Chapter 7 (2/2)

The moment Xu Yi had fallen, he had figured it out. It was not that Liaochen was wrong when he had said that one at the peak of the Body Forging stage would only have the strength of one bull. Elder Feng must have used some secret technique, which was why he had to buy for time before delivering such a punch. And in order to generate a fist with such power, there must be some drawbacks. He would definitely be unable to use such a technique consecutively.

With those words said, Xu Yi removed his hemp shirt, revealing not flesh but pitch black iron plates. The iron plate at his abdomen, after taking Elder Feng’s Desolate God Fist, had cracked into pieces. The one on his shoulder, which had taken a stab from a wooden spear, had a hole in it.

Elder Feng’s eyes nearly popped out of his sockets. His mouth opened and closed stupidly, almost biting on his own tongue. “Heavy iron! You actually carry heavy iron on you? That’s impossible!”

Heavy iron was the most commonly used material to fashion weapons in the current era. It was a dense material, many times heavier than the more commonly used fine iron. It was used mainly by those with greater strength, and it was usually fashioned into heavy weapons.

At that moment, Xu Yi’s body and legs were all covered with heavy iron. Even with a rough estimate, it would weigh at least five hundred pounds altogether.

An expert at the peak of Body Forging could rival the strength of one bull in one full-force blow, which would amount to at least two thousand pounds of force.

Five hundred pounds was nothing in comparison.

Although that might be what some would say, the logic behind it is inaccurate. For instance, an ordinary person could lift a two hundred pound bag by exerting all his strength, but he could definitely not carry out everyday activities with a fifty pound sandbag strapped onto him at all times.

The difference between the two is that one is explosive strength, while the other is endurance.

Through the multiple exchanges with Xu Yi, Xu Yi moved swiftly with not even the least bit of sluggishness in his movements. Elder Feng could tell with his trained eyes that those heavy iron plates had not been worn by Xu Yi for just a day or two. They had already become a part of his body.

Such a method of training the body was simply astonishing.

It is common knowledge that cultivation in the Martial Way comprised of four stages: Body Forging, Qi Ocean, Fluid Condensation, and Soul Sensing!

In the Body Forging stage, one trains to toughen the skin and bones, strengthen the flow of blood and qi, and to increase physical strength as much as possible for all these aspects.

But no martial artist would burden themselves the way Xu Yi did. It was not because the body could not take it, as the use of precious herbs to assist in cultivation could greatly increase the limits of what the practitioner’s body can handle.

It was because training for extensive periods of time burdened with an extreme load could be damaging to the psyche, and such fatigue could not be alleviated by herbs, unlike physical fatigue. In the worst cases, a mental breakdown would be very possible.

However, Xu Yi had managed to do it, destroying Elder Feng’s preconceived notions regarding the Martial Way.

Xu Yi naturally had no obligation to figure out with Elder Feng what made sense and what did not. He nonchalantly began to remove the heavy iron all over his body while saying, “Three months ago, I started to carry these 508 pounds of heavy iron. In the first three days, I ached to the bone and struggled to fall asleep. For the next four days, I was covered in swollen patches and sprained joints and bones. I endured this hell for two months before I could move as though I were carrying nothing at all. Last night, I reached the peak of the Body Forging stage, and now, this load of heavy iron has no more use to me. Today, I have it to thank for taking Elder Feng’s heavy blow. It is now time for it to retire in glory.”

With that, a loud clatter resounded as his full body armor of iron plates was shed. With a simple throw, Xu Yi tossed it far away into the depths of the grass.

Five hundred pounds of weight exceeded his own multiple times over. With the weight removed, Xu Yi felt that his body was as light as a feather. He had to resist the urge to run and leap around.

Elder Feng had never expected to encounter such a monster. He had already exchanged blows with Xu Yi many times. At first, he had always felt that he would come out on top. Even after finding out that Xu Yi had reached the peak of Body Forging, Elder Feng still had the confidence that he would win.

The reason was simple: He was a veteran at the peak of Body Forging with unmatched combat experience. By that alone, he was confident that he would be able to take care of a novice who had just reached the peak of Body Forging.

But at that moment, Elder Feng’s mentality completely changed.

Even while weighed down by hundreds of pounds, Xu Yi could still display such combat prowess. Was he really someone he could take down?