Shi Fangdong said respectfully, "Rest assured, my lord. I have already expressed our sincere thanks for all of it."

"Mm," Chen Cheng nodded slightly. After a moment of thought, he added, "As for the medicinal materials, just take back the ones with potency equal to or greater than a twenty-year-old mountain ginseng. Leave the rest for Sixth Madam to handle."

"Yes," Shi Fangdong replied.

Chen Cheng then bowed once more to Luo Yunzhi before heading toward the inner courtyard.

It couldn’t be helped. He had received too many gifts, and now, in Chen Cheng’s eyes, any medicinal materials with less potency than a twenty-year-old mountain ginseng were considered obsolete.

It’s easy to develop expensive tastes, but hard to return to a simpler life. Why eat tofu when you have meat? This was simply human nature, and Chen Cheng was no exception.

After lunch, Chen Cheng trained in his courtyard as usual, practicing the Iron Armor Skill of the Muscle Strengthening Realm. The deduction progress increased steadily.

Once he felt a little tired, he began his cultivation of the Dragon Elephant Bone Forging Technique.

The Dragon Elephant Bone Forging Technique was a Body Tempering Method for the Bone Forging Realm. It required absorbing and refining the medicinal power of Bone Forging Elixir Pills to strengthen one’s bones.

However, even without Bone Forging Pills, he could still practice its stances.

This was the latest method Chen Cheng had devised for "making a meal without rice."

Practicing only the stances of the Dragon Elephant Bone Forging Technique would barely increase his Cultivation Progress, but it might be enough to reach the Beginner Level.

The stances of the Dragon Elephant Bone Forging Technique were divided into three parts: the Dragon Form, the Elephant Posture, and the Dragon-Elephant Union.

The Dragon Form involved embodying a dragon and holding a dragon-claw posture. The focus was on stretching the Dragon Tendons to strengthen the bones.

Chen Cheng formed his hands into dragon claws and slowly began to move. One moment, he soared like a dragon; the next, he coiled like one. He then moved slowly, as graceful as a leaping dragon.

With his foundation in the Powerful Eagle Claw Skill, Chen Cheng found the movements natural and easy to perform. He mastered them after just a few repetitions.

Next came the Elephant Posture. While the Dragon Form focused on movement, the Elephant Posture emphasized a firm stance. The goal was to "embrace the Dan Yang" to strengthen the bones with the power of an elephant.

Although the Elephant Posture was a static stance, it required him to channel his Qi Blood Power. The method of circulation wasn’t an Inner Breath Technique, but rather the act of embracing the so-called Dan Yang. The larger the Dan Yang, the stronger the "elephant bones" would become.

When Chen Cheng first started, he couldn’t quite get the hang of it. But gradually, a familiar feeling began to emerge.

It was just like when he cultivated the Iron Armor Skill, bearing weight without circulating the cultivation technique itself.

The weight on his whole body, faintly gathered as if embraced in his arms, was what it meant to "embrace the Dan Yang." This relied entirely on the power of his own skeleton.

The channeled Qi Blood Power was only used to better utilize the bones’ function, not to strengthen the bones directly.

A quarter of an hour later, Chen Cheng could already perform the Elephant Posture with proficiency.

Next was the Dragon-Elephant Union, which was also the most difficult part of the Dragon Elephant Bone Forging Technique.

The Dragon Form was active, while the Elephant Posture was static. One was movement, the other stillness. They were opposites. To combine motion and stillness would require considerable effort.

According to the Secret Manual, although the Dragon Elephant Bone Forging Technique primarily relied on absorbing the medicinal power of Bone Forging Elixirs for cultivation, mastering the stances alone often took several months of practice.

Chen Cheng held his breath, calmed his mind, and recalled the key points of the Dragon Form and Elephant Posture, his expression thoughtful.

’Since the Dragon Elephant Bone Forging Technique is a form of Body Tempering, the stances must be designed to better guide the body in absorbing and refining the elixir’s power.’

’The Dragon Form focuses on stretching tendons and strengthening bones. The purpose of stretching the tendons is to allow the medicinal power to better permeate the skeleton.’

’The Elephant Posture, on the other hand, uses the "embraced Dan Yang" to accelerate the bones’ refinement of that same power.’

"One active, one still... the union of motion and stillness... it must be like this!"

Suddenly, inspiration struck Chen Cheng. He slowly began to move, his Dragon Form fluid and natural, his Elephant Posture perfectly stable. Then came the Dragon-Elephant Union...

[Cultivation Progress for Dragon Elephant Bone Forging Technique has increased.]

...

An hour later, Chen Cheng stopped his cultivation and summoned his panel to check it.

[Skills: Dragon Elephant Bone Forging Technique (Uninitiated 1/10)]

"This is pretty much the limit of what I can achieve without Bone Tempering Pills!"

Sensing the degree to which his bones had strengthened, Chen Cheng shook his head slightly.

It was almost like making a meal without rice. Of course, you couldn’t actually cook without any rice at all. From his previous cultivation of the Skin Grinding Technique and Muscle Strengthening Technique, a tiny bit of medicinal power, similar to that of a Bone Tempering Pill, had seeped into his bones.

Now that this little "rice" had been used up, his Cultivation Progress for the Dragon Elephant Bone Forging Technique naturally couldn’t increase any further.

’Even though I haven’t reached the Beginner Level, mastering the stances of the Dragon Elephant Bone Forging Technique in less than an hour already makes me a prodigy!’

Chen Cheng smiled slightly, then walked into his chamber, closing the door and windows behind him.

The chamber was empty, with many marble-sized iron beads scattered across the floor.

This was the secret training room Chen Cheng had prepared specifically for cultivating the Dragon’s Roar Iron Cloth Shirt.

He had long since memorized the Secret Manual for the Dragon’s Roar Iron Cloth Shirt. Chen Cheng stripped off his outer clothes, leaving on only a thin inner shirt, and slowly began to move, practicing the technique one stance at a time.

Coiling Dragon Technique! A body like a coiling dragon, impervious to blades and spears, immune to fire and water!

As Chen Cheng assumed the stance, his body took on the form of a coiling dragon, standing tall and imposing. The sheer power of the posture made him seem incredibly majestic and domineering to the extreme.

’Alright then, time to test its mettle!’

With that silent thought, Chen Cheng lightly circulated his Qi Blood Power, and ripples suddenly spread through the chamber.

The iron beads scattered on the floor, as if pulled by a powerful force, suddenly flew into the air. They began to revolve slowly around Chen Cheng, completely enveloping him.

"Bring it on!"

Following his soft shout, the iron beads became a torrent of metal, smashing violently into him from all directions!

BOOM!

Amidst the dull roar, Chen Cheng was struck hard. Immediately, pain erupted all over his body, a deep ache that even reached his bones. He couldn’t help but let out a muffled groan.

The Dragon’s Roar Iron Cloth Shirt could not be cultivated by anyone without great perseverance!

...

[Cultivation Progress for Dragon’s Roar Iron Cloth Shirt has increased.]

...

Dragon Roar Technique! This wasn’t a simple vocal roar; the emphasis was on a "roaring motion." In the beginning, an unskilled practitioner would only produce muffled groans of pain from the impacts.

Within that roaring sound, one released True Dragon Qi. At higher levels, one could use this True Dragon Qi to condense a True Dragon Illusion.

Ultimately, with the Dragon Roar alone, one could summon wind and rain and command thunder and lightning.

...

[Cultivation Progress for Dragon’s Roar Iron Cloth Shirt has increased.]

...

Wandering Dragon Step! The shortest distance between two points is a straight line, but this line is omnipresent and ever-changing.

Even within a few square feet, there could be countless straight lines, forming a path thousands of miles long.

And with the Wandering Dragon Step, one could turn that path of thousands of miles into a single step!

...

[Cultivation Progress for Dragon’s Roar Iron Cloth Shirt has increased.]

...

Two hours later, Chen Cheng grunted and stopped his cultivation.

"This Dragon’s Roar Iron Cloth Shirt is no joke!"

Even though Chen Cheng had cultivated the Profound Gold Hide and Dragon Tendons, and his physique had grown to a monstrous degree, he still found it hard to endure.

Of course, this was also the result of using his Great Power Realm in conjunction with the iron beads for his training.

If it were any other Perfect Martial Artist of the Muscle Strengthening Realm, they would likely have died coughing up blood after a single heavy blow.

He summoned his panel to check it.

[Skills: Dragon’s Roar Iron Cloth Shirt (Beginner Level 75/100)]

"Whoa!" In just over two hours, he had already cultivated the Dragon’s Roar Iron Cloth Shirt to the Beginner Level and was approaching Small Success. Chen Cheng suddenly felt that the heavy blows he had endured were all worth it.

"After all, I still haven’t reached the Bone Forging Realm yet. I should pause my training of the Dragon’s Roar Iron Cloth Shirt for now."

After the initial joy, Chen Cheng chose to remain rational.

At dinnertime, Chen Cheng had Mu Xiaowan stew a large pot of Demon Beast Meat and also brew a fifty-year-old mountain ginseng.

A great supplement for his Qi and blood!

"Brother Cheng, you don’t look well. Do you have some bruises?"

Watching Chen Cheng finish gnawing on the old mountain ginseng and then bury his head in the bowl to wolf down the Demon Beast Meat, Mu Xiaowan still noticed something was wrong. She reached out her fair, jade-like hand toward his forehead.

"Ouch..." Chen Cheng felt a searing pain and couldn’t help but let out a soft yelp.

This startled Mu Xiaowan, who asked with great concern, "Brother Cheng, are you alright from your cultivation?"

Chen Cheng smiled. "It’s nothing. With a good meal to recover, I’ll be fine in a few hours."

After dinner and a short rest, Chen Cheng slipped back into his chamber.

He once again assumed the Coiling Dragon Technique, but this time, he didn’t force his cultivation with the Great Power Realm. Instead, he circulated his Qi Blood Power to slowly recover.

As a Horizontal Training Technique, the Dragon’s Roar Iron Cloth Shirt not only made him durable but also possessed powerful regenerative properties.

An hour later, Chen Cheng gently patted his forehead and stretched his limbs. He felt no discomfort at all; his skin, major tendons, and bones had all returned to their original state.

However, Chen Cheng had over-replenished, and his Qi and blood were now too vigorous.

"Well then, I should continue cultivating... I’ll practice the Iron Armor Skill!"

He put on the Profound Gold Mountain Pattern Armor. The cultivation of the Iron Armor Skill began!

[Deduction Progress for Iron Armor Skill has increased.]

...

[Deduction Progress for Iron Armor Skill has increased.]

...

As he cultivated, the deduction progress for his Iron Armor Skill increased several times faster than usual.

The reason for this was that as Chen Cheng cultivated the Iron Armor Skill, he would subconsciously recall the Dragon Elephant Bone Forging Technique and the Dragon’s Roar Iron Cloth Shirt in his mind.

"My guess was right. The panel’s deduction of a cultivation technique can be guided to some extent."

...

「Several days later.」

「Early morning.」

Chen Cheng rose early and cultivated the Iron Armor Skill in his chamber.

「Two hours later.」

[Deduction Progress for Iron Armor Skill has reached Perfection. Iron Armor Skill (Muscle Strengthening) has been upgraded to a Bone Forging Realm Inner Breath Technique.]

Chen Cheng stopped his cultivation and summoned his panel to check it.

[Skills: Iron Armor Dragon Elephant Skill (Uninitiated 0/100)]