After briefly acclimating to his Qi Refining third-layer cultivation in the room, Xu Yuan felt that the greatest change was the increase in the distance at which he could control objects.
At the second layer of Qi Refining, it had only been three chi; at the third layer, it had become one zhang.
Furthermore, the spiritual qi he released could now form a thin membrane over his body, shielding him from water, fire, wind, and cold, while also warding off miasma and blades.
"Once one reaches the middle stage of Qi Refining, magical power forms astral force. I'm now at the third layer of Qi Refining—is this the first sign of spiritual astral force?"
Xu Yuan tested the protective spiritual qi membrane and found that blocking ordinary arrows should not be a problem. But if he wanted it to withstand attacks from someone at the same level, that would be sheer wishful thinking.
After testing the mysteries of the Qi Refining third layer, Xu Yuan followed his usual routine and circulated his qi and blood, completing one round of cultivation of the Little Cangshan Essence-Refining Qi-Transformation Art.
Watching that negligible wisp of spiritual qi emerge within his body, Xu Yuan smiled bitterly. At this rate, if he wanted to accumulate enough cultivation to break through to the Qi Refining fourth layer and enter the middle stage of Qi Refining, he would need to devote himself wholly to arduous cultivation for at least two or even three years.
Not only that, during cultivation, he had faintly sensed an invisible barrier within his body. This barrier stood between him and the middle stage of Qi Refining.
According to Daoist texts, for those with mixed spiritual roots, the middle stage of Qi Refining was a great threshold. Without great fortune and great perseverance, it was exceedingly difficult to cross.
However, Xu Yuan glanced at the next trait he could light up. For him, could this really be considered a threshold?
It probably did count. After all, gathering the materials for that trait was already far more difficult than a cultivator with mixed spiritual roots advancing into the middle stage of Qi Refining.
Over the next few days, because he had used a secret technique to advance to the Qi Refining third layer, Xu Yuan did not go down into the mines. Instead, he focused wholeheartedly on consolidating his foundation at home.
During this time, Bi Qiong did not return. Yesterday, someone from the housing office had come by, tidied the place up, and hung the for-sale sign back up.
Knowing that his friend had already gone far away, Xu Yuan settled down even more firmly to cultivate. In his spare time, he also began studying the body-tempering method the instructor had given him.
This body-tempering method was called the Bright Thunder Body-Refining Method. It regarded one's body as heaven and earth, with qi and blood surging like thunder. It used repeated tremors of qi and blood to strengthen the flesh while tempering the qi and blood.
When Xu Yuan attempted to cultivate this method with his Martial Dao Sacred Embryo, he encountered no obstacles. Though it was not as effortless as when he had practiced the Little Cangshan Essence-Refining Qi-Transformation Art, he still mastered it within just three or four days.
With his hands bracing the heavens and his legs spread apart, Xu Yuan tried to stimulate his qi and blood as the method described. With a boom, he suddenly heard an explosive roar erupt from within his body and spread outward, truly like lightning falling from the ninth heavens and shaking the mortal world.
The peals of thunder grew louder and louder. Only after a quarter of an hour did Xu Yuan slowly withdraw his technique, a strange look appearing in his eyes.
"Why does it seem like... I've already reached the first layer of body tempering?"
After stirring his qi and blood, Xu Yuan did not feel that this breakthrough had brought him much improvement. His qi and blood had grown stronger by around twenty percent, while his physique itself had only gained tougher skin and sinews.
However, when he slightly closed his eyes and extended a palm forward, his qi and blood surged like raging waves. Suddenly, he refined something resembling spiritual qi—light as willow fluff drifting in the wind, yet entirely blood-red.
This was the mark of successful body tempering, and the blood spiritual qi that distinguished body refiners from qi refiners.
The instant he saw the blood spiritual qi, Xu Yuan confirmed that he had successfully tempered his body.
But why... After giving it some thought, Xu Yuan suddenly understood. The moment he had gained the Martial Dao Sacred Embryo trait, his fleshly body had likely already undergone the transformation of body tempering.
Cultivating the Bright Thunder Body-Tempering Art now was merely filling in the missing realm.
Thus, after spending another five days at home, Xu Yuan directly cultivated the Bright Thunder Body-Tempering Art to the third layer of body tempering.
After reaching this realm, the light and floating sensation in Xu Yuan's body completely vanished. He had thoroughly mastered the immense strength bestowed by the trait.
Compared with before he had practiced a body-tempering method, the qi and blood in his body had grown stronger by roughly sixty percent. There had been no qualitative leap.
However, the defense of his body's surface had become increasingly terrifying. Xu Yuan had tried attacking himself with all his strength using that damaged mid-grade magical artifact. In the end, it had left nothing but a white mark.
The boost from the Martial Dao Sacred Embryo trait had begun to reveal its sharp edges as his body-tempering realm rose.
Now, even if he stood still, cultivators at the Qi Refining third layer—even ordinary newly advanced middle-stage Qi Refining cultivators—would find it nearly impossible to injure him without powerful trump cards, such as certain formidable talismans or an intact mid-grade magical artifact.
Carrying a refined iron staff he had casually bought at the market, Xu Yuan arrived in the wilderness outside Biyou Market.
The first time he had come here, he had been trembling with fear. Yet now that he had returned, there was no fear in his heart at all. Xu Yuan was even wondering whether he might encounter a weaker demonic beast and use it to replenish his shriveled purse.
Entering an area filled with jagged rocks, Xu Yuan removed the staff from his back and held it in his hand. The next moment, two forces, one red and one white, suddenly surged from his hand and covered the iron staff.
It was still Spirit-Martial Unity, except the force combining with spiritual qi was no longer qi and blood, but the blood spiritual qi Xu Yuan had refined.
The refined iron staff trembled violently, as though it could not bear such power at all. Then Xu Yuan suddenly stepped forward and swung the staff. With a bang, it struck a massive boulder over two zhang tall before him.
Where the staff landed, the boulder before him shattered like tofu. As Xu Yuan exerted more force, the entire boulder turned into dust that filled the sky in an instant.
After that, he used the staff, his fists, his feet, and even his head, venting his strength without restraint throughout this area.
Only after a quarter of an hour did the dust settle. The bizarre rocks that had stood here for who knew how long, hardened by endless wind and sun, had all been reduced to powder.
Xu Yuan stood in the middle of the field in his gray Daoist robe. The ribbon binding his hair had long since disappeared somewhere, and his long hair flew wildly around him. Together with the two forces still surging about him, he was a sight that inspired dread.
Another two days passed. Early that morning, outside the Merit Hall, a large crowd of outer-mountain disciples dressed in gray Daoist robes had surrounded the entrance.
Today was the day the Merit Hall issued sect missions. If they missed it, they would have to wait another half month. Thus, everyone had arrived early in the morning, hoping to secure a favorable position for the coming scramble.
At the first quarter of the hour of the dragon, the doors opened, and two young attendants emerged from within. One carried a wooden chest, while the other pushed a wooden board.
One by one, the two attendants hung ebony plaques from the wooden chest onto the board. Then they turned toward the crowd and announced in unison:
"Today, the Merit Hall is issuing sect missions: one upper C-grade mission, seven middle C-grade missions, forty-one lower C-grade missions, and several others. Fellow Daoists who are interested, please step forward."
After saying this, the two attendants withdrew. The very next moment, the outer-mountain disciples who had long been poised to strike erupted with spiritual light of every color and rushed toward the wooden board.
There were too many monks and too little gruel. If they wanted to secure a mission, then their fists would do the talking!
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