Breaking Through to the Marrow Refining Realm

"That Luo Zheng is only in the Viscera Refining Realm, and he's been at Little Rain Peak for such a short time, yet he's managed to hold out against Xu Lie for this long. He's truly remarkable!" an Outer Sect Disciple below the arena exclaimed.

"Should we report this to the instructor? If this kid grows stronger, it'll be a great boon to Little Rain Peak. At the very least, we won't be so helpless during the annual Thirty-Three Peaks Tournament. Look at Xu Lie—every move is aimed at taking his life. If this continues, Luo Zheng is sure to die," another person said.

The first person shook his head and quietly pointed into the distance. "There's no need to report it. Our Instructor Su has been watching from the shadows. We don't need to meddle."

On top of a small building not far away stood a graceful figure. It was none other than Su Lingyun, the instructor of Little Rain Peak.

She hadn't responded to Zhou Xian's request that day, but she was still very concerned about this arena challenge.

Luo Zheng was a seed disciple she had gone to great lengths to bring back. She wasn't going to give up on him so easily.

As things stood, Zhou Xian's worries had been justified.

Although Azure Cloud Sect's rules allowed personal grudges to be settled on the arena, and no one would be held responsible even if someone was beaten to death,

it was still uncommon for someone to attack so viciously on the arena, with every move aimed at killing.

This Xu Lie was single-mindedly intent on taking Luo Zheng's life.

Su Lingyun had no idea how long Luo Zheng could hold on under these circumstances.

She hoped Luo Zheng could temper himself on the edge of life and death, but she certainly didn't want him to die here.

Her feelings were contradictory, but in the end, she gritted her teeth and endured. She wanted to see just how much potential Luo Zheng had left to unearth and how powerful he could become when he erupted.

By now, there wasn't a single uninjured spot on Luo Zheng's body. His arms, legs, chest, neck—in fact, his entire body looked as if it had been scorched by raging flames, blackened and utterly wretched.

The might of this Thunderclap Fist had exceeded Luo Zheng's expectations. His body could transform most of the lightning's power into Warm Current, but the small portion that remained still inflicted considerable damage.

He was secretly worried as well. If Xu Lie continued beating him like this, his body—the one he had always been proud of—might not withstand it and could collapse.

The trump card he had prepared in advance, Spirit Shocking Thrust, was useless for now because he couldn't catch sight of Xu Lie's figure.

"Bang!"

Luo Zheng had no time to think. Xu Lie struck him squarely in the chest with another Thunderclap Fist. The lightning gnawed at his skin, leaving black streaks across it and filling the air with the charred smell of roasted meat.

"Pfft!"

Luo Zheng could no longer suppress his internal injuries and spat out a mouthful of blood.

Xu Lie raised his fist and grinned ferociously. "I really thought you had an undying body and couldn't be beaten! Looks like you're nothing special after all."

Luo Zheng panted heavily. This injury was indeed severe. He touched his chest and struggled to rise from the ground. "Why all the useless talk? If you've got what it takes, keep coming!"

"Of course. I never planned on letting you walk off this arena alive today." Xu Lie flexed both hands, several bolts of lightning darting across them. This time, he decided to end this cat-and-mouse game.

But at that moment, Luo Zheng suddenly sensed something strange happening in his body. The Warm Current produced by borrowing external force suddenly changed direction.

The Warm Current that had continuously cleansed his five viscera and six bowels now surged into the depths of his bones.

The Warm Current was actually cleansing his bone marrow?

What was happening?

Only after entering the Marrow Refining Realm could one begin tempering the bone marrow.

Could it be that I've entered the Marrow Refining Realm?

Thread after thread of green impurities surged out from Luo Zheng's charred skin.

These impurities had come from his bone marrow.

Only those who entered the Marrow Refining Realm could cleanse out such deeply hidden and stubborn impurities.

An incomparably comfortable coolness swiftly rose from Luo Zheng's coccyx, swept over his lumbar vertebrae, and continued up to his neck. It then seeped into his brain, eyes, cochleae, nasal passages...

Luo Zheng involuntarily closed his eyes.

Seeing him like this, Xu Lie showed a trace of confusion. What was this kid doing? At a time like this, he was still closing his eyes?

A short while later, Luo Zheng opened his eyes, and they were brighter than before.

At this moment, Luo Zheng felt that a brand-new world had appeared before him.

Every movement around him was several times clearer. He could see the patterns on leaves in the distance, and he could even hear people whispering far away.

Stepping into the Marrow Refining Realm truly refreshed one's senses.

His eyesight, hearing, and sense of smell had all improved dramatically.

"Putting on an act!" Xu Lie snorted coldly and once again charged at Luo Zheng.

This time, Luo Zheng completely caught Xu Lie's movement trajectory. Xu Lie circled around before advancing at tremendous speed and striking fiercely from the side.

Luo Zheng shifted his feet lightly and twisted Xu Lie's arm behind his back. The strength throughout his body suddenly erupted. At the same time, the two Dragon Scales in his mind released a brilliant emerald light. After breaking through to the Marrow Refining Realm, Luo Zheng seemed to have transformed into a giant of boundless strength, forcibly halting Xu Lie's charge.

By the time Xu Lie realized the danger, Luo Zheng had already locked his body down completely. Then, with a heavy shoulder throw, he smashed Xu Lie violently into the ground.

"Clang!"

The arenas of Azure Cloud Sect had all been custom-made. To prevent disciples from easily destroying them, they were forged from thick, heavy refined iron.

Under that fierce slam, Xu Lie actually dented the refined-iron arena. He lay on the ground without moving.

Witnessing this sudden reversal, everyone held their breath. Mo Can and Zhou Xian, who had been watching from the side all along, also let out long sighs of relief. They never expected Luo Zheng to turn defeat into victory at this moment.

Luo Zheng exhaled several heavy breaths of stale air. He had still underestimated the strength of a Half-Step to the Innate Realm expert.

Looking at Xu Lie lying motionless on the ground, Luo Zheng felt a lingering fear.

If he hadn't broken through at the critical moment, he would truly have been in danger this time.

Just as everyone thought the battle had ended, a thick, massive bolt of lightning suddenly surged from Xu Lie's body and shot straight into the sky.

Xu Lie actually climbed back out of the crater. His hair stood on end strand by strand, his face twisted viciously, and countless serpentine bolts of lightning coiled around his body. He looked like a thunder god, radiating an incomparably domineering might.

"Interesting. I, Xu Lie, never imagined that I'd be forced this far by a junior in the Viscera Refining Realm. I actually have to use my Thunderclap Saint Body!" Every movement Xu Lie made brought countless bolts of lightning with it. It seemed he had driven his innate true qi to its absolute limit.

"Thunderclap Saint Body!"

"He actually cultivated the Thunderclap Saint Body!"

"That comes at the cost of burning one's life force. This arena battle is far too intense!"

"This Luo Zheng is incredible. He actually forced Xu Lie's Thunderclap Saint Body out with the strength of the Viscera Refining Realm. That's absurd, absolutely absurd. The Thunderclap Saint Body can greatly enhance Xu Lie's strength, bringing him to the level of the Innate Secret Realm. Luo Zheng definitely has no way out now!"

Hearing the crowd's discussion, Mo Can clenched both hands into fists until they were tight, his palms covered in sweat. "What do we do? Xu Lie is actually this strong!"

Luo Zheng's hearing was exceptionally sharp now. Every word of the discussions below the arena entered his ears. He was secretly startled. The Thunderclap Saint Body actually required burning one's life force as its price. Xu Lie's strength would probably rise dramatically again.

"Luo Zheng, I'm going to tear you to pieces!" As soon as he finished speaking, Xu Lie's figure, wrapped in a bolt of lightning as thick as a water barrel, slammed straight toward Luo Zheng.

"Fortunately, the Thunderclap Saint Body has greatly strengthened his innate true qi, but it hasn't fundamentally increased his speed!" Luo Zheng watched the direction Xu Lie was advancing in, his pupils firmly locking onto Xu Lie's figure. His eyes narrowed.

Though Xu Lie's might bore down on him, Luo Zheng didn't show the slightest panic.

One had to remain calm at all times. Only then could one face an enemy with composure.

"Spirit Shocking Thrust!"

The instant Xu Lie drew near, a spike condensed from his soul shot from between Luo Zheng's brows and stabbed viciously into Xu Lie's head.

Xu Lie had intended to rely on the Thunderclap Saint Body's power to finish Luo Zheng quickly. After all, although the Thunderclap Saint Body was formidable, it lasted for a very short time.

But he had never imagined that Luo Zheng still had another trump card!

He felt as if some sharp object had suddenly pierced his head. The stabbing pain seemed to bore straight into his soul, making him cry out despite himself. His charge toward Luo Zheng lost all accuracy, and he stumbled and crashed to the ground.

"It worked!"

Luo Zheng had originally thought his Spirit Shocking Thrust was merely at the level of rough familiarity, capable only of slightly interfering with his opponent. He never expected it to be so effective, actually dealing such a powerful blow to Xu Lie's soul.

"What did you do to me?" Xu Lie rose in a daze, his body swaying unsteadily. It felt as if a long needle had been driven into his mind, causing unbearable pain.

Luo Zheng didn't answer. He merely widened the distance between them and watched Xu Lie warily.

After quite some time, the pain in Xu Lie's mind gradually faded. He looked at Luo Zheng with a complicated expression. That pain had been far too awful; he truly didn't want to suffer it a second time. But today, he had to kill Luo Zheng no matter what!

Gritting his teeth, Xu Lie transformed into another bolt of lightning and charged at Luo Zheng again.

"Spirit Shocking Thrust!"

Before Xu Lie could get close to Luo Zheng, another gray spike pierced into his mind.

"Clang!" Xu Lie rolled to the ground once more, clutching his head and writhing.

This time, Luo Zheng gave Xu Lie no chance at all. Purple Light flashed across his entire body as an enormous force gathered in his leg. He kicked Xu Lie, who was rolling incessantly on the ground.

Xu Lie was like a heavy sandbag, sent flying horizontally off the arena and crashing heavily below it.

This time, Xu Lie never got back up.