Eighth-grade Demonic Core, Another Breakthrough!

In the clearing within the forest, a thick smell of blood and the lingering, violent demonic energy from the battle permeated the air. The corpse of the Ironclad Savage Bull, massive as a small hill, lay quietly on the ground. Its enormous body still exuded an astonishing pressure, but its left eye, pierced through, was hollow and deathly still, marking the end of its life.

Lin Chen stood beside the bull's corpse, breathing slightly as he adjusted his aura, which was a little disordered from the thrilling battle against a stronger foe.

Looking at the Eighth-layer demonic beast he had personally slain, an indescribable sense of accomplishment and pride surged within him. This was not just a simple hunt; it was the best proof of his strength, wisdom, and courage!

After a brief moment of emotion, Lin Chen's gaze quickly turned fervent!

This Eighth-layer Ironclad Savage Bull was a treasure trove! It absolutely could not be wasted!

He first turned his attention to the bull's thick, horny hide that covered its body like cast iron!

This "ironclad" layer was the Ironclad Savage Bull's most prized defensive measure! Its hardness was sufficient to withstand the full force of an attack from a Ninth-layer Body Tempering Realm martial artist! If it could be stripped off, whether for crafting armor or for direct smelting and absorption, it would yield unimaginable benefits!

Lin Chen's heart stirred, and he immediately attempted to activate the Myriad Dao Furnace!

He placed his palm on the bull's cold, hard ironclad hide, carefully channeling the Furnace's power into it!

Hum...

The Furnace vibrated slightly, and an invisible force, imbued with the essence of cutting and decomposition, slowly began to act upon the connection between the ironclad hide and the bull's flesh!

However!

What surprised Lin Chen was!

The toughness of this ironclad hide far exceeded his imagination! Even with the Myriad Dao Furnace's domineering power that could melt anything, completely separating it from the flesh was exceptionally difficult! Moreover, it was extremely draining on his mind and true qi!

He tried for a while, only managing to melt an extremely small portion of the connecting tissue! To completely strip the entire ironclad hide would likely take several days or even longer!

"It's too hard, and it's almost fused with the flesh, making it difficult to peel off," Lin Chen frowned, temporarily abandoning the idea of stripping the ironclad hide.

This place was not suitable for lingering. The smell of blood could attract other powerful demonic beasts or humans. He didn't have that much time to waste here.

"It seems I can only take the most important things first."

Lin Chen's gaze shifted to the Ironclad Savage Bull's head (the location of the pierced left eye) and its Dantian area!

The Demonic Core! This was the most precious treasure of an Eighth-layer demonic beast!

He drew the sharp short blade from his boot (confiscated from Lin Bao, of decent quality), took a deep breath, and poured his robust true qi from the late Seventh Layer of the Body Tempering Realm onto the blade!

Swish!

The short blade let out a soft hum, flashing with a faint cold light!

Lin Chen found the right spot, avoiding the hardest part of the skull, and along the edge of the eye socket, he stabbed down fiercely!

Squelch!

The short blade, like cutting tofu, easily pierced through the relatively soft eye tissue and burrowed deep inside!

Lin Chen twisted his wrist, and his true qi vibrated! Soon, he dug out a Demonic Core the size of an egg! It was a thick earthen yellow all over! Its surface seemed to have rock-like patterns flowing on it! It emitted an incredibly majestic, incredibly dense, and incredibly pure Eighth-grade Demonic Core with earth-attribute energy and origin aura!!!

"What a find!" Lin Chen held the heavy Demonic Core in his hand, feeling the terrifying, earth-like dense and majestic energy contained within, and couldn't help but exclaim!

The quality and energy contained within this Eighth-grade earth-attribute Demonic Core were definitely far superior to the previous Seventh-grade Dark Panther Core! It was even more terrifying than those dozen or so Mid-grade Spirit Stones combined!

If he could completely smelt and absorb it...

Lin Chen's heart couldn't help but race again!

He carefully wiped the priceless Eighth-grade Demonic Core clean and solemnly placed it into his Storage Ring.

Then, without any pause, he went to the bull's Dantian area in its abdomen.

Although the bull didn't store demonic power in its Dantian, the essence of its entire body's majestic earth-attribute energy must have gathered and settled here!

Lin Chen swung his short blade again, infusing it with true qi. Like a master butcher, he precisely and swiftly cut through the relatively softer skin and muscles of the bull's abdomen (even so, it took him considerable effort).

Soon, a mass of flesh essence, about the size of a human head, dark brown in color, like a gel, emitting a strong earthy smell and a majestic Blood Essence fluctuation! Appeared before his eyes!

This was the essence of the Ironclad Savage Bull's Blood Essence and earth-attribute energy! Although the energy contained within was not as pure as the Demonic Core, it was more gentle and easier to absorb, especially having a miraculous effect on tempering the physical body!

"Good stuff!" Lin Chen's eyes lit up again!

Without hesitation, he immediately activated the Myriad Dao Furnace!

This time, it was pure energy consumption!

Rumble!!!

The Furnace erupted with a powerful suction force! Instantly engulfing the fist-sized mass of flesh essence!

Sizzle sizzle sizzle!!!

The dark brown, gelatinous essence rapidly shriveled and dissolved at a visible speed! Transforming into streams of incredibly pure, incredibly majestic energy torrents carrying a dense earth-attribute aura and vigorous Blood Essence Power! Rushing madly into Lin Chen's body!

Boom boom boom!!

Lin Chen felt as if his body had been thrown into a giant furnace again!

That dense and majestic earth-attribute energy and Blood Essence Power, like surging magma! Rushed wildly through his body! Nourishing his limbs and bones! Tempering his muscles and skin!

The strength of his physical body began to improve slowly and steadily once more!

His realm, which had been slightly unstable after breaking through to the late Seventh Layer, was rapidly stabilized by the infusion of this majestic energy! And it was slowly and steadily advancing towards the peak of the Seventh Layer!

"As expected! The flesh essence of demonic beasts is most effective for tempering the physical body!" Lin Chen rejoiced in his heart!

He could clearly feel his bones becoming denser! His muscles tougher! His Blood Essence more vigorous! Even his defense seemed to have improved considerably! It was as if he had absorbed a trace of the Ironclad Savage Bull's heavy and solid characteristics!

After about the time it takes an incense stick to burn, the human-head-sized mass of flesh and blood essence was completely squeezed dry by the Myriad Dao Furnace! Absorbed entirely!

Lin Chen's cultivation also successfully stabilized at the Body Tempering Realm Seventh Layer Late Stage! Only a sliver away from the peak! His physical strength had increased by at least ten percent!

"Satisfying!" Lin Chen let out a relieved growl, feeling the power surge within him once more!

This feeling of constantly growing stronger by plundering and devouring was truly intoxicating!

After dealing with the Demonic Core and the flesh and blood essence, Lin Chen glanced at the mountain-like pile of Savage Bull remains on the ground, still emitting a faint warmth (mainly its unremovable iron armor), a hint of regret flashed in his eyes.

This armor was definitely top-tier material for refining defensive Magic Tools! If only he could take it with him...

Alas, it was too big! Too heavy! And too conspicuous! With his current abilities, he couldn't possibly take it away intact.

"Looks like I'll have to wait until I'm stronger to come back and see if there's an opportunity," Lin Chen shook his head, abandoning the impractical thought.

However...

His eyes gleamed, and he activated the Myriad Dao Furnace again!

This time, his target was the Savage Bull's two massive horns, shaped like scimitars and glinting with a chilling cold light!

These horns were also incredibly hard! And they contained pure earth elemental energy and a trace of sharpness?! Perhaps he could refine something useful from them?

Hiss hiss...

The Furnace's power once again acted upon the base of the horns. This time, perhaps because the horns weren't fully fused with the body, the process of refining and detaching them was much easier than stripping the armor!

After about half an hour, Lin Chen finally succeeded in "melting and severing" the two massive horns, nearly a meter long and incredibly heavy, from the Savage Bull's skull!

He also stored these two giant horns in his Storage Ring (luckily, the ring had enough space). Although he didn't know their use for now, his intuition told him they were definitely good stuff!

After completing all this, Lin Chen finally ceased his work.

He carefully cleaned the scene again, erasing any trace of his presence, then oriented himself and chose a different path from the one he came by, continuing to sneak deeper into the Green Peak Mountain Range.

He needed to find a new, absolutely safe hiding place as soon as possible to refine that eighth-grade earth elemental Demonic Core!

That was the biggest gain from this hunt! And the key to breaking through to a higher realm!

This time, he was even more careful and cautious.

Venturing deeper into the mountain range meant potentially encountering more powerful demonic beasts, or even the legendary Foundation Establishment Realm demonic kings!

He pushed his Phantom Step and Darkness Stealth abilities to their limits, his figure moving like a phantom through the dense forest and mountain ravines, perfectly avoiding all potential dangers.

Around dusk, he finally found another hidden, dry cave deep within a rarely trodden area of chaotic rocks.

This cave was larger and deeper than the previous one, its entrance concealed by huge rocks and vines, making it impossible to discover without careful inspection. A faint earthy smell permeated the cave, suggesting it had once been the den of some burrowing demonic beast, but it had been vacant for a long time.

After carefully checking and confirming its safety, Lin Chen set up simple warning measures.

Then, he impatiently sat down cross-legged and carefully took out the eighth-grade earth elemental Demonic Core, which exuded a heavy and majestic aura!

The egg-sized Demonic Core was a deep earthy yellow all over, its surface seeming to flow with rock-like patterns. Holding it felt heavy, as if holding a condensed heart of the earth! The terrifying energy contained within made even Lin Chen's heart skip a beat!

"Eighth-grade Demonic Core, earth elemental." Lin Chen's eyes were filled with fervor and anticipation!

The energy of this Demonic Core far surpassed the previous seventh-grade Dark Panther Core, and its earth elemental characteristics of heaviness and defense were precisely what he lacked currently!

If he could successfully refine and absorb it...

His cultivation would definitely break through the bottleneck in one go and enter the Body Tempering Realm Eighth Layer! Or even higher!

His physical defense would also undoubtedly undergo a qualitative leap!

More importantly!

He might even be able to comprehend a trace of the mystery of the earth's origin!

Thinking of this, Lin Chen could no longer suppress the excitement in his heart!

He took a deep breath, cast aside all distracting thoughts! His mind highly focused!

Myriad Dao Furnace! Nine Aperture Dao Foundation! Activate at full power!

"Give it to me!!! MELT!!!"

Accompanied by a furious roar in his heart!

A terrifying devouring power, unprecedented and extreme, like an awakened ancient demon god, instantly enveloped the eighth-grade earth elemental Demonic Core!

Crack crack crack!!!!

The surface of the eighth-grade Demonic Core, whose hardness far surpassed steel, was instantly covered in dense cracks! It looked like it would shatter completely the next second!

Following closely!

A viscous, yellow lava-like, boundless essence of earth elemental origin energy, filled with heaviness, defense, support, and a trace of the earth's pulsating rhythm! Along with even more majestic and pure non-elemental energy! Like the Yellow River bursting its banks! It surged overwhelmingly! And madly towards Lin Chen's body!!!!

Rumble rumble rumble!!!!!!!!!

The entire cave seemed to tremble violently due to this terrifying energy impact!

Lin Chen's body was like a balloon about to burst! Countless tiny blood wounds instantly erupted on his skin! Golden blood flowed out!

But he gritted his teeth, his eyes bloodshot, his face filled with madness and determination!

Pain! Extreme pain! It felt as if his body was about to be torn apart!

But accompanying the pain was an unprecedented, extreme pleasure of his power skyrocketing!!!

His cultivation! His physical body! His spirit! All were undergoing a world-shattering transformation under the baptism and tempering of this terrifying energy!!!

Body Tempering Realm Seventh Layer peak!

Breakthrough!

Body Tempering Realm Eighth Layer!!!

It happened naturally! Unstoppable!!!

A new aura, more powerful! More robust! More majestic! Erupted from Lin Chen's body, sweeping through the entire cave! It even stirred the Spiritual Qi outside, forming a visible, massive vortex of energy!

Wind rose! Clouds gathered!

Inside the cave, the torrent of energy gradually subsided, but the suffocatingly powerful pressure still filled every inch of space.

Lin Chen sat cross-legged, the golden light swirling around him slowly retracting into his body. The small wounds on his skin, which had burst open from the impact of the immense energy, had already healed automatically under his powerful Blood Essence and recovery abilities, leaving not even a trace of a scar.

At this moment, he seemed not much different from before, still that slightly thin young man in black. But if one observed closely, they would notice that his eyes had become deeper and more restrained, as if hiding a sea of stars; his skin was more crystal clear, faintly radiating a layer of thick, earth-yellow precious light; and with every movement, he exuded a steady demeanor like a towering mountain, as if he had merged with the earth beneath his feet!

This was the might of the Body Tempering Realm Eighth Layer!

And not just newly entered the Eighth Layer!

The energy contained within that eighth-grade Earth-attribute Demonic Core was truly immense! Even Lin Chen's Dantian Sea of Qi, after multiple expansions, had nearly burst!

After breaking through the barrier of the Seventh Layer peak, the remaining energy continued to push his cultivation forward like a vast river!

Only after completely absorbing and refining all the energy did Lin Chen's cultivation finally stabilize at the Body Tempering Realm Eighth Layer Middle Stage!!!

The peak of the Eighth Layer was no longer out of reach!