28 5th Gate (1/2)
Time flowed like water and passed with the ease of a cloth on a weaving machine.
In the blink of an eye, another 10 odd days passed.
”This is the last bit of Vermillion Jade Rice!”
Fang Yuan tilted his head backwards and poured the Vermillion Jade porridge into his open mouth. He immediately felt a warm surge of energy circulate his body.
He looked at his stats window.
”Mm…Black Sand Palm (Grade 4), Proficiency points at 99% already?”
Although the Flower Fox Ferret had confirmed that he had the strength to advance towards lands with spiritual fertiliser, Fang Yuan wanted a more solid guarantee for himself.
Several days of hard work had allowed Fang Yuan to hone his Black Sand Palm technique to a new peak. Even the Eagle Claw Cloth Technique had started to become easier for him. Fang Yuan had broken past [Martial Artist (4th Gate)], which gave him the strong foundations necessary to make his execution of the technique a force to reckon with.
”The Eagle Claw Iron Skin Technique provides protection that is more balanced compared to the Black Sand Palm Technique. Danger lurks in the spiritual land. Being well-versed in one more defence technique wouldn't hurt!”
Fang Yuan mumbled to himself, then suddenly adopted a fighting stance.
”Flower Fox Ferret!”
”Hiss!”
The Flower Fox Ferret appeared in a flash of white.
In the face of Fang Yuan's friendly invitation to battle, the ferret looked rather frightened.
After all, from the past few days of training, Fang Yuan's ”madness” had intimidated it. Coming into contact with the toxic wind stirred up by the Black Sand Palm technique was not a pleasant experience.
”Haha...when the next Spiritual Rice crop is ready for harvesting, I'll let you eat to your heart's content. How does this sound?”
Fang Yuan knew that the ferret was extremely keen on spiritual rice.
”Hiss!”
At the mention of spiritual rice, the ferret was immediately convinced and jumped at Fang Yuan.
”Excellent!”
Fang Yuan stood his ground confidently without a hint of fear. His hands erupted into a flurry of fists. They looked like black windmills that gave off a dark and menacing wind.
”Huff puff!”
After a while, the Flower Fox Ferret jumped out of the fighting ring and looked alarmed at the figure inside.
”So...it seems like Black Sand Palm (Grade 5) brings me back to the basics!”
He noticed that his hands, which had bulging veins previously, were back to their original states. Even his arms, where the muscles were flexed before, had become lean again.
Still, Fang Yuan could feel internal energy coursing powerfully through his vessels.
Although it seemed like Fang Yuan was back to normal, the potential amount of damage he was capable of dealing had increased by a few times!
He checked out his stats window and noticed that the description of his Black Sand Palm technique had been updated.
Black Sand Palm(5th Grade)------It is an external technique that has already reached its peak. This causes the user's hands to regain its original look and make them tougher than steel. It is able to shatter gold and break jade, enhanced with poison, and strengthens inner power.
”Inner power?!”
Fang Yuan could indeed feel a more intense inner power flushing his hands, spreading to his arms, chest and even his lower abdomen. It was as if he had become a small oven and was nurturing something within him.
”Inner power woven into a rope-like form to become inner force! This is the essence of the 6th Gate, the Pain Gate…...if one failed to break through the Gate, his whole body would be gravely wounded and he might even die!”
At this point, Fang Yuan had already reached the deep end of martial arts cultivation. If he lost focus for even a moment, the consequences would be extremely dire.
”But now…”
Fang Yuan closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
”Kacha!”
A literal feeling in his gut told him that he had broken through the Gate.
”Martial Artist (5th Gate), successfully challenged!”
Fang Yuan had only been training for two months, and he had already broken through 5 Gates. This was unprecedented. This was prodigious!
”I have my proficiency points to thank, not to mention the Vermillion Jade Rice and Questioning Heart Tea!”
Fang Yuan did not allow himself to become complacent and looked at his stats.
”Name: Fang Yuan
Essence: 2.7
Spirit: 2.5
Magic: 1.5
Age: 18
Cultivation: [Martial Arts (5th Gate)]
Skills: [Black Sand Palm (Grade 5)], [Eagle Claw Iron Skin Technique (Grade 3)]
Specialities: [Medicine (Level 2)], [Botany (Level 3)]
”Eagle Claw Iron Skin technique —— Internal and External martial art technique. Whole and without flaws. When trained to Grade 12, by then the body will be impenetrable and resistant to hurt. Complemented by the inner strength of the Eagle Claw! Currently at Grade 3!”
”The later Gates of martial arts cultivation were becoming unnerving. The fifth Gate alone gave me an increase of 0.5 each in both Spirit and Essence. It's a pity that my Magic didn't increase…”
Now, Fang Yuan also realised that Magic was the hardest to level up among the three stats.
He could trigger a prodigious rate of improvement previously all because of the Questioning Heart Tea and the Meditative Tea Ceremony.
The path of the martial arts becomes increasingly difficult as one progress. It is very easy to suffer a rebound while breaking through the Pain Gate. Breaking through the Shock Gate is taxing on both the heart and the mind, and tests a martial artist's magical energy [1]!If the martial artist's magical energy is too weak, he will suffer a rebound and might become mentally unstable...”
With the Spirit Returning Heart Manual and the Eagle Claw Iron Skin Technique, Fang Yuan could approach the 12 Golden Gates with the utmost confidence.
Of course, in terms of danger, the Pain and Shock Gates paled in comparison to the Death Gate.
Failure to conquer the Pain and Shock Gates would result in serious damage to the body, but at least he would live.
The Death Gate, however, lived by its name. Failure would result in death.
Because of this, even Song Zhong and the old timer martial artists had to be very certain about their chances before attempting to break through!
”And Zhou Tong, who has already mastered all there is to master in the fifth Gate and with his Iron Skin technique at hand, did not dare to challenge the Pain Gate. With his timid character, he will never advance further!”