Summoning

Inside the Alchemy Hall of the Five Mountains Sect, Zeng Fan was cultivating with his eyes closed. The surrounding Ironwood continuously emitted streams of black energy, which he absorbed. The black and gray light on his body grew heavier, and his skin began to take on the texture of Ironwood, exuding a subtle sense of pressure.

Since returning, Zeng Fan's cultivation focus had been split between the Alchemy Hall and the waterfall. He first cultivated the Ironwood Body in the Alchemy Hall, and after finishing, he would head to the waterfall to temper his physical body. He was working hard to combine the Fish Dragon Dance with the Ironwood Body, as running both techniques simultaneously required constant practice to gradually master.

The light on his body slowly faded, and Zeng Fan opened his eyes. He had grown accustomed to the itching sensation of cultivating the Ironwood Body, and it was no longer as unbearable as before. The improvement of his strength was what he focused on most.

"Cultivating this technique is purely about piling up resources," Zeng Fan mused with a sigh. "As long as there are sufficient Ironwood materials, the cultivation progress is extremely fast. I just need to keep absorbing." With enough resources, certain aspects could be stronger than others, and overall strength would increase.

"There are only a few days left. I wonder if I can completely master the Ironwood Body before we depart," Zeng Fan's eyes showed a hint of anxiety.

Not many days after his return, while Zeng Fan was still engrossed in his cultivation, he received a notification. In ten days, the Sect would dispatch disciples below the Foundation Establishment realm for a campaign. This was a customary practice for the Five Mountains Sect. Whenever a new batch of Body Tempering Realm disciples matured to a certain point, they would be sent out for tempering. After all, the Sect did not need hothouse flowers. This time, an affiliated force had requested aid, so the expedition would serve as a trial for the Body Tempering Realm disciples. Each disciple was required to kill two Demonic Beasts of the same realm to pass the trial.

Zeng Fan understood that this could be considered a war between two forces with cultivators at the Foundation Establishment realm. Wherever there is war, there will be casualties. The Sect was not overly concerned about this, at least not for disciples of the Profound Vein or Yellow Vein like them. To pass the trial and survive in such an environment, they could only rely on themselves. Therefore, Zeng Fan felt a sense of urgency. If he could cultivate the Ironwood Body to Major Accomplishment before departing, his chances of success on this journey would increase significantly.

His absorption for the day was complete. Zeng Fan stood up and walked outside. Yao Ling'er, still in her long robe, was guarding the entrance for him. However, she wasn't reading today. The young girl was staring blankly at the sky, lost in thought.

Hearing the movement, Yao Ling'er snapped back to attention and looked at Zeng Fan, a smile gracing her lips. "Finished absorbing for today? How do you feel about your cultivation? Everyone's been saying the Ironwood in the storeroom feels like it's gotten worse lately, and they have to add extra pieces during alchemy. I feel like it's almost not going to be enough," the girl approached Zeng Fan and quietly asked about his progress.

Zeng Fan smiled faintly. "Almost. I think it'll be just these few days."

"That's good. It shouldn't be discovered," Yao Ling'er breathed a sigh of relief. If it could be finished in these few days, she could still manage.

"You're participating in this trial, right?" Yao Ling'er pondered for a moment before speaking to Zeng Fan.

"You're not?" Zeng Fan asked, finding the tone of Yao Ling'er's voice a bit strange. According to the Sect's notice, all disciples in the Body Tempering Realm should be going.

"Nope! Hehehe, didn't expect that, did you? The Sect requires ordinary disciples to go. We disciples of the Alchemy Hall don't have to, because our combat requirements aren't that high," Yao Ling'er looked at Zeng Fan with a hint of pride.

"After all, you are considered special talents~" Zeng Fan wasn't surprised by this. Alchemy, like Rune Masters, required special talent. Although there were far more alchemists than Rune Masters, they were still in short supply. Some people simply lacked talent in cultivation, but as long as one became a master alchemist, there would naturally be people to support them, helping their cultivation reach new heights. Yao Ling'er had become a disciple of the Alchemy Hall in the Body Tempering Realm, clearly indicating her alchemy talent was not weak. The Sect naturally wouldn't let such a disciple participate in the trial, as their "battlefield" was different.

Yao Ling'er pondered for a moment, then looked up at Zeng Fan. "Then I'll work hard these few days and refine the Body Tempering Pill for you. Even if it loses its breakthrough effect, it'll still be a good supplementary pill for Spiritual Energy during battle."

"Okay, thank you for your hard work," Zeng Fan grinned at Yao Ling'er.

"Alright, alright, stop being so polite with me," Yao Ling'er rolled her eyes at Zeng Fan.

Leaving the entrance of the Alchemy Hall, Zeng Fan headed straight for the waterfall. A faint sense of pressure now lingered in his heart; only by rapidly breaking through his strength could he find peace.

Upon arriving at the waterfall, Yuan Jin was already practicing his fist techniques. He was shirtless, his skin a healthy bronze, and his muscles bulged, giving him an appearance of explosive power. Compared to before, his fist techniques were now more fluid, combining fierceness with a hint of gentleness. Too much rigidity leads to breakage, and Yuan Jin had gradually developed his own understanding of his techniques.

If one looked closely, they could also see a faint black and gray light subtly appearing on Yuan Jin's skin – the Ironwood Body. Upon hearing about the trial, Zeng Fan had shared the cultivation method with Yuan Jin. Yuan Jin no longer held back, knowing the dangers of the trial. As for the Ironwood materials needed for cultivation, he could simply buy them with Spirit Stones; after all, his family had a Foundation Establishment ancestor.

However, because Yuan Jin started cultivating a few days later, his progress was naturally a bit behind Zeng Fan's. Nevertheless, his strength had also seen a considerable improvement.

Zeng Fan stripped off his clothes and directly entered the pool. The icy water stimulated Zeng Fan's skin, and his mind gradually calmed. With a thought, his skin began to turn dark, and a dense black and gray light slowly emerged from his body.

Clearly, his Ironwood Body was nearing Major Accomplishment. Once fully mastered, he would possess a hardness comparable to Ironwood, making it difficult for attacks from opponents of the same realm to penetrate. The previous Huang brothers had only managed to achieve the introductory stage of the Ironwood Body, their light barely covering their entire bodies.

Zeng Fan's body began to move across the stone platform, and he also employed the Fish Dragon Dance movement technique, a thoughtful expression crossing his eyes.

"Still not working? I feel like something is missing," Zeng Fan had been trying to combine the Ironwood Body and the Fish Dragon Dance. Every time he used the Fish Dragon Dance while employing the Ironwood Body, he felt a slight resistance in the circulation of his Spiritual Energy within his body, preventing him from achieving smooth, effortless execution.

"Yuan Jin's Five Kill Fist is about hardness. What he needs to do now is combine hardness with softness. My Fish Dragon Dance can be considered a blend of hardness and softness, but with the addition of the Ironwood Body, that balance is disrupted. I need to re-establish a new balance..."

His body slowly executed the techniques while Zeng Fan's mind ceaselessly pondered how to balance the two, unfortunately without any clear direction.

Night fell, the moon was bright and the stars were sparse. Silvery moonlight poured down from the sky. By the waterfall, a bonfire burned, occasionally emitting the crackling sound of branches being consumed by flames. A large hand threaded with several fish turned them over the fire.

The firelight illuminated Yuan Jin's face. A gust of wind blew, causing the flames to flicker, casting shifting shadows on the faces of Yuan Jin and Zeng Fan beside him. Yuan Jin directly pinched a piece of fish meat from the roasted fish, unfazed by the heat, and chewed it. Deciding it was ready, he handed it to the nearby Zeng Fan.

"Eat some fish first. You need a full stomach to have the energy to cultivate."

Zeng Fan snapped back to attention, took the fish Yuan Jin offered, and took a big bite. He frowned and glared at Yuan Jin. "Kid, why didn't you clean the fish scales properly? I took a bite and got meat mixed with scales."

Before Yuan Jin could reply, Zeng Fan suddenly paused, then looked sharply at the fish in his hand, his eyes suddenly lighting up.

"Fish, that's right, like a fish! Scales on the outside, flesh on the inside. Why should I run both techniques simultaneously within my body! I can put the Ironwood Body on the outside and the Fish Dragon Dance on the inside. Although the defense will be slightly reduced, perhaps I can perform them simultaneously!" Zeng Fan suddenly sat up from the ground and ran towards the waterfall, leaving Yuan Jin bewildered. However, he knew Zeng Fan must have had a breakthrough and didn't mind, taking another bite of the fish in his mouth with a smile on his face.

At the waterfall, Zeng Fan was testing his new idea. The Ironwood Body technique circulated within his body, but unlike before, under Zeng Fan's control, the technique shifted from circulating throughout his entire body outwards, eventually stabilizing externally. Simultaneously, the Fish Dragon Dance technique began to flow within his body. As soon as it started to circulate, the Fish Dragon Dance technique dissipated.

Zeng Fan simply repeated the process. He understood that he was just not yet familiar with this mode of operation. As long as he gradually became proficient, he believed there would be a different change. The two techniques repeatedly activated and dissipated, time passed, but the duration of their coexistence quietly extended.

At a moment when Zeng Fan was patiently trying, the two techniques simultaneously circulated without a sound, smoothly and effortlessly, without any further stagnation.

"Success!" Joy filled Zeng Fan's heart. Yuan Jin, who had been cultivating with his eyes closed, suddenly heard a laugh. He looked up and saw Zeng Fan's body flashing with black and gray light, his aura surging. He gathered his strength and threw a punch towards the waterfall.

With a thunderous roar, a black rock face appeared before Zeng Fan's eyes. The waterfall was actually broken by this punch, revealing the cliff behind it. A few breaths later, white water cascaded down, covering the black rock face once more.

After throwing the punch, Zeng Fan leaped back to the ground, his body feeling somewhat drained from the sudden burst of power, but his eyes were bright. His idea had succeeded; the Ironwood Body and the Fish Dragon Dance could now be performed simultaneously!

"How was it? Did it work?" Yuan Jin walked over slowly.

Zeng Fan smiled and nodded. "Now I can perform both simultaneously. The power will be even greater. It just depends on whether I can improve the Ironwood Body further in these few days."

Yuan Jin placed his hands on his hips. "I knew you could do it, you didn't believe me! I have to work hard these few days too, I can't fall too far behind you!"

Seeing Zeng Fan's improvement, Yuan Jin also felt a sense of urgency.

Ten days passed in a flash. The time for the expedition had arrived