Yan Sea’s voice was deep and powerful as he slowly explained the precautions for the transformation that occurs upon reaching the peak of the Bone Stage.

"...When you’ve perfected the Bone Stage, the transformation has no outward signs. However, a Martial Artist in this state will be exceptionally weak, almost unable to use their Qi Blood. And during this process, if you get into a fight and your bones are injured, your path as a Martial Artist will almost certainly be severed...

So, the most important things during the Bone Stage transformation are safety and recuperation."

Yu Fei seemed lost in thought. He asked, "Teacher, can I recuperate at home then?"

Yan Sea thought for a moment and shook his head.

"In principle, you could, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Don’t forget those Illuminati rats are still lurking in the county. Someone has targeted you once; there’s no guarantee it won’t happen a second time."

A jolt of alarm shot through Yu Fei. Everything had been going so smoothly lately that he had almost forgotten the threat of the Illuminati. If a Third-Realm cultist really did break into his house, in his current state, he would be a sitting duck.

He reflected internally. After recently obtaining a red-grade talent, felling a Third-Realm cultist with his sword, and having his cultivation progress unimpeded, he had let it go to his head.

"Okay, Teacher. I’ll spend the transformation period at the school hospital."

Yan Sea nodded. "Good. Besides, you’ll need to take the Bone Tempering Liquid. If any unforeseen reactions occur during the process, we’ll be able to intervene in time."

It was only eight in the morning when the teacher and student arrived at the school hospital, and the place was still rather quiet.

"A secure room, for a Bone Stage breakthrough," Yan Sea said to the nurse at the duty station.

The young nurse looked up, handed Yu Fei a registration form to fill out, and then made a phone call.

Shortly after Yu Fei finished the form, another nurse came downstairs. It was the same one who had come with Yan Sea to get him when he broke through the Flesh Stage.

"A Bone Stage breakthrough, is it? You look familiar. Are you Yu Fei?"

"Yes, I’m Yu Fei."

"Not bad at all. I remember you just broke through the Flesh Stage not long ago, and you’ve already perfected the Bone Stage? You’re quite the impressive kid! It’s been a while, and I feel like you’ve gotten even more handsome."

This nurse had a vivid memory of Yu Fei. Or rather, she had a vivid memory of any handsome boy.

Yu Fei smiled faintly. "Not at all. You’re the one who’s gotten more beautiful."

"Haha, such a sweet talker! Follow me."

The secure room was on the third floor. After entering, the nurse led Yu Fei to a special bed. After he changed his clothes, she told him to wait on the bed and was about to leave, but Yan Sea stopped her.

He took out two vials of Bone Tempering Liquid he had with him and handed them to the nurse.

"This is Bone Tempering Liquid. Please help administer it. Use one vial for now; the other is a backup."

The nurse was startled. "Bone Tempering Liquid? Two vials of it? Is our school this well-funded now?"

After all, she worked in the field of martial medicine, constantly handling matters related to First-Realm breakthroughs for Martial Artists. She was quite knowledgeable about the industry’s cutting-edge developments.

Yan Sea offered a brief explanation. "One is from my personal channels. The other was Yu Fei’s prize from a martial arts tournament."

The nurse smiled and took the two vials of Bone Tempering Liquid. "Alright, I’ll administer one vial first. If it’s not enough, I’ll adjust the dosage."

Commercially available Bone Tempering Liquid all used a standard formula. An insufficient dose wouldn’t have any negative side effects; the tempering effect would just be weaker. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

A standard dose would increase the user’s Qi Blood by thirty percent.

If the amount of Bone Tempering Liquid was insufficient, the tempering effect would be proportionally reduced.

Yu Fei sent a message to his parents on his phone, telling them not to worry.

A short while later, the nurse returned, pushing a small cart with the necessary medications arranged on it.

The transformation for perfecting the Bone Stage required the relevant medications to be administered intravenously.

Looking at the various vials and bottles, Yu Fei couldn’t help but ask, "Miss, what kind of medication is needed for the Bone Stage?"

The nurse injected five different medications, large and small, one by one into the IV bag.

"There are four main agents. The most important is the Supramolecular Compound, which is extracted from biochemical materials. There’s also the Mutated Calcification Structure Activation Liquid, among others. These agents can cut the Bone Stage transformation time in half and increase bone strength by about fifty percent."

As she spoke, she injected the entire vial of Bone Tempering Liquid into the bag.

"Since your primary solution also includes Bone Tempering Liquid, we need to add a reagent."

The Yu Kingdom’s education system had generous subsidy funding. For any enrolled student, all resources required for the transformations at the three crucial stages of the First Realm—the Flesh, Bone, and Blood Stages—were provided free of charge.

As the medication took effect, Yu Fei felt a tingling numbness originating in his bones spread throughout his body. A moment later, he groggily drifted off to sleep.

The Bone Stage transformation would take about three days. During this period, aside from when he had to attend to his basic needs, Yu Fei remained in a dazed stupor.

During a moment of clarity, he had asked the nurse about it and was told the symptoms were a side effect of the medication.

At nine o’clock that night, Yan Sea stood guard in front of the secure room. He stood by a window, gazing out into the darkness like a statue.

Zou Zhiming came down the hallway, carrying several food containers.

Hearing footsteps, Yan Sea whipped his head around, his eyes filled with vigilance. Only when he saw it was his old friend did his gaze soften.

No one could understand how important Yu Fei was to Yan Sea.

The legacy of the Tribulation Sword was an unhealing wound in his heart, and Yu Fei was the only light he could see in his sinking darkness.

When he had previously received Yu Fei’s call for help about encountering a cultist, Yan Sea’s Qi Blood, which had been dormant for ten years, had erupted. He would tear apart anyone who dared to harm his student.

He could never forget the sight of his youngest martial brother dying before him—the blood-soaked battlefield, his brother’s face growing ever paler.

Before his master’s death, he had grasped Yan Sea’s hand and told him to pass on the Tribulation Sword lineage.

His masters and comrades were almost all dead. He had merely endured for ten years, clinging to life.

No one knew the depth of the sorrow hidden within Yan Sea, the outwardly cold and responsible martial arts teacher of Second High.

For ten years, he had kept the blood-red dragon imprisoned in the depths of his soul, merely playing the part of a man who was truly alive.

And now, Yu Fei had a very real chance of establishing the Tribulation Sword Dao Foundation. This meant he could finally fulfill his master’s dying wish.

Ever since the last cultist attack, he had stood watch over Yu Fei’s residential complex every night, guarding against any mishap.

Zou Zhiming and Yan Sea had been classmates and had remained close friends. Aside from their teacher, Liu Ming, Zou Zhiming was the only one who knew anything about his past.

"Mr. Yan, I figured you’d be here," Zou Zhiming said. "Nurse Li told me Yu Fei had perfected the Bone Stage, and I just knew you’d be watching over your prized student."

Zou Zhiming was in charge of the school hospital’s archives; he was the one who had helped procure the blood Yu Fei needed for the Cyan Lotus Sword’s blood offering. As he spoke, he pulled a simple folding table and chair from a nearby storage room, taking out several stir-fried dishes from the food containers and setting them on the table.

"Care for a drink?"

Yan Sea pulled over a stool, sat down, and picked up a pair of chopsticks.

"I won’t drink, but I’ll keep you company."