"It’s lunchtime."

Breakthroughs are important, but eating is even more important.

’If I don’t eat my fill, where will I get the strength to break through this bottleneck?’

Xu Yang wasn’t in a hurry to break through. He pushed open his door and walked out. Zhang Yong and the others had already left, and Sun Tao was gone as well.

The courtyard was a bit quiet, just like his heart.

He wasn’t in a rush to cultivate his Qi into Gang Qi.

Four months ago, he had obtained the Fuyue Bear Scripture and had been studying and comprehending it ever since. He had long since grasped the key points of Qi Cultivation Gang; all that was left was the actual practice.

Stepping out of the courtyard, he happened to run into Sun Tao, who was just returning.

"Have you finished cultivating, Junior Brother Xu?" Sun Tao was the first to speak.

Then, an expression of hesitation appeared on his face, as if he wanted to say something but was holding back.

Xu Yang’s brow furrowed slightly. "Senior Brother Sun, if you have something to say, just say it."

Sun Tao sighed. "Lu Ren has cultivated his Qi into Gang Qi. I just came back from his place."

Xu Yang: ...

’He’s worried this will affect my state of mind.’

Too bad he felt nothing at all. It had been nearly two months since Lu Ren announced he’d reached Qi Gathering Perfection. He had finally taken this step.

"This is a good thing. Senior Brother Sun, do you think I would be jealous or anxious?" Xu Yang said with a smile.

’I’m the one who casts a psychological shadow over Lu Ren.’

Hearing this, Sun Tao blushed slightly, understanding that Xu Yang didn’t care about this at all.

"You must be busy, Junior Brother. This Senior Brother is going to cultivate. Letting all you junior brothers surpass me one by one... this Senior Brother is ashamed." Sun Tao scurried into the courtyard.

Xu Yang went to the dining hall and spent two silver on a fine meal, even eating a whole bowl of Exotic Beast Meat.

He took another stroll outside to digest some of the food before returning to his room and locking the door from the inside.

Come to think of it, the houses they lived in were specially built. The floor, ceiling, and all four walls were lined with iron plates, making them more like iron boxes.

Therefore, when breaking through, one didn’t have to worry about disturbing others, nor fear being interrupted.

"I’ve already comprehended Mixed Element Strength and have been studying the Fuyue Bear Scripture for four months. I should be able to form Gang Qi in one go." Xu Yang began to adjust his state of mind.

In the Bone Marrow Cleansing Realm, the first step is to form Gang Qi. Once Gang Qi is formed, one has officially entered the Bone Marrow Cleansing Realm.

Of course, forming Gang Qi doesn’t mean one can immediately begin Muscle and Marrow Cleansing.

The Gang Qi must reach a certain level before it can be used for Muscle and Marrow Cleansing.

In fact, most of the Bone Marrow Cleansing Martial Artists in Qingyuan County were so in name only. Many of them were stuck at the stage of Qi Cultivation Gang and had not actually touched upon Marrow Cleansing.

Gang Qi is a product of the fusion of Essence, Qi, and Spirit. Therefore, one’s state of mind is crucial for its formation. This was also why Sun Tao had been hesitant earlier, debating whether to tell him about Lu Ren’s breakthrough.

[Fuyue Bear Scripture Gang Qi Chapter - Uninitiated (0/200)]

Two hundred. This didn’t mean he had to practice the Fuyue Bear Scripture two hundred times to reach the Entry Level.

Someone with good talent might surpass the two hundred proficiency points in a single attempt. Someone without enough talent could practice two thousand times to little effect. This number, most of the time, represented the difficulty, or rather, the sophistication of the Martial Arts.

The more sophisticated the Martial Arts, the higher this number would be.

"The breakthrough... is today."

Both Kong Yu and Lu Ren had already achieved Qi Cultivation Gang. It was time for him to break through as well.

He took a deep breath. The various Heart Method Mantras from the Fuyue Bear Scripture for Qi Cultivation Gang flashed through his mind. His silvery-white Vajra True Qi began to circulate with a ROAR, and his vigorous vital energy surged along with it.

The Vajra True Qi was too tyrannical. Even though his meridians had long been nourished by it, they now screamed with a tearing pain.

As the Fuyue Bear Scripture began to circulate, his bones and tendons hummed, his skin trembled, and a massive amount of vital energy gushed forth.

A rumbling sound, like a roaring river, emanated from within Xu Yang’s body. His robes billowed, and the silver sheen on his exposed skin grew ever more intense.

Qi Cultivation Gang!

This "Qi" referred not only to True Qi and blood qi, but also to the formless, intangible spirit.

True Qi and blood qi, two distinctly separate things, were isolated by the meridians. But he had long ago comprehended Mixed Element Strength. With a mere thought, the True Qi seeped out of his meridians and merged into his flesh, blood, bones, and tendons.

His Heart Spirit sank into his body, merging with the True Qi and blood qi, becoming like an invisible hand trying to knead the three together.

In an instant, it was like dropping a flicker of flame into scorching hot oil. The moment it touched, it ignited; the moment it ignited, it exploded.

BOOM!

Xu Yang felt his entire body ignite. A sound like the rending of heaven and earth echoed as a terrifying power erupted from every inch of his flesh, threatening to blast him into dust.

But under the power of the Fuyue Bear Scripture, another invisible force suppressed the explosive energy, forcing the three to truly fuse together.

In that moment, an even more tyrannical and pure power was born. Like an autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves, the three energies merged as one, like a hundred rivers returning to the sea.

A true unity of internal and external had appeared. It was no longer the transient unity achieved through techniques or Mixed Element Strength, but a true, perfect fusion—Primordial Unity, a trinity.

His understanding of his body no longer relied on mere sensation or knowledge of meridians and acupoints. It was as if he had grown countless eyes, able to see every inch of his own flesh and blood.

He seemed to have entered a blood-red world. He saw his five viscera and six bowels, smooth as jade; he saw his meridians, like river channels; and he saw many hidden injuries that even the Turtle and Snake Grand Posture had never managed to repair.

Wherever the Gang Qi went, it was as if his eyes were there, allowing him to easily see everything within his own body.

This was the realm of Mind Entering the Body, a state of profound insight into one’s own mysteries.

Only with this realm as a foundation could one later complete the cultivation of Muscle and Marrow Cleansing.

A tyrannical power spread throughout his entire body, no longer confined to meridians or the Dantian. A red glow emanated from Xu Yang as his bones and tendons sang in unison, his flesh and blood vibrated, and his aura climbed steadily higher.

His body, which had already gained the Vajra Indestructible Attribute from being tempered by the Vajra Skill, experienced another explosive surge in strength, and the silvery luminescence grew even richer.

He maintained the circulation of the Fuyue Bear Scripture for a full hour before the light around his body gradually faded and his aura withdrew inward.

[Fuyue Bear Scripture Gang Qi Chapter - Introduction (5/2000)]

[Remaining Lifespan: 72]

Qi Cultivation Gang, complete!

His lifespan had even increased by five years.

A scorching, tyrannical power lay dormant in every inch of his flesh. Xu Yang’s heart was filled with joy. He felt he could kill his former self with a single hand.

Both his physical body and his level of power had undergone a qualitative leap.

He clenched his five fingers in the empty air, and the air itself was crushed, letting out a sharp CRACK as a visible shockwave appeared.

"With an understanding of Mixed Element Strength, achieving Qi Cultivation Gang really is simple."

One had to remember, after Kong Yu reached Qi Gathering Perfection, it still took him nearly a month to form Gang Qi. But for him, reaching Qi Gathering Perfection and achieving Qi Cultivation Gang had all been done within a single day. It was as if the bottleneck didn’t even exist.

"The Vajra True Qi has disappeared and turned into Gang Qi. Is the Vajra Skill still useful?"

This question suddenly occurred to Xu Yang, and he hurriedly looked at his panel.

[Golden Gang Skill - Introduction (40/2000)]

His Vajra Skill, which had reached the Minor Achievement Realm, had vanished and turned into the Golden Gang Skill.

"The Vajra Skill has such a wonderful use?"

Xu Yang was overjoyed; all his worries completely vanished.

He subconsciously activated the Vajra Skill. His whole body’s Gang Qi moved with it, and that feeling of being forged in blazing fire returned. His flesh, blood, bones, and tendons sang in unison as their strength slowly increased.

At the same time, the Gang Qi, just like True Qi, was being refined and purified under the effect of the Heart Method.

"My Gang Qi seems different from an ordinary person’s. It’s probably because of the Vajra Skill."

The Gang Qi he had seen before was always blood-red like a ruby, but his was pink, not as red as others’.

"This is Gang Qi formed on the foundation of Vajra True Qi. It’s only normal that it’s different. I should test its power."

At this thought, Xu Yang was itching with curiosity. He jumped off his bed, pushed the door open, and walked out.

He paid no mind to Sun Tao and the others chatting in the courtyard and walked straight past them.

"Junior Brother Xu is in such a hurry. Did something happen?" Sun Tao wondered, looking at Xu Yang’s retreating back with a puzzled expression.

Jiang Ping said, "Maybe Junior Brother Lu Ren achieving Qi Cultivation Gang put him under pressure. I don’t think he’s even reached Qi Gathering Perfection yet."

By this point, most people had actually already reached Qi Gathering Perfection and were starting to attempt their breakthrough to the Qi Cultivation Gang stage.

Not having reached Qi Gathering Perfection meant, one could say, that he had fallen far behind everyone else.

Sun Tao shook his head. "Junior Brother Xu has a peaceful mentality. He doesn’t compete or strive. He wouldn’t be affected by this. It must be something else."

Jiang Ping sneered, "Is there really anyone like you describe? I think he was definitely affected by Lu Ren. Being constantly suppressed by Lu Ren, he must feel awful inside."