Strengthening the Life-Bound Divine Artifact

Several months passed. In the blink of an eye, midsummer had arrived.

The blazing sun hung overhead, its fierce light and heat blanketing the earth as all things flourished.

In the small courtyard, Lin Chen rubbed his hands together, his eyes full of anticipation.

[Idle Farming Map: Fierce Wolf Mountain]

[Idle Farming Rewards: 40 experience points, 9 Spirit Stones, one ordinary Spirit Herb. End idle farming?]

[Yes!]

[You received 40 experience points, 9 Spirit Stones, and one ten-year-old Tiger-Patterned Grass.]

Lin Chen closed his right hand, and a dark green Spirit Herb appeared in his palm. Grayish-yellow veins crossed its leaves like a tiger's stripes, and it gave off a faintly wild air.

"A ten-year-old Spirit Herb?"

"I didn't expect a Spirit Herb to drop on top of the usual experience and Spirit Stones. This should be the main ingredient for a Tiger Strength Pill, which can add fifty pounds to a martial artist's strength."

After examining it, Lin Chen carefully put away the Tiger-Patterned Grass. Later, he would ask the Lineage's alchemist to refine it into a Tiger Strength Pill and add another fifty pounds to his strength.

"Whew. The Tiger Strength Pill was a bonus. Time for the real business."

Lin Chen gathered his thoughts, his gaze sharpening.

"System, show me everything you've got."

"Allocate attributes!"

At a thought from Lin Chen, all 40 experience points vanished.

The next instant, a warm current surged into his body without warning, drawing a soft groan from him.

At the same time, countless flashes of insight burst through his mind. His understanding of Eight Extremes Fist soared, and passages that had once baffled him suddenly became clear.

Lin Chen understood.

"So that's it..."

"This is the true essence of Eight Extremes Fist!"

Without thinking, Lin Chen lowered his hips into a horse stance and took the opening posture of Eight Extremes Fist. His fists followed his intent, moving through the forms on their own.

As he struck, the warm current that had appeared from nowhere stopped coursing about at random. Thread by thread, it entered Lin Chen's taut muscles and vibrating bones. It even surged with his blood and fused into the subtlest points of every exertion.

This was the brilliance of Eight Extremes Fist:

As a superior martial art, it was unlike third-rate techniques that required one to train skin, flesh, and bone in sequence. It treated the body as a whole, tempering every part at once and transforming it completely.

A long while later, as Lin Chen finished a full set of Eight Extremes Fist, a sudden series of cracks and pops rang through his body.

Sixth level of the Body Tempering Realm—achieved!

"Whew..."

Lin Chen breathed out a mouthful of stale air and clenched his fist.

He could feel that he had grown much stronger.

"The feeling of growing stronger without stopping is intoxicating."

"Every breakthrough used to take ages of preparation, followed by a cautious push through the barrier. Now it happens as naturally as water flowing into a channel, without the slightest trouble."

Murmuring to himself, Lin Chen looked at his Character Panel. A bright smile tugged at his lips.

At that moment, he felt the truth of a saying deep in his bones: the path to salvation lay within.

"My path to becoming strong lies within!"

Lin Chen spoke softly, his gaze growing firmer.

After taking a moment to study the changes in his body, Lin Chen checked his experience bar. Advancing from the sixth to the seventh level of the Body Tempering Realm now required 50 experience points.

His idle farming rewards had risen to 10–12 points per month.

"So it takes 50 experience points to break through now?"

The further one progressed in martial arts, the more earth-shaking the increase in strength after each breakthrough. Naturally, each new level required more and more experience.

After some thought, he closed his right hand, and an Iron Sword appeared in his grasp.

The Iron Sword was utterly ordinary, forged from common iron. It looked no different from the standard weapons used by the guards at home.

Yet the moment Lin Chen held it, it felt as responsive as his own arm, as though it were part of his body.

"As expected of a Life-Bound Divine Artifact. Even as a lowly Iron Sword, it suits me perfectly."

Lin Chen voiced his admiration and turned his palm again. Seven or eight pieces of weapons and armor clattered to the ground.

He had collected this equipment over the past few months specifically for his Life-Bound Divine Artifact to devour and grow.

[Tier 1 ordinary spear detected. Devour it?]

[Tier 1 fine armor detected. Devour it?]

[Tier 1 excellent bracer detected. Devour it?]

A string of prompts appeared. Lin Chen chose yes to them all.

The Iron Sword trembled gently, releasing a pulling force.

In the next instant, wisps of light rose from the weapons and armor. Like rosy clouds drawn from the morning mist, they streamed into the Iron Sword.

The refined-steel spear shaft swiftly dimmed and cracked. The sturdy armor became useless scrap. The metal patterns on the bracer seemed to erode under the passage of years, crumbling inch by inch...

In little more than a dozen breaths, the fine weapons and armor were gone. Only a worthless heap of scrap metal remained.

Meanwhile, after devouring their essence, the Iron Sword rapidly improved in quality. Its appearance had changed completely.

The once unremarkable blade now reflected a dark gleam like black iron. A cold glint gathered along its edge, hinting at a sharpness that made the skin prickle.

Lin Chen flicked the blade with a finger.

Clang—

The clear ring of the sword lingered for a long time.

[Life-Bound Divine Artifact]: Iron Sword (Tier 1, top grade)

"Just as I thought. By devouring other weapons, it can grow without limit..." Lin Chen gave his wrist a light flick. The Iron Sword traced an arc of light, cutting the air with a faint, keen whistle.

"With this divine artifact's edge, I should be able to challenge someone above my level and defeat a martial artist at the seventh level of the Body Tempering Realm."

Lin Chen murmured to himself.

More importantly, the higher his Life-Bound Divine Artifact's grade, the more often it would land critical hits, greatly improving his idle farming efficiency.

That was what mattered!

Lin Chen gripped the Iron Sword and entered the idle farming map again.

[Map: Fierce Wolf Mountain]

[Recommended Level: 1–10]

[Idle Farming Rewards: 17–19 experience points per month; tiny chance to obtain Spirit Stones, Spirit Herbs, equipment...]

Looking at the idle farming rewards, Lin Chen couldn't help grinning.

After reaching the sixth level of the Body Tempering Realm, he had been earning only 10–12 experience points per month.

Now he could earn 17–19. His idle farming efficiency had increased by at least half.

With that, he had taken off!

"It would've taken five months to reach the seventh level of the Body Tempering Realm. Now... three months should be enough."

"Maybe I can enter the Spirit Martial Realm before I turn twenty."

Lin Chen calculated silently.

From what he knew, martial cultivation in the Great Qian Dynasty was divided into five major realms.

They were the Body Tempering Realm, Spirit Martial Realm, Profound Martial Realm, Earth Martial Realm, and Heavenly Martial Realm.

Regardless of talent, all martial artists had to wait until their bones and physique matured at fourteen before they could formally begin cultivating.

"In Kaiyang City, anyone who reaches the tenth level of the Body Tempering Realm before twenty is considered outstanding. Entering the Spirit Martial Realm before twenty makes someone a recognized genius."

"At my current idle farming rate, I should reach the tenth level of Body Tempering within two years. With the Lineage's resources behind me, I'll have a real chance of breaking into the Spirit Martial Realm."

Lin Chen rubbed his chin, pretending to ponder.

"Could it be... I really am a genius?"