"Swish!"
The longsword pierced the air, trailing a sharp, cold light.
Sun Han's eyes focused, recalling the postures from the sword manual diagrams. He stepped forward half a step with his left foot, twisted his wrist, and slowly thrust out with the move "Breeze Brushing Willows."
His movements were practiced—you could tell he'd put in serious work. But that was the only thing worth praising. There was none of the flowing grace that a breeze should have.
The sound of the blade cutting through air was sluggish and heavy, without any of the light, nimble feeling of a breeze passing by.
Clearly, in terms of mastery level, he'd only reached "Beginner"—the first of the five levels: Beginner, Minor Success, Proficient, Major Success, and Perfect.
Taking over a year to practice a basic martial technique only to Beginner level didn't mean he was completely useless.
In fact, most of the disciples who'd started training with him were at about this level too. Very few had reached Minor Success or beyond.
You could only say that in this world, mediocre talent was the norm. Geniuses were always rare.
If everyone were a warrior, if everyone were a genius, there wouldn't be sayings like "Of all pursuits, only martial arts matter."
Again and again.
Sweat slid down his temples, dripping onto the stone slabs at his feet.
Sun Han focused on nothing but the sword in his hand.
If his talent was ordinary, then he'd make up for it with sweat, with effort to bridge the talent gap.
Effort might still bring returns. Without effort, you'd definitely get nothing.
Days turned to nights, five cycles passed.
More figures disappeared from the training grounds. Several more disciples who knew it was hopeless quietly left in silence.
The murmurs went from initial surprise to numb acceptance.
A kind of oppressive tension filled the air, mixed with the dejection of those who'd given up and the anxiety of those who persisted.
Sun Han was among the silent persisters.
He showed up on time every day, downed that bowl of scalding Qi and Blood soup, then sank into the tempering of the Crane Form Stance.
Each time he practiced the stance, he gave it everything, squeezing every bit of potential from his 2x Root Bone talent amplification.
His internal Qi and Blood grew more powerful day by day. The momentum of the rushing current grew greater each day.
The tempering sensation in his membrane intensified day by day.
That bottleneck membrane that had blocked him for two months became thinner and more fragile under the day and night assault of fierce Qi and Blood.
The premonition that power was about to break free from its cocoon grew clearer and stronger in his heart.
Another morning arrived.
Sun Han tilted his head back and downed the last gulp of medicine from his bowl. The familiar burning sensation exploded in his stomach, instantly igniting his whole body.
"Crane Form Stance!"
Sun Han instantly sank into the stance technique.
Under his mental command, the massive Qi and Blood he'd accumulated over several days erupted like long-suppressed volcanic magma.
A current far more violent and scorching than any previous day surged and rushed, roaring toward his skin membrane that had already been tempered to its limit with overwhelming force!
Pain!
The pain from this wash far exceeded anything before.
It felt like countless red-hot needles stabbing into his membrane simultaneously, or like a heavy stone roller crushing back and forth.
But he clenched his teeth hard. Veins bulged on his forehead. Sweat poured out like a stream. Yet his body remained solid as a rock, running the stance technique to its absolute limit.
His mind locked onto that membrane about to rupture. All his Qi and Blood became hammers for the breakthrough.
"BOOM—!"
Just as the pain reached its peak and his spirit reached maximum concentration—
Inside Sun Han's body, it was as if an invisible floodgate had been completely smashed open by this unstoppable torrent.
A deep rumbling, like thunder rolling through the depths of the earth, suddenly resonated from within his body.
The sound wasn't loud, but it carried a thick, powerful quality that clearly spread through the silent training grounds.
Sun Han's whole body shook violently!
His skin membrane, tightened to its limit, suddenly contracted inward, as if gripped by enormous force in an instant.
Immediately after, an indescribable, even tougher, even more powerful sensation exploded from deep within his membrane like a bursting dam, instantly flowing through his entire body.
Skin and flesh merged! Strength flowed throughout!
The originally taut membrane seemed to complete a total transformation in that contraction and release.
A new, abundant sense of power filled every inch of his muscles.
Sun Han's eyes snapped open. A flash of light blazed in them, carrying the wild joy and sharpness of breaking free from shackles.
"Sun Han broke through... to Flesh Refinement?!"
In that moment, every gaze on the training grounds turned toward Sun Han like they'd been pulled by magnets.
Those disciples still struggling desperately, still far from Flesh Refinement, instantly erupted with barely suppressed envy—even jealousy—in their eyes.
Their gazes burned as they stared at Sun Han, as if trying to brand this moment of his breakthrough deep into their minds.
Sun Han... that usually quiet, average-talent branch family member had actually broken through at the last moment.
It was like dropping a huge boulder into a pool of despair, stirring up massive waves and even more complex emotions—if he can do it, maybe I still have a sliver of hope too?
"He actually broke through in the final month!"
On the high platform, Instructor Sun Zhen's hawk-sharp eyes fell on Sun Han for the first time.
On his usually impassive face, his eyebrows raised ever so slightly, a trace of surprise crossing his features.
He'd seen Sun Han's hard work. But he also had his own assessment of Sun Han's Root Bone talent.
In his view, Sun Han was the type who "tried his best, but this is as far as he'll go."
Breaking through to Flesh Refinement before the final deadline was unexpected.
"Breaking through barely in the last month—sure, he passed the family assessment, but his talent is limited!"
On the grounds, disciples who'd already entered Flesh Refinement with thick, powerful auras carried themselves with a sense of superiority.
Their gazes only briefly swept over Sun Han before coldly moving away.
Surprised? A little bit.
Concerned? Not even close.
Breaking through just barely before the final exam deadline—that level of achievement only meant he'd scraped by with the minimum qualification to stay in the martial hall.
Compared to them, these outstanding disciples who'd broken through early and were even advancing toward Tendon Refinement, Sun Han's little bit of progress was like a firefly compared to the bright moon. Not even in the same league.
They withdrew their gazes without any ripple on their faces, as if what just happened was some insignificant little thing. They continued focusing on their own cultivation, their demeanor relaxed and confident.
"Whew—"
Sun Han slowly ended his practice, feeling the endless new power surging inside him. The stability and toughness from the merging of skin and flesh was unprecedented.
He raised his head, his gaze calmly meeting those complex stares.
Whether envy, jealousy, coldness, or indifference—none of it could shake the resolve in his heart right now.
He clenched his fist. His knuckles made a soft cracking sound.
He'd broken through to Flesh Refinement within a month. He'd done it. And this warrior's path? It was only just beginning.