The Ultimate Divine Class

My bones seem to itch a little... Is it the effect of the medicine?

Lu Yuan stretched his fingers and looked at the black sandbag tied to the cement pillar.

Lin Zhiquin had given it to him when he returned from the Origin Martial Arts Hall. The sandbag was filled with sand that had been fried with special medicinal herbs, also intended for auxiliary skin training.

It was specifically used to practice important areas like fists, feet, and elbows.

Although Lu Yuan had been careful to control his punching power, several hours of pummeling had left the sandbag almost broken, and a mix of black and white sand trickled out with a soft SSSHHH sound.

I'll ask Mom to sew a few more bags later. When 80 percent of the sand turns black, it should be replaced...

Lu Yuan picked up the mineral water bottle placed beside the pillar and drank several mouthfuls with a GLUG, GLUG, then tossed the empty bottle into a nearby bin.

The marks from his previous bottle-pile footwork were still visible on the rooftop floor.

He didn't use it anymore because the efficiency of gaining Experience Points was too low.

He walked to the edge of the rooftop. In the neighboring residential building, most of the occupants' lights were on.

Some were watching television in their living rooms.

Lu Yuan stood there quietly for a while, then suddenly turned around.

"Let's continue."

The bedroom was too small and stuffy, and the Spirit Crane Body technique required large movements, so Lu Yuan opted to practice on the rooftop.

This practice session was different from his progress at the martial arts hall that afternoon.

In the state of Absolute Focus, Lu Yuan performed thirty movements in one go before stopping.

Then he rested, waiting for his injuries to recover. He practiced and recovered in this manner for another hour before finally completing his Spirit Crane Body training for the day.

Lin Zhiquin said the first eighteen movements of the Spirit Crane Body are for skin training. Does this mean the movements after eighteen are for muscle, bone, and organ training?

If so, now that I've practiced up to the thirtieth movement, doesn't that mean I've trained my skin and muscle together?

Skin and muscle were inseparable, so closely connected that it seemed normal to train the muscles, and even the underlying bones, while practicing skin conditioning.

Thinking about this, Lu Yuan routinely opened his character panel.

The Experience Points for Spirit Crane Body had increased by 8.

Advanced Fist Skills and Advanced Leg Skill had increased slightly; the former was about to reach Lv.5, but Lu Yuan wasn't sure if Junior Professional Skills also maxed out at Lv.5.

He closed the panel and continued practicing the Crane-shaped Pile.

Such was the path of asceticism; there were always more skills to grind.

At first, it might have seemed tedious and dull, but Lu Yuan had long since grown accustomed to it, even finding enjoyment in it.

The satisfaction of watching his strength grow, bit by bit, every moment, was something others could never comprehend.

Upon entering Lv.3 Absolute Focus, Lu Yuan completed a set of the Crane-shaped Pile.

He suddenly exited the state, looking at his body in surprise.

Why do I feel warm all over, as if I'm soaking in warm water...?

He had never experienced this sensation while practicing before; it was a fresh, new feeling.

He hurriedly opened his character panel, and several information prompts popped up.

[Your Crane-shaped Pile skill has improved, Experience Points +13]

[Your Crane-shaped Pile skill has improved, Experience Points +15]

...

Damn it!

Lu Yuan was utterly shocked.

This one Crane-shaped Pile practice session had actually netted him over forty Experience Points.

When has it ever been this fast? It wasn't this fast even at Lv.1!

Lu Yuan was both surprised and elated, quickly connecting it to the afternoon's acupuncture and secret medicine.

So the skin training medicine also benefits my Crane-shaped Pile cultivation! No wonder Lin Zhiquin told me to practice them together.

What could be better than grinding Experience Points? Grinding even more Experience Points after taking an Experience Pill!

Lu Yuan was practically in this state, his enthusiasm for practicing the Crane-shaped Pile soaring to its peak.

However, by his second practice session, the Experience Points gained had halved. With his third, they halved again, and with his fourth, yet again, until the rate of gain eventually returned to its usual crawl.

"Phew—"

Lu Yuan exhaled a breath of turbid air, ceasing his Crane-shaped Pile cultivation.

A thin layer of sweat covered his body, and the night breeze on the rooftop felt refreshingly cool.

The medicinal power lingering in my skin and muscles has been completely consumed.

This is good. If I continue training like this, it takes less time and yields more Experience Points...

Thanks to the lingering effects of the daytime acupuncture and secret medicine, Lu Yuan had spent only an hour to boost his Crane-shaped Pile Experience Points by nearly one hundred.

If he could maintain this efficiency, he would only need another week to raise it to Lv.5.

That was even faster than leveling up from Lv.3 to Lv.4.

FLAP, FLAP.

A few crows landed on the edge of the rooftop, grooming their feathers with their beaks and claws.

Lu Yuan's gaze flickered, and he slowly walked towards them.

In a short while, the crows flapped their wings and melted into the night sky, as if their landing here had been nothing more than an ordinary, brief rest.

And Lu Yuan, who had just finished exchanging information with his Crows, wore a contemplative look.

Hospital... daughter...

Does Lin Zhiquin really have a sick daughter in the hospital?

After muttering to himself for a few moments, Lu Yuan's expression returned to calm.

He tidied up a bit and headed downstairs.

After his Martial Arts practice, it was time for his academic studies.

These past few days, he had joined several online groups for enthusiasts of ancient languages, White Mountain history, and White Mountain mythology.

Not only were his Experience Points for Ancient Language Expert increasing rapidly, but the secrets he had glimpsed from his sister, Lu Jing, were also gradually becoming clearer.

「One week later.」

The summer days were long yet fleeting, passing in the sound of cicadas and dripping sweat. It was another stifling and hot afternoon.

CREAK.

Pushing open the glass door of the martial arts hall, Lu Yuan's gaze habitually swept around.

At this time, there was hardly anyone in the hall. Even the cleaning lady was dozing in the break room.

There were two people at the reception desk today.

The girl named Wang Yan, who had wispy bangs, was chatting with a man.

She spotted him at once and greeted him with a cheerful wave.

"Good afternoon, Yan."

Lu Yuan responded with a smile and quickly walked past them.

"Is this the handsome young man you're always talking about?" the man, leaning one hand on the reception desk, asked, glancing at Lu Yuan's departing back and curling his lip.

"Yeah, isn't he handsome?" Wang Yan replied nonchalantly while sorting through the summer class registration forms in her hand.

The man snorted disdainfully. "Handsome? What good is that? I could take on ten pretty boys like him."

"You?" Wang Yan looked up at him, an expression of clear ridicule on her face.

"You don't believe me?" The man, seemingly provoked by her look, immediately flexed his arm, showing off his bulging bicep. "I just reached the fifth level last month! I even have the certificate. Want me to show you?"

"It wouldn't matter even if you were ninth-level. I couldn't stand the sight of your face even with my eyes closed." Wang Yan bluntly shooed him away. "Alright, hurry up and go. Don't keep me from my work. Here's your movie ticket back."

Saying this, she flicked a thin movie ticket towards him.

The man's acne-covered face instantly turned purplish-red.

People who work out frequently often have overactive sebaceous glands, making some prone to breakouts. He was one of them.

This had always been a sensitive point for him, and now, to have the girl he was pursuing point it out so directly was like adding insult to injury.

"Fine! Wang Yan," the man said, furious and embarrassed. He snatched the movie ticket and stormed off. "We'll see what kind of pretty boy you end up with."

「Later, in the training room.」

"Coach."

Lu Yuan walked into the familiar training room and greeted Lin Zhiquin, who had already arrived.

Lin Zhiquin nodded slightly, then reached out and grabbed Lu Yuan's arm.

Lu Yuan, seemingly accustomed to this, didn't flinch, allowing Lin Zhiquin to take hold.

The iron-like hand pressed several points on his arm before quickly releasing.

"Your progress is much faster than I expected," Lin Zhiquin remarked, a hint of complexity in his eyes.

However, it quickly faded, and he said to Lu Yuan, "I'm going to Weishan tomorrow. You'll have to train on your own for the following period."

"Weishan City?!" Lu Yuan's expression shifted slightly. "Coach, what are you going to Weishan for?"

It was a casual question, but unexpectedly, Lin Zhiquin didn't seem to intend to hide it from him.

"The main branch of Origin Martial Arts Hall is in Weishan. That's also the current root of my Crane Sect. When it's time for the direct disciple assessment, you'll have to go too..."

Pausing here, Lin Zhiquin reminded Lu Yuan, "Remember to inform your family in advance."

"Understood." Lu Yuan nodded.

Next came the routine training.

Lin Zhiquin sparred with Lu Yuan, acting as his training partner...

During these seven days, Lin Zhiquin had taught Lu Yuan another true inheritance of the Crane Sect.

It was a fist technique, with an ordinary name that followed the lineage of the Crane-shaped Pile, simply called Crane-shaped Fist.

Its grade, however, also reached the Advanced Professional tier.

It had to be said, the Crane Sect's heritage was truly impressive.

With several Advanced Professional Skills and multiple Sure-kill Skills, it would likely be considered top-tier even in the Martial Arts Circle.

Lu Yuan cleared his mind of distracting thoughts, entered the Absolute Focus state, and sparred seriously with Lin Zhiquin.

The main characteristic of Crane-shaped Fist, as an Advanced Professional Skill, was likely its fixed set of stances.

Like a crane's beak striking, it was full of explosive power, capable of increasing the might of Lu Yuan's punches by severalfold out of thin air.

If the stances of Basic Fist Skill were basic formulas, then Crane-shaped Fist was akin to an advanced theorem—a more complex and harder-to-master advanced formula.

Of course, correspondingly, it could solve more complex problems!

BANG!

A figure was sent flying backward, stumbling several steps upon landing but managing to stay upright without falling.

"The explosive power and focus of your punches are there," Lin Zhiquin commented coolly on Lu Yuan's recent performance. "But you also need to watch your feet. Your footwork is messy, and your lower body is full of openings..."

Lu Yuan listened humbly.

His attributes hadn't improved much during this period, but his actual combat proficiency had soared.

This was largely due to Lin Zhiquin's sparring and his incisive critiques after each session.

After Lin Zhiquin finished his comments, Lu Yuan was preparing for the next round when Lin Zhiquin stopped him.

"Let's call it a day. I have things to do later. You should spend more time reflecting on your own."

Hearing this, and thinking that Lin Zhiquin would be gone for an unknown number of days, Lu Yuan quickly said, "Coach, I have one more thing I want to ask you!"

"Go on." Lin Zhiquin retracted the foot he had started to move towards the door.

"I've been doing skin training for some time now, practicing Spirit Crane Body every day. Do you think I need to add some external impact resistance training?" Lu Yuan inquired.

He had wanted to discuss this with Lin Zhiquin for a while but hadn't brought it up since his skin training had just begun, thinking he'd wait for a more opportune moment.

Now that Lin Zhiquin was about to leave, he was eager for an answer.

Hearing Lu Yuan's words, Lin Zhiquin frowned slightly.

"The martial arts of our Heaven Water branch of the Crane Sect emphasize lightness, agility, and defeating the enemy in a single strike. The effects of our body tempering methods also lean more towards subsequent enhancements in speed, unlike those sects that follow the path of extreme physical conditioning, insisting on tempering skin and flesh to the utmost limit... However, if you want to deepen your level of skin training, it's not impossible."

Lin Zhiquin thought for a moment, then said, "How about this: I'll find a few people for you to try it out with. If you feel you can handle it, you can occasionally add some targeted impact resistance training."

Lu Yuan's eyes lit up, and he nodded quickly. "Okay!"

He hadn't been able to find anyone to help him; otherwise, he would have tried it privately long ago. The martial arts hall was full of combat enthusiasts and fitness fanatics with strength to spare.

It would be excellent if Lin Zhiquin could find some people to spar with him.

"Then wait here. I'll go find them."

Lin Zhiquin said this, then turned and left quickly.