Having advanced to Small Success in the Bone Forging Realm, Chen Cheng’s understanding of the Body Refining Realm had deepened considerably.

Skin Grinding, Muscle Strengthening, and Bone Forging. The difficulty of cultivation increased with each step, and the degree to which one’s physique was strengthened also grew exponentially.

Even at just Small Success in the Bone Forging Realm, the power unleashed when using Cultivation Techniques was far beyond what a Perfect Martial Artist of the Muscle Strengthening Realm could compare to.

The most direct difference was that the Power a Bone Forging Realm Martial Artist could exert had reached the level of Inner Strength.

Compared to a Martial Artist who hadn’t undergone Skin Grinding, a Skin Grinding Realm Martial Artist’s Qi Blood Power was greater, their skin and membranes were tougher, and their advantage in strength was also very clear.

Any random Perfect Martial Artist of the Skin Grinding Realm possessed over a thousand jin of force and could easily crush a Martial Artist who had not entered the Skin Grinding Realm.

With the same Saber Technique Perfection, a Perfect Martial Artist of the Skin Grinding Realm, relying on this advantage in strength, could easily slay more than ten Martial Artists at or below Small Success in Skin Grinding Realm.

This is the so-called "brute force overcomes all skills."

However, for a Perfect Martial Artist of the Skin Grinding Realm, the extent of their Qi Blood Power’s growth was limited, as was their strength, and it wasn’t enough to cause a qualitative change.

Upon cultivating to the Muscle Strengthening Realm, one’s Qi Blood Power grew even stronger, and the increase in strength reached a point where quantitative change led to a qualitative one. They could now unleash Bright Force.

Bright Force, compared to simple physical strength, had greater explosive power and was more ferocious and domineering.

Even someone at just Small Success in the Muscle Strengthening Realm was far stronger than a Perfect Martial Artist of the Skin Grinding Realm.

With the same Saber Technique Perfection, a Martial Artist at Small Success in the Muscle Strengthening Realm could easily defeat three to five Perfect Martial Artists of the Skin Grinding Realm, relying on the explosive power of Bright Force.

After all, in a life-or-death battle between Martial Artists, the slightest difference could often determine victory, defeat, and even life and death.

Upon reaching Muscle Strengthening Realm Perfection, the Mingjin Power one could exert was even more domineering. At the peak of Bright Force’s might, a single saber strike could often split mountains and crack stones.

One Perfect Martial Artist of the Muscle Strengthening Realm could easily slay more than ten Perfect Martial Artists of the Skin Grinding Realm.

As for facing Martial Artists who hadn’t undergone Skin Grinding, it was like crushing a baby chick.

Whether it was the physical strength of the Skin Grinding Realm or the Bright Force of the Muscle Strengthening Realm, they were both externally manifested powers—simple, direct, ferocious, and domineering, but their might was limited.

At Small Success in the Bone Forging Realm, the Qi Blood Power was strengthened further and the exertion of force became more thorough. The Power one could unleash was more enduring, with stronger penetration and piercing ability. Unleashing this power was like loosing an arrow—this was Inner Strength.

In terms of the might of Power alone, a Martial Artist at Small Success in the Bone Forging Realm who had mastered Inner Strength could easily defeat three to five Perfect Martial Artists of the Muscle Strengthening Realm at the peak of Bright Force.

If one reached Bone Forging Realm Perfection and could exert peak Inner Strength, their power would be even greater.

There was a saying in the Martial Arts Realm that all Martial Artists below the Bone Forging Realm were considered second-rate.

Only upon entering the Bone Forging Realm did the journey of Cultivating Martial Dao truly begin.

Bone Forging Realm Martial Artists not only mastered Inner Strength, but their Qi Blood Power had also grown to a certain level, reaching the stage of internal fortitude.

Whether using Momentum or a Realm, the power unleashed was far more tyrannical.

Chen Cheng lightly circulated his Qi Blood Power and raised his hand. Ripples suddenly spread through the empty space around him, and a heavy, solid aura filled the entire room.

The marble-sized Iron Balls on the floor, as if being pulled by an unseen force, slowly began to float up one by one.

It was, unmistakably, the Great Power Realm.

’Now that I’ve reached Small Success in the Bone Forging Realm, using the Great Power Realm is much easier. I can even circulate less Qi Blood Power to mobilize more of the Power of Heaven and Earth Origin.’

’When I was at Muscle Strengthening Realm Perfection, I needed to circulate about ten percent of my Qi Blood Power to achieve the same level of Realm Power as I can now.’

’But in the Bone Forging Realm, the Qi Blood Power I’m circulating is clearly far less.’

’Not only that, now that I’ve mastered Inner Strength, my control over my Qi Blood Power is also more precise and subtle. The Great Power Realm I unleash has become more profound as a result.’

A faint smile on his face, Chen Cheng suddenly made a grasping motion toward the large, basin-sized Iron Ball on the shelf.

SWOOSH!

The Iron Ball, weighing several dozen jin, suddenly shot out like an arrow loosed from a bow and landed securely in Chen Cheng’s hand.

’Within a range of one zhang, I’m afraid even a Perfect Martial Artist of the Skin Grinding Realm would have their head grabbed from a distance and crushed by me!’

’If I used my full strength, perhaps even a Perfect Martial Artist of the Muscle Strengthening Realm within one zhang would find it difficult to resist this grasp.’

’As for a Bone Forging Realm Martial Artist, they can use their Inner Strength to resist my Realm Power. But if they dare to face me head-on, even a Perfect Martial Artist of the Bone Forging Realm... the power of my Great Power Realm would be enough to crush them!’

’However, real combat is ever-changing. My opponent certainly wouldn’t just stand there obediently and let me unleash my Great Power Realm.’

’As for my current strength compared to a Perfect Martial Artist of the Bone Forging Realm, I’ll only know who would win after a real fight.’

Sensing the power of his Great Power Realm, Chen Cheng retracted it. Then, he applied a little force with his hand, and his fingers easily sank deep into the hard, cast-iron sphere.

"The Inner Strength of the Bone Forging Realm is still quite formidable. It can’t be underestimated."

Murmuring to himself, Chen Cheng cupped his hands like claws around the Iron Ball. The Qi Blood Power in his body suddenly surged out violently, and the heavy ripples between his claws almost solidified.

The Iron Ball was squeezed, slowly rotating and deforming. The deep palm print he had just made suddenly vanished.

The Iron Ball was still the same Iron Ball, perfectly whole, as if the palm print had never existed.

’The First Layer of Great Power Realm that I can unleash now... compared to Master, there’s still a considerable gap.’

...

When one was engrossed in Cultivating the Martial Dao, time always passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, it was the Mid-Autumn Festival once again.

During the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Zheng Martial Arts Hall was filled with a festive atmosphere.

This wasn’t just because of the holiday, but because there was finally news of Mr. Zheng.

He had gone to Su State City and quickly gained the attention of the Great Dao Sect, where he was appointed as an Outer Sect Steward.

An Outer Sect Steward of the Great Dao Sect, while not comparable to an Inner Sect Elder, was still an extremely distinguished position.