Chapter Nine: The Art of Body Refinement

Liao Hongda charged at Bai Qiu, his right fist pounding toward the White Tiger Talisman.

With a thunderous boom, the enormous white tiger spread its claws to meet the blow, but under Liao Hongda’s force, the giant beast was actually driven back a step.

Immediately, the Vermilion Bird Talisman soared forward. The colossal vermilion bird opened its beak, spewing forth a whirlwind of fire entwined in red and blue, hurtling toward Liao Hongda.

Unhurried, Liao Hongda raised his left palm steadily to meet the fiery whirlwind. The flames struck him, pushing him back several meters, yet he remained unharmed.

Their probe complete, both men realized the other was no easy opponent and set aside their caution.

Bai Qiu forced out two drops of vital blood, flinging them with a sweep of his hands toward the White Tiger and Vermilion Bird. The blood fused into the talisman beasts, causing them to swell in size and radiate with even greater brilliance.

Liao Hongda, too, gathered his inner energy, readying his body to its peak state.

The Body Tempering Art from the Sovereign Emperor City ranked second among the ten great arcane arts. With the disappearance of the Divine Thunder, it now stood as the foremost marvel.

As its name suggests, Body Tempering refines the physical form and enhances constitution. In this era dominated by mystical arts, most cultivators focused on increasing their cultivation and improving their spellcraft. Yet the practitioners of Body Tempering took the opposite route, forsaking spells to channel all their energy directly into their bodies, refining themselves as if forging a precious artifact.

The tempering process was agonizing, far more so than the practice of ordinary spellcraft. Yet the reward was immense power. Though they abandoned spell techniques, their bodies became as durable as enchanted treasures.

Such cultivators could withstand attacks from spellcasters of similar rank, combining offense and defense in one. Most followers of the Dao cultivated their hearts and arts, rarely their bodies. If a Body Tempering practitioner closed the distance and broke through protective talismans, few could withstand a full-force blow.

But the Body Tempering Art had its flaws. By giving up spellcraft, they lost many means of attack; spells were infinitely adaptable, while the tempered body was formidable but limited. They couldn’t even perform simple arts like Wind Riding, rendering some aspects of their strength rather awkward.

Throughout history, only a handful had mastered this art in Sovereign Emperor City, but each was ranked among the greatest experts of their age.

Liao Hongda, not yet thirty, had tempered himself to the pinnacle of the Golden Core stage. Who knew how much hardship he had endured? Though unremarkable in appearance, he was undeniably a genius in Body Tempering.

After a brief pause, Bai Qiu blinked—and in that instant, Liao Hongda shot toward him at blinding speed.

The cardinal rule of Body Tempering combat: strike directly at the body first!

The “Speed” talisman on Bai Qiu’s body flashed as he darted away, fully aware of the consequences of letting a Body Tempering master close in.

Liao Hongda missed with his strike, crouching low to the ground, then rebounding like a spring to launch himself at Bai Qiu again.

“So fast!” Even with the “Speed” talisman, Bai Qiu frowned at his opponent’s lightning speed.

But this was no time for surprise. Bai Qiu was no ordinary man—he swept his arms, summoning the White Tiger and Vermilion Bird to attack Liao Hongda from both sides.

Liao Hongda noticed the encirclement, but ignored it, pressing his assault on Bai Qiu.

Bai Qiu raised his sword horizontally to block. Liao Hongda’s massive fist crashed into the blade.

Bai Qiu felt a tremendous force strike his chest, and he was sent hurtling backward.

Seizing the moment, the White Tiger struck Liao Hongda squarely, smashing him into the ground with a massive claw.

With a thunderous crash, Liao Hongda was driven into the earth, leaving a deep crater.

Next came the Vermilion Bird’s whirlwind of red and blue fire.

The flames roared for several heartbeats before ceasing.

When the smoke cleared, Liao Hongda was crouched in the pit, gasping for breath. Though unharmed, the ochre tone of his skin had dimmed.

On Bai Qiu’s side, he had been smashed into the mountainside, leaving a human-shaped impression. After a moment, he crawled out, his white robes now ashen gray. He dusted off his sleeve; a sweetness rose in his throat, and he forced down a mouthful of blood, only a trickle escaping his lips.

“This fellow truly deserves his reputation as the third among the top ten young masters. Not since that fight at home have I felt such pressure. I cannot defeat him.”

Bai Qiu realized that even at full strength, he could not break through Liao Hongda’s defense, while his opponent’s single blow had already wounded him.

“It seems I have no choice but to use that move…”

Bai Qiu said, “The Body Tempering Art of Sovereign Emperor City indeed deserves its place among the arcane wonders. Your mastery of the art is unmatched among the young generation.”

Liao Hongda laughed heartily. “Ha! The Bai clan’s talisman arts are intriguing as well. But compared to your elder brother, you still fall short. You are the third son of the Bai family, and today, this is no duel to the death. Take your followers and leave. Don’t covet the treasure about to emerge. If cultivators fight, casualties are inevitable—don’t blame me for being merciless.”

Bai Qiu smiled faintly. “No rush, no rush. I still have one technique that could defeat you here, but I’d rather not embarrass you. Tell you what—if you leave now, I’ll pretend nothing happened.”

Liao Hongda froze, thinking, “This fellow is so arrogant—he must have some rare treasure at hand. The Bai clan and Sovereign Emperor City have deep foundations; who knows if he has a trump card? But there’s no reason for me to be intimidated—I have my own cards to play. Using rare treasures comes at a high cost; I doubt he’d waste one here. Even if he does, my Body Tempering is at its peak, and I have ways to escape even in defeat. With the situation at a draw, there’s no need for me to back down.”

Bai Qiu popped a healing pill into his mouth, and seeing Liao Hongda lost in thought, a faint smile played at the corner of his lips.

Liao Hongda said, “No need to bluff. I’m not a fool. As the third son of the Bai family, I believe you have a trump card, but I don’t believe you’d use it on me. Try if you like, but let me warn you: if you do, don’t blame me for striking back with lethal force!”

Bai Qiu frowned, clutching his chest and coughing up two mouthfuls of blood. He stared at Liao Hongda, clearly not expecting his bluff to be called.

Seeing Bai Qiu’s state, Liao Hongda grew more confident in his judgment.

“I’ll give you one more chance—leave now.”

Bai Qiu muttered, “Since you’ve seen through me, there’s nothing left to be done. Then…”

Liao Hongda looked at him triumphantly.

Bai Qiu continued, “Then—I’ll just call for help! Shi Qi, do it!”

“I’ve been waiting long enough! Water Spirit Pellet!”

A streak of blue light fell from the sky, striking Liao Hongda squarely on the head—it was Shi Qi, who had hurried to the scene!

Liao Hongda was smashed into the ground once more, the crater growing even larger.

Bai Qiu coughed, then smiled. “I was waiting for my teammate—what were you waiting for?”