During cultivation, the perception of time often faded, days and months slipping by unnoticed. Before Ning realized it, another year had passed.

  In the quiet clearing outside his hut, Ning moved through his routines with measured precision. Each breath was steady, each motion deliberate, muscles and tendons working in perfect coordination.

  Compared to qi refining, body refinement demanded something more fundamental, patience with one’s own flesh.

  Ning had read that body refining was a path that did not seek power from the heavens, but rather from within oneself. It emphasized opening the so-called gates of immortality hidden inside the human body, unleashing its limitless potential, and reaching a state where the microcosm of the human body could coexist with the macrocosm of heaven and earth.

  At its theoretical peak, one would achieve equality with the macrocosm, existing within it while simultaneously transcending it, tearing through the void and stepping beyond the universe itself.

  At least, that was how the manuals described it.

  Ning understood it in much simpler terms.

  If qi cultivation was like borrowing energy from the environment, then body refinement was like upgrading the hardware.

  The stronger the hardware, the more power it could handle. And once the body itself became strong enough, it wouldn’t need to borrow anymore.

  Simply put, you became Saitama without losing your hair.

  And the beginning of this journey was to reach the innate state of the body, which roughly corresponded to the Foundation Establishment realm.

  When his routine ended, Ning took a deep breath and allowed the tension to drain from his body, deliberately relaxing his muscles after the intense exertion. He knew better than to push recklessly and injure himself at this stage.

  A faint glow flickered across his vision.

  [Jade Skin and Icy Meridians: Skin Refining (200/200)]

  After four years of uninterrupted practice, he had finally completed the second stage of body refinement.

  His progress was faster than average. Compared to Qi Condensation, body refinement demanded far greater resources, but once those requirements were met, advancement came more steadily.

  Fortunately, Ning had planned ahead. From the very beginning, he had planted Frozen Breath Grain in sufficient quantity. With a stable supply of resources, his refinement had progressed without interruption.

  Ning clenched his fist slowly.

  He adjusted his stance and struck a nearby tree with a controlled punch.

  Thud.

  The trunk shuddered. Bark split, and the impact left a shallow indentation, but Ning’s fist remained unmarked.

  His offensive and defensive capabilities, relying solely on the body, had improved tremendously.

  In martial terms, this was the benefit of fully refined Jade Skin. External force was dispersed across the surface instead of penetrating inward. Even without circulating qi, ordinary blades or blunt weapons would struggle to break his skin.

  Next, Ning focused inward.

  He circulated qi through his meridians, accelerating it suddenly.

  The flow remained smooth. There was no instability or any tearing sensation.

  The Ice Meridian refinement had toughened his internal pathways, allowing greater qi throughput without strain. Techniques could now be unleashed faster and with far less risk of self-injury.

  Ning exhaled.

  In many martial manuals, this stage was described as the body “entering the vessel phase”, capable of containing power rather than leaking it.

  Simply put, he could hit harder, endure longer, and recover faster.

  Against opponents of the same realm, his body alone would grant him an overwhelming advantage.

  Ning straightened, his gaze steady.

  “This is just the foundation,” he murmured.

  Skin refining was merely the outer gate. The true transformation lay deeper, within the bones and marrow, where strength was generated at its source.

  And now, it was time to break through.

  He took out a jade bottle and tipped a single pill into his palm.

  The pill was pale blue, faint frost swirling across its surface like mist trapped in crystal. Beneath the cold lingered a subtle heat, a contradiction that made Ning nod in satisfaction.

  This pill had taken weeks to prepare. He had even asked Su Fan to commission it through the Alchemy Hall. Even after supplying all the ingredients himself, he still had to pay fifty spirit stones.

  Dragon Qi Grass for vitality and explosive potential.

  Frozen Breath Rice to temper and stabilize the meridians.

  Several auxiliary herbs to prevent backlash and reinforce absorption.

  The result was a pill specifically tailored for body refinement.

  Ning swallowed it without hesitation.

  The effect was immediate.

  Cold spread first, seeping into his limbs like icy water flowing through stone channels. Then came the heat, slow, heavy, and powerful, rolling outward from his core.

  Medicinal energy surged into his muscles, tendons, and skin, colliding with his circulating qi. Ning guided it carefully, forcing the two energies to grind against each other instead of dispersing.

  Pain bloomed, as though his body were being reforged from the inside.

  His skin tightened, pores opening and closing rhythmically as impurities were forced out. A faint jade sheen appeared across his arms, dull at first, then gradually growing more pronounced.

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  At the same time, Ning began performing a sequence of controlled movements. Each step twisted the waist, each strike stretched the spine, each breath compressed and released internal pressure.

  The medicinal energy no longer pooled aimlessly inside his body. Instead, it was dragged along by motion, forced to circulate through muscles, tendons, and bone marrow with every shift of weight.

  Body refinement was never meant to be passive.

  Sitting and enduring worked, but it was inefficient. Energy accumulated unevenly, stressing certain areas while leaving others under-refined.

  As he punched forward, qi surged into his arm bones. As he twisted, the energy ground against his spine. When he lowered his stance, the pressure drove straight into his legs.

  Each motion acted like a hammer.

  Each breath, a tempering strike.

  Cold energy sealed and protected the marrow, while heat battered it repeatedly, forcing adaptation rather than destruction.

  Ning adjusted his breathing.

  Short inhale.

  Long exhale.

  With each exhale, excess heat vented outward instead of accumulating dangerously. With each inhale, refined energy was drawn deeper.

  The pain became… manageable.

  More importantly, absorption sped up.

  Ning could feel it clearly now.

  Instead of losing nearly half the pill’s medicinal energy to dissipation, his body was retaining far more. Movement kept the energy active, preventing stagnation and forcing full utilization.

  Gradually, his movements slowed as the pill’s energy dwindled, each form heavier than the last. His bones felt as though they were being compressed from within, impurities forced out and replaced by dense, refined vitality.

  Finally, something settled.

  The grinding sensation faded. The pain dulled into warmth.

  [Jade Skin and Icy Meridians: Skin Refining → Marrow Strengthening]

  Ning stopped moving and stood still, carefully sensing the changes in his body.

  “So this is marrow strengthening…”

  Marrow Strengthening.

  Unlike skin or meridian refinement, this stage did not focus on defense or circulation. Instead, it targeted the origin of strength itself.

  The marrow.

  In countless martial manuals, marrow was described as the “root of vitality.” Blood was born there. Strength was nurtured there. Even recovery speed and endurance were tied directly to its condition.

  If skin were armor, and meridians were pathways, then marrow was the furnace.

  Of course, unlike skin refinement, there was no immediate surge in power upon reaching this stage. This was a gradual transformation, one that revealed its benefits over time.

  Ning glanced at the empty jade bottle.

  “Alas,” he sighed, “Frozen Breath Grain’s efficiency will drop again. I’ll need more diverse resources from now on.”

  After reaching this level, relying solely on Frozen Breath Grain was no longer enough. That was precisely why he had commissioned the pill, as only frozen breath could not support his breakthrough.

  Still, his current strength was sufficient.

  Ning pushed the thought aside for now.

  “Anyway,” he murmured, a faint smile forming, “I have one more trump card for the competition.”

  ...

  The Outer Sect Competition was held once every five years.

  Not only did the top-ranked disciples gain honor and recognition, they were also rewarded generously by the sect itself. This time, however, the competition was particularly special. All of the participants were newly admitted outer sect disciples, making it essentially a newcomers’ competition.

  “It seems everyone is here,” Wei Zhusang said calmly. “Let’s go register.”

  For an event of this scale, the members of the Mutual Aid Association had agreed to meet up first and register together, partly out of camaraderie and partly to boost morale. Ning found the idea reasonable, which was why he had gotten up early to join them.

  As they moved through the crowd, a familiar voice rang out.

  “Ning!”

  Zhang Feng strode over with an enthusiastic grin. “It’s really been a while! How much have you trained?”

  “Quite a lot,” Ning answered honestly.

  He had never been the type to exaggerate or downplay things unnecessarily.

  In exams, there were always different kinds of people: those who claimed they hadn’t touched a book yet somehow aced the test, those who truly hadn’t studied and failed miserably, and those who prepared steadily and said exactly that.

  Ning had always belonged to the last group.

  “I hope so,” Zhang Feng laughed. “I’ve been training like crazy myself. Look at this!”

  He flexed his arm, muscles tightening visibly beneath his robes. “Today, I’ll show everyone the power of youth!”

  “Sure,” Ning said with a small nod. “I’ll be cheering for you.”

  As he spoke, Ning quietly observed the others.

  Companions though they were, they were also competitors.

  Zhang Feng’s aura had indeed grown stronger, denser, and more stable than before. The same was true for Lang Rulang and Wei Zhusang, who walked at the front of the group. Both radiated a restrained sharpness that hadn’t been there previously.

  Their seclusion within their clans for the sake of this competition had clearly paid off.

  They soon reached the registration area, where several long stone tables had been set up. Elders and inner sect assistants sat behind them, recording names and issuing identity tokens. Every participant was required to register in person.

  The process was efficient.

  Name.

  Hall affiliation.

  Cultivation stage.

  Ning placed his token down, received a numbered jade slip, and stepped aside without comment.

  Once everyone from the Mutual Aid Association finished registering, they regrouped near the edge of the plaza.

  Wei Zhusang spoke again.

  “The first round has already been announced,” he said. “It will be a free-for-all. Ten participants per arena. The last one standing advances to the next round.”

  Several members stiffened at the words.

  “A free-for-all…” one of them muttered. “That’s brutal.”

  Ning, however, remained calm.

  Connections really are useful, he thought.

  Without inside information, many disciples would only learn the rules after being thrown into the arena. Knowing the format in advance already gave them an edge.

  Wei Zhusang then took out several jade slips and handed one to each of them.

  “These contain information on strong competitors,” he said. “I bought them from informants. Someone has already listed some of the top contenders, so this should be useful.”

  Ning accepted his slip. He wasn’t particularly surprised that someone had already ranked the newcomers. After all, without a clear sense of the strength hierarchy, protagonist-style face-slapping wouldn’t be nearly as intuitive.

  He quickly read through the contents.

  [Qiu Han: High-grade spiritual root disciple. Already at the peak of the sixth stage of Qi Condensation. His qi foundation is extremely stable, and his combat experience is rumored to be far above average. Suspected to have learned an Earth-grade martial art, possibly from a hidden inheritance. Possesses the supernatural ability Quick, allowing him to explosively accelerate his movements for short bursts, making him exceptionally dangerous in close combat.]

  [Jin Su: High-grade spiritual root disciple at the sixth stage of Qi Condensation. A beast tamer whose contracted companion is a gray wolf at mid-stage Qi Condensation. The wolf possesses keen senses and strong coordination, making Jin Su particularly dangerous in prolonged battles and group engagements.]

  [Zhou Sheng: High-grade spiritual root disciple, sixth stage of Qi Condensation. Member of the Zhou Clan. Suspected of having learned an Earth-grade martial art passed down through the clan. Known for his steady temperament and methodical fighting style, rarely revealing his full strength unless forced.]

  [Xiao Hong: High-grade spiritual root disciple, sixth stage of Qi Condensation. From the Xiao Clan. Suspected of possessing an Earth-grade martial art inheritance. Aggressive and decisive in battle, favoring overwhelming offense and swift resolution.]

  [Wei Zhusang: Mid-grade spiritual root disciple from the Wei Family. Cultivation slightly lower than the top contenders, but rumored to have mastered the Wei Clan’s inherited martial art.]

  …

  [Ji Ning: Fifth stage of Qi Condensation. One of the only newcomers to obtain a spiritual certification for a secondary profession, a Spiritual Farmer. Has demonstrated notable talent in magical spells.]

  Ning was genuinely surprised to see his name listed in tenth position.

  After all, unlike most of the others, who hailed from prominent clans or possessed high-grade spiritual roots, his background was fairly ordinary.

  Still, the research seemed thorough. Even his certification as a spiritual farmer had been uncovered.

  While none of his achievements were truly hidden, he had never gone out of his way to flaunt them either. The fact that this information had still been compiled spoke to the accuracy and reach of the informants.

  Ning closed the jade slip, expression thoughtful.

  “Looks like there are quite a few strong opponents this time,” he muttered.

  Then he sighed lightly.

  “Well… with the protagonist around, it’d be strange if a bunch of geniuses didn’t show up.”

  There was a saying that when the great trend arrives, all sorts of demons and ghosts appear. Naturally, this saying was applicable to the rise of the protagonist, who also brings the rise of 'never-before-seen' geniuses.

  What Ning had to do was not trigger any death flags and just go with the flow. It was as simple as that.

  ...

  Thanks for reading~