Chapter 68: Grand Body Tempering Begins; The Clown Becomes the Test Stone
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Heaven and earth hold spiritual energy.
This energy can be cultivated by all who walk the path of cultivation.
Depending on their techniques and paths, cultivators refine this spiritual energy into various attributes—metal, wood, water, fire, earth, and more.
Demonic Qi was also one of these variants.
At this moment, Yu Xian was circulating the incantation of the Demonic Heart Codex.
The wisps of spiritual energy within him slowly transformed into pale gray demonic qi, which swirled around his body.
This demonic qi served as camouflage.
But if one wanted the disguise to be more convincing, the most direct method would be to draw the demonic qi into the dantian, converting the qi sea entirely into demonic qi.
But Yu Xian wouldn’t do such a thing!
Forget pulling it into his dantian—he was cautious even letting it enter his flesh.
This Demonic Heart Codex clearly had serious problems.
A single mistake could lead him straight to death!
As the pale gray demonic qi thickened and spread over his skin, Yu Xian’s aura began to resemble that of a demon cultivator.
In the righteous path, demon cultivators, monster cultivators, and heretical cultivators were considered evil by default.
If discovered, extermination was mandatory.
Of course, “righteous” and “evil” had no real standard. Power decided everything.
Now, the claim from the Medicine King Valley was that they gave disciples the Demonic Heart Codex to protect them from being possessed in the Demon Valley.
But Yu Xian suspected the truth inside was far darker.
He suspected the complete version of this codex—with actual power-enhancing techniques—must be kept hidden within the sect.
After cultivating the codex for two hours, Yu Xian stopped.
The faint demonic qi now coating him was enough—any more and it would seep into his blood and bones.
Two hours per day was his self-imposed limit.
He then shifted his focus and began practicing Ten-Thousand-Life Wood Spring Art, his core spiritual technique.
Alongside it, he also began cultivating the Grand Body Tempering Scripture recorded on the black iron fragment.
There was no time to waste.
That feeling of utter powerlessness in the face of a mighty enemy—he never wanted to taste it again.
Now, with mind focused, Yu Xian split his attention—one part controlling his Wood Spring technique to steadily expand his qi sea, the other reviewing the first layer of the Body Tempering method.
“Heaven and Earth as the furnace, I as the cauldron—refine ten billion apertures!”
“When my divine body is complete, the world shall no longer need body refiners!”
The introduction was aggressive and wild—far more ferocious than the poetic I Am the Green Emperor, Spring for All Living Things in his Wood Spring Art.
With a hand seal, Yu Xian slowly guided heaven and earth’s spiritual energy into himself, igniting the “cauldron flames” of the scripture.
But the method was profoundly difficult.
Even though he managed to kindle a sliver of this qi flame, it was faint and slow—but terrifyingly painful.
Sweat poured from his forehead in an instant.
It felt as if tiny blades were cutting into every pore across his entire body.
This was the flame refining the flesh—as if his whole body were being seared by thousands of little fires.
Pain—unbearable pain!
Yet even as his body trembled and spasmed from the torment, Yu Xian’s gaze remained firm.
In his heart, he roared silently.
So what if it hurts?!
Compared to that powerless despair when his master was threatened—
Compared to facing the overwhelming strength of a true expert—
This pain was nothing!!
His teeth clenched, jaw trembling. His entire body shivered involuntarily under the pain.
But he never let go of his will.
He refused to collapse.
Ten billion apertures, burning with qi flame, forced out massive impurities from his body—far more than even when ascending at Immortal Island.
His physical body, under this relentless torment and refining, was transforming and strengthening rapidly.
The agony lasted a full half-hour before the fire slowly died down.
And Yu Xian—he had endured it.
But he knew:
This was just the beginning.
This pain—and worse—would become routine.
Until he tempered his body into a supreme divine furnace…
Or—
Collapsed and died in failure!
Because once this technique began, there was no turning back.
If the ten billion apertures carved open by the furnace flame weren’t regularly refined, his body would collapse under its own weight.
Just like alchemy—
Once you throw in the ingredients—
You must finish the refining!
There was no refund.
No giving the herbs back!
Yu Xian slowly exhaled and raised his hand.
The power flowing through him now was like never before—
He felt like one punch of his might equal a full-force spell!
A body refiner…
Yu Xian’s eyes glinted.
If body refinement was the path forward, then so be it.
But he would not neglect his spiritual cultivation either.
The Ten-Thousand-Life Wood Spring Art was given by his master, and he would cultivate it all the way until he formed his nascent soul—then seek a higher path.
He retracted his fist, conjured a few Water Snake Spells, and rinsed off the sweat and filth from his body.
After drying himself, he sat back down and resumed cultivating the Wood Spring Art.
Time passed quietly.
Yu Xian stayed in the main hall, unmoving.
Each day, he cultivated the Demonic Heart Codex for three hours—just enough to deepen his disguise.
Then switched to his Wood Spring Art.
And then—he would temper his body again using the Grand Scripture.
Pain, wash, recover, repeat.
Day after day.
In one month, he endured the hellish body refining ninety times.
The first layer, “Aperture Opening Realm,” was still far from achieved.
But his physical strength had already multiplied several times over.
Even his current body could likely smash apart a Stone Wall Spell with a single punch.
Every movement now contained explosive force.
Such was the might of a true body refiner.
Suddenly, footsteps echoed in the hall.
Yu Xian slowly ended his cultivation, letting faint demonic qi radiate from his skin.
The seven other young men and women entered from different directions.
Seeing Yu Xian seated calmly in the center, they all frowned.
Master was about to arrive, and this newcomer wasn’t even standing in respect?
One of them, annoyed, barked, “Hey, you’re Yu Xian, right? It’s been a month. Why are you still sitting there? No manners at all!”
Yu Xian turned and replied flatly, “What’s it got to do with you?”
Courtesy was for people—not barking dogs.
The man’s face darkened. “What did you just say?!”
Yu Xian stood up, gaze cold. “I said: what’s it got to do with you?”
Life and death awaited in Demon Valley—
Why should he care about appearances now?
“You little bastard! No respect! I’m the senior disciple here—how dare you speak to me like that?!”
The man exploded in rage. His Condensation Peak aura burst out as he lunged forward, hand raised to slap Yu Xian.
But in Yu Xian’s eyes, the man’s speed was like a crawling snail.
His body refinement was already showing its results.
Without dodging, Yu Xian simply raised a hand—
PAH!
A sharp crack echoed through the hall.
His palm whipped through the air like lightning, striking the man mid-charge and sending him flying six meters backward before crashing to the floor—unconscious.
The other six were frozen, stunned speechless.
Yu Xian frowned slightly and walked over.
If he’d killed the guy with one slap, it would have been a hassle.
Arriving at the fallen disciple’s side, he saw the man’s cheek grotesquely swollen, blood at his mouth, head tilted—but still breathing.
Yu Xian casually conjured a water ball and splashed it on the man’s face.
“Cough! Cough!”
The man sputtered awake, coughing and spitting out two molars.
Staring up at Yu Xian in horror, he lay there in silence, not daring to speak or move.
That slap had almost cracked his skull.
But he now clearly understood the gap between himself and Yu Xian.
He wasn’t dumb—those who survived in the lower realms all knew when to back down.
Yu Xian glanced at him with indifference and turned away.
The man, relieved, scrambled up, quickly taking healing pills.
His gaze turned venomous for a moment before quickly retreating.
The others stayed silent.
No wonder their master tolerated this guy refusing to call him “Master” or acknowledge the apprenticeship.
No wonder this guy was so arrogant!
Turns out—this guy was a monster!
Late-stage Condensation slapping a peak Condensation disciple into unconsciousness?
Freakish.
“Ah, you’re all here.”
A calm voice echoed through the hall.
From the inner chamber, Gu Hanfeng strode out, glanced at the seven of them—and ignored the one with a swollen face.
He spoke plainly: “Then let’s go.”
Without even pausing his step, he walked straight outside.
