Chapter 134 - 105: Don’t Leave If You Can’t Fix It

Chapter 134: Chapter 105: Don’t Leave If You Can’t Fix It

"More importantly, as far as I know, once this method of forcing unnatural growth is used, the foundation is ruined. There’s almost no possibility of further progress. This is my first time seeing this method combined with orthodox Martial Cultivators like today. This Leopard One must have originally had the foundation of the Bone Refining Realm, and then his power was forcibly catalyzed by drugs to achieve such a terrifying aura."

Lu Jing’an tapped his knuckles lightly against his knee. "The Voiders value technique over the Dao. They like to treat the human body as a machine to tinker with. They don’t understand that Cultivation is a matter of Life and Spirit Cultivation, not as simple as replacing parts or adding fuel. However..."

He changed the subject, a sharp gleam flashing in his eyes. "This idea of combining ’machine’ and ’Cultivator’ is truly ingenious. If they could overcome that fatal drawback—even if it’s just a partial integration—and mass-produce them, it would be an extremely terrifying force."

Chen Xuan picked up the conversation, saying, "You are absolutely right, Young Master. This is indeed a ’shortcut.’ But I imagine there are still many restrictions. Otherwise, with the Bai family’s ambition and strength, they wouldn’t be satisfied with holing up in just one province. They would have used this force to leverage a grander scheme long ago."

Lu Jing’an nodded. That was his judgment as well. Any unconventional method of acquiring power was inevitably accompanied by huge costs or strict limitations. But even so, this was enough to warrant the highest level of vigilance.

The black Ford drove into the high-walled Lu Mansion, passed through the courtyard, and came to a smooth halt.

Lu Jing’an, holding the *Ice Condensing Fist* Fist Manual, first went to the study to see his father, Lu Huaiqian. He concisely reported what had happened at the theater, including how he killed Leopard One and detained the theater builders.

After listening, Lu Huaiqian didn’t show much emotion on his face. He only said slowly, "If you killed him, then so be it. Since you’ve already made your move, there’s no room for turning back. Trying to please both sides usually ends up offending both. I’ll inform Secretary Hu about this matter. For the next two days, try not to go out unless necessary. The Bai family has lost both face and a man. An open spear is easy to dodge, but a hidden arrow is hard to guard against."

"Rest assured, Father. I understand," Lu Jing’an replied.

Now that the *Ice Condensing Fist* was in his hands, the next step was to concentrate on Cultivation. Being at a critical juncture of pushing for the Bone Refining Realm, he had no intention of wandering around anyway.

Leaving the study, Lu Jing’an headed straight back to the eastern courtyard where he lived. Wintersweet was just beginning to bloom in the small courtyard, its faint fragrance wafting through the air, but he was in no mood to admire it. He dismissed the other servants, leaving only his personal maid, Orchid, to stand guard outside, and went straight into his private training room.

Lu Jing’an first carefully studied the *Ice Condensing Fist* Fist Manual. After confirming there were no errors, he set it aside.

The *Flowing Cloud Fist* he had cultivated before had already reached the Entry Level. The subsequent steps merely required grinding work—accumulating True Qi and tempering his muscles. Now that he had obtained the *Ice Condensing Fist* with its vastly different Attributes, he could work on both simultaneously. By cultivating both internally and externally, he could accelerate the Bone Cultivation process.

For others, this would be an extremely perilous attempt. The clash of True Qi with different Attributes within the body could result in damaged meridians and regressing cultivation with the slightest carelessness. But Lu Jing’an had the help of his entry; his body’s adaptability and endurance far exceeded those of ordinary people.

What he had to endure was merely the waves of soreness, numbness, swelling, and pain coming from his meridians, bones, and internal organs during the rapid conversion of True Qi Attributes, as well as the extreme physical torment of experiencing the extremes of ice and fire.

Lu Jing’an took off his outer robe, wearing only thin Martial Attire, and stood barefoot in the center of the training room.

He closed his eyes and regulated his breathing. The moves of the Fist Skills flashed rapidly through his mind.

Starting stance.

At first, his movements were extremely slow, like clouds casually rolling in and out. The True Qi in his body flowed slowly along with it, as warm as the spring sun.

Suddenly, his fist momentum changed. It went from extremely soft to extremely still, as if time had solidified and the flow of True Qi had almost stagnated.

In the next moment, his fist struck out like lightning. Transforming from extreme stillness to extreme speed, it tore through the air with a soft *WHOOSH*.

At that exact moment, the Attributes of the True Qi within his body abruptly reversed, shifting from masculine and scorching to biting and yin-cold!

Lu Jing’an’s surrounding aura fluctuated violently. Beneath his skin, crimson liquid fire and deep blue solid ice seemed to emerge alternately. One moment, his pores would steam with white heat, his skin turning red like a glowing branding iron. The next, a fine layer of white frost would condense on him, turning his hair and beard entirely white.

His breath turned to ice, and even the gray bricks beneath his feet cracked with web-like frost fissures. His Tendons and Bones crackled in unison, his vitality surging.

Extreme speed, extreme slowness, extreme softness, extreme stillness, extreme cold, extreme heat... various contradictory states cycled through his body at an astonishing speed.

Every transition was accompanied by subtle yet distinct *CRACKLE*s. It was the sound of his flesh, Tendons, and Bones passively adapting, growing tougher under the extreme strain.

As soon as sweat seeped from his pores, it was frozen into ice crystals by the cold air and fell with a rustle. Before the crystals could hit the ground, they were vaporized into curling white mist by the sudden surge of heat.

For a time, ice and fire intertwined in the training room. The hazy mist made it look like a scene not of this world.

It wasn’t until a full two hours later that this inhuman Cultivation slowly came to a halt.

Lu Jing’an withdrew his stance and exhaled a long breath. The breath extended a foot from his mouth, unexpectedly condensing in midair into a long, thin white ribbon that lingered for a long time.

With a slight movement, the hard shell of mixed thin ice and dried sweat covering Lu Jing’an’s body splintered and fell off with a *CLATTER*. It revealed a perfectly contoured physique beneath, glowing with a jade-like luster. His muscles weren’t exaggeratedly bulky, yet they contained explosive power. Every single muscle fiber seemed to have been tempered a thousand times.

"Phew..."

Feeling the noticeably strengthened and solidified True Qi in his body, along with the increasingly clear itchy numbness coming from deep within his bones, a hint of satisfaction flashed through Lu Jing’an’s eyes.

*CRACK! CRACK!* Lu Jing’an casually shook off the remaining ice shards on his body, the sound crisp.

Orchid, who had been waiting on the side, walked in at just the right moment carrying a copper basin and a hot towel. With lowered eyes, she respectfully offered the steaming towel with both hands.

Lu Jing’an took it and wiped his cheeks and neck. The hot towel brought a comfortable warmth, dispelling the lingering coldness on his skin.

"Have them prepare lunch. I’ll eat after my medicinal bath," Lu Jing’an instructed, glancing at the brass-edged Void World grandfather clock in the corner.

"Yes, Young Master." Orchid replied softly and turned to pass on the message.

As Lu Jing’an’s personal senior maid, her status among the servants of the Lu Mansion had risen dramatically. She was almost second only to the butler; no one dared to neglect the tasks she assigned. Soon, the small kitchen received word and began carefully preparing the young master’s lunch.

After giving the instructions, Orchid quietly returned to the bathroom next to the training room. A massive cypress bathtub had already been prepared there, filled with steaming hot water. Various precious medicinal herbs floated on the surface, exuding a rich and peculiar medicinal fragrance.

Lu Jing’an had already removed all his clothes and immersed himself in the tub. The warm, slightly hot medicinal water enveloped his body, and traces of Medicinal Power seeped in through his pores. It slowly blended with the residual scorching and Frost True Qi in his body, bringing a numbing yet soothing sensation.

Lu Jing’an relaxed his body, leaned back against the tub, and closed his eyes.

Orchid walked behind the tub and rolled up her sleeves, revealing pale, slender, yet quite strong wrists. She dipped her hands into the water and began skillfully massaging the muscles of Lu Jing’an’s shoulders, neck, and arms.

She had specially learned these massage techniques, and her pressure was just right, effectively loosening the muscle fibers that had grown tight from Cultivation. The skin her fingertips touched was tough, warm, and elastic, covering bones as hard as Fine Steel.

Orchid was the most direct witness to the changes in Lu Jing’an’s body. From the debauched young master whose body was hollowed out by wine and women with loose skin, to this thousands-of-times tempered physique that looked as if it were cast from Fine Steel—she had truly felt every change through these daily massages.

The bone contours on the young master’s back, shoulder blades, and arms, which used to be prominent due to his frailty, were now covered by full, sleek muscles. Touching them conveyed a thrilling sense of power.

She grew somewhat distracted, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the well-defined outlines of Lu Jing’an’s pectoral muscles.

"Focus," Lu Jing’an said without moving. His eyes remained closed, and his voice sounded a bit lazy from relaxation.

Startled, Orchid only then realized where her fingers were. Her cheeks instantly flushed red. She yanked her hand back as if burned, her heart pounding rapidly.

"Young Master, I... I didn’t mean to..." She was too ashamed to speak, even her ears turning completely red.

Just as Lu Jing’an was about to say something, the Zhengqi Furnace suddenly gave a gentle thrum.

[Refining complete.]

The Refining of Leopard One’s Divine Soul had finished.

"Don’t let it happen again," Lu Jing’an swallowed the rest of what he was going to say and casually dropped these words.

He paid no more attention to the flustered maid behind him, instead sinking all his consciousness into his sea of consciousness to reach out toward the small furnace.