The Road Ahead Was Long and Steep as Iron, Yet Now We Leapt Forward Anew! (End of This Volume)

"I'm finally back!" Looking at the familiar pitch-black space and the dim candlelight, He Heng let out a long sigh in his heart. He was finally back.

He had spent over thirty years in the world of Dragon-Snake Romance. After the Martial Dao Convention ended, his mind had entered the Human Law Realm, but he hadn't immediately chosen to return.

He hadn't forgotten that here, on the road to the Great Dao, he still had his First Tribulation: the Crimson Demonic Palace woman who intended to refine him into Human Medicine.

Martial Dao Cultivation in the Great Heaven World began with the Hundred Bones Realm. The body was tempered into an indestructible form, the inner strength reached perfection, and Embryonic Breathing became effortless. Finally, the inner and outer strengths converged and the dragon and tiger flowed in harmony. That was true Great Perfection of the Hundred Bones Realm.

Above the Hundred Bones Realm was Qi Refining. Once you refined a single strand of Yang Qi, you could attain the Martial Dao One Yang Realm. Then, after refining a strand of Yin Qi, Yin and Yang would unite, and you would reach the Martial Dao Two Hou Realm.

The reason it was called qi rather than qi—both words were pronounced the same and meant the same thing—was that qi referred to a refined form of qi, like the difference between internal energy and true qi: concentrated versus diluted.

Refining a strand of qi meant that one's Essence, Qi, and Spirit had reached their peak and one's internal energy had been tempered a thousand times over, achieving perfect harmony. It represented a new world in the Martial Dao.

Above the Two Hou Realm was the Three Peng Realm. By severing the Three Corpses and purifying the true body, one's Flesh Apertures could transform to their peak, paving the way to awaken the primordial spirit.

This Crimson Demonic Palace cultivator was at the Three Peng Realm, a full three realms above He Heng.

It was precisely this gulf, vast as the distance between heaven and earth, that had forced He Heng to prepare as thoroughly as possible in the Dragon Snake World before daring to return.

After all, although his mind had already reached the Human Law Realm, a realm was only a realm until it was converted into strength. Without that, it was all an illusion.

For the ten years after the Martial Dao Convention, He Heng had traveled the world, visiting every corner of the globe and experiencing all the myriad things of nature and the universe. He had tempered himself in nature's most extreme environments.

Since he had already been invincible in that world, with no one left who could stand against him, he had taken the world itself as his opponent. To fight against heaven was an endless joy!

He Heng had constantly challenged his limits in the Great Desert, beneath the sea, in the Polar Glaciers, and other perilous environments. He had built his fist force, fist intent, and Fist Technique to their peak, deepening his understanding of the Human Law Realm.

In those ten years, he hadn't fought anyone even once. It wasn't only that no one could make him fight; more importantly, He Heng had been accumulating his battle intent, preparing the punch he would unleash after returning.

A bow had to be drawn tight to send an arrow far, and a punch needed to gather force as well. After ten years without throwing a punch, when He Heng finally struck, it would shake the heavens!

"Everything depends on today. Will the Great Dao be within reach, or will I fall in despair? It all comes down to this day." Resolve filled He Heng's gaze. He opened his eyes a sliver and looked at the demoness.

She was lighting a fire. Firewood had been stacked beneath the Ancient Great Cauldron in the middle of the hall, and she was solemnly setting it alight, utterly focused.

Lighting a fire? She intends to refine me into a pill. This might be my chance. A chill filled He Heng's eyes as he thought. Since he had already entered the Human Law Realm, he could control his mind perfectly without leaking even a trace of killing intent. The demoness therefore hadn't noticed that he was awake.

Otherwise, if He Heng hadn't reached the Human Law Realm, even a hint of killing intent directed at an expert like her would have been sensed instantly at such close range. Then all his plans would have come to nothing.

Then let's begin. He Heng silently repeated the words in his heart. A brilliant ball of light, almost tangible, emerged from his mind and slipped into his body.

It contained all the blood Qi, essence, and source of his body in the Dragon Snake world. The Myriad Heavens Treasure Mirror had brought it out, and now it merged into his true body.

This feeling... He Heng felt countless ants biting all over him. It was itchy and painful. Fortunately, the will of his mind in the Human Law Realm was immensely strong, allowing him to ignore it completely. Otherwise, the slightest movement would have alerted the demoness at once.

A moment later, He Heng felt warmth spread through his whole body. A feeling of clarity permeated his mind and body, as if his very essence had been elevated.

He Heng knew that his aptitude was improving. What was aptitude? It was a person's affinity for the spiritual energy and laws of heaven and earth. Many people in the Great Heaven World spent their whole lives unable to sense the existence of spiritual energy, or cultivate internal energy, because their affinity for it was too low.

Some people could casually gaze at mountains and rivers and comprehend countless miraculous arts, while most people could stare at the same scenery all day without feeling a thing. That, too, was because their affinity with heaven, earth, and all things was too low.

Of course, natural talent and comprehension also depended on a person's accumulated knowledge, Martial Dao realm, and the inscrutable force of fortune. It wasn't simply a matter of affinity.

But there was no denying that affinity with heaven, earth, and all things was the most fundamental reason for one's aptitude. And the reason people's affinity varied was the difference in their life source. The more abundant one's source, the more favorably heaven and earth regarded them. They could resonate with all things as if they were magnetic fields, effortlessly comprehending the principles of the Dao and absorbing spiritual energy. That was aptitude.

Now that He Heng had absorbed the source of his other body, his aptitude had undergone a fundamental improvement. There had been no supposed cleansing of his meridians or marrow; it was simply an elevation of his life itself.

At that moment, He Heng felt the boundless spiritual energy filling heaven and earth flowing toward him in noticeably greater quantities. A casual glance at anything sparked all kinds of inspiration, nourishing his Martial Dao.

My original Spirit Body was already highly developed. I should have reached its very limits now, right? He Heng wondered, but didn't continue examining the changes in his aptitude. Instead, he directed the essence of his Dragon Snake body into his dantian.

Then, with He Heng's realm, his cultivation of the Outer Hundred Bones instantly reached Shatter Void and See God Unbroken. This was Great Perfection of the Outer Hundred Bones: an Indestructible Body.

Sensing the interplay of two other powerful forces within him, He Heng gave a cool smile. His Inner Hundred Skeletons Realm had long since reached Great Perfection in the spirit-rich world of the Great Heaven. His Outer Hundred Bones were more than sufficient as well. He could now... bring the inner and outer together and open the Life and Death Mystic Gate.

In an instant, a thunderous rumble shook He Heng's body, as if heaven and earth had been overturned. Two forces, one inner and one outer, converged and brought about an earth-shattering change before merging into one.

The green inner energy, full of intangible vitality, nourished the muscles and bones throughout his body, allowing his already human-limit Indestructible Body to transform. At the same time, the powerful Blood Qi filling him resonated with his inner energy, growing purer still. The two became perfectly intertwined, like milk and water, as inner and outer strength converged flawlessly.

A warm current filled every inch of his body in an instant. His entire skeleton transformed, brimming with Life Force. It was a leap to a higher level of existence. At that moment, he achieved Great Perfection of the Hundred Bones Realm.

"Inner and outer convergence, Great Perfection of the Hundred Bones. Excellent, excellent!" He Heng suppressed his excitement, using his Human Law Dao Heart to control his emotions perfectly. He had spent more than thirty years in the Dragon Snake World and had thought countless times about what he would do after returning. Every step had been planned. Achieving Great Perfection of the Hundred Bones Realm was the first step in turning the tables.

It was also the most important step. He had personally gone over the crucial points of the breakthrough thousands of times, and in the end, he had managed to complete his transformation in an instant without making the slightest sound.

"Heh. Did you think that sealing all the acupoints in my body would leave me unable to break through?" Feeling the locked acupoints throughout his body, He Heng sneered inwardly.

"Break...!"

He Heng controlled his newly converged inner and outer strength, which surged without pause and was still rising violently. In a marvelous formation, he drove it against one acupoint after another. In moments, the acupoints burst open.

He Heng sneered inwardly as he sensed several streams of scorching red true qi inside him. The Crimson Demonic Palace demoness had suffered severe injuries, and her true qi was greatly depleted. Naturally, she hadn't been willing to spend much of it sealing He Heng's acupoints. The true qi she had left in them could probably be broken through by even the power of the One Yang Realm. Although He Heng wasn't at the One Yang Realm, his internal energy was at its most violent just after his breakthrough, and its force was at its greatest.

Besides, He Heng had spent all those years in the Dragon Snake World studying the acupoints that had been sealed. He had long since found their weakest points. Even without reaching the One Yang Realm, he could still break through them.

"Step two of the plan: done!"

He Heng remained utterly calm, controlling his emotions completely with the Human Law Realm and revealing no weakness. He lay motionless, still "unconscious."

A little less than half an hour later, the demoness finally heated the cauldron until it glowed red. Liquids inside bubbled and churned; they had come to a boil.

He Heng's keen Spiritual Sense detected her dropping one herb after another into the cauldron. A pungent, strange odor filled the space.

A moment later, the demoness suddenly laughed and clapped her hands, her excitement showing.

"Haha! I've finally completed most of the Three Revolutions Nine Refinements Body Strengthening Pill from my sect. Only the last step remains: adding Human Medicine, and then it'll be finished!"

As she spoke, the demoness walked over to He Heng and looked down at him coldly. He Heng could even hear her breathing and her heartbeat...

Suddenly, she raised a hand and stroked He Heng's cheek, giving a sinister laugh. "Young man, you're quite handsome. Your Blood Qi is astonishingly vigorous, and your essence is abundant. Ordinarily, I wouldn't want to waste you like this, but today I have no choice."

As she spoke, she suddenly lifted He Heng with one hand and carried him to the middle of the hall. He felt a wave of heat roll toward him, vast as the sky and scorching beyond measure.

Fortunately, the Human Law Realm was so profound that he could control himself perfectly, without the slightest emotional fluctuation. Otherwise, that touch just now, along with the heat, would have given him away long ago.

The demoness gazed at the cauldron, where the emerald liquid churned, and let out a loud laugh. Her voice reverberated as a wave of astral energy swept through the hall.

"The timing is right."

As she spoke, she stripped off all of He Heng's clothes, seized him by the arm, and prepared to toss him into the cauldron.

"Now!" He Heng suddenly opened his eyes. His body flushed red, and his Blood Qi surged to its peak, roaring through him.

"Sun Moon New Sky Method, Great Dao Formless Fist!" The Blood Qi and internal energy within He Heng burned in an instant, unleashing his full strength. At that moment, his power surged beyond the One Yang Realm.

The arm the demoness had seized snapped upward. His fist force soared to the heavens, as if opening heaven and earth and turning the sun and moon. A divine being looked down upon the mortal world as his fist struck the demoness squarely in the chest.

"Pfft... How is this possible?" The demoness stared in disbelief. She had clearly knocked the boy unconscious herself and sealed the acupoints throughout his body. How could he move—and how had he become so powerful?

"Die!" He Heng's expression was cold, like the vault of heaven itself, devoid of all emotion. The immense fist force he had accumulated for ten years swept over the demoness like a landslide and a collapsing sea.

Bang!

Caught off guard, the demoness was driven back by He Heng's punch and fell beside the cauldron.

"Brat, you think this is enough to defeat me? I'll show you what true power is!" The demoness truly was a Three Peng Realm martial artist. Her Life Force was formidable. Despite her already severe injuries and He Heng's two long-prepared punches, she still had enough strength to speak.

"Die!" He Heng roared. He pushed the Sun Moon New Sky Method to its limit. His fist force was as mighty as mountains and rivers, as if a Banished Immortal had descended to sweep the mortal world. Its power surged beyond anything imaginable.

"This Artistic Conception!" Crushed beneath the overwhelming force of He Heng's punch, the demoness actually froze for a moment. That moment of hesitation decided whether she lived or died.

He Heng's fist force soared to the heavens. Forgetting himself, he saw nothing but that punch. As if opening heaven and earth, he struck the demoness again and again in a frenzy.

"Pfft..." The demoness spat out a mouthful of blood, toppled forward, and fell into the cauldron. Her limbs hung limp, her eyes wide open in death.

He Heng wasn't unscathed either. A horrific palm print, vivid red and blistered with mangled flesh, marked his chest. He had thrown three punches in succession, giving his opponent no chance to catch her breath, but he had still underestimated the Three Peng Realm expert. With her dying breath, she had managed to strike him with her palm.

Fortunately, she had already been badly wounded and had struck in haste, so the blow had been less than thirty percent as powerful as it would have been at her peak. Otherwise, he would certainly have died on the spot.

Even so, He Heng was in bad shape. His chest felt heavy, blood kept seeping from his wound, and scorching true qi was spreading through his body.

But He Heng couldn't concern himself with that now. He hurried over and closed the lid of the cauldron. Only after watching the demoness slowly turn to ash in the emerald liquid did he breathe a sigh of relief.

He struggled to suppress his injuries, put on his clothes, and took out the few healing pills he had kept on him. He swallowed them and sat cross-legged for a while. Then he suddenly noticed the cauldron shaking.

"Does that mean the pill is ready?" He Heng opened the cauldron in confusion and found an emerald-green pill, about the size of a longan, inside.

"How fickle the world is. She wanted to use me to make a pill, but never imagined she'd end up being made into one herself. She even prepared the cauldron and completed all the steps before the last one herself. Truly... she brought this on herself!" He Heng sighed. He picked up the pill; it might come in handy someday.

"Hmm, what's this?" He Heng's gaze flickered. Beneath the cauldron lay a translucent jade slip, gleaming brightly.

He Heng picked it up and examined it closely. His mind trembled, and a map appeared in his thoughts.

"Could this be the location of the True Man's Hidden Treasure the demoness mentioned?" He Heng studied the map and fell into thought.

"Forget it. Now's not the time to look into this. I'll deal with it later." He Heng put away the jade slip and the pill, cleaned up the traces of what had happened, and strode outside. It was the early hours of the morning. A brilliant streak of sunlight was rising in the east. Judging by the terrain, He Heng determined that he was somewhere outside Shuangjiang City. He set out on his own to find his way back.

The dawn shone brilliantly over the land. In just one night, his life had changed forever. Everything would begin anew...

The road ahead was long and steep as iron, yet now he leapt forward anew.