After leaving Rifting Sky Canyon, Lin Qin walked further north. It was deep in the barren mountains, inaccessible, and even mythical beasts rarely appeared. He wanted to find a quiet place to digest all the gains this time.
Thirteen pieces of Xuanhuang Stone, one drop of Core Marrow, one dragon ball of Core Dragon, and one heart of Core Dragon.
These things are enough for him to use for a long time.
After walking north for seven days, the mountains became increasingly desolate.
At first some low shrubs could still be seen, but later even the shrubs disappeared, leaving only bare rocks and gravel.
The sky was gray and the sun could not be seen, only a thick layer of clouds shrouded it. The wind was very strong, and the gravel rolled up and hit my face, which was a bit painful.
Lin Qin did not stop and continued to move forward.
On the eighth day, he entered a stretch of barren mountains.
The mountains here are not high, the highest is only a thousand feet, but the mountains are steep and the cliffs are steep. Between the mountains are deep canyons. The bottoms of the valleys are dry, there is no water, and there is no sign of life. The air is filled with dry breath, which is a bit choking to breathe.
Lin Qin is walking through the mountains, looking for a suitable place for retreat.
On the ninth day, he discovered a natural cave in the middle of an inconspicuous barren mountain.
The entrance to the cave is not big, only one person high. It is hidden in the gap between two huge rocks. If you don't look closer, you can't find it at all. Lin Qin squeezed in sideways and walked along the narrow passage. The passage wound down, and after half a stick of incense, the sight suddenly opened up.
This is a cave with a radius of tens of feet, and a dome that is more than ten feet high. In the center of the cave, there is a hot spring, with warm spring water bubbling and emitting a light mist.
Lin Qin walked to the hot spring and stretched out his hand to test the water temperature. It was warm, not hot, and just right.
He looked around. The cave was dry and ventilated. There were no traces of the activities of mythical beasts or signs of other people coming. The rock walls were solid and would not collapse.
Lin Qin found a flat rock beside the hot spring and sat down cross-legged.
He did not start refining the treasures immediately, but first took out the things obtained from Rifting Sky Canyon and placed them one by one in front of him.
Thirteen pieces of Xuanhuang Stone, different sizes, the smallest is like a baby's fist, the largest is like an adult's head. They emit a soft golden light, reflecting the entire cave like dusk. Each piece of Xuanhuang Stone contains rich earth essence, and is a top treasure for tempering the body.
A drop of Core Marrow is contained in a special jade bottle. The surface of the jade bottle is covered with fine cracks, which are traces of high temperature burns when it was originally contained. Through the cracks, you can see the drop of golden liquid inside, like a miniature sun, emitting scorching light.
A Core Dragon dragon ball is about the size of a fist, golden in color, with a faint fluorescent light flowing on its surface. This is the crystallization of the essence of Core Dragon, and is priceless, even more precious than Xuanhuang Stone.
A Core Dragon heart was still beating slightly. Golden blood seeped out from the fracture, exuding a terrifying high temperature.
If this heart is used to refine medicine, it can produce top-notch elixirs that strengthen the body.
Lin Qin looked at these things with calm eyes.
He picked up the first piece of Xuanhuang Stone and held it in his hand.
The process of refining Xuanhuang Stone is more painful than imagined.
Xuanhuang Stone is the condensed essence of Core Lake for millions of years, and contains terrifying earth energy. When Lin Qin began to absorb it, that energy poured into his body like a torrent, rushing like a torrent, as if to tear his body apart.
His muscles were spasming, his bones were groaning, and his blood was boiling.
Every inch of flesh and blood is being washed, tempered, and reshaped by that energy.
Lin Qin gritted his teeth and moved Immovable.
He knows that this is a necessary process. The reason why Xuanhuang Stone can strengthen the physical body is precisely because its energy is violent enough and can be reshaped in destruction. If it can survive, the physical body will become stronger; if it cannot survive, the physical body will collapse.
He can bear it.
One hour, two hours, three hours----
Twelve hours later, the first piece of Xuanhuang Stone turned into powder and fell from between the fingers.
Lin Qin opened his eyes and looked down at his hands. On the surface, he couldn't see any changes, but he could feel that his physical body had indeed become a little stronger. It wasn't much, but when he added up to a little, he would make a qualitative leap after refining the thirteen pieces.
He rested for a moment and picked up the second piece of Xuanhuang Stone.
The second block, the third block, the fourth block----
As the days passed, Lin Qin was immersed in refining.
Every time he refines a piece of Xuanhuang Stone, he has to rest for a day or two to allow his body to adapt to the new intensity. Then he continues to refine the next piece. This process is boring and painful, but he enjoys it.
When the fifth piece was refined, he stood up and stretched his muscles. He walked to the hot spring and looked at himself reflected in the water - he still looked the same, with green robes, long hair, and a calm face. But deep in his eyes, there was an imperceptible light.
The sixth block, the seventh block, the eighth block----
Half a year later, eight pieces of Xuanhuang Stone were refined.
Lin Qin's physical body was 20% stronger than before entering Rifting Sky Canyon. But he did not stop and continued to refine the ninth piece.
The ninth piece, the tenth piece, the eleventh piece----
One year later, eleven pieces of Xuanhuang Stone were refined.
Lin Qin's physical body has become 30% stronger. But he still didn't stop and picked up the twelfth piece.
The twelfth piece is the largest piece, about the size of an adult's head, and contains as much energy as the other Xuanhuang Stone combined. It took three months to refine this Xuanhuang Stone.
In the past three months, his body was on the verge of collapse countless times. The violent energy hit his meridians, bones, and flesh again and again, as if it was going to tear him into pieces. But he carried it over again and again, using his will to suppress the pain, and let his body be repeatedly tempered between Destruction and reshaping.
Three months later, the twelfth piece Xuanhuang Stone turned into powder.
Lin Qin opened his eyes and gasped for air. His whole body was soaked in sweat, and his muscles were still trembling slightly, but his eyes were shining with an unprecedented light.
His physical body became stronger again.
He rested for seven days and picked up the thirteenth piece Xuanhuang Stone.
The thirteenth piece, Xuanhuang Stone, is as big as a baby's fist and is the smallest among the thirteen pieces. However, its texture is the densest and its light is the purest. Lin Qin can feel that the energy contained in this piece of Xuanhuang Stone is purer than any other piece.
He started refining.
The moment the energy poured in, his whole body was shaken.
That energy was different from other Xuanhuang Stones. It was not a violent torrent, but a gentle stream. It did not impact or destroy, it just flowed slowly and penetrated into every corner of his body. Every muscle, every bone, and every drop of blood was being soaked, nourished, and strengthened by this energy.
This feeling is much more comfortable than the previous pain.
But Lin Qin did not let down his guard.
He knew that the more docile the energy, the more likely it was to be dangerous. He carefully guided that energy and let it flow through the body according to his own will, without daring to slack off at all.
One day, two days, three days----
On the seventh day, the thirteenth piece Xuanhuang Stone turned into powder.
Lin Qin opened his eyes and looked down at his hands. The fingers were slender and the joints were clear. They looked the same as before. But he knew that it was different. His physical body had reached a new height.
Thirteen pieces of Xuanhuang Stone, all refined.
Lin Qin stood up, walked to the hot spring, picked up a handful of water and washed his face. The hot spring water was warm and washed away all his fatigue. He sat by the hot spring and looked at himself reflected in the water, and suddenly remembered something.
He took out the Core Dragon dragon ball from Space Ring.
The dragon ball is about the size of a fist, with a golden body, and a faint fluorescent light flowing on the surface. Holding it in the palm of your hand, you can feel a warm breath, which is the life energy contained in the dragon ball. This energy is different from Xuanhuang Stone. It is neither violent nor docile, but a strange existence between the two.
Lin Qin looked at it for a moment and put away the dragon ball.
The refining of the Dragon Ball requires more preparation. He has just finished refining thirteen pieces of Xuanhuang Stone, and his body needs time to adapt. He will consider refining the Dragon Ball when it is completely stable.
He took out the heart of Core Dragon.
The heart is still beating slightly, and golden blood seeps out from the fracture, exuding a terrifying high temperature. If this heart is taken directly, the effect will be worse than refining it into elixirs, but it is not much different. He does not have the ability to make elixirs, so he can only take it directly.
He put away his heart and took out the last treasure-Core Marrow.
The jade bottle is still there, and the cracks on the surface have not expanded or shrunk. Through the cracks, you can see the drop of golden liquid inside, still emitting a dazzling light.
Lin Qin held the jade bottle and was silent for a long time.
Core Marrow is the most precious treasure in this harvest. A drop of Core Marrow can lift the physical body of the strong Asura level to a higher level. His current physical body is close to Sovereign Artifact. Can this drop of Core Marrow help him take that final step?
He doesn't know.
But always try.
He opened the bottle cap.
A terrifying heat wave hit us, and the surrounding air was distorted. The water surface of the hot spring began to boil, and larger bubbles bubbled up. The temperature in the cave rose sharply, and the rock walls were slightly red.
Lin Qin did not hesitate, raised his head and poured the drop of Core Marrow into his mouth.
The moment it entered his throat, he felt his whole body burning.
That was not a metaphor, it was really burning. Core Marrow turned into a hot torrent, rushed into the abdomen along the throat, and then spread to the limbs and bones. Wherever the hot flow passed, the flesh and blood were boiling and the bones were melting, as if the whole person was about to be burned to ashes.
Lin Qin gritted his teeth and moved Immovable.
His skin began to turn red, then purple, and finally turned dark golden. His hair was burning, his clothes were burning, and even the rocks under him were melting. He sat there as if a human-shaped flame was about to burn everything.
Heat surged through the body.
It washes away every muscle, burning away those parts that are not tight enough, leaving the most essential part. It tempers every bone, burning away those impurities that are not hard enough, leaving the purest part. It baptizes every drop of blood, burning away those ingredients that are not active enough, leaving the most vital part.
Destruction, rebirth. Destruction, rebirth again.
Over and over again, again and again.
I don't know how long it took, maybe a day, maybe a year, but the heat finally began to subside.
Lin Qin Open your eyes.
His eyes were no longer ordinary black, but faintly golden. He looked down at his body and saw that his skin had returned to its normal color, but golden lines could be faintly seen flowing under the skin. That was the essence of Core Marrow, which had been completely integrated into his body.
He stood up.
He sat on the rock under his feet and made a deep depression. The edge of the depression was as smooth as a mirror, which was formed by being melted by high temperature and then cooled. He moved his muscles and bones, and his whole body made a crackling sound, like fried beans.
He made a fist.
Full of power, it was as if one punch could punch through the world. His physical body had indeed become stronger, strong enough to defeat the ordinary Sovereign Artifact. But that last step was still not taken.
It is still just a hair away from the Sovereign Artifact level body.
After a long time, Lin Qin opened his eyes.
He didn't know how long it took, but he could feel that the power in his body had completely stabilized. The essence of Core Marrow was completely integrated into his flesh and blood, and the energy of the thirteen pieces of Xuanhuang Stone was also completely digested. His physical body had reached a new height.
He stood up and walked to the entrance of the cave.
The moment he walked out of the cave, the dazzling sunlight made him squint his eyes slightly. He hadn't seen sunlight for a long time. He stood at the entrance of the cave and adjusted for a moment before opening his eyes.
Outside, there is still the barren mountain.
The mountains were still the same mountains, and the rocks were still the same rocks, but in his eyes, everything was different. He could clearly perceive the texture of every rock, the trajectory of every grain of gravel, and the direction of every ray of wind. The whole world became clearer and more real in his eyes.
He took a deep breath and felt the fresh air that he had not seen for a long time.
Then he raised his head and looked into the distance.
There, it is the direction of the extreme north.
He remembered that Fiend Castle's information mentioned that there was a dangerous place called "Sky Rift Abyss" in the far north, which produced a treasure called "Void Stone". Sky Rift Abyss was extremely dangerous, and nine out of ten people who entered it would not be able to get out.
But he wanted to see it.