Moreover...

Gu Yuan took a deep breath.

Inside his body, there were crackling sounds of popping beans, rapid and intense.

His entire body seemed to swell like it was inflated, muscles bulged, expanding significantly, and his height also increased.

Rip—

The clothes on Gu Yuan's body were instantly torn apart, and he casually ripped them off.

His fair skin turned a dark bluish-black, with dense networks of veins visible beneath, muscles knotted, and on his back faint turtle patterns appeared, exuding a wild aura.

He stood tall and mighty, like a massive bluish-black giant, radiating a terrifying presence!

Crunch, crunch!

Even the stone pavement couldn't withstand the force he was emitting, and shattered beneath his feet.

As Gu Yuan exhaled with sound, there were faint thundering sounds between his nose and mouth.

Not only did he achieve Great Success in Bone Refining, but he also attained Small Success in the Black Turtle Armor Technique, a martial arts technique suspected to be at the peak grade!

This is also a phase of achieving Great Success in Bone Refining!

The Golden Snake Swallowing Yuan Technique's Great Success in Bone Refining, together with the Black Turtle Armor Technique reaching the same phase, combine, creating results far beyond mere addition!

Currently, Gu Yuan is a Peak Martial Master, but not just an ordinary Peak Martial Master!

Because he has not only completed the phases of Refining Skin, Refining Tendons, and Bone Refining.

Even his internal organs and spirit have been significantly enhanced due to the Turtle Breath Talent.

He is already one or two steps ahead of other Peak Martial Masters.

While other Peak Martial Masters are still contemplating how to refine their organs, Gu Yuan is steadily advancing, having already refined and nourished his organs.

At least Gu Yuan can tangibly feel his breathing becoming longer and more robust, his lungs inhaling and exhaling forcefully...

His eyes are growing brighter, allowing him to see at night, his emotions are stable and calm, with his liver energy flowing smoothly...

His kidneys are full of primordial Qi, his vitality is vigorous, and he is never the first to wake up every morning...

His heart beats strong and powerful, like a pump, circulating his vital energy throughout his body...

His appetite is increasing, and his digestion is strong, able to completely digest even hard bones...

These are manifestations of his enhanced and strengthened organs.

The biggest difference between a Martial Master and an Innate Martial Master is the discrepancy in lifespan!

A person's blood is pure and lively during infancy, vigorous during youth, fierce during young adulthood, and mature and steady during middle age.

But once middle age passes, entering old age, around forty to fifty, the physical quality inevitably begins to weaken, vital energy and blood decline, and physical strength diminishes.

This is because the functional capacity of the body's organs weakens, starts to degenerate, and ages; once the organs age, the vital energy and the flesh, muscles, and bones follow suit.

In other words, a person's lifespan is significantly related to the five internal organs!

Even a Martial Master is no exception!

No matter how strong one's muscles and bones are, even if impervious to swords and spears, if the internal organs are not trained and strengthened, when a century passes, the body will still decay and life will end.

However, once achieving Great Success in Organ Refining, with the five internal organs functioning smoothly and coherently, and the Qi of the organs strong, it can internally strengthen muscles and physical constitution.

Additionally, it can continuously expel residual waste Qi from the body, regulating both internally and externally, maintaining a clear and clean state at all times.

Thus, naturally, it can extend lifespan to about a hundred and fifty years!

To put it plainly, a Martial Master refines the external aspects of muscles and bones.

An Innate Martial Master, however, delves into the organs, bone marrow, blood, and even the more mysterious divine soul!

Therefore, a Martial Master is merely laying the foundation, whereas the organ refining phase of an Innate Martial Master is the watershed into the extraordinary realm!

...

Whoo—

Gu Yuan exhaled deeply, and his body, like an Iron Tower giant, began to shrink, rapidly returning to the appearance of a handsome young man.

The new teeth in his mouth had noticeably grown out a bit more, and within another hour or two, they should be fully grown.

He took some clothes from the rack beside him and draped them over himself.

The clothes were somewhat thin, but Gu Yuan didn't feel cold at all.

In fact, at Gu Yuan's level of Martial Arts cultivation, his physique was powerful, with vigorous and intense vital energy, like a furnace, almost superhuman.

Unless it was extremely cold weather, below freezing, he wouldn't feel cold even in normal winter, even without clothes.

The commotion caused by Gu Yuan's breakthrough in cultivation caught the attention of the three small creatures in the courtyard, although their reactions were varied.

Big Mouth was coiled around the branches of an old tree in the courtyard, lazily basking in the sun.

The slender, gray-white serpent body was coiled around the branches like a spring.

Though it was a serpent, it was an unusual species, so it didn't need to hibernate.

But in the depths of winter, the cold weather still affected it, making it reluctant to move, preferring to bask in the sun.

Despite the noticeable commotion Gu Yuan caused, it could barely be bothered to glance.

Every now and then, it would wiggle a bit, ensuring even exposure to the sun.

Awu had been sent by Gu Yuan to secretly protect his parents.

It was a lazy homebody, preferring to nest in dark corners without moving; Gu Yuan's arrangement suited it perfectly.

Meanwhile, Ao Da, being gentle and steady, lay quietly in a corner, eyes half-open, half-closed.

Ah Huang had grown fatter and larger, its fur glossy and smooth, with sharp greenish-blue incisors, now resembling a large wolfhound.

At that moment, it was gnawing joyfully on an iron ingot, making crunching noises as its teeth scraped against the metal, causing a tingling sensation.

During this period, Gu Yuan had exhausted his Blood Jade Bone Forging Pill and all three Spirit Medicine Yellow Spirits for his cultivation.

Ah Huang had also benefited from the process.

Now, its growth phase had reached completion at 100%, having matured into a fully grown Iron-toothed Rat, ready to evolve.

However, the progression of a Spirit Pet from elite to excellent marks the boundary between mundane species and Spirit Species, or even from ordinary beasts to Demon Beasts!

For example, the Iron-backed Centipede, Awu, was an excellent-grade Demon Insect.

In human terms, it's akin to the difference between a Martial Master and an Innate Martial Master!

Gu Yuan himself handled it well, always mindful to minimize sounds when training, and even during breakthroughs, he kept disturbances to a minimum.

But if Ah Huang were to upgrade to become a small Treasure Hunting Mouse, who knew what anomalies might occur, or if it might draw attention from certain people in the city?

Therefore, to prevent any unexpected incidents, Gu Yuan decided to take it to the mountains for the upgrade.

"Ah Huang, let's go!"

Taking up the Qiushui Sword with its altered appearance, Gu Yuan called to Ah Huang, ready to go for a walk and upgrade Ah Huang in the process.

Due to the pressure from the Qian Mansion, Xuan You the Old Monster, and other mysterious events, Gu Yuan had been cooped up in the courtyard, focusing on cultivation, seldom going out.

Now with his breakthrough achieved, he felt more confident and less restrained, intending to relax a bit and gather information on any recent changes in Beiliang City.

Also, in the path of cultivation, allowing for relaxation is a long-term strategy.

Ah Huang had grown too large for Gu Yuan to carry it in his arms or in a bag as he used to.

Fortunately, snakes have their own ways, and mice have their own methods.

Being an extraordinary mouse, Ah Huang certainly had ways to leave the city unnoticed.

Digging tunnels, camouflaging, and evading detection are innate talents of the rodent family.

...

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