Chapter 54

"Truly a unique cultivation method," Chen Zong thought to himself after reading through the content and detailed annotations of the Body Tempering Technique.

For ordinary people, due to the limitations of the body, a thousand catties of arm strength is the limit. Since it is the limit, it is not easy to break through. Once broken, it opens up a whole new world. Like demonic beasts, whose bloodline and essence of life differ from humans, their physical limits are much higher, surpassing humans by many times, making them more capable of survival and combat.

The first to third levels of the Body Tempering Technique are the foundation, refining the skin, tendons, and bones to become as tough as copper skin and steel bones, enhancing defensive and impact resistance capabilities. However, strength and speed do not increase. It's like lifting the same thousand catties of weight, but changing the material from wood to stone and then to iron.

Only by achieving the fourth level, the Mixed Essence Body, can one break through the human body's limits. The Body Tempering Technique has a total of nine forms, each with nine variations. The first to third forms correspond to the first level, the fourth to sixth forms to the second level, and the seventh to ninth forms to the third level. The fourth level, according to the records, requires self-enlightenment.

Chen Zong tried the first form with its nine variations and immediately felt the difficulty. He barely managed to complete it, unable to perform it smoothly, feeling as if his skin was being torn, causing unbearable pain.

The cultivation of the Body Tempering Technique is best accompanied by corresponding medicinal herbs to be effective. Otherwise, it might take several years to achieve the first level.

After familiarizing himself with the first form, Chen Zong stopped practicing and looked at the last scroll of animal skin. According to the words of the Dragon Subduing Immortal, this was the map he drew after failing to penetrate the Hundred Beast Mountain Range, showing the route he had taken.

Chen Zong opened it and saw that it was indeed very detailed, causing his emotions to fluctuate. "Is there really a broader world beyond the Hundred Beast Mountain Range?" "If so, what would it be like?"

Chen Zong couldn't help but feel a sense of longing, but then laughed at himself. He was just a small Qi and Blood Realm martial artist, far from the Strength Realm, let alone the True Martial Realm. Even the peak True Martial Realm Dragon Subduing Immortal couldn't penetrate it, ultimately dying from severe injuries. How much more so for others?

However, an invisible seed was planted in Chen Zong's heart, even though he didn't realize it.

The five scrolls of animal skin, the Body Tempering Technique and the medicinal formula, had different handwriting from the other three scrolls, clearly not written by the Dragon Subduing Immortal. It seemed, as mentioned in his will, that they were left by the owner of this stone chamber.

Putting down the map, Chen Zong's gaze slid to the bookshelf in front of him, and he walked over.

Books contain various knowledge, and reading can enlighten and enrich one's mind. The more books one reads, the more this becomes evident.

"132 books."

Each book had a title, and they were not cultivation techniques or martial arts, but rather miscellaneous books such as "Illustrated Guide to Demonic Beasts," "Comprehensive Guide to Herbs," and "Landscapes of the Empire."

Chen Zong took in the names of all 132 books and then pulled out a book titled "The Thousand-Year Kingdom" to read.

"The Thousand-Year Kingdom" recorded the era before the True Martial Era, the Kingdom Era. At that time, the Eastern Continent was divided into three kingdoms: White Python, Black Water, and Green Cloud, each ruling a third of the land. Within the kingdoms, there were class divisions such as the royal family and nobility.

As he read, Chen Zong understood why Yang Yigu had lamented that they were fortunate to be born in the True Martial Era. If they had been born in the Kingdom Era, they might not have had the chance to practice martial arts, as the cultivation techniques and martial arts were only mastered by the royal family and nobility, with commoners only able to access basic martial arts.

To become a martial artist, one had to join the kingdom's army or sell oneself to the royal family or nobility.

Holding "The Thousand-Year Kingdom," Chen Zong felt as if he was personally experiencing the era of the three kingdoms.

"Perhaps I can stay here and finish reading all the books before leaving," Chen Zong thought. Otherwise, it would be unrealistic to carry all the books with him, and he could only take the five scrolls of animal skin.

Reading was important, but cultivation was even more so. The stone chamber was not small, suitable for practicing the True Sword Heaven's Absolute Technique or sword techniques, but he needed food. Relying solely on energy pills was not feasible, and he only had about ten left.

Leaving the stone chamber, he returned to the entrance and felt around as described in the Dragon Subduing Immortal's will. He found a protrusion, pressed it, and the mountain wall door opened again. Chen Zong looked outside, and the twelve iron-backed green wolves were nowhere to be seen, perhaps having left.

In a flash, he passed through the mountain wall door to the outside, which then closed automatically, leaving no trace. He took the black iron plate and put it in his pocket, then walked around to find food.

Wild fruits, water pools, and demonic beasts became Chen Zong's food sources.

Each day, he practiced and read books, and time passed slowly.

His cultivation focused on the True Sword Heaven's Absolute Technique and sword techniques, occasionally practicing the Small Dragon Subduing Hand, which did not require a specific cultivation technique to activate.

The mysterious sword tip also promoted the cultivation of the Small Dragon Subduing Hand, but Chen Zong could feel that it was slower compared to sword techniques.

After a day of practice and fifty repetitions, he mastered the Small Dragon Subduing Hand.

Inside the stone chamber, the firelight illuminated the area, and Chen Zong sat on a stone chair, reading a new book titled "The Dark Decade." He had already taken the Dragon Subduing Immortal's body outside and buried it, giving him a proper burial.

"The Dark Decade" recorded the ten years during which the three kingdoms were destroyed by countless demonic beasts.

"Half-human, half-demonic beast..." Chen Zong's gaze focused on these five words, recalling the snake person he had severed an arm from.

"Did the demonic beast attacks and the fall of the kingdoms have a direct relationship with these half-human, half-demonic beast monsters?" After finishing the book, Chen Zong fell into deep thought.

The information was too scarce and unclear.

After a moment of thought, Chen Zong got up, picked up his sword, and went outside to practice. It was time to practice his sword techniques.

He read five books a day, spending about two hours, which was the maximum he could manage.

Outside the mountain wall, one side was a cliff. Chen Zong practiced his sword techniques here every day, welcoming the sunrise and bidding farewell to the sunset, day after day.

He started with a round of Tiger Strength Fist to warm up, then practiced the Small Dragon Subduing Hand ten times, followed by the Phantom Shadow Sword Technique, Willow Touching Sword Technique, Eagle Strike Sword Technique, Flash Lightning Sword Technique, True Sword Eight Forms, and finally the Light Splitting Sword Technique.

By the time he finished, the morning had passed.

In the afternoon, he read a book, practiced the True Sword Heaven's Absolute Technique, familiarized himself with the Body Tempering Technique, had dinner, practiced sword techniques, read more books, and practiced a few more rounds of sword techniques before going to sleep.

Time passed in the mountains, and before he knew it, fifteen days had gone by.

The weather in Fulong Mountain was unpredictable. It could be sunny one moment and then suddenly turn dark and stormy, with thunder and heavy rain.

After watching the lightning and listening to the thunder several times, the Flash Lightning Sword Technique found its opportunity, reaching a subtle level, with its power clearly surpassing the other three sword techniques.

At night, outside the stone chamber, the wind howled, and the rain poured, but inside, it was peaceful and quiet. The firelight flickered gently, and Chen Zong was reading a book.

Day after day, the unread books decreased, and Chen Zong's knowledge accumulated, covering history, geography, travel, demonic beasts, herbs, and martial arts insights, further enriching his mind.

His cultivation was still at the fifth level of the Qi and Blood Realm. Even with the Beast Blood Pills and the second level of the True Sword Heaven's Absolute Technique, which greatly increased his cultivation speed, the gap between the fifth and sixth levels was still significant.

"Can I improve my cultivation to the sixth level of the Qi and Blood Realm before the Wind Martial Talent Battle this year?" Chen Zong thought to himself after finishing the book.

His original goal was to reach the sixth level of the Qi and Blood Realm by the age of eighteen, participate in the Wind Martial City Talent Battle, and secure a place in the top 100 to be admitted to the Seven Dawn Martial Academy.

However, with cultivation, he unexpectedly refined his blood and qi seven times, further unlocking his potential. He also obtained the True Sword Heaven's Absolute Technique, a cultivation technique surpassing the human-grade supreme level, which greatly increased his cultivation speed. Combined with other factors, he achieved his current level.

Now, he was not yet seventeen.

Chen Zong put the book back on the shelf, walked to an empty space in the stone chamber, and pulled out his sword to practice.

After finishing the sword techniques, he put down the sword, assumed the starting position of the Small Dragon Subduing Hand, and struck a palm, producing a dragon roar that echoed in the stone chamber.

By persistently practicing every day, the Small Dragon Subduing Hand had reached a minor accomplishment.

He practiced the Small Dragon Subduing Hand ten times, then the first three forms of the Body Tempering Technique. Each form made him feel as if his skin was being torn, causing intense pain, but he endured it.

Without the Ice Fire Skin Ointment, after ten days of cultivation, Chen Zong felt his skin becoming more resilient.

He blew out the flame and lay down to sleep. The stone chamber was warm, and he was comfortable.

The next day, he woke up on time, opened the door, and found that the heavy rain had stopped, but the sky was still dark. He washed his face and mouth with clear water, and the mountain breeze brought a refreshing coolness.

He walked to the edge of the cliff and looked ahead.

The clouds had formed a vast expanse, as if solidified or still sleeping, and the sky remained dark.

He practiced a round of Tiger Strength Fist to warm up, then pulled out his sword to practice.

He practiced each of the sword techniques ten times, then the Light Splitting Sword Technique.

With one strike, eight sword lights instantly shone, with four of them merging into the other four, making the four sword lights more brilliant. In an instant, two of the sword lights became even brighter, merging into the other two, further increasing the power of the final two sword lights.

Swoosh, the mountain wall moss was cut, leaving two straight sword marks over two meters long.

The Light Splitting Sword Technique had reached the minor accomplishment level!

Performing it once, his fifth-level Qi and Blood Realm blood and qi power was consumed by more than thirty percent, and its power was indeed formidable, capable of splitting an iron-backed green wolf in half with one strike.

The clouds formed a sea, as if they had slept enough and were now awakening, churning.

As the sea of clouds churned, the sleeping sky seemed to be awakened, revealing a faint light. The sunlight, which had been obscured, shone through a crack, like a sword beam, landing on the sea of clouds, the trees, the cliff, and Chen Zong's face.

When the sunlight reached his eyes, it seemed to penetrate his mind, dispelling a bit of the fog and breaking a bottleneck.

The mountain breeze seemed to freeze, and in that moment, Chen Zong seemed to understand something he had been struggling to grasp. He suddenly enlightened, feeling a sense of clarity, and couldn't help but hold his sword and dance, facing the sword beam that pierced through the thick cloud layer...