Twenty-seven days remained until the Inner Sect evaluation.
Lin Xuan, Body Tempering Seventh Layer, sat cross-legged inside Cave Seventy-Three. His blood refinement had stabilized after his breakthrough three days ago. In Body Tempering, the Seventh Layer marked the beginning of blood strengthening, increasing vitality and explosive strength.
The Eighth Layer would refine bone marrow.
The Ninth Layer would temper internal organs.
Only after completing the Ninth Layer could a cultivator attempt Qi Gathering, the second major realm, where Spirit Qi condensed inside the dantian.
He exhaled slowly.
Inside his mind, the panel appeared.
[Simplification Panel]
[User: Lin Xuan][Realm: Body Tempering — Seventh Layer][Days Until Inner Sect Evaluation: 27]
[Gold: 12][Spirit Stones: 0]
[Skills]
Crimson Flame Twelve-Form Tyrant Sword Art[Grade: High Mortal][Stage: Major Completion 112/600]
Azure Piercing Spear[Grade: Mid Mortal][Stage: Major Completion 0/600]
Stone Body Conditioning Art[Grade: Mid Mortal][Stage: Major Completion 0/600]
Basic Qi Circulation Method[Grade: Mid Mortal][Stage: Major Completion 88/600]
He studied the information carefully.
Technique grades mattered.
Low Mortal techniques were common street-level martial skills.
Mid Mortal techniques were sect-standard.
High Mortal techniques were considered outer sect elites.
Above Mortal rank would be Spirit rank techniques — accessible only to inner disciples.
The higher the grade, the slower mastery increased — even with simplification.
That was balance.
He stood and gripped his spear.
Azure Piercing Spear.
Simplified condition: Thrust Forward.
He thrust once.
[Azure Piercing Spear +18 EXP][Major Completion 18/600]
He thrust again, faster.
[+21 EXP][Major Completion 39/600]
The technique was only Mid Mortal.
It progressed rapidly.
Within fifteen minutes—
[Azure Piercing Spear (Major Completion 600/600)]
[Skill Advanced]
[Azure Piercing Spear — Perfection 0/1000]
[Thrust Speed +10%][Penetration Power Increased]
He lowered the spear slowly.
Fast.
Very fast.
Mid Mortal techniques were easy to max once simplified.
He switched to Stone Body Conditioning Art.
Simplified condition: Clench Fist.
Clench.
Release.
Clench.
Release.
His forearms heated gradually.
[Stone Body Conditioning Art +20 EXP]
After twenty minutes—
[Stone Body Conditioning Art — Perfection 0/1000]
[Bone Density Increased][Impact Resistance Improved]
He nodded.
Now he tested Crimson Flame Twelve-Form Tyrant Sword Art.
High Mortal grade.
Simplified condition: Grip → circulate qi → swing.
He ignited flame and swung.
[Crimson Flame Twelve-Form Tyrant Sword Art +12 EXP][Major Completion 124/600]
Much slower.
Even simplified, High Mortal techniques had deeper foundations.
After thirty minutes—
[Crimson Flame Twelve-Form Tyrant Sword Art (Major Completion 286/600)]
He stopped.
Good.
Now he understood pacing.
Mid Mortal → 1 day max potential.High Mortal → 2–3 days steady effort.Realm breakthrough → Requires Spirit Qi volume.
Skill bars alone could not break realms.
He needed resources.
The next morning, he stood before the outer sect mission board.
New notice:
"Escort Spirit Herb Caravan. Possible rogue cultivator interference. Reward: One Low-Grade Spirit Stone."
He accepted immediately.
Twenty-six days remained.
The forest road was quiet.
Five outer disciples guarded two carts.
Midway through the forest, three masked rogue cultivators emerged.
Two Body Tempering Eighth Layer.
One Seventh Layer.
Lin Xuan did not hesitate.
He stepped forward and thrust.
[Azure Piercing Spear +27 EXP][Perfection 27/1000]
The spear pierced through a rogue's shoulder cleanly.
Combat EXP was higher than cave training.
He rotated his wrist and ignited flame along the spear shaft.
[Crimson Flame Twelve-Form Tyrant Sword Art +35 EXP]
One slash forced the Eighth Layer rogue back.
Gao Ming engaged another attacker.
The Seventh Layer rogue rushed Lin Xuan recklessly.
Lin Xuan raised his arm.
Blade struck bone.
A metallic sound rang faintly.
His Perfection-stage Stone Body technique absorbed most of the impact.
He counter-thrust.
The rogue fell.
Moments later, the fight ended.
Three corpses.
Silence returned.
This time, Lin Xuan moved first.
He knelt and searched the nearest corpse carefully.
Cultivators valued practicality.
Inside the rogue's inner robe—
A cloth pouch.
He opened it.
Two Low-Grade Spirit Stones.
And a small leather pouch inscribed with faint spatial formation lines.
His panel reacted.
[Unbound Storage Pouch Detected]
[Owner Status: Deceased]
[Bind?]
He selected Confirm.
[Binding Successful]
[Storage Pouch Capacity: 1 Cubic Meter]
He tested it mentally.
The two Spirit Stones disappeared from his hand and appeared inside the pouch's internal space.
Convenient.
He searched the second corpse.
Nothing but gold.
The third had one Low-Grade Spirit Stone.
Total gained privately: Three Spirit Stones.
Official reward: One Spirit Stone.
Total: Four.
Twenty-five days remained.
That night, back in Cave Seventy-Three, Lin Xuan placed all four stones before him.
He activated absorption.
[Absorbing 4 Low-Grade Spirit Stones]
[Qi Surge Detected]
Spirit Qi flooded into his meridians violently.
His breathing technique activated automatically.
[Basic Qi Circulation Method +120 EXP]
[Major Completion 208/600]
The Seventh Layer blood refinement barrier trembled.
He pushed harder.
Bone marrow began refining.
Pain spread through his limbs.
Then—
A sharp internal crack.
[Realm Breakthrough]
[Body Tempering — Eighth Layer]
[Marrow Strength Increased]
[Physical Strength Significantly Enhanced]
He opened his eyes slowly.
The Spirit Stones had turned brittle.
Consumed.
Inside his panel—
[User: Lin Xuan][Realm: Body Tempering — Eighth Layer][Days Until Inner Sect Evaluation: 25]
[Crimson Flame Twelve-Form Tyrant Sword Art][Grade: High Mortal][Major Completion 421/600]
[Azure Piercing Spear][Grade: Mid Mortal][Perfection 193/1000]
[Stone Body Conditioning Art][Grade: Mid Mortal][Perfection 327/1000]
[Basic Qi Circulation Method][Grade: Mid Mortal][Major Completion 244/600]