Chapter Fifteen: The Mystical Body Technique

Su Yizhao’s clothes were in tatters, his face flushed red!

Just moments ago, when the greatsword lunged toward him, he seemed utterly spent.

Taking advantage of that brief respite, he instantly summoned five ice shields before him.

Yet he had not anticipated the sheer force behind that heavy blade; it was far beyond anything he imagined.

In an instant, the five ice shields shattered to dust!

The greatsword’s momentum did not falter!

Startled, he hastily drew his flying sword.

In a flash, the flying sword struck the tip of the greatsword hundreds, even thousands of times.

But the power behind the heavy blade still pushed him relentlessly, slamming him hard against the cavern wall.

Now, as he gathered his breath, his aura flared and his ten fingers moved in a blur.

The flying sword trembled sharply, transforming into a rain of blades that poured down upon the bearded brute.

Far from showing fear, the burly man’s eyes gleamed with excitement; he raised his sword high and charged straight into the sword rain.

A rapid clashing rang out, and at once chaos descended upon the mine.

Time slipped by in a haze before the cavern finally calmed, the only sound a ragged gasp for breath.

As the dust of shattered stone settled, a wavering figure in blue stood unsteadily in the gloom.

“The Third Grade Sword Command, though perfected, is still far inferior to the Fourth Grade Flying Sword Technique!”

A patch over Su Yizhao’s chest had caved in, and his right leg dangled uselessly—he dared not put it down.

Though his wounds were severe, years of constant injury had taught him that they were not fatal.

He forced himself to look ahead.

A deep hole, the size of a forefinger, gaped in the brute’s throat.

Although no blood flowed, the mortal wound at his neck was slowly widening.

Within four or five heartbeats, the man’s entire form faded away.

In this battle, Su Yizhao had nearly exhausted all his dueling experience.

Every perfected spell at his disposal had been pushed to its utmost, just barely allowing him to claim victory.

Yet beneath the exhaustion, a surge of excitement stirred within him.

The Muscle Refinement Realm corresponded to the Five Spirits Realm!

Having unleashed the full extent of his perfected spells, did he now have the strength to slay a Five Spirits cultivator?

As he relaxed, fatigue washed over him, both body and soul.

Such high-intensity life-and-death struggles had drained every ounce of his spirit; all he wished for now was to collapse and sleep.

But long years of enforcing the law had taught him: now was absolutely not the time to fall.

He secretly hoped an hour had passed already.

Otherwise, if he entered the next level and faced a Meridian Unblocking body refiner, a single glance might be enough to end his life.

Suddenly, something caught his eye—he stared in astonishment at the vanishing figure.

Floating within the fading apparition was a jade slip.

He rubbed his eyes hard; it was indeed a jade slip.

A surge of joy swelled within him—he hadn’t expected such an unexpected gain.

Given that this body refiner could already express emotion, it wasn’t so strange that he carried a jade slip.

Without further hesitation, he stretched out his right hand. Instantly, the floating slip shot toward him.

The only item this formidable body refiner possessed—could it be?

He pressed it to his forehead, and three bold characters appeared in his mind: The Profound Body Method.

A sharp intake of breath escaped him; he quickly lowered his hand and gripped the slip tightly.

As he’d suspected, this was the body refinement manual of the three great cultivation systems.

His heart pounded with a mix of excitement and dread.

Why did the Hall Master forbid inquiries into body refining techniques?

Why had he been warned repeatedly not to covet the arts of other systems?

He was about to reflect further when the burly man’s remains vanished completely, and suddenly, his vision blurred—the entire scene around him shifted violently.

A chill ran down his spine. “It’s over!” he thought.

Sure enough, as the surroundings stabilized, a cold snort echoed through the air: “So, someone has made it this far?”

The voice struck his heart like a hammer; in an instant, blood spurted from his nose and mouth.

He strained to glimpse the speaker’s face, but his body felt weightless—suddenly, he was hurled through the air…

…

Seaside Prefecture sprawled across ten thousand miles!

Its abundant arcane energy drew countless cultivators and birthed generations of prodigies.

The Arcane Qi Sect, ruler of this city, was a colossus controlling some four to five hundred thousand miles around.

All cultivators and mortal factions depended on this giant for their existence, and thus, order and splendor reigned on the surface.

But beyond the city, in shadowy mines, all semblance of order vanished.

Here, the only law was the law of the jungle.

On this day, some ten miles beyond the city, more than forty battered cultivators stood locked in a tense standoff.

“The hour is up. Apart from those who fled mid-trial, only you remain.” The cold voice resounded, adding a chill to the desolate wilderness.

“Junior Wan, only one from Gritstone City remains? Ha! This time, you may lose everything you’ve built in a century!”

Wan Gaofei’s face darkened as he glanced back at the lone figure behind him.

He barely had time to retort before the icy voice rang out again: “Gaining entry to the main sect promises boundless prospects, but you only live once. Any disciples who wish to leave, do so now—if you survive this trial, you are already the elite among your peers! Upon returning to the Arcane Qi Sect, you will be duly recognized!”

Though battered and bloodied, not one of the forty cultivators wavered in resolve.

Each had survived countless dangers to reach this point; who would falter now?

“Junior Wan, let him go back! Soon, you’ll be the only one left to return, all alone!”

The other fifteen branch sect leaders mocked him with abandon, each backed by two or three disciples.

Wan Gaofei’s white beard quivered with rage!

But facts were facts; there was no arguing.

The first trial was the mines—designed to eliminate the majority.

The second round was the real competition, and it was far more ruthless.

With only one left from Gritstone City, they would surely be targeted and eliminated first.

He’d hoped to have four or five survivors, but now…

Just as despair began to set in, a figure suddenly shot out from the mine entrance.

All eyes turned skyward as the figure twisted in midair and landed nimbly behind him, bowing respectfully: “Sect Master, I’m still here!”

“Shi Feichen! Ha, I knew it! With the strength of a Gold Medallion Law Enforcer, how could the Chief of the Disciplinary Hall die in the first round?”

It was indeed Shi Feichen, Chief Senior Brother of the Disciplinary Hall.

Unscathed, he swept his gaze around and said in a deep voice, “Sect Master, it’s not just me. I believe our Gold Medallion Law Enforcer is also still alive!”

Wan Gaofei sighed, “I had high hopes for him too, but since he still hasn’t appeared, I fear…”

“What? Junior Wan, having two left is already remarkable—are you still dreaming?”

“Exactly! With the difficulty of this trial increased, two survivors is plenty!”

Shi Feichen suddenly raised his head. “If every other disciple, including myself, perished in the trial, I wouldn’t be surprised! But the Gold Medallion Law Enforcer? Hmph! Sirs, are you truly so ignorant?”

“How dare you speak to us that way? Courting death!”

Wan Gaofei’s expression shifted as he hurried to intervene, but at that moment, some formation beneath the ground seemed to activate—the earth trembled faintly.

Everyone turned in shock toward the mine.

A figure tumbled out as if lifeless, spinning through the air to land before them…