Battle Saint Body

True Person Li Shui smiled at Fang Chen. "Fang Chen, in view of your outstanding performance at Spirit Flame Valley, the sect has decided to award you a Second-Class Merit. The debt of 1,010 Spirit Stones imposed on you by the Enforcement Hall has been canceled, and you've been awarded 500 Contribution Points. You're also exempt from assignments for a year. The sect won't give you any basic assignments during that time."

"Really?"

Fang Chen stared at True Person Li Shui in disbelief. He had never imagined a Second-Class Merit would bring such generous rewards.

"Yes."

True Person Li Shui nodded slightly. "Your Contribution Points have been recorded. You can claim and use them whenever you like."

"Thank you, Elder!"

Overjoyed, Fang Chen bowed deeply to True Person Li Shui.

"All right, you may go."

True Person Li Shui smiled at Fang Chen.

Fang Chen bowed slightly to True Person Li Shui, then left the Merit Hall with Liu Yu, a disciple of the Enforcement Hall.

After Fang Chen left, a young woman entered. She wore a pale blue gauze dress with red cloud patterns embroidered along the collar and cuffs. She had delicate features, fair skin, and bright eyes like autumn water beneath gently arched brows. Looking toward the hall entrance, she knitted her brows and asked True Person Li Shui, "Master, if you think so highly of Fang Chen, why not take him as your disciple?"

True Person Li Shui chuckled. "There's no rush. I've established a good connection with him today. Let's watch him for a while longer."

Taking a disciple was no trifling matter. Fang Chen had no Spiritual Root, after all, and True Person Li Shui dared not act rashly. If he took Fang Chen as a disciple only for Fang Chen's cultivation to make no progress, people would laugh at him.

"Mm."

The young woman nodded, then said, "Master, I want to challenge the Li Shui Sword Array again!"

The corners of True Person Li Shui's mouth lifted. "Very well. Come with me."

With that, True Person Li Shui turned toward a small door at the side of the hall. His cultivation was not particularly high, but his fighting strength ranked among the Nascent Soul Elders of the Glazed Sword Sect. Arrays were his specialty, and even many cultivators at the ninth transformation of Nascent Soul could not break through his Li Shui Sword Array.

The young woman hurried after him.

Once Fang Chen emerged from the Merit Hall, he felt his spirits lift. With his debt gone, a weight had fallen from his shoulders.

Liu Yu summoned his Flying Sword and said, "Junior Brother Fang Chen, hop on. I'll take you back to Dog Head Ridge!"

"Thank you, Senior Brother!"

Fang Chen bowed slightly to the Enforcement Hall disciple and stepped onto the Flying Sword.

"Here we go!"

Liu Yu immediately sent the sword soaring into the sky with Fang Chen aboard.

Dog Head Ridge.

Li Yanshan and Elder Yun were playing chess beneath the Great Elm Tree.

Li Yanshan placed a piece on the board, then looked up at Elder Yun. "Elder Yun, do you think that boy Fang Chen will make it back alive?"

Elder Yun sighed softly. "Hard to say."

Elder Yun knew that although Fang Chen carried the Protective Spirit Jade he had given him, the person Fang Chen had offended was Zhang Tielin. It would be all too easy for Zhang Tielin to kill him. Based on their many years of experience, Fang Chen's chances of returning alive were vanishingly small.

Fang Chen was one of their own at Dog Head Ridge, but they had done everything they could for him. Whether he came back alive would depend on his own fortune.

Just then, a streak of Rainbow Light appeared above the Great Elm Tree.

Li Yanshan and Elder Yun looked up at once and saw an Enforcement Hall disciple returning on a Flying Sword with Fang Chen.

The disciple guided the Flying Sword down. Fang Chen jumped off, then turned and bowed slightly to him. "Thank you, Senior Brother Liu Yu!"

"No need to thank me. I'll be going."

Liu Yu smiled at Fang Chen and flew away on the sword.

Fang Chen turned to Li Yanshan and Elder Yun with a smile. "Uncle Li, Elder Yun, I'm back!"

"What..."

Li Yanshan and Elder Yun were both stunned. Neither had expected Fang Chen to return so soon.

Li Yanshan asked, "Fang Chen, what on earth happened?"

Fang Chen smiled at him. "Uncle Li, Elder Yun, I earned a merit award!"

"A merit award?"

Li Yanshan and Elder Yun froze.

Fang Chen nodded. "Yes. Last night, a flock of Bloodthirsty Evil Crows attacked the outpost at Spirit Flame Valley. The losses were terrible. The outpost was nearly razed to the ground..."

Fang Chen told them what had happened at the Spirit Flame Valley outpost the night before.

"What? You broke through to the Third Layer of Qi Refining?"

When Li Yanshan learned of Fang Chen's breakthrough, his eyes went round. Elder Yun was just as shocked.

They both knew Fang Chen had no Spiritual Root. Only a few days ago, two menial workers had chased him through Thousand Bamboo Ridge, and he had broken through to the Qi Refining Realm by sheer chance. Yet in less than two days, his cultivation had shot straight to the Third Layer of Qi Refining.

Fang Chen immediately circulated the Glazed Qi Refining Art. A powerful aura radiated from him, and three faint layers of Body Protection Spiritual Light appeared around his body.

"He really is at the Third Layer of Qi Refining!"

Li Yanshan and Elder Yun exchanged a look and drew deep breaths. With such a terrifying rate of advancement, even cultivators with Sixth-grade True Spiritual Roots would struggle to match him.

Both Elder Yun and Li Yanshan now strongly doubted whether Fang Chen truly lacked a Spiritual Root. They could hardly believe someone without one could advance so quickly.

Li Yanshan stared at Fang Chen, brow furrowed. "Fang Chen, do you really have no Spiritual Root?"

Elder Yun also gave Fang Chen a doubtful look.

Fang Chen nodded emphatically. "It's absolutely true. You can check if you don't believe me!"

With that, Fang Chen held out his hand to them.

Elder Yun took Fang Chen's wrist and sent his Spiritual Sense into Fang Chen's body. It entered his dantian, where Elder Yun saw the Black Iron Sword but found no Spiritual Root.

Elder Yun released his hand and stared at him in disbelief. "How strange. You have no Spiritual Root, yet your cultivation has advanced so quickly. How did you do it?"

Li Yanshan could not help asking, "Yes, how did you do it?"

Fang Chen repeated the explanation he had given True Person Li Shui at the Merit Hall.

After hearing it, Li Yanshan and Elder Yun looked incredulous.

"A genius! A genius who comes along once in ten thousand years!"

Li Yanshan stared at Fang Chen, unable to hold back his praise.

Elder Yun said, "Fang Chen, you might possess the legendary Battle Saint Body, a physique seen only once in ten thousand years!"

"What's the Battle Saint Body?"

Fang Chen looked up at Elder Yun, puzzled.

Leaning on his cane, Elder Yun raised his head slightly and gazed toward the exit of Dog Head Ridge, his eyes distant. "The Battle Saint Body is said to be one of the most powerful physiques in the world. Even mighty physiques like the legendary Chaos Body, Innate Saint Body Dao Embryo, Primordial Chaos Saint Body, and Black-Yellow Tyrant Body would struggle to contend with it!"

"As its name suggests, the Battle Saint Body is born for battle and strikes fear into the hearts of all who hear of it. Those who possess it cultivate by pushing past their limits again and again in combat. It's terrifying!"

Elder Yun's words stunned Fang Chen. He had never imagined such a powerful physique existed in the world.

He had heard of the Chaos Body and various sacred bodies, divine bodies, spirit bodies, and tyrant bodies. He knew how formidable those physiques were and how much easier they made cultivation.

But Fang Chen knew he did not possess the Battle Saint Body Elder Yun described. He was an ordinary person without even a Spiritual Root. He had broken through during battle only because he had the Floating Immortal Sword.

He shook his head at Elder Yun. "Elder Yun, I have an ordinary physique. I don't even have a Spiritual Root. I can't have the Battle Saint Body you're talking about!"

"Heh, it was only a guess. Whether you have the Battle Saint Body doesn't matter, so long as your cultivation keeps improving. Congratulations on finishing your assignment ahead of schedule and earning a Second-Class Merit!"

Elder Yun smiled at Fang Chen and offered his congratulations.

"That's right, congratulations! You lucky rascal, you came away from Spirit Flame Valley with quite a haul!"

Li Yanshan congratulated Fang Chen sincerely. He was delighted to see Fang Chen achieve so much.

"Thank you, Elder Yun! Thank you, Uncle Li!"

Fang Chen bowed slightly to Elder Yun. Though he had grown much stronger, he still held Elder Yun and Li Yanshan in deep respect.

Li Yanshan said, "Come on, let's go to the market. Uncle Li's treating today. We have to celebrate properly!"

"Yes, we must celebrate!"

Elder Yun chimed in.

"Woof, woof..."

Xiao Liu barked along with them, as though insisting on a celebration too.

Fang Chen smiled at Li Yanshan. "Uncle Li, if anyone's treating today, it has to be me. Let's go!"

"Hahaha! All right, then we won't stand on ceremony!"

Li Yanshan laughed and brought Little Donkey over for Elder Yun to ride. He and Fang Chen followed behind Little Donkey, and together they left Dog Head Ridge.