Chapter 26: The First Pillar – Skin of Steel

Scene 1: The Watchful Master

Beneath the mountains, deep within a secluded cavern, Master Yen sat cross-legged on a jagged stone. His golden eyes gleamed in the darkness as he observed Lin Feng's every movement through the shifting earth above. The cavern walls trembled faintly, not from instability but from the sheer force of the valley's ever-present pressure.

"This brat…" Master Yen muttered, his lips curling into a smirk. "He doesn't break easily."

Lin Feng had been relentless since stepping into the valley, pushing his body past its limits, forcing himself to adapt. Though he had no formal body cultivation technique, his instincts were frighteningly sharp. He wasn't just enduring, he was evolving.

Master Yen chuckled. "He might just be worthy."

With a flick of his fingers, an unseen force spread through the valley, embedding itself into Lin Feng's consciousness. A voice which was deep, resounding, and unyielding, echoed in his mind.

"The Unyielding Body: Nine Pillars of Tempering."

"Forged in hardship. Tempered through pain.

Those who walk this path do not bend.

They do not break. They only grow stronger."

The moment the words appeared in his mind, Lin Feng's entire body tensed. A vast, ancient knowledge surged through him, filling the depths of his bones. His heartbeat quickened as the first pillar revealed itself.

Scene 2: The First Pillar – Skin of Steel

A surge of energy coursed through Lin Feng's veins, his skin tingling as if countless needles pricked his flesh. Then, the voice continued—strong, resolute, like the strike of tempered steel.

"First Pillar: Skin of Steel."

"Soft flesh tears, weak skin fails.

Through trials endured, the body prevails.

Strike, endure, let pain reveal.

The path to forging skin of steel."

Lin Feng's breath came in ragged bursts as an unseen force swept over his body. His skin felt as though it were tightening, hardening, reshaping itself to withstand greater pain. His instincts screamed at him to resist, but he gritted his teeth.

"This… this is body cultivation?"

He clenched his fists, feeling the subtle shift in his skin's texture. It was barely noticeable but the sensation of frailty had lessened. He struck his forearm against a jagged rock. A sharp sting ran through him, yet his skin did not tear. A grin formed on his lips.

He could feel it.

His body was no longer just enduring, it was changing.

But mere understanding wasn't enough. To truly forge skin of steel, he had to temper it.

Scene 3: Trial of Endurance

Without hesitation, Lin Feng threw himself into training. He punched boulders, dragged his body against the rough terrain, and subjected himself to the valley's intense gravity shifts. Every movement sent jolts of pain through his skin, but he did not falter.

At first, his knuckles split open. His shoulders ached with every strike. Yet, as time passed, his body adapted. Pain became familiar. Pain became his whetstone.

The valley itself seemed to conspire against him. Sudden pressure shifts forced him to the ground. Razor-sharp winds cut across his skin. The heat of the valley burned against his flesh. But Lin Feng endured it all.

Hours passed. Then days.

By the time the sun dipped behind the valley peaks once more, Lin Feng stood tall, sweat-drenched and bruised but victorious. He raised his arm, watching as a jagged rock barely left a scratch against his skin.

His breath came slow, steady.

He had taken his first step into the path of the Unyielding Body.

And deep beneath the mountains, Master Yen grinned. "Not bad, brat. Not bad at all."