Chapter 19: Climbing, Physical Body Strengthening
You sprinted all the way and soon arrived at the seven hundredth step.
Here, you saw a Cloud Mist Sect female cultivator, Lingyun, at the ninth level of Foundation Establishment.
She glanced back at you, her eyes full of killing intent, and immediately stopped to sit in meditation and recover her spiritual power.
After you stepped onto the seven hundred and first step, eightfold gravity descended. With only your physical body to rely on, you too began to feel that every step was arduous.
You fully circulated the Heavenly Lightning Body-Refining Art, climbing upward step by step.
Under eightfold gravity, your physical body, comparable to Foundation Establishment, erupted in full.
Beneath the immense pressure, the potential within your body was gradually stimulated, and your physical strength slowly increased.
Joy rose in your heart. You knew this was a perfect place for body refinement. After your body adapted to the eightfold gravity, you continued climbing upward.
Soon, you arrived behind Lingyun, the two of you separated by two steps.
You had long since noticed the killing intent in her eyes. Whatever the reason, for your own safety, you decided to strike first!
You took out the Illusion Light Mirror, a mid-grade Mystic-rank artifact, channeled spiritual power into it, and shone it directly at Lingyun. Caught off guard, Lingyun's vision blurred.
Seizing the opportunity, your ninth-level Foundation Establishment cultivation erupted in full. You grasped a mid-grade Mystic-rank flying sword and thrust it at Lingyun before you!
Chi!
Your sword pierced Lingyun's heart. The threat of death pulled her out of the illusion.
She looked down at the flying sword in her chest, then turned her head to look at you, her eyes filled with unwillingness.
Lingyun opened her mouth to say something, but you sealed her throat with a single sword strike!
You put away your flying sword, took her storage bag, and continued climbing upward.
"Junior Brother is truly decisive in killing!" Behind you, the five people responsible for protecting you were shocked after seeing you kill Lingyun.
"Tsk tsk, such a beautiful female cultivator, dead just like that. What a pity." Someone licked his lips, quite regretful.
"A Cloud Mist Sect disciple at the ninth level of Foundation Establishment, her throat sealed by a single sword strike. Does someone with that kind of strength really need us to protect him?" Someone voiced the question.
The rest shook their heads at these words, said nothing, and continued to follow your footsteps.
You opened Lingyun's storage bag and began counting the spoils.
A thousand mid-grade spirit stones, one mid-grade Mystic-rank artifact, two low-grade Mystic-rank artifacts, and beyond that some pills for recovering spiritual power, women's clothing, and so on.
After killing a ninth-level Foundation Establishment cultivator, your road ahead was unobstructed. No one dared disturb you again.
Soon, you stepped onto the nine hundredth step.
Ahead was precisely the first Cloud Mist Sect disciple to pass the second trial, Qingshan, at the ninth level of Foundation Establishment!
When Qingshan saw that you had reached the nine hundredth step with only your physical body, a flicker of surprise passed through his eyes.
Qingshan greeted you very amicably, then immediately sat in place to recover his spiritual power, with no intention of fighting you.
Seeing that the other party bore no hostility, you paid him no more attention and continued to temper your body with the gravity.
Under tenfold gravity, your body creaked and groaned under the suppression.
You acted as if you had not heard, gritting your teeth and enduring desperately. The potential within your body was further stimulated.
You climbed with difficulty. Every step was a great trial for your body.
Behind you, almost all the cultivators climbing relied on their own cultivation to ascend the steps. Only you alone resisted with pure physical strength.
With only your physical body, your climbing speed became extremely slow.
An hour later, the five people you had originally left behind had long since surpassed you and arrived ahead.
You did not feel discouraged, and continued using the tenfold gravity to temper your body.
Gradually, even those cultivators whose cultivation was inferior to yours now walked ahead of you.
On the thousandth step, more and more people arrived and headed for the fourth level.
The five fellow disciples responsible for protecting you still lingered on the thousandth step, waiting for you.
"I want to cultivate here for a while. Junior Brothers need not wait here. Go on ahead to the fourth level and wait for me." You transmitted your voice to the several of them.
At these words, the several of them discussed it and decided there was no danger for you here, so they ultimately headed for the fourth level.
On the nine hundred and twentieth step, you sat in meditation and cultivated the Heavenly Lightning Body-Refining Art. This body-refining technique, after being struck by lightning, could be considered formally initiated.
On top of that, your injuries had temporarily stabilized, so you could now cultivate some close-combat attack techniques.
Under tenfold gravity, you slowly learned the attack techniques within the Heavenly Lightning Body-Refining Art.
Just like that, three days passed.
Three days later, you had mastered the attack techniques within the Heavenly Lightning Body-Refining Art, and your physical strength, under tenfold gravity, had also increased greatly.
Looking at the fifth and sixth level Foundation Establishment cultivators still struggling below, you strode forward.
Arriving at the thousandth step, beside it was the passage to the fourth level. You walked straight in.
According to the information the Sect Master Ouyang Xiu had provided you, you knew the fourth level was an ancient battlefield.
Here, corpses and remains were everywhere. The battlefield still retained the lingering souls of the dead. A moment's carelessness could cost you your life.
Arriving at the fourth level, you failed to find the five people responsible for protecting you. You could only proceed alone, heading for the fifth level.
Suddenly, a lingering soul appeared, shooting straight for the crown of your head!
Relying on your powerful physical strength, you killed it with a single punch!
You strode forward. Along the way, whenever you encountered a lingering soul, you would engage it in close combat with your physical strength, so as to fully master your enhanced body.
Once you had fully mastered it, you advanced quickly, and soon arrived at the passage to the fifth level.
Unfortunately, a lingering soul whose strength reached the ninth level of Foundation Establishment was wandering nearby.
To reach the fifth level, you had no choice but to fight it head-on!
You used the attack techniques within the Heavenly Lightning Body-Refining Art and engaged it in a brawl.
You closed in, every punch landing solidly. With each punch, the lingering soul's power was scattered a fraction more.
In the end, the lingering soul at the ninth level of Foundation Establishment was beaten down to the first level of Foundation Establishment by you. Then, with one final punch, you directly annihilated it!
"Wonderful!" The feeling of every punch landing solidly made you could not help but shout.
Afterward, you stepped into the passage to the fifth level and smoothly arrived at the fifth level.
"Senior Brother, you're finally here!" The moment you entered, someone greeted you.
Hearing this, you looked around and found they were all Body-Refining Sect disciples. You asked in confusion, "What are you all gathered here for? Where is everyone from the other sects?"