There was no other way.
There might have been many Body Tempering techniques, but the Body Refining Technique was the most common and widespread—and it was free!
Who knew how many Qi Nurturing Pills the other Body Tempering techniques might cost to redeem?
But by the time you qualified to get your hands on Qi Nurturing Pills, you would have already practiced the Body Refining Technique for several years. It would no longer be easy to switch to another technique.
Most importantly, the Body Refining Technique itself was no slouch.
The nine-stage Body Refining Technique was the most solid cultivation method in the Body Tempering stage.
Though it consisted of only a few movements, they could fully mobilize the qi and blood throughout the body.
Some might not believe it was created by an Immortal Venerable.
But if you said it had been created by an exceptionally accomplished Body Tempering master, most people would agree.
Otherwise, it could not have become so widely used throughout Yunzhou. Even in other provinces, most Immortal Sects began their foundational training with the Body Refining Technique.
Yun Shu's gaze grew intent.
Beneath the blazing sun, he steadily tempered his qi and blood, following each movement to the letter.
At a certain moment, his qi and blood suddenly surged.
Like a mighty river, they flowed on without end.
Thunder seemed to rumble around him, and it was as though a flood were pouring through him, its sound vast and resonant.
No one knew how long the sound continued before his breath finally settled.
The people nearby all had abundant qi and blood, but faced with the torrent coursing through Yun Shu, they chose to keep their distance. The oppressive sensation was truly unbearable.
Many people noticed what was happening.
But they merely glanced over, then continued their cultivation with envy written all over their faces.
Qi and blood like a mighty river—that was a sign of Body Refining Peak!
Yet in Yun Shu's eyes, it didn't end there. He could even see signs of a dragon and tiger taking shape in the surging qi and blood above his head.
His qi and blood manifested into forms, like genuine holy spirits, seemingly endowed with myriad kinds of sentience!
His Martial Path had reached perfect harmony, flawless and complete!
"Ding, you practiced the Body Refining Technique once. Proficiency +1. Current proficiency: 200. You have reached perfection in the Body Refining Technique."
Body Refining Perfection!
Body Refining Peak!
Yun Shu clenched his fist tightly, his eyes brimming with ambition.
On the third day, after spending a hundred Qi Nurturing Pills on practical wilderness gear, Yun Shu set out alone this time instead of looking for Lin Yang.
At this level, Lin Yang wouldn't be able to help even if he came along. He might even cause trouble.
The mission had already described the Diamond Demonic Ape clearly, but Yun Shu didn't even know how he would bring back such a massive creature from out there.
Still, since he had accepted the mission, he had to bring the Diamond Demonic Ape back in one piece.
Yun Shu opened the map. A Fierce Beast on the verge of Demonic Transformation like the Diamond Demonic Ape could be found in a mountain range quite far from the Myriad Sword Pavilion.
Of course, the Diamond Demonic Ape wasn't the only one. In fact, he could find another one instead, as long as it was of the same level.
He could even buy one himself.
A mission, after all, was just a transaction.
"This is the mountain range."
The map only marked the general location, which the Myriad Sword Pavilion had found through its own channels. Yun Shu glanced toward the depths of the mountain range.
He gently stroked the horse's head.
Riding here had indeed saved him some effort. It would have taken him a whole day to run here, but on horseback, three hours had been enough.
But this was a mountain range. If he left the horse tied up here, it would surely be gone by the time he returned—either stolen by a hunter or eaten for lunch by some Demonic Beast.
He unfastened the reins and gently patted the horse's neck.
"Go on. Find yourself a good home. Of course, if luck isn't on your side and a Demonic Beast eats you, then cherish your freedom while it lasts."
Then he didn't linger and headed straight into the mountain range.
The moon hung high in the sky.
After traveling for an hour, Yun Shu stuck a Stealth Talisman onto the black cloak he was wearing.
The talisman could conceal his qi and blood, so the powerful kings of the forest wouldn't mistake him for a challenger.
"Too bad I don't have a Storage Bag," Yun Shu said regretfully. "Otherwise, I could hunt a few more Demonic Beasts."
Storage Bags were rather expensive.
Exchanging for one at the sect required a thousand Origin Nurturing Pills, or a hundred Low-grade Spirit Stones.
One Origin Nurturing Pill could be exchanged for ten Qi Nurturing Pills, which meant ten thousand of those. As for Spirit Stones, to Yun Shu, they were things that existed only in legends.
Only Inner Sect Disciples received two each month. They were as rare as Hundred Herbs Liquid was for Outer Sect Disciples.
Even at such an exorbitant price, the space inside was extremely limited. It could only hold a few Demonic Beast carcasses at most.
For now, Yun Shu had only brought a small bundle. He didn't dare bring too much, but he couldn't go without anything either. It had slowed him down considerably and caused plenty of inconvenience.
Storage Artifacts were exceedingly precious. Only Artifact Refiners skilled in this field could craft them.
Some oversized Storage Artifacts even cost countless Spirit Stones.
Yun Shu shook his head. He didn't dwell on it; he had no time for that.
The Diamond Demonic Ape wasn't the most powerful creature in the entire mountain range, but it was still one of the overlords of this forest and had a territory of its own.
Following the directions on the map, Yun Shu arrived before a cave surrounded by dense forest.
Most of the trees here had been destroyed.
The place was a complete mess.
Several scrawny little apes were carrying away broken logs.
Yun Shu: "..."
This giant ape's strength was terrifying!
Just looking at the wreckage strewn across the ground, he could tell that the giant ape's strength had long since reached an incomparable level.
It could snap trees that would take two people to wrap their arms around with ease. Judging by the looks of things, it could even swing them around.
The chaos before him must have been the result of a recent outburst of rage.
The place had been wrecked like a battlefield.
Yun Shu had no idea what had enraged the giant ape, but it looked like a tough opponent.
His gaze paused on the little apes. They weren't particularly strong, only around the Mid Body Refining Stage.
Laborers, then.
And they weren't purebred Diamond Demonic Apes, either.
In this forest, they probably belonged to the bullied ones. They might be able to swagger around the outskirts of the forest, though.
Yun Shu paid them no mind and walked straight to the cave entrance.
The little apes started hollering.
They bared their teeth and snarled, their eyes vicious as could be.
They hoped to scare Yun Shu away.
But Yun Shu had come here for this very reason. How could he be frightened by them?
He swatted the little apes aside one by one without hurting them.
Still, it hurt, and they squealed.
From inside the long stone cavern, Yun Shu could hear the ground trembling continuously. It was as if some great terror were charging out from within.
Yun Shu retreated a little.
Soon, Yun Shu saw what the Diamond Demonic Ape looked like.
The Diamond Demonic Ape truly was one of the top Demonic Beasts when it came to physical strength.
Once it charged out of the enormous cave entrance, the creature's power was unmistakable. Standing before it, Yun Shu was like a stone at the foot of a low hill.
It stood as tall as the canopy of a decades-old tree.
Its arms were thicker than water vats.
Gold covered its entire body, and its golden fur made the Diamond Demonic Ape look mighty and imposing.
The qi and blood around it were so dense they seemed about to solidify into a mountain, pressing down on Yun Shu until he could barely breathe.
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