Eighth Layer of Body Tempering

"All right. According to the wager, Pei Yangrong owes you five hundred Contribution Points. You now have one thousand Contribution Points left!"

The Cyan-Robbed Deacon said impassively, "You must return the manuals within three days! Passing on any martial art of the Myriad Phenomena Hall is strictly forbidden. If discovered, the lesser punishment is the destruction of your Dantian and expulsion from the Myriad Phenomena Hall. The greater punishment is the extermination of your entire Lineage—not even the chickens or dogs will be spared!"

"I understand!"

A sharp glint flashed through Qin Hao's eyes.

The Cyan-Robbed Deacon nodded, then turned to Pei Yangrong. "Your five hundred Contribution Points have been deducted. Furthermore, you may never set foot in the Martial Arts Hall again. Do so, and you will be killed on sight!"

"I know!" Pei Yangrong ground his teeth, a towering rage rising within him.

He had lost.

He had actually lost to a cripple.

Worse still, he could never enter the Martial Arts Hall again.

At the thought, a trace of regret rose unbidden in Pei Yangrong's heart. But in the next instant, boundless hatred swallowed it whole!

Qin Hao, just you wait. During the Initiation Trial, I'll make you wish you were dead!

Pei Yangrong's eyes flashed with hatred and murderous intent.

"Pei Yangrong, leave the Martial Arts Hall immediately," the Cyan-Robbed Deacon said impassively. "Everyone else, disperse!"

"Let's go!"

Suppressing his fury, Pei Yangrong strode out of the Martial Arts Hall first.

Soon everyone had gone their separate ways. Unlike before, however, many now looked at Qin Hao with a hint of admiration.

Whatever else could be said, defeating Pei Yangrong was enough to earn their respect!

The Myriad Phenomena Hall's nine subsidiary peaks covered a vast expanse, with many vacant Courtyards.

Qin Hao returned to his Courtyard.

The Initiation Trial will pit heroes against heroes and geniuses against geniuses!

I'm still too weak. Both Pei Yangrong and Lei Jiaojiao are far stronger than I am.

Qin Hao sat cross-legged on a cushion, deep in thought.

And that did not even count the many geniuses among the new disciples who had yet to reveal their full strength!

Many of the new disciples had surely trained in High Rank Yellow-Tier Martial Skill.

Some disciples from great Lineages might even have encountered Mystic-Tier Martial Skill!

Lei Jiaojiao, for instance, had mastered the Lei's low-level Mystic Tier Movement Technique, Thunder Flash!

I've made a start on Wandering Dragon Steps, but I'm still a long way from minor mastery. Sword-Sweeping Slash and Nine Swords of the Azure Lotus need even more practice!

First, I'll take the Profound Origin Pill. Then I'll train hard in all three martial arts.

Will this Profound Origin Pill be enough to push me into the Eighth Layer of Body Tempering?

A single Profound Origin Pill certainly would not be enough to advance his Martial Soul to Fifth Rank.

Even combined with the Qingling Fruit he had taken earlier, it would fall far short. With the Initiation Trial approaching, Qin Hao needed to raise his strength as much as possible in the little time he had.

He could not neglect his martial arts, but his cultivation was just as important.

I'll take the Profound Origin Pill first!

Qin Hao took out the Profound Origin Pill.

Unlike a Body Tempering Pill, the Profound Origin Pill was transparent throughout. A faint spiritual aura drifted from it, and the energy it contained far exceeded that of a Body Tempering Pill.

Body Tempering Pills were ordinary pills of the Lower Yellow Tier. The Origin-Nourishing Pills awarded to the second- and third-place finishers in the Genius Tournament were Middle Yellow Tier, while the Profound Origin Pill was Upper Yellow Tier!

Even in the Myriad Phenomena Hall, an Upper Yellow Tier pill cost a considerable number of Contribution Points.

Great Dao Spirit-Seizing Art!

Qin Hao circulated the art within his body.

Absorb!

Buzz, buzz, buzz!

Under the circulation of the Great Dao Spirit-Seizing Art, surges of dense Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy rapidly spread through him. Qin Hao then deliberately guided the pill's power through his body.

The Martial Arts Hall has countless cultivation arts, but none of them can compare to the Great Dao Spirit-Seizing Art.

Qin Hao considered this silently. And the Great Dao Spirit-Seizing Art can improve both my cultivation and my Martial Soul.

As he refined more and more of the pill's power, Qin Hao could sense his cultivation surging toward the Eighth Layer of Body Tempering!

Yet the momentum felt as though it was beginning to fail.

Not enough. Still not enough!

I need at least several times more Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy than anyone else to advance!

A sharp light burst from Qin Hao's eyes. At a thought, the Great Dao Spirit-Seizing Art began drawing in the surrounding Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy at a frenzied pace.

Incredible. This really is the Myriad Phenomena Hall. The Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy my Fourth-Grade Martial Soul can absorb here far exceeds what it could in Tianshui City!

The Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy here is at least several times denser than in Tianshui City!

Both startled and delighted, Qin Hao settled his mind and continued his push toward the Eighth Layer of Body Tempering.

A short while later.

Buzz!

A sensation like his very soul ascending welled up within him.

The Eighth Layer of Body Tempering—I've broken through!

Qin Hao opened his eyes, his face bright with joy.

Tremendous strength surged through him. He felt that even an ordinary punch would be far more powerful than before.

The peak of the Seventh Layer of Body Tempering and the early Eighth Layer seemed only one Minor Realm apart, yet the strength contained within them was worlds apart. Ordinarily, a warrior in the Early Stage of the Eighth Layer could easily crush one at the peak of the Seventh.

That was why Chen Yuntian had been so confident back then, treating the Genius Tournament as a mere formality. Unfortunately for him, he had run into Qin Hao.

The Profound Origin Pill's effects had completely dissipated, but Qin Hao did not mind. If he had used it to improve his Martial Soul, there was no chance it would have reached Fifth Rank. Judging by the pills his Martial Soul now required to advance, it would take dozens of Profound Origin Pills, perhaps even more.

Advancing from the Early Stage of the Eighth Layer to the middle Eighth Layer will probably take even more Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy. Forget it. I won't worry about that now.

Qin Hao drew his Long Sword and went into the Courtyard. Now, to practice martial arts!

Swish, swish, swish...

Qin Hao began practicing Sword-Sweeping Slash, move by move. He had to return the martial arts manuals in three days, so he intended to familiarize himself with all three arts as thoroughly as possible.

On the main peak of the Myriad Phenomena Hall.

A thin veil of mist shrouded the entire Main Peak. Clouds curled around it, giving it the air of an immortal realm.

As the Main Peak, it had a vast Spirit-Gathering Formation covering the entire mountain.

The mist was a sign of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy concentrated to an extraordinary degree.

Halfway up the Main Peak stood a refined, secluded Courtyard.

"Sister Ziqing!" called an exuberant young woman's voice.

Creak!

The Courtyard gate opened, revealing a graceful young woman dressed in purple.

It was Mu Ziqing.

"Hongying? When did you get to the Myriad Phenomena Hall?" Mu Ziqing's face lit up with surprise.

Outside the Courtyard stood a young woman in fiery red.

An immensely formidable, domineering aura surrounded her!

A fiery-red saber hung at her waist.

Had Qin Hao been there, he would have sensed that this young woman was at least as strong as Lei Jiaojiao and Pei Yangrong.

"Hehe, I just arrived. Good thing you left me a token, Sister Ziqing, or I'd never have found you."

The young woman smiled. "I never expected you to be a genius disciple of the Inner Hall, Sister Ziqing. I had to show the token just to enter the main peak."

Mu Ziqing smiled. "Where did you place in the Genius Tournament?"

"First!" the young woman declared proudly. "None of them was a match for me. Just a bunch of trash."

The young woman was named Xu Hongying, and she came from a small village.

While traveling to gain experience, Mu Ziqing had once happened upon Xu Hongying's village.

Bandits had attacked, and Xu Hongying had nearly died. Mu Ziqing had stepped in and saved her.

From then on, Xu Hongying had begun cultivating too.

Her talent proved astonishing. After less than a year of cultivation, she had already reached the Ninth Layer of Body Tempering!

Later, Mu Ziqing had persuaded an elder to assess Xu Hongying's Martial Soul.

Xu Hongying possessed a Fourth-Grade Fire Attribute Martial Soul!

A special Fourth-Grade Martial Soul was equivalent to a Fifth Rank one!

Xu Hongying, however, had chosen not to enter the Myriad Phenomena Hall early. Instead, through her own efforts, she had earned her place by competing in the Genius Tournament!

And apart from Mu Ziqing and two other elders, no one knew what kind of Martial Soul Xu Hongying possessed.