With the Body as a Sword, Tempered and Honed

Inside the room.

Lin Tian stood bare-chested, his black hair stirring without wind.

Wisps of Sword Qi converged and flowed into Lin Tian's body.

Along with them, his muscles and bones began to glow a jade white.

Some of the blockages in his meridians also began to gradually dissolve.

The Sword Heart Body Refining Art.

With the body as a sword, tempered and honed.

Drawing Sword Qi into the body to strengthen the flesh continuously.

Hiss, hiss!

Countless black particles seeped out of Lin Tian's body.

It looked as though smoke were rising from his skin.

In an instant, Lin Tian felt much lighter all over.

This black vapor was the pill poison from the Moon God Pill.

However, a single round of body tempering could not expel it all.

Lin Tian estimated that he would need to cultivate for at least several dozen more hours.

Then Li Musheng's pill poison would no longer pose any threat.

Lin Tian could clearly feel his constitution growing stronger.

It truly lived up to its rank as a heaven-grade cultivation art.

The Sword Heart Body Refining Art tempered the body with Sword Qi, making it practically a match made in heaven for sword cultivators.

"You are cultivating with exhilarating abandon. Your sword has felt the joy of cultivation."

"Sharpness increased by ten percent. You have gained one year of comprehension of the sword Dao."

Hum!

Another humming sound rang out.

The Sword Qi spilling from the Heavenly Sword grew even more biting.

Yet that razor-sharp cutting intent lingered around Lin Tian's entire body.

"Hiss!"

Lin Tian bared his teeth. The pain inside his body suddenly doubled, and he almost failed to endure it.

By now, the commotion throughout the room had diminished considerably.

It grew quiet.

Only occasional flashes of astonishing sword light remained.

In the courtyard.

Ling Qiuzi gazed toward Lin Tian's room with a complicated look in her eyes.

When she first arrived here, she too had worked as hard at cultivating as Lin Tian did.

But later, the pill poison seeped into her internal organs.

Ling Qiuzi sorrowfully discovered that her cultivation was progressing more and more slowly.

Moreover, after one month.

The pill poison erupted, bringing the terrifying pain of ten thousand ants gnawing at her body.

Many of those staying here had already fallen into despair.

Only those whose cultivation was already very high would work hard at cultivating.

Because they were the main force competing for the Sub-Pills.

As for those in the Body Opening Realm and the Qi Refining Realm.

Cultivating was practically useless for them.

With only a few short months, and pill poison inside their bodies.

No matter how hard they worked, they would be no match for those Mystic Core or even Void Penetration Realm martial artists.

Ling Qiuzi sighed softly.

The hatred she felt for Li Musheng, however, grew with every passing day.

She sat on a stone chair.

Ling Qiuzi unwound the white cloth wrapped around her waist.

A scar had formed over the sword wound.

Besides that, what was even more shocking to behold was this.

Ling Qiuzi's snow-white skin was covered in black spots.

"Senior Brother, perhaps Qiuzi will never see you again in this lifetime."

Ling Qiuzi murmured, a little moisture gathering in her eyes.

Martial artists had extremely strong constitutions.

At the Qi Refining Stage, their ability to recover from injuries was a hundred times that of ordinary people.

Powerful martial artists could even find spiritual medicines of heaven and earth that regrew flesh and restored bare bones.

Ling Qiuzi neatly folded the white cloth.

Now, however, she looked toward Lin Tian's room with an indifferent gaze.

She wanted to see how many days Lin Tian could hold out.

The pill poison would constantly suppress a martial artist's cultivation speed.

Even obtaining a Sub-Pill would be of little use.

Sub-Pills only suppressed the pill poison; they did not eliminate it.

If left unused, each Sub-Pill would also lose its efficacy within a month.

Thus, even the strongest person here only needed to seize one Sub-Pill each month.

The moon rose.

Throughout the little town.

Wails rose from every direction.

With the bright moon overhead, some rejoiced, while others were steeped in utter bitterness.

Knock, knock, knock!

A hurried knocking sounded at the door.

Ling Qiuzi's gaze sharpened slightly, and she opened the courtyard gate.

"Senior Brother Li."

Ling Qiuzi spoke calmly. Outside stood a man dressed in blue-green robes.

"Junior Sister, let me in first."

Senior Brother Li looked around, somewhat wary.

Ling Qiuzi frowned slightly, but ultimately stepped aside.

Senior Brother Li kept hold of Ling Qiuzi as he led her into the room.

"Senior Brother Li, what are you doing?"

Once inside the room.

Ling Qiuzi shook his hand off her arm in annoyance.

A flicker of displeasure crossed Senior Brother Li's eyes, but he still chuckled and took a pill from his sleeve.

"A Sub-!"

Ling Qiuzi exclaimed in shock, then hurriedly covered her red lips.

"Hehe."

Senior Brother Li smiled, his eyes narrowing into slits.

"Junior Sister, I was lucky this time and got two. This one is for you."

He held out the Sub-Pill.

Ling Qiuzi reached out, her delicate body trembling slightly.

With this Sub-Pill, the faintly approaching pain of ten thousand ants gnawing at her body would not come.

The pill poison in her body would also be suppressed for a month.

Intense longing filled her eyes, and her fair hand was just about to touch the pill.

Yet at that very instant, she stopped.

"Senior Brother, if I take this Sub-Pill, what will you need me to do?"

Ling Qiuzi's gaze flickered continuously.

"Hehe, Junior Sister, you know how deeply I've always admired you."

Senior Brother Li spoke with a trace of desire in his eyes.

Ling Qiuzi froze, somewhat hesitant, yet somewhat tempted.

"Junior Sister, we're members of the Joyous Immortal Sect. Your red core has to be broken eventually."

"Though you're preserving your red core for that man, the two of you will never see each other again in this lifetime."

Seeing Ling Qiuzi hesitate, Senior Brother Li began coaxing her patiently.

"Look at me. I'm already at the Body Opening Ninth Layer. If I wanted to use force, there's no way you'd still have your red core now."

Bitterness flickered across Ling Qiuzi's pretty face as she looked at the man before her and asked:

"What about Senior Sister Gu? She's your dual cultivation Dao companion."

Senior Brother Li had coveted Ling Qiuzi before.

But his dual cultivation Dao companion had always stood in his way.

Senior Brother Li could only suppress his desires.

Senior Brother Li's expression froze, then he gave an awkward smile and said:

"Your senior sister is already dead. She died today, fighting over a Sub-Pill."

A trace of sorrow flashed through Ling Qiuzi's eyes. Then she turned away and said resolutely:

"Senior Brother Li, you should go."

"I don't want this Sub-Pill."

As Ling Qiuzi spoke with her back to Senior Brother Li, her fair hands rested before her chest, already forming hand seals.

"Do you take me for a pig?"

A cold shout rang out behind her.

Bang!

Senior Brother Li struck first, slamming a palm into Ling Qiuzi's back.

Pfft!

A tremendous force struck her body. Agonizing pain tore through Ling Qiuzi, and she spat out a mouthful of black blood.

Then she smashed straight through the door and ran outside.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Senior Brother Li's eyes brimmed with viciousness. He lunged out and seized Ling Qiuzi's shoulder with one hand.

With a crack.

He crushed Ling Qiuzi's right shoulder outright.

"No!"

Ling Qiuzi cried out in terror, only for Senior Brother Li to clamp a hand over her mouth.

"Don't speak!"

Senior Brother Li's eyes were filled with brutality. He glared fiercely at Ling Qiuzi while keeping a wary watch on their surroundings.

He gripped Ling Qiuzi's neck with one hand, about to drag her into the room.

"Mmph! Mmph!"

Tears filled Ling Qiuzi's eyes as she struggled violently.

Yet she could not resist at all.

She had already despaired.

She had nearly been stabbed to death by Lin Tian's sword, and tonight she would become someone else's Human Furnace.

Given Senior Brother Li's character.

He would surely drain her Yin essence dry without the slightest restraint.

That would be even more painful than death.