Mortal Bones

Chapter 19: The Frost Transformation Phase—Minor Mastery of the Green Bull Fist

After finalizing his martial arts, Xu Taiping spent another ten merit coins to procure a fine-steel goose-feather saber, a recurve bow crafted from horn and ironwood, and over a hundred arrows.

“Lord Profound Mirror, I have made my selections.”

I really need a movement technique too… Xu Taiping thought with a silent sigh. Unfortunately, even the most basic footwork manuals in the repository started at over three hundred merit coins. He simply couldn’t afford it.

“Selections finalized. All transactions are non-refundable. A spiritual bird will deliver these items to the Green Bamboo Residence at noon tomorrow. Have your merit coins prepared.” The mirror spirit’s voice remained as cold and hollow as ever.

“Thank you for your guidance, Lord Profound Mirror.” Xu Taiping respectfully cupped his hands and bowed toward the artifact.

…

Later that evening.

The Green Bamboo Residence.

The warm, golden light of the fading sun streamed through the window of the quiet courtyard, casting a glow over Xu Taiping’s sweat-beaded face.

Sitting cross-legged on his bed, his eyes were clamped tightly shut. Wisps of heavy, leaden mist seeped from his pores, slowly drifting upward to converge into a swirling crown above his head.

He had slipped into a profound state of ethereal detachment, entirely oblivious to the physical world. His mind was an empty vessel, holding nothing but the Dao of cultivation.

Perfected Lord Ziyang had explicitly taught that circulating True Qi during the Zi, Wu, and You hours—midnight, noon, and twilight—yielded twice the results for half the effort. As such, come rain or shine, Xu Taiping unfailingly barred his gates during these windows to meditate.

Boom…

Suddenly, a muffled detonation of vital energy echoed from deep within his chest.

The heavy, leaden haze shrouding his figure instantly shattered. In its wake, wisps of immaculate, snow-white vapor rose gracefully from his skin, weaving together into a pristine halo above him.

Any senior practitioner of the Fading Glow Art would have immediately recognized this phenomenon. It was the absolute hallmark of a cultivator breaking through the Dew Condensation Phase and entering the Frost Transformation Phase: the shedding of mortal impurity to reveal frost-forged Qi.

A moment later, Xu Taiping’s eyes snapped open, blazing with undisguised elation.

Even he hadn’t anticipated shattering the bottleneck today. According to Perfected Lord Ziyang’s timeline, he should have needed at least another ten days of bitter grinding to bridge the gap between Dew Condensation and Frost Transformation.

Did pushing my True Qi to the absolute limit during that life-or-death struggle with the demon wolf force my meridians to adapt and accelerate the breakthrough?

“Is Xu Taiping of the Green Bamboo Residence within?”

Before he could parse the thought, a crisp, commanding voice echoed from beyond the walls. It was Bai Hong, the spiritual eagle.

“Little fledgling, your delivery is here.”

Throwing open the wooden gates, Xu Taiping found the majestic bird perched on the pathway. Resting at its talons was a heavy wooden chest secured with a Sect talisman seal.

“Thank you for the delivery, Uncle Bai.” Xu Taiping happily expressed his thanks, rushing forward.

“Little fledgling, merit coins are paid for in blood and sweat. Do not forget the annual tribute owed to the West Wind Pavilion at year’s end. Be frugal where you can,” Bai Hong advised, its tone softening with genuine concern.

“Rest assured, Uncle Bai, I know my limits. These are merely some defensive armaments and martial manuals.” The eagle’s unprompted kindness spread a warm feeling through Xu Taiping’s chest.

“So long as you know restraint.” Bai Hong nodded its massive beak.

Following their transaction the day prior, the eagle’s impression of the boy had vastly improved. Bai Hong no longer viewed him as just another nameless, expendable outer sect rogue cultivator.

“Your True Qi aura… it burns significantly purer than it did yesterday. Have you shattered a bottleneck?” Bai Hong suddenly leaned in, fixing Xu Taiping with a sharp, assessing glare.

“Your eyes are sharp, Uncle Bai. I’ve advanced to the Frost Transformation Phase. Once I consolidate this and push through to the Ice Condensation Phase, I will finally be ready to assail the Door Opening Realm.” Xu Taiping answered transparently.

“Impressive.” Bai Hong nodded with profound approval.

The eagle had seen the youth’s grueling work ethic firsthand; this rapid progress was earned, not luck.

“Keep your head down and cultivate diligently. Remember, reaching the Ice Condensation Phase merely grants you the right to attempt the Door Opening Realm. Do not let arrogance poison your foundation,” the spiritual bird warned.

“I will carve your teachings into my heart, Uncle Bai.” Xu Taiping bowed deeply, cupping his hands.

“Return to your meditation. With this delivery finished, I must accompany a Fourth Peak Elder on an expedition beyond the mountain borders. I likely will not return for several months.” With those parting words, Bai Hong unfurled its massive wings and launched into the sky.

Accompanying an Elder outside the Sect arrays… Are they descending into the mortal realm to slay demons and purge evil?

Watching the majestic silhouette shrink against the clouds, a thrill of excitement coursed through Xu Taiping’s veins.

The jade slips mentioned that the Seventh Peak’s disciples and Elders frequently accepted external Sect commissions. Completing these worldly tasks yielded staggering bounties of merit.

Even the most mundane external mission guaranteed a reward upwards of a thousand merit coins. The sheer wealth of it left Xu Taiping green with envy.

Eyes on the ground, Xu Taiping. Don’t reach for the heavens before you’ve learned to walk. Catching the dangerous drift of his own desires, he ruthlessly crushed the rising greed.

Grounding himself, he hoisted the heavy wooden crate and carried it back into the courtyard.

…

Five days later.

The backyard of the Green Bamboo Residence.

Boom!

Shrouded in a faintly biting, frost-white aura, Xu Taiping held his stance, letting explosive kinetic energy coil in his muscles. With a violent exhalation, he drove his fist dead-center into a towering, six-foot-tall boulder.

As his knuckles displaced the air, the sharp crack of breaking wind was accompanied by the faint, phantom bellow of a raging bull.

Bang!

With a deafening crack, his seemingly frail fist blasted entirely through the solid stone, carving a jagged crater straight through its center.

But Xu Taiping didn’t stop there. The instant his arm fully extended, he rigidly planted his feet, inhaled sharply to cycle his internal breath, and unleashed a torrential barrage of alternating strikes.

Bang! Bang! Bang!…

His fists blurred into a relentless assault, hammering the damaged stone with the overwhelming, chaotic force of a stampeding herd.

Boom!

Unable to withstand the punishing onslaught, the towering boulder finally gave way, detonating into a scattered pile of useless gravel.

Yet, the cost of absolute destruction was steep. Xu Taiping’s internal True Qi reserves were utterly hollowed out. The semi-translucent, icy sphere of protective Qi that had armored his skin evaporated like morning dew.

“Huff… Huff… Huff…”

Dropping his arms, Xu Taiping braced his hands against his knees, his chest heaving as he greedily sucked in air.

He had just executed the Green Bull Fist, the manual he had acquired from the West Wind Pavilion. More specifically, he had chained its two ultimate killing techniques: Bull Horn Shatters the Mountain and Galloping Bull Breaks the Formation.

“With the current depth of my Dantian, throwing Bull Horn Shatters the Mountain and Galloping Bull Breaks the Formation consecutively is my absolute limit,” he rasped through ragged breaths.

The boxing style was delightfully straightforward and savage. A mere five days of relentless drilling had granted him initial mastery. However, the sheer gluttony of the ultimate moves gave him a headache; their True Qi consumption was astronomical.

Even with the exceptionally rapid recovery rate of his Fading Glow True Qi, he could only practice the full sequence two or three times a day. Any more, and his meridians would run completely dry.

“That’s enough martial training for today. Once the midday heat breaks, I need to pull weeds from the Nine-Leaf White Perilla bed.”

Xu Taiping grabbed a rough cloth towel and scrubbed the grime and sweat from his torso.

Juggling two brand-new martial disciplines left his daily schedule painfully compressed. He genuinely wished he could fracture time itself to squeeze an extra hour out of the day.

Fortunately, breaching the Frost Transformation Phase had exponentially amplified his physical vitality. He could comfortably skip sleep for two or three consecutive days without feeling sluggish, gifting him precious extra hours for cultivation.

Awooo!…

Just as his stomach rumbled with the thought of lunch, a distant, blood-curdling howl tore through the mountain silence.

That echo originated from Yanglu Mountain. Has another demon wolf encroached on the territory?

Adrenaline spiking, he abandoned his rest. He sprinted out of the backyard, vaulted the heavy courtyard wall in a single, fluid bound, and launched himself onto the sloping clay tiles of the roof to scan the horizon.