Deer Strength! Peak of the Early Body Tempering Realm! Is Li Xian Going into the Mountains to Wipe Out Black Wind Stockade?

The arrow's force was ferocious beyond compare. In an instant, it pierced straight through the Plum Deer, which weighed more than three hundred pounds, and killed it.

After killing the Plum Deer, the Ancient Profound Pearl inside him gave off a faint golden glow. That familiar wave of warmth welled up and flowed through his whole body. The phantom image of a Plum Deer appeared inside the pearl, struggling and ramming against its confines. Su Mo's thoughts stirred, and the runic mark on the Ancient Profound Pearl flashed. In a moment, it ground the Plum Deer's phantom to nothing and devoured it.

The next moment, the Plum Deer's innate trait appeared in his mind...

[Deer Strength]!

That was right. After killing the Plum Deer, he had obtained its innate trait, [Deer Strength]. It enhanced the strength of his physical body, increasing his power and enabling him to unleash even greater force.

As that familiar warmth flowed through every limb and bone, the strength in Su Mo's body began to increase slightly under the effect of [Deer Strength]. The change wasn't as obvious as the Mountain Boar's [Great Strength], but there was no doubt that Su Mo's physical strength had grown. His power had become more surging and substantial.

Once the warmth faded, Su Mo's physique had also improved considerably. He had a feeling that today he would likely draw close to the peak of the early Body Tempering Realm.

Without a body-tempering cultivation technique, and with his late start and ossified bones, Su Mo had already achieved something astonishing.

Ordinary people had to cultivate a body-tempering technique to hone their foundations in martial arts before they had any chance of entering the Body Tempering Realm.

But Su Mo had no such technique. Through his terrifying comprehension alone, he had cultivated Basic Saber Technique to perfection. Relying on that fleeting moment of special insight and the strength he had accumulated in his body, he had broken through to the Body Tempering Realm.

But Basic Saber Technique was ultimately no body-tempering technique. Its ability to temper the body was limited.

That was why Su Mo yearned so desperately for a body-tempering technique.

With one, even his ossified bones wouldn't stop him from increasing his cultivation speed. He wouldn't have to crawl forward at a snail's pace as he was now.

Su Mo even had a feeling that without a body-tempering technique, he might struggle to break through to the middle stage of the Body Tempering Realm, let alone the late stage or the even stronger Meridian Opening Realm.

Su Mo couldn't accept that. Breaking through to the Body Tempering Realm had already added nearly thirty years to his lifespan. How many more years would he gain if he reached the Meridian Opening Realm? He didn't dare imagine it, but surely it would be at least another thirty years.

So his need for a body-tempering cultivation technique had become even more urgent.

He wanted to break through the Body Tempering Realm more than anything.

Once the strengthening of his body was complete, Su Mo carried the Plum Deer, which weighed more than three hundred pounds, straight back to the village.

By the time Su Mo returned, dusk had fallen. After putting the Plum Deer meat in the cellar, he began tempering his body in the courtyard. He repeatedly rammed his body into wooden posts and pounded stone locks. Under his furious assaults over such a long time, the posts and stone locks had developed countless cracks.

Crack!

The next moment, the wooden post in front of Su Mo shattered. Even the stone lock beside it didn't escape; the tremendous force of his punches split it apart. At the same time, his cultivation reached the peak of the early Body Tempering Realm.

"Have I finally reached the peak of the early Body Tempering Realm?"

Feeling the vigorous flow of blood and qi inside him, and the further increase in his physical strength, Su Mo knew his cultivation had finally broken through to the peak of the early Body Tempering Realm.

"This won't do. Without a proper body-tempering cultivation technique, it'll be almost impossible for me to break through to the middle stage of the Body Tempering Realm."

Now that his cultivation had reached the peak of the early Body Tempering Realm, Su Mo knew that without a body-tempering technique, it would be difficult to reach the middle stage. It was like a pass, a hurdle he couldn't cross without one.

"I have to find a body-tempering cultivation technique!"

Su Mo's eyes brimmed with urgency as he thought of the technique. If his cultivation stalled and he couldn't become stronger, his hopes of extending his lifespan would be dashed. And then there was Black Wind Stockade. According to the man in black, its Great Leader, Huang Heilong, was very likely a martial expert in the Meridian Opening Realm.

Su Mo had a rough estimate of his current strength: he was doing all right. Ordinary Body Tempering Realm martial artists probably weren't his match, but he had no confidence against a Meridian Opening Realm expert.

Martial artists in the Meridian Opening Realm opened the meridians that ran through their bodies and gave rise to inner qi with formidable offensive power. They could unleash it to injure others, and their methods were far beyond what Body Tempering Realm martial artists could match.

Suppressing the thoughts in his mind, Su Mo continued cultivating.

While Su Mo was cultivating, something major happened in the village. After martial artist Li Xian had visited his grandmother, Grandma Li, he announced that he would go up the mountain and wipe out Black Wind Stockade, which had been terrorizing and harming the surrounding villages for years.

That was right. Li Xian wanted to go into the mountains and destroy Black Wind Stockade.

As soon as the news broke, Shuanglin Village was in an uproar. Village chief Yang Baishu trembled with excitement, while many villagers and hunters were overjoyed. They felt that Heaven had finally opened its eyes. Could dawn at last be breaking?

After all, Li Xian was a powerful martial artist. When he had returned, he had even intimidated Black Wind Stockade, keeping its men from coming down the mountain to seize Zhang Tieshan's daughter, Zhang Qian.

The villagers felt that Li Xian could probably destroy Black Wind Stockade. Then they would no longer have to suffer its oppression.

The news quickly spread throughout Shuanglin Village and even reached the surrounding villages, filling countless people with excitement.

Li Xian's actions also made him an object of fervent admiration among many of the village's young people.

After all, this was Black Wind Stockade—the scourge of the surrounding villages for years. The authorities and martial artists outside had turned a deaf ear to its crimes, allowing it to prey on ordinary people and villagers.

Yet Li Xian planned to wipe it out. How could such an act not make the young people admire him fervently?

It made them feel that this was what a real man should be!

The next day, accompanied by village chief Yang Baishu and many hunters and villagers cheering him on, Li Xian entered Qingliang Mountain. The villagers waited eagerly, convinced that Black Wind Stockade's end had come and that it couldn't possibly stop Li Xian.

When Li Xian had returned to the village, he had shown off his strength in front of the villagers, smashing a stone slab with a single palm strike. They had been awestruck by his power. If one palm could shatter stone, a blow to a person would make them spit blood and die on the spot.

So the villagers had great faith in Li Xian's strength.

Of all the people, Zhang Tieshan's family was the most excited and supportive. They had recently suffered greatly at the hands of Black Wind Stockade: not only had their Plum Deer meat been stolen, but Zhang Qian had nearly been dragged up the mountain by its men.

If Li Xian hadn't returned to the village, Zhang Qian would probably have been carried off by Black Wind Stockade's men by now.

So when they heard that Li Xian planned to go up the mountain and destroy Black Wind Stockade, Zhang Tieshan and his son joined the group accompanying him. When Zhang Qian heard about it, her heart stirred with excitement, while her mother, Liu Guihua, prayed to every god she could think of, hoping Li Xian would wipe out Black Wind Stockade.

Just as the villagers were waiting with bated breath, Li Xian followed the directions and rode his white horse to Black Wind Stockade's main stronghold. After easily killing the guards at its gate, he charged into the stockade alone.

It was a sight that filled people with excitement.

But before long, a blood-soaked figure burst out through the gates of Black Wind Stockade. The villagers who had remained outside took a closer look and froze, at a loss.

Because the figure covered in blood was none other than the mighty martial artist Li Xian, whom they had admired so much.

But now he was fleeing Black Wind Stockade in a panic, as if it were a terrifying den of dragons and tigers...