Could Qi and Blood Replace Soul Power? Xue Qinghe's Standing Stake Method

"Tsk, what formidable defense. In a way, you're almost impervious to blades and spears."

Xue Qinghe walked up to Tang Shan and studied the lone white mark left on his skin. He could not help voicing his admiration.

"This tempering method is the heart and secret of my physical cultivation technique."

Tang Shan settled back into position and clenched both fists. Taut muscles and thick sinews immediately stood out beneath his skin, their lines hard and powerful.

"This is what I achieved by focusing on my skin, muscles, sinews, and bones before my cultivation advanced any further. In defense alone, I've already surpassed most one-ring defense-type Soul Masters.

"What about Hidden Force?"

After seeing how remarkable Bright Force was, Xue Qinghe grew even more eager to learn about Hidden Force.

"Hidden Force releases a gentle but highly penetrating power. It comes from Heart Power and the body working together."

Tang Shan walked over to a large tree and lightly pressed his palm against it.

Nothing happened to the surface of the trunk. But when a breeze blew past, the outer bark shattered and fell away, revealing a trunk riddled with tiny holes. The wood inside had already been shaken loose.

"That's Hidden Force. If it enters an opponent's body, it slowly eats away at the internal organs, causing them to fail and eventually killing them."

Xue Qinghe stared at the holes in the trunk, thinking. Then a thought struck him, and he quickly asked Tang Shan, "Is there anything distinctive about a death like that? Would anyone notice?"

A faint sense of foreboding rose in Tang Shan's heart. But Xue Qinghe was his patron, so he answered honestly. "In theory, no one would notice. The damage to the internal organs would look exactly like organ failure from dying naturally of