The legendary warrior

"To reach the fourth grade of Skin Refinement, you swallowed 25 Body Refining Pills. Don't you understand what it meant? You shouldn't have breathed a word of this to anyone. Not even me!"

Grace uttered, seating herself on the cattail hassock, legs crossed. As she glowered at Ricky, the meaning in her eyes was unmistakable.

Other women had richly ornamented chambers, but Grace's was positively spartan. It was as basic as Ricky's, with only a single bed, one small table, several chairs, and a cattail hassock she sat on.

"Master, I cannot lie to you. You're almost as good to me as father." Ricky replied with a smile.

"Don't play cute with me," Grace scolded, but her tone softened and a glimmer of a smile flickered across her face.

"Well, enough of that. By the way, I've found a cultivation method that might suit you. Now whether it works or not depends on your willpower." Grace turned deadly serious.

"So what cultivation method is that?" Ricky asked quickly. He was super-impatient for an answer.

Then Grace took out a well-worn scroll from her inside pocket and handed it to Ricky.

"Nine-degree Body Refining Formula!" The title of the method jumped out at Ricky as he opened the parchment.

"It was created tens of thousands of years ago by a predecessor who also lacked a spiritual meridian. But what's in here can give you the same power as anyone in Black Level," Grace explained.

"So a guy like me! No spiritual meridian. Black Level power?" Ricky repeated word by word, eyes widening with amazement.

"Normally people without spiritual meridians can't cultivate themselves. But that mysterious master figured it out. To cultivate himself, he used his body as his meridian, and absorbed the spiritual energy of heaven and earth into his flesh, his very cells." Grace continued, "Finally, his skills reached the pinnacle of the intermediate stage of Bone Reinforcement, and turned all the established knowledge of martial arts on its ear. And using his body as a meridian made his mortal form even tougher than those with spiritual meridians.

His success touched off a wave of other warriors trying the same thing. But it's tougher than it looks, and no one succeeded for thousands of years due to a lack of perseverance and tenacity. Over time, the knowledge was lost, and eventually forgotten.

Refining Formula he

like a great man, master!"

the drive to succeed. Foster those traits, and you'll go far," she exhorted. Then she continued with assurance, "And I believe you can do

I'm driven. I won't fail you," Ricky promised

he were endowed with a

this martial art!" Grace turned to look Ricky in the

body, and the other is strong blood vitality. Tomorrow

"Yes, Master Grace!"

...

offer meat for outer disciples to buy. It was fresh meat, gleaned from the nearby mountains. Perfect for Skin Refinement cultivation.

came to the Outer Kitchen Hall. Because he was only at the fourth grade of Skin Refinement, he was inconspicuous, and nobody paid any attention to him. He plunked down 20 silver

bumped

of your shell for a change ..." The bully used a higher-than-normal volume, so everyone looked in

too. Two boys and one girl strode towards him. It was none other than Scott, Inge, and some other disciple of

in white. Ricky immediately realized that must be

Inge, he felt a surge of bitter hatred shooting through him. He really wanted to strangle the life out of them, but he held back.

newbie." They'd definitely gathered a crowd by now. Everyone formed a ring

enough, the young man in white was Hurley. A sullen gleam passed through his earlier happy eyes. People

The boy

to Inge's plump hip, stroking her, while

eyes were on Hurley, they

a sinister smile, clapping his hands, "But I'll give you a choice.

hard for him to do that unsavory