The Ultimate Divine Class

Lin Zhiquin's words left Lu Yuan dumbfounded.

Someone had spent twenty million to buy me a candidate spot? Twenty million? Purchasing a spot? Who?!

"Can you buy a qualification for direct discipleship with money?" Lu Yuan found it unbelievable.

Lin Zhiquin looked expressionless, as if he hadn't heard Lu Yuan's question at all.

"Who bought it for me?" Lu Yuan insisted, asking again.

This time, Lin Zhiquin did respond. "Someone with the surname Xia."

Lin Zhiquin looked at him and said indifferently, "You can try to remember it yourself."

Surname Xia? Lu Yuan frowned slightly, his brain automatically whirring as it began to rapidly search his past memories for related information. He didn't know many people with the surname Xia. From kindergarten to high school, he probably had only seven or eight classmates with that surname. He had lost contact with five of them, and his relationship with the other two was quite ordinary. As for relatives...

"Alright, you can research this later. Now, I am going to officially teach you the method." Lin Zhiquin interrupted Lu Yuan's thoughts and stood up from the cushion in the training room.

Lu Yuan quickly followed suit and stood up.

"What's your current Fist Strength?" Lin Zhiquin asked Lu Yuan.

"Six hundred kilograms... a little more, maybe."

In fact, Lu Yuan had never measured it; he had calculated it based on the consistent gains from his strength enhancements. He didn't intend to hide his Fist Strength from Lin Zhiquin. After all, they had sparred before, and he knew he wouldn't be able to hide it.

"Hmm, roughly within the range of six hundred fifty to seven hundred kilograms..." Lin Zhiquin suddenly grabbed Lu Yuan's arm, pulling his hand towards himself. Lin Zhiquin's fingers sank deeply into Lu Yuan's palm, then moved upward along his arm with increasing force.

Lu Yuan felt a slight pain but didn't ask anything, allowing Lin Zhiquin to press his fingers inch by inch up the inside of his forearm.

Suddenly, Lin Zhiquin let go and began to speak, "Martial Arts actually involves a process of continually breaking the body's limits. It's hard for some people to break through a limit even once; it takes a lot of effort. But for others, it's relatively easy; they can achieve it effortlessly... You belong to the latter, possessing a natural physique coveted by Fighters."

Saying this, Lin Zhiquin paused, a complex feeling surging in his heart. In fact, what initially attracted him to Lu Yuan was his extraordinary focus and learning ability in Martial Arts. But the more Lin Zhiquin observed, the more he discovered that the most terrifying aspect of Lu Yuan was his astonishing growth rate. Without access to any advanced body tempering methods, in just a few short months, he had grown from a level weaker than an ordinary person to possessing nearly seven hundred kilograms of Fist Strength! He was simply a little monster. In all his years at the martial arts hall, Lin Zhiquin had taught and seen quite a few students, but not one of them could compare to Lu Yuan.

After composing himself, Lin Zhiquin continued, "...Your Basic Punch Strength and physical fitness have already surpassed the Amateur Level, and you've officially stepped into the Professional Level. Yet, there's still a significant gap between you and true professional masters. This gap isn't in strength or speed, but in... the further tempering and exploration of your body's functions!"

"...From skin, to flesh, to bones, and then to internal viscera. From the outside in, from superficial to profound. Every Fighter must go through this cultivation process. The Martial Arts Circle also divides the professional domain into levels based on this: Skin Enhancement Realm, Flesh Enhancement Realm, Bone Cultivation Realm, and Viscera Training Realm. Don't pay attention to those haphazard one-to-nine Dan rank classifications you see online. The actual martial cultivation realm divisions aren't that detailed, and the boundaries between each level aren't as distinct as you might imagine."

Listening to Lin Zhiquin's explanation, Lu Yuan absorbed the information, his expression thoughtful. What Lin Zhiquin said wasn't much different from what he had already envisioned. After the Professional Level, the focus of Martial Arts cultivation would be the gradual, deepening refinement of skin, flesh, bones, and viscera. This process was indeed much like forging steel: starting from the outermost layer, gradually increasing the force, and slowly working deeper, until a piece of iron ore was completely transformed into refined steel. For the same volume, the hardness and toughness of the latter would be countless times greater than the former. This was also one of the reasons why, despite his high constitution, his defensive power was inferior to that of a Tooth Bear. The Tooth Bear had already been undergoing such a forging and refining process.

Lu Yuan finally understood the path ahead. Although it wasn't as earth-shattering as his first encounter with the Extraordinary, which felt like a gateway to a new world opening before him, it was still like a smaller door had opened. It gave him a deeper understanding of the realm of Martial Arts and a clearer idea of the specific steps to take next.

"Coach, how should I practice next?" Lu Yuan couldn't help but ask.

Lin Zhiquin glanced at him and said, "I'll teach you now."

After saying this, Lin Zhiquin suddenly grabbed Lu Yuan's right hand and pulled it sharply towards himself. Lu Yuan was caught off guard and instinctively wanted to react, but he quickly relaxed his body, allowing Lin Zhiquin to manipulate him.

Perhaps this was Lin Zhiquin's teaching method.

Lin Zhiquin continuously pulled Lu Yuan in different directions. To Lu Yuan, it felt as though his body was being tugged by numerous incredibly tough, thin strings, swaying him about. It was also like being on a small boat tossed on stormy seas, rocking violently and unpredictably.

Suddenly, Lin Zhiquin gripped his arm forcefully. The skin and muscles of Lu Yuan's entire arm felt as if they were being pulled along. Then came his bones, which emitted a series of crisp cracks, joint by joint. At that moment, Lu Yuan felt like a rag doll, grabbed by one corner by Lin Zhiquin and then shaken out hard. His whole body involuntarily trembled and shivered as if he'd been electrocuted.

"Damn!" Lu Yuan gritted his teeth, his mind completely filled with profound shock. He had seen the Gray Gas emanating from the Mouse Monster and the dark Death Qi of the Crow God Sect's Divine Servants. The miraculous and formidable power of these Extraordinary abilities had once left him in utter amazement. Yet, only now did he realize... the wonders of Martial Arts were equally breathtaking!

Lu Yuan was completely enveloped in a sensation of numbness and pain. Lin Zhiquin dragged him in all directions with one hand while constantly correcting the movements of various parts of his body with the other. Lu Yuan had become a complete puppet, manipulated at will.

Until a certain moment... one of Lin Zhiquin's pulls suddenly became extraordinarily powerful. Instantaneously, all of Lu Yuan's skin, muscles, and bones were pulled taut, making him feel as if he would fall apart in the next second. Then, the invisible threads manipulating him suddenly vanished.

Lu Yuan involuntarily collapsed to the ground.

"PANT, PANT—" He gasped for breath, sweat pouring off him like rain. It gushed from countless pores, completely soaking his clothes in mere seconds and even forming a visible puddle on the floor beneath him.

Lu Yuan took a few seconds to recover. Just as he was about to say something, Lin Zhiquin's voice sounded first.

"I'll demonstrate it again. Pay close attention to every detail of the movements."

After saying that, Lin Zhiquin began his demonstration.

Lu Yuan hurriedly activated Lv3 [Absolute Focus]. With his mind settled and intensely focused, he watched Lin Zhiquin's every move. While watching, he recalled the sensations from when he was being pulled, verifying each one in his mind. But soon, Lu Yuan discovered that the movements Lin Zhiquin was performing now were far more complex than he had anticipated. What he had been taught hands-on just moments ago probably didn't even cover one-fifth of the complete set.

When Lin Zhiquin finished his demonstration, Lu Yuan had already exited the [Absolute Focus] state. He silently reviewed the movements in his mind, counting a total of one hundred and twenty-six. That was precisely seven times the number of movements in the Crane-shaped Pile!

Having calmed his breath and standing still, Lin Zhiquin slowly spoke, "This is the true Body Forging Secret Skill of my Heaven Water Crane Sect. For now, you only need to remember the first eighteen movements... You can also practice it together with the Crane-shaped Pile during your personal training. Combined with our Crane Sect's Body Forging Secret Medicine and Secret Massage Skill..." Lin Zhiquin paused, then looked at Lu Yuan and said in a low voice, "Hopefully, this will allow you to preliminarily complete the first stage, skin tempering, before the direct disciple selection officially begins."

Lu Yuan was stunned for a moment and subconsciously asked, "Coach, when does the direct disciple selection start?"

"In one month," Lin Zhiquin answered indifferently, then continued, "The time since you truly began your training is still too short, and the gap between you and the other candidates is too large. Truth be told, your chances of passing the selection are very slim. But... at least this way, when you're inevitably eliminated, it won't be quite so embarrassing..."

With that, Lin Zhiquin shook his head and added, "Practice on your own for now and digest everything. In half an hour, come upstairs for the medicinal application; I'll have it arranged for you."

Then, he turned and walked out of the training room without looking back.

One month, huh...? Lu Yuan watched Lin Zhiquin's back disappear, lightly pursing his lips. He understood the implication in Lin Zhiquin's words. It seemed Lin Zhiquin held no hope for him to be selected; teaching him the body forging method now was merely a gesture, a case of doing what one could and leaving the rest to fate. It was up to Lu Yuan to see how far he could progress with his training.

But... isn't one month a long time?

Lu Yuan shook his head and habitually opened his profession panel.

Soon, a notification message caught his eye—

[You have comprehended a new skill: Spirit Crane Body Lv1!]

On his [Fighter] profession panel, the words [Spirit Crane Body Lv1 (2/100)] had also appeared.

Looking at the prefix description... It was, astonishingly, an advanced profession skill! It was prominently listed between [Crane-shaped Pile] and [Crane Shadow Floating in the Air].

「Second floor of the Origin Martial Arts Hall.」

In the last office at the end of the corridor, Lin Zhiquin sat alone before the coffee table, staring blankly at the ashtray overflowing with cigarette butts. He seemed lost in thought.

Suddenly, his expression flickered. The cigarette between his index and middle fingers inexplicably extinguished. He looked up towards the doorway.

At some unknown point, the office door had opened. A man with short hair and ordinary features stood there, silently watching him.

"Coach Qin." Lin Zhiquin straightened up slightly, regarding the man with an indifferent expression.

Qin Feng stepped in. His footsteps were light, making almost no sound on the tiled floor. Each stride seemed measured as if by a ruler—precisely half a meter, no more, no less. He walked leisurely to the window, his back to Lin Zhiquin, and looked down at the pots of withered green plants beneath the windowsill.

"You taught that student named Lu Yuan the body forging technique?"

"Is there a problem?" Lin Zhiquin responded calmly. "He'll be a core student sooner or later; he's qualified to learn these things."

"But this is against the rules..." Qin Feng let out a faint sigh. "Lin."

Lin Zhiquin's eyes flickered. He rose from the sofa, his expression blank.

However, before he could speak, Qin Feng's tone abruptly shifted. "But since it was you, Lin, what's done is done. There's not much I can say... I just want to remind you, Lin, to think more carefully next time. Don't always operate outside the rules. The Master doesn't like you—he even stripped you of your direct disciple status—precisely because you, Lin, can't seem to shake this damned habit."

With that, Qin Feng turned to face him.

Lin Zhiquin snorted, an angry laugh threatening to escape. "You're lecturing *me* about rules?!"

Although Lin Zhiquin seemed to want to say something, Qin Feng had already continued, "I've seen Lu Yuan's profile. Indeed, he's a rare talent. No wonder Lin is so dedicated to cultivating him, going to such lengths to secure a candidate spot for him..."

Lin Zhiquin's expression turned slightly cold. "You're wrong about that," he said. "I didn't fight for Lu Yuan's candidate spot. I merely gave a little push from behind..."

He suddenly seemed irritated and reached for the cigarette pack in his pocket. "Out with it. Why did you really come looking for me?"