Chapter 108: A Fierce Clash with the Third Level Martial Marquis
Bone strength is born, and the martial marquis is formed.
But Lu Yan’s breakthrough was far from over.
His vitality was six times that of an ordinary person, so the bone strength that emerged was naturally more than just one strand.
With his abundant vitality merging with a speck of starlight, after half an hour, a second strand of bone strength was born.
Then came the third, the fourth.
Only when six strands of bone strength had formed did the transformation truly complete.
“An ordinary martial artist breaking through to martial marquis can only produce one strand of bone strength. After that, they grow only that one strand through cultivation. But I have six.”
“Ordinary martial marquises can only unleash one strand of bone strength in combat, but I have six.”
Lu Yan carefully sensed the bone strength coursing through his skeleton, as if he had gained six extra arms, each perfectly under his control, responding like extensions of his will.
When unused, they dispersed within his bones; when needed, a mere thought could unleash their power.
Bang!
Lu Yan struck the valley’s stone wall with a punch, instantly shattering a fifty-centimeter-wide crater, sending fragments scattering.
“The power of one strand unleashed now is weaker than before my breakthrough,” Lu Yan judged.
This was normal; he had just broken through. His vitality had yet to fully convert into bone strength, and similar to surpassing limits, the ten-plus days following a breakthrough are a period of rapid improvement.
After that rapid growth phase, cultivation stabilizes, reaching the peak of the new realm.
“Let me try unleashing multiple strands at once.”
Lu Yan then tried fusing two strands in an explosive strike, which gouged an even larger, deeper crater in the stone wall.
Then three, four, and finally all six strands.
In battle, he could unleash a single strand or all six simultaneously, delivering power far beyond that of martial marquises of his level.
After resting a while, Lu Yan took out a piece of dried martial food, chewing and swallowing it.
Since he was preparing for a breakthrough, he had naturally made ample preparations; besides the nine-joint heart meat from the mutated beast and the Beast King’s Bone-Protecting Soup, he had stockpiled plenty of dried martial food.
He resumed practicing the thirty-six forms of the Diamond Indestructible Technique.
The energy from the martial food transformed into vitality.
Vitality then converted into bone strength, and his six strands of bone strength gradually grew stronger.
Bone strength permeated through his bones and muscles, constantly reinforcing them until, in the end, he possessed truly steel-like bones and iron-like muscles.
Vitality was the foundation of everything.
In the blink of an eye, ten days passed—the rapid growth phase was over.
The strength of Lu Yan’s muscles had doubled compared to before his breakthrough.
His bones had improved even more dramatically, becoming three times stronger and as hard as iron.
His bone strength had grown by fifty percent compared to just after his breakthrough.
Unleashing a single strand of bone strength now was as powerful as before his breakthrough.
“Finally achieved martial marquis—worth all my preparations.”
Lu Yan smiled.
After all these years in this world, he had finally gained a measure of self-protection.
The cultivation ahead would be steady work: consuming martial food to grow bone strength until it reached a certain level, then seeking the next breakthrough point to pierce into the inner bone space and ascend to the second tier of martial marquis, the inner-layer martial marquis.
Currently, Lu Yan was a first-tier, outer-layer martial marquis.
With a leap, he left the valley and soon returned to Baiyue City.
He was preparing to return to his residence, cancel the lease on his villa, get his deposit back, and pack to head back to Baicao City.
But the moment he stepped through the villa’s gate, Lu Yan stopped.
After his breakthrough, his body had undergone tremendous enhancement; as his strength grew, so did his senses.
He sensed someone inside.
Not just one person, but two.
Their presence was powerful, radiating a dangerous aura.
At this moment, the only ones who could pose such a threat to Lu Yan were martial marquises.
“Exposed? Lu Wenxuan?” Lu Yan’s eyes darkened as he turned and ran.
Inside the house, two figures immediately burst forth in pursuit.
“Li Wenlong, Li Wenyan—so they really were exposed.”
Lu Yan quickened his pace, charging toward the city outskirts.
“Don't run!”
Li Wenlong and Li Wenyan gave chase relentlessly, unleashing their full speed.
Both were at least third-tier martial marquises; with their explosive speed, wherever they passed, a strong wind whipped up, scattering nearby pedestrians like rag dolls.
They were fast—but Lu Yan was faster.
His Wind-Chasing Step, a perfected fusion of human and martial arts, was even more profound. With the aid of his bone strength, Li Wenlong and Li Wenyan could not keep up.
Soon, they exited Baiyue City, running across the wilderness.
Gradually, Li Wenyan began to fall behind, unable to keep pace.
Only Li Wenlong, relying on the immense burst power of a third-tier martial marquis, stubbornly stayed on Lu Yan’s tail.
They soon passed more than ten miles beyond Baiyue City.
Li Wenlong’s expression was cold and grim.
He tossed his heavy spear aside to gain speed.
The spear weighed several dozen pounds; after discarding it, his speed indeed increased.
After running about another five miles...
“It seems only Li Wenlong and Li Wenyan came after me. They must be confident, thinking a third-tier martial marquis can easily handle me.”
Lu Yan thought.
The reason he turned and fled was twofold: first, he didn’t want to fight inside the city and risk alerting the Tuoba clan.
Second, he feared there might be even stronger enemies lying in wait.
Since none had appeared after such a long chase, it seemed only Li Wenlong and Li Wenyan were involved.
It made sense.
In Nanyi City, Lu Yan had not shown much strength.
When seizing the Qiu family’s shellfish, he had used a ruse to lure away two top experts before making a move. Even then, Qiu Baiye, a first-tier martial marquis, resisted fiercely before being killed.
When taking the Li family’s Jade Bone Tiger, he struck only when Li Wenlong and others were entangled by demonic forces.
If there were martial marquises above the third tier, would they have behaved so cautiously?
Moreover, the Beast King’s Bone-Protecting Soup was mostly reserved for family or disciples; even if an extra martial marquis appeared, Li Wenlong, as an innate martial body, could handle him.
Given that...
Swish!
Lu Yan suddenly turned, leaping several bounds like a swift wind toward Li Wenlong, throwing a punch.
Li Wenlong was not startled; rather, he smiled grimly and unleashed his bone strength in a punch as well.
Clash!
Like two giant beasts colliding, a heavy thud echoed. Both staggered, stepping back.
“Third-tier martial marquis—nothing to be afraid of.”
After one exchange, seeing he wasn’t overwhelmed, Lu Yan’s confidence surged.
He unleashed the Diamond Indestructible Technique to its full extent; his body glowed golden, his stature greatly enlarged.
All six strands of bone strength fused and burst forth as his fists rained down like a tempest.
Li Wenlong’s expression stiffened, wary not to underestimate Lu Yan, and countered with full force.
Their speed was astonishing; in the blink of an eye, they had exchanged dozens of blows.
Lu Yan realized that relying on bone strength alone, he was weaker.
He had just broken through; Li Wenlong was a third-tier martial marquis.
But combined with the human-martial fusion of the Diamond Indestructible Technique, Lu Yan was not inferior—he might even have the upper hand.
True first-class martial arts only reveal their full power when driven by bone strength.
At that moment, Li Wenyan caught up, only a few hundred meters away.
Clang!
Lu Yan and Li Wenlong clashed again, using the momentum of their collision to part and swiftly charge toward Li Wenyan.
Li Wenlong’s expression changed, shouting, “Be careful! You’re no match for him!”
Before the words finished, Lu Yan was already upon Li Wenyan, throwing a powerful punch.
Li Wenyan raised his palm to block, but as a second-tier martial marquis, he could not withstand Lu Yan’s full-strength strike.
Crack!
Li Wenyan’s hand bones shattered, his arm twisted, and he coughed up blood as he retreated.
Lu Yan followed with two more punches; one was blocked, the other landed heavily on Li Wenyan’s abdomen.
That punch shattered Li Wenyan’s protective bone strength, its force piercing through, leaving him grievously wounded.
Behind them, Li Wenlong arrived swiftly, his murderous intent surging like a lion ready to devour.
Lu Yan grabbed Li Wenyan’s neck, swung him toward Li Wenlong, and dashed after him.
If Li Wenlong caught Li Wenyan, Lu Yan’s next attack would land with advantage.
Li Wenlong saw through the plan; his eyes chilled as he neither dodged nor blocked but punched straight at Li Wenyan, the powerful blow sending him flying toward Lu Yan.
Lu Yan struck as well.
The combined force of two masters’ blows severed Li Wenyan’s body in two, flinging the halves apart.
Lu Yan and Li Wenlong collided again, exchanging rapid strikes.
“Kill me, a Li clan martial marquis, and repay with your life!”
Li Wenlong’s eyes bled red as his assault grew fierce.
“That’s your own doing—don’t slander me,” Lu Yan sneered.
“If not for you, he wouldn’t be dead! Kill!” Li Wenlong roared, his energy boiling, bone strength surging, unleashing a flurry of deadly moves.
Lu Yan matched him blow for blow.
Clang! Clang!
Li Wenlong’s punch struck Lu Yan’s left chest, while Lu Yan landed a blow on Li Wenlong’s shoulder.
Both staggered backward, sliding more than ten meters.
Lu Yan’s face flushed but remained unharmed.
He pushed off with both feet, the ground erupting beneath him as his figure rocketed like a cannonball at Li Wenlong.
Blood trickled from Li Wenlong’s mouth; his left arm trembled as he forced his bone strength to surge, attacking Lu Yan.
After several moves, they each landed a hit.
This time, Lu Yan struck Li Wenlong’s abdomen, while Li Wenlong hit Lu Yan’s chest.
“Again!”
Lu Yan shouted, pressing the attack, abandoning all defense, putting all his strength into offense.
Li Wenlong could only parry.
He knew well he could not retreat now.
To back down or try to escape would sap his momentum, leaving him vulnerable to a crushing defeat.
Only a fight to the death offered a slim chance.
Clang! Clang!
They clashed fiercely, trading injuries.
Unfortunately for Li Wenlong, the Diamond Indestructible Technique combined the strengths of nine second-rate martial arts, excelling in offense, speed, and defense, with almost no weaknesses.
Thanks to its formidable defense, Lu Yan withstood the assaults; Li Wenlong, however, could not.
After the fifth time being struck by Lu Yan, he coughed up a mouthful of blood mixed with fragments of internal organs.
His internal injuries were severe.
His energy waned rapidly, bone strength weakening.
Seizing the moment, Lu Yan delivered a punch to Li Wenlong’s chest.
Li Wenlong flew back fifty meters, crashing through three massive stones and two large trees.
Lu Yan leapt into the air, soaring over ten meters high and fifty meters forward, then descended like a heavenly hammer with a crushing kick.
Boom!
His foot landed squarely on Li Wenlong’s chest, shattering his torso, blood and bone spraying as the earth beneath formed a deep crater.
Exhausted, Lu Yan dropped to the ground, gasping for breath.
Tearing open his clothes, he found terrifying bruises and his sternum aching sharply.
(End of chapter)