Thousand Refinement Treasure Record

Chapter 23: Thousand Refinement Treasure Record

"Pfft!"

Suddenly, a pair of fan-shaped fleshy wings burst through Chen Lin's back!

The wings were only palm-sized, scarlet as blood and gleaming red. A fine layer of jade-like down covered them, and they looked like the fledgling wings of a newborn bird. Strange, intricate runes crisscrossed their surfaces.

"Huff, huff..."

Chen Lin gasped heavily. He could feel the blood in his body surging with excitement, every drop yearning for greater strength. Without hesitation, he tipped the second bottle of Gene Optimization Serum into his mouth.

The serum took effect rapidly. The palm-sized wings on Chen Lin's back grew at a visible pace, covering half his back in the space of half a cup of tea. At the same time, his originally emerald-green back-wings were gradually covered in black scales, like the hard scales of a crocodile. They clung tightly to his body, merging with it and appearing incredibly sturdy.

After a long while, the effects of the Gene Optimization Serum finally began to fade.

Chen Lin returned to human form and took a set of clothes from his Storage Bag, pulling them on.

"Too bad. My bloodline potential is still Earth-tier. It seems only a high-grade Gene Optimization Serum might break through to Heaven-tier... Too bad the high-grade serum is outrageously expensive. One bottle costs 45,000 Death Energy points, three times the price of a mid-grade bottle."

After checking his current status, Chen Lin shook his head, looking full of regret. If the other Demon Race disciples knew he was still dissatisfied, they would probably be furious enough to spit blood. For ordinary members of the Demon Race, unless they encountered some tremendous stroke of fortune, their bloodline potential was basically fixed and would never increase.

Steeling himself, Chen Lin took the immortal-art jade slip Hundred Refinement Art from the Immortal Treasury Pavilion out of his Storage Bag.

"Hundred Refinement Art: Fuse the body and the true fire of a pill furnace into one; breathe and preserve your vitality, strengthen the body and reshape the sinews, cleanse the marrow and purge the meridians... Temper a hundred times over; let true fire forge the body."

Chen Lin slowly lowered the jade slip inscribed with Hundred Refinement Art from his forehead. He opened his eyes, a thoughtful look in them.

Hundred Refinement Art took a rather unusual path, treating the body as a magic treasure and sending it into a pill furnace to be tempered. One only had to draw a wisp of the furnace's true fire into the body and guide it along the meridians indicated by the art. Endure the agony of the fire scorching the body, and one's constitution would gradually grow stronger.

Still, Chen Lin couldn't help feeling a little disappointed. Hundred Refinement Art and Dao Heaven had something in common, but Dao Heaven was clearly superior by several degrees. Rather than absorbing the true fire of a pill furnace, it directly absorbed the Essence of Li Fire from the sun, which was far more powerful.

Fortunately, he hadn't come away empty-handed. Hundred Refinement Art also recorded a set of techniques. Practicing them would stimulate the body's qi and blood and open up the sinews and bones, greatly benefiting body refinement.

"Notice, notice. The system has discovered that Hundred Refinement Art was simplified and modified from Thousand Refinement Treasure Record (Body Refinement Chapter). The contractor may pay Death Energy points to restore the original technique. Restoration cost: 1,500 Death Energy points. Would you like to begin restoration now? Yes/No."

The Guide's cold voice rang out without warning. Chen Lin froze, then his expression turned peculiar. He hadn't expected Hundred Refinement Art to have originated from an immortal art of unknown grade called Thousand Refinement Treasure Record—and to be only its Body Refinement Chapter.

"Yes!"

After hesitating, Chen Lin gritted his teeth and chose yes.

"Restoring technique... Restoration successful."

"Thousand Refinement Treasure Record (Body Refinement Chapter): The spiritual energy of heaven and earth nurtures wonders. There are the auras of strange fire, divine thunder, weak water, thick earth, Geng Metal, poisonous miasma... Perform the ten moves and ten stances to connect with every acupoint in the body and draw the aura within..."

Chen Lin carefully pondered the immortal art. Gradually, his eyes grew brighter as a glimmer of understanding rose in his heart. He strode out of the room and stood in the center of the courtyard. Closing his eyes, he pictured the ten moves and ten stances of Thousand Refinement Treasure Record in his mind. His body soon settled into a strange pose, one hand reaching for the sky and the other touching the earth, before he began to move slowly.

Then Chen Lin struck pose after pose. At first, his movements were somewhat clumsy, but soon they grew more familiar and faster. His movements flowed together like a seamless stream, at times surging like a river, at others still as a mountain. Each move was like a flying antelope hooking its horns on a branch—leaving no trace to follow.

The spiritual energy of heaven and earth swiftly gathered around him, mingled with strange auras: fire, water, thunder, miasma... Chen Lin's heart stirred, and he began circulating Dao Heaven at the same time.

The violent Essence of Li Fire came surging from the sun. After breaking through to the Xiantian stage, he absorbed it faster and faster, and it grew more and more domineering. The blazing Essence of Li Fire ruthlessly squeezed, tempered, and refined the various auras Chen Lin drew into his body, rapidly fusing them with his sinews, meridians, and qi and blood.

This art was actually so compatible with Dao Heaven that it multiplied Dao Heaven's cultivation speed several times over!

After completing the full set of moves, Chen Lin suddenly stopped. His body swayed, and he spat out a mouthful of blood with a "wah." The blood was dark black. As soon as it touched the ground, it hissed and sent up wisps of white smoke.

These were harmful impurities from the strange auras. If absorbed, they would leave hidden dangers in the body. The Essence of Li Fire had purged them, gathering them together to be expelled with the blood.

"Clap, clap, clap."

Just then, the sound of applause came from the entrance to the courtyard.

"Good. It seems this junior brother's immortal art is extraordinary. I could feel the spiritual energy of heaven and earth surging here from outside the courtyard. No wonder you could defeat those three good-for-nothings, even at the early Xiantian stage."

A feminine voice rang out. A tall man in purple robes entered at an unhurried pace, a faint smile on his lips. His narrow eyes were as captivating as a venomous snake's. Behind him were the three who had tried to extort Chen Lin, only to be extorted in turn.

The injuries of Jiang Hong and the other two had clearly not healed. Their faces were swollen, their wrists shattered, and they looked wretched. Though the purple-robed man had called them "good-for-nothings," they dared say nothing, their expressions merely darkening as they glared at Chen Lin with venomous resentment.

Chen Lin spat out the blood still in his mouth, then turned to size up the newcomer without expression.

"You're the new disciple? Were you the one who injured them?"

The man approached at an unhurried pace, stopping a short distance from Chen Lin. He smiled and gestured toward the three behind him, his narrow eyes narrowing as a deadly glint flashed within them.

"I was."

Chen Lin paid no heed to Jiang Hong and the others' resentful stares. He folded his arms across his chest, keeping all his attention on the purple-robed man before him. "Are you the Senior Brother Situ those three good-for-nothings mentioned?"

"How dare you speak to Senior Brother Situ like that!"

"Senior Brother Situ, there's no need to waste your breath on this good-for-nothing. Teach him a lesson he won't forget!"

The two men behind Jiang Hong seemed to have found themselves a powerful backer and had grown arrogant again.

Chen Lin ignored their insults and quietly activated his innate ability, Advanced Perception.

Target information unavailable.

Chen Lin's heart jolted. He knew this man had likely reached the peak of the Xiantian stage, three minor stages above him. His strength was no small matter. Chen Lin became secretly alert, but showed nothing on his face.

"Junior brother, you beat my men and took my things. You don't think you can do that without paying a price, do you? That wouldn't be right."

Senior Brother Situ wore a smile, but his expression gradually turned cold. A deep chill lurked in his eyes as he said darkly, "Here's what you'll do. Hand over everything you took from them, then compensate me with some spirit pills and Spirit Stones. Finally, let them break your wrists and ankles. That'll be the price."

As soon as he finished speaking, a faint pressure emanated from Senior Brother Situ, pressing down around Chen Lin like a mountain. Chen Lin found it hard to breathe.

"If you try to extort me, you'd better be ready to be extorted in return. Your men were blind enough to pick a fight with me. I hadn't even gone after you, their master, to settle accounts, yet here you are at my door."

Chen Lin secretly circulated Dragon-Elephant Nirvana Art. His muscles jolted, blasting apart and dissipating the pressure. He flicked the dust from his robe, his voice calm and his gaze steady as he stared at Situ Kong. "Once something's in my hands, I don't hand it back. As for breaking my wrists and ankles, if you think you can do it, go ahead and try."

Senior Brother Situ was indeed a formidable expert. His aura was tightly restrained, barely perceptible. He could evidently control the spiritual energy in his body with ease, which made Chen Lin even more wary. But there was no way Chen Lin would bow his head.