Refining the Sarira!

Tang Tianhao recognized the origin of the golden object at a glance.

The Sarira was a sacred Buddhist relic said to be left behind when an eminent monk entered nirvana and was cremated. It possessed the ability to bring the dead back to life and restore flesh to bones. For martial artists, consuming it could likewise greatly increase their power. It was a treasure straight out of legend!

When Tang Tianhao saw the golden object radiating an aura of peace and auspiciousness, he immediately thought of the Sarira.

"The Sarira? Where did you get the Sarira? Could it be..." Tang Tianhao was shocked and bewildered at the same time. His body trembled as he thought of something.

"Yes, it was left behind by Master." Du Jue confirmed Tang Tianhao's guess. He nodded as he spoke.

The former abbot of Qingshan Temple, Master Zhiqing, had been an eminent monk who attained the Dao. Though he possessed profound cultivation, his heart had always been devoted to Buddhism. Before entering nirvana, he had asked Du Jue to cremate his body.

Du Jue had been heartbroken, but he had followed Master Zhiqing's wishes and cremated his corpse. Afterward, he discovered this Sarira.

"I... I actually didn't know about this." Tang Tianhao was so astonished that he could barely speak. He had known nothing of the matter.

Du Jue snorted. "When Master entered nirvana, you were off the mountain fooling around instead of staying by his side. Of course you wouldn't know."

Tang Tianhao felt somewhat awkward at those words. Unlike Du Jue, he had never wanted to become a monk. He yearned deeply for the outside world and would often sneak out even when he was at Qingshan Temple.

When Master Zhiqing entered nirvana, Tang Tianhao had happened to be down the mountain sightseeing. He had not been by Master Zhiqing's side at all, much less known that he had left behind a Sarira after his death.

Even in his shock, Tang Tianhao did not know why Du Jue had brought out the Sarira at this time.

Looking at the Sarira in the jade box, Du Jue said, "This Sarira was left behind by Master. Now, I intend to give it to Tang Jie. What do you think?"

Tang Tianhao was startled. "T-this precious treasure, you want to give it to Jie'er? If you used it yourself, your power would surely surge, and you could enter the realm of a Martial Arts Grandmaster!"

The Sarira was a supreme Buddhist treasure capable of bringing the dead back to life and restoring flesh to bones. To martial artists, it was an unparalleled treasure that could greatly increase their power. Du Jue's cultivation was already profound; if he used this Sarira, he was virtually guaranteed to become a Martial Arts Grandmaster.

Hearing this, Du Jue shook his head. "If I wanted to use it, I would have done so long ago. But this Sarira doesn't belong to me alone. I practice martial arts because I enjoy it, not because I care how far I can go. Even if I used it, reaching the Grandmaster realm would be the limit of my life. But if I gave it to Tang Jie..."

At this point, Du Jue said excitedly, "In the future, Tang Jie might reach a realm even Master never attained!"

Although Du Jue was a martial arts fanatic, practicing martial arts was his hobby. He did not do it to compete with others or fight for supremacy. Whether he could reach a higher realm did not matter to him. Besides, Du Jue was confident that he would eventually reach the realm of a Martial Arts Grandmaster. Giving him the Sarira would merely bring that day forward.

By contrast, after witnessing Tang Jie's talent for martial arts, Du Jue had been moved to act. He felt that it would be better to give the Sarira to Tang Jie. Tang Jie would surely surpass him by far and might even reach a realm beyond that of a Grandmaster!

"Senior Brother... I thank you on Jie'er's behalf." Tang Tianhao was deeply grateful. Such a precious treasure, yet Du Jue was willing to give it to a junior.

"All right, give the Sarira to Tang Jie. I'm going to rest." Du Jue disliked this sort of formal exchange, so he spoke to Tang Tianhao.

"Yes, get some rest." Tang Tianhao nodded as well, then left the room with the Sarira.

"Jie'er has already become a Martial Arts Grandmaster at such a young age. This Sarira will surely let him advance even further. In the future, he'll definitely reach a realm beyond the reach of any ordinary martial artist!"

Tang Tianhao was immensely excited as well. He, too, wanted to see how far Tang Jie could go in the future!

"The Sarira?"

In Tang Jie's room, Tang Jie was likewise utterly shocked when he saw the golden Sarira in the box.

Tang Jie had only ever seen a treasure like the Sarira in books. He had never expected it to truly exist—and for there to be one inside Great Qingshan Temple!

"Yes, this was left behind after your grandmaster, Master Zhiqing, entered nirvana. Your senior uncle and I have decided to give it to you." Tang Tianhao spoke with a smile on his face.

"This... it's too precious!" Tang Jie swallowed. The Sarira was absolutely priceless!

"A gift from an elder cannot be refused. Both your senior uncle and I hope this Sarira can display its greatest effect." Tang Tianhao looked at Tang Jie.

"Hmm... I understand." Tang Jie nodded gratefully. This Sarira might indeed help him raise his cultivation and save him years of painstaking practice!

"You can swallow the Sarira directly."

After giving Tang Jie that final instruction, Tang Tianhao walked out of the room and closed the door behind him.

Inside the room, Tang Jie picked up the Sarira. It was much smaller than an egg, entirely golden, with golden light flowing across it. It looked extremely sacred.

"Then let's see... whether the Sarira is really as miraculous as the legends say!"

Tang Jie swallowed the Sarira in one gulp.

Tang Jie's body shook. As the Sarira entered his stomach, he felt it release a stream of pure energy that nourished his body. The injuries he had suffered from hardening his body during the day healed at a speed visible to the naked eye!

Before the time it took to drink a cup of tea had passed, Tang Jie's physical condition had returned to its peak!

"This Sarira might save me several years of painstaking cultivation!"

Tang Jie's eyes began to blaze. The power contained within the Sarira would definitely raise his cultivation to another level!

Whoosh!

Tang Jie began cultivating. The qi within his body circulated continuously. As he guided his qi, the Sarira constantly transmitted streams of power, causing Tang Jie's cultivation to rise rapidly.

After one night, Tang Jie was radiant with vitality. An expression of disbelief appeared on his face. "This Sarira has increased the speed at which my power rises by roughly thirty times!"

How absurd was that?

Tang Jie's cultivation speed had already been terrifying. Increasing it another thirtyfold meant that one day of cultivation was equivalent to a month in the past. It was practically as fast as riding a rocket!

"Bang, bang, bang!"

When day came, Tang Jie began hardening his body for the seventh stage of the Golden Bell Shield, just as he had the day before. Du Jue repeatedly swung a thick wooden staff, striking Tang Jie's body with all his strength.

Before long, Tang Jie's entire body was covered in bruises. Yet as new bruises appeared, the old ones had already vanished beneath the Sarira's power!

"Junior... Junior Brother, come take over for me."

More than an hour later, Du Jue wiped the sweat from his forehead and called out to Tang Tianhao.

After more than an hour, Tang Jie had not suffered a single injury, but Du Jue himself was exhausted and panting heavily. He had no choice but to ask Tang Tianhao to take over.

"All right."

Tang Tianhao took over the task and helped Tang Jie harden his body.

"The Sarira truly is miraculous!"

After a full day, Tang Tianhao and Du Jue were both exhausted, while Tang Jie himself remained full of vitality. His heart was filled with wonder. The Sarira's effects were simply too astonishing. The results of one day of hardening his body were more than thirty times greater than those of the previous day!

Time flowed by second after second, and ten days passed in the blink of an eye.

"Bang, bang, bang!"

Tang Jie kept his eyes closed as Du Jue struck his body with a wooden staff as thick as an ordinary person's arm. Every time the staff fell, Du Jue could feel Tang Jie's Golden Bell Force automatically rebounding the impact!

"Your body-hardening training is almost complete." At dusk, Du Jue exclaimed joyfully.

"Yes. Although it's only been ten days, with the Sarira's help, it's equivalent to one or two years of body-hardening training."

Tang Jie nodded as well. Body-hardening training was the most time-consuming, but he had completed it in just ten days. Next, he would break through the Golden Bell Shield to the eighth stage!