Vajra Old Man

If someone had been standing in the courtyard now and seen Lin Xuankong's Green Pine Stance, they would surely have had an illusion: the figure before them did not seem to be a Martial Cultivator at all, but a truly weathered, powerful pine. Clouds rolled and unfurled around him, time flowed onward, yet he alone stood towering and unchanged!

Before long, as Lin Xuankong cultivated in tranquil focus, his mind stirred. He discovered that the vitality within his body was continuously decreasing, and that sensation of constant condensation appeared once more.

Joy immediately welled up in Lin Xuankong's heart, but he did not dare let himself become too distracted. After forcibly suppressing the ripples in his heart, he continued cultivating.

After the time it took to drink a cup of tea, as his vitality circulated, that sensation of his internal organs and torso undergoing transformation appeared again.

Another half hour passed. Lin Xuankong's throat itched, and he spat out another large clump of coagulated dark-red matter. At that point, he felt refreshed and invigorated, his entire body light and nimble. When his vitality circulated, it flowed with incomparable smoothness, with scarcely a single place left blocked!

He focused his mind and looked at his Destiny.

[Realm: Late Mortal Transformation Layer Two]

[Late Layer Two Vitality: 489/100000]

[Technique: Pine Crane Longevity Technique: Mastered 101/150]

Sure enough, he had reached Late Mortal Transformation Layer Two! With the [Old and Vigorous] Destiny working alongside his diligent cultivation, he had finally gained a chance to possess diamond-like defenses!

Delight shone in Lin Xuankong's eyes. He strode quickly into the room, seized the Hundred Refinements Steel Saber from the table, and fixed his gaze on his little finger. After secretly circulating his vitality, he clenched his teeth and chopped down with fifty percent of his strength!

With a clang, sparks burst from the saber's edge. Lin Xuankong's little finger was lightly raised, completely unscathed.

He decisively lifted the saber again and struck at his left arm with all his strength. With a clang, his left arm remained completely unharmed, while the Hundred Refinements Steel Saber snapped apart instead!

Lin Xuankong tossed the broken saber aside and turned to look at the steel saw on the table.

He picked up the three-foot steel saw forged from Hundred Refinements Fine Steel, placed his left leg on a stool, then set the saw across his left knee with both hands, assuming a sawing posture.

Then, gritting his teeth, he secretly directed his vitality to his knee and violently pulled the saw back and forth.

"Scrape, scrape. Scrape, scrape. Scrape, scrape."

The steel saw rapidly moved back and forth, sparks constantly flying from its thick blade as its temperature steadily rose.

After the time it took to drink half a cup of tea, he lifted the fine steel saw and examined it.

The hundreds of long teeth on the fine steel saw, which could cut through even iron blocks, had all been ground flat. Looking at his left knee again, aside from a few leg hairs having fallen off, there was only a pale mark. As his vitality passed through it, the pale mark abruptly returned to its normal skin tone!

By then, Lin Xuankong's face was already full of delight. He had finally obtained terrifying defenses comparable to that bearded cultivator's.

Whether it was his head, face, chest, back, neck, thighs, or even his private parts, wherever his vitality reached, they were all as strong as diamond!

From this day onward,

What saber, spear, sword, or halberd,

What axe, battleaxe, hook, or fork,

What steel darts or flying knives,

Were nothing but scrap metal before him.

With such defenses, combined with the amount of vitality he possessed,

If he fought those hundred-odd Marsh Python Liao People again, even if they stood in the lake and doubled their combat strength, even if they were given several hundred Hundred Refinements weapons, they absolutely would not be able to shake him or inflict even the slightest wound upon him. Against the weak Marsh Python Liao People, he could injure them purely through the rebound of his terrifying defenses!

After rejoicing for a while, he took out the Dragon Wandering Amulet Hand. Once he put it on his right arm, he carefully sensed it.

When he had been at mid-stage layer two, wearing the Dragon Wandering Amulet Hand had still felt heavy. Now, however, it felt extremely light.

After his vitality had condensed, not only had his defenses improved, but his strength and explosive power had also greatly increased. When he used this three-hundred-pound Dragon Wandering Amulet Hand in battle from now on, its power would surely rise by a great level!

For a moment, Lin Xuankong felt unbearably eager to fight.

A moment later,

A series of slap slap slap knocks sounded on the door.

After Lin Xuankong answered, Steward Han Lu pushed the door open and entered.

He carried two packets of medicinal ingredients in his hands and said, "Steward Lin, I searched the Barracks storeroom clean. Only these two portions of ingredients for the Nine Revolutions Qi Nourishing Soup remain. Take them and use them first."

Lin Xuankong, who had been delighted by his advancement to Late Mortal Transformation Layer Two, could not help secretly frowning at those words. "The Hall Master's side in Great Marsh Prefecture still has not delivered the medicinal ingredients today?"

Ever since he had advanced to mid-stage layer two more than ten days ago,

Lin Xuankong had discovered that each dose of Nine Revolutions Qi Nourishing Soup, which had formerly increased his Mortal Transformation Vitality by more than thirty points, now only increased his Layer Two Vitality by a little more than ten points. Even the Turtle Agaric Miracle Pill, which had originally increased his Mortal Transformation Vitality by forty points every day, had become twenty points of Layer Two Vitality per day!

This was actually normal, and it was a good thing. It showed that Lin Xuankong's vitality was now condensed to more than double its former level, and the power of his vitality had indeed surged severalfold!

But the problem was that he would certainly need more medicinal supplies to maintain the original rate at which the vitality in his Destiny increased! The medicinal ingredients he had brought to Xunyang Town had already been used up several days ago, yet the reward arranged by the Hall Master had still not been transported over for various reasons!

Over the past few days, Lin Xuankong had been using medicinal ingredients borrowed from other disciples or Steward Han Lu to make the Nine Revolutions Qi Nourishing Soup. Now, everyone else's medicinal ingredients had also been exhausted.

If this continued, Lin Xuankong could maintain his cultivation through the continuous replenishment provided by the Turtle Agaric Miracle Pill, but the vitality reserves in his Destiny would no longer be able to increase. If Lin Xuankong used the Spirit Crane Finger for several more rounds or encountered a battle, the vitality stored in his Destiny would rapidly be depleted instead!

Han Lu frowned as he sat beside the table. "Most of Great Marsh Prefecture's disciples have been sent to the twenty-nine towns of the Outer City. Only Steward Xu's subordinates remain at the Hall Master's side. The transport and treatment of the wounded, the transportation of medicinal ingredients and supplies, and so on are all handled by Steward Xu's disciples, so they have countless matters to attend to."

"You know as well that five days ago, Ma Rusong, the manager under Steward Xu, was originally supposed to transport everyone's rewards and supplies here. But he encountered a Liao People Tribe squad along the way and could only retreat!

"When they next manage to spare enough people to transport supplies here, I fear we will have to wait several more days!"

If they waited several more days before bringing the supplies, I would already have completed the mission and returned to Great Marsh Prefecture! That Ma Rusong... he could ruin everything but accomplish nothing!

Lin Xuankong frowned and glanced at the two packets of medicinal ingredients on the table. "If you give me the last two packets, how will you cultivate?"

Han Lu waved his hand. "I only advanced to Early Second Layer half a year ago. To cultivate to mid-stage layer two, I will need at least another year. What difference do these few days make!

"Even when medicinal ingredients are plentiful, I cannot avoid taking a few days to rest! But a Martial Cultivator like Steward Lin, who cultivates from morning until night and is never without diligence for a single day—I have truly never seen one before! Compared to Steward Lin's diligence, I am honestly ashamed!"

A voice carrying a trace of anger suddenly came from outside the door.

"Hmph, Han Lu, you have only just become a Full Manager, and already you are so slack. You have truly wasted my teachings!"

Hearing that voice, both Lin Xuankong and Han Lu immediately rose to their feet and headed toward the doorway.

Han Lu in particular—this valiant manager who had dared to fight even after losing a leg—had actually gone somewhat pale.

"Steward Ma!" "Master!"

Lin Xuankong and Han Lu respectively cupped their hands toward the newcomer.

Steward Ma Jiang strode inside, rolling several White Jade Dice in his hand. He gave Lin Xuankong a gentle nod.

Then he turned and glared at Han Lu, whose face immediately turned even paler.

"M-Master, I was just speaking casually. Although I cannot compare to Steward Lin in diligence, I am still rather hardworking in my cultivation!" Seeing the anger on Ma Jiang's face, Han Lu was somewhat at a loss.

Ma Jiang sat in the seat of honor in the main hall. After gesturing for Lin Xuankong to sit, he glared at Han Lu. "You are now a Full Manager and no longer under my jurisdiction. Whether you strive to improve is your own business. I did not come here to see you this time, nor am I angry because of you!"

Han Lu did not know whether he was telling the truth or not. For a moment, he remained standing there, not daring to sit.

Lin Xuankong said, "What brings Steward Ma here today?"

He wasn't here to take back the Dragon Wandering Amulet Hand, was he? I haven't had enough fun with it yet! Besides, Steward Ma's face is full of anger. If it isn't because of Han Lu's words, then what is it for?