I Have An Infinite Cultivation Resource
Chapter 93: Bone Tempering
Drawing upon the countless books he had read in his previous life, Lu You exaggerated the dangers he feared into an elaborate and terrifying conspiracy. It was Lu Xiao'e's first time hearing of such bizarre schemes involving reincarnation, possession, resurrection, and the like. Yet the more she thought about it, the more reasonable Lu You's fabricated theory actually sounded.
For a moment, Lu Xiao'e was so frightened that chills ran down her spine.
"Lu You, you're deliberately trying to scare me, aren't you?"
She originally wanted to say that the Jade Toad Swallows the Moon Technique had been passed down from her ancestors. But when the words reached her lips, she suddenly realized something—
Her clan actually possessed no proof whatsoever that their ancestor truly was their ancestor.
Lu You handed the spinal bone and ancient map over to Lu Xiao'e.
"I hope every one of my guesses is wrong. But regardless, I don't dare refine this spinal bone. If you don't believe me, you can take it back to your clan."
Taking the spinal bone into her hands and sensing the immense spiritual energy contained within it, Lu Xiao'e then glanced at the cultivation technique recorded on the ancient map. The more she looked, the more uneasy she became.
Lu Xiao'e could read ancient script. She discovered that the ancient map recorded the Bone Refining Chapter of the Jade Toad Swallows the Moon Technique. Combined with the spinal bone itself, it felt as though everything was specifically tempting the user into refining the bone.
Raising her head, Lu Xiao'e said:
"After hearing you explain it like that, I'm actually scared of this ancient map now. Any normal cultivator who solved the secret realm and obtained both the map and spinal bone would definitely think they'd encountered a great opportunity. But after what you said, this really does seem suspicious. This cultivation technique and the spinal bone complement each other too perfectly."
Seeing Lu You righteously hand over both the ancient map and the spinal bone without hesitation, Lu Xiao'e thought for a moment. She then took out paper and brush from her storage ring, copied down the contents of the ancient map, and afterward handed both her own original ancient map and the newly obtained one back to Lu You.
"Lu You, this matter is extremely serious. I need to return to my clan. If your suspicions are true, then under no circumstances can all the bones connected to these ancient maps be gathered together."
Suddenly, Lu Xiao'e smiled slyly.
"My Jade Toad Swallows the Moon Technique chapter devours spiritual energy, while yours devours bones. If both chapters are mastered, they would definitely alter one's aptitude and allow cultivation to progress by leaps and bounds."
"You can copy down the ancient techniques and then let the Deep Literary Pavilion obtain these two ancient maps. I'm sure they'll eagerly cultivate them. If problems appear, then you can simply forget the techniques. But if there are no issues, I won't hand this spinal bone over to my clan—I'll save it for you."
"Once you master the cultivation technique and refine the spinal bone, even if you learn it later than the cultivators of Deep Literary Pavilion, your gains will still surpass theirs."
As expected of you, Lu Xiao'e.
Lu You accepted the ancient maps this time without refusing.
Surely the Nascent Soul cultivators of the Deep Literary Pavilion would never reject such cultivation techniques. They would likely even continue uncovering the secret realms hidden behind the ancient maps. In this way, Lu You could first exchange the maps for talisman techniques, and secondly—as Lu Xiao'e suggested—wait until the maps were proven safe before researching the cultivation techniques himself.
After deciding to use the Deep Literary Pavilion as experimental subjects, Lu Xiao'e glanced at Lu You a couple of times before her expression dimmed again.
"So… in the end, you really are better off returning to the Deep Literary Pavilion, aren't you? My clan has entirely cultivated these ancient map techniques. If the maps truly have problems, then my clan is already in grave danger. If I tricked you into returning with me, it would be no different from harming you."
Lu You shook his head.
"The road to immortality is long, and the years stretch endlessly ahead. Green mountains endure; flowing rivers continue on forever. There's no need for you to feel so sentimental inside this secret realm."
"After this secret realm ends, we should each focus on cultivating properly. In the future, whoever obtains immortal fortune first can simply lend the other a hand."
At this point, Lu You already possessed a fair understanding of the cultivation world.
Aside from places like Lu Xiao'e's clan—which ordinary cultivators could hardly ever encounter—the cultivation world's sects were broadly divided into three tiers.
The first tier consisted of sects like Mount Shu, whose sect masters possessed Tribulation Transcendence cultivation, and whose sects had even produced immortals who ascended.
The second tier included sects like the Verdant Cloud Sect, whose sect masters were at the Divine Transformation realm and whose sects possessed enough resources to firmly establish themselves.
Anything weaker fell into the third tier. Such sects might have only a Nascent Soul cultivator as sect master. They were established in the mortal world, relied heavily on offerings from ordinary people, and had little true hope of immortality—merely living out the lifestyle of immortals among mortals.
With the small cauldron in his possession, attaining immortality and ascending to become an immortal was not merely a fantasy for Lu You. There was no need for him to waste away his years in a third-rate sect.
Moreover, first-rate sects had already produced ascended immortals. There was no telling whether they possessed some special methods capable of detecting Lu You's small cauldron. If such sects had immortal restrictions or heaven-defying techniques, then entering a first-rate sect would be no different from a sheep walking into a tiger's den.
As for clans like Lu Xiao'e's, their number of cultivators was too small. If Lu You advanced too quickly or possessed excessive resources, he would easily attract suspicion.
A second-rate sect like the Verdant Cloud Sect was perfect.
Such sects possessed sufficient cultivation resources, while also having enough disciples that Lu You would not stand out. At the same time, their strongest cultivator was merely at the Divine Transformation realm. They lacked immortal foundations and absurdly powerful techniques, so Lu You did not need to worry about his small cauldron being stolen.
Lu Xiao'e said no more. She put away the spinal bone and resumed refining the serpent eggs.
"Lu You, we still cannot break open the secret realm yet. Once I recover, we must kill the Golden Core elders and other informed members of the Deep Literary Pavilion. Only then can we leave this secret realm."
Lu You agreed completely.
No longer disturbing Lu Xiao'e's recovery, he returned to his own secret chamber. He reinforced the room using Hard Metal Talismans, activated soundproof talismans, and then took out yet another spinal bone from his storage space.
"Evil Eye, aside from refining it directly, is there no other method for using this spinal bone?"
Even his sword core could not damage the spinal bone. If he simply left such a treasure unused, it would truly be too wasteful.
Evil Eye pondered for a while before replying:
"Normally, when cultivators obtain treasures like this, they choose to refine them directly. But there are other methods as well—for example, humans drinking bone broth or eating bone marrow."
"If you treated a Bone of Hell this way, it would normally be like slaughtering the chicken just to take the eggs. But for you, Boss, it's actually perfect. Not only would it destroy the structure of the Bone of Hell, you would also obtain a trace of its power."
"If you consume enough of it, then perhaps your own bones, after absorbing the spiritual essence of this Bone of Hell, could each become comparable to the Bone of Hell itself."
"Using this method, even if this Bone of Hell carries some hidden restriction, it would be useless against you. That's because you wouldn't actually be using the Bone of Hell directly—you'd be transferring its abilities into your own skeleton."
"I thought of that too," Lu You said with a headache, "but how exactly am I supposed to extract nutrients from this thing?"
First, he took out the treasured artifact Lu Xiao'e had gifted him and hacked wildly at the spinal bone.
Clang, clang, clang!
Eventually, the sword shattered apart, yet the spinal bone remained completely undamaged.
Afterward, Lu You used Lightning Talismans, but the purple lightning merely made the spinal bone appear even more crystal-clear and translucent. It still suffered no damage whatsoever.
"Right now, my strongest talisman is only the Mount Tai Talisman."
Left with no alternatives, Lu You wrapped the spinal bone layer upon layer in Mount Tai Talismans until it resembled a tightly wrapped rice dumpling. Then he activated them all at once.
But even after thousands of Mount Tai Talismans struck it, the spinal bone still showed no change.
"Don't tell me I really have to stew it in a pot."
If even Mount Tai Talismans could not crack it, then boiling it over a fire would obviously be useless.
Even Evil Eye sighed.
"The Bone of Hell was formed from the fall of countless gods. There's no treasure in the cultivation world capable of destroying divine bone. What a pity. If you refuse to refine it directly, Boss, then it can only be used as a weapon."
Wait!
A flash of inspiration suddenly struck Lu You.
The reason he could not damage the spinal bone was because the bone itself was too strong. But if he possessed another object equally strong as the spinal bone, wouldn't he then be able to destroy it?
Thinking this, Lu You took out another spinal bone from the small cauldron.
Infusing spiritual energy into the second spinal bone, Lu You swung it directly against the first.
Crack!
This time, a sound of shattering finally appeared.
Both spinal bones were a Bone of Hell. The instant they collided, the spiritual energy within each bone automatically activated in defense. The stronger the spiritual energy sensed from the opposing bone, the more violently the energy inside reacted.
In the end, both spinal bones shattered together.
Evil Eye: "…Boss, there will never again be a second person in this world capable of destroying a Bone of Hell using this method."
Looking at the shattered fragments of the spinal bone scattered across the ground, Lu You gathered them into his palm and began treating them like spirit stones, circulating the Five Elements Qi-Nourishing Technique to absorb the power contained within them.
Sure enough, the intact spinal bone had been indestructible. Without the secret technique recorded on the ancient map, it could not be refined. But once the spinal bone had been shattered into fragments, those restrictions vanished. Although less than one ten-thousandth of the original energy remained, it was still enough for Lu You to absorb slowly.
After circulating the technique for only a single cycle, Lu You abruptly threw away the remaining bone fragments in his hand.
Immediately afterward, he felt every crack and crevice within his bones begin itching violently. Strange energy rampaged throughout his body. Only after an entire incense stick's worth of time did the sensation finally subside.
His height had actually increased slightly.
His frame also broadened somewhat, making the previously scholarly-looking Lu You appear noticeably taller and sturdier.
Evil Eye: Boss, what's wrong with you?! Heavens, don't let anything happen to you!
Bound to Lu You through a life contract, Evil Eye was even more anxious than Lu You himself upon seeing the pain on his face.
"It's nothing. This Bone of Hell truly is terrifying," Lu You said after examining his body internally with spiritual sense. "The amount of energy I absorbed was probably less than one millionth of the original spinal bone total power, yet my bones and meridians were completely tempered together."
"The spinal bone's power specifically transforms the physique. Previously, if I dispersed my spiritual energy, my body would have been no different from that of an ordinary mortal—not even among the stronger mortals physically. But after absorbing only that trace of Bone of Hell energy, even without spiritual energy, my body is now comparable to a powerful martial artist in the mortal world."
He gently clenched his fist.
Immediately, his finger bones crackled loudly.
Dispersing all spiritual energy, Lu You punched the ground using only his physical strength.
Boom!
A fist imprint instantly appeared in the sturdy stone wall.
This was a wall that had already been reinforced by Hard Metal Talismans, yet Lu You's pure physical strength alone now possessed destructive power comparable to a treasured artifact.
Evil Eye: My dear Boss, you only absorbed a tiny amount! If you keep refining it like this, then even without your cultivation, you could rival gods and Buddhas!
"It's not that easy," Lu You replied with lingering fear while looking at the spinal bone fragments on the ground. "The feeling of every bone in my body being reconstructed is far too painful. This process can only be done slowly."
After thinking for a moment, he realized that instead of smashing together two spinal bones every time, it would be better to simply preserve the fragments.
So Lu You stored the shattered fragments back inside the small cauldron.
Afterward, he activated several thousand Healing Talismans on himself, worried that absorbing the spinal bone might have left hidden injuries. Once he confirmed that his body truly was becoming stronger, he recalled the agonizing pain within his bones and then layered several thousand Purifying Heart Talismans onto himself as well.
"With this, I should be able to endure a little longer."
Once more, Lu You took a fragment of spinal bone into his hand.
With the Purifying Heart Talismans active, things indeed improved somewhat. He managed to circulate the energy through three full cycles before suddenly crying out and throwing the fragment away.
Crack! Crack!
Strange noises erupted from inside his body. His meridians and bones crackled noisily for a long while before Lu You finally stopped trembling.
Evil Eye: Boss, how is it? How much stronger did you get this time?
Lu You rolled around on the ground in pain before snapping angrily:
"What, am I supposed to stand here and report my progress to you?!"
Only after gasping for breath for roughly the duration of another incense stick did Lu You finally sit upright again, drenched in sweat.
Taking the treasured artifact Lu Xiao'e had given him into his hand, Lu You relied solely on physical strength and slowly bent the blade.
"The Mount Tai Talisman that can suppress Golden Core cultivators can grind treasure artifacts into powder."
Recalling the scene of himself killing the first Golden Core elder, Lu You analyzed aloud:
"By that calculation, if my physical body alone can crush treasure artifacts, then my fleshly body has likely reached the peak of the Golden Core realm."
"Unfortunately, becoming physically stronger does not grant longevity. Right now, my physical body is already somewhat stronger than my Foundation Establishment spiritual energy, yet I still cannot sense any increase in my lifespan."
"Hmph. Cultivation realms are the true great path to immortality. Body cultivation is nothing more than a side path," Lu You said disdainfully as he clapped off his hands and tossed away the bone fragments.
Evil Eye: Boss, aren't you just afraid of the pain?
Lu You's old face reddened slightly as he explained:
"This bone tempering isn't always the same level of pain! Every time my bones grow stronger, the next transformation becomes harder—and more painful."
"At first, my bones were perhaps like straw, easily bent with the slightest force. But now my bones are like these stone walls. To reshape them further requires endless hammering and chiseling."
"If the pain exceeds my tolerance limit, then even if my bones successfully transform, my mind could collapse."
Yet the sensation of rapidly growing stronger was addictive.
Grinding his teeth, Lu You decided to do it one final time. After that, he would stop absorbing the Bone of Hell until he found some method or talisman capable of dulling the pain.
First, he covered the secret chamber floor with spirit stones. Then he placed Qi-Nourishing Pills into his mouth. This time, Lu You completely emptied all his spiritual energy at once and activated five hundred thousand Purifying Heart Talismans.
At that instant, Lu You felt as though time itself had slowed.
He seemed to become a great sage detached from heaven and earth, indifferent to all things.
"In this state, I should be able to endure longer."
Emotionless and detached, Lu You held the Bone of Hell in his hands. After his spiritual energy recovered, he once again circulated the cultivation technique.
This time, Lu You endured for five full cycles.
Then the "great sage" state instantly shattered apart.
Lu You screamed in agony throughout the secret chamber. Had there not been soundproof talismans in place, even Huo Chuan at the gathering point might have heard him.
A blood-red glow appeared.
The Hell Avatar activated automatically. Blood mist condensed into countless giant hands that began massaging Lu You's entire body. At the same time, with the last remnants of his consciousness, Lu You exhausted all remaining spiritual energy and activated another five hundred thousand Healing Talismans.
Hooo—
Taking a deep breath before slowly exhaling, Lu You finally regained his senses.
"Evil Eye, there's definitely something wrong with this Bone of Hell. Even improving little by little becomes addictive. You become unable to stop."
"If refining only tiny fragments is already this enticing, then if someone fully refined an entire spinal bone and obtained divine power, what could possibly stop cultivators from desperately searching for the other ancient maps?"
"This method of using temptation to drive people into searching for the ancient maps must conceal some unspeakable purpose."
Evil Eye pondered for a while before cautiously replying:
"Boss… is it possible that when other people refine the spinal bone, they only obtain the specific part corresponding to the spinal bone, while your method transforms every single bone in your entire body into a Bone of Hell?
"That could be why your results are so overwhelming."