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.

Nine-degree Body Refining

man, master!" Ricky sighed as Grace

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

won't fail you," Ricky

him, he was sure he would never lack those traits even if he were endowed with a spiritual meridian, because his father was suffering and waiting for

Grace turned to look Ricky in the eye, her eyes gleaming

Nine-degree Body Refining Formula requires two important conditions. One is a strong body, and the other is strong blood

"Yes, Master Grace!"

...

meat for outer disciples to buy. It was fresh meat, gleaned from the

a sound sleep, the next morning Ricky 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 coins and came away with 5 kg of fell meat from beasts of intermediate stage of Skin Refinement.

he bumped

Like the turtle, you finally poke your head out of your shell for a change ..." The bully used a higher-than-normal volume, so everyone looked

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

that young man in white. Ricky immediately realized that must be their

sight of Scott and 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.

Hurley, newbie." They'd definitely gathered a crowd by now. Everyone formed a ring around him, prevented him from just dashing off.

was Hurley. A sullen gleam passed through his earlier happy

finger!" The boy named

to Inge's plump hip, stroking her, while Inge feigned her embarrassment, as

their eyes were on Hurley, they were

what he says," Scott said with a sinister smile, clapping his hands, "But

Scott frowned, like it was hard for him to