martial Skill.
Adjusting his breathing, he mobilized his Martial Arts Power to stimulate his acupoints, accelerating the absorption and guidance of the medicinal potency.
As he did so, the cultivation method for the third layer of Iron Bone also quietly activated, which he subconsciously merged with the [Rock] Martial Skill.
Gradually, time ticked by. The medicinal liquid in the wooden tub cooled from scalding to warm, then finally to chilly.
The white mist lingering in the shower room slowly thinned, drifting out into the street through the cracks around the window.
SPLASH!
SPLASH!!
Then, in a single instant, Lu Chao clearly heard the sound of his own blood flowing.
It was like a great river raging in its channel, surging madly. The sound of his heartbeat, like a war drum, pounded in his ears.
In that instant, his body trembled, and he snapped his eyes open.
A dazzling light bloomed in his eyes, even brighter than the incandescent lightbulb above him.
Lu Chao felt a sudden surge of immense power well up within him, filling his entire body.
It felt as if he could shatter a boulder with one punch, or crush a floor tile with a casual kick.
He instinctively flexed his body.
CRACKLE POP!!
A sound like popping beans erupted from his body as his bones and sinews chimed in unison, vibrating the air.
Splashes like great waves surged within the wooden tub.
As more and more power filled his body, Lu Chao’s eyes grew brighter and brighter.
Finally, amidst a great splash of water, he stood up.
BANG!!
The wooden tub exploded. Countless wood chips and splinters flew in all directions, leaving the shower room in a complete mess.
In that instant, an invisible aura of power seemed to erupt from him, making the air tremble.
CRACK!
The floor tile beneath his feet cracked from the force.
Lu Chao was shocked. His strength had suddenly skyrocketed, and he’d almost lost control of it.
But he remembered that the Rock skill focused more on defense; it shouldn’t have boosted his strength so dramatically.
’Unless...’
An astonishing thought occurred to him, and Lu Chao quickly checked his status panel.
[Life Energy: 65→70!]
His eyes widened in astonishment.
’I didn’t just master the [Rock] Martial Skill, I broke through to the Elite Level in one go?’
