After an hour!
Lin Baichuan had cleaned up all eleven Demonic Beasts. He took not only their Demon Cores, but even their flesh and blood.
Every part of a Demonic Beast was treasure. Even their blood could be used to refine medicine, while their bones and hides could be used to forge artifacts, each with unparalleled uses. Naturally, Lin Baichuan did not leave behind even the smallest scrap, stuffing everything into his Space Ring.
As for the beast corpses tainted by demonic qi, Lin Baichuan did not touch them. For one, they were not worth much; for another, his Space Ring did not have that much storage space. Even if he collected them, he could not take them away, so he might as well leave them.
"Eleven Demon Cores, plus all these materials. This time, I've truly struck it rich."
With his saber in hand, Lin Baichuan returned to the small tree and sat cross-legged before it. His face was beaming as he muttered, "If I sell all this, it should fetch over ten thousand Contribution Points. But that isn't even my greatest gain..."
As he spoke, a thought stirred in his mind. Light flashed through his sea of consciousness, and the Attribute Panel opened automatically.
Name: Lin Baichuan Identity: Junior Demon Slayer of the Demon Suppression Division Cultivation: Ninth Rank Cultivation Method: Golden Bell Shield (Seventh Layer, 5%+) Martial Skills: Seven Kill Saber Art (Mastery), Wind Shadow Steps (Minor Mastery+), Brute Ox Fist (Minor Mastery+) Intent: Saber Intent (24%+) Merit: 2139 ...
Lin Baichuan swept his gaze over it, and the smile on his face grew even brighter. He actually had 2,139 points of merit—far beyond his expectations. He had originally thought he would have only a little over a thousand. Mainly because there were too many ordinary beasts tainted by demonic qi. Lin Baichuan had only roughly estimated there to be over a thousand of them, without carefully counting the exact number.
"Over two thousand merit points are enough to raise Golden Bell Shield to the ninth layer. I might even be able to raise Wind Shadow Steps and Brute Ox Fist to Major Mastery."
Lin Baichuan muttered to himself, his eyes immediately gleaming.
With a thought, he glanced at the fruit on the small tree before him, then shifted his attention back to the Attribute Panel and began adding points to Golden Bell Shield without hesitation.
Golden Bell Shield was currently at the seventh layer, yet his cultivation realm remained at the Ninth Rank Skin Refinement Realm. Lin Baichuan had long wanted to break through the limits of the Ninth Rank and enter the Eighth Rank Bone Tempering Realm as soon as possible. Using the system to add points was naturally the fastest way.
"Merit is like money. Only once it's spent does it truly belong to you. Otherwise, it belongs to the system."
Lin Baichuan muttered, guiding his will and directly adding two thousand merit points to Golden Bell Shield.
Boom...
A powerful force erupted at once, coursing through his entire body in an instant. Lin Baichuan's consciousness immediately entered a martial world, where he transformed into a young man and painstakingly cultivated Golden Bell Shield for decades. Again and again, he broke through its limits, forcefully raising the Golden Bell Shield, which originally had only three layers, to the ninth layer.
Training through the dog days of summer, practicing through the bitterest days of winter.
Decades passed like a single day. Through all manner of medicinal baths and relentless tempering, he finally refined his flesh to the utmost limit. He even broke through the limits of Bronze Skin at Great Perfection, returning to simplicity and shedding his mortal form.
His physical strength had reached a shocking 108,000 jin.
"Phew..."
The next moment, Lin Baichuan's consciousness returned. He had painstakingly cultivated Golden Bell Shield for decades in that martial world, yet less than a quarter of an hour had passed in the real world. He exhaled a breath of turbid air as powerful force surged through his entire body, wildly tempering his flesh.
At once, the flesh all over Lin Baichuan's body began to emit a faint glow, like yellow brass. The brass color grew brighter and brighter, until it reached its peak in an instant. Then golden light flashed, and the skin across his body began to peel away, just like a snake shedding its skin.
In the blink of an eye, a thick layer of old, dead skin had fallen from Lin Baichuan's body. The flesh that had originally resembled yellow brass had become snowy white and jade-like, supple and tender—even better than a woman's skin.
Yet beneath that tender white skin lay explosive might, as though it could swallow mountains and rivers.
Even Lin Baichuan himself clicked his tongue in astonishment at the sight.
Then he was overwhelmed with ecstasy.
On the martial path, the Ninth Rank refined the skin. It was said that some prodigies could cultivate to the utmost limit and forge Bronze Skin, granting them an incomparably powerful body and peerless defense. Yet Lin Baichuan had gone a step further, breaking through the limits of Bronze Skin and entering an even higher level.
This realm was known as Ice Skin.
The ancients said, "Ice skin and jade bones." Many believed it described women, but in the martial path, it represented two realms—two legends.
The Ninth Rank refined Ice Skin; the Eighth Rank tempered Jade Bone.
These were two realms that existed only in legend. Throughout countless ages, only peerless monsters had any chance of taking this step. Lin Baichuan had never expected that after spending two thousand merit points to raise Golden Bell Shield to the ninth layer, he would receive such a stroke of fortune. His flesh had returned to simplicity, reaching the realm of Ice Skin.
This was simply a heaven-defying blessing. Lin Baichuan knew it was not merely because of the system. More importantly, he had bathed in Return Origin Body Tempering Soup, allowing him to shed his mortal form and reshape his physique and innate bones.
With such profound foundations, his transformation had allowed him to soar into the sky in a single leap.
Lin Baichuan was beside himself with joy. With a thought, he sprang to his feet and suddenly threw a punch.
Crackle... Bang...
It was merely an ordinary punch, yet it carried astonishing force. It forcibly tore through the air, unleashing a thunderous sonic boom. Faint sparks even scattered through the air—an anomaly that could only appear when speed and strength reached a terrifying level.
"Good heavens, a casual punch can break the sound barrier. My physical strength has probably truly reached 108,000 jin."
Lin Baichuan clicked his tongue and muttered, "If I add the amplification of inner strength and martial skills, one Brute Ox Fist strike might contain hundreds of thousands of jin of force. And that's with my Brute Ox Fist only at Minor Mastery. If I raise it to Perfection, it will probably become even more terrifying."
Thinking this, Lin Baichuan immediately turned his attention back to the Attribute Panel in his sea of consciousness.
He had 139 merit points left. Continuing to raise Golden Bell Shield was clearly unrealistic. Golden Bell Shield now required one thousand merit points for each additional layer. Moreover, Lin Baichuan had a feeling that the transition from the ninth layer to the tenth would be a hurdle, requiring even more merit.
Since that was the case, he could only raise his two martial skills: Wind Shadow Steps and Brute Ox Fist.
These were both High-grade Mortal Tier martial skills, and both were currently only at Minor Mastery. Lin Baichuan intended to concentrate all his merit on raising one martial skill. After all, with only 139 merit points, splitting them apart would lead to unsatisfactory results for both skills. At best, they would reach Major Mastery.
But if he focused them on one martial skill, it might be enough to raise it to Perfection.
I already have the Seven Kill Saber Art for offense. In battle and slaughter, speed is crucial—and at critical moments, it can save my life. Lin Baichuan pondered inwardly. In that case, I'll raise Wind Shadow Steps first!
As for Brute Ox Fist, it won't be too late to raise it once I have more merit later.
With that thought, Lin Baichuan moved his will and poured all 139 remaining merit points into Wind Shadow Steps.
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