The tub was made of solid, hooped wooden planks, resembling a deep bowl that could swallow two grown adults. Wrapping his arms around it, he could barely cover half its circumference. When he pressed his face against the wood, the scent of orchids mingled with the distinct smell of timber, seeping into his lungs.
'It was probably used to hold some large quantity of fragrant liquid. That's good, it shouldn't leak.'
'But if I use it for a medicinal bath, will she be able to use her tub for whatever was in it before?'
As these thoughts turned in his mind, Jiang Qiu arrived back at his small brick house. He gently set the large tub down, unlocked the door with his key, and began inching it inside. The fine wooden fibers on the tub's edge brushed against the doorframe.
It was too big to fit any further into the bathroom, so he had no choice but to push aside the faux-leather sofa, table, chairs, and other clutter, leaving it standing alone in the middle of the living room.
He carried basin after basin of hot water from the bathroom, the billowing steam caressing his face and chest like an immortal's mist. Once the massive tub was half full, he brought over a chair, placed a clean black student uniform on it, and stood the two vials of Wusu Fragrance upright.
'I've heard the first medicinal bath with Wusu Fragrance is as effective as a full-body purification. The more you can absorb, the better. It's supposed to awaken your Martial Arts potential, and you only get one shot at this effect.' Jiang Qiu glanced at the two gleaming vials of Wusu Fragrance and casually pulled out his phone. 'Let's see if there are any warnings.'
His finger tapped and swiped across the screen. A few short paragraphs of information appeared, and he quickly scrolled to the bottom of the page.
[Due to the highly stimulating nature of the materials used to make Wusu Fragrance, it causes severe damage to the body even as it unlocks human potential. This is especially true for first-time use...]
[When using Wusu Fragrance for a medicinal bath for the first time, it is recommended to keep the water level above your chest to prevent being overwhelmed by the powerful stimulus of a high concentration...]
[It is best to have someone watching over you. Unless you are exceptionally talented, do not try to endure it. Call for help in time...]
[Remember: Absolutely do not use more than one dose of Wusu Fragrance during your first time or within the first day. For over ninety-nine percent of people, this will only lead to the complete destruction of their Martial Arts future—unless you aren't purely human!]
He finished reading.
DRIP...
Tilting the vial of Wusu Fragrance he had just opened, a pinky-sized drop of fluorescent blue liquid fell, sending ripples across the water as it spread like ink.
"Alright, I'll just use one dose of Wusu Fragrance. I'll save the other one for later."
Tearing off his clothes, Jiang Qiu stepped onto the chair and climbed into the large wooden tub. The water level surged as if a colossal object had been dropped in. When he finally sat down cross-legged, the waves lapped against his chest.
'It doesn't seem any different from regular water?' Jiang Qiu sniffed. An orchid-like fragrance wafted up with the steam. His skin felt hot and slightly numb.
TZZ...
Faintly, the blue that had colored the water began to fade, receding from the sides of the tub like fish and shrimp being swept back by a receding tide.
TZZZZ—
Suddenly, a bizarre sensation, like ants drilling into his pores, made Jiang Qiu's brow furrow. It felt as if every single one of the thousands upon thousands of pores submerged in the water were being widened by earthworms. Countless leeches took the opportunity to part his skin and slip inside his muscles, ravenously chewing on some symbiotic thing that clung to his very flesh!
A pain like a bolt of lightning shooting through his spine surged from every limb and corner of his body toward his heart. Ants seemed to be surfing wildly through every single one of his blood vessels, large and small, causing his blood to boil and accelerate!
"Hnngh—"
In an instant, a network of branching blood vessels filled the whites of Jiang Qiu's eyes. His upturned neck and face were completely crimson.
The soles of his feet curled, and his ten bony fingers clawed at the waves of heat in the water. His rigid body was like a spring about to snap, but he remained submerged, held down only by the force of his clenched jaw!
'It really is stimulating!'
This primal scream from the depths of his soul nearly tore his head from his neck, but the image of the dead-end alleys of the Shantytown in his mind forced his head back down, making him listen to the sound of his brass-like skin being chewed to pieces by "worker ants"!
In that moment, he was in magma, in an anthill, in a cavern of a hundred venomous insects. The water had, without him noticing, turned turbid, tainted with the filth and blood squeezed from his body. Only the center of his pupils still held a flicker of focused light!
[High-Quality Body Refining x1]
At a certain, ultimate moment, a torrential flood surged from the depths of his heart, sweeping away the Wusu Fragrance Essence that was still gnawing at his flesh and blood. It was as devastating and unstoppable as a bursting dam washing away an anthill!
"Hah— Huu—"
Limp as a noodle, Jiang Qiu lay in the filthy tub, his chest heaving violently. The crimson color on his neck receded, revealing a faint, brassy sheen, like a piece of topaz just a hair's breadth away from breaking through its rocky shell.
Though he was sitting in cold water, his blood now flowed like a great, hot river. He felt as if one small step more would complete this stage of his tempering!
His heart hammered against his ribs, sounding the order to charge.
His ragged, heavy breaths puffed against his cheeks, a roaring cheer.
[Copper Skin]
[Features: Body Refining and Skin Beating, Skin as Tough as Copper (Transforming)]
[270/500]
Just one dose of Wusu Fragrance, one high-quality Body Refining session, had increased his progress by 250 points!
'If I had missed this opportunity with the first bath, once my body had fully adapted or gradually built a resistance to the tempering of the Wusu Fragrance Essence, could it still be considered high-quality Body Refining?'
'Impossible!'
'Wang Guanjia must have used Wusu Fragrance several times by now, but he still hasn't developed Copper Skin. Xie Kuang gets two doses every month, but his body isn't necessarily any stronger than mine is now.'
'This proves that the follow-up tempering effects of Wusu Fragrance aren't that great. The first medicinal bath is the one and only chance for the most significant physical transformation.'
'The warning says not to use more than one dose for the first bath, but that's ultimately because most people's bodies and wills can't handle it. But what if I can?'
'Even if my Martial Arts foundation is destroyed, as long as I can keep practicing, what does it matter if I have to start all over again!'
At this thought, Jiang Qiu pushed himself up by his knees, waist, and chest. His bones and tendons cracked and popped, as if a naked, golden Azure Dragon were rising. As he clenched his fist, it felt as if he could grasp the very contours of the wind.
He twisted his neck, stood on his tiptoes to reach out his right hand, and grabbed the other vial of Wusu Fragrance from the chair. "My neck and face are just a little sore. I still have plenty of energy. I can take it."
DRIP...
A large drop of fluorescent blue essence dripped onto the filthy water, which now reflected an oily sheen. The moment he sat down cross-legged again, a new assault began. Before he could even steady himself, Jiang Qiu shuddered, his eyes flying wide. "This is even more stimulating—"
With a low, teeth-grinding roar, he found his body, which had just been plundered, was not as resilient as it should have been after tempering. Instead, the enemy was like a wildfire fanned by the wind, storming unimpeded into his chest cavity, striking straight for his heart!
THUMP, THUMP, THUMP!
The blood pressure that shot to his skull felt like a mountain collapsing down upon his soul. His vision was instantly ground away by darkness, as if he had plunged into a bottomless Hell.
But no matter how his cold soul was stripped away and trembled, the moment his fingernails dug through the flesh of his palm, an anchor was set.
[High-Quality Body Refining x1]
Before his consciousness faded completely, he vaguely felt all the filth and residual blood being forced out of his physical shell. His skin was tempered into thin sheets of steel, rigid and cold.
Even his deeper muscles seemed to sprout countless claws, seizing every opportunity to lock onto his tendons and bones, tempering the most unfathomable power within.
[Iron Flesh]
[Features: Copper Skin and Iron Flesh, Fighting Demons with Bare Hands]
[20/1000]
'Is this considered a complete transformation?'
'It seems like there's more...'
[Body Metamorphosis]
[...]