Leo didn't hesitate. He had just used Uncle Feng's crushing aura and spiritual pressure as a whetstone to temper his own physical body!
"Hmm?"
Uncle Feng's eyes widened as Leo stood up effortlessly. No matter how much he intensified his aura, it seemed to slide off Leo like water off a duck's back.
"You're a cultivator too?" Uncle Feng barked, his suspicion growing. "Strange... there's no condensed True Qi in your body, and I don't sense a drop of magical power. Who exactly are you?"
Growing increasingly curious and impatient, Uncle Feng lunged forward. His hand curved into a lethal, claw-like grip, whistling through the air toward Leo's shoulder.
Leo cursed under his breath but didn't dodge. Instead, he threw a direct, heavy punch straight at Uncle Feng's incoming hand.
"Uncle Feng, I'm Senior Constable Leo from West Kowloon Headquarters! I think there's been a massive misunderstanding!"
BANG!
As the words left his mouth, his fist collided with Uncle Feng's claw.
The impact was deafening. Uncle Feng felt a gargantuan force, like a runaway freight train, crashing into his palm. He felt as if he had been struck by a massive sledgehammer; a sharp, stinging pain shot up his arm, and the sheer momentum forced him back several steps.
"A Hard-body Master? No... this is innate Herculean strength!" Uncle Feng shook his hand, surreptitiously hiding it behind his back while masking the pain. His eyes were filled with a mix of genuine amazement and a flicker of professional jealousy. "No wonder you were able to... hurt Lian like that."
He took a deep breath, composed himself, and stared Leo down. "I will investigate this thoroughly. Leo... I won't forget your name."
"And remember, I'm a policeman too, so don't think you can sweet-talk your way out of this. You are responsible for what happened to Lian. I won't interfere with the two of you for now, but... I expect you to treat her well. She lost her parents when she was young. I'm all she has."
Uncle Feng spoke with a voice thick with self-reproach, though he didn't forget to include a sharp threat at the end.
"Uncle Feng, you know as well as I do that being on the force is dangerous," Leo replied calmly. "If Lian stays with me, you wouldn't want your niece to end up a young widow, would you?"
The comment stunned Uncle Feng. He looked at Leo with a cold, calculating gaze. "I see you have immense talent—a Senior Constable at such a young age. You likely carry a measure of Great Providence."
"Fine. I won't make things difficult. Once I've finished my background check, if I find you're clean, I won't stand in your way. Furthermore, I will teach you things that ordinary people can't even dream of. First, for your own self-defense, and second... for hers."
Uncle Feng had truly taken a liking to Leo's raw potential. With that kind of innate strength, if Leo practiced Maoshan Body Tempering, his blood and Qi would eventually reach a level where evil spirits wouldn't be able to come within ten feet of him. At that stage, Leo's very blood would be a weapon against the supernatural.
Leo hadn't expected Uncle Feng to invest so heavily in him for Lian's sake. He had been worrying about how to get his hands on real techniques, and here was the Master offering them on a silver platter.
"It's a deal," Leo agreed immediately.
Uncle Feng glanced at him, then turned his head away, his face twisting in a pained grimace as he secretly rubbed his throbbing hand. Under Leo's suspicious gaze, he retreated into a back room and emerged with an ancient, weathered book.
"It's a fact that you saved her. Better you than that yellow-haired punk... forget it. This book contains the Maoshan Basic Body Tempering Method. Perhaps it will be of some use to you. Consider us even for the rescue."
"But don't think I'm letting you off the hook. I've got my eye on you, Leo. Watch your step."
Chapter 4: Blood Refining and Body Tempering!
Leo walked out of the clinic clutching the ancient manual. He could feel Uncle Feng's intense gaze boring into his back until he drove out of sight.
By the time he got back to his apartment, it was past eleven. Because of the nature of his work, Leo had bought a place near the station; living alone made it much easier to hide his secrets. After a quick shower, he sat cross-legged on his bed.
"Since I'm in this world, I might as well go all the way," Leo muttered. "Uncle Feng is a gold mine. I'll have to keep 'fleecing' him for techniques in the future."
He viewed Uncle Feng as the ultimate high-level NPC. In a world this dangerous, he had to become a monster to survive. He had a hunch that his days of dealing with "normal" criminals were over. He remembered cases he had closed over the past year—cases that had been dropped or ignored by the higher-ups. Now, he finally understood why.
He cleared his mind and focused on the Maoshan Basic Body Tempering Method.
Maoshan Cultivators have refined Qi since the time of the Three Pure Ones, focusing on the Way of the Inner Elixir... Body tempering is the process of strengthening the vessel. It involves refining the blood, tempering the bone, and awakening the potential of the seven souls...
Leo was completely immersed. The manual wasn't just text; it was filled with complex annotations and concepts he had never seen. The core philosophy was simple: Externally temper the physique, internally practice cultivation. Without a strong body, one couldn't hope to contain high-level spiritual energy. Two and a half hours passed, and Leo had finished the entire book. He only half-understood it—after all, he wasn't a literal god—but he didn't need to be.
"One Billion Times!"
> [Ding! Activating "One Billion Fold" Skill!]
> [You have instantly completed one billion readings of the "Maoshan Basic Body Tempering Method"!]
> [Comprehension: +9,999 (Max)]
> [Insight: +9,999 (Absolute Perfection)]
>
In an instant, a tidal wave of knowledge crashed into Leo's brain. Every nuance, every hidden meaning, and every secret of the technique became as clear as day. It was as if he had been the one to write the manual himself.
"I see... the first realm of the Maoshan Qi Refiners is Blood Refining and Body Tempering."
He didn't waste a second. He began to practice based on his perfect understanding.
One Billion Times!
One Billion Times!
> [Ding! Activating "One Billion Fold" Skill!]
> [You have instantly completed one billion body tempering sessions!]
> [Flesh, Skin, and Bone have been tempered to the limit!]
> [Physique: +9,999]
> [Strength Stacking: +9,999]
> [Breakthrough! You have stepped into the realm of Blood Refining and Body Tempering!]
>
BUZZ!
Leo's blood began to boil. His veins bulged beneath his skin like coiling dragons. A massive surge of heat erupted from his Dantian, sweeping through his entire body like an inferno.
The Dantian! I can actually perceive it!
By shattering the limits of the human body, he had officially joined the ranks of the Cultivators.
He remembered the nine realms from the book:
* Blood Refining & Body Tempering
* Marrow Cleansing & Fasting
* Embracing Yang & Guarding Yin
* Foundation Establishment
* Refining Essence into Qi
* Refining Qi into Spirit
* Refining Spirit to Return to the Void
* Refining Void to Integrate with the Dao
* Three Flowers Gathering at the Peak!
Leo had reached the first realm after a billion virtual sessions. It was a terrifying testament to how difficult cultivation truly was. In this desolate, magic-starved era, Leo's breakthrough was nothing short of a miracle.
If Uncle Feng found out, he wouldn't just be shocked—he'd likely think the world was ending.
"Immortal path or Daoist path... it doesn't matter," Leo said, his voice echoing in the quiet room. "I'm not ordinary anymore. But I need more. I need to keep close to Uncle Feng. He's my only bridge to the next realm."