Martial Saint with Passives

”You just reached the Bone Forging Realm, so you’re still a long way from breaking through to the Refining Organ Realm. When the time comes for you to use it, it won’t be too late for me to refine one for you,” Ye Lianzhen said.

The Primordial Marrow Pill is an extremely potent Treasure Medicine that strengthens and nourishes one’s foundation. It’s typically used by Bone Forging Realm Martial Artists to help them break through to the Refining Organ Realm.

Iron Skin Realm Martial Artists could use it, of course, but it would be like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut—a waste of most of its potency.

Of course, its effects were undeniable.

Only a Treasure Medicine of this caliber could ensure that even someone with a Middle-Lower Root Bone could break through to Force Integration.

Even Ye Lianzhen could only refine a few per year, making them incredibly precious.

”I don’t care! You promised it to me! I want it now!” Tang Qiaoqiao demanded, refusing to back down.

”What do you need it for now? It’s far too early. By the time you actually need it, its potency will have dissipated. It’ll be a complete waste,” Ye Lianzhen said, her voice full of suspicion.

”I... I can’t just use it normally? It’s not like you can only use it for a breakthrough! I’ll use it to solidify my foundation!” Tang Qiaoqiao retorted.

”Wait a minute. Have you been seeing that Xie fellow again recently?!” Ye Lianzhen suddenly demanded.

”N-No.” Tang Qiaoqiao sounded flustered.

Ye Lianzhen saw right through her daughter. A trace of anger unconsciously crept into her voice:

”I’ve told you before, that Xie boy is no good! You are forbidden from seeing him again!”

”You’re just prejudiced against Brother Xingwen!” Tang Qiaoqiao shot back, angered.

”I knew it. This Primordial Marrow Pill is for him, isn’t it? Let me tell you, that Xie boy is extremely manipulative. He’s unscrupulous and will do anything to get what he wants. He doesn’t actually like you! Don’t let him deceive you!” Ye Lianzhen said, her voice laced with urgency.

”What right do you have to say that to me? Besides, Father has only been dead for a few years, and you’re already thinking about that old flame of yours, aren’t you? You even gave a Primordial Marrow Pill to his disciple!” Tang Qiaoqiao shrieked.

”How dare you!” Ye Lianzhen exploded with rage. In a single step, she was before Tang Qiaoqiao, and she slapped her across the face.

SLAP—

Instantly, a red Palm Seal appeared on Tang Qiaoqiao’s face.

”You hit me?! You hit me for some other man?!” Tang Qiaoqiao’s eyes instantly turned red. Clutching her cheek, she turned and ran off.

”Qiaoqiao...” Ye Lianzhen regretted it the moment she did it. Watching Tang Qiaoqiao’s retreating back, she was overwhelmed with guilt.

She had given birth to Tang Qiaoqiao when she was nearly fifty. A child of her later years, she had always doted on her.

However, this excessive spoiling had also fostered her willful and arrogant personality.

”This is my just deserts...”

Ye Lianzhen sighed, her heart filled with anguish.

...

Jiang Che was completely oblivious to what had just transpired in the Yanluo Courtyard.

He took the Elixir Pills and returned to his rented courtyard.

Looking at the three pearl-white Primordial Marrow Pills, Jiang Che felt his sense of security deepen.

However, he decided not to take them immediately.

His Cultivation speed wasn’t slow; with regular training, he could still break through to Force Integration within the deadline.

After all, other people, after reaching Qi Blood Perfection, still had to face the bottleneck of a breakthrough.

This hurdle was often a matter of life and death.

But thanks to Jiang Che’s Skill Proficiency Panel, as long as a higher Realm existed and he had the corresponding Cultivation Technique or Fundamental Diagram, he could ignore any bottlenecks and break through directly!

Therefore, for Jiang Che, the real test was simply to reach the Peak of the Iron Skin Realm within a year.

The difficulty plummeted.

’I’ll save them for later, when my Cultivation speed slows down.’

Jiang Che closed the box and carefully hid it away.

Besides, even if he did hit a bottleneck, he still had a Qi Strength Pill he could take.

This was a reward he had received for completing a mission for the Government Office. He had kept it on his person this whole time without ever taking it.

Now, however, it might finally be of use.

After all, a Qi Strength Pill was of little use once one broke through to the Force Integration Realm.

On the other hand, the Elixir Pills from Ye Lianzhen seemed truly extraordinary. Although Jiang Che didn’t know what they were, he suspected they might still be useful even after he reached Force Integration.

...

「Half a year passed in a flash.」

Through relentless training day and night, Jiang Che finally accumulated his Qi Blood to the Peak of the Iron Skin Realm.

’I’m finally about to reach Force Integration...’

Jiang Che felt a thrill of excitement.

The Force Integration Realm, once a distant, unattainable goal, was now within his grasp.

He took out the Qi Strength Pill and swallowed it.

He then immediately began visualizing the Fundamental Diagram in his mind.

Instantly, Jiang Che felt as if he were once again standing beneath that impossibly vast and majestic, vortex-like cloud.

Jiang Che immediately sat down cross-legged to meditate.

Following the pattern of the cloud, he began to circulate his own incredibly abundant Qi Blood.

At first, the circulation of his Qi Blood was slow.

But gradually, under the guidance of his intent, the Qi Blood began to swirl, matching the cloud’s trajectory.

The Qi Blood within him spun faster and faster, until it no longer required Jiang Che’s control and began to circulate automatically!

And at the center of the Qi Blood vortex, a single, barely perceptible wisp of white, gaseous matter quietly came into being.

With a thought, Jiang Che guided the hair-thin strand of Qi Force to the palm of his hand.

Although he couldn’t see it, Jiang Che could feel the Qi Force resting in the center of his palm.

He extended a finger from his other hand and lightly touched his palm.

He found his finger blocked by an invisible, thread-like substance.

’This is... Qi Force!’

A thrill of joy went through Jiang Che.

Even though it was just a single strand.

Even though it was incredibly weak.

But this was truly Jin Qi!

He had successfully achieved Force Integration!

Following that, Jiang Che continued to circulate his Qi Blood, constantly generating more Strength.

「Three days later.」

Jiang Che fully completed the Qi Force conversion.

He had finally stepped into the Early-stage of Force Integration.

Feeling the ”Qi Wall” that now automatically surrounded him, Jiang Che was fascinated.

In addition to the Qi Force, after breaking through to Force Integration, Jiang Che felt that his overall strength, reflexes, and five senses had all been significantly enhanced.

But he had no exact concept of how strong he was now.

However, when he recalled the aura of the Bone Forging Level Martial Artists he had encountered, he felt he still wouldn’t be their match without using his Transformation.

But with the Transformation, he might just be able to put up a fight.

Now that he had achieved Force Integration, Jiang Che decided to go find Xu Qingshan.

The sooner he became an Inner Courtyard Disciple, the sooner he could enjoy the associated benefits.

That was the fastest way to increase his strength.

After all, the Wuxiang Alliance had still threatened to get revenge on him.

The Zhao Family had forced him to flee like a beaten dog, killing and injuring so many in the process.

He would definitely settle that score one day.

And if he got the chance, he had to find his parents.

And all of that required strength.

In this chaotic world, only power could make others understand and accept his truth.

He arrived at the Yunhai Courtyard.

After his arrival was announced, Jiang Che waited patiently in the main hall of the Yunhai Courtyard.

Before long, Xu Qingshan strode into the hall.

”You’ve achieved Force Integration?!” he asked, somewhat surprised.

Jiang Che said nothing, simply activating his Qi Force. His robes immediately began to flutter, though there was no wind.

Xu Qingshan nodded slightly. This was indeed a sign of Force Integration.

”You’ve met Dean Ye, haven’t you?” he asked suddenly.

”Yes,” Jiang Che answered truthfully.

”She gave you Elixir Pills?” Xu Qingshan asked, his tone skeptical.

”She did.”

”That explains it,” Xu Qingshan said with dawning comprehension.

The Yanluo Courtyard itself specialized in concocting Elixir Pills.

And he himself had mentioned to Ye Lianzhen that Jiang Che was at the Cangyun Sect.

She had summoned Jiang Che and given him Elixir Pills.

’Jiang Che must have taken those pills to break through to Force Integration. Otherwise, with his Root Bone, it would have been impossible for him to achieve Force Integration in just half a year.’

’This Ye Lianzhen... she’s basically forced my hand into taking this boy as my disciple...’

Xu Qingshan frowned slightly. ’So be it. It’s just one spot. I’ll consider it repaying the debt I owe to Senior Brother Luo from all those years ago.’

”Very well. Since you have achieved Force Integration within the time limit, you have fulfilled our agreement. From this moment forward, you are a disciple of me, Xu Qingshan,” he said plainly.

”Greetings, Master!” Jiang Che froze for a second, then quickly bowed in salute.

Xu Qingshan then summoned a disciple of about thirty with an honest, simple-looking face.

It was Senior Brother Xiao, the very same disciple who had received Jiang Che previously.

”This is your eldest senior brother, Xiao Mingqian. If you have any questions from now on, ask him. If he can’t resolve it, then you may come find me.”

With that, Xu Qingshan departed.

”Greetings, Eldest Senior Brother!” Jiang Che quickly bowed.

He’d originally thought he was just an ordinary disciple in charge of reception, not the Eldest Senior Brother himself!

It had led him to believe that any random person here could be at the level of Great Success in the Bone Forging Realm, which had put immense pressure on him.

”Junior Brother Jiang, come with me. I’ll take you to receive the Nine Heavens Azure Cloud Technique,” Xiao Mingqian said with a gentle smile.

’The Nine Heavens Azure Cloud Technique!’ Jiang Che’s eyes lit up.

This was a complete True Skill that could lead all the way to becoming a Cultivated True Master!