Then one by one, they fell off Lou Yi's body, hit the ground, and their divine souls perished, beyond revival.

At the same time, the energy in the Attribute Panel increased by forty to fifty points.

The Golden Beetles look only fingernail-sized, but each can provide Lou Yi with two points of energy on average, much stronger than the Centipede's kind.

"Skin Refining." Lou Yi simultaneously activated the Skin Refining Technique, further enhancing his jade-white skin to prevent being bitten through by other strange insects.

'Dang!'

A black ray shot into Lou Yi's left eye, but he closed it in time.

The black ray struck Lou Yi's eyelid, enhanced by both petrification and skin refining.

Easily deflected to the side, revealing its distinct appearance from the previous two types of insects.

This was a pitch-black insect, half a fingernail in size.

Many densely moving black fine legs grew under its belly, and a sharp grey antenna rose from its forehead, looking like a small sword.

However, the small sword was bent, clearly damaged from collision with Lou Yi's eyelid.

"Quite sinister." Lou Yi pinched the black insect, applying slight pressure with his fingers, and crushed it into puree.

He continued to search the fields.

Strange and peculiar insects constantly fell into the trap.

But none were as troublesome as the earlier Golden Beetles, all were slain effortlessly by him.

Until near nightfall, Lou Yi killed until numb.

Walking out from the fields, his Daoist Robe was stained with yellow, white, and red insect fluids, creating a repulsive stench, quite disgusting.

"Darn, need to buy a new one sooner or later." Lou Yi was somewhat troubled, truly penniless now, with no place to gather silver.

Luckily, there's still a Daoist Robe; he can't let it get dirty tomorrow.

However, a smile unconsciously crept up as he glanced at the Attribute Panel filled with increased energy.

[Energy: 1986]

Just one day today, energy increased by over eight hundred points!

The most in Lou Yi's history, even more exaggerated than beast tides.

No wonder it's from a grand sect of immortals; even a dilapidated Spirit Field can provide such immense energy.

Naturally, Lou Yi wouldn't appeal to the elders.

He swallowed this 'silent loss', planning to settle with that Wang Wenbai later.

The next day, after finishing a 'Corpse Control Technique' lesson from some unknown elder, he hurriedly headed to the Spirit Field in Zone Wujiu.

This time, a black figure quietly tagged along behind him.

Slightly shorter than Lou Yi, plain-featured, with neither hair, beard, nor eyebrows; the eyes a mix of amber yellow and blood-red.

Barefooted, silent, it was precisely Lou Yi's spirit corpse, Lou Er.

'Must find a way to buy a Spirit Corpse Bag someday.' Lou Yi thought.

Otherwise, it would be ridiculous to have a corpse trailing behind whenever going out.

Arriving at the weed-ridden fields.

'Whoosh!'

A golden streak fearlessly flew out, the formidable Golden Beetle.

Lou Er acted instinctively, stepping before Lou Yi, extending a pale right hand towards the Golden Beetle.

'Puff!'

The spirit corpse clearly couldn't withstand the Golden Beetle's bite, a bloody slit appeared instantly on its palm.

Dark green blood surged out, submerging the Golden Beetle within.

Moments later, the Golden Beetle lay motionless, evidently poisoned by the spirit corpse's blood.

'That's effective?'

Lou Yi refrained from letting Lou Er risk anymore, venturing solo into the fields to continue exterminating bugs for energy.

Seems like the mass slaughter on the first day; energy collected on the second day only exceeded three hundred points, and remained around this number in subsequent days.

On this day, Lou Yi stood in the clearing outside the fields.

In the Attribute Panel under the Realm section, Stone Skin Martial Artist finally reached the Realm of Perfection, a faint '+' sign appeared next to it.

Lou Yi pressed the '+' sign in his mind, and its state instantly transformed:

Stone Skin Martial Artist (600/600)→Iron Skin Martial Artist (0/600).

Immediately, countless energies surged into his body, continuously transforming his skin, flesh, bones, organs, tendons, and blood vessels...

Lou Yi quickly removed his Daoist Robe.

His body visibly transitioned from bronze to a black-red hue, emitting a deep glow like metal heated at high temperatures.

Numerous white steam wafted from his body surface, instantly filling several yards around him as if enveloped in a fog.

'Buzzing!'

Insects from the fields fluttered their wings, charging towards Lou Yi, attempting to bite him to death.

The low-intelligence insects failed to comprehend what Lou Yi was doing at the moment.

Their bodies, upon contact with Lou Yi, crackled instantaneously, each turning into roasted husks, a fragrant aroma wafting.

When Lou Yi opened his eyes, he found himself surrounded by a ring of roasted insect corpses, with energy in the Attribute Panel increased by several dozen points.

He activated the Skin Refining Technique, and the skin's surface color immediately became cinnabar red.

Lightly grazing it with the Meteorite Iron Axe, the skin only sunk but wasn't compromised.

Lou Yi's Qi-Blood was astonishing.

After breaking through Iron Skin, his skin defense far exceeded ordinary Ping'an Village Iron Skin Martial Artists; even meteorite iron couldn't breach it.

If the Petrification Talent was further applied, Lou Yi wouldn't be sure of his defense level's extent.

However, strength could be quantifiably gauged.

'Hoo!'

Lou Yi punched, a white airflow appeared before his fist, dispersing in fan-shaped ripples towards the distance, soon vanishing.

'Initial strength, increased from thirty-six thousand pounds to forty thousand pounds, a rise of about ten percent.'

'Breaking through to Black Skin should result in a significant surge.

After all, the Skin Refining Technique focuses on tempering endurance, and since Black Skin is the final realm, it must be unique.'

'Regrettably, after Iron Skin, the proficiency gain from Skin Refining Technique decreases sharply, providing only two points a day.

At this pace, it would take three hundred days to advance to Black Skin.'

While operating the Skin Refining Technique, Lou Yi continued with the Breathing Technique.

The Qi-Blood inside him circulated at a hundred times the usual pace, producing sounds akin to a river rushing: 'splash splash'.

Clearly, the Qi-Blood's abundance had reached a state beyond the imagination of cultivators.

The Qi-Blood's circulation accelerated, as if something was ready to burst forth.

Yet lacking that critical boost, no transformation occurred ultimately.

'Cry!'

The eagle in his mind cheered.

The so-called nurturing of flesh and spirit, Lou Yi's physical enhancement naturally benefited the eagle as well.

Back at the mountainside of Disciple Peak, Lou Yi went to the cave residence adjacent to You Qingyi's and called, "Miss You, are you there?"

"What's the matter?" Moments later, You Qingyi emerged.

Clad in a grey Daoist Robe, unable to conceal her slender figure.

After cultivating the Profound Yin Technique, her skin became paler, of an extreme cold white, complemented by her icy demeanor, appearing increasingly aloof.

"Need a favor, would you be able to assist?" Lou Yi paused, saying, "Currently, in my cultivation, I'm lacking a crucial item."

...

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