87: Chapter 87 The Fifth Life, The Blazing Sun Illuminates the Martial Path (Thirty-Five)

Chu Shi took the menu and scanned it; ordinary meals were free, while spirit food was marked with contribution points based on its grade, ranging from 1 point to several dozen.

He casually ordered six dishes and a soup, all of which were mild spirit foods that replenished qi and blood.

It came to a total of 48 contribution points, which was merely a drop in the bucket for his current wealth.

The Utility Disciple quickly agreed and turned to run to the kitchen, fearing that being even a fraction slower might displease this Core Disciple genius.

Chu Shi had barely sat down for a moment when a hearty voice came over: "Senior Brother Chu, long time no see. Have you been well?"

He looked up to see a man dressed in purple martial attire, standing tall with a handsome face.

It was Wang Teng, the second Core Disciple of this year's batch from Lieyang Peak.

Previously, right after their living quarters were assigned, he had brought those Inner Sect Disciples to find him.

Chu Shi stood up and returned the greeting with a cupped-hand salute: "Junior Brother Wang, long time no see."

"I saw you the moment I walked in; I was right, it was you."

Wang Teng smiled, pulled out a chair, and sat down without standing on ceremony.

"After three months of closed-door cultivation, you've left us so far behind we can't even see your shadow. Looking at your state, have you reached the peak of the Stone Skin Realm?"

Chu Shi smiled faintly, not hiding anything: "Just lucky, I've only just touched the threshold."

"Lucky? Senior Brother Chu, you are being too humble!"

Wang Teng gasped and gave him a thumbs-up.

"Although I've long known the gap was huge, in these past three months, I've only just managed to rush from the peak of the Ox-Skin Realm to the mid-stage of the Stone Skin Realm. Compared to you, it's like the difference between clouds and mud. You truly live up to your reputation, Senior Brother Chu!"

"It's just steady progress," Chu Shi said, waving his hand.

"Junior Brother Wang, your talent is not bad; it's just that you haven't put your whole heart into cultivation."

Wang Teng laughed heartily and admitted frankly: "Senior Brother Chu is still the impressive one. I couldn't do what you do—staying in closed-door cultivation for three months without seeing the light of day, doing nothing but eating Bigu pills and cultivating. Besides, once you went into closed-door cultivation, you stopped worrying about everything. I had to take the lead and unite the Inner Sect Disciples of our batch at Lieyang Peak."

As the two were chatting, the Utility Disciple brought the dishes over, filling the table and wafting with an appetizing aroma.

The mild qi and blood energy contained in the spirit food made one feel refreshed just by the scent.

Wang Teng did not stand on ceremony, picked up his chopsticks, and grabbed a piece of Red Flame Pork. After chewing a couple of times, his eyes lit up: "Not bad, not bad! Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, full of qi and blood—it truly lives up to its reputation as the dining hall's signature dish."

Chu Shi made a gesture of invitation, and the two chatted idly while eating.

Wang Teng was well-informed and told Chu Shi quite a bit about the ins and outs of the Holy Land, including the general situation of their batch of disciples across the various peaks, the preferences of the elders within the peak, and the various factions among the disciples.

Chu Shi listened quietly, taking note of everything in his heart.

The disciples at the nearby tables, seeing Chu Shi and Wang Teng chatting happily, began to discuss them.

"Look, even Senior Brother Wang Teng is so polite to Senior Brother Chu; he is truly a prodigy who took first place in the trial and reached the ninth level of the Heavenly Staircase."

"I heard Senior Brother Chu is from the Canglan Chu family, and Deacon Chu Feng of the outer sect's Canglan Courtyard is his cousin. He is also valued by Elder Zhang within the peak, and has even taken our Peak Master as his teacher. High talent and a solid background—isn't this a perfect start?"

"Who's to say it isn't? That is what you call a true prodigy. As for us, we can only be called minor geniuses outside."

Chu Shi listened to these words, his expression remaining calm, but his heart was incredibly clear.

The experience of several lifetimes of reincarnation told him that these empty names meant nothing and were all external forces. Only one's own true strength was the foundation for standing firm.

Only by officially stepping into the Iron Skin Realm and completing the transformation of the essence of life could one truly be considered to have entered the gate of the martial path. In this high-martial world, he had barely managed to gain a foothold.

The meal lasted for an hour, and Chu Shi ate to his heart's content, the exhaustion from three months of closed-door cultivation completely dissipating. His qi and blood were fully replenished, and his state reached an unprecedented peak.

After Wang Teng had his fill, he bid Chu Shi farewell. He said that once he broke through to the Iron Skin Realm, he would definitely hold a banquet to celebrate, and Chu Shi smiled and agreed.

After settling the bill and leaving the dining hall, Chu Shi did not rush to break through, but instead spent three days adjusting his state. Every day, he simply practiced fist techniques and stood in stances to stabilize his cultivation at the peak of the Stone Skin Realm.

It was not until he had immersed his entire mind and body into a state of absolute stillness, without a single flaw, that he finally activated the protective formations of the courtyard and the cultivation room, preparing to break through to the Iron Skin Realm.

Chu Shi bent down to open the red-gold incense burner, inserted an entire box of calming incense, and lit it. Thick blue smoke instantly enveloped the entire cultivation room.

He sat cross-legged on the cushion, his mind sinking completely into his body. Subsequently, he took out that tiexu pill from the wooden box beside him.

The pill was dark silver like iron, its surface covered in fine patterns, emitting a faint metallic aura. This was a supreme treasure for breaking through to the Iron Skin Realm, capable of significantly enhancing affinity with the iron elements within metal qi. It also protected the physical body, guided the metal qi into the body, and reduced the risks of breaking through.

Chu Shi took a deep breath, opened his mouth, and swallowed the pill. The moment the pill entered his abdomen, it transformed into a warm torrent that exploded violently in his dantian.

The gentle medicinal power with a metallic texture instantly spread to his limbs and bones, firmly protecting every inch of his skin, muscles, tendons, bones, and even every drop of blood.

At the same time, he closed his eyes tightly and violently drove his vigorous qi and blood, which he had honed to the extreme over the past three months, to their limit!

"Boom!" A roar like a thunderclap instantly exploded within his body. His scalding qi and blood rushed through his meridians like a raging river, running wildly.

Every inch of his skin trembled wildly under the scouring of his qi and blood; the hardness of the Stone Skin Realm was driven to its limit at this moment.

It was also at this moment that he finally released the restraints on his physical body, and his mind extended outwards, touching the world outside the cultivation room!

Instantly, countless strands of fire-attribute metal qi, carrying a scorching heat and sharp metallic texture, seemed to have received a summons as they surged wildly from all directions, gathering towards his body.

The Iron Skin Realm is the first great chasm of the martial path, the boundary between the mundane and the extraordinary. Only by stepping into the Iron Skin Realm can one truly draw the heaven and earth origin qi into the body, fuse the physical body with the power of heaven and earth, and complete the transformation of the essence of life!

Tidal waves of fire-attribute metal qi surged wildly into Chu Shi's body, instantly fusing with the rolling qi and blood within him.

The medicinal power of the tiexu pill erupted completely, guiding the metal qi to penetrate bit by bit into the depths of his skin, completely merging with his physical body and qi and blood.

"Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle..." The fire-attribute metal qi entered his body, carrying a scorching, stinging pain and metallic sharpness, as if countless steel needles were pricking every inch of his flesh.

Chu Shi's mind, however, was as steady as Mount Tai, without the slightest wavering. He continued to guide the metal qi, scouring his physical body and honing his skin over and over again.

The stubborn stone body of the Stone Skin Realm, under the repeated tempering of the metal qi and the repeated nourishment of qi and blood, underwent a transformation bit by bit. The original stone-like hardness slowly became increasingly dense and tough. Like iron ore forged ten thousand times, it transformed into hundred-refined steel!