Ancient Body-Tempering Art

"Escape the first day, and you won't escape the fifteenth! Wang Sheng, the more outstanding you are, the sooner you'll die. What a pity—you're still young and don't understand the wisdom of hiding your brilliance!"

Seeing Wang Sheng evade his shoulder pat, Yu Cheng did not press the matter further. Standing where he was, he sneered inwardly. He looked at Wang Sheng with a warm smile, like a kind senior brother. Yet deep in his eyes lay nothing but icy coldness and killing intent, as though he were looking at a dead man.

Meanwhile,

Having gained some face from Wang Sheng's splendid performance, Zhao Jie was in no hurry to leave. He used Cheng Yuan's own methods against him, mocking him in return.

Naturally, Cheng Yuan refused to yield and immediately struck back.

At the same time,

The disciples of the other factions began their matches one after another.

The Divine Incense Cult faced the Shangguan Family.

Nine Blades Martial Hall faced the Lin Family Martial Academy.

The disciples of these four factions all had their prodigies and odd talents, opening Wang Sheng and the others' eyes.

Even Zhao Jie, who was still deliberately exaggerating Wang Sheng's comprehension to suppress Cheng Yuan, could not help feeling pressure when he saw the other factions' gifted talents.

The Divine Incense Cult had a Dark Energy expert who had actually fused poison into his force. Anyone tainted by his force would be poisoned, and the poison was anything but ordinary. Given enough time, even a Dark Energy martial master would die.

The Shangguan Family had produced a Dark Energy sword cultivator. His sword-drawing was incredibly fast; once he drew his sword, the match was over. Tian Muzhen and the others felt chills run down their backs, terrified that someone could train a sword to such a realm!

Moreover, the Shangguan Family also had a talented Body Refiner. The Shangguan clan of this generation truly could not be underestimated.

The standout of Nine Blades Martial Hall was a short man—or rather, a plump dwarf.

His saber techniques were exquisite, specializing in attacks below the belt. They were exceptionally practiced and aggressive. Even martial masters who trained leg techniques found them hard to defend against.

The Lin Family Martial Academy, on the other hand, did not have anyone particularly outstanding.

However, Lin Zi, the academy head's daughter, was exceptionally charming. She had a pair of peach-blossom eyes, always looking misty and dreamy at whoever she gazed upon, and her voice was soft and sweet. She called everyone senior brother with great enthusiasm, and no one knew how many disciples present she had bewitched.

But after watching her for a while, Wang Sheng realized that if Lin Zi was not truly a silly innocent girl, then she was a green tea bitch of an extremely high level.

The matches continued until the afternoon.

Wang Sheng gained a great deal from watching all day.

In particular, the Dark Energy sword cultivator's sword-drawing technique seemed to give him some insight into the White Dragon Sword Technique.

However, that insight always seemed separated by a single sheet of window paper. Wang Sheng scratched his head for ages, yet could not break through it.

This was the consequence of insufficient comprehension.

"Forget it. I'll leave it to my sweat and talent to solve."

"My efforts will shatter every bottleneck and inadequacy!"

After Wang Sheng stopped dwelling on that insight, he instantly felt much more relaxed, and his thoughts became clear.

Who needs to use their brain when they have a cheat?

By afternoon, the matches had ended.

However, as the governor, He Xiangjun naturally laid out a grand banquet that evening to win over these powerful figures and celebrate the temporary end of Ershui City's chaos.

Of course, this only resolved the immediate trouble. Far away, the mountain bandits still ravaging Ershui City had raised the rebel banner of the Son of Heaven's Army, while the rebel army of Southern Ridge Prefecture was facing off against Jiangling Prefecture's army.

Even within Ershui City, although the Demonic Cult had been purged, many powerful Rogue Cultivators remained hidden. Flower thieves and monstrous beings who fed on essence and blood had yet to be caught.

Governor's Mansion.

Unlike the government office, this was one of He Xiangjun's private residences.

Inside the brightly candlelit hall, fine wine and exquisite dishes were too numerous to count.

Many disciples ate the Treasure Fish and Exotic Beast Meat on the tables with astonishment, sweeping through it like a gale scattering clouds.

"Wang Sheng, come here!"

From the seat of honor, Zhao Jie called Wang Sheng over.

"Come, come to my side!"

He Xiangjun beckoned.

His appearance was ordinary, but he possessed a scholarly air. He was middle-aged—not old, yet already showing traces of weariness.

Wang Sheng glanced at Zhao Jie. Seeing him nod, he could only walk over to He Xiangjun's side.

"I did not believe that someone with the astonishing comprehension Dean Zhao described could possess merely a Low-grade Physique. Therefore, Dean Zhao and I made a small wager. I hope little friend Wang will not take offense!"

He Xiangjun had an easygoing temperament and smiled as he nodded at Wang Sheng.

"This junior would not dare!"

Wang Sheng hurriedly cupped his hands.

"Hahaha, I lost, so the wager is yours. Come!"

Laughing, He Xiangjun reached out and gave Wang Sheng a pinch.

He was testing Wang Sheng's physique.

Zhao Jie grinned broadly. He was certain he would win this wager.

Furthermore, he only allowed He Xiangjun to touch his disciple and test his physique because he trusted him somewhat.

Had it been any of the other Great Martial Masters present, Zhao Jie would never have agreed.

"It truly is a Low-grade Physique!"

After feeling his bones, He Xiangjun's expression changed slightly. He sighed and withdrew his hand.

Cheng Yuan and the other Great Martial Masters had also been waiting expectantly. Upon hearing He Xiangjun's judgment, smiles appeared on every one of their faces.

No matter how gifted a genius's comprehension was, with a Low-grade Physique, just how strong could he become?

Even if they gathered the resources of the entire city, they still could not elevate a Martial Artist with a Low-grade Physique to Transformed Energy.

The bottleneck of one's physique was truly locked tight, driving countless geniuses and freakish talents into despair.

"I lost," He Xiangjun said. Then he waved his hand, and a maid holding a wooden tray stepped forward and respectfully presented a roll of yellowed, blackened beast hide.

"Only Exotic Beast hide can be preserved for so many years!"

"This is the Eight-Line Body Tempering Breathing Technique, excavated from a tomb. No one knows which ancient dynasty it came from. Its general doctrine uses breathing methods together with Ancient Medicinal Liquid and Ancient Pills to temper the body."

"The methods for refining the so-called Ancient Medicinal Liquid and Ancient Pills have long since been lost. Only this Eight-Line Body Tempering Breathing Technique remains."

"Without medicinal liquid to assist them, even the ancients found it difficult to cultivate successfully, much less people of the present day. Most people merely use it as a reference; it is basically impossible to master."

"You may take it back and study it. Return it in three months."

He Xiangjun gazed at the Exotic Beast hide and spoke with deep emotion.

"Hahaha, Wang Sheng, this body-tempering art is Governor He's ancestral treasure. With one little wager today, I won you three months to study it. You must seize this opportunity."

Zhao Jie laughed.

"An ancestral treasure is merely a name used to trick each of you into paying silver to study it. Unfortunately, no one succeeded! They spent months on it without even managing to get started!"

He Xiangjun admitted frankly, making Zhao Jie's mouth twitch. Zhao Jie hurriedly had Wang Sheng take the technique and leave, unwilling to lose face before his disciple.

The banquet came to an end.

Ershui City seemed to have returned to a temporary peace.

Wang Sheng had originally intended to ask Zhao Jie for a Transformed Energy technique after returning, but Zhao Jie did not even mention making him a personal disciple, much less a Transformed Energy technique.

Moreover, Wang Sheng suspected that Zhao Jie had planned it all along, using this body-tempering art as a reward to give him face.

Thus,

That night, unable to sleep after returning, Wang Sheng simply cultivated for half the night. By dawn, he successfully took the final step and broke through to Late Dark Energy.

Late Dark Energy already counted as a high-level figure in Ershui City.

At this point, his path of cultivation was basically nearing its end.

Thus, with time on his hands, Wang Sheng searched for chances to catch Yu Cheng alone while studying this ancient body-tempering method, hoping to find within it a way to advance to Transformed Energy.

Yet after spending only half a day on it and just beginning cultivation,

Wang Sheng discovered that the profundity of this body-tempering method far surpassed even the White Dragon Sword Technique, and its cultivation realms were entirely different from those of the present day.

It was also during these two days, when Wang Sheng left the martial academy for home, that he noticed Yu Cheng seemed to be watching him in secret, apparently gathering information about his schedule and habits.

Because Yu Cheng believed that a Bright Energy practitioner like Wang Sheng could not detect him, he occasionally let his guard down and revealed traces of himself, allowing Wang Sheng to suddenly notice.