The elephant embodies the earth, the dragon embodies the heavens, and the union of dragon and elephant embodies the Way.

Training ground at the base.

The same training chamber.

Fivefold gravity.

Chen Longshi sat cross-legged, focusing his mind, and was the first to crush the star core of “Dragon-Elephant Martial Disc.” A vast surge of star sigil energy shot straight into his mind. Eighteen foundational star sigils, transformed from the star technique of “Dragon-Elephant Martial Disc,” circled around a single violet core sigil, together forming a unique star array disc.

He began to carefully comprehend the wondrous uses of these star sigils, but the scene before his “eyes” seemed shrouded in a layer of mist—appearing clear yet actually murky, always eluding his understanding.

At that moment, the violet lotus in his sea of consciousness rippled gently, bringing sudden clarity to his mind as countless streams of thought surged forth. Looking again at the star disc, he felt as though a bolt of lightning had struck him, and a sentence naturally arose in his mind: “The elephant’s method is earth, the dragon’s method is heaven, dragon and elephant together form the path.”

These ten words danced through his mind, and he suddenly grasped an insight. The star force within him began to circulate lively and automatically. Star force streamed from his muscles, seeped from his cells, and flowed endlessly from his internal organs, spreading throughout his body. When fused with his spiritual thoughts, marvelous changes occurred.

The star force grew lively and brimming with vitality, no longer rigid and motionless as before. The vitality and liveliness infused within gradually nourished Chen Longshi’s entire being. Unconsciously, a hexagram star array appeared behind his head, and a star chart manifested on its own. Upon the chart, one hundred and eight stars shone brightly, together forming a violet nine-petaled lotus pattern.

He did not know how much time had passed when he suddenly felt his whole body tremble. The star force slowly reversed, flowing back to a mysterious point three inches above his lower abdomen, and he regained his clarity.

Instinctively checking his body, he was startled to find a fine layer of metabolic residue across his skin. Even his skin was shedding dead cells, and beneath, new skin was growing. A pungent, foul odor emanated from his entire body.

Startled, Chen Longshi circulated his star force, and was instantly shocked.

He had just realized that the speed at which he could now mobilize star force was more than three times faster than before. The circulation was stable and lively, completely different from the past. Though he had not yet entered the Star Vein Stage, all his star force seemed invigorated with newfound vitality.

Was this an epiphany?

He had heard that epiphany was a peculiar state of realization. For martial cultivators, experiencing such a revelation often led to great breakthroughs in character and mental strength, making the road of cultivation smoother thereafter.

Given his spiritual foundation, a significant breakthrough was unlikely. Not only did he not break through, but he felt his spirit had been greatly consumed. Yet, if consuming spiritual power could make star force so vibrant, it was well worth it.

Consuming spiritual power to let star force leap to a higher level.

If it were anyone else, they would have been utterly lost, unable to make sense of it, and might not even have managed to begin cultivation at all. Yet, this star technique seemed almost tailor-made for Chen Longshi.

His spiritual power had long surpassed several levels.

Knowing how rare this opportunity was, Chen Longshi suppressed his excitement and continued to silently explore the subtleties of the star technique, hoping to resume the state of epiphany.

Gradually, the “Dragon-Elephant Martial Disc” array of star sigils began to change again. All the star techniques he had previously cultivated resurfaced in his mind: “Eighteen Forms of Star-Tempering,” “Intermediate Guide to Star Drawing,” “Tortoise-Serpent Physique Forging,” “Golden Bell”—all these star sigils appeared in his mind. Even the “Nine Forms of Star-Tempering,” “Star Force Perception,” and “Introductory Star Drawing” from his Black Iron stage emerged anew.

As the star sigils shifted and transformed, his spiritual power was rapidly consumed, as if deducing something profound.

Just as Silver Fox had said, “For those who have practiced many physique-forging star techniques, the most important thing is not to endlessly learn one technique after another, but to be skilled at summarizing and discovering. Suppress yourself, break past your limits.”

This was the true purpose of “Dragon-Elephant Martial Disc”—to integrate all previously cultivated star techniques into one.

Disregarding the Black Iron techniques for now, the “Star Drawing” was the first star technique he cultivated after breaking through the Bronze-level life shackles, serving as the foundation on his path. “Eighteen Forms of Star-Tempering” was the first major step; “Tortoise-Serpent Physique Forging” let him glimpse higher vistas, and “Golden Bell” solidified this upward path.

So, what was he lacking now?

A new rung on the ladder.

Yes, Chen Longshi suddenly understood.

The path ahead was to pave a road straight to the heavens, to comprehend the ultimate landscape of the Star-Tempering stage.

With no thought of rest, Chen Longshi instinctively crushed the star cores of “Steel Bones,” “Iron Vest,” and “Condensing Fiendish Energy,” three more star techniques.

“Steel Bones” was especially potent for tempering bones and purging the marrow. Once mastered, all bones became hardened and piercing, the body more agile, and the resistance to blows greater. This star technique comprised 18 sigils arranged in formation, though with only three tiers, each leap was significant.

Chen Longshi began channeling star force, following the sigil formation route for “Steel Bones.” This formation was different from other techniques. As soon as he mobilized star force, he felt his blood nearly boiling, pounding against his bones with a trembling like the forging of steel.

Not long into practice, he found his limbs growing numb and sore, much like the fatigue after depleting all strength. Normally, a martial artist would need a long rest to recover from such depletion, but now it was unnecessary.

Soul nourishment transformed into vital energy, a vast tide of it replenishing his internal organs, while his marrow rapidly generated blood to make up for the loss.

Riding this surge of energy, Chen Longshi threw himself once more into cultivating “Steel Bones.”

This time, the process was unlike any before. As he trained, his consciousness drifted into his sea of awareness, and almost instinctively, he began cultivating “Soul Scripture.” Yet his body continued unceasingly, entering a state beyond thought or awareness.

By nightfall, with his soul nourishment depleted by more than ten thousand, his spirit finally returned to his body. He felt his qi and blood, once light and floating, now subtly weighted and dense, as though he had begun to forge his very blood essence.

Opening the system panel,

“Steel Bones” had reached the second tier (46%).

Chen Longshi carefully savored the sensation and immediately knew that his inner vitality was now stable and deep, though not yet at the exaggerated level of marrow like frost or mercury-like blood, but his previously unstable qi and blood was now much firmer, and his physique and bones had been strengthened.

Seizing the momentum, he pushed his cultivation of “Steel Bones” to completion.

After a night of training, Chen Longshi felt no hunger at all.

At sunrise, he stood and stretched, his entire skeleton crackling with sound—“Steel Bones” was now perfected.

Steel Bones, perfected: Strength +3.5, Agility +3.5, Physique +2.1

[Strength]: 25.6, [Agility]: 26.3, [Physique]: 29.1, [Spirit]: 160

Such visible progress was a tremendous boost to morale.

After a brief wash and change of clothes, Chen Longshi, without hesitation, returned to the training chamber.

The cultivation of “Iron Vest” bore remarkable resemblance to “Golden Bell”—both were external techniques for forging the body. Once mastered, a layer of iron-like armor would form atop the skin, able to withstand immense force and pressure without the slightest harm. Even lesser star weapons could not break through, and with further mastery it could even manifest a protective aura, granting miraculous abilities such as immunity to drowning, fire, suffocation, and even freedom from hunger.

As the martial proverb goes, “Brute strength cannot overcome skill in fists; skill in fists cannot overcome mastery in hard techniques.” Most likely, “hard techniques” refers to star techniques like “Golden Bell” and “Iron Vest.”

So this time—tenfold gravity, ten mechanical fists.

The oppressive weight pressed heavily upon his shoulders; Chen Longshi’s legs trembled but quickly steadied.

A new round of cultivation began.