Seeking Refuge

Changing his approach, Old Man Snow Mountain began to consider how he could join King Lanling's Mansion.

"King Lanling is currently fighting Tiger Shark King Su Yuandong and is commanding the army at the border. If I want to gain his favor, it seems difficult with my own strength!"

However, if I could lead a large number of martial artists to pledge allegiance, I would surely be valued. After all, in war, you either need top-tier experts or a large amount of cannon fodder!

With this realization, Old Man Snow Mountain's eyes took on a playful glint.

He discovered that the subordinates he had recruited seemed to have other uses.

However, the number of martial artists he currently controlled was not enough, so he had to take down the other major powers within Nine Lions City!

With this thought, Old Man Snow Mountain no longer hesitated. He personally took action, killing all the leaders of the major powers in Nine Lions City and taking control of almost the entire city in one fell swoop.

The number of martial artists under his command finally reached over ten thousand!

With the people secured, the next steps became simple. Under Old Man Snow Mountain's threats and inducements, the remaining Innate Martial Artists pledged their allegiance to him, forcing their subordinates to obey Old Man Snow Mountain's orders and form an army to support King Lanling!

Soon, a mighty army of martial artists marched towards the border between Lanzhou and Qingzhou.

Inside Black Wind Stockade, Shen Fan, who had been in seclusion for a month, suddenly opened his eyes. A terrifying aura erupted outwards.

The true qi throughout his body stopped surging and instead completely entered Shen Fan's Dantian, transforming into True Essence of higher quality!

Compared to true qi, True Essence was overwhelmingly superior in every aspect.

In terms of quality, True Essence was like metal and stone, while true qi was like cotton. In a collision, true qi would inevitably crumble at the slightest touch.

By using True Essence, the power of martial arts would be greatly amplified, and combat power would be at least ten times that of an Innate Martial Artist!

Opening his Attribute Panel, Shen Fan felt a surge of excitement:

Host: Shen Fan

Aptitude: 38 (Rare, encountered once in a hundred years)

Physique: Ice Spirit Body

Lifespan: 620

Martial Arts: Azure Dragon Transformation (Minor Accomplishment), Beast King Art (Great Accomplishment), Black Tiger Fiend (Great Accomplishment), Spirit Ape Transformation (Great Accomplishment), Cold Shadow Art (Great Accomplishment), Savage Bull Fist (Great Accomplishment), True Combined Strength (Great Accomplishment), Three Yuan Art (Great Accomplishment), Ape Strike Technique (Great Accomplishment), Thousand Mechanisms Hand (Great Accomplishment), Iron Shirt (Great Accomplishment), Startling Swan Art (Great Accomplishment), Great River True Scripture (Great Accomplishment), Sea Wave Fist (Great Accomplishment), Evergreen Cultivation Method (Beginner)...

Realm: True Condensation First Level

After achieving Minor Accomplishment in Azure Dragon Transformation, his realm naturally broke through to the True Condensation Realm. His lifespan directly increased by over a hundred years, and his aptitude also increased by four points.

Shen Fan felt that he was getting closer and closer to the next level of aptitude.

Because he had cultivated four Innate Martial Arts – Cold Shadow Art, Spirit Ape Transformation, Black Tiger Fiend, and Beast King Art – Shen Fan's accumulation at the Innate level was sufficiently deep. Although he had just broken through to the True Condensation Realm, he was confident in his ability to contend with martial artists in the middle to late stages of True Condensation!

Upon reaching the True Condensation Realm, a Martial Artist's True Essence within their body has already transformed from True Qi. True Essence is the most powerful energy the human body can synthesize on its own.

This realm has already reached the limit of mortals.

Beyond this lies the level of transcending the mundane and achieving sainthood.

As his cultivation entered the True Condensation Realm, Shen Fan also gradually learned that the next Martial Arts realm was called the Samadhi Realm, an extremely important realm for Martial Artists.

It is also the foundation for Martial Artists to transcend the mundane.

Martial Artists continuously accumulate True Essence in the True Condensation Realm. When the True Essence in a Martial Artist's Dantian is filled, they can use their spiritual sense to draw upon the power of heaven and earth to ignite the Samadhi True Fire!

Of course, this Samadhi True Fire is not the legendary immortal fire, but a mysterious flame born from the hidden treasures within the human body.

Once ignited, it can open up the body's hidden treasures and unlock the potential deep within the human body. This realm is the key for Martial Artists to transcend the mundane!

True Condensation is merely to lay the foundation for the Samadhi Realm.

If you find this book good, remember to add it to your bookshelf to avoid losing it next time.

However, True Condensation is ultimately the limit for mortals. Martial Artists at this level are considered minor experts even in the entire Lanzhou.

The strongest combat power of the Qingcheng Sect, renowned throughout the Jianghu, is merely at the True Condensation Realm.

This shows that Shen Fan's current strength is not to be underestimated!

Shen Fan's foundation is deep. Having just entered the True Condensation Realm, the True Essence he condensed is more than ten times that of ordinary Martial Artists. However, the Dantian he opened is also dozens of times larger than that of ordinary Martial Artists, so Shen Fan gains more with each realm advancement.

This is his advantage in stepping into higher levels.

Moreover, with his Golden Finger, Shen Fan's subsequent realm advancements will not slow down; on the contrary, they will become faster and faster.

Although his Aptitude only increased by four points this time, his cultivation speed has nearly doubled!

This means that the time required for him to break through to the next realm will be even less.

In Shen Fan's perception, each breakthrough in the True Condensation Realm takes about a week. In about two months, he will be able to accumulate enough True Essence to fill his Dantian!

Such speed would absolutely be unbelievable if spoken aloud.

But it is indeed the case.

Furthermore, upon reaching the True Condensation Realm, Shen Fan began to sense that his Ice Spirit Body seemed to have other functions.

In short, he felt that he could absorb more energy from the outside world while cultivating, which naturally greatly accelerated his True Essence refinement speed!

For other Martial Artists in the True Condensation Realm to cultivate quickly, it would be impossible without the supplement of rare heavenly treasures. But because Shen Fan has his spirit body, he does not need such external supplements.

However, if he had them, that would be even better.

Shen Fan felt that he had only developed a small part of his Ice Spirit Body, and its true power had yet to be unleashed.

However, this required him to reach a higher realm.

He took this matter to heart.

Meanwhile, Old Man Snow Mountain, leading tens of thousands of martial artists, finally met King Lanling as he had wished after a long journey.

Of course, it was precisely because the tens of thousands of martial artists he led greatly supplemented King Lanling's forces that King Lanling was willing to meet him, an Innate Martial Artist.

"Speak, what reward do you desire?" King Lanling's face was as beautiful as jade, his sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes made him appear not like a prince who had long held a high position, but rather like a dashing young master.

Anyone who saw King Lanling like this would likely have this thought.

But in reality, this was merely King Lanling Su Ming's disguise.

As an overt Samadhi Realm expert, Su Ming had ignited the Metal Divine Treasury. The absence of a sharp aura only meant that he had developed the Metal Divine Treasury to its extreme, making him even more terrifying!

Old Man Snow Mountain was a notorious devil in Nine Lions City, but before King Lanling, he appeared much more subdued.

"This humble one dares not ask for too much, only hoping to serve Your Highness with all my might!"

"However, this humble one deeply feels his lack of strength, and hopes Your Highness will not disdain my inadequacy!"

Although he did not make a specific request, King Lanling understood Old Man Snow Mountain's desire upon hearing this.

"Very well, for your loyalty, I shall bestow upon you the position of a third-rank official. Additionally, I shall grant you the Barren Wood Art, which can help you break through to True Condensation!" King Lanling said casually.

But Old Man Snow Mountain was overcome with emotion and quickly knelt to express his gratitude.

Having obtained the True Condensation martial art he had dreamed of, Old Man Snow Mountain truly felt as if he were dreaming.

He had worked hard for decades, yet it was not as valuable as tens of thousands of cannon fodder. It had to be said that choice was indeed more important than effort!

At this very moment, Old Man Snow Mountain seemed to understand many things!