Demonic Body Cultivator

Time flew, and three months had already passed.

Deep within the mountain forests.

Su Nanxing and Gu Chaoyang, whose auras grew increasingly profound, both drew their swords from their sheaths, staring cautiously in all directions.

In their center, a fully armored Gu Jinlai used a single sword strike to sever the head of a High-ranking Demonic Beast that resembled a pterosaur.

The next moment, a blazing, radiant projection of a great sun seemed to manifest behind him, emitting boundless light and heat that illuminated all directions—so intense it could almost incinerate another person's spiritual perception.

Yet when people opened their eyes to look toward him, there was nothing there at all.

It was as if that radiant great sun was simply a non-existent projection.

Amidst the burning of the great sun, a wisp of black Qi surged out from the pterosaur demonic beast's body. This wisp of black Qi seemed to have a life of its own; it struggled violently and emitted a series of bone-chilling, miserable shrieks, causing Gu Chaoyang—whose cultivation was weaker and who had yet to condense his breath into a core—to feel a tightness in his chest, shortness of breath, and dizziness.

A moment later, the radiant great sun burned the black Qi away, leaving behind a streak of white spiritual light that Gu Jinlai guided and infused into the battle armor on his body.

Instantly, the battle armor seemed to convey a sense of "joyful" emotion, and its weight also became a fraction lighter.

This was spirit-tempering.

Extracting the spirituality of demonic spirits and infusing it into precious artifacts to increase their spirituality, continuing until the artifacts possessed spirits and transformed into spirit artifacts.

Gu Jinlai had not yet paused after completing the spirit-tempering; he pressed a single hand onto the demonic beast's corpse, using a special method to gather all the blood from its body entirely, and then refined it into less than a bottle of essence blood.

He smeared the essence blood onto his body, forming a series of special patterns.

Afterward, he closed his eyes and circulated the Great Sun Ninefold Refinement Visualization Method with all his might.

The already blazing and radiant great sun burned even more brilliantly and dazzlingly, the intense spiritual radiance almost manifesting from the void and interfering with reality, even causing the light around Gu Jinlai to become somewhat distorted.

Gu Chaoyang, having yet to form his core and nourish his spirit, had no choice but to lower his head, not daring to look directly.

The great sun's burning lasted for half an hour.

Abruptly, Gu Jinlai opened his eyes.

A torrent of vigorous blood- Qi surged within his body, rapidly transforming into true Qi before settling back into his physique, strengthening his physical flesh and body.

If he were to take off his armor at this moment, anyone could see the sharp-angled, golden-ratio physique displayed across his body.

Even while wearing clothes, the bulging muscles on his chest and torso were still enough to make over ninety percent of women feel ashamed of their own inferiority.

Hah!

Gu Jinlai let out a long breath mixed with a bloody stench.

He straightened his body.

Standing originally at under one meter eighty, in the three months he spent practicing the Great Sun Demonic God Body Refining Technique, he had grown to one meter eighty-six.

Coupled with the continuous hunting of demonic beasts over the past three months and cultivating with demonic beast blood, the moment he straightened his body, a cold-blooded, ferocious aura radiated forth, enough to frighten some timid people into trembling.

"Demonic beasts truly are wonderful things. When they die, their demonic spirits dissipate, allowing pure white spirituality to be extracted to enhance the power of precious armor and shorten the time for its spirit artifact transformation. Their blood can also be used to cultivate the Great Sun Demonic God Body Refining Technique, increasing blood-Qi and strengthening the physique."

Gu Jinlai picked up the battle sword he had stabbed into the ground with a single grasp.

He did not perform spirit-bonding.

He simply brandished the battle sword as he held it, executing the routines of the Crimson Lotus Sword Technique, the entire process appearing quite effortless.

It seemed that what he held in his hand was not a heavy sword weighing a thousand catties, but merely a standard-issue precious sword.

"A mid-ranking demonic beast!"

Gu Jinlai uttered.

Relying on the formidable nature of the Great Sun Demonic God Body Refining Technique, he had only spent three months tempering his physical strength to the point where it rivaled a mid-ranking demonic beast.

A mid-ranking demonic beast was equivalent to Gang Condensing.

However, just as high-ranking demonic beasts required multiple Core Forming martial artists to combat them, mid-ranking demonic beasts could similarly fight toe-to-toe with Core Forming experts.

"As expected of a body refining technique created by the Tianyuan Dao at its wits' end, pooling the efforts of the entire sect's elders over twenty-two years! Of course, the fact that I was able to cultivate to the mid-ranking demonic beast level in three months is also related to the solid foundation I previously built through Body Tempering, Organ Refining, and Blood Changing."

Gu Jinlai felt the tempering effect that this demonic beast's residual essence blood power had on his flesh.

Compared to a few days ago...

It was much slower.

"Next, if I don't want to spend three to five years grinding my physique to the high-ranking demonic beast tier, I can only choose the essence blood of Great Demonic Beasts."

"A Great Demonic Beast!?"

Gu Chaoyang's heart gave a jolt.

A Great Demonic Beast was a ferocious existence comparable to a Spirit Refining Giant.

Depending on the different techniques they practiced and the various sword techniques they mastered, the combat prowess of Spirit Refining was divided into Entry, Lesser Accomplishment, Greater Accomplishment, and Peak. Yet even the weakest Great Demonic Beast could fight evenly with a peak Spirit Refining expert.

Some Great Demonic Beasts possessing special bloodlines could even bludgeon a peak Spirit Refining expert to death.

"Old Ancestor."

Gu Chaoyang carefully weighed his words. "With our current capabilities to fight a Great Demonic Beast, wouldn't it..."

"Fall far short."

Gu Jinlai stated bluntly, "Even clad in heavy armor and wielding a battle weapon, my odds of winning against a Great Demonic Beast are not high."

"Then what you mean is..."

"Strength in numbers."

Gu Jinlai stated bluntly, "If there are ten or eight Core Forming experts forming a battle array, surrounding and killing a Great Demonic Beast becomes possible."

"Ten or eight Core Forming experts..."

Gu Chaoyang was somewhat helpless.

A single Core Forming expert was worth a thousand soldiers or three hundred elite troops.

Ten or eight Core Forming experts could even surround and kill a True Person of Spirit Refining.

Alas...

The Gu clan did not have them.

"I tempered a mid-ranking demonic beast physique in three months. Even factoring in the foundation I established by condensing my breath into a core, for other members who have completed the foundations of Body Tempering, Organ Refining, and Blood Changing, half a year is roughly enough. If I cultivate a squad at the mid-ranking demonic beast physical tier and have them wield top-grade heavy swords and don top-grade heavy armor, their combat prowess will surpass that of Core Forming experts."

Gu Jinlai said.

Gu Chaoyang's expression shifted drastically.

Choosing ten people from the Gu clan disciples to enter the path of demonic beast martial artists!?

One had to know, demonic beast martial artists...

The more essence blood they refined, the greater the risk of losing control.

With a refining method like Gu Jinlai's—slaying six demonic beasts, five mid-ranking ones, and two high-ranking ones within three months—those people might not necessarily survive past three years.

Yet, thinking of how Gu Jinlai, acting as the old ancestor, had walked the path of a demonic beast martial artist for the sake of self-preservation and for the lineage, what did some sacrifice on the part of their Gu clan disciples even matter?

At this thought, Gu Chaoyang said in a deep voice, "I understand! Old Ancestor, I am willing to switch to cultivating as a demonic beast martial artist! Furthermore, I will go persuade Nian Buwang and the others, and have them refine demonic beast essence blood for cultivation."

Gu Jinlai glanced at him and guessed his thoughts.

Yet he did not explain immediately.

He would use this kind of resolve to conduct the first round of screening.

"You lot do not need to. Since your Qi Refining has achieved success, continue walking down that path; demonic beast martial artists are ultimately regarded as heretical and evil ways, unfit to see the light of day."

Gu Jinlai said, adding in an unquestionable tone, "Let's go, return to the city."

He circulated the Void Great Art slightly.

He had not spent too much time practicing this technique, but all the skills within it were quite useful.

Just like now, he could use the Void Great Art to conceal the ferocious, demonic beast-like aura surrounding his body.

"The sword is a bit too light."

Gu Jinlai lifted the sword in his hand.

Gravitational potential energy relied on velocity and mass.

The higher both were, the greater the might.

A thousand-catty sword slashed out at the speed of sound; according to the calculation formula, the kinetic energy unleashed reached twenty-eight million joules, equivalent to the explosive power of over six kilograms of explosives.

If the sword's material were changed to osmium to make its weight reach four thousand catties, and the sword technique were further refined so that the sword's speed could reach twice the speed of sound upon bursting forth, the contained power would climb to the level of four hundred and sixty million joules.

If it went a step further, a ten-thousand-jin giant sword striking out at ten times the speed of sound, its power would rival an atomic bomb—every single blade strike bringing nuclear detonation.

"Interaction forces, atmospheric resistance, object structure, and other aspects are all shackles to delivering a strike at ten times the speed of sound. However, apart from piling up true Qi and learning sword techniques, martial arts cultivation also boasts the saying of martial arts realms. This sort of thing is usually something that only those with nowhere left to rise would spend effort researching. It is not unacceptable for me to come into contact with it ahead of time."

Gu Jinlai glanced once more at the Universe Talisman in his hand. "Additionally, having slain thirteen demonic beasts, it is time to go to the Demon Refining Hall to exchange for a 'movement technique' suited to me."