Inside the dilapidated ancient temple.
Lu Li looked at the long case before him and pondered to himself.
This was Rebirth Temple. Could the item before him be Xuandu, the weapon Zhao Xingming would use in the future?
In the martial world, there were Heavenly Profound Divine Weapons, as well as countless renowned weapons forged by martial arts predecessors.
Thus, besides the Divine Weapon Ranking, there was also a Treasure Weapon Ranking.
There were eight divine weapons and as many as thirty-six treasure artifacts. Though they could not compare to Heavenly Profound Divine Weapons, they possessed wondrous effects as well. Even the lowest-ranked treasure artifact could easily cleave through a sharp blade forged from refined iron.
If weapons were extensions of a person's limbs, then wielding a fine blade could increase one's combat strength by thirty percent. Possessing a treasure artifact, however, truly raised one's combat strength by thirty percent.
They could not be mentioned in the same breath as ordinary weapons.
If Zhao Xingming had only the Heart-Breaking Buddha Body, it would not have been enough for him to stand among the foremost Divine Intent Realm experts in the future. But with this long blade, Xuandu, it could.
"This temple has been abandoned for a long time. I happened upon this weapon and a martial art manual by chance. You killed Huang Erlang, so Huang Shang will definitely hunt you down. I am but a woman, so I cannot bring out this weapon's power. My martial arts are half-crippled as well, and I cannot cultivate it..."
Madam Peng opened the long case, revealing the item within: a three-foot-long saber. Its blade was covered in a layer of cold gray radiance, patterned with ancient markings, while its edge gleamed with chilling sharpness.
Xuandu!
Lu Li's expression shifted slightly. Ninth on the Treasure Weapon Ranking—without a doubt, this was a treasure artifact that would incite countless people outside to fight madly over it.
"Though I cannot cultivate this martial art, I know it is a good one. Take this martial art and weapon, protect that little girl you brought, and leave quickly!"
Madam Peng handed over the long case. Lu Li's gaze fell upon the silk scroll at the side.
Outside the temple, wind and thunder churned as rain poured down in a torrential curtain. By the flickering flashes of lightning, Lu Li made out the words on the silk scroll:
'Heart-Breaking Buddha Body, Vajra's wrathful gaze—slay, do not save!'
What an unexpected windfall. I never thought I'd gain another treasure artifact!
Delighted, Lu Li reached out and gripped Xuandu's hilt. At once, his palm sank slightly.
Although the Erosion Essence Scripture was not known for strength, demonic martial arts granted far greater numerical enhancements than ordinary martial arts. Not to mention that he possessed Intransigent Qi; his physical strength had long surpassed others of the same rank.
For it to feel somewhat heavy even to him, this saber was no lightweight.
At the same time, information cascaded down across the panel:
[Weapon: Xuandu (Long Saber)] [Rank: Treasure Artifact] [Trait: God-Devouring Blade Qi. The weapon inherently carries invisible blade qi, which has a certain mental interference effect and can stack with the martial artist's own inner qi.]
The instant he gripped the saber, Lu Li could feel the Weapon Lord within him growing even more restless.
A faint, nearly imperceptible aura emanated from Xuandu. Like water and milk blending together, it formed a cycle with his body... Lu Li immersed himself in the sensation and felt his physique slowly strengthening along with this current of energy.
"This is... increasing my strength and transforming my physique."
Realization arose in Lu Li's heart, and a strange light flashed through his eyes.
He understood very clearly what this meant. In other words, if he kept Xuandu on him over time, then even without cultivating any body-tempering martial art, he would eventually possess a physique comparable to that of a body-tempering practitioner.
"And... there's blade qi as well."
With a thought from Lu Li, the long saber hummed and trembled, as though spewing forth invisible, razor-sharp force. A feeling of wielding it as naturally as his own arm immediately rose within him.
"This blade qi can stack with inner qi, making martial arts even more powerful, but..."
The Dog Children at the side seemed somewhat frightened. Lu Li sheathed the saber and thought silently to himself:
"For me, the true perfect complement is stacking this God-Devouring Blade Qi with Intransigent Qi's Field Domain. That is equivalent to adding another layer of mental interference."
At the same time, Madam Peng found a saber sheath. Lu Li accepted it, sheathed the blade, and picked up the silk scroll.
The scroll was covered in dense, tiny writing like mosquitoes and flies, along with intricate circulation routes. At the very bottom were tadpole-like characters serving as annotations.
Perhaps because of the panel, Lu Li could understand the writing and grasp its meaning. After reading through it once, relevant information appeared on the panel:
[Martial Art: Heart-Breaking Buddha Body] [Level: First Layer] [Effect: Can condense defensive force across the body's surface. When this force is attacked, you will enter the Mind's Eye state and perceive flaws in the opponent's martial arts.] [Linked Effect: Xuandu Essence can assist in cultivating the Heart-Breaking Buddha Body.]
Lu Li lowered his eyes slightly as a vast amount of information surfaced in his mind: the circulation routes of the Heart-Breaking Buddha Body, its cultivation method, its crucial points, and more.
Of course, what concerned him even more was the linked effect displayed on the panel.
"Xuandu Essence... that aura capable of strengthening the physique. It can assist in cultivating the Heart-Breaking Buddha Body!"
Lu Li's heart stirred. The cultivation of the Heart-Breaking Buddha Body was divided into three layers. Its effects differed in the amplification of the Mind's Eye effect and the condensation of defensive force.
The essence of defensive force was to temper one's muscles, bones, skin, and flesh through inner qi, forming an invisible network of force.
This network covered the limbs and bones and connected to the body's nerves. Once perfected, the force could even leave the body like Astral Qi.
Once that force came into contact with an opponent, it could instantly discern the weak points in the circulation routes of their martial arts inner qi.
At the completion of the third layer, it could even interfere with the opponent's circulation of inner qi.
"So the effect of Mind's Eye is tied to this network of force..."
Lu Li pondered. The first layer tempered the network of force, the second allowed the force to leave the body, and the third used the mind to control the force and invade the opponent.
And Xuandu Essence could accelerate the cultivation of the network of force.
"Once the panel records it, it is as if my proficiency is directly maxed out. I only need to slowly temper the network of force until it can leave the body, and I can reach the second layer..."
As the thought passed through Lu Li's mind, inner qi coursed through his body. His muscles and bones immediately crackled like beans exploding in a pan.
Under the astonished gazes of Madam Peng and the Dog Children, the air within an inch of Lu Li's body seemed to ripple. A thin layer of force circulated across his body's surface.
Meridian-Unblocking Realm martial artists opened hidden meridians and cultivated inner qi. Generally speaking, they could also use special martial arts to project inner qi outward.
However, such inner qi could not be maintained across the body's surface on a large scale. The Poison Astral Body could condense a layer of false astral qi, but it required cultivating poison and sufficient inner qi, making its requirements harsh.
But the Heart-Breaking Buddha Body was entirely different.
At that moment, a layer of force covered Lu Li's body, as though he wore a weightless suit of invisible armor.
"This is a superior martial art in the martial world's version: inner qi tempers the muscles and bones, condenses a network of force, and covers the body with force. When attacked, it even counts as another form of tempering."
Lu Li silently sensed the changes within his body.
When Intransigent Qi circulated, it made his muscles, bones, flesh, and blood tough and hard. The Heart-Breaking Buddha Body, meanwhile, added another shell atop that foundation.
"Once I master the Poison Astral Body, combining false astral qi with this force and adding Intransigent Qi, I'll basically become a poisonous turtle shell. Who among those of the same rank can fight me?"
"Not to mention, I also have Intransigent Qi's Field Domain. It can stack with Xuandu's blade qi and even has mental attack effects..."
As Lu Li sorted through his abilities, he could not help nodding in satisfaction, feeling faintly pleased with himself.
"Who dares call themselves invincible? Who dares claim they cannot be defeated?"
"I am invincible within the same realm!"
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