Mid-grade spirit weapon, Gale Blade: its long, slender blade was forged from wind-patterned dark iron, with a faint breeze swirling around it. It could double a martial artist's slashing speed, and the fierce winds raised by its attacks could throw an opponent off balance. Wherever the blade wind reached, it cut like a sharp blade.
Mid-grade spirit weapon, Greenwood Bow: its body was made from thousand-year-old greenwood, and its string was spun from spirit silkworm heavenly silk. Arrows fired from it carried wood-element spiritual power. After striking a target, they would take root and sprout, restraining the enemy's movements while slowly drawing out their spiritual power.
Mid-grade spirit weapon, Frost Mace: its entire body was a lustrous white, radiating cold. It was forged from cold iron fused with ice essence. When swung, it could summon frost, and contact with an enemy could instantly seal their limbs in ice, slowing their movements and greatly diminishing their combat power.
Mid-grade spirit weapon...
Yu Tianheng's heart burned as he read the descriptions of the mid-grade spirit weapons one after another.
In the end, Yu Tianheng chose a spear.
It was called the Purple Lightning Spear. Its shaft was forged from refined steel mixed with mithril, giving it a tough, resilient quality and a cold metallic sheen. Intricate lightning inscriptions were carved across it, winding around it like lively electric serpents. As the runes flickered, a faint rumble of thunder could be heard.
Yu Tianheng spent 1,800 Heavenly Mandate Points and successfully exchanged them for it.
Once the purchase was complete, Yu Tianheng quickly took the Purple Lightning Spear in hand. Holding it with both hands, he injected true Qi into it. The lightning inscriptions instantly activated, sending lightning bursting from the spear tip while violent currents swirled around the shaft.
When swung, it could trigger a small thunderstorm. Lightning would stab swiftly toward an opponent, and the accompanying roar could disrupt an enemy's concentration.
The sight filled Yu Tianheng with delight. If used in actual combat, the spear could not only inflict grievous wounds with its powerful piercing force, but also use the power of lightning to paralyze an opponent and slow their movements. It was an excellent weapon for overcoming enemies on the battlefield.
Now that he had a weapon, he naturally needed to choose a suitable martial skill. Otherwise, Yu Tianheng would only be able to wave it around at random. He immediately opened the cultivation manuals section of the System Shop.
First, he spent 50 Heavenly Mandate Points to purchase the Basic Spear Technique.
Then he spent another 200 Heavenly Mandate Points to raise the Basic Spear Technique straight to its maximum level.
Related memories immediately appeared in Yu Tianheng's mind, saving him a great deal of time practicing with the spear.
Of course, those were all basic attacks with ordinary power. What he wanted was a one-hit kill.
In the end, Yu Tianheng chose another martial skill, the mid-grade Thunder Piercing, and exchanged 800 Heavenly Mandate Points for it.
The move focused on killing in a single strike. By drawing on true Qi and the power of lightning, it multiplied the spear tip's piercing force, allowing it to punch through heavy armor and protective astral Qi with ease and inflict tremendous damage.
Yu Tianheng had assessed it: with his current strength, using Thunder Piercing, he could blast a Four-Ring Soul Ancestor above level 40 to death with one thrust.
With a sneak attack, he could even kill a Soul King or a ten-thousand-year Soul Beast.
He could use it as a trump card in the early stages.
Afterward, Yu Tianheng continued browsing the System Shop and opened the cultivation resources section.
His Martial Dao cultivation was now at the first layer of the third realm, the sinew refining realm. At this stage, he needed to temper the major sinews and meridians throughout his body so that true Qi could circulate freely within him.
If he relied solely on painstaking cultivation, it would take him several years to break through to the next realm.
On top of that, he also had to cultivate his Martial Soul, which would slow him down even further.
Unfortunately, nothing could be done about it. After all, he was cultivating two paths at once.
So Yu Tianheng decided to purchase some cultivation resources to quickly increase his strength.
During the first two realms of the Martial Dao, Yu Tianheng had purchased Body Tempering Liquid and Origin Stones from the System Shop to improve his cultivation. He could not say that the two were entirely useless to him now, but their effects were indeed limited.
After searching for a while, Yu Tianheng found a replacement.
Body Tempering Spirit Liquid was an upgraded version of Body Tempering Liquid. It likewise tempered the body, but its effects were more than ten times stronger.
Its price was not cheap, however: one bottle cost 100 Heavenly Mandate Points.
Yu Tianheng gritted his teeth and spent 2,000 Heavenly Mandate Points to purchase twenty bottles of Body Tempering Spirit Liquid at once.
He then took out a bottle and held it up for a closer look.
Before him was a small, unadorned jade bottle filled with incomparably precious Body Tempering Spirit Liquid. It gave off a faint glow, and a rich medicinal fragrance filled the cramped space.
To prevent the medicinal power from dissipating, Yu Tianheng decided to take it directly. He drew a deep breath, picked up the jade bottle, and gently pulled out the stopper. A richer surge of spiritual Qi instantly spilled out. Without a moment's delay, Yu Tianheng tipped his head back and drank all the Body Tempering Spirit Liquid in the bottle.
In an instant, a scorching, vast force burst forth in his throat, rushed down his esophagus into his abdomen, and then spread through his limbs and bones like a raging torrent.
Yu Tianheng felt as though his entire body were being burned by fierce flames, and a stinging pain came from every inch of his skin. But he clenched his teeth and endured the pain, circulating the Innate Skill to guide the force against the major sinews and meridians throughout his body.
As the spirit liquid's power continued to surge against them, his major sinews began to tremble, making crackling sounds as though resisting the formidable force. Beads of sweat the size of beans rolled down his forehead, wetting the ground before him, but Yu Tianheng's gaze grew ever more resolute, and his hands clenched tightly into fists.
An hour later.
The medicinal power of the Body Tempering Spirit Liquid fused with the major sinews throughout his body. Yu Tianheng could clearly feel them growing tougher and thicker, as though he had inexhaustible strength.
As his major sinews grew stronger, the true Qi in his body circulated more smoothly. With the boost from this force, his cultivation rose steadily from the sinew refining realm first layer to the sinew refining realm second layer, and a more powerful presence radiated from his body.
Drenched in sweat, Yu Tianheng lay on the bed, gasping for breath. "Cultivating the Martial Dao really isn't easy. Breaking through just one minor realm means enduring this much pain. Compared with that, it really is much easier for a Soul Master to raise their Soul Power Level."
"But to become strong enough, there's no helping it."
After resting for a while, Yu Tianheng repeated the process, swallowing Body Tempering Spirit Liquid, enduring the pain of tempering, and then raising his cultivation.
While he was in seclusion cultivating,
winds and clouds were churning in the outside world.
At the cultivation grounds of Lei Long, a Heaven Dou Grade elite student.
After a long period of arduous cultivation in seclusion, Lei Long finally emerged, his cultivation successful. His presence was vigorous, and a sharp, imposing bearing radiated from him. His Soul Power Level was a solid 39, but his strength was infinitely close to level 40, as though he would break through at any moment. Although there was only a single level of difference, countless Soul Masters had been stymied by the difficulty of crossing that bottleneck.
Even with Lei Long's exceptional talent, it would take him at least another half a year to break through successfully, perhaps even longer.
After emerging, Lei Long immediately summoned a lackey he had taken in at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy. "Did anything major happen at the academy while I was in seclusion? And how has Miss Lan Lingmeng been lately? Did any blind bastard try to court her while I was away?"