Body Refining Art

Body Refining Art

The glow of the morning sun remained hazy, as though draping the village in a thin veil of vivid colors.

The air in the mountain forest was always so damp in the mornings. Mist swirled throughout the year, and when the morning light spilled over it, the whole forest was shrouded in a dreamy haze of breathtaking beauty.

The little village seemed forever beautiful, like a spotless paradise beyond the mortal world, and yet also like an ethereal fairyland—hazy and illusory. A place so beautiful truly did not seem like something that should belong to the human world.

The thunderous waterfall continued battering the land without tiring. Under the sunlight, the silver-white cascade occasionally flashed with streaks of dazzling color, sparkling here and there like the Milky Way hanging upside down from the Ninth Heaven.

A figure stood by the pool, facing the waterfall. His straight body was sturdy and powerful. Faintly, one could sense that a terrifying energy lay dormant within it.

Chen Yun quietly watched the figure before him, his eyes filled with respect and yearning. What Old Ent had shown Chen Yun that day had shaken him to the core.

He had known all along that his grandfather was a powerful warrior, but only after personally experiencing it could he truly understand what that power meant. That aura alone had felt like Mount Tai pressing down from above—deep and heavy, crushing the breath from one's lungs. Even Rook, with his formidable strength, had seemed insignificant. The fate of those black-clad men that day was easy to imagine: every last one of them had been executed on the spot. No matter how they struggled or fought back, before absolute strength, it had all been futile.

Chen Yun had also achieved an impressive battle record. He had slain four Fourth Order warriors in succession and, despite suffering severe injuries, had barely managed to kill a Fifth Order Sect Master. In the end, the village's arriving experts joined forces and wiped those people out without the slightest effort. The belligerent instinct buried in Chen Yun's bones had also been thoroughly awakened.

Although the scene had been somewhat bloody, everyone present happened to be a martial artist. They had felt some discomfort, but after enduring it for a while, it passed. To prevent this beautiful village from being stained with more blood, Old Ent and the others had no choice but to kill every one of them. Besides, those people did not look like good men, so no one felt particularly guilty.

After recuperating at home for several days, Chen Yun, who had originally been grievously wounded, recovered with astonishing speed. Such terrifying recuperative power left even Old Ent clicking his tongue in amazement. Old Ent was also exceedingly satisfied with Chen Yun's performance that day.

Old Ent gazed at the waterfall before him for a long while, then drew a deep breath and slowly turned around. With a faint smile at Chen Yun, he said in deep satisfaction, "Little Chen, your growth has made Grandpa very gratified. Although your current combat power is already no weaker than that of a Fifth Order Sect Master, you're still very weak."

"The War God Continent is an exceedingly vast world, filled with countless talented people. There's no shortage of those blessed with astonishing gifts. Although you possess the Dragonblood bloodline and your talent defies the heavens, you must never become arrogant because of it. You must understand that beyond the heavens lie further heavens, and beyond men lie other men. It's not as though there's no one whose talent surpasses yours. You should know that the Dragonblood Clan declined for some inexplicable reason back then. Though it's only a legend, it's still enough to explain certain things."

"Moreover, the phenomenon caused by your Dragonblood awakening that time has already attracted the attention of certain people on the continent. You haven't grown strong yet. Although no one knows about you for the time being, there has never been a wall in this world that doesn't let the wind through. So what you must do now is grow stronger as quickly as possible. You can't remain sheltered beneath Grandpa's wings forever. You're destined to leave this village and step onto the continent. And your origins still need you to uncover them yourself. All of this has doomed you to be extraordinary, and the path ahead of you will be fraught with danger." After saying this, Old Ent stared deeply at Chen Yun, a glimmer of hope occasionally flashing through his eyes.

Chen Yun quietly listened to Old Ent's words. He had grown considerably by now, and after what had happened that day, he had gained an even deeper understanding of this world's law: the strong were revered.

Just as Old Ent had once said, although Chen Yun's body was that of a child, his thoughts were in no way inferior to those of an adult. His soul belonged to an adult—and not merely an adult, but one who had experienced the warmth and cruelty of human nature. He understood many things.

"Grandpa! Don't worry! Your grandson understands everything! Since Heaven has bestowed an extraordinary destiny upon me, I should fight for my future all the more. I want to see how high the sky is and how vast the earth!" By the end, Chen Yun could not help but swell with heroic spirit.

"Hahaha... Good! To have such an outstanding grandson as you is truly one of the great blessings of this old man's life!" Old Ent threw his head back and laughed heartily in satisfaction, his right hand unconsciously stroking his beard.

Then Old Ent suddenly became solemn. "Starting today, you must devote yourself to cultivation once more. Once both your physical body and battle aura have reached at least the realm of a Fifth Order Sect Master, you may leave the mountains and go see the outside world!"

As he reached the end, Old Ent could not help raising his head to gaze at the distant sky, a trace of remembrance flashing through his eyes.

Chen Yun, however, failed to notice Old Ent's expression. He had already been stirred by Old Ent's words—"Once both your physical body and battle aura have reached at least the realm of a Fifth Order Sect Master, you may leave the mountains and go see the outside world!"—and his heart burned with enthusiasm. He had long wanted to see what lay beyond.

After all, he had spent so many years in this isolated village. An ordinary child might not have found it strange, but Chen Yun was no ordinary child. His soul belonged to someone nearing adulthood.

Moreover, the world he had lived in during his previous life had been an open one. Humanity had never stopped exploring the world, and curiosity was the natural instinct of mankind. Thus, his heart was now filled with longing.

After briefly losing himself in thought, Old Ent came back to his senses. He then extended a hand and slowly pulled a book from his robes.

It was an ancient, battered book. Its pages were a grayish yellow, and one could clearly sense the aura of time emanating from it. Three blurred, complex characters were written on its cover, while two faint traces appeared before them. They were probably two more characters, but the passage of time had worn them away without leaving a trace.

Old Ent lowered his head and stared at the ancient book for a long while before finally raising it again.

Looking at Chen Yun's curious face, he said, "I obtained this book when I accidentally wandered into a mountain cave one time. These three characters were written in ancient script. Fortunately, I had enjoyed studying ancient books since childhood and recognized some ancient characters. These three characters are 'Body Refining Art.' There should have been two more characters before them, but they've already become impossible to make out."

"Judging from the book's name, its meaning is clear: it's a cultivation technique for refining the physical body. Moreover, it's an extremely mystical and profound Body Refining Art!" As he said this, two sharp rays suddenly shot from Old Ent's eyes.