Book 2: Studying for the Rise to Prominence of the Human Race - 75: Adamantine Battle Body
After resting for a night, Team Bright finally embarked on their return journey. After experiencing such a devastating blow, no one had any interest in continuing to stay here. They also had to go back to the Institute in order to report the casualties.
On the way, they all agreed, even Jin Ling’er, to place all of the blame on the Clay Giant.
But no one knew how effective this lie would be and how long it would last.
After walking for a day, they finally returned to the Hidden Dragon Institute and went their own separate ways.
While walking towards the Origin Energy Tower, Cloud Leopard asked Su Chen, “Do you want to inform Uncle Huang about this matter?”
Cloud Leopard wasn’t Shi Kaihuang’s disciple, so he called him “Uncle” instead.
Su Chen replied, “We don’t need to tell him about it right now. Instructors are supposed to teach us, not act as guardians. If we can withstand the coming tempest on our own, it’s best to do that.”
If Wang Doushan was here, he probably would have said something like “I’m worried that you won’t be able to handle it”, but all Cloud Leopard did was grunt and nod in agreement.
To him, the idea that this situation might not be resolvable had never crossed his mind.
On the streets, only fists were trustworthy.
News of the death of Zhang Sheng’an’s party had yet to spread. In the meantime, Su Chen experienced a rare moment of peace.
After returning to his old manner of life, he once again threw himself into his research.
He had successfully completed Kaihuang’s Heaven, but there was more research waiting for him.
As long as he was still alive, there would always be more research to do.
Iron Cliff began cultivating as soon as he returned.
Su Chen walked over and said, “Iron Cliff, how is the cultivation of Mountain-Shaking Vigor going?”
“Master, it’s reached the stage of large success!” Iron Cliff said while proudly patting his chest.
Mountain-Shaking Vigor was a kind of body-tempering technique. Unlike the Flowing Wind Body Technique, which resulted in a comprehensive increase in strength, it would only increase physical power but to an extreme degree.
Every person who cultivated it needed to be extremely muscular, so it was a perfect technique for the Cliff Race to learn.
Unlike Su Chen’s mixed, heterogeneous path, Iron Cliff had chosen a narrow, well-defined path.
Su Chen didn’t teach him too many Origin Skills, but he required Iron Cliff cultivate each one to the stage of large success.
At the moment, Iron Cliff had learned three Origin Skills: Flowing Wind Body Technique, Iron Mountain Shield, and now Mountain-Shaking Vigor. Every one of them was at the stage of large success.
If he were really to participate in battle, Iron Cliff would perhaps still not be the opponent of many of the students of the Hidden Dragon Institute.
However, anyone who wanted to try and kill him would need to expend a significant amount of energy.
One could say that Su Chen had brought Iron Cliff up to be like a meat shield.
Upon hearing Iron Cliff’s reply, a satisfied smile appeared on Su Chen’s face. “Very good. I think it’s about time for me to teach you your fourth Origin Skill.”
Upon hearing that there were new Origin Skills for him to learn, Iron Cliff also perked up. “What is it, Master?”
Su Chen did not reply; instead, he tossed a vial of medicine to Iron Cliff. “Drink that.”
Iron Cliff didn’t hesitate to gulp it down.
Iron Cliff drank the medicine and felt a stream of heat spread throughout his entire body, entering every blood vessel within his body. The surging tide of energy caused Iron Cliff feel as if he were about to explode.
“AHH!” Iron Cliff let out a pained cry.
“Don’t move. Revolve your Origin Energy to the Heaven-Stepping Gate and then to the Lower Courtyard......” As Su Chen spoke, he smacked his palm on Iron Cliff’s heart, then the space between his eyebrows, his nose, his neck, and spine. He continued to travel down Iron Cliff’s body, every palm strike carrying an immense force behind it..
If it were anyone else, they might have instinctively resisted, doubted, or froze in response.
But Iron Cliff wouldn’t. No matter what happened to him, he had absolute faith in his Master.
This was exactly what Su Chen needed. He didn’t say anything beforehand because he wanted to achieve this result. If Iron Cliff hadn’t been able to manage it...... then he wouldn’t want this kind of person anyways.
The constant palm strikes prompted the Origin Energy to revolve in Iron Cliff’s body at a furious rate. The external and internal energy constantly slammed into his body, changing and shaping it. Finally, the frighteningly powerful torrent of energy converged on the surface of his body.
A faint golden light appeared, enveloping Iron Cliff’s skin.
The light slowly shimmered and flowed, making Iron Cliff look like a golden statue.
The golden light grew stronger and stronger after Su Chen’s palm strikes and Iron Cliff’s Origin Energy revolutions.
It wasn’t until Su Chen retrieved his hands and the collisions of energy in his body began to subside that the golden light also began to fade.
However, Iron Cliff could feel that his entire body, both mentally and physically, had been changed.
He stared at his hands in shock but couldn’t find anything wrong with them. He gazed at Su Chen, but Su Chen stumbled forwards, almost falling to the ground. Iron Cliff hurried over to help him up and said with a worried tone, “Master!”
“I’m fine. I just expended a bit too much energy, is all,” Su Chen laughed.
He helped Su Chen sit down before he asked, “What did Master give me?”
“A new medicine I developed. I call it the...... Adamantine Medicine.”
“Adamantine Medicine?” Iron Cliff repeated, then thought of something. “Giant Adamantine Ape?”
“That’s right!” Su Chen laughed. “This is the Giant Adamantine Ape. What do you think? How does it feel to have the Adamantine Battle Armor?”
Because he had killed it on his own, the entire Giant Adamantine Ape ended up belonging to Su Chen.
After lugging the corpse back to the Origin Energy Tower, Su Chen began to research the Giant Adamantine Ape’s bloodline.
Originally, analyzing these bloodlines was just a habit of his. He did not have any expectations that it would result in anything significant.
However, research always carried with it a great amount of uncertainty – perhaps something he spent his entire life researching would never end up anywhere, but something else would produce results almost instantly. He never knew what kinds of surprises would fall into his hands.
This was true even of the Adamantine Battle Armor.
Research was just a habit of his, but he had surprisingly reached a breakthrough.
This breakthrough was two-pronged. Su Chen had discovered the Giant Adamantine Ape’s Origin Substance, and he had simultaneously resolved the secrets behind the way it moved the Origin Energy in its body.
In other words, he now possessed both the raw ingredients as well as the cultivation technique.
Su Chen had not only concocted the Adamantine Medicine, which could increase one’s physical strength, but he had also developed a corresponding cultivation technique.
“Do you mean that I’ve learned the Giant Adamantine Ape’s Adamantine Battle Armor skill?” Iron Cliff asked in disbelief.
Although he hadn’t done battle with the Giant Adamantine Ape, based on Su Chen’s description of its strength, the Adamantine Battle Armor was a frighteningly powerful defensive Origin Skill.
He controlled it just like that?
“Yes, you’ve learned it already. Try to activate it by following the instructions I just gave you,” Su Chen said.
When Iron Cliff activated the skill, a golden light began to shine from his body.
The golden light shimmered, carrying with it an impressive presence.
“It seems quite impressive, but we still need to test it out before we know how powerful it is,” Su Chen laughed.
In the next instant, he made a move.
An Erupting Firebird flew out from his hands, slamming into Iron Cliff’s chest.
Iron Cliff was sent flying, looking like a massive lump of gold. However, he quickly scrambled to his feet after landing on the ground. A wound had opened up on his chest, but it was evidently just a superficial injury.
Iron Cliff was stunned. He gazed at the wound and then yelled in excitement, “I blocked it! Master! I blocked your Erupting Firebird!”
He had blocked the Erupting Firebird with his physical body without any external aid. Not many Origin Qi Scholars within the same layer could claim to possess a similar defensive capability, not even that damned Sword Rhinoceros Zheng Kuang.
“Yes, but it’s not good enough yet,” Su Chen replied.
The Giant Adamantine Ape had been powerful enough to forcefully resist his strengthened Erupting Firebird.
“But it’s not a big deal. Continue to use the Adamantine Medicine and cultivate. You should be able to improve further...... or even surpass the Giant Adamantine Ape,” Su Chen laughed, revealing his teeth. It was as if he could see an iron-clad male taking shape in front of him.
No, not just one!
The reason why research was so attractive was because his success could be replicated over and over again.