Lu Lin had no time for dinner. He immediately set out for the familiar rocky mess.
He sat cross-legged, his mind focused and his breathing calm, and as his thoughts stirred, his accumulated Training Time surged forth like torrents from an opened floodgate, rushing toward the "Demonic Ape Blood Qi Art"!
Thanks to his rich experience with training in both the "Steel Elephant Body" and the "Nimble Cat Technique" to the Sixth Level, Lu Lin's understanding of martial arts was now far beyond what it had been in the past.
Training in the "Demonic Ape Blood Qi Art" felt as effortless as building a cupola atop a towering mansion. His efficiency was far greater than before.
But even so, without the aid of Tendon-Tempering Pills, it still took a full thirty years of hard training to go from the Fourth Level all the way to the Sixth Level in the "Demonic Ape Blood Qi Art"!
Boom!
With the barrier broken through, a vast surge of Qi and Blood erupted within him like a dormant volcano awakening! It felt like an unprecedented, immense strength had filled him up!
This breakthrough was estimated to have brought a terrifying increase of nearly three thousand jin in strength.
At this point, his total strength had cleared the ten-thousand-jin landmark, reaching a shocking eleven thousand jin.
Ten thousand jin of strength was also referred to as "one elephant's strength." It should be noted that an ordinary martial artist could only obtain such power by attaining the Tenth Level in the "Demonic Ape Blood Qi Art"----the peak of the Body Tempering Realm.
And yet, Lu Lin had already accomplished this feat at the mere Body Tempering Sixth Level!
If word of this were to spread, no one would believe it.
"In terms of brute force, I may not be inferior to someone at the peak of the Body Tempering Realm, if not superior..." Feeling the surging, seemingly inexhaustible, terrifying power within him, a hint of confidence flashed in Lu Lin's eyes.
But this confidence had just risen when it was promptly suppressed by him.
He knew well enough that in this world, martial artists were not the ones in charge. Those who truly held dominion over life and death, who commanded the heavens and the earth, were cultivators—those who could fly on a magical weapon and use spells!
"With my strength, what Level of the Qi Refining Realm can I rival?" Recalling that night when that black-clad girl commanded a flaming long blade and crushed a Body Tempering Ninth-Level expert without breaking a sweat, Lu Lin felt as if a basin of ice water had been poured over his head, instantly sobering him.
"It's still far from enough! Now, my mastery of the 'Demonic Ape Palm' must be improved!" He let out a long sigh, suppressed his distracting thoughts, and began to channel the remaining Training Time into the Demonic Ape Palm!
During the days and nights of hard training simulated by the Martial Dao Furnace, his mastery of the Demonic Ape Palm was mounting with every passing second.
However, this palm technique was of an overwhelming fierceness. Acquiring it was evidently more difficult than the Nimble Cat Steps or the Ferocious Elephant Charge, and also took longer.
There were no shortcuts for mastering combat skills, nor were there any pills to help with it. It hinged on the practitioner's comprehension, and meticulous, persistent effort...
In the end, it took a full fifty-plus years to reach Perfection in the "Demonic Ape Palm".
Remaining Training Time: 32 years 2 months.
"The remaining thirty-plus years are not enough for another breakthrough. I'll keep it for now, in case of emergencies." Lu Lin made up his mind.
By now, night had fallen.
He did not return immediately, but instead repeatedly practiced, familiarizing himself with the increased strength and exploring the way to bring it together with his Perfection in the Demonic Ape Palm.
Only when he could use the power as he wished, freely releasing and retracting it, did he finally stop and return to the bunkhouse. He fell into a deep sleep, building up his energy for the unknown task on the following day.
...
Early the next morning.
The two hundred selected warriors had all gathered in the open area. Everyone's expression was grave, and the atmosphere was oppressive.
Two streaks of light came speeding across the sky, arriving in an instant. It was still the same young male and female immortal masters as before.
They stood on flying swords, hovering in mid-air, their sleeves fluttering as their indifferent gazes swept over the people below.
"Those on the mission, follow us down to the foot of the mountain. Mounts have been arranged down there." The young male cultivator spoke clearly and concisely.
Then, together with the female cultivator, he mounted the shining sword, flying toward the base of the mountain.
No one dared to disobey. They all braced up and fell in behind.
Upon reaching the base of the mountain, they saw that another large group of people had already gathered there, all dressed as warriors. At a short glance, there were no fewer than four hundred of them.
Together with Lu Lin's group of two hundred, they totaled six hundred!
Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!
Right at that moment, the earth began to tremble.
At first, it was just a faint tremor, but in an instant, it quaked much more violently, like ten thousand drumbeats—deep, muffled, and rhythmic, as if a mighty army was charging.
In the distance, clouds of dust rose into the sky, filling the air.
Immediately after, a disciplined, formidable cavalry unit broke through the dust clouds, surging forward like a torrent of steel.
Their imposing aura was so overwhelming that it gave people the sense of an invincible, earth-shaking force!
"It's the Martial Army!" someone in the crowd exclaimed in shock.
Within the Xuesha Demonic Sect, only martial artists who had reached the Body Tempering Seventh Level or above could join the Martial Army.
It was said that members of the Martial Army did not need to perform any menial tasks. They could focus on their training, and the Sect would supply them with ample resources. However, the missions they undertook were all extremely perilous, with a very high mortality rate. Therefore, the Army constantly had to recruit new members.
This mission actually required the service of the Martial Army?
Lu Lin scanned them, estimating that there were about two hundred troops from the Martial Army.
A full two hundred Martial Army elites, all at the Body Tempering Seventh Level or above.
With this kind of force, what use were they, these six hundred warriors whose highest Realm was only the Body Tempering Sixth Level? Forget two hundred; even twenty Martial Army soldiers would be enough to sweep with great ease all these six hundred warriors!
The situation was becoming still more bizarre.
And the more bizarre it seemed, the thicker the unease grew in everyone, as if a dark cloud were accumulating over them.
Behind the two hundred Martial Army soldiers, there were also over six hundred exceptionally majestic warhorses.
These warhorses had dark red coats all over, with smooth muscle lines. Their hoofbeats sounded like thunder, and faint hot air puffed from their nostrils. They were none other than the "Blaze Horses," said to possess a trace of spiritual beast bloodline, capable of traveling a thousand li(1 li equals 0.5 Km or 0.31 mile) in a single day!
High in the sky, several dozen figures mounting various magical weapons followed closely behind the Martial Army.
All were cultivators—men and women, old and young. Though they projected distinct auras, there was something aloof, transcendent to all of them.
A grizzled elderly cultivator with a sharp gaze came forward from the group. His voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable authority, clearly reaching everyone's ears. "All warriors, mount your horses immediately and follow us!"
With that, the several dozen cultivators put away their magical weapons at once and landed as lightly as fallen leaves onto the lead Blaze Horses. A flick of the reins, and the warhorses let out a neigh, galloping ahead.
Qi Refining cultivators could not fly on their own but relied on magical weapons to do it, and even then, only for short distances. For long journeys, they still depended on mounts.
Lu Lin and the others did not dare to hesitate. They all climbed onto the horseback, urged them on, and followed the large contingent, merging into a vast, surging torrent, rushing toward the distance.
They traveled by day and rested at night, journeying continuously for three days. They advanced over two thousand li, finally stopping before a majestic, imposing mountain range.
Casting their gaze over, they saw the mountains roll on and on, like an ancient giant beast crouching on the earth, exuding an aura of desolation and antiquity.
However, bizarrely, the entire mountain range was shrouded in thick, inky black mist that churned and billowed, somewhat creepy.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Right at that moment, two sounds of something cutting through the air suddenly carried here from somewhere in the mountains.
They watched as two figures shot up from amid the mountains, then flew toward them like two bolts of lightning splitting the sky.
The distance of over ten li seemed nonexistent. In an instant, the two figures had already shown up in the air above the crowd.
The arrivals were a man and a woman.
The man appeared to be around thirty, with a loose black robe settling around his burly build and black hair casually draped over his shoulders. His face was rugged, and, though not at all in anger, he still looked intimidating.
The woman seemed to be in her early twenties. She wore a black dress with a bold cut that revealed large areas of fair, smooth skin. Her figure had breathtaking curves, and her features were charming and alluring.
Most importantly, there was no glowing magical weapon surrounding these two. They were just quietly, steadily standing in mid-air!
A Qi Refining cultivator, without the support of magical weapons, absolutely could not levitate.
Instantly, everyone's heart churned with high waves. A term that inspired awe almost burst from their lips.
Foundation Establishment Realm!
The next moment, the several dozen Qi Refining Immortal Masters below immediately confirmed everyone's speculation with their actions.
"Disciples pay respects to the two Elders!"
Led by the white-haired old cultivator, all of them hurriedly dismounted, bowing in salute with deep reverence.
They indeed were Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators!
Lu Lin's pupils abruptly contracted. Almost instinctively, he pushed the "Self-Concealment Technique" to the limit. His aura instantly became as withdrawn as that of an ordinary person who had never trained. His heart pounded wildly, afraid that his true Realm would be exposed.
But he immediately cursed himself inwardly for being foolish.
These two Foundation Establishment cultivators didn't even know him. What was there to fear?
Even if they identified that he was at the Body Tempering Sixth Level, since all around were these Body Tempering Sixth and Seventh Level Martial Army soldiers and the hundreds of warriors, they wouldn't pay him any attention at all.
"Pay respects to the Elders!"
All the Martial Army soldiers and warriors present hurriedly dismounted and saluted, as if having jolting awake from a dream.
The two Foundation Establishment cultivators let their indifferent gazes sweep over the dense crowd below, like deities looking down upon ants, without the slightest ripple in their eyes.
Then, the charming female cultivator opened her cherry lips, and her clear voice reached everyone.
"Your mission is to enter the Siming Mountain ahead and gather 'Mingtie Cardamom.' The time limit is three days."
At this point, her voice paused briefly, laced with a chill.
"Remember, within these three days, you are not to leave the mountain. Anyone who leaves the mountains without permission... will be killed!"