I Did It! I Mastered It!

"I did it! I mastered it! I finally reached the beginner level of the Chaos Body Refining Art!"

It was late at night.

On the mountain behind the Miscellaneous Dao Institute.

Cao Youqian leaped out of the fire cave after eighty-one days of Body Tempering cultivation.

His entire body had been baked to a charcoal-like black, covered from head to toe in a layer of soot. Even so, it could not conceal the excitement in his heart.

Seeing how happy his junior brother was, Xiao Chen couldn't help the slight rise of his lips.

For one thing, he was genuinely happy for his junior brother.

For another, he had also cultivated his Invincible Sword Intent to minor accomplishment.

Before long, a series of cracking sounds came from Cao Youqian's body.

Xiao Chen looked over and saw the layer of "charcoal" slowly flaking off Cao Youqian.

"Junior brother, stop jumping. If you keep that up, you'll be exposed."

Only then did Cao Youqian remember that he wasn't wearing any clothes. If not for the layer of charcoal wrapped around him, he would have been completely naked in front of another person.

At the thought, his old face flushed. "Eldest senior brother, sorry for the trouble, but could you go tell Master the good news? I'll regulate my breathing first."

"All right."

With that, Xiao Chen turned and left.

After his eldest senior brother had gone a good distance away, Cao Youqian sat down cross-legged and used the spiritual power in his body to shake off all the impurities covering him.

He then got dressed and began circulating his cultivation art, sensing the changes within his body.

Cao Youqian was soon astonished to discover that his dantian had grown larger, and his eight extraordinary meridians had widened considerably.

Most importantly, all the meridians that had long been blocked were now clear and unobstructed.

Now, he could break through to the True Fate Realm whenever he wished.

He slowly opened his eyes and threw a punch at the mountain's stone wall.

Rumble!

With a tremendous crash, a huge fist-shaped crater appeared in the wall.

He hadn't used the slightest bit of spiritual power in that punch.

Yet its power was in no way inferior to what it had been before he began body refinement. If he used his spiritual power, his punch could unleash several times the force.

"Master really is powerful. But come to think of it, why is the spiritual power in my body mixed with both fire and wood attributes?

I clearly only used earthfire to temper my body."

The Miscellaneous Dao Institute.

In the head's residence.

Chu Feng was staying up late cultivating as usual. At the moment, he was reading the Heavenly Secrets Gazette.

The Heavenly Secrets Gazette recorded all sorts of fresh happenings on the Profound Heaven Continent.

In the past, he had always treated it as a gossip rag.

This time, however, he searched the Hidden Dragon Ranking in the Heavenly Secrets Gazette for Xiao Chen's name with great seriousness.

The Hidden Dragon Ranking listed the most outstanding members of the younger generation on the Profound Heaven Continent.

Everyone who made the list was a heaven's chosen of the Profound Heaven Continent.

They also had to be under a hundred years old. Anyone who failed to enter the Nirvana Realm within a hundred years was not qualified to be called a heaven's chosen.

Xiao Chen was now the first disciple of the Dao-Seeking Academy's younger generation to awaken a Divine Physique.

With the Dao-Seeking Academy's reputation, Xiao Chen would have no trouble making the list.

Before long, he found Xiao Chen's name at number one hundred on Heaven's Chosen Ranking.

Name: Xiao Chen.

Cultivation: True Fate Realm.

Affiliation: Dao-Seeking Academy.

Reason for listing: Awakened a Divine Physique.

Potential: five stars.

Chu Feng didn't much care about the ranking or the other details.

After all, the Hidden Dragon Ranking measured potential, and five stars was its highest rating.

It looked like his eldest disciple would soon become famous throughout the world.

At the thought, Chu Feng was happy for his disciple. At the same time, he wondered how many people would come to study under him next.

Just then, a familiar mechanical voice rang out in his mind.

"Host's eldest disciple, Xiao Chen, has reached minor accomplishment in Sword Intent. Rewarding the host with a measure of the true essence of the Sword Dao."

Hmm?

Chu Feng's eyes lit up at the sound. He was already a cultivator at Sword Intent Great Perfection.

After receiving this measure of the true essence of the Sword Dao, his understanding of the Sword Dao rose to another level.

"So Sword Intent can be used this way too."

"Master, your disciple Xiao Chen requests an audience."

Xiao Chen's familiar voice came from outside the door, interrupting Chu Feng's thoughts.

Chu Feng rose, opened the door, and asked, "Chen'er, what important matter brings you to see me so late at night?"

Xiao Chen said, "Master, Junior Brother Cao has completed the eighty-one days of cultivation and reached the beginner level of the Chaos Body Refining Art."

Chu Feng smiled. "I nearly forgot about that. Come on, let's go see how that boy Daqian has changed."

"All right."

After answering, Xiao Chen followed his master to the mountain behind the institute.

Before long, they saw a completely transformed Cao Youqian.

The old Cao Youqian had been a chubby fellow with a slightly sleazy look.

Now, the first impression Cao Youqian gave was one of a tall, powerfully built, strong man brimming with vigor.

Seeing him like this, Chu Feng couldn't help murmuring, "Cultivation makes a man handsome. The ancients truly did not lie to me."

Cao Youqian: ???

Xiao Chen: "..."

"You flatter me, Master. Without your guidance, how could I have become what I am today?"

Cao Youqian truly was the Profound Fire Pill King's favorite junior back in the day. His talent for flattery was inborn.

Chu Feng smiled. "Daqian, how do you feel now?"

Cao Youqian said, "I feel very strong now. If I ran into that fellow Lin Fan again, I could blow his head apart with one punch."

Chu Feng said, "You've only completed two of the Five Elements Body Tempering stages, and you're already this full of yourself?"

At those words, Cao Youqian and Xiao Chen both froze.

Puzzled, Cao Youqian asked, "Master, didn't I only temper my body with earthfire for eighty-one days?"

Chu Feng explained unhurriedly, "You came from the Pill Dao Institute. You should know what pills are refined from, shouldn't you?"

Cao Youqian said, "Medicinal herbs, of course."

"That's right."

Chu Feng continued, "The essence of a pill is to extract the essence of wood to help people cultivate.

"A great deal of medicinal power and pill toxins had already accumulated in your body.

"The most important reason I had you use earthfire to refine your body first was to refine that medicinal power within you.

"That allowed your body to absorb the essence of wood and achieve the effect of Body Tempering. Think back to the part of the Five Elements Body Forging Chapter about using the power of wood to temper the body."

Cao Youqian had long since memorized the Five Elements Body Forging Chapter by heart, and realization soon dawned on his face.

"So that's how it is. In the Five Elements Body Forging Chapter, you said that simply absorbing the essence of wood would complete the Body Tempering. I have learned from your instruction, Master."

Chu Feng smiled. "Do you have any other questions?"

Cao Youqian shook his head. "No, Master, I have no more questions. I can begin the next stage of cultivation tomorrow."

Chu Feng said, "Then go cultivate in the Dao-Seeking Academy's Thousand-Year Cold Pool.

"Just like before, you must cultivate in the Thousand-Year Cold Pool for a full eighty-one days. You must spend at least nine double-hours cultivating in the pool each day."

By now, Cao Youqian understood that the Five Elements Body Tempering his master had spoken of had to be done in a particular order.

He agreed without a second thought. "Thank you for your guidance, Master. I'll go cultivate in the Thousand-Year Cold Pool starting tomorrow."

"Mm."

Chu Feng nodded. "Get some rest early. I'll go back and rest as well."

With that, Chu Feng turned and left.

Cao Youqian turned to Xiao Chen. "Eldest senior brother, could you do me a favor?"

Xiao Chen said, "Let's hear it."

Cao Youqian got straight to the point. "Please absorb the spiritual power in my body, eldest senior brother. It has already reached its limit."

"Easy."

As he spoke, Xiao Chen used Ten Thousand Swords Return to the Origin, absorbing all the spiritual power in Cao Youqian's body.

"Huff... huff..."

A moment later, Cao Youqian's face was deathly pale, and he was gasping for breath.

"Senior brother, you're far too strong. I feel like I've grown several times stronger, but I still can't fight back at all in front of you."

Xiao Chen smiled. "You haven't even reached the beginner level of the Chaos Body Refining Art, so of course you find me terrifying when you face me.

"But you've completed fire and wood Body Tempering, so you count as one of the best among the outer sect disciples. I won't be accompanying you in your cultivation anymore."

Cao Youqian bowed deeply to Xiao Chen. "Thank you for looking after me all this time, senior brother. Without you, I'm afraid my cultivation wouldn't have gone so smoothly."

"There's no need for thanks between brothers. Once you've grown stronger, just make sure to take good care of Master."

As Xiao Chen spoke, he helped Cao Youqian up, put an arm around his shoulders, and walked with him toward the Miscellaneous Dao Institute...