Chapter 62

As the unexpected turn of events unfolded, everyone present was instantly stunned.

Even Xu Elder and Sun Elder, who were in the midst of a fierce battle, could not help but stop.

Looking at the fallen Long Zhan, Sun Elder’s eyes turned bloodshot, and he let out an angry roar: "Wretch! You are courting death!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he turned to attack Lu Xuan, but how could Xu Elder let him have the chance? He followed closely, a flash of sword light, and once again held Sun Elder back, shouting: "Your opponent is me!"

With Long Zhan’s death, the Long family’s servants immediately lost their will to fight. With the head of the family dead, what reason did they have to stay and die? Their fighting spirit instantly crumbled, and they scattered and fled.

However, Uncle Jiu was in the midst of a killing spree and would not let anyone live. His formidable strength erupted, and a flurry of claw shadows instantly enveloped the servants, slaying them one by one.

At this moment, Sun Elder, who was entangled by Xu Elder, gradually calmed down. With Long Zhan dead, there was no point in continuing the fight. Now, with many servants still holding Uncle Jiu at bay, if Uncle Jiu were to free himself, facing the combined attack of Xu Elder and Uncle Jiu, he knew he would not fare well.

With a determined bite of his lip, he unleashed two powerful punches, forcing Xu Elder back, and suddenly leaped away, quickly disappearing from everyone’s sight. At the same time, Sun Elder’s resentful voice echoed: "Yan Jiu, Xu Da, I, Sun Xing, will remember this kindness today, and I will repay it a hundredfold in the future!"

With Sun Elder’s departure, Uncle Jiu quickly finished off the remaining Long family servants. For a moment, the front of the Lu family was awash with blood, all of it from the Long family.

Looking in the direction Sun Elder had fled, Uncle Jiu frowned, "That old man got away, Lu Xuan, you need to be careful in the Wind Sword Sect. He can’t do anything to me, but he will definitely target you."

After all, both Long Tai and Long Zhan were killed by Lu Xuan’s hands. If Sun Elder didn’t come after him, it would be abnormal.

"Lu Xuan, you don’t need to be afraid. In the Wind Sword Sect, it is strictly forbidden for disciples to kill each other. As long as you don’t wander around recklessly and stay safely in the sect, even if Sun is powerful, he absolutely won’t dare to cause trouble in the sect," Xu Elder said solemnly.

Lu Xuan nodded and said seriously, "I will remember your teachings. As long as you give me enough time, I believe that one day, my strength will far surpass his!"

Xu Elder smiled with satisfaction, "It’s good that you have this fighting spirit. It’s not in vain that I have high hopes for you. However, I must remind you that by killing Long Tai and Long Zhan, you have now become mortal enemies with the Long family. The Long family has two more sons who are currently in the Fist Sect of the Wind Sword Sect. In the future, you need to be more cautious. The enmity of a father’s death is irreconcilable, and they will surely try to get back at you."

Lu Xuan naturally took Xu Elder’s warning to heart, but he was not afraid. As long as he had enough time, the Long family would be nothing to him, and even Sun Elder, he would eventually surpass.

At this moment, Xia Chenxi also stepped forward and said, "Since everything is settled, we should not delay. To prevent the remnants of the Long family from seeking revenge, please, Uncle Lu, pack up and come with us to Lincheng."

Lu Yu nodded and, together with Lu Qiong, returned to the mansion to pack.

Lu Xuan looked at Yao Lei and said apologetically, "Lei, this time, you have been involved in our affairs, and it has put you in danger. For your safety, please go back and persuade Uncle Yao to come with us to Lincheng."

Hearing this, Yao Lei grinned, "How can this be a burden? My father has actually wanted to develop in Lincheng for a long time, but he never had the means. This time, being able to ally with the City Lord’s Mansion and the Lin family, he will be overjoyed."

Hearing Yao Lei’s words, everyone couldn’t help but smile. Then Yao Lei took his leave and went to report to his father.

Lu Xuan then bowed deeply to everyone and said, "This time, Elder Xu, Uncle Jiu, Chenxi, and Xinyi, you have helped me greatly. I cannot express my gratitude in words, but I, Lu Xuan, will repay this kindness a hundredfold in the future."

This time, Lu Xuan indeed owed a great deal of favors, far more than a simple thank you could repay. Therefore, Lu Xuan could only strive to cultivate, and once he became strong enough, he would have the means to repay these favors.

Everyone smiled kindly, and Xia Chenxi added, "We helped you because of who you are, not for the sake of favors."

Lu Xuan also smiled and couldn’t help but ask, "Uncle Jiu, Elder Xu, I saw the strength you displayed in the battle just now, which was very powerful. I assume it’s far beyond the Body Tempering stage. Could you tell me what comes after the tenth level of Body Tempering?"

In the battle just now between Xu Elder and Sun Elder, sword qi and fist light crisscrossed, and yuan force radiated, creating a formidable aura that no one could approach within several yards, far surpassing the strength of Lu Xuan and the others.

Hearing this, Uncle Jiu nodded slightly, "The tenth level of Body Tempering, as you know, marks a significant enhancement in strength with each level. Especially the last few levels—Level 8 Blood Change, Level 9 Bone Marrow Cleansing, and Level 10 Meridian Opening—are extremely difficult to achieve, and for ordinary martial artists, they are a lifelong challenge."

"However, your talent is extraordinary, and reaching the tenth level of Body Tempering is not difficult for you. Since you want to know, I will tell you about what comes after the tenth level of Body Tempering."

At this point, Xia Chenxi and Lin Xinyi couldn’t help but listen intently. Although they had asked Uncle Jiu before, he had never directly explained it, only emphasizing the importance of building a solid foundation during the Body Tempering stage.

"After Body Tempering comes Spirit Tempering!" Uncle Jiu’s first sentence revealed the general outline of what comes after Body Tempering.

Lu Xuan suddenly understood. After the Body Tempering stage, it is the Spirit Tempering stage?

"The tenth level of Body Tempering has already made the martial artist’s physical foundation extremely solid. Without a special encounter, it is difficult to improve further. Therefore, to enhance combat power, the next step is to start Spirit Tempering."

"The term 'spirit' in Spirit Tempering has two meanings. As you know, our surroundings are filled with a large amount of spirit force. Even at the Body Tempering stage, you use techniques to draw spirit force into your body to temper your physical form. Therefore, the first meaning of Spirit Tempering is to refine spirit force."

"Although you can use spirit force at the Body Tempering stage, the spirit force you use is merely stored in your body through techniques. In the Spirit Tempering stage, you need to refine this spirit force, making it your own innate spirit force. Once you have innate spirit force, you can use it to communicate with the elemental forces of heaven and earth during battles, and the more innate spirit force you refine, the more elemental forces you can draw upon, thus enhancing your combat power."

"Think about it, how much elemental force can a martial artist’s body store? And how much elemental force is there in the world? The same martial technique, when used by a Body Tempering stage martial artist, is far inferior to that of a Spirit Tempering stage expert."

"As for the levels of the Spirit Tempering stage, they are similar to the Body Tempering stage, divided into ten levels. The first three levels are the early stage, the middle three levels are the mid stage, the last three levels are the late stage, and the tenth level is the peak of the Spirit Tempering stage, just one step away from the next realm!"

Uncle Jiu’s words instantly enlightened Lu Xuan and the others. No wonder the battle between Xu Elder and Sun Elder was so grand. It turned out they were using the elemental forces of heaven and earth, which made the elemental forces stored in their bodies seem insignificant in comparison.

"Uncle Jiu, I wonder what level of Spirit Tempering you have reached?" Lu Xuan asked curiously.