Chapter 68: The Dominance of Body Refinement

“Destroy them to pass the test. I’m heading down first, see you!” With that brief instruction, Qin the Strongman dashed eagerly into the tenth floor of the Cultivation Cavern. Su Yizhao could clearly sense that Qin was relying solely on his physical strength—yet his speed was extraordinary. Before the stone men scattered throughout the chamber could react, Qin had already vanished from sight.

A smile tugged at the corner of Su Yizhao’s lips. It seemed there must be tremendous benefits hidden within this Cultivation Cavern—perhaps enough to justify the profound stones he’d paid to enter. Without hesitation, he had handed over a million high-grade profound stones, resolving not to leave until his body refining reached the sixth realm, no matter what. He had even paid Qin’s entrance fee. Such was his way; only by giving up can one gain. Until a profound stone is transformed into one’s own strength, it is but an external possession—and he had never placed much value on external things.

A series of dull thuds echoed through the level chamber; forty or fifty stone men surged toward him. Beyond them, a passageway beckoned. Passing through that passage would lead to the next trial—only by clearing the challenges of this floor could one ascend further. The first nine floors had offered no meaningful challenge, so the two had hurried straight through.

Only physical strength was allowed—no other powers. Su Yizhao murmured a quiet incantation, rolled up his sleeves, and charged at the stone men. But stone men were not truly men.

His right fist crashed into the chest of one, producing a dull, heavy sound. The stone man merely wobbled before advancing again. “Your body refining might be advanced, but without being tempered by gravity, how can you unlock its true power?” Qin’s voice echoed in Su Yizhao’s mind. Blow after blow landed, but to little effect. The stone men pressed in, their numbers steadily hemming him in.

“Your body is like pure refined iron, but without a thousandfold hammering, its toughness, hardness, and strength will never peak.” The cavern was broad, but as the stone men closed in from all sides, Su Yizhao found himself beset on all fronts. He activated the Profound Body Technique, shielded his head, and called out, “Come! Hammer me! A man must be tough!” The blows rained down from the towering stone men, enclosing him with a storm of stone fists.

“Big Brother Su’s been inside for a year—he hasn’t been beaten to death, has he?” Gou Haitian, seated cross-legged on the ground, couldn’t hold back his concern. Across from him sat Chi Xiangdong, a shadow flickering in his eyes. A year had passed; surely there should be some news by now. Yet all inquiries returned the same answer: Su Yizhao was still in the Cultivation Cavern, with no information at all.

The Cultivation Cavern of the Mountain-Opening Sect was renowned. Most who joined the sect did so because of it. Their plan had succeeded, but things now seemed to be spiraling out of control.

“He shouldn’t be dead, but he’s probably being tormented. Still, that’s the nature of body refining—who hasn’t suffered?” Chi Xiangdong replied.

“True enough—no matter who you are or how talented, there’s no escaping hardship.” In the past year, Gou Haitian had shot up in height, his frame now balanced and radiating strength. His eyes sparkled with a new steadiness.

Chi Xiangdong nodded approvingly. This kid had grown, though there was still a long road ahead. Suddenly, he asked, “Your father was injured?”

“How did you know?” Gou Haitian replied, surprised.

With the confirmation, Chi Xiangdong’s heart sank. A cultivator of the Void Realm—such a realm was a dividing line, separating cannon fodder from those who could command their own fate. If even a Void Realm master was wounded, their adversaries must be formidable indeed.

“I could tell last time I saw him—his aura, once serene, was restless,” Chi Xiangdong said quietly.

Gou Haitian raised a finger to his lips. “Shh. It seems we’ve identified the one who attacked me last time. There have been skirmishes, and I fear a large-scale battle is coming.”

Chi Xiangdong’s heart skipped. A large-scale battle against the mighty Gou Family Auction House suggested their enemies were anything but weak.

But Gou Haitian grinned. “Don’t worry. We haven’t even mobilized people from our other branches. If we did, no number would be enough to stop us.” The ruthless gleam in his eyes drew Chi Xiangdong’s silent admiration. Background determined destiny—exposure to such matters had forged a decisive heart in this youth, something few from humble origins could match. Though a handful still rose from obscurity—like Su Yizhao—how many could truly achieve such resolve? Even Su Yizhao, at times, hesitated to be so ruthless.

“We may not be able to return for a while once we leave the day after tomorrow,” Gou Haitian said, gazing into the depths of the courtyard.

Chi Xiangdong nodded. “With undercurrents surging, it’s only natural. I just wonder if Brother Su will ever emerge.”

Bare-chested, Su Yizhao now stood before a single stone man. This was the fifteenth floor—the final trial here: a stone man at the peak of the Muscle-Transforming Realm. After a year, he had only reached the fifteenth floor, but he seemed utterly transformed. His clear eyes shone with unyielding resolve, his upright frame brimming with boundless strength. At rest he was still as a mountain; once he moved, the earth itself seemed to tremble.

Suddenly, his muscles tensed and he shot forward like an arrow. The stone man had been waiting; as Su Yizhao moved, it struck out with a mighty fist.

Unflinching, Su Yizhao drew back his right arm and launched his own punch.

With a thunderous crash, the stone man staggered back. Countless afterimages spun into a line, each one raining blows upon the stone man’s chest. The cavern echoed with relentless, muffled booms.

In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, a fine crack appeared on the stone man’s chest.

Blow after blow fell. Cracks multiplied, spreading from its chest across its entire body. Finally, its featureless face was webbed with fissures.

With a sharp crack, the stone man shattered into dust—leaving behind ten profound stones shining with mysterious light. Supreme-grade profound stones! The final stone man on each floor was the most formidable and housed a supreme-grade stone within.

Ahead, the wall revealed the entrance to the sixteenth floor. Su Yizhao gathered up the stones and, with a flick of his wrist, sent a beam of light deep into the passageway.

Moments later, a gruff voice echoed back, “Brother Su? How—how have you made it this far already?”

Dressed once more in his robe, Su Yizhao smiled. “A hundred stones a day is far too steep. How could I not work hard? Well, where’s the technique for the sixth realm?”