Lin Fan held a rope in both hands, its other end tied to a huge, round boulder. Each time he pulled the rope up and then let go, the boulder slammed into his back.
Few people were willing to try this method of tormenting themselves, because it was simply too damaging. Even those who tried could never keep it up for long.
But to Lin Fan, what did this amount to?
It did not hurt at all.
As he circulated the Body Refining Art, his Hard Cultivation Points rose at a somewhat frightening speed.
Hard Cultivation Points +5.
Five times faster than his usual cultivation.
His blood boiled, and his flesh was like a lump of red-hot iron, giving off wisps of white steam.
The disciples around him gaped.
"Who is this guy? He's way too hardcore."
"The resonance produced by a boulder striking the body is at least ten times stronger than ordinary cultivation. One little slip could shatter your internal organs. No one below the Body Tempering Sixth Layer would dare keep this up."
"How many hits has that been already?!"
"He's practically throwing his life away. Even senior brothers at the Body Tempering Sixth Layer could never keep taking impacts this quickly. After each impact, you need to calm the boiling blood inside you. Doing it like him will get you killed."
Hearing the astonished cries of the disciples around him, Lin Fan felt more pleased than words could describe. The growth of his Hard Cultivation Points was also somewhat beyond his expectations, much faster than normal cultivation.
He possessed the undying body. To others, this method was unbearable torture, but Lin Fan felt no pain at all. His back merely felt a little damp, perhaps because he was bleeding.
At that moment, Lin Fan was red all over. He opened his mouth, and a thick blast of seething white steam erupted from his mouth and nose.
Hard Cultivation Points: 8,000.
Without any hesitation, Lin Fan allocated the points.
Cultivation: Body Tempering Fifth Stage (+)
A mysterious power suddenly erupted inside him.
Bang!
The tendons and veins in his arms bulged like coiled dragons, looking utterly ferocious. Explosive sounds rang out as his entire body grew considerably larger than before.
His arms grew thicker.
He grew taller, too.
"Who exactly is this disciple? He actually broke through while cultivating! At the Body Tempering Fifth Stage, his bones have changed."
"He's so strong. Who is he?"
"I just heard that he seems to be the disciple who trapped and killed that war behemoth on the battlefield yesterday."
"It's him!"
The disciples cultivating around him exchanged disbelieving looks, then excitement appeared on their faces one after another.
They had never expected to see such a fierce fellow.
Zhang Long stared dumbfounded at the scene before him. He was stunned, and a sense of shame rose within him.
What had he just said to the man?
That he did not believe him?
That he was as timid as a mouse?
Holy shit, I've barely seen anyone who dares cultivate like this, let alone take hits at a pace I've never seen before.
The pain of this cultivation method was unbearable, yet the fellow before him remained expressionless, even a little excited. Just what was going on?
This was far too crazy.
Gao Dazhuang stopped cultivating and stared blankly at Lin Fan, then exclaimed dramatically, "Junior Brother Lin is so strong! I wouldn't dare cultivate like that."
Yin Xiaotian sighed in admiration. "I never imagined Junior Brother Lin had such a strong will. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I probably would have doubted him a little, too."
Seeing the bloodstains covering Lin Fan's back, Lü Qiming immediately glared angrily at Zhang Long. "This is what you call as timid as a mouse? Answer me. Would you dare cultivate like this?"
Zhang Long was at the Body Tempering Sixth Layer and worked very hard at his cultivation, but he truly would not dare cultivate this way. A single impact would make his whole body feel as though it had shattered. That pain was unbearable.
Yet the man before him had now taken no fewer than a hundred impacts. How much pain must he be enduring?
"I... I..." For a moment, Zhang Long did not know how to answer. He truly was frightened, and the disdain in his gaze as he looked at Lin Fan was gone, replaced by admiration.
Lü Qiming ignored Zhang Long and hurriedly called out, "Junior Brother Lin, stop! You won't be able to hold on if you keep this up."
Lin Fan opened his mouth, releasing a blast of seething white steam.
"Senior Brother Lü, I'm fine. If I can't endure even this little pain, how can I talk about protecting our homes and defending our sect? If we don't want to be cut down, we can only cultivate with everything we have. A man must strive to strengthen himself. Shed more blood now, and we won't make others shed tears for us in the future."
With boasting skills like mine, how could I not win every last one of you over?
What is pain?
I'd really like to experience that feeling myself.
Unfortunately, I don't have the chance.
Bang!
The boulder slammed into his flesh, producing a sound that shook the heart.
The training ground fell silent.
Lin Fan's words had set every disciple's blood boiling.
Why had they left their sect far behind and come here?
To defend their sect and its territory, of course.
The disciples around him could no longer hold themselves back.
"Senior Brother Lin is absolutely right! A true hero indeed."
"Let's go all out and cultivate hard! What does pain count for?"
One disciple grabbed a rope, wanting to take the boulder's blows as well. But a single impact sent him flying aside, coughing up blood.
Another disciple immediately stepped forward. "Junior brother, are you all right?"
"I'm fine. It really is still too much for me. Senior brother, shall we pair up and cultivate together?"
"All right."
Gao Dazhuang said, "Junior Brother Lin put that so well. I have to work hard at cultivating, too. Junior brother, hit me."
"All right."
Lü Qiming's blood was boiling as well. Without another word, he began cultivating on his own. He had never imagined Junior Brother Lin possessed such lofty aspirations. He could not fall behind either.
Utterly ashamed, Zhang Long looked at Lin Fan. "Junior Brother Lin, I'm sorry. I misunderstood you."
Lin Fan breathed out a mouthful of white steam and smiled. "What are you saying, senior brother? We're all disciples of the Flame Magnificence Sect. Of course we should support one another."
At that moment, Zhang Long froze. He had never imagined that Junior Brother Lin would still smile at him while suffering the torment of cultivation. He must be forcing himself to endure the pain, using his smile to reassure him and tell him not to dwell on this matter anymore.
At that thought, Zhang Long felt like bursting into tears. He had spoken about Junior Brother Lin that way, yet Junior Brother Lin was still thinking of him.
It was truly so moving.
"Junior Brother Lin, I..." Zhang Long no longer knew what to say. Finally, he turned and left. He, too, was going to cultivate with everything he had.
If Lin Fan knew what Zhang Long was thinking at that moment, he would definitely have launched into a furious tirade.
Senior brother, aren't you fucking overthinking this?
I'm only smiling to show off and make cultivating look easy.
How did it turn into something else entirely in your eyes?
All morning.
Screams rang out endlessly across the training ground.
Although this was usually normal, what was abnormal was that not a single disciple left early.
Some disciples passing by were utterly bewildered. This made no fucking sense.
Why did every last one of them look as though they had been injected with chicken blood?
They could not stop cultivating.