83: Chapter 83 Body Refinement Level 3

During the Wei hour, at Gravity Valley, Chongshan Peak.

The words "Gravity Nine Zones" on the stone tablet at the valley entrance were somewhat blurred by the passage of time.

Lin Xuan paid ten contribution points, received a wooden tablet, and walked into the valley, familiar with the path.

He passed through the two-fold and three-fold zones, arriving deep within the four-fold gravity zone.

The air here seemed to have solidified; every step felt like dragging a thousand-jin weight.

The ground was made of specially crafted Black Iron Rock, exceptionally hard; even an ordinary Disciple's full-force strike could barely leave a mark.

Lin Xuan removed his upper garment, revealing his lean and strong upper body.

The pale purple thunder patterns on his skin were slightly clearer than a month ago, glowing faintly under the pressure of gravity.

He assumed the starting stance of the "Thunder Body Refining Technique" — "Lightning Flash and Thunder Roar."

This was a core Move in the Qi Refining chapter for tempering tendons and bones. The movements appeared simple: feet rooted, waist and back arched like a bow, fists slowly drawing circles in front of the chest. Each movement engaged the muscles and fascia throughout his body, coordinating with his breathing to guide Thunder Spiritual Energy deep into his bones.

However, under 4.5 times gravity, every movement was ten times more difficult.

Lin Xuan took a deep breath and slowly threw the first punch.

His muscles tightened, and his bones emitted a faint "creaking" sound.

The thunder patterns under his skin suddenly brightened, guiding the surging Thunder Spiritual Energy toward his arm bones.

He could clearly feel the thunder power flowing and permeating the surface of the bone membrane, but it was always just a sliver short of truly merging into the bone marrow.

One punch, two punches, three punches...

Sweat slid down from his temples, dripping onto the Black Iron Rock surface, instantly pressed by gravity into a thin film of water.

His breathing gradually became heavy, but his movements remained steady.

Not far away, a sturdy middle-aged man wearing a grey short jacket stood with his arms crossed, watching quietly.

It was the valley-guarding deacon, Zhao Tieshan.

Lin Xuan knew he was watching but did not lose focus.

Over the past month, Deacon Zhao would occasionally observe like this, leaving once he had seen enough, sometimes dropping a comment or two.

After finishing the set of "Lightning Flash and Thunder Roar," Lin Xuan was soaked through, stopping while panting heavily.

"Still missing that little bit." He frowned, feeling his internal state.

The Thunder Spiritual Energy flowed smoothly on the surface of his bones, but that "point" of Breakthrough was like being separated by a thin veil—visible, yet untouchable.

"Excessively forceful, lacking restraint."

Deacon Zhao Tieshan's voice suddenly came.

Lin Xuan turned his head and respectfully saluted: "Deacon Zhao."

Zhao Tieshan walked closer and looked him up and down: "Your 'Thunder Body Refining Technique' is practiced quite solidly. Your skin tempering has reached Major Achievement, and you've touched the threshold of tempering your tendons and bones. But..."

He extended a finger and tapped Lin Xuan's chest at the Tanzhong acupoint.

"The thunder power is all floating here, floating under the skin and above the tendons and bones." Zhao Tieshan's finger was rough and powerful. "'Tendons and Bones Like Jade' doesn't mean letting the thunder power wrap a shell around the outside of the bones. It means letting the thunder power permeate inside, fuse within, and thoroughly change the density and toughness of the bone structure from the inside out."

He withdrew his finger and said indifferently: "Your current method of practice is using thunder power to 'hammer' your tendons and bones, like forging iron. But no matter how hard you forge iron, it is still iron. To become steel, you must introduce carbon."

Lin Xuan was thoughtful: "Does Deacon mean... I need to guide the thunder power inward to conduct a deeper level of tempering?"

"Correct." Zhao Tieshan nodded. "But guiding alone is not enough. You must, while enduring extreme pressure—like this four-fold gravity now—deliberately constrain the thunder power, preventing it from rushing outward, and force it to drill deep into the bone marrow."

"This process will be very painful, ten times more painful than you are now. But if you endure it, your tendons and bones can truly undergo a qualitative change."

He paused: "Gravity Valley can only provide you with external pressure. Internal tempering... must rely on yourself, or you must find other ways to create the environment."

After speaking, Zhao Tieshan turned and left, leaving Lin Xuan to ponder alone.

"External pressure... internal tempering... constraint..."

These few words echoed repeatedly in his mind.

That night, in the medicinal bath barrel in the Quiet Room.

The scalding medicinal liquid was dark brown, and the strong medicinal scent was mixed with the unique burnt fragrance of lightning-struck jujube wood core.

Lin Xuan soaked in it, his skin flushed red, the medicinal power seeping in through his pores, intertwining with the Thunder Spiritual Energy in his body, jointly tempering his tendons and bones.

But his mind was not on this.

His consciousness sank into the Spirit-Taming Tower Space.

The Thunder Spiritual Qi within the space was so dense it could almost not be dispersed. The small blue-purple fruits on the thunder-attracting vine trembled slightly in the thunder light, emitting a strange attraction.

The Thunder-Light Bug flew around the fruits, its wings flapping and stirring up tiny arcs of electricity.

Lin Xuan's gaze fell on the open space beside the spiritual field.

A thought suddenly popped up.

"Pangolin." He called out through the contract.

In the underground cave, the Pangolin raised its head, its dark golden eyes blinking.

"Dig a pit here, five feet deep and three feet wide." Lin Xuan pointed to that open space. "It needs to be smooth and water-tight."

The Pangolin let out a low roar, crawled out of the cave, and its sharp claws began to dig the soil rapidly.

Its talent for manipulating soil and stone was displayed vividly; as its claws swept past, the soil parted like tofu, and the pit walls were as smooth as a mirror.

In just a quarter of an hour, a deep pit meeting the requirements was dug.

Lin Xuan exited the space and returned to the Quiet Room.

He looked at the medicinal liquid remaining in the bath barrel, then looked at himself.

"Let's try it."

With a thought, his entire person disappeared from the Quiet Room and appeared beside the newly dug pit in the Spirit-Taming Tower Space.

Then he returned to the Quiet Room and hugged the still-warm medicinal bath barrel with both hands—

"Store!"

The entire barrel of medicinal liquid was taken into the Storage Pouch.

Entering the space again, he poured the medicinal liquid into the pit. The dark brown medicinal liquid was injected, quickly filling more than half of the pit.

But this was not enough.

Lin Xuan stood by the pit and circulated the "Purple Heaven Divine Thunder Art," actively guiding the pure Thunder Spiritual Qi within the space to converge into the pit.

The dense thunder-attribute Spiritual Qi, like mist and liquid, slowly sank into the medicinal liquid, intertwining and fusing with the medicinal power within.

Gradually, the color of the medicinal liquid in the pit shifted from dark brown to a dark purple, tiny electric sparks began to leap on the surface, and a strange scent mixed with medicinal fragrance and the aura of thunder began to permeate the air.

"Thunder Medicinal Pool..."

Lin Xuan took off his clothes and stepped into the pool.

"Hiss—"

The moment he touched the medicinal liquid, an intense sense of numbness, itchiness, and stinging pain drilled into him through every pore of his body!

This was several times more intense than the medicinal bath in the Quiet Room—the activity of the Thunder Spiritual Qi in the space was too high, and after combining with the medicinal power, its penetrative force was astonishingly strong.

He forcibly endured the discomfort and slowly sat down, letting the medicinal liquid submerge his chest.

Then, he circulated the "Thunder Body Refining Technique."

This time, he deliberately followed Deacon Zhao Tieshan's guidance: no longer letting the thunder power flow naturally, but instead using his will to forcibly "constrain" it, pressing the violent Thunder Spiritual Qi and medicinal power surging in from the outside toward the depths of his bones like an awl!

"Ugh..."

Lin Xuan let out a muffled grunt, the veins on his forehead bulging.

Pain!

It was not the pain of skin and flesh tearing, but a sore, numb, and stinging pain that drilled out from the crevices of his bones and penetrated deep into the bone marrow!

It felt as if countless tiny thunder needles were shuttling, piercing, and calcining inside his bones.

He gritted his teeth, maintaining the circulation of the Cultivation Technique.

The medicinal liquid in the pit bubbled, and the dark purple liquid faded at a speed visible to the naked eye—the medicinal power and Thunder Spiritual Qi were being frantically absorbed by him.

A faint "crack" sound came from deep within his bones, like ice cracking.

The pale purple thunder patterns no longer just floated under his skin but, like tree roots, extended and took root toward the inside of his bones.

Time passed bit by bit.

There was no day or night in the space; Lin Xuan relied entirely on his internal biological clock to judge.

After about three hours, the medicinal liquid in the pit had become crystal clear, and all the essence had been completely absorbed.

His skin glowed with a warm, jade-like luster, and the thunder patterns under his skin were deep and restrained, no longer flickering but settled deep within his flesh and bones.

"Still missing a little bit..."

Lin Xuan opened his eyes, purple electricity flickering in his pupils.

He did not leave but sat in the empty pit, continuing to circulate the Cultivation Technique, absorbing the endless Thunder Spiritual Qi within the space.

One day, two days, three days.

During these three days, apart from the daily essential "Purple Heaven Divine Thunder Art" Cultivation and talisman making, he spent all his remaining time soaking in this pit in the space.

If the medicinal liquid was gone, he would prepare it again; if the Thunder Spiritual Qi was insufficient, he would actively guide it to converge.

The Pangolin and the Herb-Seeking Mouse seemed to sense that their master was at a critical period and were much quieter. The Thunder-Light Bug still flew around the thunder-attracting vine every day.

The evening of the third day.

Lin Xuan was soaking in the newly replaced medicinal liquid when his bones suddenly emitted a continuous series of light sounds—"Ding... ding-ding... ding..."

The sound was crisp, like jade objects gently striking each other, and also like wind chimes swaying.

From deep within his bone marrow, a warm and majestic current surged forth, instantly sweeping through his entire body!

The pale purple thunder patterns were no longer just patterns but were thoroughly branded into the bones themselves; every inch of bone glowed with a strange luster that was warm like jade, yet contained hidden thunder light!

His skin was as tough as old cowhide, his muscle fibers as tight as steel wire, and his bone density surged; with every movement, power was contained within, not yet unleashed.

Lin Xuan stood up from the pit.

Water flowed down his body, the jade-colored luster on his skin surface slowly retracting, but that heavy, incomparably solid sense of power was clearly branded into every inch of his flesh.

Body Refining Third Level—"Tendons and Bones Like Jade," achieved!

He clenched his fist, and his knuckles emitted a crisp cracking sound.

He walked to the edge of the spiritual field and casually picked up a piece of bluestone used for paving the road—this stone had been soaked in the Thunder Spiritual Qi in the space and was 30% harder than its counterparts outside.

He exerted 30% of his power and brought his palm down.

"Crack."

The bluestone snapped in response, the cross-section as smooth as a mirror.

He then took out the startling thunder whip, exerted 80% of his strength, and lashed it toward his own left arm!

"Snap!"

The whip shadow fell, leaving only a faint white mark on his skin that disappeared in the blink of an eye. The rebounding force made the startling thunder whip tremble slightly.

"It's done." Lin Xuan exhaled a breath of turbid air, a smile finally appearing on his face.

He walked out of the pit, dried his body, and put on his clothes.

With a thought, the cloud-piercing shuttle flew out from his Dantian, transforming into a seven-foot flying boat hovering before him.

"The more solid the Foundation, the wider the path ahead."

He leaped into the shuttle, injected Thunder Spiritual Energy, and the cloud-piercing shuttle transformed into a streak of silver light, flexibly shuttling through the space.

This time, his control over Spiritual Energy was significantly more refined; the shuttle's turns and speed changes were much smoother.

"First, master the cloud-piercing shuttle and continue to consolidate the Foundation. If I cannot achieve a natural Breakthrough in the short term, the barrier-breaking pill... I will use it after some time."

The silver shuttle cut through the grey sky of the space, leaving behind streaks of flowing wind and afterimages.

In the spiritual field, the thunder essence fruit tree swayed gently in the thunder light, its newly sprouted branches having grown another inch.