Martial Sage from the Vajra Skill

Zhu Yong’s situation didn’t affect anyone. The stone chamber returned to normal, and everyone went back to hammering away with all their might.

But Xu Yang noticed that many people had started slacking off, going through the motions without putting in any real effort. They were clearly trying to prolong their time here.

Once the ore was completely refined, they would have to leave. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Xu Yang was also slacking a bit. His mind was mainly focused on the Golden Gang Skill, and he wasn’t too concerned about contribution points.

At noon, everyone left the stone chamber to eat. It was only then that they learned Zhu Yong’s fire poison was severe. It had damaged his meridians and internal organs, making it impossible for him to continue, and he had been forced to leave early.

"What a worthless fool, getting afflicted with fire poison without even realizing it."

"He got greedy and reckless, thinking the fire poison from the Earth Vein Spiritual Fire was some kind of joke."

"The path of the Martial Dao isn’t just about enduring hardship."

...

Few people sympathized with Zhu Yong; on the contrary, some even mocked him. Liu Youzhen and Song Runshu took the opportunity to sell more Vein-Protecting Pills and Ice Spirit Pills.

A few others wore sorrowful expressions. Like Zhu Yong, they had run out of money long ago and were relying on their Gang Qi to just tough it out, wondering when they too would suffer the same fate.

’Where did this hick get so much money?’ From a short distance away, Yun Feng’s gaze swept over Xu Yang from time to time.

It had been surprising enough when Xu Yang first produced over two hundred silver. But who would have thought that ten-some days later, his supply of Ice Spirit Pills and Vein-Protecting Pills still hadn’t run out.

All told, he had spent over a thousand silver.

’Could he have resorted to murder and robbery?’ Yun Feng wondered.

The reason Outer Disciples died so often—many leaving the sect gates never to return—was that they were often killed by their own.

It wasn’t just for money, but also for contribution points. He knew of some from poor family backgrounds who had done such things.

Xu Yang noticed Yun Feng’s gaze but paid it little mind.

After eating jerky and flatbread, the group re-entered the stone chamber to continue refining the ore.

[Golden Gang Skill - Introduction (1999/2000)]

Two days passed in a flash. As Xu Yang was swinging his iron hammer, he suddenly felt his Gang Qi stirring violently, and he realized his Golden Gang Skill was on the verge of a breakthrough.

Glancing at the others in the stone chamber, he knew that a breakthrough here would not go unnoticed.

Xu Yang immediately dropped his hammer, ran out of the stone chamber, and rushed out of the valley on the pretext of relieving himself.

He had just sat down in a secluded spot when he could no longer suppress his Gang Qi. It surged like a wild stallion breaking its reins.

RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE...

A sound like a roaring river echoed from within Xu Yang’s body. The Gang Qi surged through his flesh and meridians, rapidly condensing.

In an instant, his muscles and bones hummed in unison, his qi and blood surged, and his body began a complete transformation.

An invisible force erupted from his pores, billowing out his clothes. A striking silver-white hue rapidly crept over his skin, emitting a dazzling light. He looked as if he had become a man made of silver metal.

His skin was smooth and delicate, shimmering with a metallic luster.

THUMP! THUMP!

The sound of his condensing bones and sinews was audible outside his body. Internally, it was a deafening roar, as if a thousand hammers were striking at once.

Xu Yang felt an indescribable comfort wash over him, as if he had just shed a suit of heavy armor. He felt incredibly light. His very flesh, bones, and sinews seemed to rejoice, entering a state of rapid strengthening.

With his Minor Achievement in Golden Gang Skill, his Gang Qi turned completely silver, his physical body underwent a bizarre transformation, and his power soared.

A tyrannical aura radiated from his body, causing the surrounding grass and trees to bow.

[Golden Gang Skill·Minor Achievement (1/4000)]

Xu Yang opened his eyes. He could feel the earth-shattering change in both the quality of his Gang Qi and the strength of his physical body. He felt that a Martial Artist who had just reached the Minor Success Realm of Gang Qi wouldn’t even be able to breach his defenses.

His strength had also increased terrifyingly. He felt he could now fight a Martial Artist who had just reached the Gang Qi Minor Achievement realm using his physical strength alone, without even needing his Gang Qi.

The tyrannical, surging power felt like it would burst from his chest. He had the sudden urge to find someone and fight. He knew this impulse was a side effect of his strength increasing too rapidly—an overabundance of energy that begged for release.

Looking at his silver, metal-like skin, he couldn’t resist flicking it. It produced a distinct metallic TING.

A leaf drifted down from overhead, but it disintegrated into dust before it even touched his body.

He flicked his finger again. A wisp of Gang Qi shot out ten zhang without dissipating, piercing clean through a large tree. The degree of its condensation was astonishing.

’In future fights, the moment I activate the Golden Gang Skill, its tell-tale signs will be obvious.’

The Golden Gang Skill’s characteristics were too conspicuous, which didn’t suit his low-key personality. He secretly resolved not to use it unless it was a life-and-death battle.

’Until I figure out the origins of the Golden Gang Skill, I should do my best not to display it in front of anyone. This Martial Art, obtained from the Flower Thief, Jade Butterfly, was probably stolen from somewhere important.’

’Is my physical body now truly Vajra Indestructible?’

He wasn’t sure; he knew too little about such things. However, when adding his Protective Gang Qi into the mix, he suspected that even someone at the Minor Success Realm of Gang Qi would find it difficult to harm him. He even felt he could dare to fight an expert at the Gang Qi Great Success realm.

’It’s all thanks to this Earth Vein Spiritual Fire. Otherwise, it would have taken me over half a year to reach Minor Achievement.’

As he stopped circulating the Golden Gang Skill, the silver color on his body rapidly receded, and Xu Yang felt as if he had suddenly been dropped from a great height.

[Remaining Lifespan: 78]

His lifespan had increased by another two years.

After one last glance at the panel, Xu Yang got up and headed back to the valley.

"Junior Brother Xu, you took quite a long time to relieve yourself. It’s been nearly an hour," Song Runshu said with a hint of sarcasm as he saw him return.