I can increase my power through breathing.

Chapter 10 Fifth Level of the Acquired Realm, Copper Skin and Iron Bones

"Could this be a body-refining technique?"

Upon seeing the name on the cover, Zhou Qing's heart stirred slightly, but he didn't stop what he was doing, turning the pages and reading intently.

Just as he had guessed.

The Hundred Refinements Golden Body Technique is indeed a body-refining technique.

In this world, most internal cultivation techniques focus on accumulating internal energy, with physical strengthening being merely a byproduct of the process. However, a small number of techniques pursue the ultimate physical enhancement, achieving holistic strengthening from the inside out.

The Hundred Refinements Golden Body Technique in Zhou Qing's hands is the latter. The internal energy cultivated from it deeply nourishes the bones, internal organs, meridians, skin, and flesh, making the entire body as if it were forged from refined gold.

Strength, endurance, recovery, and defense are all enhanced, representing a fusion of solidity and resilience, making the physical body so strong that it is indestructible.

Furthermore, by cultivating the Hundred Refinements Golden Body Technique, the twelve regular meridians, the eight extraordinary meridians, and the dantian will also be expanded and consolidated, reaching approximately ten times the size of the initial stage.

The strength of the meridians represents the strength of internal energy flowing within them.

Therefore, the stronger the meridians, the more internal energy can be released in an instant, and the more high-speed operation of internal energy can be sustained.

Expanding and consolidating the dantian allows it to hold more internal energy.

The Rejuvenation Technique is a health-preserving exercise, and it's only a third-rate internal skill. At most, it can strengthen the twelve meridians by one time. Other third-rate and second-rate internal skills can basically strengthen and expand the meridians and dantian by about three times.

However, the Hundred Refinements Golden Body Technique can enhance it tenfold.

Simply put, if one cultivates the Hundred Refinements Golden Body Technique, the internal energy that the meridians and dantian can hold, as well as the internal energy that can be unleashed during combat, will be more than three times that of a martial artist of the same level.

Furthermore, since the Hundred Refinements Golden Body Technique is a body-refining technique, it does not prevent martial artists from cultivating other internal skills.

According to the manual, the Hundred Refinements Golden Body Technique has nine levels, corresponding to the nine stages of the Acquired Realm. It requires daily medication for cultivation, so just reaching the first level would cost thousands of taels of silver. The resources required would double for each subsequent level.

To cultivate to the seventh level and become a first-class martial artist, the total resources required amount to a terrifying 100,000 taels of silver.

Without resources to assist in cultivation, relying solely on one's own arduous practice will result in extremely slow progress, taking at least six or seven years to reach the first level.

The time required from now on will double, and without resources to assist in cultivation, one will basically remain a third-rate martial artist for life.

But for Zhou Qing, this was not a problem.

Hundred Refinements Golden Body Technique / Beginner

Zhou Qing carefully read through the Hundred Refinements Golden Body Technique manual from beginning to end, and this body-refining technique also appeared on the panel.

As long as it appears on the panel, he can use Dao Source to improve it.

"There's nothing wrong with the technique."

Zhou Qing nodded, handed the remaining three hundred taels of silver to the masked man, then put away the manual and turned to leave.

"This person spent five hundred taels to buy the manual, so he must still have some silver on him."

"Even without money, killing him will still get you the secret manual."

"Let's go, follow him and keep a close eye on him. As soon as he leaves the black market, we'll make our move."

"..."

Zhou Qing inquired about secret manuals at five different stalls, which had already attracted the attention of some martial artists, and many eyes were secretly focused on him.

Zhou Qing, having reached the fourth level of the Acquired Realm, possessed keen senses and naturally noticed the watchful eyes on him. Being watched was a common occurrence in the black market.

Zhou Qing remained calm and composed. Instead of leaving the black market immediately, he became leisurely, and a panel appeared in front of him.

Name: Zhou Qing

Realm: Fourth level of the Acquired Realm (Second-rate martial artist)
Mastered martial arts: Rejuvenation Skill / Level 10 (Characteristics: Enhances internal energy healing, increases lifespan by half a century, increases poison resistance by 300%, improves physical constitution)
Seamless Blade Technique/Perfect (Specialties: Blade Speed ​​Burst 300%, Power Burst 200%)

Swallow Triple Skim/Perfect (Characteristics: Light as a swallow, uses airborne momentum, speed bursts up to 200%)

Hundred Refinements Golden Body Technique / Beginner

Talent: Nine-Breath Breath Control (By breathing for nine breaths, one will be blessed with mysterious supernatural powers, automatically refining the power of the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth into Dao Source. One point of Dao Source can be automatically obtained every day, and each point of Dao Source is equivalent to one year of arduous cultivation.)
Daoyuan: 18
"All sources of Dao, enhance the Hundred Refinements Golden Body Technique!"

Zhou Qing silently recited in his heart.

When he escaped from the Blackstone County prison, he had thirteen Dao Source points. Now, five days later, he has eighteen Dao Source points. He used all of them to improve his Hundred Refinements Golden Body Technique.

hum~~~
Zhou Qing's consciousness entered a mysterious space.

In this mysterious space, he tirelessly cultivated the Hundred Refinements Golden Body Technique day after day, year after year.

Countless insights flooded my mind.

[After a year of arduous training, you have broken through to the first level of the Hundred Refinements Golden Body Technique. Your skin, flesh, and bones have become more resilient, and your strength has increased by 50%.]

[After two more years of arduous training, your Hundred Refinements Golden Body Technique has broken through to the second level. You have reached a level where your skin is as tough as a drum and your bones are as strong as a tiger. Your strength has reached three thousand jin, and you can fight wild beasts with your bare hands.]

You continue your arduous practice...

[After eighteen years of arduous training day and night, you have broken through to the fifth level of the Hundred Refinements Golden Body Technique. Your skin is as tough as copper, and your bones as hard as iron.]

After completing his arduous training, Zhou Qing clearly felt the changes within himself.

In the outside world, only a moment had passed, but in that mysterious space, Zhou Qing had cultivated diligently for eighteen years.

Hundred Refinements Golden Body Technique / Level 5 (Characteristics: Copper Skin and Iron Bones, Qi and Blood Enhancement 400%, Reflection 50%)

Zhou Qing looked at the panel.

Having reached the fifth level of the Hundred Refinements Golden Body Technique, he cultivated a body of copper and iron, and clearly felt the changes in his body. His muscles were bulging and full of explosive power, and his blood and qi were so vigorous that it seemed as if they could burst through his body surface at any moment and turn into a cloud of blood and qi.

The more vigorous one's Qi and blood are, the faster one's internal energy will recover.

After all, the power cultivated by martial artists in the Acquired Realm comes from the circulation of qi and blood within their bodies.

It can be said that Qi and blood are the foundation of martial arts.

Zhou Qing's dantian has expanded considerably compared to before. If it was just a well before, it is now a small pond. The twelve regular meridians and the eight extraordinary meridians have also been expanded and strengthened.

With just a thought, internal energy can instantly surge into every part of the body, and the speed of transporting internal energy is greatly improved compared to before.

In addition, after reaching the fifth level of the Hundred Refinements Golden Body Technique, Zhou Qing also gained the ability to counterattack. Once an enemy attacks him, this force will bounce the attack back like a spring, making the enemy suffer the consequences.

This recoil force was 50% of the force of the attack he had absorbed.

In other words, if Zhou Qing's body is struck by a force of 10,000 jin, it will trigger a counterforce of 5,000 jin.

(End of this chapter)