[ Ding! Host has spent 1000 low grade spiritual stones ]
[ Multiplier Triggered: 100x ]
[ Host Receives 100,000 spiritual stones ]
Yu Liang looked over the room carefully.
It was clean and in order, with a huge big bed clothed in simple silk sheets in the center.
A high window was open to let in the sunlight, Against the wall stood a small, solid cupboard for ordinary use.
On a small tipoi table stood several plates of spiritual food, their faint odor mingling with the mellow odor of wine in a jade flask.
To the rear, in the direction of the distant wall, was the bathing area concealed behind a wooden screen. To the left, a closed doorway with faint lines of runes, clearly it’s a cultivation room restricted behind multiple types of constraints.
Without second thought, Yu Liang stepped into the room of cultivation. The room was basic but well-organized, with flat rock walls and a peaceful atmosphere.
In the middle was a futon that had a clean surface. Beside it, there was a jade slip, correctly placed, with a set of instructions on how to apply the formation.
Yu Liang settled onto the futon. His earlier questions to Xiao Wen hadn’t been asked out of idle curiosity. He needed a believable explanation for his sudden progress. Advancing too quickly within the sect would inevitably draw suspicion and unwanted attention. If anyone questioned him, an encounter with a forgotten inheritance or a chance discovery during an expedition would be far easier to accept than the truth.
With that in consideration, he steadied his breathing. He let his mind settle, brushing away loose concerns. And then a flask appeared in his hand, taken directly from the system’s storage and triggered the isolation formation.
Yu Liang sat cross legged on the floor of his room, his back straight and his hands resting lightly on his knees.
In front of him was a small jade bottle.
Inside was the Ultimate Grade Body Tempering Pill.
"This pill... it should be enough."
Yu Liang whispered to himself before placing the pill into his mouth.
It melted almost instantly.
A warm medicinal energy spread through his body, followed by a stronger wave that made his expression tighten.
He immediately activated his cultivation technique.
The medicinal energy began circulating through his meridians. Yu Liang carefully guided it along each pathway, allowing his body to absorb it little by little.
The energy was strong, but it was because the pill had been of the Ultimate Grade that there were few impurities to worry about.
That made the process much smoother.
Still, the amount of energy was more than his body could handle. So, Yu Liang focused his mind and directed it toward the barrier of the Sixth Level.
The pressure gradually increased until a certain limit.
Then—
Crack.
A faint sound came from within his body
The barrier for Sixth Level of Body Tempering was broken, and the Seventh Level naturally followed.
Yu Liang didn’t open his eyes.
He continued circulating the medicinal energy.
Intense heat spread through his body as his muscles, bones, and internal organs were tempered once again. Sweat gathered on his forehead and slowly rolled down his face.
Some of it carried impurities that had been pushed out of his body.
Yu Liang ignored it.
The pill still had plenty of medicinal energy left.
He continued guiding it.
Another wave entered his meridians.
This time, the pressure was noticeably stronger, much more than before.
The energy flowed into his body, making his muscles contract as his bones made soft creaking noises due to the tempering.
Yu Liang gritted his teeth and continued breathing.
He could not ingest the energy randomly.
Should he lose control over himself, the medicinal energy might harm him instead of being beneficial to him.
Thus, he slowed down.
One cycle.
Then another.
He gradually brought the energy under control before directing it toward the next barrier.
The pressure accumulated.
Yu Liang’s forehead creased.
Then—
Crack!
The barrier of the Eighth Level broke.
His body trembled slightly.
He took a slow breath and continued immediately.
The medicinal energy had not weakened much.
That surprised him.
An ordinary pill of this quality would never have contained such a large amount of usable medicinal essence.
Yu Liang didn’t waste time thinking about it.
He continued circulating the energy.
His muscles became denser.
His bones gradually strengthened.
Even his blood seemed to flow with greater ease.
The improvement was not difficult to notice.
But he still hadn’t reached the end.
Yu Liang guided another portion of the medicinal energy through his body.
The pressure began building again.
This time, he didn’t rush.
He adjusted his breathing until it became steady and rhythmic.
Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.
With every cycle, his body adapted slightly more to the medicinal power.
Eventually, the barrier of the Ninth Level appeared before him.
Yu Liang gathered the remaining energy.
Boom!
The barrier shook.
He remained calm and pushed again because he’s sure it will not be a problem.
The resistance weakened and another wave of medicinal energy followed.
Crack!
The Ninth Level broke through.
Yu Liang’s body relaxed slightly and he could clearly feel the difference.
His strength had increased again, but more importantly, his body felt much more stable than before. He slowly clenched his fist and a faint cracking sound came from his fingers.
"Not bad." He murmured quietly.
For most cultivators, reaching the Ninth Level would already be enough to stop and stabilize their cultivation.
Yu Liang, however, could still feel the medicinal energy inside his body.
A considerable amount remained.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
He could stop here as there was nothing wrong with doing so.
But if he waited too long, the remaining medicinal essence would gradually disperse.
That would be a waste.
Yu Liang took a slow breath.
"Since I have the chance..."
He closed his eyes again.
"Then I’ll go all the way."
He gathered the remaining medicinal energy.
This time, instead of spreading it throughout his body, he concentrated it toward the final barrier.
The pressure increased almost immediately, it was greater than before as he never heard anyone going through such immense pressure just to temper their body in the first realm.
Yu Liang’s muscles tightened, his veins became slightly more visible beneath his skin.
The barrier in front of him felt much more solid than the previous ones.
It was the final step of the Body Tempering Realm.
Yu Liang carefully controlled the medicinal essence and pushed it forward.
The barrier trembled.
He didn’t stop.
Another push.
The resistance became weaker.
Pain spread through his body as his flesh and bones continued to endure the tempering process.
Yu Liang’s breathing became heavier, but his concentration remained steady.
He wasn’t going to force it blindly.
He kept adjusting the flow of medicinal energy, allowing his body to absorb whatever it could before sending the rest toward the barrier.
Slowly, the resistance began to disappear.
A small crack appeared.
Yu Liang’s eyes remained closed.
He gathered the remaining medicinal essence.
Then pushed.
Crack!
The final barrier shattered.
The medicinal energy spread throughout his body before gradually settling down while Yu Liang remained still like a statue.
For several breaths, he simply felt the changes.
His muscles were stronger.
His bones were denser with a faint sign of gold marks over them
His blood flowed more smoothly and it became dark in colour.
Even his breathing felt different, it was indescribable but he knows that something is definitely different.
But Yu Liang could clearly sense that his body had reached the limit of the Body Tempering Realm.
He slowly opened his eyes.
The sharpness in them lasted only for a moment before returning to his usual calm expression.
Around him, dark impurities lay scattered across the floor, expelled from his body during the tempering process.
His body made a series of faint popping sounds as he stretched.
Yu Liang looked toward the window.
The sky outside had already begun to brighten.
He had spent the entire night cultivating.
Yet he didn’t feel tired.
Instead, his body felt unusually comfortable.
Yu Liang raised his hand and slowly clenched his fist. The strength inside it felt solid and controlled as though his body had been refined into a finely tempered weapon.
He could feel the immense strength coursing beneath his skin.
He looked at his hand for a few seconds.
Then a small smile appeared.
"Peak of Body Tempering."
He had finally reached it.