Bones!
Seemingly the sticks that hold the structure of our body, they might be weak at birth, but as we grow into adults, it becomes amazingly stronger.
But as we grow older, the bones become weaker, and eventually, we will die. Have you ever considered why, after we die, bones are the last ones to still remain?
Bones are the strongest part of our body, but a question arises: can they be even more stronger?
Well, there might be many ways to make your bones stronger, but the most primal way was destroying them!
The Martial Arts Way!
Treating bones like iron: hammering them again and again until they break, heal, break, and heal once more. Repeating the cycle until they grow stronger and stronger.
The manliest of them all!
"How did I become such a tiny being?"
Chun Ma thought in his heart with strange puzzlement. His inner core was also missing; why it was missing was a wonder on its own, not to mention that all his injuries with the poison had completely vanished.
He was truly like an eight-year-old child if not considering all the titles he has and his abnormal strength from it
Shaking his head, Chun Ma was about to gather mana. Just then…
Doom! Doom!
A loud drum roared, shaking the entire cramped space he was in. Just as his mind was filled with puzzlement, a loud voice erupted from outside:
"Come outside, all trainees!"
"How?" Chun Ma instinctively muttered.
"You have to figure this out on your own."
The man's roar sounded and became quiet again.
"I see, so I need to come out of here, huh?" Chun Ma nodded, feeling calm and collected in his heart. He raised his fist with a grin appearing on his face: "If there is no door, then I will make the door."
He slammed his fist into the cramped walls casually.
Bang!
The walls cracked ever so slightly, but after that, there was almost no response.
Blood trickled down from his fist. Chun Ma was in a moment of disbelief.
His body strengthening skill was at level 5, which granted him strength beyond ordinary. This is the reason he could kill the Jiangshi as well and was even capable of using Star Strike.
But you meant to tell him that his power causes just a slight crack here?
"This is going to be difficult, isn't it?"
There was no food, and only a single flickering candle provided light. If no one came out within a few hours, their sanity would begin to erode, bit by bit, especially in this oppressive silence.
Still, he went to work. Raising his fist, he punched again, slowly but steadily.
"There has to be a meaning behind this. It's a trial, not something impossible. But, welp…"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Chun Ma kept punching, again and again, until the skin on his fists was torn away, leaving bloody hands in plain view.
But at the same time, they were healing.
"I can do it." He took a deep breath and continued his work.
"One, two, three, four…"
With each punch, his spine shivered, a tingling aftershock running through him, while his fists accumulated more and more injuries.
Blood splattered across the wall, painting a scene straight out of hell.
But…
Each punch grew stronger, more forceful. The progress was visible and undeniable.
"One hundred!"
Chun Ma roared and struck again. A section of the wall, nearly a meter wide, had already been carved out by his bare fists alone.
***
"Hmm, too slow," Eryke mumbled in the real world while touching his chin. He was contemplating what to do with this clone of his.
Although this might sound like a potential danger, for him this was an unfathomable opportunity.
He could infiltrate the Demonic Cult, and he may even have the opportunity to be true to the name of Chun Ma:
"Let's do it."
Eryke directly leveled up the genius skill of the clone. Unfortunately, he couldn't use this skill for himself, as it was inherited from the clone, but this would help Chun Ma tremendously.
[You have spent 500,000 Destiny Points]
[Skill: Genius has leveled up from Level 1 to Level 9]
"This is really devastating." Looking at his swindling Destiny Points, Eryke despaired.
[Destiny Points: 378,000]
"The refresh is coming soon. I will get another million soon, and I hope my other clones could also accomplish something that could help me farm these Destiny Points."
***
"Five hundred."
Chun Ma muttered as he threw another punch. Sweat poured down his body, soaking his clothes through.
If he had once been able to create just 0.01 meters of space with a punch, now he could create 0.1 meters.
This increase was already terrifying, but there was no end to it, making one feel very depressed about it.
He could faintly hear the water running from far away, so he followed that sound without much hesitation.
This progress wasn't built on nothing either. Although his fist healed, the pain was soul-rending, devastation to your life at the least.
Veins bulged around his arms, his bones broken and healed again and again.
After what felt like an eternity, he was closer than ever to that sound.
"2659!"
Chun Ma shouted, and the wall before him shattered. A small flickering light appeared in front of him.
"Ha, ha, ha…"
He took deep, ragged breaths to calm his surging excitement and struck once more.
"2660!"
Bang!
The wall before him crumbled entirely, and a blinding light enveloped his vision.
His eyes gradually adjusted to the brightness, and only then could he finally see what lay beyond.
A brightly empty room stretched out before him. At its center stood a tall, bearded man with a protruding belly.
When the bearded man spotted Chun Ma, the skinny kid with his hand grotesquely disfigured, a flicker of surprise flashed in his eyes.
Chun Ma gave a respectful nod, bowed slightly, and sat down on the floor.
"Interesting," the bearded man chuckled, his gaze lingering as he remained still, saying nothing more.
Before long, another wall crumbled, and a new figure emerged...