19: Modified and evolved! Dragon Tendon Tiger Bone Kung Fu!

Black Stone City, the Zhao Residence.

The atmosphere inside the council hall was as heavy as lead.

In the main seat, the Zhao Family Head, Zhao Yuankui, had a grim expression. He was tall, his Aura restrained, and he was already a powerhouse at the Bone Forging Realm Fifth Level. Seated below him were several Elders with fierce Auras, as well as Zhao Tianhao, who was pale, his right arm in a sling, and his eyes filled with venom.

"Father! You must seek justice for your son!" Zhao Tianhao's voice was hoarse and full of humiliation. "That wild brat surnamed Lin not only injured me and crippled Zhao Mang, but he also crippled School Master Chen Kaishan with a single punch! My Zhao Family's face has been completely swept away!"

"Kaishan Martial Arts School... was defeated?" An Elder gasped, finding it hard to believe. They knew Chen Kaishan's strength—Bone Forging Third Level—absolutely a top fighting force in this desolate borderland!

"It's more than just being defeated!" Zhao Tianhao gritted his teeth. "That brat broke into the quiet room and stole the 'Primal Chaos Muscle Refining Scroll'! And... and he even boasted that my Zhao Family was nothing special!"

"Bastard!" Another hot-tempered Elder slammed the table, and the solid wood desk instantly covered in cracks. "Where did this madman come from?! How dare he insult my Zhao Family like this! Family Head, please give the order! I will take men immediately and tear him into ten thousand pieces!"

Zhao Yuankui's eyes were so gloomy they looked like they could drip water. He spoke slowly, his voice carrying suppressed rage and a hint of imperceptible gravity: "Tianhao, you said he... took your Black Fiend Poison Claw head-on, completely unharmed? And crippled your arm simply through the rebound force? And crippled Chen Kaishan with one punch?"

"Y-yes, Father! That brat is extremely wicked! His body is as hard as Black Iron! And his strength is ridiculously enormous!" Zhao Tianhao involuntarily shivered as he recalled Lin Jingyu's cold gaze and terrifying power.

"Black Iron Body... terrifying strength..." Zhao Yuankui tapped his fingers on the armrest, his eyes flashing sharply. "Could it be... some kind of lost top-tier Body Tempering Art? Or perhaps... a Demonic Body?" He looked at the Elders. "This person's strength is strange and cannot be underestimated. Pass on my order: use all our informants and keep a close eye on him! At the same time, send someone to contact the 'Blood Wolf Stockade'..."

Outside Black Stone City, the Wasteland.

Strong winds howled, kicking up yellow sand everywhere. Lin Jingyu's burly figure moved swiftly through the wilderness, his speed far surpassing ordinary people. Every step he took left a shallow imprint on the hard ground. The Blood Qi throughout his body surged and boiled like a furnace; the transformation brought by the Dragon Tendon Tiger Bone Art was continuously progressing within him.

His muscle fibers became tougher and denser, filled with explosive power! His fascia were knotted like old vines, bursting with astonishing elasticity as they stretched and contracted! But the most significant change came from his bones! Streams of pure Blood Qi, guided by the Dragon Tendon Tiger Bone Art, acted like invisible forging hammers, repeatedly pounding the two hundred and six bones throughout his body!

"Buzz... Buzz..."

A faint yet clear buzzing sound emanated from Lin Jingyu's body, as if metal was clashing! His bone density was soaring wildly, the structure optimizing and reorganizing. A heavy, solid quality, like Hundred-Refined Steel, was being nurtured deep within his bones! The Bottleneck of the Meridian Opening Realm was already shattered, and the gate to the Bone Forging Realm burst open!

"Right here!" Lin Jingyu suddenly stopped. Ahead was a rugged mountain hollow filled with strange rocks. He needed a hearty battle, using the flesh, blood, and fear of his enemies as a sacrifice for entering his new Realm!

He stopped suppressing it!

"Breakthrough!"

A low roar in his heart was like lighting a fuse!

"Boom—!!!"

A column of Blood Qi smoke, several times stronger than that of the Meridian Opening Realm and possessing a heavy, metallic texture, suddenly shot up from the top of Lin Jingyu's head! The smoke was a mixture of dark gold and azure gold, towering over ten feet high, condensed like a solid object, soaring straight into the sky! The surrounding air seemed to solidify under the pressure of this violent Blood Qi! The gravel on the ground trembled slightly without any wind!

At this moment, the bones throughout his body emitted dense popping sounds like frying beans! The dark gold luster beneath his skin shone brightly, faintly revealing the contours of his skeleton, as if countless tiny golden runes were flowing across the bone surface! A heavy, solid, and unshakable Aura, like a towering mountain, spread out!

[Ding! Realm Breakthrough successful! Current Realm: Bone Forging Realm First Level!]

[Physical Body strength, Power Capacity Limit, and total Blood Qi volume have greatly increased! Bone tempering is preliminarily complete, acquiring the trait: Bones Like Steel (Elementary)! Rebound Force enhanced!]

[Dragon Tendon Tiger Bone Art (Entry Level) and Indestructible Vajra Divine Art (Entry Level) resonate, stacking and increasing defense!]

"Roar—!!!"

As if to confirm the might of the new Realm, a roar filled with savage hostility came from the depths of the mountain hollow! Immediately following, heavy footsteps sounded like muffled thunder, and the ground trembled slightly!

Three Yao Beasts, each as massive as a small hill, revealed themselves from behind the strange rocks!

They resembled giant bears, but their bodies were covered in jet-black carapaces like iron blocks. Their backs were highly arched, as if covered in heavy iron armor. Their tusks jutted out, and saliva dripping onto the ground corroded faint wisps of green smoke. Their scarlet beast eyes locked onto Lin Jingyu, filled with bloodthirsty greed! These were the Iron-Backed Yao Bears, famous for their defense and strength! Judging by its Aura, the leader had actually reached the Bone Forging Realm First Level! The other two were also at the Meridian Opening Peak!

"A Bone Forging Realm Yao Bear? Perfect!" Not only was there no fear in Lin Jingyu's eyes, but instead, blazing Battle Intent erupted! He had just achieved a Breakthrough and needed exactly this kind of whetstone! More importantly, killing them would bring abundant evolution points!

"Roar!" The leading Iron-Backed Yao Bear sensed the surging Blood Qi and provocation emanating from Lin Jingyu and roared in fury! It suddenly stood up on its hind legs, its massive body like a moving hill, charging toward Lin Jingyu with an Aura that sought to crush everything! The other two Yao Bears also roared and flanked him from both sides, their sharp bear claws shrieking as they tore through the air, viciously slashing toward Lin Jingyu!

Facing the siege of the three Vicious Beasts, Lin Jingyu neither dodged nor retreated. Instead, he let out a long shout and met them head-on!

"Dragon Elephant Suppressing Prison! Break!"

He clenched his right fist, and the nascent Bone Forging Realm power erupted without reservation! Dark gold and azure gold Blood Qi coiled around his fist, and the faint phantom of a Dragon-Elephant emerged! The One Hundred Thousand Jin Giant Strength, supported by his Bone Forging Realm skeleton, unleashed terrifying might far surpassing the Meridian Opening Realm! The air was extremely compressed, letting out a deafening sonic boom!

"Rumble!!!"

Lin Jingyu's fist violently collided with the massive, heavy iron-armored palm of the Bone Forging Realm Yao Bear leading the charge!

"Crack—!"

The scalp-numbing sound of bone shattering and metal twisting exploded simultaneously!

"Awoo—!!!"

The Bone Forging Realm Yao Bear let out an earth-shattering shriek! Its massive, iron-armored palm, which was capable of smashing giant rocks and resisting blades, shattered inch by inch like fragile porcelain the moment it met Lin Jingyu's punch! Dark red demonic blood mixed with bone shards and iron armor fragments sprayed backward! The irresistible Giant Strength surged violently into its body through the broken arm, sending its hill-like frame flying backward through the air, where it crashed heavily onto a massive rock behind it!

"Boom!" The rock split into four! The Yao Bear spat blood from its mouth and nose, its sternum collapsed, instantly suffering severe injuries!

At the same time!

"Hiss! Hiss!"

The sharp claws of the other two Yao Bears also fiercely raked Lin Jingyu's back and ribs! The claw wind was fierce enough to tear apart refined iron!

"Clang! Clang!"

Sparks flew everywhere! It was as if the claws had struck Divine Iron tempered a thousand times!

Lin Jingyu's body trembled slightly. The dark gold luster circulating on his surface violently fluctuated. The Indestructible Vajra Divine Art perfectly stacked with the newly formed "Bones Like Steel" trait! The Yao Bears' sharp claws, which could tear steel, only left a few shallow white marks on Lin Jingyu's skin! They couldn't even break the epidermis! The huge rebound force instead caused sharp pain in the claws of the two Yao Bears, forcing them to stagger backward!

"Too weak!" Lin Jingyu felt the faint impact on his back and the terrifying power surging endlessly within him, desperate for release. The ferocity in his eyes soared!

He spun around abruptly, closing in on the retreating, terrified Yao Bear on his left like a phantom! He pressed his five fingers together on his right hand, and a sharp silver light suddenly flared at his fingertip—Sky-Piercing Finger!

"Die!"

The fingertip, like the sharpest drill bit, ignored the protective Demonic Qi and tough hide of the Yao Bear, stabbing with extreme precision onto its glabella!

"Pffft!"

A soft sound!

The Yao Bear's hard skull was pierced through like thin paper! The terrifying penetrating force contained within the finger strike instantly pulverized its brain! The Yao Bear's massive body suddenly stiffened, the light in its eyes quickly dimmed, and it crashed heavily to the ground!

[Ding! Killed Meridian Opening Realm Peak Iron-Backed Yao Bear! evolution points +120!]

The cold System prompt sounded!

Seeing this, the Yao Bear on the right was scared out of its wits and immediately turned to flee!

"Trying to run?" Lin Jingyu sneered. He activated the Wind Chasing Steps to the extreme, his figure moving like lightning! Catching up instantly, his left fist, covered in dark gold luster and carrying Dragon-Elephant Giant Strength, smashed fiercely into the Yao Bear's back heart like a heavy hammer!

"Thump!"

Dull, like a beating drum!

The tough iron armor on the Yao Bear's back instantly caved in, leaving a clear fist imprint! Its heart was directly shattered by the savage force! Before it could even scream, its massive body collapsed limply to the ground as if its bones had been removed!

[Ding! Killed Meridian Opening Realm Peak Iron-Backed Yao Bear! evolution points +120!]

[Current evolution points: 471!]

Only the Bone Forging Realm Yao Bear leader remained! It struggled to climb out of the pile of shattered rocks, its eyes filled with terror and rage!

"Your turn!" Lin Jingyu's eyes were cold as he approached step by step, like the arrival of the God of Death. His newly Breakthrough power was vented through the slaughter, becoming smoother and more proficient!

The Yao Bear leader let out a desperate roar. Its sole remaining left claw swung fiercely toward Lin Jingyu with its final burst of madness! Demonic Qi billowed!

Lin Jingyu neither dodged nor retreated; a golden light flashed in his eyes!

"Indestructible Vajra!"

Buzz! A layer of condensed Golden Light Shield instantly appeared!

"Boom!"

The Yao Bear's massive claw struck the Golden Light Shield, creating a huge sound! The golden light fluctuated violently but remained as stable as a rock! The rebound force worsened the Yao Bear's injuries!

"End this!" On Lin Jingyu's right fist, the Dragon-Elephant Power perfectly merged with the sharpness of the Sky-Piercing Finger! A point of dazzling silver light shone brightly at the tip of his fist!

"Dragon-Elephant Sky-Piercing!"

He punched out! The air was torn apart, letting out a sharp, fierce scream!

"Pffft—!"

The fist penetrated the Yao Bear leader's thick chest without resistance! It emerged from the back, crushing its still-beating heart!

The Yao Bear leader's roar abruptly stopped, and its massive body crashed to the ground, kicking up a large cloud of dust.

[Ding! Killed Bone Forging Realm First Level Iron-Backed Yao Bear Leader! evolution points +300!]

[Current evolution points: 771!]

Lin Jingyu pulled out his blood-stained arm and shook off the blood droplets. Feeling the surging Bone Forging Realm power within him and the skyrocketing evolution points on the System panel, a cold arc curved on his lips.

"The Zhao Family... the Blood Wolf Stockade... and the Yao Demons in this wilderness..." He looked toward the depths of the Wasteland, killing intent rising like a tide in his eyes. "Your lives are my evolution points!"