Gou Zai Wudao Shi Lian Shen

Chapter 99 Golden Jade Robe

By the time they returned to the Lu residence, it was already late.

The setting sun casts a warm glow on the courtyard wall, illuminating the new house's green tiles and white walls.

"Chen'er is back!"

Upon seeing Lu Chen return, Zhou Yun quickly approached him, her gaze sweeping over him first.

"The county magistrate is looking for you. Is there something you need?"

Lu Shan also came over. Although he wasn't as anxious as Zhou Yun, there was still a hint of worry in his eyes.

Seeing his parents' anxious expressions, Lu Chen smiled, took off the red copper waist token from his waist, and placed it on the table.

The waist tag landed on the table with a crisp sound.

The two characters on the front were exceptionally clear in the setting sun.

Chi Xiao.

Lu Shan was stunned: "This is—"

Lu Chen said, "Father, Mother, I joined the Great Zhou Martial Temple today and will temporarily serve as a member of the Crimson Guard."

"From this day forward, I can be considered to be serving in the imperial court and eating the government's rice."

Zhou Yun stared blankly at the waist tag.

"Serving in the imperial court?"

"So...so he became an official?"

Lu Chen laughed and said, "It's not really considered being an official. The Crimson Guard is just the lowest rank in the Martial Temple's military ranks, but they do receive a monthly salary of one hundred taels of silver."

"One hundred taels?"

Lu Shan was slightly surprised. Although this number was not much for Lu Chen at the moment, it still carried considerable weight for Lu Shan.

He slapped his thigh and burst into laughter: "Great!"

"My son gets a government job and receives a monthly salary!"

"good!"

Zhou Yun was also very happy.

She didn't understand what the Martial Temple's martial rank and the Red Guards were, but she knew very well what it meant to be employed by the Shangguan family.

In chaotic times, local powerful clans and gangs are not necessarily reliable. One day they may be arrogant and powerful, and the next day their entire family may be wiped out.

But the imperial court is different; it is the legitimate successor of the Great Zhou Dynasty and the strongest backer in the world.

Zhou Yun carefully picked up the bronze waist token, touching it again and again, as if it were a family heirloom.

"well."

"Your parents are already content to see you enter the imperial court as an official."

After having dinner with his parents, Lu Chen returned to the backyard to seclude himself for cultivation.

As dusk settled, two lanterns were lit in the courtyard, their dim yellow light reflecting off the blue bricks, creating an exceptionally quiet atmosphere.

Lu Chen was in his room, reading the "Golden Jade Robe Technique" by himself.

"Qi and blood flow like silk threads, penetrating the skin; the skin membrane is like jade, warming and nourishing like clothing—"

Lu Chen murmured to himself.

The further he read, the more he could appreciate the exquisite nature of this technique.

Common skin-strengthening methods often involve using blood and qi to flush out the skin membrane, making the skin thicker and harder, ultimately achieving an effect that makes it difficult to be injured by swords and knives.

However, the "Golden Jade Suit Technique" is different.

It doesn't seek brutal forging, but rather requires martial artists to condense and compress their qi and blood into extremely fine "blood threads," flowing from the pores...

The skin texture and superficial meridians gradually seep into the skin membrane.

A wisp of vital energy is a golden thread.

Countless fine blood vessels intertwine deep within the skin, refining the skin, unlocking its potential, and ultimately forming an invisible "jade burial suit".

It can not only defend against swords and blades, but also enhance blood circulation and the transmission of energy.

Lu Chen was so engrossed in reading it that he found the method increasingly profound.

Until he finished reading the entire manual, a familiar transparent light screen suddenly appeared before his eyes.

[Golden Jade Suit Technique: Not Yet Entered]

[Progress: 0/100]

Lu Chen's eyes lit up immediately.

"really!"

Seeing the progress number, he instantly felt at ease.

"No matter how difficult the technique is, just like before, as long as you practice it diligently a hundred times, you'll be able to get the basics!"

Lu Chen's lips curled up slightly.

Others are afraid it's difficult, afraid they won't even get a foothold in it after a year or two.

"But I'm not afraid!"

He took a deep breath and immediately began his cultivation.

Lu Chen set up the Coiling Dragon Stake and slowly circulated the Qi and blood in his body.

Soon, a burning heat rose from his chest and abdomen, flowing through his limbs and bones.

Afterwards, he closed his eyes and sat cross-legged, diligently refining his internal energy and blood little by little according to the methods of the "Golden Jade Robe Technique".

This process was exceptionally long.

Normally, he mobilizes his qi and blood like opening a dam to release water, with qi and blood gushing out and flowing along the muscles, bones, and meridians, instantly filling his fists and palms.

But things are different now.

The "Golden Jade Robe Technique" does not require a rushing, surging flow, but rather meticulous detail.

Lu Chen had to suppress, crush, and break down the thick streams of qi, then condense them into thin, thread-like blood lines.

If you rush, your qi and blood will dissipate.

If you're even slightly aggressive, the bloodline will break.

He can only do it one step at a time.

Like grinding an iron pestle into a needle, like drawing silk from a cocoon.

If you fail the first time, try again.

When your mind is exhausted, steady your breathing and refocus.

After an unknown amount of time, Lu Chen finally condensed all the blood and qi in his body into fine blood threads.

These blood vessels move slightly within the body, like countless red-hot gold threads, tiny yet intensely hot.

Lu Chen did not stop.

He took a deep breath and began to guide the blood vessels into the skin membrane little by little, following the instructions of the technique.

In the beginning, it was the fingers.

Then came the backs of the hands, arms, shoulders, chest, back, waist, abdomen, and legs —

The moment the blood vessels pierced the membrane, Lu Chen shuddered violently.

pain!

Like a needle prick.

It looks like it's on fire.

Countless fine blood vessels, as thin as hair, slowly meander deep within the skin. Every inch they travel feels like a red-hot silver needle piercing through the skin.

Lu Chen clenched his teeth, and the veins on his forehead throbbed slightly, but the throbbing never stopped.

This is the bloodline tempering the skin.

The Golden Jade Robe Technique aims to use Qi and blood as golden threads, stitch by stitch, to slowly weave the skin and membranes of the entire body into a jade robe.

Time passed little by little.

The night outside deepened and then gradually faded away.

Lu Chen remained seated cross-legged, but his body was sweating more and more, soaking his training clothes and causing them to emit a faint white vapor from the heat of his body.

Lu Chen finally finished his practice only after the last thread of blood circled around the soles of his feet, completing a full cycle.

He opened his eyes.

It was already bright outside the window.

Morning light streamed through the window paper into the room, falling on the floor with a faint golden hue.

Before I knew it, the night passed.

Lu Chen's whole body was still burning with pain, his skin was hot and swollen, as if it had been roasted by fire. His clothes were soaked, and even the ends of his hair were covered in sweat.

But just then, a familiar transparent light screen suddenly appeared before my eyes:

[Golden Jade Suit Technique: Not Yet Entered]

[Progress: 1/100]

Looking at the small progress, Lu Chen finally smiled despite his exhaustion.

The first attempt was successful.

"This method is indeed difficult to practice."

Lu Chen couldn't help but sigh.

In just one night, even the slightest mistake could undo all the previous efforts and force us to start all over again.

If one's resolve is even slightly weak, after a few failures, one might simply give up.

Lu Chen let out a long breath.

This night of cultivation not only left him physically and mentally exhausted, but also depleted a significant amount of his vital energy.

Especially beneath the skin, there is still a faint, needle-like pain, as if the blood vessels are still slowly moving deep within the skin.

He looked down at the back of his hand.

The skin surface is slightly reddish, with a faint, warm glow, but it is so light that it is barely noticeable unless you look closely.

"Golden Jade Suit Technique —"

Lu Chen clenched his fist.

It was so difficult even on the first try.

But he could also sense that this technique was indeed extraordinary.

If one can truly master it, it will far surpass ordinary iron-skin hard skills.

Lu Chen slowly stood up and called out towards the door.

"Little Green".

Before long, light footsteps could be heard outside the door.

Xiao Lü pushed the door open and came in. She was startled to see Lu Chen covered in sweat and his face was slightly pale.

"Young Master, have you been practicing all night?"

Lu Chen nodded: "Prepare a medicinal bath."

Xiao Lü quickly replied, "Yes, I'll go right away."

Before long, heat rose from the side room in the backyard.

The wooden bucket was filled with medicinal soup, the light brown liquid steaming slightly, containing herbs that promoted blood circulation and relieve muscle tension, delivered by Wangji Yam Shop.

Lu Chen took off his training clothes and stepped into the medicine tub.

The moment the warm medicinal liquid washed over his skin, he couldn't help but take a deep breath.

pain.

But it's very comfortable.

The medicine seeped into the skin through the pores, gradually easing the burning pain and nourishing the depleted blood and energy in the body.

Lu Chen leaned against the tub and slowly closed his eyes.

While soaking in the medicinal bath, he remembered the reminder in the manual "Golden Jade Robe Kung Fu".

"To cultivate this method, it is best to use the essence blood of metal-attribute beasts, or pills rich in metal-attribute flesh and blood essence."

"In this way, we can achieve twice the result with half the effort."

The Golden Thread Jade Suit Technique uses Qi and blood as the golden thread and the skin as the jade suit.

If one has the assistance of metallic blood and flesh essence, the bloodline will become more solid during skin tempering, and the skin membrane will more easily develop the properties of gold and jade.

"I'll go to the yam shop tomorrow and ask Master Ge."

"See if he has any suitable medicine."

Lu Chen opened his eyes, slowly making plans in his mind.

In addition to metal-based pills, a batch of pills that can quickly restore qi and blood is also needed.

Each repetition of the Golden Jade Robe Technique consumes a great deal of qi and blood.

If we rely solely on daily natural recovery, the progress will inevitably be slowed down.

However, if one cultivates while replenishing the consumed qi and blood with elixirs, the cultivation speed can be greatly accelerated.

With the profit share from the yam shop, plus the thousand taels from Weiyuantang, and the congratulatory gifts from other large and small forces in Chixia County, he had already saved several thousand taels in savings.

There's no point in keeping this money; it can all be converted into resources and invested in the cultivation process.

This is also a benefit that comes with status and position.

Early the next morning.

Lu Chen then rushed to Wang's Yam Shop.

Wangji Yam Shop is busier than ever before.

Since Lu Chen became the top martial arts student in the high school, the reputation of the yam shop has soared, and the number of people coming to buy medicinal herbs, discuss business, and make connections has increased several times over.

The waiter greeted Lu Chen with a big smile as soon as he entered.

"Lord Lu has arrived!"

"Good morning, Lu Gongfeng!"

Lu Chen nodded in response all the way, passed through the front hall, and went straight to the alchemy room in the backyard.

As soon as I arrived at the entrance of the alchemy room, a rich aroma of medicinal herbs wafted towards me.

The fire in the alchemy furnace had not yet gone out. Ge Ye was sitting beside the furnace, squinting as he flipped through an old alchemy book.

Hearing footsteps, he asked without looking up, "Who is it?"

Lu Chen stood at the door, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "Master Ge."

Ge Ye then raised her eyelids and glanced at him.

"Hey, it's you, kid."

He placed the book on the table and squinted as he looked Lu Chen up and down.

"You just topped the martial arts exam, instead of enjoying your retirement at home, why are you here with this old man?"

"Another problem?"

Lu Chen smiled, clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Master Ge, you were right. There really is something I need to trouble you with."

Kuzue snorted.

"I knew it."

"If you had nothing better to do, why would you have time to come looking for an old geezer like me?"

Lu Chen said, "Master Ge, you're wronging me."

"You're busy refining pills day and night, everyone in the yam business knows how busy you are. I wouldn't dare to bother you unless it's absolutely necessary."

Ge Ye glanced at him sideways; "Don't give me that."

He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and asked, "Speak, what is it?"

Lu Chen didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point: "I came today to ask Master Ge if you have any pills rich in metal-elemental essence here?"

Ge Ye paused slightly in her hand as she held the teacup.

He looked up at Lu Chen, his gaze showing a hint of interest.

"Metal-based essence?"

"What do you need this kind of pill for?"

Lu Chen said, "Naturally, it's for cultivation."

"I have now acquired a metal-attribute skin-refining technique, which requires using qi and blood to form threads to temper the skin membrane during cultivation. The technique states that if it can be supplemented with the essence blood of metal-attribute exotic beasts, or corresponding elixirs, the effect will be even better."

After listening, Ge Ye's eyes flickered slightly.

"A method for training skin?"

"Your advancement speed is truly impressive. Qiao Yuan only reached the Great Perfection of Blood Refinement in his entire life, and you're already approaching the Skin Refinement realm."

He pondered for a moment, then asked, "What kind of martial arts are you practicing, kid?"

Lu Chen honestly replied, "The Golden Jade Robe Technique."

"The Golden Jade Suit Technique?"

Ge Ye frowned and thought for a moment, as if he had heard the name before.

After a moment, he clicked his tongue softly.

"You've got quite an appetite, kid."

"This skill is not easy to master."

Lu Chen asked, "Master Ge, do you know this method?"

Ge Ye said, "There have been people who came to me to refine pills in order to practice this method."

Upon hearing this, Lu Chen pressed further, "Has that person mastered it?"

Ge Ye shook his head: "That person hasn't come to me to buy pills since half a month ago."

Lu Chen understood the implication: the person had given up after practicing for half a month.

Ge Ye looked at Lu Chen and said, "You want a metal-attribute blood, flesh, and qi essence pill, you're on the right track."

"Without the aid of elixirs, relying solely on one's own qi and blood to slowly grind the Golden Jade Robe Technique is not only inefficient, but also easily depletes one's own qi and blood."

Lu Chen's eyes lit up slightly: "Master Ge, do you have any here?"

Kuzue shook her head: "No."

Lu Chen was taken aback.

Ge Ye said slowly, "This kind of pill is much more precious than ordinary blood and qi powder."

"The ingredients for Blood Qi Powder are easy to find, and the refining method is also well-established."

"But what you want is a pill rich in metallic essence and blood."

"This requires the flesh, bone meal, and essence of metal-attribute beasts, or some metal-attribute spiritual materials as the main ingredients."

"In a small place like Chixia County, how could they possibly keep these things on hand all the time?"

Lu Chen was slightly disappointed.

Ge Ye glanced at him and then said, "However, I can refine it."

Lu Chen immediately looked up.

Ge Ye said, "I don't have any raw materials on hand right now, but I do have a recipe."

"It's called Jin Cui Dan."

"Perfect for your skin-training techniques."

"However, this pill is not cheap. The main ingredient should ideally be the essence blood of a metal-attribute beast, such as the Iron-backed Golden Ape, the Crimson Gold Boar, or the Silver-striped Iron Python."

"If it's even worse, it should be made with the flesh and blood of metal-attribute beasts, combined with medicinal herbs such as iron grass, jade bone vine, and platinum sand."

Lu Chen took notes carefully.

Ge Ye tapped the table and said, "Have Wang Shouyi go find the materials."

"He has more connections than you."

"Bring me as much as you can find, and I'll forge a batch for you."

Lu Chen clasped his hands in a fist and bow, his expression solemn: "Thank you, Master Ge."

Ge Ye waved his hand and said, "I hope you can hold on for another two weeks."

Lu Chen nodded: "Definitely."

Then, Lu Chen asked, "Master Ge Ye, do you have any pills that can quickly restore qi and blood?"

"Each time you practice the Golden Jade Robe Technique, you consume a lot of your qi and blood. If you have pills to replenish your qi and blood, you can recover while you are practicing."

Ge Ye chuckled, "You've thought of everything, haven't you?"

"Medicines to replenish qi and blood are easy to obtain."

"However, this kind of pill is more precious than ordinary blood qi powder. With the addition of the Golden Essence Pill, you might be dragging the yam shop down with you."

Upon hearing this, Lu Chen immediately understood the meaning behind Ge Ye's words.

Although Wang Shouyi promised to provide Lu Chen with all the pills needed for martial arts training free of charge, the value of the pills required for Lu Chen to advance to the Skin Refining Realm had already exceeded the Yam Shop's capacity.

He said to Ge Ye, "Master Ge, rest assured, I will pay for all these medicinal herbs myself. I will not let the yam shop bear the entire cost."

Ge Ye replied, "You should discuss this with Wang Shouyi. I'll just focus on refining the elixir."