Liver Become Mortal Sword Immortal

Among the bandits, the leader was at Body Tempering Stage Six, two were at Body Refining Fifth Level, and the rest, below the Body Refining Stage, were likely countless.

A band of outlaws like this—let alone a disciple at Body Tempering Stage Six, even someone at the Late Body Refining Stage wouldn't want to tangle with them.

Though the bandits' strength didn't reach the Late Body Refining Stage, their combat experience was extremely rich. Not to mention anything else, just their Sha Qi alone was enough to make those of the same realm tremble in fear.

"I'll go with you. At least we can look out for each other. We can deliver this Earth Splitting Bear when we get back." Lin Yang spoke.

Yun Shu glanced at the sky, then smiled. "Let's skip it for now. I'll go back with you, and we'll set out early tomorrow morning."

"That works too. I think we should find another helper..."

"No." Yun Shu shook his head. "The two of us are enough."

If he found a helper, he'd have to split the money. The pay wasn't much to begin with, and giving a portion away would just break his heart.

Seeing this, Lin Yang didn't press further. He trusted that Yun Shu was always a meticulous person and wouldn't do anything uncertain.

Since he had confidence, Lin Yang would stick with him through thick and thin.

By the time the two returned to the sect, it was already night.

Under the cover of darkness, they came to the Scripture Pavilion once more.

"I'm here to turn in the mission." Yun Shu lightly tapped the table.

The Fat Steward's body jolted violently, then it took a long while before he lifted his head and glanced at Yun Shu.

"It's you." The Fat Steward showed a slight smile. "Hand over the token, and the Jade Token too."

Yun Shu did as he was told.

The Fat Steward casually scribbled a few strokes on the Jade Token, then said, "I knew I wasn't wrong about you. I knew you could complete these missions. From the moment you entered the Outer Sect, I knew you'd achieve great things in the future."

Yun Shu thought, "..." You didn't say that last night. It's only been a day.

"This is the Earth Splitting Black Bear. Please inspect it."

"No need, no need." The Fat Steward chuckled, taking out a jade box. "Here are twenty Qi Nurturing Pills. Take them."

You see, the more missions he completed here, the higher his commission.

Finishing three missions in one day—this was a money god!

At this rate, not to mention anything else, he could at least double his monthly commission relying on Yun Shu for a while.

The twenty pills already included the price of the bear's demonic body.

The price was fairly reasonable.

Yun Shu naturally had no objections.

Leaving the Scripture Pavilion, Yun Shu tallied his gains.

"Today, there are fifty-five Qi Nurturing Pills in total. I'll take fifty, and give you five." Yun Shu said, handing over a bottle of Qi Nurturing Pills.

The rewards from today's three missions added up to this much, which was only right.

Lin Yang looked at the five Qi Nurturing Pills in his hand, feeling a mix of emotions.

Normally, doing one mission would only net him this much.

Even the better missions required him to team up with others, and the resources he got from splitting them might not even match this.

Yun Shu seemed to be rising rapidly, already growing to a level where Lin Yang had to look up to him.

"Alright, I'll take them. See you at the Mountain Gate tomorrow morning." Lin Yang said.

He didn't put up a fuss, knowing that Yun Shu had strong principles. If he didn't accept, Yun Shu might not call him along for missions next time.

Now, he felt that sticking with Yun Shu was far better than taking missions himself—exhausting himself, taking risks, and still getting fewer resources.

"Mm." Yun Shu nodded.

It would be a long time before dawn.

Yun Shu arrived early at the Training Ground.

The Training Ground was nearly empty.

His hand gripped the Long Sword as he practiced over and over.

He had just converted all fifty Qi Nurturing Pills into Energy Points, a total of one hundred and fifty.

Adding what he had before, it came to over one hundred and sixty.

Now, he could fully upgrade his Sword Intent level.

Yun Shu had always believed that cultivation had both horizontal and vertical dimensions. The vertical was the advancement of strength—from the Body Refining Stage to Qi Refining, and beyond. The improvement of Sword Intent belonged to the horizontal, requiring a foundation of realm to unleash sufficient power.

At his current level, First-Tier Sword Intent was no longer enough.

Maybe it was still sufficient, but for him, going out on adventures always meant he needed to bolster his trump cards.

Now that he had the means, he would upgrade.

"Ding. You have practiced Sword Intent once. Proficiency +1."

"..."

"Ding, you have executed Sword Intent once. Proficiency +1."

A dense aura of "Intent" lingered around him, and the silhouette surfaced once more in his mind.

That profound, mysterious realm—the powerhouse had struck only a single sword stroke, yet it seemed to contain countless details. Yun Shu was striving to comprehend that state by steadily increasing his proficiency.

Whether one's raw strength was formidable no longer mattered. The understanding of the sword was a long, patternless accumulation. That single stroke, though simple, condensed a cultivator's—a sword cultivator's—entire grasp of the blade.

Yun Shu was merely imitating the form, but he managed to make it look passable.

He started from the very basics, copying that one stroke, moving from likeness in shape to likeness in spirit.

"Ding, you have executed Sword Intent once. Proficiency +1."

"..."

"Ding, you have executed Sword Intent once. Proficiency +1."

He had no idea how many times he swung. The Energy Points on the panel refreshed wildly. With every swing of the Long Sword, he gained a fresh understanding of the blade itself—a strange, wonderful sensation.

Though there was no visible change on the surface, Yun Shu could be certain that his comprehension of the sword had grown stronger, deeper.

It had truly become a killing sword.

Swinging the sword seemed simple, yet every motion left a trace.

It was as if a steep cliff stood before him. The Long Sword fell, countless forces converged, and the cliff was split in two. The power of that single stroke was terrifying beyond compare.

"Ding, you have executed Sword Intent once. Proficiency +1. Current proficiency: 100. Reached Second Stage."

Yun Shu stopped and did not continue practicing. Further training from here would yield only limited gains. He needed to first familiarize himself with his current Sword Intent level, ideally adapting to it quickly, so that the Long Sword could truly become a killing blade.

Yun Shu did not rush to test it. Instead, he set the sword aside. While swinging, his spirit had been highly concentrated, and his essence, energy, and spirit had been drained considerably.

He needed to recover for a while.

He began cultivating the Body Refining Technique.

The Body Refining Technique was merely the most basic Martial Arts.

Its consumption of Energy Points and stamina was quite low, and it even helped restore some of his strength.

"Ding, you have executed Body Refining Technique once. Proficiency +1."

"..."

"Ding, you have cultivated Body Refining Technique once. Proficiency +1."

By the time he cultivated the Body Refining Technique a second time, his strength had already reached Body Refining Stage Seven.

The surging blood and qi of Body Refining Stage Seven, combined with the meridians widened during his Sword Intent practice, made him resemble a humanoid Fierce Beast. His entire being radiated an extremely dangerous aura.

The benefits of the Body Refining Technique were self-evident.

After Yun Shu had cultivated for a while, his strength had reached the peak of Body Refining Stage Seven.

His Energy Points had not been depleted much either.

At this moment, Yun Shu's robust muscles, accompanied by the rolling blood and qi, gradually settled down.

"It seems there's a reason few people cultivate the Body Refining Technique to Great Accomplishment. This method of body refinement really doesn't fit the immortal, otherworldly image of an Immortal Sect."

But well, it did make him tougher.

The advantages of being a Body Cultivator went without saying.

Yun Shu rested for a while. By then, the sky was just beginning to pale, and people were trickling over in twos and threes.

Yun Shu found a quieter spot. After a short rest, he began practicing Sword Intent.

The Long Sword hummed softly as he slashed toward the empty space before him.

The blood and qi throughout his body surged continuously, merging into that single stroke.