Night fell.
Inside Lin Fan's room.
"System, check the Merit Points required to optimize the Body Refining Technique."
The youth sat cross-legged and focused his mind.
[System Prompt: Optimizing the Body Refining Technique requires 100 Merit Points.]
A voice rang out in his mind.
What a coincidence!
The 100 Merit Points given by the Fox Spirit had come in clutch.
"System, optimize the Body Refining Technique."
Lin Fan focused his mind and shouted inwardly.
[System Prompt: 100 Merit Points deducted. The Body Refining Technique has been optimized. Congratulations, Host, you have learned the Eight-Nine Arcane Arts.]
The voice faded from his mind.
A divine general appeared before him, draped in red and clad in silver-white armor.
He held a long halberd in his hand and stood tall, his presence soaring like a rainbow.
He seemed to possess the power to purify the mountains and rivers.
A third eye that could destroy evil and eradicate demons grew from his forehead.
Lin Fan was startled.
Wasn't this Erlang Shen?
Suddenly, waves of thunder resounded in his sea of consciousness.
All the beasts of the world emerged.
The three-eyed divine general sometimes transformed into a cheetah.
He stood atop a mountain peak or cliff and roared wildly.
At other times, he transformed into grass and trees, merging with the forest.
It became difficult for the naked eye to distinguish him.
Heavenly phenomena appeared, accompanied by thunder and lightning.
Everywhere the three-eyed divine general went,
thunder and lightning wantonly destroyed everything.
Immediately afterward,
countless afterimages swept through Lin Fan's mind.
In an instant, the three-eyed divine general stood at the mouth of a volcano.
He leaped down as bolts of heavenly thunder gathered around him.
They struck straight down.
The astonishing scene was almost unbearable to watch.
The three-eyed divine general seemed to be bathing.
He endured the scorching lava, over a thousand degrees hot,
opened his arms, and faced bolt after bolt of divine thunder.
It was as if he were calmly accepting a baptism.
Heaven seemed to have been enraged by the three-eyed divine general.
Seeing that thunder could not move him and lava could not burn him,
it began raining blades.
Cold light tore across the sky.
Thousands upon thousands of sharp blades and enormous axes fell from above,
assaulting the three-eyed divine general.
Clang!
The instant his flesh came into contact with the swords and axes,
countless clashes rang out.
The falling blades and axes collided violently with his skin.
Sparks flew in all directions.
The three-eyed divine general took every blow without suffering the slightest injury.
Lin Fan did not dare slack off, afraid of missing even a single detail.
He focused intently.
Suddenly, streams of energy several times purer than before
swept over him.
Compared with the majestic energy from his previous breakthrough,
the energy before him was like a river.
It was so tranquil and pleasant.
It even gave Lin Fan a faint sense of warmth.
Streams of pure energy converged toward his dantian.
Lin Fan raised two fingers into a sword gesture.
His cross-legged body suddenly straightened like a ramrod.
Streams of energy passed through every meridian in his body,
nourishing every corner.
[System Prompt: Congratulations, Host, you have broken through to the Xiantian Fifth Heaven.]
A sound in his mind broke Lin Fan out of his immersion.
Lin Fan slowly opened his eyes.
His energy circulated as he savored the joy of breaking through.
The energy that had once been mighty and overbearing
had become much more delicate.
If his former energy had been like a huge barrel of water,
the energy now was like a clear stream whose bottom could be seen.
He raised his hand and looked at it.
The marks left behind by his earlier training had disappeared.
The flesh covering his body looked reborn, becoming tender and smooth.
Although his muscles had contracted and tightened, they were exceptionally tough.
Feeling the changes throughout his body, he could not help but feel elated.
Suddenly, Lin Fan recalled the scene of the three-eyed divine general.
Almost involuntarily, he picked up his sword and drew it across his arm.
Where the blade passed, it left only a faint white mark.
His skin and flesh had not been cut, and not a drop of blood flowed.
He wiped the spot, and the white mark disappeared.
It truly was impervious to blades and spears.
This really was the Eight-Nine Arcane Arts.
It was far too terrifying.
The very first realm already had such effects.
If he continued advancing in the future, how formidable would it become?
One had to know that in Investiture of the Gods, Erlang Shen's Eight-Nine Arcane Arts
allowed his physical body to remain undying as long as his primordial spirit remained intact.
Even if his body were destroyed, he could revive by circulating the divine art.
Moreover, he could revive infinitely.
As for whether this cultivation world possessed the same effect, he had no way of knowing.
Even if it did not, he could at least cultivate an indestructible golden body.
The Maoshan sect primarily focused on Daoist Magic.
Those who specialized in body refinement were probably few and far between.
Presumably, this path
could only be walked by someone like him, who possessed such a ridiculously powerful system.
Lin Fan was startled, and his body trembled uncontrollably.
Excitement surged through him.
Recalling the afterimages he had just observed,
[The first three realms of the Eight-Nine Arcane Arts are:]
[Skin Refining Realm, Muscle Refining Realm, Tendon Refining Realm]
[Each realm is further divided into Minor Accomplishment, Major Accomplishment, and Grand Perfection, skipping the entry-level realm of ordinary Daoist techniques.]
The so-called Skin Refining Realm meant that the surface of the physical body became powerful, increasing its defensive strength.
When fighting zombies, one would not suffer external injuries.
However, the flesh would still tremble, and it would still hurt.
The Muscle Refining Realm involved an improvement in physical qualities.
An increase in strength and an increase in speed.
Finally, the Tendon Refining Realm connected the skin, flesh, tendons, and bones throughout the body completely.
The resulting transformation made the physical body invincible.
It was the initial form of an indestructible diamond body.
He had now presumably entered the Skin Refining Realm.
The surface of his physical body had clearly become tougher.
His defensive power had certainly increased considerably as well.
He should now possess the capital to fight Purple Zombies and Green Zombies with his physical body.
"System, open the Attribute Panel."
Lin Fan changed his train of thought and focused his mind.
[System Prompt: Congratulations, Host, you have broken through to]
Name: Lin Fan Realm: Xiantian Fifth Heaven Magic Tool: Peachwood Sword (100% Daoist Magic amplification) Daoist Arts: Seven Kills of Gods and Ghosts (First Rank) Eight-Nine Arcane Arts (First Rank) Physique: Skin Refining Realm (Minor Accomplishment) Daoist Magic: Purple Heaven Divine Thunder (Grand Perfection), Soul Locking Evil Dispelling Talisman (Grand Perfection), Heaven-Piercing Eyes (Beginner), Shattering Order (Beginner) Merit Points: 0
"It's becoming more and more impressive!"
Looking at the dazzling Attribute Panel, Lin Fan could not help sighing.
He still had to save up more Skill Points!
The Shattering Order, Eight-Nine Arcane Arts, and Heaven-Piercing Eyes were all at the beginner level.
The optimized techniques required Skill Points
as if they had mouths like lions.
The Heaven-Piercing Eyes were sufficient for now.
The Shattering Order was also extremely powerful.
It was rare for him to have a Daoist art that strengthened the physical body.
One had to stay alive to deal damage!
Now that he possessed both the Purple Heaven Divine Thunder and the Shattering Order,
he was not lacking in offensive Daoist Magic.
After this, he would probably have to save more Skill Points.
For now, upgrading the Eight-Nine Arcane Arts would be his priority.
He had to at least raise it to the Skin Refining Realm.
Improving speed and strength was of the utmost importance.
Moreover, strengthening his physical body
would greatly benefit his later study of Uncle Four-Eyed's Spirit Invocation Technique.
Daoist Priest Qian He would be arriving tomorrow.
Perhaps he could even get some Merit Points out of it.
"Forget it, forget it. Time to sleep!"
Lin Fan cast aside all his thoughts and called out tiredly.
He lay down and fell asleep.
The following day at noon.
Master Yixiu and Qingqing were cleaning the corridor.
A burst of hurried noise came from outside the door.
"Be careful."
A sharp, androgynous voice rang out.
A little boy who looked like the son of a high-ranking official or nobleman sat in the sedan chair.
An androgynous attendant followed beside it, urging on the bearers.
A group of people was carrying a coffin bound with thick hemp rope.
At the head was a Daoist priest, followed by four disciples.
They were making their way toward Daoist Priest Four-Eyes' residence.
The leader was none other than Daoist Priest Qian He!
Before you continue