The matter with the Qin Mansion soon came to an end.
After comprehending the Qi Manipulation Technique, Ling Fei's control over his True Qi began to improve.
The next day, the first day of the new year, he went to the Training Ground early in the morning.
This time, he was there to test his strength.
HUFF! Ling Fei lifted one stone block after another.
From one thousand jin to three thousand.
'I can actually lift three thousand jin.' Ling Fei was astonished.
However, he could only hold it for three breaths before he had to give up.
By then, only a third of his Cold Chi True Qi remained, and his strength was beginning to fail.
"Brother Fei, did you really just break through to the Nine Layers of Body Tempering?" Wu Dapang had arrived as well, and his face was a mask of astonishment at the scene.
'What a freak.' Nearby, Huang Xiaoman watched Ling Fei with her arms crossed, her phoenix eyes narrowed as she muttered to herself.
'He just reached the Ninth Layer of Body Tempering, yet he can already lift three thousand jin.'
'That's comparable to an expert at the Late Stage of the Body Tempering Ninth Layer!'
'Is this guy trying to piss off every Cultivator at the Ninth Layer of Body Tempering?' Huang Liang rolled his eyes, feeling utterly dejected.
Faced with such a monster, he lost all motivation to cultivate.
'I've only just reached the Early Stage of the Body Tempering Ninth Layer and I can already lift three thousand jin. How formidable will I be when I reach the Mid Stage, or even the Late Stage?' Ling Fei mused, his heart filled with anticipation for the future. The power of the True Dragon Body Refining Technique had far surpassed his expectations.
"Now, for my True Qi. I need to generate more," Ling Fei muttered to himself as he set down the stone block.
He was eager to improve his strength.
Then, he glanced at Wu Dapang and the others before turning to leave.
"Hey, Ling Fei, where are you going!" Huang Xiaoman yelled when she saw him turn to bolt.
'This guy... we barely exchanged a few words and he's already running off. So clueless.'
"I'm going to Dragon Pool Valley to cultivate," Ling Fei called back as he dashed out of the Training Ground.
"Dragon Pool Valley?" Huang Xiaoman froze for a moment.
"That guy is going to cultivate even during the New Year?" Huang Liang frowned.
"He's a true martial arts fanatic!" Wu Dapang sighed with emotion. All these years, Ling Fei had always been so diligent, making others feel inadequate in comparison.
Then, they trotted after him as well.
Gusts of frigid wind swept through the area near Dragon Pool Mountain.
"God, it's freezing!" Huang Liang couldn't take it anymore, and they hadn't even reached Dragon Pool Valley.
He stopped in his tracks, not daring to go any further.
"I can't take it either!" Wu Dapang managed to follow Ling Fei for another two li before he, too, succumbed to the cold.
He also stopped.
Only Huang Xiaoman continued on with Ling Fei.
Ling Fei strode forward as if flying, unaffected by the Cold Qi.
Huang Xiaoman also kept a quick pace, seemingly unaffected by the biting cold.
As someone who had already reached the Innate Realm, her vast reserves of True Qi were more than enough to block the invading Cold Qi.
However, when they were still four li from Dragon Pool Valley, Huang Xiaoman's brow furrowed.
The Cold Qi had become so tyrannical that her True Qi was beginning to struggle to suppress it.
By the time she was three li from Dragon Pool Valley, the Cold Qi had started to invade her meridians, forcing her to use her True Qi to expel it.
As a result, Huang Xiaoman's True Qi was being consumed at a rapid rate.
'If I keep going, I'll never even make it to Cold Pool Valley. Even if I did, my True Qi would be completely depleted. Then, when I come out, I'll have no True Qi left to resist the cold. I'll definitely be invaded by the Cold Qi and injure myself. But... how is that guy completely fine?'
Huang Xiaoman's pace began to slow. She hesitated, no longer wanting to press on.
But when she saw Ling Fei still striding forward effortlessly, her fine brows knitted together.
'That brat... how is he not affected at all?' Huang Xiaoman was full of suspicion. 'Is this the heaven-defying power of the Cold Essence Body?'
"Huh? Where are Dapang and your brother?" Ling Fei, who had been striding forward, stopped and looked back.
He had been so focused on getting to Dragon Pool Valley that he hadn't paid much attention to the others behind him.
"They stopped. They couldn't go on. I can't hold out much longer either," Huang Xiaoman said, stopping and frowning.
"Didn't you reach the Innate Realm? How can you be so pathetic?" Ling Fei taunted, raising an eyebrow at the panting Huang Xiaoman.
But as she panted, her cheeks flushed red from the wind, the rise and fall of her chest held a unique charm.
Ling Fei couldn't help but secretly size up the young woman he hadn't seen in two years.
'It's been two years... this crazy girl seems to have gained a special kind of appeal,' Ling Fei mused.
"Hey, you little brat, what are you staring at?" Seeing his wandering gaze, Huang Xiaoman rolled her eyes and snapped.
"Ahem, nothing. It's just, for a mighty Innate Realm expert, not being able to walk this far is a bit embarrassing, don't you think?" Ling Fei said with a dry cough.
"Embarrassing?" Huang Xiaoman rolled her eyes. "You think everyone's a monster like you? I really don't get how you were able to enter Dragon Pool Valley back then." She was full of suspicion. Even with a Cold Essence Spirit Body, it should have been impossible to withstand this level of Cold Qi before cultivating a Cold Dao Technique and generating True Qi.
Unless his constitution was simply heaven-defying!
And so, she stared at Ling Fei, her face a mask of doubt.
But Ling Fei didn't know that his ability to enter the valley back then was no accident.
If not for his adoptive father's secret protection, how could he have withstood such intense Cold Qi at such a young age?
But the young Ling Fei had been so focused on growing stronger that even when the Cold Qi chilled him to the bone, he had gritted his teeth and pushed forward.
Especially after entering Dragon Pool Valley and obtaining the True Dragon Body Refining Technique, he hadn't given it much thought, assuming his luck was just heaven-defying.
"Well, I won't wait for you then," Ling Fei said, seeing how much she was struggling. "You should probably turn back. The Cold Qi inside is even more intense." With that, Ling Fei strode forward, breaking into a run, and disappeared into Dragon Pool Valley under Huang Xiaoman's watchful eyes.
"That brat," Huang Xiaoman muttered, gritting her teeth. She thought about trying to go on, but ultimately decided against it.
Meanwhile, Ling Fei had already entered Dragon Pool Valley.
SPLASH!
With the sound of splashing water, Ling Fei leaped into the pool, swam to a rock, and began to circulate the True Dragon Body Refining Technique, drawing in the Cold Chi Dragon Qi.
The Cold Chi Dragon Qi entered his body and was drawn into his bloodline to temper his Blood Qi.
Just like last time, Cold Chi True Qi was quickly generated.
But a dragon-shaped shadow on Ling Fei's spine flashed and absorbed the Cold Chi True Qi.
However, the two-thirds of his Cold Chi True Qi that he had depleted earlier was now fully replenished.
Within the Cold Pool, streams of True Qi were generated, only to be absorbed by his spine again and again.
Ling Fei did not slacken his efforts.
Ling Fei only stopped cultivating as dusk approached.
'Forty-two streams of Cold Chi True Qi were absorbed today,' Ling Fei noted internally.
At the same time, he could feel his spine growing stronger.
He leaped out of the Cold Pool, circulated his Blood Qi, and his clothes instantly dried.
Then, Ling Fei started walking out of the valley.
After walking a few li, he was surprised to see Huang Xiaoman.
"You're still here?" Ling Fei asked, surprised.
"You really are a freak," Huang Xiaoman said, shrugging as she looked him over.
It was hard to imagine that someone in the Body Tempering Realm could stay in Dragon Pool Valley to cultivate for so long.
"How am I a freak? I'm clearly handsome, alright?" Ling Fei retorted with a raised eyebrow, seeing how she was looking at him.
"Tch, shameless," Huang Xiaoman said with a look of disdain.
"By the way, crazy girl, how is it at the Divine Academy? Are there a lot of geniuses there?" Ling Fei suddenly asked with great interest after they exchanged a few barbs.
"The academy!" At his words, Huang Xiaoman's eyes lit up. "It's a gathering place for geniuses. Not only do you get to meet all kinds of prodigies and learn all sorts of Martial Arts, but there are also incredible cultivation resources..." As she spoke about the academy, she grew more and more excited.
Ling Fei listened, captivated, as a spectacular Martial Arts World gradually took shape in his mind.
"Work hard. When you get to the academy, I'll introduce you to some beauties," Huang Xiaoman said with a laugh, seeing his hopeful expression.
"Beauties?" Ling Fei's eyebrow quirked. He looked Huang Xiaoman up and down and said, "Sure, but they'll have to have a slightly better figure than you."
"Tch, you little punk, how old are you to be talking about figures?" Huang Xiaoman rolled her eyes and reached out a delicate hand to give Ling Fei a knock on the head.
Ling Fei quickly dodged and ran ahead, then looked back with a grin. "At least not a Princess Taiping!"
"Screw your 'Princess Taiping'! Say that again and see if I don't beat your ass raw!" Huang Xiaoman knew he was teasing her again. She feigned anger, raising her delicate hand to strike at him, but Ling Fei was already prepared and took off in a flash.
…
Of course, if Huang Xiaoman had been serious, she could have easily caught Ling Fei.
They were just playing around.
"See you tomorrow, little brother Ling Fei."
At Ling's Medical Clinic, Huang Xiaoman and Ling Fei said their goodbyes.
"See you tomorrow." Ling Fei bid her farewell and entered Ling's Medical Clinic.
For the next several days, Ling Fei continued to go to Dragon Pool Valley.
Wu Dapang and Huang Liang, however, did not go again.
Only Huang Xiaoman, who always seemed to enjoy it, continued to accompany him.
It seemed that for her, bickering with the young man every day was an interesting pastime.
「On the fourteenth day of the first month.」
Ling Fei had now been cultivating in the Dragon Pool for fourteen consecutive days.
In those fourteen days, Ling Fei's body still only contained a single wisp of Cold Chi True Qi.
However, over those fourteen days, the speed at which he generated True Qi had become faster and faster.
Not only that, but he felt that the energy within his spine had reached a state of Perfection. The sensation of a True Dragon about to burst free from its shackles flooded his mind.
WHOOSH!
A wisp of Cold Chi True Qi was absorbed by his spine.
After this wisp of Cold Chi True Qi was absorbed, Ling Fei felt his spine could no longer contain any more energy.
The Cold Chi True Qi within it began to run rampant.
Within his spine, it felt as if thousands of True Dragons were rampaging wildly.
Under the assault, large beads of sweat broke out on Ling Fei's forehead.
'Break!' At that moment, Ling Fei's Heart Spirit sank into his body, focusing on his spine.
After learning the Qi Manipulation Technique, he could now immerse his Willpower into his spine, which had previously felt as if it were sealed in dust.
Under the control of Ling Fei's Willpower, the Cold Chi Dragon Qi surged frantically, trying to break through its restraints.
BOOM!
A muffled explosion echoed from within him.
Then, Ling Fei felt a shackle within his spine shatter.
AROOOAR!
A dragon's roar echoed.
The roar seemed powerful enough to pierce gold and shatter stone, echoing through the nine heavens and spreading across the entirety of Longtan Town.
'Has the Dragon Bone Seal finally been broken?' At Ling's Medical Clinic, Elder Ling's eyes flashed. He gazed toward Dragon Pool Mountain, seemingly able to see everything happening in the Dragon Pool and perceive Ling Fei's condition. Then, stroking his long beard, he murmured, "The Dragon Bone Seal is broken. Fei'Er will now soar to the heavens."
His expression was one of excitement, his eyes filled with delight.
He had waited in Longtan Town for so many years for this very day.