The Martial Saint of Humanity, I Have Transformed Low-Level Martial Arts Into Immortal Martial Arts - Chapter 21

Chapter 21: Third-Stage Refining Strength! The Realm of Transformation!

“It’s a pity… the forging isn’t very satisfying. The endurance and limits of ordinary pig iron are just there; forging a weapon with a thirty in refinement is already the maximum. If the materials were better, I could try forging a hundred-refinement grade weapon!”

In the forging room, Su Hao paused his work, took a few big gulps from the water jug to hydrate himself, while feeling somewhat regretful. Su Hao’s forging skills had already reached perfection, and he had incorporated his martial arts into it, but even the most skilled cook cannot make a feast without ingredients. When it comes to ordinary pig iron, pushing its performance to its limit is as far as it goes!

“I’ll wait for a while; when I can make no more progress, I’ll just request Uncle Zhao to let me go.”

Su Hao thought to himself. There was a contract between him and Zhao’s Blacksmith Shop; if he wanted to leave, he needed the agreement of his employer, Zhao Tie. However, Su Hao wasn’t in a hurry; he still had room for improvement!

“Work’s done; everyone, watch out for sparks and be mindful of sealing the furnace!”

By afternoon, Zhao Tie called the workers to finish for the day. After having dinner in the blacksmith shop, Su Hao headed home alone, as usual, going to a grove located two to three miles beyond Longshe Village. The area was spacious and more suited for him to practice his agility and fist techniques.

Whoosh!

In the wilderness, one could see a figure striding forward. He was effortlessly sprinting, each step covering nearly a yard, moving with such speed that it resembled a cicada gliding along the ground, able to traverse a long distance in just a few steps.

Eight Steps to Catch the Cicada—this technique had been perfected by Su Hao over a month ago, and when he broke into a run, his speed surpassed that of a fine steed; even the fastest runners could hardly keep up!

In less than half a moment, Su Hao had crossed several miles and arrived at a wild forest. He lifted his head and swallowed a Blood-Boosting Pill in one gulp, then began practicing his fist technique, accelerating the refinement of the medicinal power to strengthen his increasingly supple and vigorous strength force.

Swish, swish, swish!

As Su Hao threw his punches, the speed varied; what seemed like a slow punch was actually incredibly swift, while a punch that appeared fast was actually delayed by half a beat, making it hard to predict. As he moved his feet, his fists wove layers of phantoms. If someone were to watch closely from the sidelines, they would undoubtedly feel dizzy!

If He Zhiyong were alive and saw Su Hao executing this Bewildering Trace Fist, he would surely spit blood and question his life choices. He had spent twenty to thirty years perfecting the Bewildering Trace Fist, while Su Hao had only spent three months and was already surpassing him immensely!

Su Hao’s style shifted; sometimes powerful and unmatched, sometimes heavy like a mountain, and sometimes accompanied by illusory shadows. All three martial arts had reached perfection. Inside him, there were three distinct forces of strength—some soft, some fierce, and some dense, each with its own characteristics, and Su Hao was attempting to gradually harmonize these three forces!

Whoosh!

Su Hao heard the sound of blood and energy coursing through him as he attempted the third-stage refining strength. This time, the difficulty was clearly greater than in the previous two stages. The consumption of energy left him feeling parched, dizzy, and disoriented.

Without hesitation, Su Hao took out a small porcelain bottle from his pocket and swallowed the remaining three Blood-Boosting Pills in one go. Then, he began practicing his fist techniques, channeling his energy to accelerate the refinement of the medicinal power.

As time passed, the sky gradually darkened completely, and Su Hao’s skin turned a fiery red and felt incredibly hot. The boiling energy within him grew more robust, and the three distinct forces of strength inside him gradually began to blend together.

This new force felt as if it were undergoing a chemical reaction, starting to spread and flow throughout Su Hao’s body—through his muscles, organs, and even extending to his teeth, tongue, fingernails, and hair.

With a thought, the strength surged like a tide, flowing freely to every part of his body, as if his fingernails could sharpen into blades, capable of cutting through rock and bone, and his hair could turn into arrows, piercing flesh!

Whoosh!

A gust of wind blew, causing the trees to sway, and dry, yellow leaves fell to the ground, drifting towards Su Hao’s body. However, upon nearing him, they seemed to encounter an invisible force and instead glided away, landing harmlessly on the ground.

“Whew, whew, whew…”

As Su Hao breathed, the hot air formed a visible white mist. As his energy flowed, a mere thought mobilized the strength around him, creating a thunderous roar that echoed like rolling thunder. The scene of his bones and muscles vibrating was enough to make anyone falter and retreat in shock!

At that moment, Su Hao’s energy gradually settled, and the intense heat around him ebbed like the tide. He slowly opened his eyes, his gaze flashing with a lightning-like brilliance that vanished in an instant!

“I’ve broken through… Is this the realm of the third-stage refining strength, the transformation stage?”

Su Hao let out a sigh of relief, a smile forming on his lips that he couldn’t hide, feeling a rush of satisfaction and joy in his heart.

One form of fist technique, practiced to perfection, combined with the nourishment from a health-replenishing soup, had allowed him to achieve the second-stage refining strength. Su Hao had skillfully mastered three distinct forms of fist techniques, integrating their characteristics into one, resulting in the completion of the third-stage refining strength and stepping into a new realm!

Most martial artists have a certain talent for refining strength and, with diligent practice, have the opportunity to complete the first stage, developing a clear form of strength.

A small number of exceptionally talented individuals, with sufficient resources and hard work, might be able to take it a step further, achieving the more advanced form of inner energy!

As for transformation? That level is no longer something attainable through mere hard work; it relies more on comprehension and innate talent. Otherwise, even an ordinary martial artist could practice for a hundred years and still not reach the third-stage refining strength!

“Strength reaching all corners, energy permeating the whole body, not a feather can rest, not a fly dare land, self-contained transformation!””This is the realm of Transformation Strength!”

Su Hao felt the changes in his body, his eyes filled with joy and surprise.

The levels of Refining Strength are divided into Clear Strength, Inner Energy, and Transformation Strength.

Reaching the Clear Strength level allows martial artists without forged bones to deliver punches comparable to those trained in solid techniques.

Taking it a step further, achieving Inner Energy means that the strength can penetrate, so when a punch is thrown, everything appears fine from the outside, but the inside has already sustained injury!

As for Transformation Strength, it’s characterized by Inner Energy encompassing the entire body, with the skin, hair, and nails covered by this inner energy, and the flesh and bones infused with Transformation Energy.

Reaching this level of strength is something that ordinary people would find extraordinarily difficult to achieve even after a hundred years of hard practice.

With strength reaching the Transformation stage, this signifies that Su Hao is constantly enveloped by a layer of concealed energy on the surface of his body, making it difficult for mosquitoes or insects to rest upon him. Even when faced with a heavy punch, the energy at his surface shifts, allowing him to neutralize the impact!

Su Hao subtly searched around and found a hard rock. Gripping it in his palm, he gently pressed his right index finger down.

Although his press exerted little effort, just a light touch, the stone was pierced as if crushed by a thousand-pound iron nail, leaving a hole punctured by the tip of Su Hao’s finger!