117: Chapter 117: Exchange for "Body Tempering Pill (Intermediate)" and break through to the mid-stage of Ming Jin.

The Realm Bottleneck Before Yijin Pavilion

As Chen Wu's team moved along the light path of the ley line Qi Energy, the outline of Yijin Pavilion appeared at the end of their vision.

The pale gold pavilion doors shimmered with ancient patterns, and the ley line Qi Energy swirling around them was even denser than in the core area of the Extreme Array, yet it carried a sense of "suppression."

Lin Mo's tactical tablet suddenly popped up a "Qi Energy Detection" result: "The purity of the ley line Qi Energy outside Yijin Pavilion has reached 98%. It requires Qi Energy at the 'Brute Force Middle Stage' or higher to enter normally. Current Chen Wu Qi Energy Realm: Brute Force Early Stage Peak, only 1% away from the Qi Energy refinement level of the Middle Stage!"

The live stream chat exploded instantly. The "Watcher of Huangtu Slope," who had always been following the progress of the Realm, posted a highlighted comment: "Only Brute Force Middle Stage can enter? Didn't Teacher Chen just undergo enhancement? How is he still lacking a little bit!"

Nurse Emily in London followed closely, relaying an analysis from a local traditional martial arts expert: "The Bottleneck from the Brute Force Early Stage to the Middle Stage is the critical phase of 'Qi Energy Pill Condensation.' An ordinary Martial Artist needs at least three months of hard cultivation. Even though Chen Wu has the assistance of the ley line Qi Energy, he still needs external force to break through!"

The Technical Department's real-time prompt popped up on the screen: "The Legacy System has added a 'body tempering pill (Intermediate)' exchange option, which can quickly improve Qi Energy refinement and help him break through the Bottleneck. Exchange requirement: 3 million points. Current available points: 9.2 million (remaining after previous enhancements)."

Chen Wu stopped, condensing Xingji Fist Qi Energy in his palm.

The pale gold Yijin Energy swirled in his palm, but it could never break through the final step of "Pill Condensation"—the Qi Energy purity that had been improved through previous Cultivation actually showed signs of slight dissipation under the suppressive Qi Energy of Yijin Pavilion.

"It's Realm suppression," Grandpa Wang's dry pipe tapped a dull sound against the light path. The old man flipped out the "Record of Realm Breakthroughs" left by his grandfather. The yellowed pages glowed pale blue under the holographic light, and one page was marked with cinnabar as "Brute Force Bottleneck":

"For Brute Force, Qi Energy penetrating the body is 'Brute Force,' and condensing it into a pill is the 'Middle Stage.' From Early Stage to Middle Stage, one needs 'Body Tempering' to help the Qi Energy solidify; otherwise, it is easily suppressed by high-purity Qi Energy—in 1953, your great-grandfather broke through to the Brute Force Middle Stage using an 'Intermediate body tempering pill'!"

A bronze pill box suddenly flew out of a camphor wood chest, with the characters "Body Tempering" engraved on it. Pale gold Qi Energy spread along the box, resonating with Chen Wu's Yijin Energy, as if summoning the power of the Medicinal Pill.

In the Flower Girl's basket, the eight-colored petals of the inheritance grass suddenly emitted a pale gold light.

Dewdrops rolled on the leaves, reflecting the fluctuations of the Qi Energy in Chen Wu's palm—the Qi Energy of the Brute Force Early Stage, though solid, was like "loose sand" and lacked the cohesiveness to form the core of a "Qi Energy Pill."

The young girl mixed "talisman power dew" and "vitality dew" to create a colorful "Body Tempering Auxiliary Agent" and dripped it into Chen Wu's palm:

"Elder Zhou said this is a 'Pill Power Guiding Agent'," she said, her fingertips lightly touching the dewdrops, "It can allow the medicinal power of the body tempering pill to merge into the Qi Energy more precisely, avoiding waste, and can also reduce the Qi Energy backlash during the Breakthrough!"

The Section Chief of the Special Incident Response Department sent a message via holographic projection: "The Technical Department has analyzed the composition of the 'body tempering pill (Intermediate)',"

She projected the Medicinal Pill chart onto the light path, "The Medicinal Pill contains 12 rare medicinal herbs, including 'Ley Line Essence,' 'Dragon Blood Grass,' and 'Seven Absolutes Detoxification Flower.' Among them, 'Ley Line Essence' is of the same origin as the ley line Qi Energy of Yijin Pavilion. If you can utilize the pavilion door's Qi Energy during the Breakthrough, the effect can be increased by 50%!"

The tablet showed that there was a "Body Tempering Array" slot at the door of Yijin Pavilion, which could perfectly accommodate the bronze pill box and channel the ley line Qi Energy into the Medicinal Pill to enhance its medicinal power.

In the global live stream chat, Martial Artists from various countries sent "Breakthrough Suggestions." An Egypt traditional martial arts expert uploaded the "Pill Power Guiding Breathing Technique," suggesting Chen Wu absorb the medicinal power with a "deep inhale and slow exhale" rhythm;

The Brazil Martial Artist Alliance shared the "Qi Energy Pill Condensation Mantra" to help him stabilize the pill core; even staff at the Antarctica research station sent "Low-Temperature Environment Body Tempering Techniques," worried that the low temperature of the underground palace would affect the efficacy of the Medicinal Pill—the Technical Department's real-time data showed that in just 20 minutes, global viewers had submitted 500 effective suggestions, among which the three directions of "utilizing the Body Tempering Array," "Pill Power Guiding Breathing," and "team Qi Energy protection" were listed as core plans.

"Exchange for body tempering pill (Intermediate)!" Chen Wu's fingertips tapped on the Legacy System interface, and 3 million points were instantly deducted. A dark red Medicinal Pill the size of a longan flew out from the virtual interface and fell into the bronze pill box—the moment the Medicinal Pill touched the box, pale gold ley line Qi Energy suddenly surged in from the bottom of the box, interweaving with the medicinal power of the pill to form a rotating Qi Energy cluster inside the box, glowing with an enticing luster.

The slow-motion footage of the global live stream showed that the patterns on the surface of the Medicinal Pill perfectly matched the patterns on the Yijin Pavilion door, as if it were tailor-made for the Breakthrough.

Refining the Medicinal Pill in the Body Tempering Array

Chen Wu placed the bronze pill box into the "Body Tempering Array" slot at the Yijin Pavilion door. Pale gold ley line Qi Energy instantly surged out from the slot, injecting into the Medicinal Pill along the patterns on the box.

The dark red body tempering pill slowly hovered, wrapped in Qi Energy, and the patterns on its surface gradually lit up, resonating with the ley line Qi Energy of the pavilion door—Lin Mo's tablet showed that 60% of the Medicinal Pill's power had been activated, and Chen Wu needed to inject his own Qi Energy to fully refine it.

"Follow the 'Pill Power Guiding Breathing Technique'!" Chen Wu sat cross-legged in the center of the Body Tempering Array, formed the "Pill Condensation Seal" with his hands, and injected pale gold Yijin Energy into the Medicinal Pill through his palms.

During the first breathing session, the medicinal power suddenly erupted, and dark red Qi Energy surged into the Dantian along the meridians, burning like a raging fire. Cold sweat instantly oozed from Chen Wu's forehead— "Don't rush, use the auxiliary agent to guide it!"

The Flower Girl's voice rang out just in time. The colorful "Body Tempering Auxiliary Agent" merged into the Qi Energy along Chen Wu's fingertips, and the dark red medicinal power instantly became gentle, nourishing the Dantian Qi Energy like warm water.

Grandpa Wang's dry pipe tapped out a rhythm beside the array, synchronized with Chen Wu's breathing frequency: "When inhaling, let the medicinal power sink into the Dantian along the Conception Vessel; when holding your breath, use Yijin Energy to wrap and rotate the medicinal power; when exhaling, merge the medicinal power into the Qi Energy—this is how your great-grandfather did it back then, and he succeeded on the first try!"

Chen Wu adjusted his breathing rhythm, and the Yijin Energy at his Dantian gradually merged with the medicinal power, forming a Qi Energy cluster interwoven with pale gold and dark red. In the field of view of the perception talisman, the density of the Qi Energy cluster was increasing at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Li Xuantong and Zhao Lie suddenly deployed Qi Energy protection on the periphery of the Body Tempering Array. Pale brown Five Elements Energy and pale black Baji Energy intertwined to form a double-layered Qi Energy shield, wrapping Chen Wu and the Body Tempering Array within it— "To prevent external Qi Energy interference," Li Xuantong's voice was grave, "When you refine the Medicinal Pill, your Qi Energy will be temporarily chaotic, and we will help you block any potential accidents."

Su Chen and Love deployed Mystic Water Energy and Taiji Power even further out, forming a "triple defense" to ensure that the Breakthrough process was foolproof.

In the night-vision footage of the global live stream, a layer of pale gold light gradually appeared on Chen Wu's body surface. The medicinal power of the pill continuously merged into the Qi Energy, and the Qi Energy cluster at the Dantian became more and more solid, gradually changing from "loose sand" to the size of a "marble," with a smooth luster on its surface—Lin Mo's tablet showed that the Qi Energy refinement level had increased from 99% to 100%. The Breakthrough conditions for "Brute Force Middle Stage" had been met; only the final step of "pill core stabilization" remained.

"This is it! Condense the pill!" The Qi Energy in Chen Wu's Dantian suddenly erupted. The pale gold Yijin Energy and the dark red medicinal power completely merged, forming a rotating "Qi Energy Pill" at the Dantian.

The moment the pill core rotated, the ley line Qi Energy of Yijin Pavilion suddenly surged into the Body Tempering Array, injecting along the Acupoints of Chen Wu's entire body, resonating with the pill core—the slow-motion footage of the global live stream showed that the patterns on the surface of the pill core were perfectly synchronized with the patterns on the pavilion door. Pale gold Qi Energy surged out from the pill core, spreading along the meridians to the limbs and bones. A layer of faint golden light suddenly appeared on Chen Wu's body surface, which was the external manifestation of "Brute Force Middle Stage" Qi Energy!

"Success! The Qi Energy pellet has stabilized!" Lin Mo's cheers echoed along the light path. The "Realm Assessment" on the tablet indicated that Chen Wu's Qi Energy Realm had officially broken through to the "Brute Force Middle Stage." His Qi Energy condensation was at 105%, 5% higher than an average Middle Stage Martial Artist. The Fusion ratio of the hard and soft energy of his Xingji Fist had stabilized at 5:5, the power of his long-range Xingji projectiles had increased by 20%, and the resistance rate of his Qi Energy anti-poison layer had increased to 95%.

The Transformation of Strength After the Breakthrough

Chen Wu slowly opened his eyes, condensing Xingji Fist Qi Energy in his palms. The pale golden Qi Energy pellet rotated stably in his Dantian, and the switching between hard and soft energy was smoother than before. He threw a punch at the stone wall 100 meters away. The hard energy of his Xingji Fist erupted from the Qi Energy pellet, blasting a hole one meter in diameter into the stone wall. The ley line Qi Energy inside the pit was instantly dispersed, and the power was 30% greater than before the Breakthrough. "Is this the power of the Brute Force Middle Stage?" Chen Wu's voice was filled with excitement. He fired three more long-range Xingji projectiles in succession. The flight speed of the Qi Energy projectiles was 15% faster than before, and the explosion range upon hitting the stone wall was more precise, with not a single shred of Qi Energy wasted.

Zhao Lie suddenly stepped forward, condensing Baji Energy in his palm. "Come, test your new strength!" The pale black hard energy slammed toward Chen Wu. Chen Wu did not dodge or evade. He deployed the soft energy of his Xingji Fist across his body surface, gently deflecting the Baji Energy while simultaneously countering with hard energy, striking Zhao Lie's arm. The old man's body retreated half a step, a look of surprise on his face. "Your soft energy deflection is smoother than before, and your hard energy counterattack is faster. The Brute Force Middle Stage is truly different!"

Su Chen then used Mystic Water Energy to simulate a "Snake-form Poison Energy" attack. Pale blue Qi Energy, carrying traces of dark red poison, shot toward Chen Wu. Chen Wu's Qi Energy anti-poison layer instantly expanded. The moment the poison energy touched the Qi barrier, it was automatically decomposed into harmless Qi Energy particles. Lin Mo's tablet showed that the resistance rate of the anti-poison layer against poison energy had increased to 98%. Even the "Seven Absolute Poisons" of the Snake Queen could only leave faint marks on the Qi barrier and could not penetrate the defense.

The Flower Girl's inheritance grass suddenly unfurled toward Chen Wu, its eight-colored petals glowing with a pale golden light. Dewdrops rolled on the surface of the leaves, reflecting the rotation trajectory of the Qi Energy pellet in Chen Wu's Dantian. The rotation speed of the energy core was perfectly synchronized with the ley line Qi Energy, capable of automatically absorbing surrounding Qi Energy to replenish itself, solving the previous shortcoming of "insufficient Qi Energy endurance." The young girl sprinkled the last drop of "Body Tempering adjuvant" onto Chen Wu. The seven-colored light merged into the Qi Energy pellet, making the rotation of the energy core more stable. "Elder Zhou says that after breaking through to the Brute Force Middle Stage, the Qi Energy pellet can 'automatically gather Qi.' In the future, when you fight, the consumption speed of your Dantian Qi Energy will decrease by 40%. You won't have to worry about running out of Qi Energy again!"

In the global live stream chat, 55 billion viewers simultaneously posted messages saying "Congratulations on the Breakthrough." The "Watcher of Huangtu Slope" sent a message: "I saw the gate of the Yijin Pavilion light up at the foot of the mountain! Chen Wu's Breakthrough must have activated something!" An Egyptian ancient martial arts expert connected again. In the video, the old man held up a clay tablet and sighed: "The 'Qi Energy pellet' of the Brute Force Middle Stage is a 'watershed' in the ancient martial arts Realm. That Chen Wu was able to break through in such a short time relies not only on the body tempering pill but also on his talent and hard work. This is the future of traditional martial arts!" The official account of the United Nations "Global Ancient Martial Arts Protection Alliance" sent a congratulatory message: "Mr. Chen Wu's Breakthrough is a milestone for the global traditional martial arts community. We look forward to him bringing new hope to the inheritance of traditional martial arts within the Yijin Pavilion!"

The Ultimate Buildup Before the Yijin Pavilion

After Chen Wu broke through to the Brute Force Middle Stage, the gate of the Yijin Pavilion suddenly shone with intense light. Pale golden ley line Qi Energy flowed along the patterns of the gate, forming a "Legacy Totem" on the light path, resonating with Chen Wu's Qi Energy pellet. Lin Mo's tablet showed that the gate had automatically unlocked the "First Layer Entrance." The "Legacy Array" inside required Qi Energy from the "Brute Force Middle Stage" to start. The "Qi Energy lock" that the Snake Queen had previously attempted to destroy could now be opened directly through Chen Wu's Qi Energy pellet.

"The Technical Department has optimized the combat plan for the Yijin Pavilion based on your new Realm," the holographic image of the Section Chief of the Special Incident Response Department appeared again, with the busy Joint Command Center in the background. "The Qi Energy pellet of the Brute Force Middle Stage can directly absorb ley line Qi Energy, allowing you to replenish your combat strength at any time inside the pavilion. After the power of the long-range Xingji projectiles is increased, you can easily destroy the 'Qi Energy obstacles' of the Legacy Array. The Qi Energy anti-poison layer can handle potential 'poison energy traps' inside the pavilion. Special forces from 12 countries around the world have completed the perimeter security of the Yijin Pavilion, and the remnant forces of the Snake-Headed Hydra have been completely eliminated. You can enter with peace of mind!"

Grandpa Wang handed the "Record of Realm Breakthroughs" and the bronze pill box to Chen Wu. "This pill box was used by your great-grandfather back in the day." He tapped the two characters for "Body Tempering" on the box with his pipe. "There is still some medicinal residue of the body tempering pill inside, which can help you stabilize your Qi Energy pellet at critical moments. The inheritance trial inside the Yijin Pavilion is definitely not simple. Remember, even if your Realm has improved, you must not lose your original intention!" Pale golden Qi Energy surged out from the pill box, merging with Chen Wu's Qi Energy pellet to form a "stabilization layer" in his Dantian, preventing the energy core from becoming disordered during battle.

In the Flower Girl's basket, the eight-colored fruits of the inheritance grass suddenly split open, and countless tiny seeds carrying the energy of the "Body Tempering adjuvant" flew toward each member of the team. The seeds that landed on Zhang Hao increased the condensation of his Iron Arm Qi Energy by 10%; the seeds that landed on Su Chen increased the freezing speed of his Mystic Water Energy by 25%; the seeds that landed on Love increased the deflection effect of his Taiji Power by 30%. "Elder Zhou says this is 'team Body Tempering,'" the young girl said, her fingertips lightly touching the seeds. "The trial of the Yijin Pavilion requires everyone to face it together. Only when everyone becomes stronger can we successfully obtain the Muscle Tendon Change Classic!"

In the global live stream chat, the audience spontaneously organized a "Yijin Pavilion Blessing" event. Tens of millions of Martial Artists simultaneously cultivated the Basic Breathing Technique, transmitting their Qi Energy to Chen Wu through the live stream System, forming a huge "Qi Energy support circle" around the periphery of the Yijin Pavilion. The "Watcher of Huangtu Slope," along with local traditional martial arts enthusiasts, set up a "Legacy Array" at the foot of the mountain, cheering for the team in the most simple way. Nurse Emily in London organized patients at the hospital to pray for Chen Wu using the newly learned breathing technique. Although the Qi Energy was weak, it was full of sincere intentions.

When Chen Wu's team walked to the first entrance of the Yijin Pavilion, the gate slowly opened, and the internal Legacy Array loomed in the pale golden ley line Qi Energy. Chen Wu gripped the dual-energy dagger in his hand. The Qi Energy pellet in his Dantian rotated stably, the Qi Energy of the long-range Xingji projectiles pulsed slightly at his fingertips, and the Qi Energy anti-poison layer glowed with a faint golden light. He knew that the inheritance trial inside the Yijin Pavilion would be more dangerous than all previous challenges, and obtaining the Muscle Tendon Change Classic would not be smooth sailing. But he was no longer worried about insufficient strength because he had the support of the Brute Force Middle Stage Realm, new abilities with precise enhancements, a team with tacit cooperation, and, most importantly, the support of Martial Artists around the world.

The final image of the global live stream lingered on the moment Chen Wu's team stepped into the Yijin Pavilion. Their figures were like a streak of pale golden light, moving forward firmly under the guidance of the Legacy Array. Behind them were the blessings of 55 billion viewers, the hope of traditional martial arts inheritance, and the future forged by both Realm and original intention. The chat finally scrolled a neat line of text: "Body Tempering breaks through to the Middle Stage of Brute Force, ley lines assist the Qi pellet to pierce the rainbow; The Yijin Pavilion holds the inheritance trial, the inheritance will not fail the youth's efforts!" This message was lit up by 55 billion viewers simultaneously, like a river of light passing through the underground palace, illuminating the internal path of the Yijin Pavilion and also illuminating Chen Wu's ultimate journey as a Tomb Guardian and as an inheritor of traditional martial arts.

Chen Wu knew that the Muscle Tendon Change Classic within the Yijin Pavilion was not only the responsibility of a Tomb Guardian but also the expectation of global traditional martial arts practitioners. With the strength of the Brute Force Middle Stage, the trust of his team, and the support of global Martial Artists, he would successfully pass the inheritance trial, allowing the light of traditional martial arts to be reborn in the Yijin Pavilion and shine forever across the world.